Cowboy SKANK is my virtual Band/Artist brand that I've been working on developing since 2017. I have enjoyed a lifetime of Artistic Endeavour! BECAUSE! I don’t approach creativity in terms of good or bad but in terms of what I want to accomplish. So when I want to learn a new art form I just do and focus on achieving the goals I set. I believe you should use everything and not limit yourself; I see the hard times as the growing times and the fertilizer for new creativity! Just this year, 2019, I started “My Music Marathon,” a 52-week challenge to write a song a week as well as other musical goals I am working toward! Write 52 Songs in 52 Weeks Publish 12 songs from those 12 months. Produce Publish and Distribute 2 albums (of the 12 songs) My pursuits also fall into the realm of building and playing Cigar Box Guitars. These homespun and fun to build guitars are a throwback to the Civil War. Trace evidence of cigar box instruments exists from 1840 to the 1860s. The earliest known illustration of a cigar box instrument is an etching copyrighted in 1876 of two American Civil War soldiers at a campsite, one of whom is playing a cigar box fiddle. They honestly go further back into Black, Irish, European and other cultural music traditions.
Music much like art is an expression of LIFE...every aspect of life can be found and explained simply in a song.
To write songs that provoke new thought, and communicate LIFE!
Intentional Acts of Kindness...it's through helping others that we help ourselves!
I can't responsibly answer that question! at least pick within one genre...
Again with this favorite thing... OK...let's just go with top 5 Pink Floyd Barenaked Ladies The Highwaymen (like how I slipped 4 top country artists under 1) Steve Vai BB King
EVERYTHING! My music is an expression of my life. Even the electronic and avant-garde come from some source found within my soul!
Which in particular? Some are stories... Some are metaphors... Some are for fun... and some are even academic with hidden things, and Mysteries Wrapped in Enigmas and dipped in SECRET SAUCE!!!
Freaked out before... Highly focused and kind of bringing it to center... Then I see that first look, nod, or some non-verbal form of 'I get it!' THEN IT GETS FUN, and I love the energy and interaction...and just being lucky enough to be able to play!
It will be interesting to see what major corporations, labels, and celebrities do with the onslaught of new material! BUT...we have seen this before. Back in the 60's printing and reproduction of magazines became very affordable and groups of people would start independent presses where they would put out books, magazines, and newspapers. Major brands at the time recognized what was going on and even though it did take profits from them for some time, A WHOLE LOT of what was put out was crap. So in time things went back to the normative we see in Corporate America! What could be improved! I'm not sure without the possibility of screwing up something else along the way.
It's interesting so far. People have been positive overall. There is a lot of complaining about people's perceptions of "The way it should be," although it seems most of them would be disenchanted even if they actually knew how it worked. The paid services have proven very useful as well!
We as musicians have a reputation for being bitchy high maintenance cry-baby narcissists! But isn't that how most people of talent are??? That's like saying a leader is bossy...they're supposed to be! You can't write and be creative about a prosaic unexperienced life!!! SO TAKE THE BEES WITH THE HONEY!!!
I absolutely love the music scene in my town. EVERY SINGLE NIGHT there is something to do and someone to see, and I get out and see as many as I can!
It's a new day...again...Take a look around YouTube, there has never been a better time to let your freak flag fly. You might be surprised at how many people like what you have to say!
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Captain Beefheart - The SpeakEasy Three - Justin Johnson