Music gives me happiness and a feeling of having created something that other people enjoy. Music is my whole life. I love to write music, record music, listen to music, and support music in every way I can!
To have a lot of people enjoy listening to my music and to react with them.
Taxes, IRS, politics and the huge gap between lower clss and upper class.
Hardrock, Coco and Joe or else maybe "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas!" (And , of course, "Wipeout.") From my teen years, I like Gloria, I Think Were Alone Now, and anything recorded by the Rolling Stones, Beatles, Yes, Chicago, Frank Zappa, Eagles, Doobie Borthers, the "Wrecking Crew," Booker T and the MG's, and many other memorable bands. Please help me to become one of your most memorable entertainers!
Rolling Stones, Santana, Chicago, Grateful Dead, Eagles, Suzi Quattro, Lone Justice, Cream, Yes, BB King, Tommy Tedesco, Howard Roberts, Tommy James and the Shondells, Yes, The Beatles, The Animals, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell, Santana.
A need to fill a void and all of these ideas in my head that need to get heard. I want to write music that "creates a moment" for those that listen to it. Listening to music has enriched my life and I want to do the same for others.
I may not be the best in my genre, or you may not like my style, but I'm working very hard to do my best, and I'm attempting to put melody, harmony, rhythm and intelligent lyrics back in rock, folk and blues music. Listen to the lyrics on my songs - I hope the inspire and entertain you!
Like I'm on the spot to do my best and impress. No doubt I am expecting more from myself that the audience is expecting! It is very exciting to stand in front of a large audience! The more excitement that the audience feeds back to me, the better I play. Sometimes I amaze myself!
Musicians nowadays seem more like robots to fill peoples need for new music that the rock stars that existed in the `70's and `80's who were more concerned about he art form rather than the commercialism. I would be much more popular if I followed the trends of "today's" music, but I would rather release tunes that are crafted from my heart and soul that express my feelings and my ideas of what good music should sound like.
I'll have to wait and see - this is my first experience. I have been promoting my music through CD-Baby and Reverb Nation. Check out https://www.reverbnation.com/tomsmerk?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav and https://www.facebook.com/tomsmerkmusic
Trying to find a following of fans that appreciate the music that I like to play. Today's audience seems to enjoy crap more that good music. I can only create good music - I refuse to record crap music just because it has a following. I'm hoping that as I reach more and more people through Drooble, I can connect with more people with similar interests. My music reflects on the past more so than it tends to anticipate the future.
As much as I can. Although I don't like to go out often at night, I try to keep in touch with local musicians and we support each other. I am more in touch with the national scene than the local scene, although I attend many jams and open mics to meet more of the new local entertainers.
Good lyrics that are entertaining, an "honest" voice - doesn't have to be great, just authentic, good melodies and chord progressions, and a desire to want to please and to want to improve. And most important, a new artist needs to truly understand the basic elements of music, which are melody, rhythm, harmony and lyrics. A lot of the new songs just don't make sense musically. I majored in music in college, so it is hard for me to shake the traditions , in other words, I will never sell out just for the fame!
Lately I've been enjoying Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Courtney Barnett. There's a local smooth jazz guitarist here in San Diego named Parick Yandell. I enjoy all his music. My favorite CD is currently Arlen Roth's "Telemasters." Check it out! It contains many guest artists, each of them playing the Fender Telecaster guitar!