Writing music for someone with vision?

[Depth_Charge]

I was at a training course and before the course the participants were chatting as you do. A chic I've seen around the traps overheard me telling some guys about band practice and today we got to talking about music.

It turns out she is a bit of a songwriter and has some lyrics and melodies that she wants to put music to.

However, her ideas are in the folky/rocky/poppy type genre's. But she said when she sings, she sounds more R&B/Soul, and didn't feel her voice was a good fit for her own vision.

It sounded like she was looking to collaborate with a group of musicians who were willing (and hopefully able) to take her musical direction and turn it into her vision, and I got the feeling that she wanted me to help her out both with providing some bass lines/musical ideas and with helping her network with other muso's to get her off project off the ground to see if it's viable.

I'm just wondering if people have come across a situation like this where someone wanted to create music they wouldn't be part of performing, and if there's any advice people can share with me on that?? I am interested in helping her out if I can as I am interested in song writing and arranging.

[Phalex]

I was in an originals band that was sort of along the same lines. The singer / songwriter wasn't a guitar ace by anymeans. He was a good lyricist, but everything he did musically was kinda folksy / country. The guitar player was a kickass metal player and he would rock the tunes up. The drummer had a jazz back ground, and I cut my teeth on blues.

We would collaborate on all the parts, and the end result was pretty darn cool. (IMHO) Problem was, it was hard to sell.

Sounds like a fun project. Give it a shot and see what happens.

[RED5]

Originally Posted by Depth_Charge

I was at a training course and before the course the participants were chatting as you do. A chic I've seen around the traps overheard me telling some guys about band practice and today we got to talking about music.

It turns out she is a bit of a songwriter and has some lyrics and melodies that she wants to put music to.

However, her ideas are in the folky/rocky/poppy type genre's. But she said when she sings, she sounds more R&B/Soul, and didn't feel her voice was a good fit for her own vision.

It sounded like she was looking to collaborate with a group of musicians who were willing (and hopefully able) to take her musical direction and turn it into her vision, and I got the feeling that she wanted me to help her out both with providing some bass lines/musical ideas and with helping her network with other muso's to get her off project off the ground to see if it's viable.

I'm just wondering if people have come across a situation like this where someone wanted to create music they wouldn't be part of performing, and if there's any advice people can share with me on that?? I am interested in helping her out if I can as I am interested in song writing and arranging.

The first two that jump out to me are Robert Hunter with the Grateful Dead,and Keith Reid of Procul Harum. Given some time I'm sure there are plenty more.

[IanStephenson]

Just look outside the rock/indie genres and what you're describing is pretty common. It's only within a relativly recent time period that we've expected one or two people to do it all.

Look at country music, Motown, Stax, even most pop music - they have a lyricist, a composer, and arranger, a band to play on it, and then FINALLY they put a singer in front. There's no good reason other than ego for doing it all. If you're only interested in part of the production, and can find people better qualified/interested in taking on the other jobs, then you can produce a more professional product, with less stress and effort.

I'm a bass player - I play bass in bands. I (generally) have little interest in writing. It really makes no difference to me if the person who wrote the song is on stage with me.

Ian