Over the years I have had the fortune to try out and play a huge number of ukuleles from all parts of the planet. I have lost track of the number of brands and types of ukulele I have played, but the Shimo ukuleles remain in my view the very best.
I have known of Shimos work for a number of years after visiting the excellent Ukulele Mania Store and buying my first Shimo ukulele, The LAX. I actually have a record of this purchase on video below
Since then the Shimo ukulele family has grown to 7 members including the new ukulele resonator below
This is very different from any reso and any instrument I have played to date. As with all Shimos it plays brilliantly but is more sweet sounding and with more bass than any uke reso I have come across. It also looks terrific.
The other surprise purchase was the Simo ukulele “Mammy” which was built in 2008 and I spotted in Tokyo store. I almost missed it as I had no plans to buy a second instrument on this visit, BUT this was too good to pass up. This is a concert and the first 2nd had Shimo I have come across.
It sounds terrific and Shimo was good enough to raise the action, so we can now hear the full sonic capability of the instrument. It also has a DTar pickup which I have only come across via Shimo and this makes for a brilliant plugged in sound. I suspect this will get some live use as well as being a great recording instrument along with my faithful Shimo Comet 3.
The Comet is one of the biggest investments I have made in an instrument, but I have recorded 30 tracks with it to date. All the Shimo ukuleles play brilliantly and sound fantastic. They are simply the best constructed and sounding instruments I have found. There can be a wait for custom builds, but in my view its well worth it!
Below is the “Mammy” concert.
I’ll be back in Japan in 2019 to speak at a major medical conference, so you can expect to see at least one more member of the Shimo family!
I have always been a great fan of artwork for music and I grew up in an era where I was able to see some classic album artwork including Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon”, and Dylan’s Blood on the tracks. many artists created their own visual representations and of course the best ones are those that are memorable and well designed.
Of course as I have blogged previously you never please everybody and it still amazes me how people can have totally different interpretations of what they see and ascribe all manner of subjective meanings. The funniest comment I heard all year was from someone who proclaimed that not all opinions are subjective.
With my own musical projects I have been lucky enough to work with some terrific artists. The Small Change Diaries had a string visual identity thanks to Max Wootton. Below is the poster we used for the album launch. Its a wonderful piece of work inspired from visuals from 1920s.
With The Caravan of Dreams, Junko Hosomi who did a sketch of my at a gig in Nagoya which was so great I asked her to do all the album artwork for “Tales of Dark and Light” due for release in 2019
In 2019 I’ll also be launching the “Music for the Head and Heart” platform which is substantially bigger than the OUS project. Matt Horwood did the design for this which is visually very different but fits with the brief perfectly
Visual identities are crucial in communicating with the wider public and I have always invested in hiring the most talented people. In my view the world is better for such creative types and if such great artwork provokes discussion, then that can only be a good thing, can’t it?
Here are some happy SCD CD and sticker fans from Germany with Christian Jones
My 5th graders are SO happy to get the The Small Change Diaries LP – with autograph – as a present. They played so many shows and represented the school so well that they deserve such an appreciation Thanks Nick Cody for making it possible!
I saw this terrific cartoon recently and thought just how appropriate it is for current times. With the advent of social media and 24 hour news it seems that increasingly communication is dumbed down to simple (many might suggest unhelpful) digital choices. This is the classic “us or them” mindset where everything is “simplified” but not in a useful manner.
One of the problems with the instant communication culture is that people post information and make statements without due consideration to the consequences. This is highlighted with some of the most bizarre statements by some political leaders, who “play to the base” for status approval” regardless of whether any of the statements are factually correct or helpful for intelligent discussion. The pack style polarized behaviour seems to occur on a daily basis and the only small redeeming factor is some great humour, including the clip below
Maintaining some humour is essential for our collective sanity and of course great comedians like Bill Hicks and George Carlin have been invaluable in reminding us that all opinions are subjective and its always useful to respect that there are always other views that our own, no matter hold certain we are of our own brilliance. Carlin was a superb observer of human behaviour and pointing out the absurdity of lot of how people communicate, often without a great deal of acuity.
Thank goodness for satirists, comedians and all those who point out “the elusive obvious”, IMO the world is a far better place for such comments regardless of whether you agree or not.
This project will launch in 2019 and we are already doing a lot of work behind the scenes ahead of time. This is a much more diverse project and not limited to any niche musical interest or enthusiasm for any specific interest. This is for people who have a genuine LOVE FOR MUSIC. There will be many dimensions to the project, including an online presence as well as a live music dimension. We have already started talking to and involving artists and the platform will have an organic growth dimension, and be internationally based.
Its also by invitation only and those invited will then be able to invite others.
This is MUSIC FOR THE HEAD AND HEART and for players and listeners alike
There’s a lot of work to do, but we have an excellent small team helping with the details
Today we are putting down Agi’s vocals for “The Pink Moon” “Grey Skies” “He’s shooting blanks” with violin on tracks as well as recording a new track which will be just 2 vocals, piano and violin. This material is far more diverse that anything I have done previously and I’m really pleased with progress. We are also doing a photo shoot today while Laurent is in the country with Karen Turner.
From the outside for many people being in a band and playing in a band can seem wonderfully glamorous. New aspiring artists can often travel for hours for a few minutes “exposure” to play to other human beings. I applaud the enthusiasm, but for those musicians “playing the long game” , there’s a really unglamorous aspect that like any undertaking amounts to a great deal of work, often for little reward or thanks…
That said, I wouldn’t have it any other way and like all worthwhile ventures you have to put in the work if you want to achieve good results.
Here are some thoughts based on observations and personal experience –
Work with like minds in creating music
In any activity that involves other people, and especially when organizing a band, if there is any chance of long term success, its always smart to work with like minds.
When I say “like minds” I don’t just mean musically, its also important to work with people where there is a sensible sharing of labour. In any group its important that everyone brings something useful to the table.
Some people may be better at organisation than others, that’s fine, as long as there is an equal (or as close as possible) division of labour. Its also important to work with booking agents that have some insight into what is needed to create a great audience experience. Of course its naive to believe you will always find like minds, but it does make for a smoother ride and helps preserve your own personal sanity! Seek out people who have a similar vision and real skills.
It’s not enough to create great songs
These days creating great music is unfortunately not enough. To reach an audience you need to be aware of how to use social media and how to connect with your audience. If you are clueless about this, then either learn the skills needed or delegate to someone who knows what to do. Unless you are signed to a record company, you’ll need to spend a fair amount of time positioning your band. My own experience is that “the back end’of what you do which includes a website, social media, blogging etc is essential. Simply playing a few gigs is not gonna cut it long term if you want to reach a bigger audience. If you have a band FB page that is static at 300 – 400, that’s not gonna cut it in terms of outside attention.
My own experience is to date all good playing opportunities have come from having a good online presence and good video. I’d love to think that creating great music is enough, but it most certainly is not the case. Working on “the back end” and organizing a band is very time consuming and for every hour on stage there’s often ten times that amount dealing with promotional aspects. I spoke to a seasoned artist in recent times who packed in touring to work in a full time job as this aspect of the music business was so time consuming and it was inevitably all being dome on a voluntary basis!
Not every live opportunity is a good opportunity
This seems basic sense, right? Well, actually not always…
In the early days of performing, live performances can be invaluable regardless of whether there is any financial reward. As you develop as a band, its useful to balance time and money and ensure that there is some benefit to playing live. My own experience in organizing a band is that some opportunities can be great at the time, but later are not such good investments. This means constantly reviewing best use of time and energy. I have blogged in the past about set times at festivals and the importance of good sound on stage. If you discover that certain playing environments have a host of adverse factors that mitigate against delivering a good performance, then its time to reconsider.
Personally being limited to a maximum set time of 20 minutes with no assurance of good sound on stage is not the best plan. Its simply not possible to show the band in any reasonable light and not worth the stress. This may be easier for solo performers, but with a band there are a number of ingredients in creating the music. When everything works in unison, its truly magical fro those on stage and for the listening audience. When organizing a band, time is precious, so its essential to make the best use of it and really pick when and where to play live. Its also useful to associate with promoters who share similar views so the working relationship is productive. Finding smart promoters with good business sense is tougher than you might imagine. I have seen extreme examples of this, the best promoter to date being Eudoro who runs very successful guitar festivals in Portugal. When my band played Lagoa Guitar Festival, the sound engineering was superb and we were well paid for our time.
Time and Money
I have always had a policy of paying band members for rehearsal time and for live performances even if the venue is not offering a fee. Fortunately I don’t have to rely upon music as supplying a my primary income stream! Being able to fund recording sessions and good equipment, means we can work at a faster pace. Time management is always a major challenge. You’d be amazed how hard it is to get even four people in one place at one time. I often think “Thank god we’re not a 12 piece band”
Planning recording sessions and arranging gigs means a great deal of coordination and planning. If you can’t balance the whole time and money equation, at some point you are going to have real problems. This can be tricky as often promoters want to pay nothing or the absolute minimum for bands. I know of a number of successful artists who threw in the towel after realizing that it was for them too little a reward for the effort. Its not all about income, but even if you are playing “for the love of the music” you still have to pay the rent and that means having some business considerations. I’m lucky to play with some brilliant musicians including Dave Bowie and Rich Ferdi pictured above from the latest “Tales for Dark and Light” recording sessions.
Have a point of view and stick to it
I have realized that “the music business” like any business, requires proper definition of intentions and a plan of action. I greatly respect artists that have a point of view rather than those that try to be all things to all people. In some niche circles like the ukulele world, there are some really excellent professional musicians who are a joy to work with and interact with. Many have found there way onto The Original Ukulele Songs platform and written articles. There are also many status seekers that crave attention and feel they need to be top of the imaginary pecking order! This can create some “interesting discussions” (I’m being polite) I’m always a fan of honest discussion and debate and think that’s quite healthy. That said, some people struggle to respect different points of view and this can result in all manner of online tantrums! My advice is don’t engage with such characters and quietly stick to your own point of view. Most artists that I love have always done this sometimes to the dismay of record companies and fans.
Don’t have your egg in one basket
There is an old saying “Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel”
This is certainly true for organizing a band. Regardless of best intentions, always have a plan b and preferably a plan c. Organizing a band is a bit like herding cats at times. Don’t get me wrong, its a terrific experience (well most of the time) but inevitably whenever you involve other people there will be instances where you need to review what you are doing. Often musicians will be in more than one band, so there can be a lot of plate spinning. I actually think that having a couple of different musical ensembles is no bad thing as sometimes band members can be out of action, so having deps and/or a back up plan is essential. Different musicians and writing partnerships can spark very different ideas in wonderfully unexpected ways. In recent times the new “Tales of Dark and Light” project has highlighted this aspect. Its also meant spinning many more plates and is without doubt my most ambitious project to date.
Setting up and clearing away at gigs
One of the key tasks in organizing a band is figuring out the equipment you need. Yes, individual members hopefully have their own gear, but there still needs to be some overall coordination. Some venues offer easy access, whereas others can be more problematic. I used to use a Fender Twin Reverb amp that was a nightmare to shift due to its weight. These days Henriksen have saved the day with their brilliant sonically superb light amps. I know some acoustic players like to just plug into a PA, but often this can result in a terrible sound often through a Radio Shack basic DI box.
The Fire Eye Development preamps solve many such problems, especially when playing overseas, so life is just a bit easier in terms of shifting gear. This setting up and clearing away gear is often not a great deal of fun, but a much needed evil. This is also where you discover if there is good distribution of labour in the band, so you are not left on your own while fellow band members head to the bar leaving you to do all the work!
Pesky details are everything
Its been said “the devil is in the detail” Often paying attention to detail is very time consuming, BUT if you want to create a good lasting impression, this is essential. Use of good photos and visuals are really important and this is a key part of organizing a band. If you are going to release an album, check nobody has used the exact same album name especially in recent years. A simple Google search will help with that. Most of this is basic common sense, but then sense is not always that common in such situations. I’m a fan of not blasting out poor quality video and audio and IMO its better to ensure that everything is released with a purpose in mind, ie organised thinking.
Conclusion
Creating and performing music is a real joy, BUT its also hard work. As they say in show business “It takes ten years to become an overnight success” Those with good focus, stamina and talent will do better than those who imagine its gonna be like some “X Factor” trip. Some of what I see in the music world makes no sense to me at all, but there are some terrific performers out there and its a real joy to connect with so many people on an international basis. The BIG project will accelerate this process of course and I have already stared contacting people about it.
We just completed another day in the studio recording for “Tales of Dark and Light” Today we started recording “The Pink Moon” “Grey Skies” and “I’m praying for some misery” Rich Ferdi provided percussion and Dave Bowie sat in on double bass. Phil Doleman joined us to add banjo and lap steel. Everyone today brought their “A game” and even in these early stages these tracks are sounding excellent.
One of the joys with working with so many excellent musicians is that each musician brings something new to the project, often in quite magical and unexpected ways. As I have said before this is a different musical direction and the tracks are generally more complex than anything I have recorded before or far more stripped down to just one or two instruments and vocals. I’m back in the studio tomorrow to finalize vocals on these tracks and then back in May with some additional musicians and to add Agi’s vocal parts. Once these three tracks are mastered, we will have ten tracks completed and two more planned.
Thanks Nick Cody for making it possible!
Today we are putting down Agi’s vocals for “The Pink Moon” “Grey Skies” “He’s shooting blanks” with violin on tracks as well as recording a new track which will be just 2 vocals, piano and violin. This material is far more diverse that anything I have done previously and I’m really pleased with progress. We are also doing a photo shoot today while Laurent is in the country with Karen Turner.
In any activity that involves other people, and especially when organizing a band, if there is any chance of long term success, its always smart to work with like minds.
These days creating great music is unfortunately not enough. To reach an audience you need to be aware of how to use social media and how to connect with your audience. If you are clueless about this, then either learn the skills needed or delegate to someone who knows what to do. Unless you are signed to a record company, you’ll need to spend a fair amount of time positioning your band. My own experience is that “the back end’of what you do which includes a website, social media, blogging etc is essential. Simply playing a few gigs is not gonna cut it long term if you want to reach a bigger audience. If you have a band FB page that is static at 300 – 400, that’s not gonna cut it in terms of outside attention.
I have always had a policy of paying band members for rehearsal time and for live performances even if the venue is not offering a fee. Fortunately I don’t have to rely upon music as supplying a my primary income stream! Being able to fund recording sessions and good equipment, means we can work at a faster pace. Time management is always a major challenge. You’d be amazed how hard it is to get even four people in one place at one time. I often think “Thank god we’re not a 12 piece band” 
One of the key tasks in organizing a band is figuring out the equipment you need. Yes, individual members hopefully have their own gear, but there still needs to be some overall coordination. Some venues offer easy access, whereas others can be more problematic. I used to use a Fender Twin Reverb amp that was a nightmare to shift due to its weight. These days Henriksen have saved the day with their brilliant sonically superb light amps. I know some acoustic players like to just plug into a PA, but often this can result in a terrible sound often through a Radio Shack basic DI box.
