Guitarology #1

GUITAROLOGY #1 (slight return)

A big "Howdy!" to all you folks out there in Cyberland. An introduction, my name is Steve Power. Some of you out there may remember “Guitarology” from about five years ago. Well, StringThis.com changed hands about three years ago and about the same time the fickle fingers of fate snapped in my face as well. So I retired to my cave to contemplate the Cosmic All and “Guitarology” died on the vine. Eventually removing head from backside I moved out of Europe to settle in Austin, Republic of Texas. A short time ago while in the process of buying strings, yeah I’m a customer too, I discovered that StringThis.com again has new owners in the persons of Boyd and Scarlet Gregory. We began to communicate and they have been kind enough to ask me to revive “Guitarology”. So like a Phoenix from the ashes, “Guitarology” rises again!

I’ve decided to rework some of the original pieces on the assumption that there are probably hundreds of folks out there who came to StringThis.com after I left and never had a chance to partake of my wit and wisdom (some may have a more colorful description). For the rest, I apologize for any redundancy though I think it ain’t a bad thing to be reminded of certain things and I hope to add new thoughts to the original subjects.

A little about myself, I’ve been paid to play for over 35 years. In that time I’ve performed as a solo artist, a duo, trio, and with bands ranging from three to thirty-three pieces, everywhere from sidewalks to stadiums in several countries on two continents and a rather large island. I’m neither rich nor famous or even a great guitarist, though I’m lucky enough to have been critically well received many times, worked with several artists of some stature, and to currently be making a living as a full time musician/songwriter. I have a new solo CD being released at the end of the year on Javelin Records, a UK label distributed worldwide by Pinnacle Entertainment. If you’d care to find out what I’m up to in Austin, you can go to www.texas-radio.com

I've been told that a majority of Stringthis.com customers are professional guitarists. I’m assuming there’s also quite a few out there who haven’t given up the day job but still gig a fair bit. You probably know all you need concerning the tools of the trade and how to use them. . With “Guitarology” I’d like to address the heart and brain side of earning a living from playing, to talk about some things I’ve learned and some things I’m still learning. So, if we’re sitting comfortably, I’ll begin.

A while back I found myself in the sauna with a new guy at my gym. I guess he’d overheard something about me as he joked about the oxymoron "fit musician". He asked what I did exactly. Running down the list, I mentioned an independent album project I was trying to get together. Suddenly he said, "I’m in awe of people who can do that. Actually create recordings." He felt it a tragedy that so many get hung up on the money, politics, and pressures and forget just how cool the process is. Just the doing of it he felt was pure magic. He also considered that better, more lasting, and thus more successful recordings were produced in an atmosphere of joy. He mentioned Carlos Santana’s then recent conquering of the planet.

I replied that I had occasion not long before to be forced into thinking about how I was going about my job. Concluding I simply could not continue to do things in the same way. One of the upshots was my determination to have Fun as the priority of my work. I’ve got real good songs and know great musicians, some of whom are close friends, so the music ain’t a problem. Commercial success is, of course, a lottery but as long as every time I play the recording I think, "I’m glad I did that," I’ve won. "That’s great! That’s the only way," he said, "You should do it!"

Eventually we were cooked, sweat dripping like rain. So we headed for the showers, continuing on about artists we’d like to meet, cars we’d damaged, and the damage we’d done to ourselves doing various silly things.

Later I realized I’d forgotten to ask his name and inquired with the girl at the coffee bar. Turns out I’d been sermonizing my music making philosophy, buck naked, with a former President of Universal Record! Gulp… And this guy is in "awe" of what we do?! But we do forget. It’s the magic of the process. We pick up this thing. This creature composed of stuck together bits of wood and metal, designed and built by sorcerers. We press our flesh on the right places, and this force comes out, a force which can transport us, and even those around us, through dimensions of time, space, and emotion. That sort of job description used to get you burned at the stake. We may still eventually burn for it, but hey let’s at least have fun with it first.

Courage,

Steve Power © 2005

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