I must apologize to you. In my July blog, I kind of criticized those who believe Progressive music isn't Progressive unless it contains dominant nostalgic elements reminiscent of the great "art rock" bands of the 70's. But now, as I am composing my new CD, I find myself gravitating toward those same elements. I'm not doing so to substantiate my music as authentically Progressive. I have proven to myself that I can write progressively structured songs that are difficult to categorize within that genre. But lo and behold, I'm sitting here listening to what I've written in the past month, and I'll be danged if some of the sections don't resemble something that my favorite Prog Rock bands have written. This phenomenon is quite new to me, because I've always striven to write and arrange most of my music in ways I've never personally heard before. I've always figured there was no point in basically rehashing someone else's sound. Their original version was the only valid vision, and that was that. There was no point in trying to improve upon it.
I do understand there is a point to doing a cover of another band's tune that you love, just for the sheer enjoyment of performing it. But I am not a performer. It seems Prog Rock composers have a tightwire to walk nowadays. They have to bring something new and unique to the table, all the while retain some of the old musical styles introduced by the masters - ELP, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, and so on. It is interesting that with all the new technology in musical gear and accessories, many modern Prog Rock bands still try to mimic the vintage Prog sounds, while some truly innovative (albeit overused) effects are being found in even mainstream music. As I have mentioned in a previous blog, this could certainly be due to the fact that Proggers are underappreciated in the industry and do not have the capital to invest in the equipment the big studios and their pop artists do.
To get back to the main topic, I would hope most artists want their art to be appreciated on some level. I am no different. I do not have a Narcissistic streak to rely upon when a song I post on YouTube doesn't perform as well as I expect. (I believe a strong Narcissistic personality trait is a great, but incorrect motivator you will find in most successful entertainers.) I'm pretty humble about my talents, because I believe it is only by the grace of God I have them. But just maybe, with my new CD I'm working on, I'm finally giving in a little and willing to give Prog Rock lovers more of what they expect to hear, whereas before I didn't really care that much about what people thought of my music, as long as I felt I was led by God. I must say, the inspiration is flowing through me more fluidly than usual. Maybe He is leading me in a different direction in which I'll have to make some compromises. Life is truly one big learning experience.
As always , love others with the love God loves you. Here are a few more photos.
I do understand there is a point to doing a cover of another band's tune that you love, just for the sheer enjoyment of performing it. But I am not a performer. It seems Prog Rock composers have a tightwire to walk nowadays. They have to bring something new and unique to the table, all the while retain some of the old musical styles introduced by the masters - ELP, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, and so on. It is interesting that with all the new technology in musical gear and accessories, many modern Prog Rock bands still try to mimic the vintage Prog sounds, while some truly innovative (albeit overused) effects are being found in even mainstream music. As I have mentioned in a previous blog, this could certainly be due to the fact that Proggers are underappreciated in the industry and do not have the capital to invest in the equipment the big studios and their pop artists do.
To get back to the main topic, I would hope most artists want their art to be appreciated on some level. I am no different. I do not have a Narcissistic streak to rely upon when a song I post on YouTube doesn't perform as well as I expect. (I believe a strong Narcissistic personality trait is a great, but incorrect motivator you will find in most successful entertainers.) I'm pretty humble about my talents, because I believe it is only by the grace of God I have them. But just maybe, with my new CD I'm working on, I'm finally giving in a little and willing to give Prog Rock lovers more of what they expect to hear, whereas before I didn't really care that much about what people thought of my music, as long as I felt I was led by God. I must say, the inspiration is flowing through me more fluidly than usual. Maybe He is leading me in a different direction in which I'll have to make some compromises. Life is truly one big learning experience.
As always , love others with the love God loves you. Here are a few more photos.
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