“As with any modern industry, technology has changed the music business significantly. If you are a talented musician or singer, it’s actually harder to get noticed in some ways. You just have to roll with it and reinvent yourself as necessary.” – Gary Talbott @b1gtech
Listen to the Interview
Episode #318 : A.V.A Live Radio Behind The Music with Jacqueline Jax : http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2016/04/27/episode-318-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax
GETTING TO KNOW GARY TALBOTT
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio
Music business…
As with any modern industry, technology has changed the music business significantly. If you are a talented musician or singer, it’s actually harder to get noticed in some ways. You just have to roll with it and reinvent yourself as necessary.
Pros and cons…
It’s a different time. Back when I signed my first record deal, you actually had to be able to sing and play instruments well to get the attention of record labels. If you could do that at a professional level, labels would come running since most singer “demos” were really really bad. Now, many artists are getting signed with literally no musical experience at all. It’s more based on your ability to create popularity which some of us struggle with.
Computers have made it easy for even the least talented person to create relatively entertaining music. As an artist, you have to learn how to accept and navigate that. Find new avenues to generate income since most people expect to get their music for free nowadays. Getting exposure is key. On the plus side, you can reach so many people with your music without the need for a record label. I think that is pretty powerful! I choose to continue to develop my skills and just make entertaining music. I am actually not sure what will occur to help me transition out of Tier 1 (as Lady Gaga calls it) and into the next level of the music business where I am competing for attention with all the most popular artists. My past experience though is, when it happens… it’s very quick. You have to be ready to jump on the opportunity to grow it into something that will last.
Hurdles and pitfalls…
Love and positivity is the key! I am an extremely positive person. I make sure that I enjoy the music I am making and that I am having fun making it. I try to make sure I only work and interact with people who have very good energy about them. You have to understand that fame is fleeting so pursuing it without happiness is pointless. A small percentage of people manage to become career entertainers so as you chase after it, you must be very flexible and you must learn to be happy (not necessarily content) in whatever space you are in at any given moment in time. I have watched so many people become so consumed with success (as they define it) that they give up and walk away from the business sad and disappointed. It’s tough if you are not grounded.
Social media…
Instant gratification. The ability to reach so many people from other countries that would normally never hear you. How fun is that? Plus I truly love technology. I build networks and write code so technical innovation combined with social interaction is really fun for me. I guess I honestly like playing with the technology far more than actually using social media sites.
As technology is easy for me…
I struggle with caring about popularity. It is not a normal state for me to ask people to pay attention to what I am doing. That has always been an organic process for me in the past. With so much chatter on the internet, you have to take extra steps to stand out. I am still working to navigate that in an honest way. Often I wish I could just hand that piece over to someone else and let them run with it. I would just make music and interact with the folks that appreciate what I do.
Singles vs an album…
I have only released singles until my recent album release in 2016. What a difference. I love it! I found the process of being able to create a mood and tell a story is great for me and my audience. I have a new single coming out in a few months but that is related to a special commercial promotion. I will focus on album releases from now on. Its so much more fun and very rewarding for me. I think it gives your fans a better opportunity to get a clear picture of what your music is about.
Being “trendy” is…
really something I don’t worry about too much. I have certainly found my balance. I am very proud of my creations and I think they are quite marketable. I would say to anyone starting out… study music and create what your heart guides you to do. Chasing trends is not something INDIE artists should get caught up in. A song from my new album (The Place) was recently reviewed by someone on YouTube who said… “This is just one of those songs that is just timeless…”! I was very honored by that. I think that that kind of compliment is hard to get if you are busy chasing after current trends.
I am most afraid of…
Not trying. Not learning. Becoming complacent. Losing sight of what is truly important in life.
My personal definition of success is..
Happiness. I make good money but learning how to be happy is a much greater achievement. Many people don’t realize this and find themselves miserable while they chase their dreams. Don’t let that be you. Find a way to ground yourself to the earth. Find joy in every small moment. Realize that it’s not the destination, but the journey that is the true gift. I have mentored a few people in my life, helping them to discover their own inner strength and the true power they possess. Watching these folks live rich happy lives is the greatest reward for me.
Once while teaching a self defense class…
one of my students pulled me aside to thank me for training her. She had been the victim of abuse for much of her life and had spent of most of her life experiencing terrible nightmares. For the first time, because of our training… her nightmares stopped. We both teared up and shared a hug. It was a very touching moment and I was honored to be a part of her growth. I have always strived to reach out to others and help. It is so important to me that it may inspire others to do the same. This was just a wonderful moment that helped me realize that sometimes one person can make a difference.
My over all goal for my life & career is…
My goal for my life is to help teach others the secrets to a peaceful happy existence. My career goals are very flexible. With technology, acting, singing, martial arts, writing and whiskey as career options, I think I will just keep learning and business opportunities will continue to come. I would love to do a music world tour, shoot an action adventure movie.. that would be cool.
3 Ways that I challenge myself…
1) Every day I touch my piano and sing. As I develop my talents, focus on better technique, learn more music theory… my musical arrangements become more exciting. This allows me to push the envelope with a certain confidence knowing that I am not merely copying what others are doing.
2) Every day I train in martial arts. This enriches my mind, body and spirit. With this you generate an inner strength (CHI) that is VERY real. Martial arts training has helped me tremendously over the course of my life. I have no fear of my obstacles.
3) Every day I meditate. Learning to focus your mind and clear the chatter caused from day to day stress. It’s like rebooting you Windows computer when its become too slow. Why was it slowing down? Because it had too many things in memory that it just didn’t know how to let go of. Cleaning the slate each day and staying focused on the what is important is very important for us all. It’s not always easy either… but it is possible for us all.
I would love to have 5 minutes alone…
Albert Einstein or Leanardo Da Vinci. Pioneers of the mind, science and the arts. Unfortunately, 5 minutes really wouldn’t be enough time now that I think of it.
I was a professional jazz/contemporary dancer…
for years when I suddenly realized one day on stage that my real passion was to sing. I had been merely too scared to attempt it. I focused my energy on learning to use my voice and I was signed to my first record deal when I was 27 with a company called D&D Connection… a spin off from Motown. Unfortunately, the label tanked and that album was never released but I have had many projects and performances since then.
Your Friend…
It’s the somewhat funny story of a young man dealing with the frustration of being stuck in the “Friend Zone”. This song was originally written for the “Lifetime Network”. I was part of the Season 4 (or 5) cast on the reality show Dance Moms and they asked if I would create a song that they could use as the subject for an episode. The TV show had planned that I would perform a song on stage while my son and others from the show performed a dance routine in the background. As the planning moved forward, they decided they wanted a slower song that was more of a ballad so I submitted another cut called “Beautiful Dancer”.
While considering my options…
my young daughter dared me to create a song containing the word “onomatopoeia” which was one of her spelling words for that week in school. Not one to shy away from a dare, I wrote the song “Your Friend” tapping into the frustration I used to feel back when I was a single guy dating. LOL… Ultimately the episode never aired and I left the cast of Dance Moms. Crazy crazy bunch. Though we were asked to come back several times, we decided it was best to move on.
This is a mid-tempo funky album…
that has a very easy smooth vibe to it. There are R&B, Reggae, Rock and even Classical influences. My album is sometimes very romantic, normally playful and sometimes spiritually deep and inspirational. These are all different parts of myself. I believe very much in reaching out to people and opening those emotions deep down. My greatest wish is to touch people’s hearts and inspire positivity in the world. I know that sounds corny but it’s how I feel and it’s most represented in the song “The Place”.
I tried to write something that would make people stop for a moment and truly think about the need for love and peace in this world. Though there is some formula POP elements in some of my songs, this is certainly not a typical POP album. I try to convey the message that Gary Talbott is a true vocalist and a real musician (he said in 3rd person).
I think that’s a distinction you need to make nowadays as computers allow anyone into the game of song creation. Not that I am against that or anything… I just think most musicians and vocalist really want credit for the hard work they have put into acquiring their abilities.
From a marketing perspective…
I believe most of my songs would do very well for film and video placement. I believe the material does a good job of creating imagery and touching specific emotions both melodically and through the lyrics. What do you think?
I live in the Washington, DC Metro area…
We have all the monuments, multiple venues for live shows, Cherry Blossom festival and lots of history. Great place to be. A good amount of live music of all types including small clubs and open mics. I very nice JAZZ, BLUES and classical scene. My music is geared for live performance so I am excited to start doing live shows here very soon.
I tend to keep busy…
I am partner in a whiskey company (Ryco Whiskey ñ http://www.facebook.com/rycowhiskey/) that will be releasing our first product in September 2016. I am an MMA and Combatives instructor teaching at several schools in the Washington DC Metro area. I just returned from the Saudi Arabia advising the Kingdom on physical and technical security issues. I love to travel overseas (SPAIN, UK, FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, DUBAI). My new album just released in March 2016 of course. I am working on a new SciFi Fantasy Novel, 80% complete! I also occasionally work as an extra for the HBO studios here on the East Coast. As time permits I would like to do more acting but my entertainment focus is on music right now. A 2016/2017 Grammy would be nice! Very busy year!
Social media links & website:
http://www.garytalbott.com
http://www.facebook.com/b1gtech
http://www.twitter.com/b1gtech
https://www.reverbnation.com/garytalbott
https://www.instagram.com/garytalbott
https://soundcloud.com/gary-talbott/02-your-friend?in=gary-talbott/sets/sifu-the-gizzy-wars-gary