Songs All Around You

So many ways to write. So many ideas all around. Day 28. Still on  fire. A little resistance creeped in around the 18th, which is interesting, cause it was my Birthday and I thought for sure I'm gonna kick ass. I guess I made it my priority to thank everyone on Facebook instead for the many Birthday wishes. I ended up singing my idea on my phone on my way to dinner.

My major breakthough has been lyrics. I decided that every song has to have lyrics. I usually take a pretty long time to write lyrics, especially if it's for my personal project. Yet, under pressure, knowing I only have a certain amount of time, and I need to complete them, I do. While the first draft is most likely not the final, what matters is to get creative, keep "throwing up" what comes out, brainstorm, let your train of though run it's route. Make up or enhance a story and run with it. To just let it flow and not over think or over analyze.

Getting up, taking a break is most definitely working for me. I purposely don't  try to find the right words while on break time. Instead, I make calls, play with the dog, completely switch off. I than return to the track with a fresh mind, and usually everything falls into place. (for the first draft at least)

Not only does it become easier, it's fun and exciting each and every day to just explore without the pressure of having to sound like something or someone or fit into a genre. Of course I want the songs to be great, find a home for them, ideally in film/tv or on someones album but writing just for the sake of perfecting the craft and fun takes the pressure away and get's you in the place you want to be. The "zone".  One of my favorite quotes "Nothing Happens Till Something Moves". [Einstein] Let your guard down stuff starts to move. And let's be honest, a song is hardly ever done in one sitting. It's all in the re-write.

I've collaborated with a few people for far, not as many as I had hoped but the ones involved  are super talented and fun. One person gave me a metal track and my first thought was "so not inspired, so not what I do" than I just muted everything except the drum and bass and did my thing (apologizing in advance to my collaborator, lol ) Thankfully he was open minded enough and took the leash off.

I started out as a solo writer and still love writing on my own, however, collaboration takes a project to another level. It's a challenge and a test. Do you listen to your ego or what's best for the song?  Obviously, the song always wins.

You're so much more vulnerable when collaborating. Sharing a half finished track or a raw,  out of tune vocal idea with someone can be uncomfortable for many of us, it's like showing up naked to their party. Trust is essential.

Although I did consider sharing some of the songs, I just listened to a bunch of them and they do sound kinda shitty for the most part, as the focus was not to fully produce but write fully structured song a day instead of just a hook or a few lines.

Plus, I don't want to spoil the fun that's coming in August, so bare with me until I reveal the next step!

Stay tuned for August mission!
xoxo
JVB

It's All About Momentum!

Day 13. Yesterday was a real challenge. Between teaching, eating, getting my workout in and running some errands, it suddenly was 11pm; in panic I stared at the screen, pulled up the track, looked at the time and all I heard was a little voice saying..."you're not gonna make it today. There goes your 31songs in 31days".

I threw some first instinct vocal ideas on it, kept listening to the music, looking at the time and slightly freaking out again. Thankfully, it was a collaboration, I just needed vocals and lyrics. Hahaha, JUST...the voice kept saying "You're running out of time, don't have a clue what you're singing about" and for a second I wanted to accept the fact that I didn't make it, telling myself I could write two tomorrow. I did NOT listen to that voice.

I took a deep breath and started to tap into my subconscious mind, allowing myself to JUST BE and DO what FEELS right instead of thinking if it's good or bad or what time it is.(as long as I stick with the 2 hour time frame)

Melodies are easy for me. I can do 10 songs a day if I had to. (I really can)  But WORDS is a different story. The trap you fall into when writing lyrics by yourself is that you tend to keep re-using some of your favorite words. Listen to some albums and you'll notice that many artists do this. Not all but many.

I decided to NOT worry about it and just write. Over-thinking, over-analyzing leads to writers block.

Once you let it go, think about the scene, the theme or title, the words start flowing. Are they final? Most likely not, writing is all about re-writing. What's important is MOMENTUM!

I must say I was truly amazed with myself. I was tired, frustrated and slightly panicking. I claimed writers block for such a long time while finishing my album ARC OF A DREAM. Looking back, I call it bullshit. Subconsciously I was stalling completion in fear of disapproval, failure or maybe just pure fear of completion?

As songwriters who take their career serious, we have to learn to write, start to finish, than re-write, start to finish and let it go! And repeat! Things are always way simpler than they seem. Life is good. Feeling accomplished! Cheers!

PS: Soundbites are coming next! Stay tuned!
xoxo
JVB

31 SONGS in 31 days!

Happy 1st of July. I can't help but wonder what I did the first half of the year. Setting big goals and plans surely wasn't part of it. I made a tough and hard decision at the beginning of the year;  I let my baby, long time commitment "Otto's Daughter" go. Probably the hardest and most painful thing I've done, and I've done some pretty challenging things in my life.

I felt a lost, not sure what to do next, besides the obvious, writing music for libraries and film/tv placements. I can't stop making music and being who I am living my purpose. I am an artist and need to express who I am not just by writing but through love performance. I'm a performer and need the stage.

So many of us get so busy with life that the one thing we love the most we do the least. Something so painful and sad about this picture.  And time goes by and another year passes. You make money, lose it all but you can make it back, your relationship collapses, eventually you find someone better,  fall back in love and be happy again, all is good. One thing we don't get back is TIME!

Today I decided to challenge myself, to write one song a day for the entire month of July. It doesn't have to be a vocal track, nor does it have to be a completely well produced song. Just a good foundation, first draft that can later be perfected with a re-write and production skills.


The idea is to just write, step outside the box, get creative and allow myself to just be. Pick different topics, genres, whatever comes out. It's about working that creative muscle, making the time and allowing creativity to flow. I'm completely open to collaborating and invite you to become part of this journey.  Does it spark your Interest? Let's keep it simple.

Do

Here are two different ways to go about it:

Option 1) We collaborate in person. Hit me up, we set a date and time and spend 2 hours writing a tune. (Yes, two hours only, trust me this works)

Option 2) Online. Send me a track, an idea. Can be a piece of music or hook or lyric and I'll take it from there (or the other way around)

Important is, that it needs to be done on that day within a certain time frame. No excuses. No over analyzing, criticizing, just writing, letting the creative juices flow)

Many artists feel like they are not inspired, they have writers block, can't write while under pressure, the goal is to work through this resistance by just having fun and not taking it all so serious! Just allow the magic to happen, or maybe even not, and that would make an interesting song as well, lol

We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for! No more waiting for tomorrow for what can be done today! You want to expand, write, create and collaborate, here's my invitation. Regardless, I am committed to go on my "July 14 - One Song A Day in Journey". 31 songs are waiting to come to life!

I will post updates on here as well as on facebook and soundcloud.
Ready Go!
;)

Go Fuck Yourself?

I'm a huge NIN fan and admirer of Trent Reznor. I love almost everything he's ever done. However, he lost me when he started to preach his "DIY" approach and new business models, which didn't mean shit to DIY artists for the most part. While some of it was brilliant, the whole giving your music away for FREE never sat right with me, a REAL INDIE (D.I.Y.) ARTIST.

I've always been against giving music away for FREE. When there was a wave of "indie" artists who decided to put no value on their music and let their fans have it for FREE, did no one realized that all of these "indie" artists were made by MAJORS? I give them credit for continuing without a label but don't act like you're doing it from the ground up.

So how ironic than to hear Trent Reznor talk about his new album, telling people the album "costs ten bucks or go fuck yourself". While I completely agree with that statement, maybe more like "it's $10 bucks, take it or leave it" why would he go back to a major label when he could make so much more as an "indie"?

After leaving Interscope, Trent was such a huge advocate of the DIY route (which is bullshit, no artist that has been signed and build by a major can ever truly call themselves an indie "DIY" artist) So why is it that suddenly Mr. Reznor went back into bed with a major although he'd make more money as an indie? Cause NOTHING beats the big machine. Unless you get extremely lucky, your chances of "blowing up" are pretty slim.

The indie route is hard, expansive and time consuming. Not impossible, but definitely not easy.The music business is a fucking roller-coaster, and you better be passionate about it, cause it can drag you down and drown you just as fast as it can pull you up to the highest point, with or without a label.

While success is subjective and means different things to different people. We all want to feel appreciated, get compensated and recognized for our work. And there's nothing wrong with signing to a major, just don't run around preaching one thing than doing the exact opposite. We get it; you don't want to put your own money into it but why not be honest and say it how it is? I might go buy your album, I might go fuck myself. haven't decided yet.

With all that said...My God is dead and no one cares. If there is a hell....I'll see you there!

Ten Years in lala Land...

Ten years ago I came to LA with half a band, 3 cats, a bird, a truckload of dreams, full of excitement and ambition. We rented a house in Van Nuys and converted the garage into a recording/rehearsal studio. It was badass, there was a lot of magic in that studio, The Becoming and ANKOH were written there, we had a Blast throwing several parties at the house....riding our bicycles all over the valley, up and down the hills at 2am....I rebuild the band a bunch of times, rocked sunset strip, packed the places, sold tickets, released 2 EP's and a full length, than core members changed, my long time partner left and I had to learn to do it all on my own...with Jim's support; we kept it going....got several film/tv placements, toured the US twice...got signed to an indie label that folded.....it's been a roller coaster for sure. It's been a lot of tears and frustration but also a ton of fun, laughter, adventure and something everyone should experience. In the process of all that, I've met some amazing people here in LA as well as all over the states.

Fast forward...

Private life....different guy, different place, two of my lovely cats and the bird have left this earth...R.I.P. Freeway and Zoe & Snow....I found my black cat Johnny the first year we were here, my little princes Heidi is still here and a dog named BOLT found us! ;)

Music!!! Nothing is what I thought it would be. The band is on hiatus until the new album is out, I now compose music for film/tv, get to collaborate with some amazingly talented people who are also my friends and I'm finally working on my own project....a solo project that I've been wanting to do for years..... Ten years is a long time and when I look back and ask myself what I would do differently...hmmm.....lot's of things. But I don't want to waste my time feeling regret. It's time to focus on what I have control over. I have failed miserably at many things I've pursued over the years. But all those things have led to better, bigger things. In the big picture, I have to admit that I miss the shit out of NYC,  I left a comfortable life to follow my dreams. I gave up many things for my true love. And many times the thought of leaving it all behind, the thought of quitting has crossed my mind. But I've learned that things don't always turn out exactly as you expected, however, if you keep your eye on the road and enjoy the little detours...you will create your own luck. While I'm still miles from where I want to be, I'm trusting that I am on the right path....another thing I recently learned is that quitting is not a bad thing, quite the opposite. More on that later ;)

Cheers to ten years in Holywoodz!
xoxo
JVBeast

Onto The Next One

Taking a walk at 7:30 am is so refreshing, the crisp air, the morning frost on the grass and leaves, hardly anyone out. Everything feels so pure and new. It was pretty chilly for LA, than again, I'm not a morning person, maybe it's normal? I ended up walking for almost an hour, my dog Bolt loves the park as much as I do, sometimes I'm not sure who's taking who for a walk ;)
Crazy ideas pop in my head all the time and I usually dismiss them or save 'em for a later date. I've been debating whether or not to throw a brand new song at the guys and have 'em learn it for the show on friday(I'm still learning it myself) And so I decided to Just Do It! They got the song via e-mail a few hours before rehearsal. I wrote the song "Onto The Next One" last year after several weeks of writers block. It's become my new favorite, it's where I'm at in my life, it only seems appropriate to debut it at the first show of the new year.
In the past I'd often let someone convince me that we're not ready...truth is...we're never ready. I know what we are capable of, and I'm tired of playing it safe & being comfortable. Our first rehearsal after 3 months was a mess, but I'm confident we'll nail it tomorrow. ;)
ch....ch....changes.......

Fuel for Creativity!

The Music Industry has changed drastically and it keeps on changing. Get over it! If you are in the industry and you resist change, you'll have a hard time moving forward, adapting to the "new way". Most of us haven't even quite figured out the "new way"...we're all kinda in limbo. The great news is, here's our chance to come up with something new and groundbreaking. We can try new things, they may fail, I'm sure many ideas will but so what...you keep on trying.

The worst thing you can do is bitch and complain. What exactly does that accomplish? You hate the budget cuts, the shitty music out these days...REALLY? There's always been shitty music. Music doesn't need to be meaningful and deep at all times. When I'm on the dancefloor, I want to dance, laugh, flirt....have fun! Just because it doesn't speak to you doesn't mean it's bad.

How about all those hating on Skrillex, Rhianna or Lady GaGa, how they don't deserve to be as big as they are. IF you think they suck, DO BETTER! Bring something to the table that tops their production, their mass appeal! Yes, they all have big machines behind them but you can create something out of nothing if you have the drive and the believe that you are great! Saying you don't have the big label behind you is just another excuse to NOT get to work. Let your frustration be your inspiration. Instead of getting bitter, get busy, get creative!

We're all guilty of it, but it doesn't serve us! So now go write a song about it! ;P

Three Reasons to be Thankful that you are an Artist!

I was just reading an article I got in my e-mail this morning,and it made me realize and reminded me, how fortunate I truly am to be an artist. Being a creative person isn't always easy. We tend to be needy, moody, live on a crazy schedule, usually spent a lot of time in solitary, we want instant gratification, make a living doing what we love. We usually can't deal with a 9-5. It sucks the energy out of us, it's exhausting, leaving little if no room for creative time. We deal with our inner demons, criticism, usually don't have too many people around us that understand and support us, well, the list goes on and on. It's easy to focus on all the negative things but let's NOT forget all the beauty of being an artist.

1. You've got a creative outlett!
You are alive and able to express yourself in the form of art, whatever it is you do, it's a gift, a talent that most people wish they had. Embrace it. The more you use it, the stronger it will get. Life isn't always easy and what better way to cope with difficulties in life than pouring it all into your art. How many amazing songs have been written because of a broken heart as well as someone being madly in love or just happy and high on life? It's your way of helping you get through life, it puts perspective into your life. Once the pen is moving, things start to reveal itself, you plant a seed and watch it grow. Make room for your creativity and it will welcome you into a world of endless possibilities!

2. You do something you Love and are Passionate about
So many people live their lives not even knowing what they are truly passionate about. They spent half their life working for someone else than die leaving nothing behind. Everybody has a purpose on this earth. Fear is the main reason most people don't follow their dreams. Your Passion and Love are the fuel for making your dreams come true. It soon becomes not only an obsession, an addiction, it's infectious, it sets you on fire, it's something you can't live without, it makes you act and come from a place that sees no boundaries, knows no limits. It's what makes you thrive. It gives you strength and power, moves mountains. The beautiful thing is, your passion, your gift is the one thing no-one can ever take from you. The trick is to stay focused on your goal, enjoy the journey and take the little set backs on the way as inspiration, a challenge. We grow and learn only by doing, we find out who we truly are. Embrace it. It's a never ending journey. Life is all about growth and decay. You are either growing or dying. It's what keeps us alive inside!

3. You contribution to this world
Your art, your talent can make a huge difference in someone elses life. You might help someone get through a rough time, change someones life, you might inspire someone to follow their dream. Ever heard a song that says it all? It's exactly how you feel right at that moment? Imagine it's your song. How gratifying is that? We all want and deserve recognition, fame and fortune, and there's nothing wrong with wanting these things. Success means different things to different people. I believe the more successful you are, the more can you contribute. Be it a money, time or sharing your knowledge. We are here to live to our fullest and leave a legacy behind, to make the world a better place. Although not all of your work will be seen or heard, they are all stepping stones, part of you and your progress. Your journey to happiness and fulfillment.
As much as it can be frustrating at times, an ongoing uphill battle, no one cares more about YOU and your Business than YOU. You are in the drivers seat! When you really think about it, what a powerful position to be in, what an amazing gift to share!

I'm extremely grateful to be able to express myself through my music, performance and art. I know, you feel the same way! Be grateful and NEVER look back. Leave no reason to regret the things you could've, should've done! Risk a little. Live in the NOW! Follow your inner voice, let it guide you. And NEVER stop doing what you love. If it makes YOU happy, you're on the right path! Enjoy the ride!

xoxo JVB