TrentAustin

Hey Dan!

Great subject... I'm also in the process of recording a new disc! I heard your name from Ed during our recent PMs. I love your ideas and creativity being presented! I'll definitely enjoy listening to this creative music.

My true belief is if YOU believe in your project and commit yourself to making it successful it will be!

Clark Terry told me once (I think about my own playing... it was a long time) that "there's an arse for every seat..."


Why not you? With hard work, lots of hustling, and 100% dedication to the artistry presented you'll do great!

Most of the reason I stopped playing Classical music is that I wasn't interested in playing period pieces without having my "musical say". I guess that why jazz always has appealed to me. I can sound like me. Crazy concept, I know!

I'm looking forward to seeing the project develop. Let's trade discs when their done (my project will be done by 3004 at this rate, agh!)

Best,

Trent Austin

dnlrsnbm

Hey Trent and Zony,
Zony...I think we can have both...I just think that people focus too much on the past and not enough on the present, and even less on the future. If we could strike sort 1/3 past, 1/3 present, 1/3 future balance, I think music of all periods would be safe in terms of economics and musical vision. I think that many people right now have a sort of attitude that new music must "prove" itself to be "worthy" of serious consideration alongside the classics, which in my view is a faulty attitude. But that's another huge conversation...essentially, I agree with you.

Trent...yeah, man, let's totally trade discs. I've seens some of your posts on the site and your project interests me. I too have gravitated away from classical music for the same reason...I want to have my own "musical say," as you put it, so now I do much more improvisation and composing, because, as Zony put it, it's like Beethoven playing Beethoven (not that I'm anywhere near the genius level of Beethoven, but you get the point). It's a little scary for me being back at the beginning of a new musical path, but it's exciting as well, and it's heartening to know that there are others sharing my experience. Anyway, let's keep in touch and I'd love to hear more about your project.

Dan Rosenboom
www.danielrosenboom.com
www.plotzmusic.com
www.myspace.com/thebloodiermeanson

CGUM

Dan,
I have no doubt that this project will gain interest in the trumpet community or the music/art community at large. I checked out the clips that you posted on myspace and it is so raw and full of passion that if people don't feel anything toward it, whether it be adoration of pure hatred, then I will feel sorry for them. I Don't know how your success will come or what you physically have to do to get it...I think, or figure, that figuring that part out is half the battle when you fight for something you love.

However, I think you areasking the right questions. You have vision and passion now just go out there and show it to the world. MAn, I just re-read that and that sentence just make the whole process sound trite and I'm sorry for writing that. But, Good Luck and I hope you find your answers. In parting here is a speech given by Steve Jobs. Very interesting and insightful.
http://news-service.stanford.edu/new...bs-061505.html

Just as a post script as I re-read this bullsh*t. I was going to reply to the topic at large but I deleted it cause it made no sense to me. But really I think this could go for anyone. Mike, Bro, I know when your project starts to grow its wings that it's going to turn people on their ears.

peace,
CG

noonan

I've lurked around TM and TH for some time, and this discussion is one of the first I'd really like to join in on. I've spent quite a bit of time pondering these issues, and it's unbelievably helpful to share your visions, frustrations, confusion, etc.

I finished my master's at Rice in 04, and have since been playing in a military band in DC. For about 2-3 months, you feel a sense of relief to be paying some bills (including the pitcher you bought at T's pub in '99). Soon after you begin asking some serious questions about the goals you've been setting. To try to be concise: I'm afraid that many of us, certainly speaking for myself, use the external motivation of "the gig" for so long that you either live in the constant frustration of not having one at all, or you have one and it doesn't fill the void. Instead of blaming oneself for failing or feeling inadequate, I would suggest that the premise of chasing a specific outcome is itself faulty. It was very encouraging to read about players who are focusing on artistic content, the tangible 'message' that they want to convey, and letting the chips fall where they may. The substance of your musical message is all you really have control over anyway.

One question I've pondered is whether music really should be a job? Charles Ives was one of the most inventive American composers, and he made his living as an insurance man for New York Life. (quite successfully) I don't believe these two facts to be unrelated. He didn't have to sell his compositions to put food on the table, which allowed him to write whatever the hell he wanted. Sometimes music is a tool, sometimes it's not. Not all music is designed to be music for music's sake. There's room for everything, but it's important to know which you're involved in at any given time.

For many of us, I feel that our artistic, communicative lives will have to learn to live autonomously from the pragmatic goal of making money. This can actually be a positive situation. It has helped me to think of my job this way, even though my job is in the music business. There are some serious pitfalls to having your passion mixed in with your job. (that includes orchestral musicians) If following your passion in music leads you to a point that you are selling cd's and getting some income from it- great! If the primacy is on your musical message and you're producing a great product, people will want it. But that's a natural outcome, not a goal to be pursued.

Sorry for the rambling,
Carl

dnlrsnbm

Hey CG and Carl,
CG-thanks for checking out my stuff on myspace, and I'm glad you liked it. It's very encouraging that there are some people out there who are willing to take the time to listen to something new. And that Steve Jobs speech is a really excellent, inspiring read (makes me kinda want to drop out of school ).
Carl-I agree with you 100%. I was convinced that I wanted a "gig" and that that would solve all my problems...and then when I had one, I couldn't wait to quit it. So now I make most of my income from teaching privately, which is great for me because I love working with kids, and I happen to live in a place where there's a lot of school orchestra/band activity. But you're absolutely dead on about confusing work with passion...it's great when the two are the same, but most often they're not. And that's why I got out of the audition circuit and "job" world - I want to do music for music's sake, because I love the art and because I feel like I have something real to say/contribute. And I could tell that having a job would ruin my spirit that way. What I'm struggling with now, aside from just getting my stuff out there, is how to balance work, school, and creative activity, because as it is now, I'm going full tilt about 20 hours a day, and I'm not sure how I can keep it up. But I simply have to devote my time to my music, and then I have to devote time to making money...seems like a hard balance to find, but I guess that's what life is about. Anyway, thanks for your post, and keep on contributing...it's great to hear other people feeling as I do!

Dan Rosenboom
www.danielrosenboom.com
www.plotzmusic.com
www.myspace.com/thebloodiermeanson

a_legaspi

Dan and Mike, I hope you remember me. My name is Ariel, I met Mike at a masterclass at USC, Dan I met you at a Christmas Party last year, I still need to take you up on that lesson on the Jim Thompson material. First of all please forgive me if I say things that don't make sense it is pretty late and I am tired, but I felt I had to chime in here.
I remember hearing Dan's music at the 20/20 concert in april or may of this year, and I have to say it was the most captivating performance I had ever seen. I had heard Dan play in the UCLA brass ensemble with Doc Severinsen, but on this day when dan played this solo that went from one horn to another, and different locations in the hall, it was visually and aurally captivating and interesting. I loved every minute of that concert, thank you Ed Carroll for putting that show on, I can't wait for the next one.
I too have been having my thoughts on putting my own stamp on music. I have been contemplating this and, if the beast inside of you is telling you to go out there and do this then there is no sense in telling that beast inside of you to remain asleep. Some people go through life always thinking what would of happened if they had listened to that voice (beast) inside of them that said do it now or you will never do it. I always knew that music had to be part of my life, and that I would enjoy doing it for the rest of my life, and if I made money from it then that was just icing on the cake. I have recently falling in love with a new kind of music that has hit the scene, it is called Reggaeton. The first time I heard this music, the beast inside of me began to wake up and speak to me very loudly. Since than I have had beats going on in my head, and rhymes in english and in spanish also know as flow going on in my head. I have begun to write and record them on a tape recorder.
I love this music, and it is totally away from trumpet which is what I have been doing for the past 12 years, and it scares me. Because I am now going out of my comfort zone, I still play plenty and teach but I am really starting to focus on this whole reggaeton thing that is calling my name. It is hard for me to make the flow stop in my head, it is all I think about. Am I wrong for thinking this way, sorry for the long post you guys I just needed to get that off my chest. Hey Mike and Dan, if you ever want to lay down a reggaeton track and need an MC call me, I would love to work with the both of you. Its time for me to go to bed. Talk to you guys soon, hello professor Carroll, you don't know me but after the 20/20 concert at the lecture in the hall, I sat to the right of you, I was wearing a USC hat, and I spent alot of time talking with Tom Stevens. Hope everything is well.
Ariel "Mambopope" Legaspi

ecarroll

Hi Ariel. . . nice to see you here and thanks for your excellent post.

The next 20/20 concert will take place on April 12th. God knows what weirdness we'll come up with but mark your calendar. Also, Mark Gould is bring Pink Baby Monster up on Friday, January 13th (poetry, somehow).

Onward,
EC

a_legaspi

Prof. Carroll, I will definently mark my calender for the 20/20 concert, and the Mark Gould concert. I heard some snippets of his CD on the website they sell it at, and I thought it was so cool. I can't wait for that concert. I will be there. Will it be at Cal Arts as well, in the disney recital hall?
Ariel

ecarroll

Ariel,

8:00 in the Roy O Disney concert hall. . .and it's Ed, not Professor Carroll. I never profess (!)

Send me an e-mail a few days before and I'll confirm all of the details.

Best,
EC

dnlrsnbm

Yo Ariel,
Of course I remember you dude! Thanks for chiming in on this post! Thoughtfful comments to be sure (and thanks for the kind words). If you want to hear some really crazy s*%t you should check out my myspace page: www.myspace.com/thebloodiermeanson. You can preview a few of the tracks from this CD I keep mentioning...which by the way, I'm finishing the mixing on today... . Anyway, keep in touch man, and I'll certainly see you at the CalArts concerts!

Dan Rosenboom
www.danielrosenboom.com
www.plotzmusic.com
www.myspace.com/thebloodiermeanson