Surrogate Performing?

[Rata-tat-tat]

I started at a young age around 8 playin in the schools jazz band ensemble... I later played in teenage rock/ metal bands... and have played off and on in rock bands ever since... I'm now 42 and have slowed down on the live performances, but will always try to play live somewhere.... but I gotta say the feeling is quite the same if not better when I get to read some of the great comments on this site after posting an original work. Yes the audience here is much broader in age and genre... The satisfisfaction I get a from a comment from someone who wouldn't normally listen to my tired old rocker stuff is priceless.... But mostly I get a kick out of how this site has broadened my listening skills... Prior to listening to tunes on SC I would have clicked to another site or turned the station... Now I feel compelled to listen to a song start to finish... Not only because I feel I know the artist in a cyber way but because the music is damn good...I can dig it big time. Cheers to all of you songcrafters... Long live Songcrafters... Here, Here!!!

[launched]

Yes! Long live the 'Crafters!!

[thetworegs]

When you can create a song, realize it and share it, it's the absolute best. And the fact that someone would take the time to honor it with a listen and comment is priceless.

Totally agree people taking the time from around the world to listen and comment is priceless....thank you fellow crafters and long live the site

[andy casson]

wow, have to say I am quite surprised by the variety of backgrounds and responses -

Ken - I would never ever have guessed you only played live once at 17! Astonishing for the quality of writing

Tod - No surpises there, us aging rockers need to stick together! Glad you still gig when you can

Hook -No surprises there either, but very impressed with your skills, just superb, and great you are playing 6 days a week! wow!

ORH - That's another wow, oustanding achievement to play your first gig at 51! May there be many more!

Dasilva - surrogate is a most excellent word, however I now feel honour bound to assist with your growing english vocabulary...so useful word for today is
Numpty - usage - "You numpty", describes general foolishness, and I can't believe this but it's scottish in origin!

So for my own part I started playing at 18, went through several bands as a singer and guitarist until around 32/33, then stopped dead on the performing, but used to teach guitar and singing to help get by for another few years. The last band I was in was very serious, rehearsed twice a week, gigged at least once a week, and the guitarist was phenomenal (that's another good word!), but fell apart when the drummer moved away and my son was 2-3 years old. My first gig at 18 was playing Status Quo's Caroline! (oh dear!).
I am self taught on the guitar, my first was a truly awful £20 classical, and my parents must have really suffered!

Anyway, Geir, Burtog, Fenderbender (love the Octavias!), launched, Willie, Reg -know what you mean about the global nature of the site, and the kick of posting an orginal and someone across the other side of the world liking it, getting it and telling you so!

stay cool
andy
 

[phantasm777]

i started playing drums at age 8. started writiing lyrics, and music (in my head i do not read nor write notes) at 14 also got in my first band at 14 as a bassist.
practiced, played, improvise almost everyday. it was so important to me i would pass on parties and even dates. (though ive had my share of parties and dont do that kind of thing anymore) by 79 i became a guitarist. 10 yrs later back to bass for a bit. all those times we played live at parties, a few times at our high school.
what helped kill my late 70's band was not just the normal stuff that happens but disco. where i lived they did not want a hard rock band they wanted dance music, i refused to sell out.
funny thing is i dont get nervous on stage when playing music, but if you wanted me to orate, do a speech, hell, count me the fuck out! no can do.

anyways i came here cause of good pub. i got from a member or 2 or yours. i mainly came for input on what i was doing, it was my hope that fellow musicians, would see through my rustiness here and there, and through my being on the lower tier when it comes to using a mixer - mixing and see the music for what it could be as one would with any demo.
on fb i posted my stuff and no one, not family not friends would even bother saying anything. nothing. to some extent this has been going on around me my whole life where the people who you figure are closest to you offer 0% support, it hurts bad, but have tried to learn to live with it.
i've gone through some bad depression bouts in yrs past and a nervous breakdown, over music and a woman, but snapped out of it, though some damage was done so i cannot perform live. and rather than mope around about it all, i decided to do what i know i can do.
since 1973 ive written over 1800 lyrics and poems, and have zillions of musical ideas and riffs in my head from past as well as present (purple mountains for one example frm about may or june 75) i figure if i am not long for this earth, then i can go out easier knowing i left some music behind. im single, no kids, so leaving something musically behind is very important to me even if it gets nowhere. ive had this drive since a little kid watching - listening to the late 60's rockers when they came out, and other genres, and being thoroughly inspired, yep even to the point of still having long hair.

anyways, even in my worse depression bouts, one thing i could do was play music, even though i rarely even came out of the house at times, i would, to play. i think that says a lot on how important it is to me.
one of the many things i like about this forum is, no matter what age, i could pull out a tune sounding kinda psychedelic 60's or gothic 2000's and those who comment are fair and understand some of my trip, so to speak. even the most minimal encouragement means a lot. this is the only place i can get any real feedback. i tried on other musician sites, on fb. and im lost in a sea of peoples and never get heard.  or if heard, no comments. i dont expect all good comments. nor all bad. just some opinions and if they get where im coming from with the song.

i cannot spend too much time on any one song or track or it will take forever for all perfect takes, especially since my guitar and bass talents are rusty, and i was never a singer and i never played keys before. but i decided not to use those as excuses anymore and get down to business.
unfortunately i cannot do more complex songs, yet, cause of my rustiness, so i have to do more simpler songs, but i look at it as a growing process, and look back to the days i used to play bass and learn cover songs from records and develope my style from there. i have my style just not the physical endurance, my mind knows where to go and what to do but the hands and fingers are not quite there yet.
in conclusion i do really appreciate the friendliness, and honest comments. i am a pretty picky listener in music, and i like very little music these days, other than older music, but if i dont like a song or it doesnt say something to me, i just dont comment, no point on raining on someones parade over my pickyness, and i admit my pickyness, even though it isnt as bad as when i was a young metalhead..
plus, i dont seem to have as much time as i would like for things online, especially with music taking up more time now.
but im greatful for the forum and for people who have knowledge and experience and from all over the world to see if i can get into thier musical minds with any interesting work at all.
what i am about to say is not meant to rip music fans, but, most music fans are not as musically knowledgeable as musicians, they (musicians) can hear and even see what youre doing in thier minds. fellow musicians opinions i hold in higher regard than fans, because of thier knowledge and experience. nowadays i see many fans for types of music i think sucks. plus a fellow musician can break down thier opinion for you in a way that can help you. please dont think i dismiss a fans opinion, not at all, but an educated fan (musician) helps you a lot more on your musical journey.

lastly IF things were better for me, yes i would still play live, just about anywhere that would like the styles of music i do. im 52 and i do feel the age at times but inside i am still young, regardless of what my age says.

[Tony W]

I never get tired of saying this, but I'm a songcrafters trained musician. I could barely play 5 chords when I joined this site 2 and a half years ago, like many others looking for tech support on the Micro BR. I was using it as a guitar trainer, and literally had no idea what the hell I had just purchased.

I'm 39, and two weeks ago, I played my first live gig. There will be many more to come, and when I get a little more comfortable, I'll record a bit.

To think that I couldn't properly strum a chord when I showed up here, to playing in a "shit-hole bar" is mind boggling. I never had the sack to get up in front of people, now I'm dying for the next gig to happen.

[Oldrottenhead]

fuck yeah tony. gaun yersel .

[Gnasty]

I'm 39, and two weeks ago, I played my first live gig. There will be many more to come, and when I get a little more comfortable, I'll record a bit.

Already dude? That`s awesome. You have the bug now! I need the bug too!! This site rules!!

[Bluesberry]

I love reading all this stuff.  The music runs deep with each of us, a very important part of each of our little lives.  Before I joined this site I was a bedroom strummer with a cheap yamaha acoustic, trying to learn Wilco songs to play for my enjoyment.  I never tried to write a song in my life.  I bought a microBR, joined up here and ran into the likes of ORH and Lespaulgoldtop (Greeny now), and others with original music to share, recorded on nothing more than the puny little microBR.  Like Tony, I bought it as a guitar trainer, to help me learn how to play blues solo stuff.  I had no idea the creativity and excitement that would be unlocked.  So the first thing I did was attempt an original song.  Then post it up...................bam..................comments, what a great feeling, and advice, and good cheer, and a feeling that we are all involved in something important.  I was hooked fast.  Its because of posting on here that I have developed as a musician, songwriter, singer, recording guy.  This site did all that for me.  Oh sure, I have tried other sites, some have come and gone, a few others I still frequent, but for interaction amongst members, good cheer, deeply shared love of music for its own sake, this site is top dog in my books.  I haven't had much time for recording lately, but I play my acoustic every day, and enjoy making music almost more than anything else I do.  I owe it to this site for firing up my musical life.  I will always consider this place my cyber home, and all of you good folks my cyber friends and collaborators, and mentors.  Long live songcrafters, god bless you all.  Now then back to the acoustic for 15 minutes, its all the time I get tonight.  I truly appreciate all the comments I have gotten on my songs over the past 3 years, that has kept me going.  Who knows, I may even get up to some live playing when I am 51 (47 now), but that part isn't too important for me, I really love creating music, writing songs, recording, and getting my music heard by folks from around the world, thats my buzz.