Out On The Town Music Article - Dr Lou

Growing in Music the NEW Fashioned Way; New Age Open Stage, and Glory of It All… © Dr Lou 2012
The first musician was the baby that hummed that strange tune while figuring how to communicate. And when it became pleasing to hear two sounds in harmony, like two birds singing in the trees, the people started their love of music.
This love has grown over the years but with the advent of the Internet and the inherent technology, this love for music has exploded like never before. This has brought about a growing movement in the music world that is shrouded in controversy when it comes to copyrights and other legalistic activities.
But the true happening and revolution that is going on is the ever expanding role of the “open stage” in the world of music. Previously, I wrote about the stark differences in opinion on this subject, but I’ll say that as a person who’s experienced it first-hand, there is a gift that is becoming ever clearer; these open settings are building skills and attitudes that are new within the music world today and that are as revolutionary as the net itself.
As you venture into a club, such as Dr Lou’s in Roebling NJ, a place that is set up specifically for open stage, (instruments, gear, and full stage sound) you can begin to feel the sense that you are home with friends, even though you don’t know anyone. Then, once you get on stage and are invited to play with others, whom you’ve just met, and begin to blend into a new group each time, you begin to grow your skills in ways that you might never have thought possible.
Granted, there are jams that happen, where people are invited to people’s homes, and there are other means of finding new people to play with, but usually it’s controlled to the point where there can be a tension that’s built up such that feelings can be hurt, emotions can run high, and a lot of players, simply won’t play that game.
In a “new age” open stage, the host is a social director with a smile, bringing in players that have like tastes, offering the chance to play new songs and be the leader on their own favorites. All of this with a smile and handshake and the feeling that even if I’m not as good as the others, the people really get it; and they do. The result is special spontaneous musical moments that are “unforgettable”.
The players and people all are part of the new mindset that accepts the non-rehearsed versions of original music and previously recorded music played in a friendly, family like environment, is very special and is worth the time to make sure that the music they play is done as well as can be, but with a fun notion and no pressure.
The skills that come about as a result of repeated experiences like this, are that the players become aware of their own skills and can grow new skills, such as some who never had the guts to sing a song and play along with the band, may in fact do that. Or a player, who plays one instrument, may find themselves going home and practicing another to bring back and join in with.
One other inherent skill is the ability to “follow” each other’s through songs without playing over the rest of the music, bringing themselves in at a low or background volume until they catch the patterns of the music, then joining in full force. All of this with people accepting each other’s experience and realizing that at one point, we all were beginners, and sophomores in the music learning business.
It’s been said, “Play it too Loud you lose the crowd, play it just right, they’ll stay ALL night. This brings us to another side that comes out of the subject and like any process, there is waste and casualties; the folks that just have a hard time with breaking their old habits.
These habits are playing way too loud so they can only hear themselves, barking at or bossing others, or the stage charger, who thinks because it’s open, that they should play all night whether or not they know or care what song is being played or not.
In these cases, there is usually some form of ego, conscious or not conscious involved and like most children that misbehave, there are consequences that result. That said, a true open environment doesn’t want to toss them away or make them feel bad either, they just need to learn to look at the stage a little differently. Contrasting the “seasoned” musician who has to have it perfect or they aren’t going to play, or the person who believes that they’ve paid their dues and are entitled to do whatever they want or get paid every time they play.
These are realities of life no matter where you go; a more narrow minded view of something great that looks bad to some people because it doesn’t offer the same people the chance to be the star of the show every time.
To that we say; take heart, just because it worked that way before, doesn’t mean it has to stay that way into the future. Thus, the “new age open stage” is born, open to the point of distraction, and friendly at all costs. Open to those who take the responsibility of using technology and any other method, for getting qualified, in their own minds, for joining a new community of players, ready for a new experience every night, and a group of fans who will find in all of it, “magic moments” where the freshness of music at its purest origins unfolds right there in front of you, like a winning lottery ticket, or the gift you always wanted under the tree.
Seek these venues out, keep looking and when you find one, cherish it, embrace it, and enjoy the good times because in the end, all you get to keep are your memories of the great moments that you’ve had. The rest is “Dust in the Wind”.
Growing in Music the NEW Fashioned Way; New Age Open Stage, and Glory of It All… © Dr Lou 2012
The first musician was the baby that hummed that strange tune while figuring how to communicate. And when it became pleasing to hear two sounds in harmony, like two birds singing in the trees, the people started their love of music.
This love has grown over the years but with the advent of the Internet and the inherent technology, this love for music has exploded like never before. This has brought about a growing movement in the music world that is shrouded in controversy when it comes to copyrights and other legalistic activities.
But the true happening and revolution that is going on is the ever expanding role of the “open stage” in the world of music. Previously, I wrote about the stark differences in opinion on this subject, but I’ll say that as a person who’s experienced it first-hand, there is a gift that is becoming ever clearer; these open settings are building skills and attitudes that are new within the music world today and that are as revolutionary as the net itself.
As you venture into a club, such as Dr Lou’s in Roebling NJ, a place that is set up specifically for open stage, (instruments, gear, and full stage sound) you can begin to feel the sense that you are home with friends, even though you don’t know anyone. Then, once you get on stage and are invited to play with others, whom you’ve just met, and begin to blend into a new group each time, you begin to grow your skills in ways that you might never have thought possible.
Granted, there are jams that happen, where people are invited to people’s homes, and there are other means of finding new people to play with, but usually it’s controlled to the point where there can be a tension that’s built up such that feelings can be hurt, emotions can run high, and a lot of players, simply won’t play that game.
In a “new age” open stage, the host is a social director with a smile, bringing in players that have like tastes, offering the chance to play new songs and be the leader on their own favorites. All of this with a smile and handshake and the feeling that even if I’m not as good as the others, the people really get it; and they do. The result is special spontaneous musical moments that are “unforgettable”.
The players and people all are part of the new mindset that accepts the non-rehearsed versions of original music and previously recorded music played in a friendly, family like environment, is very special and is worth the time to make sure that the music they play is done as well as can be, but with a fun notion and no pressure.
The skills that come about as a result of repeated experiences like this, are that the players become aware of their own skills and can grow new skills, such as some who never had the guts to sing a song and play along with the band, may in fact do that. Or a player, who plays one instrument, may find themselves going home and practicing another to bring back and join in with.
One other inherent skill is the ability to “follow” each other’s through songs without playing over the rest of the music, bringing themselves in at a low or background volume until they catch the patterns of the music, then joining in full force. All of this with people accepting each other’s experience and realizing that at one point, we all were beginners, and sophomores in the music learning business.
It’s been said, “Play it too Loud you lose the crowd, play it just right, they’ll stay ALL night. This brings us to another side that comes out of the subject and like any process, there is waste and casualties; the folks that just have a hard time with breaking their old habits.
These habits are playing way too loud so they can only hear themselves, barking at or bossing others, or the stage charger, who thinks because it’s open, that they should play all night whether or not they know or care what song is being played or not.
In these cases, there is usually some form of ego, conscious or not conscious involved and like most children that misbehave, there are consequences that result. That said, a true open environment doesn’t want to toss them away or make them feel bad either, they just need to learn to look at the stage a little differently. Contrasting the “seasoned” musician who has to have it perfect or they aren’t going to play, or the person who believes that they’ve paid their dues and are entitled to do whatever they want or get paid every time they play.
These are realities of life no matter where you go; a more narrow minded view of something great that looks bad to some people because it doesn’t offer the same people the chance to be the star of the show every time.
To that we say; take heart, just because it worked that way before, doesn’t mean it has to stay that way into the future. Thus, the “new age open stage” is born, open to the point of distraction, and friendly at all costs. Open to those who take the responsibility of using technology and any other method, for getting qualified, in their own minds, for joining a new community of players, ready for a new experience every night, and a group of fans who will find in all of it, “magic moments” where the freshness of music at its purest origins unfolds right there in front of you, like a winning lottery ticket, or the gift you always wanted under the tree.
Seek these venues out, keep looking and when you find one, cherish it, embrace it, and enjoy the good times because in the end, all you get to keep are your memories of the great moments that you’ve had. The rest is “Dust in the Wind”.