I haven’t been a real fan of music for a very long time. I know that’s surprising coming from a singer/songwriter, but even a fun job can become a task when you’re at it long enough. I’ve recently become determined to change this. A little over a month ago, I found out my record The Deep End had made it onto this year’s 57th annual Grammy ballot. I was very excited about this, as it was more than I’d expected. However, I soon discovered that another very important piece of the Grammy puzzle is that members are required to vote and if you have to vote, it only stands to reason you should know who and what you’re voting for, which means you have to listen to ALOT of music. Makes sense, but I already have to do so much listening and learning with the various bands that I work with, that the prospect of even MORE listening was not a happy one. However, I determined that if I’m campaigning for other members to listen to and vote for my music, I should at least do them the courtesy of listening to theirs as well. So I hunkered down and got busy once again with the business of listening.
To my delight, I found myself inspired. I heard some great music that I really enjoyed. It was wonderful to hear what fellow musicians had created. Not only that, but I could ask them directly about their process and let them know how much I appreciated their music and many did the same for me. It also hit me that I was building a connection with people whose music I never would have been aware of had I not joined NARAS and submitted my project. It’s not just another singing contest or competition. These are truly independent artists who do what I do and get how tough it can be at times. What an amazing experience this has turned out to be and what unexpected growth I’ve attained by approaching life with a little more “yes” and a little less “no.”
But I digress and say all of this in order to say that my recent musical intake as of late has rekindled my love for listening to music for the fun of it. I was at the Fry’s in Burbank, looking through those relics we call DVD’s for the film Pretty Woman for a friend who hasn’t seen it yet. (I know!) Anyway, I’d passed by the $5 CD bin a few times, when upon the last pass-by I thought, in honor of my newly rekindled musical fandom, I’d see what the 5 buck bin had to offer. Usually, that bin doesn’t have the most quality stuff. Surprisingly, I found that the CD’s in it were pretty incredible. Annie Lennox maxi singles (love her!), Sade (Love Deluxe), Journey (love the lead singer), The Police… I ended up settling on 4 CD’s: Nina Simone, Big Maceo (Chicago blues piano player), Merle Haggard and Miles Davis. I’m already a huge fan of Nina Simone, so buying a CD with tracks I hadn’t heard yet was a no brainer. The other three I bought because I wouldn’t normally buy them or even hear them on the radio. That’ll me get out of the nasty rut of listening to the same stuff over and over again. So, here’s to new sounds and happy listening. Make it your business!