Work with other people.

Let’s say hypothetically there’s an artist rating system from 1-10. And overall, you, the person reading this, are a 7.

Above average, right? Sweet.

The first instinct for a 7 is to want to work with other 7’s, 8’s, 9’s, and 10’s. Because you believe anyone below a 7 has absolutely nothing to offer. After all they’re not as skilled, right? How could they know what it takes to be a 7?

Now put yourself in a 6’s position.

Ouch.

Hurts, I know, but bear with me. 

How many times, as a 6, have you seen a “7” and thought, “It’s good but it’d be better with this,” or “This would have more impact if they did it this way or switched this to that.”

Should your opinion be ignored simply because you aren’t at the exact level in your career as someone else? Because on a fake rating system you are one measly rung lower?

The other day I found a stack of old burned cd’s with some of the first songs I made back in ‘05. I couldn’t believe how much more creative I was back then. Although I definitely lacked the skill, the intention and melodic thinking were there.

Now I’m not saying go work with people who are still looking for a “J” chord on guitar or rhyming ‘cat’ with ‘dog,’ but I am saying this:

People better than you probably won’t want to work with you.

But now you know why it’s their loss.

-Ryan

PS. I don’t know how the ‘start fragment’ and ‘end fragment’ got on here. I think it’s because I pasted this from Word :/ If you can’t see it then.. respect

Be different

I didn’t look through my posts but even if i did post about this already then it’s worth another five minutes to write. 

Be different (<—- reiteration) 

Take rap/hip-hop for example. Go on YouTube.com or WorldStarHipHop.com and at any given time you can find 10 rappers on one page that rap about the same things and make the same style of music video.

I know there are sayings like “don’t reinvent the wheel,” and when it comes to music you really don’t have to reinvent the wheel. But please, for listeners everywhere, at least put a new rim on it.

-Ryan

Our latest music video off of our upcoming album “Overaged Drinking.” 02-21-12

I’m surprised I haven’t addressed this earlier but this is crucial to vocalists (singers AND rappers). 

RECORD YOURSELF

Whether it be in an expensive studio or on a AA battery powered tape recorder. In order to develop your voice you have to hear what it sounds like when it’s recorded. 

The first time I ever heard my voice was with a friend and it was NOT cool. I had wrote a song about my dead hamster (RIP Benny) and my friend couldn’t stop laughing once we played it back. 

Traumatic: maybe

Necessary: absolutely

It’s gonna sound weird when you hear it for the first time but don’t let that discourage you. You want to get to a point where you hear your voice inside your head as others around you do outside your head. And that takes practice.

Practice doesn’t make perfect. But it does make your friends laugh less when you sing in front of them.

-Ryan  

Quick, easy, and to the point. 

1. CREATE

Real simple. Follow those steps. Or that step rather. Can’t go wrong.  

Do you ever keep a memory in stock that always makes you laugh when you think about it? Or one that makes you cry? If you do, those are the kind of memories you need to engage when songwriting.

If an emotion can last over the years and still evoke an actual reaction just from passing through your brain then it definitely has the qualities to translate to the masses. 

I don’t say this because I’ve done it, but because I, as a fan, have more response to things I can tell someone truly wrote with their head and heart. You feel a connection to the song like it’s (insert cheesy line like: speaking directly to you.)

I may be beating a dead horse (which is a sick expression now that I type it) but if your sitting in a chair staring at a wordless page in a notepad then you need to buy a computer. Why do you have a notepad it’s almost 2012? 

Just kidding.

What I meant was if your stumped for what to write then move on until you that memory’s really yelling at you in your head for you to get it out.

I never could tell how people decided when someone had “soul” in their playing or singing. Now I know people identify soul when they feel it in their own. 

-Ryan

R I P 

^^^^ 

That’s the advice. R I P.

Whether it’s in front of thousands of people or random people your friend introduced you to you need to RIP. 

I know it sucks to book gigs and have no one there to listen to your radical new music but you have to remember there may be 1 out of those 3 people in that bar (sometimes 2 of those people are bartenders, true story)  that may really dig your songs or perhaps know someone who can further your career in music. 

In a situation such as the aforementioned (Ms. South Carolina) you need to suck it up and RIP. 

There’s a handful of artists that I’ve made an effort to keep my eye on because I heard them once when I was drinking beer and waiting for my spot at an open mic. And do you know why I remembered them?

B e c a u s e     t h e y     R I P P E D

-Ryan

You ever have a piece, not a whole, but a piece of a song that’s realllllly good but you can never seem to finish it? You try different chords, different lyrics, different melodys, different tempos, and still end up with just a nice little 10 second clip of a song?

SCRAP IT AND MOVE ON

I’ve wasted a lot of time trying to make something out of an un-finishable piece of music. Learn from my mistakes. Forget about it and work on something else. 

I know it’s frustrating at the moment but you may come back to it down the line. For instance, on the Phonikz/Dubwerth collaboration we’re working on, I have a guitar part that I made back in 07’. When I made it, I recorded it and had it on loop and would just stare at my comp for hours (more like one hour increments) at a time trying to figure out where to go next with it. Now, (counting on fingers) 4 years later I finally found a place for it where it can be used. 

On the other hand, this year alone I tried to force a guitar part into a song AND tried to use lyrics that I (apparently, only I) thought were genius. And you know what happened? I was invited to the Grammy’s and split a pack of Starbursts with Mr. Mayer himself. 

just kidding..

NEITHER THE GUITAR PART OR THE LYRICS FIT. SO WE DIDN’T USE THEM.

The point is, if you’re struggling with any form of writers block then move on to something else. A lot of times I break my writers block when I listen to a new band or artist. So if you’re blocked right now go listen to some new music. 

In my case, I listen to new old music. (Just found an old Al Green cd)

Something inspiring and profound,

-Ryan

If you’re good, don’t use your music to tell other people “I’m good.” Because if you’re truly good then other people will talk about how good you are. If they don’t, then you’re probably not good. If that’s the case, then keep practicing until people tell you AND other people you’re good. Until then, don’t talk about being good.. because people respond to the truth and not someone saying “I’m good.”

-Ryan

TdashDUB’s newest mixtape - coming soon!

Has Nasir’s talent reversed its aging process??? 

I’ve learned something over the years about influences.. for myself at least.

It’s never the people I listen to the most that seep into my songs. It’s always the song I heard once blaring from someone’s headphones on the bus or the score in an obscure scene from a movie that ends up in my music.

For instance, one of my biggest influences is John Mayer (original, i know). But I can’t recall anyone ever once telling me my music sounded John Mayer’ish. 

On the other hand, I’ve written an entire song and didn’t realize for months that it was “I Want it that Way” by the Backstreet Boys. A song I haven’t deliberately listened to since fifth grade.

It could be that artists consciously stray from their influences in fear of becoming a clone. It could also be that we try to be like our favorite artists and from our failure we find our own sound (that last part was inspired by a John Mayer quote, suck it). 

Either way, food for your brain.

-Ryan

Every artist thinks they’re gonna ‘make it.’

however..

I’m always anxious to hear WHY they think they’re going to make it. Everyone’s reasoning is different and as for now I really couldn’t tell you who’s right or wrong.

One theory has proven true 9 out of 10 times though.

If you think that one song is going to rocket you from ‘ordinary-citizen’ to ‘pop-icon’ then you’re mistaken. The only time that works is if it’s what the world considers really, really, really, bad. (Rebecca Black, Tay Zonday, etc.)

I’m not at the point of “made it” yet but I can say that hard work has led to progression. And that’s a FACT

-Ryan

We’ve been working heavily with a rapper named Phonikz. I (Ryan) have helped produce a few of the tracks on his upcoming project “The Phonetic Theory.”

I can personally vouch for it’s goodness. He has a laid back real life style that anyone who’s sick of modern day “rap” can truly appreciate.

His album drops Halloween so download it that day and jam it on the way to your Halloween celebration. The link is for his single “Everyday.” You’re gonna like it

http://phonikz4life.net/ 

Thanks,

Ryan