JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum What makes you so special?

Dana, HI! You sure are the inquisitive one!

For my skills, they are just a combination of musical genes, (thanks mom, dad, grandparents and so on, as I have been told), and, a lot of time, (6 decades), of hearing, playing, writing, and composing on the fly for many instruments.

BUT,,,special? I'm the normal guy in music who just has a lot of time into it, and a gift that makes it seem easy. I see myself as a handy man of music. I can do many things, and get the job done, and on time!: Melodies, their complimentary music, (piano guitar, drums, keys or regular bass, key-horns and strings, etc., chords and all kinds of parts/hooks), and their complementary lyrics/vocals, (if I am writing one of my songs), to have the end result be "effective", as I hear Mike Caro say often.

I don't think I stand out in one as being Special, unless I play piano better than I sing! haha. My mom told me that last year and "again" this one! I just HOPE I have been laying down "special" parts on the big project Sub and I are involved with. (likeable parts).

The thing I have that might be called "special", is my normal way of having "A Lot Of Positive Energy".

I was OUT of everything for a year, having to be out because of my two conditions. I then said, screw those conditions, I got a life to LIVE! That action, for me, was Special, and could be thought of by others as having a special trait. ??? I showed myself I can do whatever I set out to do, that's for sure! (Just with no amps please)!

My Energy keeps my focus high, and has me always ready for anything, with no warning or practice. I can "GET" the music quickly, and sometimes perform that music in my head on the way to grabbing whatever instrument. Brian talked about deadlines: How's 4 minutes for a drum track for a song I never heard before, when they were going to give me an hour?! LOL And, for a hit producer who I just met? So, maybe meeting deadlines would be a special gift I seem to have. I co-scored two short college films with two weeks as the deadline. I worked another job during the day, and did the scoring at nights. 3 nights a week. 6 nights total: DONE in a few days before the deadline, including playing and recording all the music, then mixed all the tons of tracks for each tape, (four of them).

So, just a Musical Handy Man, as I said. Not a Special doctorate in anything. Probably not a Special Masters, with just having musical street smarts. But an all around, get er done, lover of music and people skills.

I don't think about the HOW's or what I need to bring to the creative tables. It all just feels right to me to be working in music, and I think it shows in parts and the little time needed to do them. Basically, I just show up and play!

Good question, Dana.