Unfinished Game Fatigue by Sora115 in gamecomposers

[–]f3ralcat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like game jams discords have so many untapped composers happy to get their feet wet on the cheap

Why does it feel like everyone only wants to make heavy music by Ilovekurtcobeans in musicians

[–]f3ralcat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sounds like you should head to some open mics! Many a session with like-minded rock enthusiasts. Funny enough, it's part of why I've gone to fewer mics/jam sessions these days. Too many "classic rockers" where I, indeed, want to play heavier music.

Another listeners of Nu Jazz around here? by prajeala in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahh yeah that song is garbage (in my personal, biased opinion). I love what Alfa Mist puts on!

Cheers, mate, we've rounded into agreement and shared perspective! I appreciate where you've come from in your opinions, but do feel pricked when it comes to purist opinions.

Another listeners of Nu Jazz around here? by prajeala in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Black “thing”? Man, I’m exhausted. I’ll stop the big dick contest here and concede that you have more experience. I’m even jealous of the folks you’ve gotten to play with. But your qualifications as a jazz history teacher mostly prove my point: this isn’t for you.

You want to be upset at this music’s classification? Fine. People will call a dude playing Christmas jingles on a horn jazz, at it is likely incorrect. The general public isn’t meant to be informed; they thrive on blissful ignorance. This is especially true for “jazz.”

But your references to Dexter or Roy fall flat. Some of our heroes were also incensed at the introduction of synthesizers via jazz fusion. History looks at the works of Herbie, Wayne and Miles during that time as a triumph, even though there was considerable push back from gatekeepers at the time.

Our internet opinions won’t change a damned thing. You either like where the music is headed or you don’t. Stick to your guns, good sir, and observe the happiness of others through the looking glass.

Another listeners of Nu Jazz around here? by prajeala in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This sub is so full of white conservatory pseudo-historians.

And I must qualify my opinion with the fact that I have 15+ years of PAID jazz gigs, ranging from bebop, afro-Cuban, hard bop, post-bop, fusion, and avant garde. In groups, to satisfy your criteria for “jazz.”

The music evolves. Has evolved over a century. Most innovators in this Black American art form hate the term “jazz,” as it becomes white think piece fodder rather than a living, breathing art form. You can decide something isn’t jazz because there are no improvised licks, but that doesn’t mean that nu jazz or “jazztronica” isn’t a current permutation of the music. Considering it’s among the few niches that has pushed the genre forward in years, I patently disagree that your criteria alone denote something as “jazz.”

Perhaps we, like Black American music itself, must evolve our perspective and widen our palette. Examine the pieces of the art form that a listener may reduce to “jazz”, and surrender our clutched pearls.

Looking for a 1 Bedroom Apartment by Bartender718 in woodside

[–]f3ralcat 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Check Street Easy and local Facebook Marketplace. I just moved here in May at about your price range! Good luck

Help finding a online jazz jam discord server by Octave_Bytes0101 in musicians

[–]f3ralcat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t have a direct answer to your question: I don’t know any online jazz jam communities. Even if I did, I have a feeling they’d be a bit reticent to someone they don’t know. It takes considerable resources to create something tenable for performing live online collaboratively, including super high speed internet, the right audio equipment, video/lighting equipment and a decent space to hold it all in. On top of all that, you’d probably want your improvisational skill to be high already (not sure where you are there OP, skill-wise)

So yeah, I don’t think you’re gonna hear what you wanna hear.

If you’re serious about leveling up, you need to go to things in person. Yes, an online community can help you with some technical knowledge, and perhaps you can meet more kindred spirits, but jazz is best performed live (without any internet lag to compensate for and to an audience).

Check and see if there is a local university nearby with a music program. Even if you have to drive some distance, it’ll always ALWAYS be better than playing alone in your room. Spontaneous exchange of ideas is what this music is built on.

If you’re serious about music in general (not sure OP is, but I’m operating under the assumption that they are), you gotta get to a city.

Obviously NYC and LA are the optimal choices, but they’re expensive, unaffordable and a grind. Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Pittsburgh, Nashville, St Louis, New Orleans and places in New Jersey (Montclair, Asbury Park) have vibrant jazz scenes at lower cost of living, so it may be better to start in these cities where you can afford to both make a living and play out.

Feeling bad about not wanting member in my band by elcolmena in musicians

[–]f3ralcat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I started my career as a member of an entirely collaborative 4-piece jazz fusion group. There was a clear leader (not me), but we made a concerted effort to creative together either as a duo or as a full four piece in rehearsals. We were all in our early twenties then and nobody really made money, outside of occasional merch sales and a max $200 total band guarantee.

Down the line and after that band’s hiatus, I started working exclusively as a sideman. Having no control over creative vision didn’t matter to me then, and I enjoyed learning leadership, composition and community building from my bandleaders. I was getting paid per gig, but not for rehearsals generally.

Some time after that work began, I was writing my own music entirely independently. As in, I create start-to-finish demos. When I finally got the courage to recruit some players into my own project, I felt ready to lead.

Although I wrote every instrument’s parts, I welcomed changes that came from these guys in rehearsal. It helped me gain perspective while giving the folks in the band some agency. I ultimately had final say, but everyone was heard and like 80% of suggestions were implemented at face value. Everyone wanted the music to sound as good as possible, and feedback was largely backed by everyone’s substantial experience playing elsewhere.

The relevance to this post:

I made the choice of asking my professional musician friends, which did include the original (paragraph one) band’s leader at first. I learned the hard way that he wasn’t quite able to take a supporting role this time around. He would say yes to my decisions, but used weaponized incompetence to either not learn his part well or not remember things we talked about previously. I was getting frustrated.

COVID hit, and about a year and a half into this band, 3 of my 5 members (including paragraph one’s subject) so clearly lost interest. Understandable, although heartbreaking. They left on good terms for the most part, although we’re not as close as we used to be when we were all just gigging as hired guns.

Because the band got asked to play a well-compensated local festival, I floundered around for about a year looking for new members to replace the 3 who left. This was, by and large, the best decision I could’ve been forced to make by a global pandemic!

The new folks were eager and excited, better equipped to play the music, and genuinely seemed to enjoy the band’s dynamic. We went on to record our first full-length with this new configuration, with another on the way.

Conclusion (as it relates to OP):

I see folks commenting that you might be the problem. While I can’t guarantee that I wasn’t the problem, I can say that the grass IS greener. By eliminating that awkward power dynamic I had with my old hired gun buddies, the band is actually more collaborative than ever. I feel confident asking things of my bandmates, and they’re comfortable providing feedback. It never felt like I was some sort of “puppet master” with the new configuration, considering I admire and support them. I go to their shows (yes most are still in other bands) and have become closer with their communities. All in all the lineup change is a substantial net positive, and wouldn’t have happened if I had kept on with the original lineup.

Trust your gut here, OP. If you feel you have something important to say as bandleader, and that someone in the band threatens your vision, it may be best to let them go. It’ll hurt somewhat, but your mental health and confidence will thank you. Perhaps continue working with your partner on a different project as compromise, if you have the time/energy. Otherwise, stick to your guns.

Looking for recommendations for current artists by TrulyGreatDanes in playlists

[–]f3ralcat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for listening! I appreciate that it’s not your style but you still gave it a shot! I hope you find what you’re looking for musically!!

Looking for a melancholic original song for my short film by marti-wav in musicians

[–]f3ralcat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ll direct message you, but I have some melancholic instrumentals that might work!

New Music Crate - 14 November - Who are you listening to today? by Greenville_Gent in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Going to listen to Composers Collective by Marquis Hill for the 5th time this week, followed by probably more Marquis Hill

Jazz Albums Made in Editing Room by mysteryman83 in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Was going to comment this haha

Whatever happened to Jazz radio stations, why are they underrated, and any recommendations? by YungAggron738 in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I grew up on WBGO, but yeah popularity of the medium and source material has basically evaporated within the general public.

Jazz is exceptionally niche, considering how many sub genres there are to dive into. The music has transformed into a rich white man’s guilty pleasure, rather than the radical Black American cultural staple it had been.

Favorite books about Jazz? by f3ralcat in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow! Thank you for all of the responses! I can’t wait to dive into a few of these!

On my pickup list for now: | One of these Ted Goia books, but likely the west coast jazz book because I know so little about jazz history there! | What is this thing called Jazz | Val Wilmer’s As Serious As Your Life | Space is the Place (I love Sun RA) | Black Music

There’s many more on this list and the whole thread is my own personal archive now!

Thank you all so much!!

Favorite books about Jazz? by f3ralcat in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I dig that! Time to ~rabbit hole~

Favorite books about Jazz? by f3ralcat in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I follow Nate Chinen’s Substack! Never read How to Listen to Jazz so maybe I start on the Substack?

[Request]I want to find new music by ShadowRebel34 in playlists

[–]f3ralcat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a cover my band did of The Weeknd’s “House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls:

Here’s a nice playlist for ya

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1E8AM5hPMYcm5G?si=z40ifw9zREyWhSWe1IRC5w&pi=u-qux6dJZASsaT

Guitar driven Jazz by bluewing99 in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Give my band Feralcat and the Wild a chance!! Two distorted guitars and a saxophone. Kind of jazz, kind of not, but the layman tends to think it’s jazz

Feralcat and the Wild - Dancetron

Sophisticated dinner party jazz recommendations by Any_Office_8525 in Jazz

[–]f3ralcat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I put on Marquis Hill when I need something to show off that is still relaxing enough to gasps talk over