Hi all: I just woke up and this thought went through my mind so I am going to run with it. It is something I have been struggling with for a couple years and the answer finally came. Here goes:
I have been at this music thing for about 35 years. It has had its ups and downs and this morning my soul finally accepted the part I can't do - promoting. I love playing to people, sharing stories/my music on the net, but I hate reaching out and trying to get gigs. I booked myself around the world for 20 odd years and was able to make a living off it. But I never liked it.
I have been steadily withdrawing from the live scene because of this. The older I get, the more painful booking/promoting myself has become. This morning I have turned the corner on this in my soul and instead of focusing on the downside of this part of playing, I have decided to start reaching out for someone who is inspired in this area. This is the last piece of the puzzle. I am a self contained 1 man band, have honed my recording skills to the point that NBC has been using my music for soundtracks on specials, and I am currently learning how to use the video camera in conjunction with the recording process.
I am the only person in the world doing what I do and is brand new ground in the music world. Like any new thing, the right promoter has to be in place to make it known. Curently I make my living teaching special education in the public schools. This job is great, but I am getting the drive to start playing gigs again. I am off all summer, have lots of breaks through the year.
I have lived my life spontaneously from childhood. It has been a great journey. There is a book waiting to be published on my life and a documentary is in the works. If my music and my approach to music and life is of interest, send me a message.
"Life is short - Dream Big!" - Walter
---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
Walter, what you need to do is create evangelists for yourself. You do this by helping other people and making an impression on them. Nobody can promote you better than somebody that truly cares about you and what you do and to find people like that you have to affect them in profound ways.
If you notice, the most successful people in history are those who are able to poloarize the masses. You need to be loved and hated. To live in the middle ground is death as that is the place where nobody cares about you. When you can stir a person's emotion in one direction or the other then you are on the right path.
Trying to get everybody to love you is a fools game. Come as you are, BE as you are and allow the people to make the choice but MAKE them make a choice. Any other way is the road to failure.
---------- "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
Last Edited by on Mar 21, 2010 7:25 AM
Hope this works out....If I lived closer I'd definitely give it a shot. I am retired (from my first career) but have a full time job. It sounds like it would be a TON of Fun. I have listened to a bunch of your tunes and believe that this dream can be a reality !!!
Paul ---------- Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art. - Charlie Parker
thanks Buddha. I live that way. i have done alot of counseling work to come to peace with my deamons, so I am not as hated as I use to be. I believe my approach to music and being a 1 man band keeps me well out of middle ground. Time will tell if my music will ever make it past a small % of the population.
pharpo: Thanks and I wish you did live closer! My friend Jeff Konkel has done this with the old blues guys in Miss. He founded broke and hungry records and has gotten them from sitting on their back porches to the forefront in the blues world. It just takes one person that is inspired. The journey is the fun. Once you get there, it is like - so now what do I do? I love the journey! Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
thank you everyone for taking the time to read, think, and respond. It is very inspiring to find people have taken the time to reflect on this. If I may, I would like to use this thread to put my inspirations down as they come. I am searching for someone that listens to my music and realizes this is something no one else is doing. I just don't do it in music, I do it as a lifestyle. I can't compromise because then it wouldn't be spontobeat.
There is no competition, so I really don't need to be famous to have a book written and read by others. It's not like there are 140,000 others doing some form of spontobeat. For instance, if clapton puts out a biography the same time as Jagger, there will be competition for the same audience, and if a smaller time player puts one out, they will get very little notice or publicity because they all are doing music the same way -write a song, edit a song, rehearse a song, repeat a song, record a song, repeat the song on tour, cover other peoples songs, have set lists, do requests, collaborate with others, and in general conciously think out/compromise most of their performances/recordings to be more successful. Spontobeat is a direct flow from my soul to the world. I have no control over it and follow the journey as passenger/channeler for the music. To try and conciously control it makes it instantly disapear. The author and documentary guys came to me, excited about how I do music and life. I have no set way to go about this journey. That is what spontobeat is all about. When someone gets this that has the promoter gift, we will be rolling. I dream big. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
i just wish you lived close by i like your ideas on teaching,and i think you would be a good 1,I like the trade off talents for lessons,like you talked about My karate intrutor was like that,Im a hell of a welder,
Last Edited by on Mar 22, 2010 6:10 AM
nacoran: Someone recently suggested that. I am not familiar with that medium yet. I have a video camera but I think you need a webcam?
Nastyolddog: I have been leading it all too long. A good general delegates power to ones that excel at the given tasks. I don't excel at promoting. Getting older is good! I am learning to find others with the passion for things I have none for.
HoboStubs: To bad we aren't closer. My one man band drum hardware is all reconfigured by me, but it is half a##ed done. I am no builder and when I do festivals I specify I need at least 15 minutes to get the drums set up right. It would be great to have it all built nice and tight and just be able to put it up on the stage and go. Now I have to tinker with things to get them right. Kind of like Jesse Fuller. He would often spend a ton of time getting his footella right working right. I still am willing to share whatever I can with you without the exchange of services. If someone is really interested in my way of learning, the door is always open, and there currently aren't any knocking. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
ive been practicing the breath through one hole as long as you can trying to stay at one volume and tone,do it ever day,its only been a week or 2 but i do think its helping thicken my tone, and its got to help the lungs, anymore tips gladly appreaciated
Hobostubs: That is great! The other thing I would suggest is you play what comes out naturally -without thinking. Too many people jump onto a bunch of things one after another and never master any of them. In martial arts is the same - pay for your belts. Most schools run you through them real quick to keep making money. With a real instructor, you move at the pace that fits the student and spend a ton of time on the basics and never leave them. You just build things on them as you are ready. If you rush through the learning process, you will never get the natural rhythm that we all have (based on our heartbeat) to come into our playing. That rhythn is the key to everything. Without it, it is like trying to build a house without a foundation or a body with no bones. I played the same simple things for years, in fact I still play them! Only now there is about 35 years between when I first found them and now. They still make me feel good and I naturally go to them. Through those first things I discovered, over time, other things came. I believe in letting things unfold in their own time via discovery. That is what gives someone their own style as well. If you listen to the greats most here idolize, they had a very limited playing range. By this I mean they are easily identifiable because what little they knew, they did so well from doing it over and over. It never got old and they put their own unique brand on it. Today it is more of conglomorate of styles most possess and identifying their playing is a lot harder. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
here is a post and my response on another forum. This writing proccess is helping me get closer to peace with this whole thing. Thanks! Walter
"Walter I have reread this thread, and though I hesitate to make this post... oh brother, here goes.
I greatly admire your dedication, and your uncompromising pursuit, but at the same time I can't help but think that you have painted yourself into a tight corner artistically with Spontobeat. There are reasons why others do not do what you do, and they likely include the lack of an audience. Hate to say this, but I do not find listening to whatever thoughts and rhymes occur to you spontaneously to be very interesting (though I'm sure my musings would be considerably less so!). Although your obvious talent, musicianship, versatility and overall sound knock me out, they really do, I usually cannot make it through one of your clips due to the spur of the moment lyrics.
Have you ever tried the more heavily traveled path, even a little? I can only imagine what great stuff you might produce with a process of selection, gestation, condensation, refinement. As it stands, it strikes me that you are offering car loads of raw ore rather than ounces of gleaming metal. An appearance by you that included some polished original songs, yes maybe a cover or two (which I sense would be killer), and a bit of Spontobeat would go over very well, would find an audience and maybe even promoters fighting over you. As is though, all Sponto all the time would seem to be a very tough sell.
These comments are offered with love, as I do think you are a pure spirit and tremendous talent."
I appreciate you sharing your opinion. I started out in bands that did covers of blues. I also played with many of the blues greats early mostly, but throughout my playing full time. I loved those times but soon spontobeat, which I did at home, and off the paying stage, took over. What you suggest has been offered to me many times to get a record deal, booking agent, gigs. I take it as a loving thing, like you have put it to me.
I understand you not being able to relate to my approach for any lenght of time. Our culture is so ingrained with music being a certain way. I use to love hearing bands and my heros do their songs onstage, but as the years have gone by, I find myself listening less to the standard way of doing music for the same reasons you find mine not able to hold you for long. I hear some great unfiltered stuff that has been processed to a point that it is so small that it is not interesting anymore. I believe music started out spontaneous and then money got involved and pleasing others. Since that day, it has been an ongoing evolution of perfecting the song.
The unknown is what draws and holds my attention. Most any performer I listen to is so rehearsed that this element, from my perspective, is non existent. I mean no disrespect on others music, but I go with what inspires me. So, I may end up playing to nobody in my studio for the rest of my life. If so, that is ok. It is a lot better than doing music in a way that doesn't make me feel good. Life is full of compromising, but with my music I can avoid that. I have a day job and need no income from my music. So, I am going to stick to my guns. Maybe in 300 years some scholar will stumble on my many thousand cds and find some joy in it or they all may end up in the dumpster when I die. Whatever the outcome, I have to remind myself my music makes me feel good and I can express myself and go on endless journies through time and space, with no worldly concerns. This is why I am reaching out for someone to promote me so I can stay to what I do and not poisen it. Spontobeat is a very fragile thing. If I start compromising and trying to control my music, it leaves instantly, and it is like I never had it. You can't own it like you can own a song. I just tap into it and it channels music and stories through me. In the end, the artist has face himself regardless of his popularity or obscurity. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
i hear ya Walter i wrote 92 songs this last year,of course thats a weeks worth for you but,there recorded on 1 take or 2 i wrote 10 songs in 15 years on guitar and knew no covers i about gave up playing,but a friend sold me his 8 track when he upgraded and i just went crazy writing i have mistakes in all them but there there because i found you can lose energy working a song to hard,it will change it sometimes for better sometimes not,and the mistake i made on take 1 if i do a take 2 or 3 ill make a different mistake on each 1 so i just put them on there on Acidplanet.com under hobostubs ashlock if you ever want to see my stock pile its kinda neat cause theres some that suck and some that are allright,i cant keep all the stuff on my hard drive so thats where i dump it,the only problem with writing so quick is i can only play about a dozen right now on guitar the rest i would have to go back and listen and relearn.that sucks cause the 10 i orignaly wrote will allways be with me
Last Edited by on Mar 24, 2010 8:14 AM
Keep following your dreams Hobostubs! I am working letting go of all the negative stuff around playing music and promoting, booking, are the only things I don't like. I like to travel, meet new people, see new places, and interact with audiences when I play. All these things need someone to promote and book gigs. Playing for a living for 20 odd years, I took any gig that I could get. I busted my butt harder than most anyone with trying to sell spontobeat. People that play originals and blues have a hard road, but at least it is a paved one. I felt like I was hacking a trail through the amazon jungle :-) but I was inspired to play and pushed through that end of things and did around 200 dates a year for those years. Now I realize now that I don't need to do this anymore. I don't need any money from music and my drive to play is more focused on playing good gigs where people come to listen and interact. That is thing to focus on. Still my head is struggling seeing no dates on the calendar. this is a first in about 35 years! My soul says this is ok because you have to cleanse oneself of the negative stuff before new things can happen. So being gigless is a good thing I reckon! Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
Writing all this down and putting it out on the net for reflection and comment has been a great thing for me. I have been able to reflect on my journey through this life. I have always been a dreamer. In fact so much so that I often forget about where I am. That can be dangerous- like when riding my bike, driving, or doing things that can cause an injury if not focused. Then, along comes music, and I find my ultimate daydream channel. Since I found it, I don't get as far out of reality in the rest of life and can stay present when needed. I still daydream a ton. People use to repremand me in school for it, on jobs, and just about everywhere. My parents would scream I wasn't paying attention to them, my friends would say I was a space case, etc............. Now I realize, in a big part from these correspondences, that I am not a space case, but am letting the universe flow through. It picks the topics and I am always fascintated by them. Most everything I have dreamed of has come true. When I discovered music all I wanted was to be able to convey my soul direct through the instruments. With that drive, the self teaching of them came naturally. this is why I don't take lessons or learn theories. The spirits of music past teach me as I dream. Thanks! Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " No one can control anyone, but anyone can let someone control them"
Here is an update since I have detached from trying to book/promote myself to clubs/festivals/promoters and have put out prayers/requests/dreams or whatever you want to call them, to the universe for such a person to appear in my life.
Via retreating and letting go of the negatives, I am starting to really get it- having negative energy in ones life may get one worldly things, but will never bring peace. This is what my relationship with the music business brings me. I booked myself over 200 gigs a year for about 20 years. I played alot and had a lot of good times, but at the same time I was not at peace due to the promoting/booking component.
So far my prayers have been answered 3 times. There is a farmers market a few blocks from our house that wants me to play every saturday. I can put my stuff in a shopping cart and walk. I love that concept No driving, no pressures about playing certain lenght sets, or material. I get to meet people too, which I love. The second is a fairly big bluesfestival that is going to have me play in between acts. I am waiting for it to be offically anounced before I give the name. These things seem like nothing on paper compared to what I use to do, but in my heart they are the big time because they came via my wish. the third is playing for the annual Collie Rescue Picnic in June. I have been involved with this organization for about 10 years. I do home checks and we have adopted 3 collies that were unadoptable due to severe abuse and issues from it. I love this kind of work. A fourth is in the works- playing the annual picnic for the county's Dept of Developmentally Disabled people. A few hundred special needs adults will be there. I have done dozens of these things and I can testify you will have an audience that will put it out so heavy, it makes playing the great clubs of the world seem boring. Walter
---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " No one can control anyone, but anyone can let someone control them"
