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And with 10,000 bands jamming throughout the front range, that's not going to change anytime soon...
10,000 bands in Denver alone? Yep.
And with anybody who's halfway tech savvy throwing their schnazz online, it's harder than ever for a band to break through the noise.
So here's the grit on how to succeed.
Devotion You can have all the talent in the world, but if you aren't willing to make music your #1 priority for the next 10 years, forget making waves.
Malcolm Gladwell is famous for his "10,000 hours of practice to mastery" theory, and I agree with him.
I'm not the most talented musician, but by practicing 6 hrs.
a day with the 'ol saxophone, I was competing nationally.
If I can do it, so can you.
But that means your band needs to be rehearsing at least 4 hours a week - and I mean actually getting stuff done - no BS.
*Hint* don't have marathon rehearsals - it's better to rehearse twice a week for 2 hrs.
a hit than 4 hrs.
once.
Study the Greats It doesn't make sense to play music and not listen to it, right? This is something I should have done a lot more in school! And when I suggest listen, I mean really listen.
No distractions.
Dive into The Beatles and their sick Neopolitan 6th chords or the funky groove of Stevie Wonder.
Whoever you love, surround yourself with their greatness and start to emulate.
You'd be amazed at what it will do for your own musical genius! Which leads nicely into my next point.
Shred the Envelope! Don't just push it, shred that envelope.
Like I said, your listening will start to really explode your creativity.
Experiment on creating an element that is unique to you.
Alex Clare is someone I've been digging a lot recently, especially "Too Close.
" His use of Dub Step during the chorus is not only killin', but it's also fresh.
More and more trad artists are spicin' up their style with Dub Step and other electronic elements.
Like Clare, you can create your own chemical element that makes fans rave! Record Everything One of the greatest rock songs in history is "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones (Ha! I assume most of you know who it's by, but just in case).
And where did that most famous intro guitar riff come from? Keith Richards woke up in the middle of the night with it just zooming around his head.
So he picked up his recorder, sang the riff, and conked back out.
Keep a recorder with you at all times - the next riff might be the big one.
Love Your Fans We all know without fans, bands don't have a raison d'etre.
So take care of them! Both before and after the show, be one in the crowd, shaking hands, making eye contact, saying, "Thanks for being here, because if you weren't, I wouldn't be either.
"
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