aside from putting out my own music and doing my own shows, i spend a fair amount of time making music with and for others. here are some audio examples.
remixes:
remixing involves taking a song and making another song out of it. this can be a really fun thing. remix techniques are used quite a bit in contemporary forms, but don't exist so much in acoustic music or picking music or whatever. i think there is an unlimited amount of potential for bringing this technique to american roots forms.
potential uses of a remix are as follows:
a. to have a new piece of music created out of a previous work in a very efficient way, perhaps to be used as a website giveaway, secret track or any number of other promotional possibilities, or for full on release.
b. to stimulate interest in a cd. for example, after a cd has been out for a bit, and the sales curve is starting to slow down, putting up a remix on the artist's site and getting it into circulation on the mailing list, can remind the audience that something's going on.
c. just for fun because the end result takes the song a long way in an unexpected direction.
as an example, here is a remix i did for tim o'brien. the track started life as a solo piece, with voice and bouzouki. i remixed it and made it into the full on folktronic freak out. have a listen to the before and after.
sometimes i work with artists in helping them to make records. which involves analyzing the budget, finding a place to work, hiring the extra musicians, engineers, programmers. And making sure that money is not wasted.
typically we look at a pieces of music that may start life as a simple song with vocal and one instrument, or basic structure. what are the potentials for developing this sonically? and how can this be done economically, while at the same time creating a result that is more than the sum of the parts. how can the piece be orchestrated vertically?
robyn ludwick's piece "what do i know about love":
recording:
frequently i will go into the studio and play banjo and/or guitar as well as various other sounds for records that folks are working on.
the idea is to come up with a part that will make the whole song or piece sound better. i work with the producer engineer and artists to come up with just the right thing. here is a solo off the robert earl keen cd "what i really mean."
long chain banjo solo
hired gun:
a certain amount of time each year is spent playing in bands. i get hired to come out and pick banjo and groove on that. here is a video example of my work with robert earl keen playing in golden gate park in san francisco. it feels good to go and work with good folks and good musicians.
