Questions

As you get to the second half (hell, maybe the final third) of your life, more questions arise about how actually to spend the time. Keep on the same course, achieve something substantial, watch more TV.....?? That's where I find myself at more and more. Lately, I've been getting back into music more. Anyone reading this who knows my history at all might be surprised by that statement, but for several years, I wouldn't call music a priority. I kept playing in the bands I'm in and had a good time doing it, but the creative spark just wasn't there. And that can happen if you're playing in a couple of bands where you don't have much creative involvement. Most of the bands I've been in in my life have been ones where I was, if not exactly a songwriter, at least a primary instigator of song material and arrangement. But the two (possibly three) I'm in now have strong songwriters/visionaries, and I'm a latecomer to the party. I just play, work my role, and go home. And I'm thinking it's time for more.

Am I capable of starting one more band in my life? Do I have the juice to see it through as I approach my 57th year? Maybe. I'd really like to start a band based on film soundtrack music from the 70s, in particular Italian movies. Several years ago, I received as a gift a CD compilation of music from Italian crime films of the 70s, and I was surprised at how much I enjoy it. It's something I put on at least once a month. Talk about something that gets the blood pumping, without resorting to deafening volume. I wonder if I could get some people together who would not only be into the idea but could instrumentally pull it off. It would require an adept keyboardist for sure, and possibly a couple of horns. Another drummer/percussionist would be ideal, too. I don't think vocals would even be a necessity, unless they were sort of those chanted vocals you hear in some of these movie themes. Projection might even be a good thing to have at gigs as well.

A band I was always admired was Karma to Burn, from West Virginia. Those guys, even as a guitar/bass/drums three-piece with no vocals, were one of the most hypnotic I've ever seen. Their music, although not used for soundtracks (to my knowledge) was cinematic in the best sense. Listening to them conjured images in your head. I'd like to do that with this band.....if it happens. Can I get this together? Just writing in this blog might be the first step. I talked with Bill Anderson about this (he's the only one outside my current bandmates I've mentioned it to), and he thought it was a good idea. I didn't ask Bill to become involved, simply due to his busy schedule. And that's a problem there. I can think of people I'd like to ask to do this, but most are very busy with bands, touring bands, etc. It's tough to find people good enough to pull off something special without their being too busy to actually do it. One of those Catch-22s.

Maybe I'll make a move on this in the next week. More to come......