Another Video from Ustream

Hey

The gig on friday went really well - very nice place and cool people.

This is a video from the rehearsals in the afternoon that i ustreamed from my website.

I'd really like feedback if you have any.

Will be ustreaming off and on for the next couple of weeks - there will a full gig on the 5th July as a warm up for spratton folk festival the following week.

I have restrung my tele - its a great guitar but i'm not sure i am still an "electric guitarist". I want a new sound with it - not fuzzy marshally rubbish. - more east bay ray or radiohead? I remember how bored i was of the instrument before - when i sold my Les Paul i thought that was it for me in terms of electric stuff.

Take it easy

Matt Stevens

www.mattstevensguitar.com

Gig Today

Sad news on MJ - he had a crazy life and any chance of being "normal" tends to be snubbed out by being really famous at 11. I remember having Bad on tape when i was a kind and i loved it.

I'm playing tonight at the Plough Walthamstow. Full Info on www.mattstevensguitar.com.

I will be rehearsing live on ustream thru the day here:

Streaming .TV shows by Ustream

If you fancy watching me practice.

This is cool

An interesting look at the future of the music industry.

Video: Topspin's Ian Roger's On Music Marketing & Direct To Fan Sales

NARM 2009 Keynote Interview With Ian Rogers from NARM on Vimeo.

Matt Stevens

www.mattstevensguitar.com

Plastic Dave & Another interesting conversation

Tragically Plastic Dave passed away last week. A very talented man and an inspiration. If you like Captain Beefheart or Zappa or the Minutemen you will love his work. Genius.

Another interesting conversation on improvisation from facebook:

Matt Stevens What inspires you when you improvise?

Yesterday at 9:06am · via Twitter · Comment · Like

Tracy L. Chappell at 10:50am June 24

As a looper, I need an audience to truly improvise. I might draw upon music theory to get started, i.e. invent a phrase based upon a snippet of a mode or a scale delivered with a rhythmic phrasing that leaves spaces between some of the notes. Once the harmonic/rhythmic environment is established I listen and respond. The presence of people is the inspirational factor here. I don't worry about whether or not anyone will like what I'm doing; I just refuse to let there be any discernible lapse between the creation and presentation of the musical performance so that no one has any iffy spots to distract their mind from the flow of the performance. Alone in my studio, the biggest problem is beginning; once I get started I seem to always find ideas.

Tracy L. Chappell at 11:00am June 24

Another source of inspiration is to design imaginary scenarios to decorate with music. Imagine a hero and a villain in conflict; create the fight in your mind as you make music to accompany the action. Or imagine a person clambering up the side of a hill; begin the music with the beginning of the ascent, throw musical difficulties and complexities ... Read More

Ashley Smith at 12:07pm June 24

i agree totally. i aint no looper i play death metal but imagining a scenario and finding the notes and moods associated with it always ends up being a good basis for a song

Joel Levy at 12:17pm June 24

The human and yet impossible desire to express the infinite as something tangible. Go johnny go!

Neil Dobson at 1:17pm June 24

Having a love for many styles of music,combined with a love of rhythm ,makes for a broad pallet . Passion for music and melody fans the flame. Rhythm is huge...

Philip Wain at 2:32pm June 24

1 other sounds/musicians 2 audience 3 prayer 4 what i've been practising 5 what i've been listening too... Read More

Jeff Duke at 5:45pm June 24

i am reading these in the hopes of learning the same thing. I not able to be able to be creative on demand. Alot of good stuff here.

Joel Levy at 7:02pm June 24

You are able already, but by thinking you're not then you won't be :-)

Jeff Duke at 7:05pm June 24

Sort of like a centipede trying to walk while thinking about how he does it? :)

Joel Levy at 7:26pm June 24

Yes something like that, thinking about how you're walking whilst you're walking will probably cause you to trip up! Like Morpheus said, stop trying to hit me and hit me...

Philip Wain at 7:34pm June 24

The trick is to think as little as possible - though I catch myself thinking often - and when thinking to think about abstract ideas rather than specific

Joel Levy at 7:45pm June 24

Observing your own thoughts or catching your-self thinking seems to be a contradiction (using the mind to watch the mind) but what you've put is of great importance and a fundamental practice in meditation - to separate you from your self and so step into that true creative place.

Philip Wain at 8:16pm June 24

Indeed. Whether you believe the creativity then comes from yourself, or from a creator, the separation from the self is crucial then.

Matt Stevens at 8:21pm June 24

Cheers guys - thats tomorrows blog post sorted!

Tracy L. Chappell at 9:43pm June 24

One more thing about improv. Never stop striving to learn, whether it be music theory, astrophysics, Latin, wanking or, perhaps, knitting. Expand your mind frequently. Then, when it's time to jam, just play. Forget everything you've learned and let what you know play you. Like the centipede Jeff Duke mentioned, don't think much about finger placement or musical structure while improvising. All the secrets disappear when you're in the middle of a jam; until you step outside the flow to think about the flow. To quote Bruce Lee concerning another discipline, "be water, my friend".

Getting ready for tomorrows gig - keep an eye on www.mattstevensguitar.com if you want to to see the rehersal

Take it easy

Matt

Conversations with joel/ Gig on Friday

My head has stopped hurt after being bashed round the head. Thanks for all your kind words. I now have conjunctavitus -ggrrrr:

Had a conversation with some dodgy geezers:

I'm playing on friday in London - doing a half hour set with Skylinerz:

Probably my only London gig this year.

A conversation of interest on facebook:

Why some days do i just not play well? like improvisation wise? Why?

Yesterday at 6:11pm · via Twitter · Comment · Like

Jeff Duke likes this.]

Neil Alexander at 6:16pm June 23

Getting to a place where you can always create something interesting takes just as much practice as technique. But we all have that issue, dig?

Matt Stevens at 6:33pm June 23

Some days it works - some days it don't

Joel Levy at 7:11pm June 23

It's anata baby, beyond concepts of good and bad. Then all is well :-)

Matt Stevens at 7:12pm June 23

Wise, confusing words

Joel Levy at 7:45pm June 23

The state of 'no mind' is where true creativity comes from, in any field. The western equivalent is called being in the zone. Why do you think Mr McLaughlin named his second group 'Shakti'? Same thing :-)

Matt Stevens at 7:47pm June 23

Got it - i've been there but it wasn't there today - why is that? It doesn't relate to the amount you practice or anything really? WHY!!!!!!

Joel Levy at 8:02pm June 23

Yours is not to question why, just to do ;-) Patronising spiritual quote of the day! I guess there's no practice required for some people as it flows naturally, for others certain things can help (some form of meditation beforehand to clear thoughts away, or do a Tenacious D and smoke a bong then hit record hehe). Just realise that you didn't have a 'bad day' or do anything 'wrong' - you just didn't go there this time, simple as. Beyond concepts :-)

Matt Stevens at 8:53pm June 23

True improv is spontaneous composition therefore to come up with anything you need to be inspired - normally listnening to ornette coleman or kind of blue or the mahavishnu or crimmson or bad brains will help. I don't want to recycle i want to create

Joel Levy at 9:11pm June 23

You are already inspired, that's why some musicians have an awareness of 'channeling' music through them. Kevin Shields talked about this in an interview that I read a few years ago. If you don't want to recycle then don't listen to other artists :-) Only half joking, I understand the inspiration. "The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. The innocence of the first inquiry - what am I? - is needed throughout Zen practice. The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities. It is the kind of mind that can see things as they are, which step by step and in a flash can realize the original nature of everything"

Matt Stevens at 9:14pm June 23

Good stuff joel can i recycle this conversation for a blog post? I'll credit you. The Zen thing tyes in with what Miles Davis was saying to John Mclaaughlin when they were making In A Silent Way and he said "Play like you can't play"

Joel Levy at 9:28pm June 23

Of course Matt, I'm glad you understand the concept of no concept hehe. You don't have to credit me though, it was channeled remember :-) Namaste - "The light within me honors the light within you."