Have you seen this week's latest "superstar"? Or last week's? Or the week's before that?
Me either.
But, all you have to do is take a look at your local Craigslist entries under the musician category, and you're sure to be introduced to them. Introduced to them, by them. Sometimes even before they've written a song, let alone played an instrument or produced a CD. If they have spent the time, effort, and money to actually produce something worth listening to, before they've sold even 20 copies of it they proclaim themselves the latest and greatest thing since sliced bread.
Who do they think they're fooling? Sure, artists of all sorts need to have self-confidence and a belief in themselves, but this has all gone too far. When the only person that calls them a superstar is their manager, or themselves, they're obviously not one.
Personally, even when I see an artist break through and achieve success for the first time, they are still a long way from being a superstar. When I say break through and achieve success, I mean to reach gold record status (defined as selling 500,000 copies) at least. I'll say it again, even at that level they're still a long way from being a superstar. Show me an artist that has three or four platinum (defined as selling 1,000,000 copies) records over a period of years, and now I'll start to consider them worthy of the "superstar" label.
The "superstar" phenomena started with the advent of digital recording equipment. It's amazing technology, and as prices of both equipment and high performance recording software have steadily dropped, it's now affordable for almost anyone to produce a CD. With the widespread availability of that technology, it seems that because they CAN, everyone DOES produce a CD. Because they've produced a CD, they consider themselves the afore-mentioned "best thing since sliced bread."
So, the world is now awash with "artists" and their attendant "art."
Most of these people have no musical knowledge, experience, training, skill, or ability. I understand that we all have our own ideas of what's good and what's bad, what's art, what's freedom of expression, etc, but some of us are taking ourselves way too seriously. Browse any on-line source of independent music, and you'll find plenty of examples of poor musicianship, poor production, and a poor choice of investment dollars, mainly because it IS cheap to produce.
You see, the hardware and software are affordable, but they are no substitute for knowledge, well-honed skills (both musical and operational), and the skillful application of that knowledge and skill. Even a highly talented, skilled, gifted and well-practiced artist has a very slim chance of ever becoming a "superstar."
I hear so many young artists say that they love music and that they want to spend the rest of their lives performing, entertaining, and inspiring their audience. I hear them pledge their lives to that pursuit. And yet so many of them overlook the hard work that's required. They brag about their "ability" and "talent" and include in their boasts that they have three or four songs written, and just need the right band, or the right manager, or the right agent, or the right someone to give them the money to promote them, and they'll BE the next "superstar." They often can't even differentiate between a promoter, a manager, an agent, or an investor, let alone the role that those people play in an artist's career.
Personally, I have made my living playing music for over 30 years. I have studied music, the music business, promotions, and so much more. I have some CD's I've produced. I have songs I've written. I've rubbed elbows with, opened for, and played with many acts, some of them approaching "superstar" status. I have toured Europe and the US. I've led bands, conducted choirs and horn sections and string sections. I've produced and promoted shows, and more . . . (go to http://www.brotherdanpalmer.com/ for pics and other info about me) . . .
Am I a "superstar"? Not even close. I could make a lot of excuses for not meeting with great critical acclaim. But no excuses are necessary.
I've had good years and bad years. I've had good shows and bad shows. I've produced some good music, and some not so good. But, the good FAR outweighs the bad. Life is good, and music makes my world go 'round.
So, believe me when I say, I WILL be playing music for the rest of my life. I WILL continue to work, learn, and sharpen my skills. I WILL continue to perform, entertain, and inspire my audience.
Music is in my veins, my heart, my soul. How about you? Do you think you're ready to commit your life to your art? (Not to be confused with being committed, LOL!)
This is not something you do because you really want to. It's not for the faint of heart. Only do it if it is what you have to do. For a few of us, it's what we must do.
It that describes you, I wish you all of the best that life has to offer. For me, music IS the best that life has to offer, regardless of the ups and downs, and the joys and sorrows. This road is narrow and long. The further along the road you travel, the fewer travelers you meet. If you have the heart and the endurance it takes, I'll see you out there, because that's where I live.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
In search of the muse . . .
How many times have you sat down to write, and nothing seems to come out? For me, that never happens. There's always something to be said, it's just finding the right way to say it. Perhaps it doesn't come out right, but it's not for lack of something to say.
It's about finding the right vehicle to carry my thoughts. Sometimes it's a lyric, sometimes a title, sometimes a situation (real or imagined) that I want to describe.
So, where then is the vehicle? For me, the vehicle inevitably emerges from my guitar. After identifying the subject, I then need to set the mood. It's rare that it all comes together in one session, but the elements generally take shape. I often experiment with an upbeat feel with a downbeat lyric, and vice versa.
If words aren't coming, I simply start fiddling on the guitar, experimenting with chords and rhythms. I may never get to the lyrics that day, but I try to hear what the guitar is trying to say.
After laying the elements out, I frequently have to just start pounding it out, over and over, getting to know this new friend. There's some element of freedom as I explore, letting the words and the music take me places I've never been. Sometimes, when I let them go where they may, they surprise me and we end up somewhere different than I had planned.
Eventually, I put the song away in a place inside my head. I've written the lyrics down, I've got the basic chord structure, I've got the basic rhythm and feel. Now, it's time to walk away for a little while, usually overnight at least.
When I wake up and pick up where I left off, I again let the lyrics and music carry me down the path they've woven in my psyche. Often, the music changes a bit. Sometimes, the first stanza becomes the second. Sometimes, the punchline at the end needs tweaking. That all seems to come clear in the light of day.
The subject of this post is "In search of the muse . . ." Basic english tells us that every sentence needs a verb, and in this proposition, "search" is that verb. A verb is an action word. I find that when I want to write, it's all about the action of very purposely sitting down with my pencil and paper, my guitar and pick and simply starting. Yes, there's something to be said for a regularly scheduled time and place for writing, and the discipline involved in honing my craft is important.
But at the bottom of it all, especially in this world where our schedules dictate to us rather than the other way around, it's all about finding a quiet environment and setting the wheels in motion.
Go now. Search.
It's about finding the right vehicle to carry my thoughts. Sometimes it's a lyric, sometimes a title, sometimes a situation (real or imagined) that I want to describe.
So, where then is the vehicle? For me, the vehicle inevitably emerges from my guitar. After identifying the subject, I then need to set the mood. It's rare that it all comes together in one session, but the elements generally take shape. I often experiment with an upbeat feel with a downbeat lyric, and vice versa.
If words aren't coming, I simply start fiddling on the guitar, experimenting with chords and rhythms. I may never get to the lyrics that day, but I try to hear what the guitar is trying to say.
After laying the elements out, I frequently have to just start pounding it out, over and over, getting to know this new friend. There's some element of freedom as I explore, letting the words and the music take me places I've never been. Sometimes, when I let them go where they may, they surprise me and we end up somewhere different than I had planned.
Eventually, I put the song away in a place inside my head. I've written the lyrics down, I've got the basic chord structure, I've got the basic rhythm and feel. Now, it's time to walk away for a little while, usually overnight at least.
When I wake up and pick up where I left off, I again let the lyrics and music carry me down the path they've woven in my psyche. Often, the music changes a bit. Sometimes, the first stanza becomes the second. Sometimes, the punchline at the end needs tweaking. That all seems to come clear in the light of day.
The subject of this post is "In search of the muse . . ." Basic english tells us that every sentence needs a verb, and in this proposition, "search" is that verb. A verb is an action word. I find that when I want to write, it's all about the action of very purposely sitting down with my pencil and paper, my guitar and pick and simply starting. Yes, there's something to be said for a regularly scheduled time and place for writing, and the discipline involved in honing my craft is important.
But at the bottom of it all, especially in this world where our schedules dictate to us rather than the other way around, it's all about finding a quiet environment and setting the wheels in motion.
Go now. Search.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
What About Love?
The question I've started asking myself, which I now ask you is: What About Love?
There's a song on my new CD ("Fishnet Stockings") with that title, a song about a male/female relationship, but the question has become much larger than that for me. The question leads us to the answer for most everything wrong with the world as we know it.
Our country is still at war. Where's the love in that?
Our political system is in a state of upheaval: democrats and republicans alike rant and rave at and about each other. Proposals that republicans made in the past are now being radically attacked by them, now that they have been proposed by democrats, and vice versa. Where's the love in that?
A year ago, I was discharged from the hospital and told "there's nothing we can do for you, you have four to six months to live, so go figure out how you want to spend it." In reality, I was sent home to die because I didn't have insurance. Where's the love in that?
I recently received an e-mail from someone I considered to be a friend and whom I'd looked up to as a mentor. The writer has called himself a christian for many years, and the e-mail was an attempt to make me feel guilty about a quote that my publicist had put into a press release. Coming from someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus, it was hard to accept, because it wasn't written in a loving manner, and the comment in question was a trivial matter. Jesus is the one who said "faith, hope and love remain, but the greatest of these is love." After reading the e-mail, I immediately wondered, where's the love in this message?
So, to return to the question: What about love?
As someone that has the opportunity to interact with lots of different people on a regular basis, I for one am dedicating myself to showing people love, hopefully in all that I say and do. Life is way too short to do anything else. The old saying that "you have to give love away before you get it back" is still true.
Call me naive, but that's what I believe.
How radical would it be if you and I joined together, recruiting friends along the way, and began first to ask ourselves, and eventually the world, WHAT ABOUT LOVE?!
There's a song on my new CD ("Fishnet Stockings") with that title, a song about a male/female relationship, but the question has become much larger than that for me. The question leads us to the answer for most everything wrong with the world as we know it.
Our country is still at war. Where's the love in that?
Our political system is in a state of upheaval: democrats and republicans alike rant and rave at and about each other. Proposals that republicans made in the past are now being radically attacked by them, now that they have been proposed by democrats, and vice versa. Where's the love in that?
A year ago, I was discharged from the hospital and told "there's nothing we can do for you, you have four to six months to live, so go figure out how you want to spend it." In reality, I was sent home to die because I didn't have insurance. Where's the love in that?
I recently received an e-mail from someone I considered to be a friend and whom I'd looked up to as a mentor. The writer has called himself a christian for many years, and the e-mail was an attempt to make me feel guilty about a quote that my publicist had put into a press release. Coming from someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus, it was hard to accept, because it wasn't written in a loving manner, and the comment in question was a trivial matter. Jesus is the one who said "faith, hope and love remain, but the greatest of these is love." After reading the e-mail, I immediately wondered, where's the love in this message?
So, to return to the question: What about love?
As someone that has the opportunity to interact with lots of different people on a regular basis, I for one am dedicating myself to showing people love, hopefully in all that I say and do. Life is way too short to do anything else. The old saying that "you have to give love away before you get it back" is still true.
Call me naive, but that's what I believe.
How radical would it be if you and I joined together, recruiting friends along the way, and began first to ask ourselves, and eventually the world, WHAT ABOUT LOVE?!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Getting Acquainted #2
Here's some more "get acquainted" material, copied and pasted from my press kit:
******************************
Lifelong musician Brother Dan Palmer started studying classical guitar at the age of six, and began performing at the age of eight. He has a repertoire of over 1,000 cover songs from virtually all genres, and has played in virtually every venue imaginable, from passing the hat on the streets of San Francisco to dinner houses, bars, nightclubs, casinos, and has a lot of concert experience, having opened for and/or played with: Men at Work, Three Dog Night, Foghat, The Tubes, The Grass Roots, Canned Heat, Humble Pie, Black Oak Arkansas, John Nemeth, War, David Lindley, Donovan, Bob Weir, and more.
Brother Dan's main focus now is his original music, and he draws from his extensive experience to craft well-written songs that have universal appeal. His obvious love of various styles of music translates into hybrid combinations which are interesting and unique, and yet comfortingly familiar, which serve as an excellent vehicle for his at times intense and highly personal lyrics. Brother Dan's first full-length all-original cd was released in the late summer of 2007, the release of a follow-up EP was in May, 2009, and his next full-length CD was released in August of 2010.
Brother Dan plays constantly and tours frequently. Recent tour stops have included Germany, England, Scotland, Florida, California, Arizona, Utah, and more. Tours planned for 2009 were to include all of the previous, plus stops in Colorado, Oregon, New York, Belgium, and Slovenia.
******************************
Lifelong musician Brother Dan Palmer started studying classical guitar at the age of six, and began performing at the age of eight. He has a repertoire of over 1,000 cover songs from virtually all genres, and has played in virtually every venue imaginable, from passing the hat on the streets of San Francisco to dinner houses, bars, nightclubs, casinos, and has a lot of concert experience, having opened for and/or played with: Men at Work, Three Dog Night, Foghat, The Tubes, The Grass Roots, Canned Heat, Humble Pie, Black Oak Arkansas, John Nemeth, War, David Lindley, Donovan, Bob Weir, and more.
Brother Dan's main focus now is his original music, and he draws from his extensive experience to craft well-written songs that have universal appeal. His obvious love of various styles of music translates into hybrid combinations which are interesting and unique, and yet comfortingly familiar, which serve as an excellent vehicle for his at times intense and highly personal lyrics. Brother Dan's first full-length all-original cd was released in the late summer of 2007, the release of a follow-up EP was in May, 2009, and his next full-length CD was released in August of 2010.
Brother Dan plays constantly and tours frequently. Recent tour stops have included Germany, England, Scotland, Florida, California, Arizona, Utah, and more. Tours planned for 2009 were to include all of the previous, plus stops in Colorado, Oregon, New York, Belgium, and Slovenia.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Getting Acquainted #1
Greetings!
Welcome to my new blog. This is the first entry, and it's basically the background story from my healthcare blog. That blog can be found at: www.caringbridge.org/visit/danielpalmer I'll be copying a couple of things from my website in my next couple of entries, just so you can get to know me a bit. After this, that blog will remain seperate unto itself, mainly because the doctors have recently told me to "go and live life," and this blog is a new direction for me. I welcome comments, obviously, as well as questions, as I do my best to shed light upon this crazy world as I know it . . .
***********
I'm Brother Dan, a singer/songwriter, from Northern Nevada. I've been traveling and performing throughout the US from a young age, and began performing internationally about three years ago.
I was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2004, but was unable to find the right doctor, and was told not to worry about my condition by at least three different doctors. Through my own research I began a long-term diet regimen of organic foods, herbal remedies, and liver cleansing, while I continued to monitor my liver enzymes through periodic blood tests. Things improved markedly and it seemed as though all was well.
In May of 2009 all of that changed. I suddenly began to swell with fluid, and developed conditions known as pitting edema and ascites. I began visiting a homeopathic doctor, spent a lot of money there, and didn't get any better. I eventually entered the hospital via the emergency room. The doctors there informed me I had cirrhosis and gave me 6 to 9 months to live, then discharged me. I began being "tapped" on a regular basis, which meant they poked a needle into my abdomen and drained fluid out of me, as I ballooned from my normal 185 pounds up to 245 lbs. I had as much as 15 liters of fluid drained at a time.
During my third hospital admission, I began bleeding internally, and had to be resuscitated three different times. When I was eventually discharged, there was one doctor that held a glimmer of hope for me, and told me to contact UCSF in San Francisco. UCSF doesn't accept Nevada Medicaid (which I had finally qualified for after a four month wait), and referred me to California Pacific Medical Center, who does accept it. I was also informed of my true diagnosis, which is end-stage liver disease.
In early September I went to CPMC for a two day liver transplant evaluation, but they admitted me to their facility and I wasn't discharged for three weeks. Test after test, including a liver biopsy and finally a TIPS procedure (trans-jugular inter-hepatic portal shunt) wherein they poked a hole in my liver and inserted a mesh tube to help the blood flow, reduce the ascites (abdominal fluids), and relieve the back pressure in my blood vessels that caused the internal bleeding (esophogeal varices). The downside is that I now occasionally experience encephalopathy, which is a build-up of ammonia in the brain. It causes confusion, or "foggy brain," and in my case has put me in a coma three times between October and December of 2009. While in and of itself "E" is not life threatening, it's no fun AT ALL, for me or my caregiver, Melisa.
At this point, I'm paying close attention to my diet, tracking my intake of protein, carbs, salt, and fluid. The "E" has put me back in the hospital a couple of times (I was in a coma for three and a half days once), but the doctors, Melisa and I are working hard to find the balance that I need to remain stable. In the meantime, I'm not able to drive or work, and a liver transplant is my best hope for a return to a "normal" life. I need to be within six hours of the transplant center at any given time in case I get the call that they have a new liver for me, so my travel has been severely cut back as well.
Now living in Sacramento, I'm a couple of hours away from most of my family (athough my sister lives in Sac) and my friends. I depend upon Melisa as my caregiver 24/7, which means she hasn't worked for months and as we're on our own, we're slowly sinking financially. (Social Security Disability isn't all it's cracked up to be!) I'm depending on the goodness of people to help me stay afloat financially (donations can be made to the "Brother Dan Medical Fund" at any Bank of America branch), and I depend upon the internet to keep me in touch with the world.
You can find more info about me, purchase cd's, etc, at www.nothingbetterthanthis.com www.brotherdanpalmer.com as well as at www.myspace.com/brotherdan2 and FaceBook and view videos at www.youtube.com/brotherdanpalmer
Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for your love and support, and I hope that the New Year is better for all of us.
Brother Dan
Welcome to my new blog. This is the first entry, and it's basically the background story from my healthcare blog. That blog can be found at: www.caringbridge.org/visit/danielpalmer I'll be copying a couple of things from my website in my next couple of entries, just so you can get to know me a bit. After this, that blog will remain seperate unto itself, mainly because the doctors have recently told me to "go and live life," and this blog is a new direction for me. I welcome comments, obviously, as well as questions, as I do my best to shed light upon this crazy world as I know it . . .
***********
I'm Brother Dan, a singer/songwriter, from Northern Nevada. I've been traveling and performing throughout the US from a young age, and began performing internationally about three years ago.
I was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2004, but was unable to find the right doctor, and was told not to worry about my condition by at least three different doctors. Through my own research I began a long-term diet regimen of organic foods, herbal remedies, and liver cleansing, while I continued to monitor my liver enzymes through periodic blood tests. Things improved markedly and it seemed as though all was well.
In May of 2009 all of that changed. I suddenly began to swell with fluid, and developed conditions known as pitting edema and ascites. I began visiting a homeopathic doctor, spent a lot of money there, and didn't get any better. I eventually entered the hospital via the emergency room. The doctors there informed me I had cirrhosis and gave me 6 to 9 months to live, then discharged me. I began being "tapped" on a regular basis, which meant they poked a needle into my abdomen and drained fluid out of me, as I ballooned from my normal 185 pounds up to 245 lbs. I had as much as 15 liters of fluid drained at a time.
During my third hospital admission, I began bleeding internally, and had to be resuscitated three different times. When I was eventually discharged, there was one doctor that held a glimmer of hope for me, and told me to contact UCSF in San Francisco. UCSF doesn't accept Nevada Medicaid (which I had finally qualified for after a four month wait), and referred me to California Pacific Medical Center, who does accept it. I was also informed of my true diagnosis, which is end-stage liver disease.
In early September I went to CPMC for a two day liver transplant evaluation, but they admitted me to their facility and I wasn't discharged for three weeks. Test after test, including a liver biopsy and finally a TIPS procedure (trans-jugular inter-hepatic portal shunt) wherein they poked a hole in my liver and inserted a mesh tube to help the blood flow, reduce the ascites (abdominal fluids), and relieve the back pressure in my blood vessels that caused the internal bleeding (esophogeal varices). The downside is that I now occasionally experience encephalopathy, which is a build-up of ammonia in the brain. It causes confusion, or "foggy brain," and in my case has put me in a coma three times between October and December of 2009. While in and of itself "E" is not life threatening, it's no fun AT ALL, for me or my caregiver, Melisa.
At this point, I'm paying close attention to my diet, tracking my intake of protein, carbs, salt, and fluid. The "E" has put me back in the hospital a couple of times (I was in a coma for three and a half days once), but the doctors, Melisa and I are working hard to find the balance that I need to remain stable. In the meantime, I'm not able to drive or work, and a liver transplant is my best hope for a return to a "normal" life. I need to be within six hours of the transplant center at any given time in case I get the call that they have a new liver for me, so my travel has been severely cut back as well.
Now living in Sacramento, I'm a couple of hours away from most of my family (athough my sister lives in Sac) and my friends. I depend upon Melisa as my caregiver 24/7, which means she hasn't worked for months and as we're on our own, we're slowly sinking financially. (Social Security Disability isn't all it's cracked up to be!) I'm depending on the goodness of people to help me stay afloat financially (donations can be made to the "Brother Dan Medical Fund" at any Bank of America branch), and I depend upon the internet to keep me in touch with the world.
You can find more info about me, purchase cd's, etc, at www.nothingbetterthanthis.com www.brotherdanpalmer.com as well as at www.myspace.com/brotherdan2 and FaceBook and view videos at www.youtube.com/brotherdanpalmer
Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for your love and support, and I hope that the New Year is better for all of us.
Brother Dan
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