We all have different tastes and desires.

I am an excellent musician and a very good arranger. I can improvise moving solos, but I am a lousy song writer. I haven't come up with anything that pleases me. My big weakness is lyrics. They always sound corny and trite.

I have done a couple of comedy songs though, but we play them for fun. It seems if I'm being goofy and not trying to be serious more comes out.

I use my arranging skills and creativity to make aftermarket Band-in-a-Box styles. I get great satisfaction by creating a style and tweaking it until it works with BiaB. I've also done a bit of 'for-hire' work for a couple of other auto-arrangers, but they aren't as much fun as BiaB because BiaB's StyleMaker gives me more tools to work with and makes a better end product when used in a song.

I do enjoy putting my take on other people's songs and when it comes time for me to improvise a solo, it's bliss.

When I was in cover bands, I enjoyed playing songs 'like the hit record' but my solos were almost always improvised. Many were like what Santana did to Peter Green's "Black Magic Woman" solo; take some of the themes from the original and build a new solo around them. Others complete complete improvs, and a few of them nailing the original. It was all fun. I still do it like that but more are complete improvs now. Sometimes I take the opening phrase from the famous solo and then go totally me after that. I think that gives the audience a good intro to an improv solo.

To denigrate someone who plays cover tunes is a slam to every classical musician and most jazz players - telling them their art form is not worthy. (And I definitely know that is not you are doing Eddie - others have and I'm just making a point).

Song writing and song playing are two different skills. Some people are blessed with both. Irving Berlin wrote a zillion songs, some of them great ones, and he could only play the piano in one key, and I've heard couldn't play it well in that key.

I have nothing against the musician who plays his/her own songs. Actually, I'm impressed and a little envious of those who can do both. I do know it's tougher to get work that way, as most people who hire bands hire them to play memories. But to some people the creation is more important, and that's good.

It's all good, and it's all a matter of preference. There is more than one right way to make music.

The important thing to do is to play music.

Insights and incites by Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
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