Playing where music takes me

By Joel Myhre (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, July 12, 2008

So my therapy session known as the Concert in the Park went as well as I could have expected it to go.

For those who missed my last column or didn’t hear, I played guitar and sang last week for the summer concert series. It was the first time I had played non-church music in front of more than, say, 15 people.

My point of performing was, in essence, to get over my fear of playing my songs in public, and make sure that, in the words of Dr. Wayne Dyer, I don’t die with my music still in me. (He didn’t mean it literally, but it applied in my case.)

But I figured that while I was at it, I might as well determine, in American Idol fashion, the future of my music career, based on the following three options:

Apply for one of those national music shows because I am ready for the big-time now, baby!

Continue to do some local stuff, because while I’m not bad, but not ready to fill football stadiums yet.

Quit now and sell your guitar, because you just don’t have it.

I can honestly say that, after a week of comments, especially those that went beyond “you really did great!” or “there’s no way I could get up there and do that!” and offered some insightful comments.

Based on those comments, I’m probably in the “b” category. Ironically, through both the negative and positive comments, I was able to glean the following information:

• Nerves clearly affected me on the first couple of songs. Once I was able to get somewhat comfortable, I sounded a lot better. And the only way to get more comfortable is to keep playing in front of people.

• While my guitar playing can be good, I will either need to continue to practice to be able to play guitar parts I tried and sing at the same time, or “dumb down” my guitar playing (in the world of guitar players, we call that guitar style “zchucta-zchucta,” referring to the rhythmless strumming many amateurs use) so I can focus on my singing.

• While I can sing in tune and my voice doesn’t sound too bad, my range is lacking. I was told I sounded like everyone from John Prine to Phil Collins, which I suppose isn’t too bad, considering the number of records those two artists have sold. However, when I attempted to sing overly high parts, I was “pitchy,” the term the American Idol judges use to mean out of tune. So I need to either rearrange my songs so I’m not singing high, or pick songs which are meant for lower voices. Considering my vocal range, I might be better off in a band with a lead singer who can sing higher songs, and I could supply harmony parts or something.

• Most people got a kick out of my “witty banter” in between songs, as well as my duo with my daughter on the song “Three Little Birds.”

To be honest, I’m surprised to have received such an in-depth, objective, lots-of-shades-of-gray overall critique out of what amounted to colleagues, friends and family members.

Of course, my musical position in life is one in which many, many musicians are in. If I keep honing my craft, I likely have the ability to play lots of small venues – bars, coffee houses, church services, small outdoor concerts, weddings, etc. But I am an incomprehensibly long way from the big time. And even if today my performance level were equal to a big-time performer – say a John Mayer or Dave Matthews – it doesn’t guarantee the big time. There are many performers far better than me still playing those same small venues.

Twenty years ago, I dreamed of taking my music as far as it could take me. In my late thirties, with a good job, a family and a house, I’m really OK if my music doesn’t take me any farther than Fergus Falls.

Joel Myhre is The Journal’s general manager. E-mail him at joel.myhre@fergusfallsjournal.com