Longing for the day ...

Alive and Alone radio host feedback

Came into contact via Facebook with Anita Monk, who hosts a radio program in Victoria that is part of a radio segment called Wrokdown. Her target audience is dscribed as follows: "The older audience are very particular in their choice of music because we grew up with the best, and Wrokdown finds the best new music around for your enjoyment."

Anita was kind enough to offer me feedback on "Alive and Alone", so I sent her the Spotify link. She didn't know about the album's intentions a part of the Tetrafasi project, and here was her feedback:

"I've had a listen........ to me your songs sound like ideas, that need to be built on. It's very hard to sell any song, much less one that sounds like it was one mic. It all depends on what you want. If you put songs out like that, it would be to someone that you know, that you want to give your songs to. If you want to sell them, you need to get yourself something cheap like cubase, and add other instruments. Hit songs have a lot of thought put into them, and heaps of arrangement and production. There are very VERY few musicians who can make money out of a guitar and stomp box ... Unfortunately - for me - it's just not commercial enough. So, give it a go...... it might work for you."

Now, I think that's perfect - exactly where I thought the record is at. In fact, I would have been harsher on the performance standard ... but Anita was probably being nice.

These ARE ideas that need to be built on ... and that's exactly what I intend to do. The work that Anita notes goes into the production is exactly what's ahead for these songs. It's important not to think that this release is anything like commercial quality - but it is useful for building me a personal fan base that emerges from my solo performances involving me, a guitar, and a stomp box.

A perfect place to start ... looking forward to the next step!!

I'm always after feedback and suggestions on this stuff, so please let me know what you think in the comments below. Here's the album in Spotify:

Dad Joke Blues gets some recognition!

You could have knocked me down with a feather last night when I received a notice that Dad Joke Blues has been shortlisted for the Australian Songwriters Association Songwriting Contest! The acoustic version is in the Folk/Acoustic catgory. This, of course, does not even put me in the final 30 in that category, but it's an indicator that the song is not complete crap. Welcome news indeed ...

THEN: You could have blown me over with a whisper this morning when I got another email telling me that the electric version has been shortlisted in the Open category. Wow! Even more competition and even better company to keep and the song is right up there. This is wonderful news indeed - especially since I had forgotten that I entered the song twice ...

Of course, this song has already missed out on the Unsigned Only song contest, and we have not heard from the USA Songwriting Contest yet. Trying not to bate our breathing too much ... :-)

Funding Tetrafasi in future

OK, so "Alive and Alone" is done and distributed via CDBaby. Happy with that - I did it all myself and it cost me nothing but my time. Trouble is, the next one is gonna need more people to play on it and James North (or someone who's not me) to mix and master it ... that's the plan!

So, how to get the funds to make the next two albums? James reckons the current plan will cost about $40K for his services (including session players on "Sky's the Limit") - not bad for three albums - and my quick reckoner says that if I pay people for two rehearsals and one call to record per song ("Three's Company") and three and one ("Banding Together"), that's gonna cost about another $40K. I don't have that kind of cash lying around and I don't have that kind of cash coming my way any time soon.

?Fortunately? in this country, we have government programs that can help with this sort of thing - tho it's a long shot. Highly competitive with lots of artists trying to get financial support for some awesome arts projects. Some years ago I sat on the panel of the Brisbane City Council's Creative Sparks grants - it was an educational experience. In recent years I've been teaching Masters students at QUT how to apply for and manage such grants - but I've never actually applied for one.

The two most applicable grants seem to me to be Arts Queensland's Queensland Arts Showcase Program (Arts Ignite) and the Australia Council's Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups. They are both worth slightly more than I need so yesterday I applied for one of each: the QASP to pay for James North's services and the Australia Council grant to pay for the perforances.The application process is time-consuming and detailed, but not difficult. Fortunely, I have garnered letters of support from some great people: Pixie Jenkins, Chanel Lucas, the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA), Woordford Folk Festival, and the Australian Songwriters Association, among others. Lots of Genre Benders are keen to play on this thing ...

It's a long shot, but it's the only way to get the cash that I can think of ... apart from crowdfunding - but I don't really have a crowd. My applications are supported by se pretty major people, but so are all the good ones. Answers to the applications are due before teh end of the year so we'll just have to see what they make of my crazy idea ...

It would be so cool to be supported to go share what I learn from this with people directly as well as online here ... In the meantime I'll just keep working on my parts Three's Company and see who I can get to join me for a back-ended deal.

Well done Tigers and Storm, bad luck Wobblies

Footy season is over ... give or take the end of the Rugby Championship and October's Rugby League World Cup. The Tigers' story is a great one. My good mate Simon Smith is a die-hard Tigers fan who's been telling me for years that the Tigers were improving and on their way to glory. Eventually he was right and they did it in style ... congratulations, boys.

Melbourne Storm, stung after last year's Grand Final defeat, wanted to be even better in 2017 and they were. Best regular-season results in a long time - lost only 4 games all year. They got the wobbly boot up in the earlier finals and looked beatable ... but yeaterday's effort was a clinical masterclass in high-pressure footy. Great result for a great club and wonderful team. Shame to see the end of the big three as a combination - I hope we get to see more of Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith for just a little while. They will be at the World Cup, anyways.

I haven't watched a Wallabies game for a while because they have been poor for a long time - unfit, unskilled and clueless tactically. Not to mention arrogant and un-Australian. But Saturday night's game they actually played with more polish and better effort, which was great to see. Apart from a short period early, they declined to kick the ball pointlessly back to the Springboks back three ... much better control and consistent intensity. Shame about the result, but the ref missing two blatant forward passes will do that for you. Take confidence from that, boys, and better things lie ahead ...

Now, back to making music ... :-)