Making The Music You Want To Hear
by Cari Cole
I recently heard Linda Perry tell K.T. Tunstall (during the making of Tigersuit) that while she has a great voice and great songs, all she had to do was stop worrying about pleasing her fans and her label and make the music she wanted to hear. Glad she did.
Pure genius LP.
If you are following this blog, you are most likely a music maker, singer, songwriter, producer – or maybe someone behind the scenes influencing and shaping music makers, like a manager, A & R rep, or a label owner.
The question to ask – Are you making the music you want to hear? – is a damn good one. It’ll do us all a hell-uv-alot-of-good.
Because, it will put whoever you ask it of, in touch with the truth about that – and only good can come.
Why? Because, in my opinion, great art comes from a place without any compartments, without contracts, or genres – and definitely not without showing some spine. It comes out of nothing – into something – and the more pure and unadulterated, the better.
And, because if artists listen too much to everyone else, music gets boring.
To be clear, I’m talking to the recording artist putting out records on the airwaves right now. And to the emerging artist – but the aspiring artist has to earn their cred first. You’ve got to listen up, but listen more to the music from the artists that came before you – they’re your role models.
It sure seems, what I’ve noticed over the past year or two, and I don’t think I’m foolin’, as I said to my friend Kenny at The Bitter End: Music is getting good again?!
Have you heard the sensuous, slightly parched vocals and sumptuous songwriting from retro soul singer Adele on her new album 21? The list of writers/producers is sick and the tunes are fresh, tough and unafraid. (Paul Epworth, Dan Wilson, Ryan Tedder/One Republic, and The Cure among others.)
Another great spin was last year’s deliciously 70’s soulful Bible Belt from my friend/student singer-songwriter, Diane Birch (still playing it constantly) – absolutely divinity on vinyl. I’m secretly salivating for her new record in the works right now…
Whatever your musical preference, there’s definitely somethin’ goin’ on out there – and it’s getting good.
I tip my glass to y’all making the music you want to hear.
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Hi, I’m Cari Cole.
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About Cari Cole
Cari Cole is the CEO / Founder of caricole.com and CCVM: Label Without Walls. She is a Holistic Vocal Coach, Artist Development Expert, A&R Director, and Songwriter based in New York City helping artists for the past 38 years. She is a mentor for Women in Music and The Association of Independent Music Publishers.
Her latest venture, CCVM a label services company, provides artists with a seamless path from creation to completion. After 30+ years of observing the overwhelm and challenges that artists face, Cari pulled together the best top creative professionals and designed a new approach to supporting our artists.
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