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Talkbox
A Letter From GMC's Executive Director
A big hello to Gowanus Music Club staff, students and parents and the larger NYC community! This has been an exciting year-and-a-half of growth, connection, and fun for all of us here at the GMC.
Starting out in the summer of 2008 with a handful of kids and a few inspired music teachers, GMC has grown into a program educating over 60 students strong. We have also expanded our program to include adult rock bands! Grab your fellow parents, friends, neighbors and sign up for our 12 week spring session. Contact me at josh@gowanusmusicclub.com for more details about adult rock band classes.
We are all looking forward to our concert Sunday, December 20, 2009 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Bell House in Brooklyn, which represents the culmination of all the hard work and rehearsals that GMC bands have been doing this fall.
I am also pleased and proud to announce the first edition of our bimonthly GMC e-newsletter, The Telegram. Headed up by the writing team of Will Levith and Jacob Meade, The Telegram will provide an overview of our progress, while also reaching out to the larger NYC community. We will also include music reviews, instrument “how-to’s”, along with photos and links from our past performances. Readers of the Telegram should also feel free to share with us any thoughts, questions or concerns on this blog. Links to documented GMC performances via YouTube or the like are always appreciated as well.
As Executive Director, I feel strongly that Gowanus Music Club represents some of the best aspects of our city. From our wonderfully supportive parents to the dedicated students and the teachers on our staff, our organization has had a strong symbiosis from the start. Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone who might have any interest in Gowanus Music Club, and encourage them to participate. I look forward to all that this year will bring and hope that you all have a wonderful fall season.
—Josh Margolis, Executive Director, Gowanus Music Club
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Master Class
In this section, Gowanus Music Club's guitar and vocals instructor John Brophy gives us a master class on the golden rules of being a musician. If you have any follow-up questions for John, feel free to comment in the comments section below, and we'll make sure to forward it to him.
Learning How to Play Music
In my experience teaching both youngsters and adults on the road toward their musical goals, a few golden rules have emerged, which I would like to share with you. These rules apply to learning on the guitar/bass (or any instrument, really), developing your musical vocabulary, remaining a humble student, and playing with others.
Learning on an instrument is a two-step process: first, getting the information off of the page and into your mind (via guitar tab, musical notation or from a recording/demonstration); and second, training the hands to perform the task by drilling the part, which builds muscle memory.
The first part (understanding and memorizing) should be tackled quickly, but the second part (drilling) should be taken slowly. Drill the part at a tempo slowly enough, so you can play it perfectly. Once the wrinkles are ironed out, playing faster will be easy. Make sure you are patient with this process.
Learn your scales, chords and chord progressions, because these make up the vocabulary that you will use in your musical phrases. When you speak, your mind is not thinking about the spelling of each word, because the spelling of words is understood so deeply. Similarly, your musical vocabulary will eventually be understood at this depth, so your playing becomes a conversation with your fellow musicians.
As you progress, strive to remain the humble student. Some of your colleagues will be more advanced than you, but you’ll be surprised at how much you can learn from them if you treat each musical encounter as a collaborative, educational opportunity. With so many guitarists and other musicians out there, what is really important in the long run (in addition to being able to play your instrument) is being a person that is reliable, easy to get along with and able to collaborate with, so that the creative process can be an experience of building up, not competing and tearing down. Remember, music is not a race but a parade!
So, be patient, develop your musical vocabulary, stay humble and be open to learning. Eventually, you will find music—and the music will find its way to you.
—John Brophy is a guitarist, singer and teacher at Gowanus Music Club.
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An Interview With GMC's Artistic Director (and Recording Artist) Tracy Bonham-Fine By Jacob Meade
Tracy Bonham-Fine is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and musician who teaches at Gowanus Music Club. A classically-trained violinist from Oregon, she first had success in 1996 when her hard-rocking debut The Burdens of Being Upright went gold and garnered two Grammy nominations, on the strength of hit single “Mother Mother.” Since then, Bonham has continued to record and collaborate with musical partners as diverse as Aerosmith and the Blue Man Group. Bonham is putting the finishing touches on her next album, Masts of Manhatta, which comes out early next year. She recently sat down and talked music and life at a coffee shop in Brooklyn.
Jacob Meade: Tell me about the new album you’ve been working on.
Tracy Bonham-Fine: Well, it’s my fourth full-length record—I’ve had some EP’s in between. Right now, I'm completely independent and loving that, loving the freedom and the possibilities of what that means. I have a really really cool band that’s playing on it, with this guy named Smokey Hormel who is just incredible. He’s played with Beck and Tom Waits more recently. It happened that he brought in his Western swing trio that plays around town, and they created this sound for this record that’s really consistent and warm and organic and awesome, and I’m very happy.
JM: Where are you recording?
TB: In Williamsburg. That was where the basics were recorded, and then I took it out to Woodstock where we have this little cottage, and I did overdubs with the violins and the vocals.
JM: On your last album, blink the brightest, you had complete creative control for the first time. How does the new album compare and contrast to that, as well as to your earlier work?
TB: My last record was the first time I co-produced, and it was really fun to have the collaboration with someone and also control. No business people giving you these really weird ideas of what it should be. I’ve been told by an A&R guy, “I don’t hear any songs.” That’s like the worst thing you can say.
JM: He literally said, “I don’t hear any songs?”
TB: Yeah, and of course, it was a record full of songs! But I knew what he meant: He didn’t hear any hits. Anyway, the business side had been plaguing me for years; it was just really confining. So this album I took to another level, where I was the only producer. There’s a spirit that happens when I make demos that usually goes away by the time we get into this big expensive studio—all of a sudden, it’s not as raw or not as creative—and I tried to keep that spirit alive, and I’m positive I succeeded. I had the most fun I’ve ever had.
JM: What are your biggest inspirations for the new record?
TB: Woodstock, New York, because we have our cottage up there, so being in that area really influenced me. It’s really important to get space when you’re living in New York City. I grew up in Oregon where there’s trees and mountains, and this has brought me back to that feeling when I grew up. Another thing is that my husband is a writer and editor for Rolling Stone, so I get to hear what he’s been listening to. A lot of it has been old-time country and old-time western swing, and I can hear it occasionally in my music. You’d never think that that would seep in, but it did.
JM: The new album is called Masts of Manhatta [taken from Walt Whitman’s poem “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”]. Was New York City another inspiration?
TB: It’s the conflict between the city and the country. It’s [about] needing a life where you can hear the birds and see the trees, and also hear the hustle-bustle of the city. But it’s also about my relationship with my husband. And then there’s some weird stepchildren songs, where I’m like, “Where did that come from?” There’s a song about a guy cheating on his girlfriend. I don’t know where that came from. Must be something from the past. [laughs]
JM: Musically, your last album had a lush sound, with a lot of different instruments. Does the new album have that or is it starker?
TB: It’s a little stark. I think that’s one of my complaints about the last album—that we kept everything in, and it’s super glossy. I love my last record; I’m not trying to diss it, but there is something about it that seemed kind of overly produced—my bad. This time I wanted to leave more space.
JM: Your last album was self-financed on a very low budget, so it’s odd that you would now call it "overproduced."
TB: If that one was low budget, this one was subterranean budget. One thing that’s great about the record business taking a dive is that there’s more people willing to do favors; they still want to make music even though they’re not going to get paid. There’s a lot more home studios, there’s a lot more opportunities to just get out there and do it yourself. I’m lucky enough where some people know my name. And then I just had some friends who were really good people who love music and would do it for really dirt cheap, and I’m forever grateful for that.
JM: Do you think the record industry’s demise is good for young people that are trying to break through?
TB: I think it’s probably most positive for the new people starting out. They have no rules so there’s so much opportunity out there if they’re motivated. They can get a Myspace [or] Facebook [page]—and then they can start putting things everywhere. If [young artists] have the energy, they can get out there and play shows and sell records at shows and create their own reality, without anyone giving them some kind of idea based on fear. It’s easy to fall in that trap.
JM: Do you think you did?
TB: I did fall into that trap. Many times I look back and think, “Wow, why did I let them talk me into things?” After my first record did well, I was ready to get started again, but things were put on hold, and my manager said “You might as well go away for a while and not tour and not do anything, because you’re only as big as your last hit.” And I argued but I succumbed and watched my old momentum disappear. It wasn’t an artist-based music industry; it was all about songs.
JM: What do you think now of your earliest recordings? A lot of artists have a big breakthrough, and then they move on; they are kind of embarrassed by it or haven’t made peace with it. Do you have those feelings?
TB: I do have those feelings, and it’s hard. I should just look back and feel good; it was a time of my life. But the hard part is I feel like I’ve changed drastically since, and that stuff doesn’t go away. I worked really hard on it, but I like all kinds of music and I waver—I go through phases. That first record happened to be a phase; I was reacting to music at that time. There was a lot of Courtney Love and a lot of edgy, edgy stuff, but because of my serious music studies, that phase, in retrospect, was me goofing off. It was me throwing caution to the wind going “Ha! I can scream now, isn’t this funny?” And when I wrote [“Mother Mother”], there’s a scream in it. When I first came up with it, I started laughing thinking, “Oh my god, I could never do that, that’s weird.” And it became this joke to me. But then what happened was it just worked; people liked it which was great. I’m so fortunate.
JM: What is your first memory of music?
TB: I can’t think of one exact thing, but my mom was and is a musician, and she was involved in a lot of community musical theater, so from a very young age, I saw her on stage singing and rehearsing, and I just got the bug.
JM: What did you listen to when you were in your early teens?
TB: I thought it was really cool when I listened to The Specials, and I loved The Police. I didn’t realize they were really mass-marketed and popular, so I thought I was super-cool and different. I also have this side of me that loves Manhattan Transfer, 'cause I loved singing local jazz and I loved the harmonies, so I was big into them. That was my first concert ever.
JM: What are your all-time favorite albums and/or artists?
TB: Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life, for sure. Charlie Parker, always. It kind of brings me back to living on my own in college and studying jazz—it’s always been something that I’ll go to.
JM: What are some new artists you’ve gotten into?
TB: There’s this movement with a lot of indie bands that have vocals that are saturated in reverb. Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver? Oh my god, absolutely gorgeous. I don’t know if it’s just a trend right now, but I’ve always loved vocal harmonies. I’ve always been afraid of [them], because I’m like, “That’s overproducing,” but hearing these bands, their harmonies are just so beautiful—it just takes me to a whole other world. I’m so happy that those bands are out there right now. There was a time back right before the millennium ... that was the worst period, everyone was so angry, and I remember I went to Woodstock '99 when the tower burned down, and I cried because it was so angry. The energy was horrible. I’m really glad we’re way far away from that. I hope that doesn’t come back. [laughs]
JM: That brings up an interesting question: How do you define rock and roll?
TB: [pauses] I think it’s an energy, and it can be different for each person. For some people, it can be [about] rebellion; for some people, it can be a way to let it all out, cathartic. But there’s this fire-like energy that comes from each of those. I think that’s where it starts.
JM: Does your most recent work fall under that definition?
TB: It’s a variation of that. More of a campfire, as opposed to a raging fire that needs to burn down a city block.
TB: Oh, that is so difficult; it’s so subjective. [long pause] This is kind of a cliché answer, but I think I would give them a copy—a vinyl and a record player—[laughs] of [The Beatles'] Abbey Road. I would say, “Listen to the songwriting and listen to the way the album is put together as a whole, from front to back.”
JM: What general advice would you give to kids looking to get into music?
TB: Think about music as a way to express yourself and who you are and what you want to say. Yes, there are techniques, yes it [means] practicing and it can [mean] serious practice. But if [aspiring musicians] think of it more like “I’m going to express who I am through music,” then they [will] allow themselves to just be and have that outlet. It’s so hard for kids to do that, because they don’t know who they are yet.
JM: In the long term, what do you want for your music career? Do you still see yourself recording albums in five or ten years?
TB: I do really want to keep making records and teaching. I feel like performing, making records and teaching is kind of my triptych, and I want that to balance. And I’m worried about it because I’m starting a family, so I’m not going to be touring as much. With the business the way it is now, it really depends on touring. I’m constantly thinking about how I can keep myself out there and vital, while continuing my other endeavors. So yeah, I want to keep that going and have a family at the same time.
—Jacob Meade is a music writer based in Brooklyn.
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Rants & Raves
Here's a music review from Will Levith, who has done his share of album reviewing over the past seven years. He's been published in The Hartford Courant newspaper and American Songwriter magazine among others. A multi-instrumentalist himself, Will has a deep knowledge of the ins and outs of music, as well as what's hot and what's not. Take a look at this little hotcake:
Kings of Leon
Only By The Night
RCA Records (2008)
* * * * (four-star review)
Of the rock bands that have emerged in the past years, no other’s star burns brighter, arguably, than Kings of Leon.
Made up of a trio of brothers—Caleb (guitar), Nathan (drums) and Jared Followill (bass)—as well as first cousin Matthew (guitar), the band is a family affair to say the least. And while families mixed with popular music is not a new concept in rock-and-roll history—Oasis’ Gallagher brothers, The Breeders’ Deal sisters and The Kinks’ Davies brothers come to mind—the Kings seem to have spent all their time rocking out, with very little public bickering. In other words, the emphasis has always been on the music. Egos are checked at the door.
New fans, who might only know Kings of Leon by their radio hits, will be happy to find that the band has three previous albums’ worth of songs. But let’s stick with Only By The Night, for now.
Opener “Closer” is dark and mysterious, making good use of syncopated rhythm, a tug-of-war between a metronome-like lead guitar and spacey, psychedelic rhythm guitar; and heavy, tribal drums, which guide the lead vocal. This isn’t the work of amateurs—this is expert, grownup musicianship (mind you, these guys are all under 30).
“Crawl,” on the other hand, is pretty much a bassists’ song—listen to that meaty riff that repeats from the beginning. Yep, that’s a distorted bass. The lead guitar takes a second seat. Take that, lead guitar! This one definitely hints at Achtung Baby-era U2, so if you enjoy your Irish forefathers, you’ll be runnin’ towards this one, not crawlin’.
Of course, what review of this album would be complete without mentioning already megahits like “Use Somebody”? The song is a mountain of catchiness, with its romantic bent, always a popular theme with the masses, especially the young ladies; the guitars, which are simple but memorable (think Bush’s superhit “Glycerine”); and that choir-like “whoa-oh-oh” in the background (a la U2). The driving beat in the pre-chorus and chorus behind all these moving parts makes for the perfect epoxy. Sit back and let yourself be used.
Now, I could go through every single song on this album and tell you what I think about them (“Revelry” is my personal favorite; those dark, dissonant chords make my blood boil with excitement), but I’m not going to do that. If you want the real answers, you’re going to have to go out and pick this one up at iTunes or at your local record store and review the rest for yourself. I’m just here to tell you that it’s awesome.
Go out, get the album, review it for yourself and tell us what you think. Leave a comment after this post. We dare you.
Rock on.
—Will Levith
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Links and ThingsGowanus Music Club's Sign Up Page
GMC Band The Pipes Live on Daily Motion The Kids Music Underground Rolling Stone Tracy Bonham-Fine Joan Osborne Mountain Stage Scholastic Millrose Music Brooklyn Flea Nickelodeon Manhattan JCC Big Beat Hot Lava Hem Ollabelle
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