Funny how things work out . . .

So I'm a metal guy. Have been for years. Everything from Cannibal Corpse to Symphony X to you-name-it.

Can't seem to get involved with anything good for the past year and a half. I've searched high and low. Trudged to the jam-spots, rode the subway, got lost in Queens, NY in the rain . . . etc, etc. You know the score . . .

Anyways, I'm also a budding lyricist. Except that I don't seem to write metal. I write ballads, sound-tracky stuff with a contemporary Celtic feel. I'm not even remotely Celtic. I'm Italian and Jewish from NJ. It just comes out of me. Country music as well. It's weird. One song after another. I have no idea where this stuff comes from.

So yesterday I post an add looking to work with a composer/pianist and maybe a female soprano. This dude contacts me the same day. I check out his site and some of his tunes. Wow. The guy is mad-skilled. Composer in residence at so-and-so, studied at Yale under so and so, wrote the score for this thing and that thing, works with this chamber ensemble hearabouts.

He asks me for some lyrics. I send them to him, scared to death this guy is going laugh his a__ off and mock me to his friends.

Instead, he emails me and says my lyrics are awesome. We go back and forth, and then we jawbone on the phone for a while. The final score is that he's going to put music to some of my lyrics, and I'm going to put lyrics to some of his music. We talk as he's on his way to Lincoln Center to rehearse. To add to it the guy seems cool as hell, not in the least bit smarmy or jaded. He asks me for some notes to give him more thematic background for one of my songs that he's particularly interested in.

Is this for real? Will it result in anything? Maybe so, maybe not. But it just goes to show that most of the time, I don't really know what lies ahead. I just gotta follow the notes where they lead and show up ready as I can be.

I wonder what this guy is gonna think when a long-haired dude with full sleeve tattoos and a Suffocation shirt shows up at his door.

[Ray man]

Sounds like a good opportunity.
Make it work.

[kesslari]

Nice, brother. Doors opening - good stuff. Enjoy the process, and the connection.

[Stumbo]

I suggest you put everything in writing and make an "official" contract out of the deal. 50/50 split? Whatever. Put it in writing. IME, otherwise it's just gossip. Or you set yourself up for the famous "you misunderstood" line.

Good luck.

[sound of bass]

You should make sure HE'S who he says he is, a simple back ground check should be easy on someone thats so accomplished. Otherwise good for you, it could be big, it could open doors. Good luck.

Already way on top of this. Me might have been born late last night, but not yesterday. But tks - we all need the reminder sometimes.

Originally Posted by Stumbo

I suggest you put everything in writing and make an "official" contract out of the deal. 50/50 split? Whatever. Put it in writing. IME, otherwise it's just gossip. Or you set yourself up for the famous "you misunderstood" line.

Good luck.

Did this upon getting his first email. He's who he says he is. He's not Stravinsky, but he's the real deal all the same.

Originally Posted by sound of bass

You should make sure HE'S who he says he is, a simple back ground check should be easy on someone thats so accomplished. Otherwise good for you, it could be big, it could open doors. Good luck.

Possible derailment already:

1) I mentioned that I'd like to work with an agreement. He replied with a question about what I meant(?) since agreements make him somewhat 'uncomfortable.'

Three things I get out of this:

1) He's a thief and the 'uncomfortable' thing is a ruse.

2) He thinks I'M a thief and I'm trying to scam him somehow.

3) He's a wuss, or he's naive or something.

Regardless - from the horror stories I've heard of the entertainment industry, why would anyone NOT work with a written agreement? Why is it that some creative people suddenly get flustered when - GASP - they're confronted by the REAL WORLD?

Yeah, agreements make you 'uncomfortable,' especially when you've forgone the opportunity of being paid royalties for something that's sold 100,000 units. Let's replace 'uncomfortable' with STUPID, shall we?!!

Creative people are so freakin' idiotic sometimes - even if they did go to Yale.

To put it in simpler terms: I'd rather be a person who is carefull and has money in his pocket, than a person who is broke wishing the world could just be more honest. The former will always grant me more freedom to create than the latter. And as a lawyer once said: "Good agreements make good friends."

[tycobb73]

I listen to but don't play metal as well. Master of Puppets was my influencial album as a 13 year old kid. I don't know one note off of it.

[stflbn]

I think you're underestimating how odd, wierd, alt-lifestyle, etc many classical musicians can be.

Probably right about that. Perhaps the ones who can get over being weird are the ones who can actually make a living - unless they're sheer unbridled geniuses who can do whatever they want.

Originally Posted by stflbn

I think you're underestimating how odd, wierd, alt-lifestyle, etc many classical musicians can be.