What we don't like

I am currently at work on a new record which is growing close to completion. As always, there are far more recordings than will/should fit on the project so the time for editing has arrived. I confess that I am somewhat haunted by the sentiment of the previous post from February 23rd. I wonder if the more "successful" musicians are somehow capable of accepting the fact that the sounds they make that they do not like, are their essence.

I'm still not entirely sure this is true, but it certainly makes sense that the majority of what we do has already been done. Especially in the case of music, where it seems that we are often simply regurgitating the things that we've heard, altered by our own "voice." Now that is not necessarily a 'bad' thing, but if our (my) intent is to develop our (my) 'own' voice with my instrument, then it would reason that the best strategy is to embrace the aspects of my playing that are the most singularly me. Does that make sense?

Or to ask the question in a more direct manner: Do I put the piece on the record that I really dislike? It is my least favorite (though not due to mistakes or technical inadequacy) and I just don't enjoy listening to it at all. Is that somehow the one that people will respond to as being uniquely me? I'm not sure I want that, but then maybe we have no choice in these matters.

The above photo was taken at a gig a few months past, a set that I was quite displeased with. Though I've not heard a recording of that night, I wonder if for that very reason, it was a truer representation of my playing. Oh what a mystery it all is.

Posted by jeff pitcher at March 9, 2010 02:07 PM

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