My other craft
Tue, December 3, 2019 Most popular art forms have a craft side to them. It was pointed out to me by a teacher, the craft is about learning the basic structure, the way something is designed and assembled. A house for example could be built in any shape, but if one is to build houses that people want to buy, they should stick with vertical walls and a pointed roof.
Bicycle frame building is another obvious craft. One first studies and learns the craft of framebuilding, then after a period of practicing this craft, experience makes this person an accomplished framebuilder.
Learning a craft is not essential, one can figure things out on their own, and may even come up with something unique and different in the process. On the other hand, by not practicing an established craft, one will make a lot of mistakes that could have been avoided and form bad habits that will follow a person for years.
Songwriting is a craft that one can learn. Again, a person could make any sound and call it music, but if one wants to write songs or music that people will listen to, it is best to learn the craft of songwriting. Popular songs are structured in a certain way, that is the craft that can be learned. After that, success depends on talent, and a lot of work.
In my teen years and early twenties, I had two passions, cycling and music. Cycling was always my first choice and most of my time and energy was focused that way, however I did sing in bands and write song lyrics, but I never learned to play an instrument.
My interest in cycling eventually lead to my becoming a framebuilder, but over the years I continued to write songs and even had melodies in my head. It was in 1988 at the age of 52, I decided if I was to take songwriting seriously, I should learn to play an instrument. I bought my first guitar and took lessons that year.
As I learned a few basic chords, these song melodies I carried in my head suddenly came to life, and I was writing songs. I started to get encouragement from other songwriters and musicians. I realized I had not failed at songwriting because I had no talent, but that I had never seriously applied myself before.
When I left the bike business completely in 1993, I took a job to pay the bills, and put all my creative energies into songwriting. I took lessons and learned the craft, I drove up to Los Angeles to hang out with other songwriters, and played in coffee houses, and other music venues.
Songwriting has brought me great satisfaction and has brought me in contact with many wonderful and talented people. Just this year two professional musicians have recorded two of my songs.
These are not big-name artists, but both are talented songwriters in their own right, and for them to spend their own money producing and recording my songs, it is validation for me as a songwriter.
Tony Denikos from the Baltimore, Maryland region, has not only recorded a novelty song I wrote, called “Little Chrome Fish,” he has made a video to promote the CD called “Gravity Wins.” See below.
Earlier this year Carroll Brown a professional artist from South Carolina, who travels all over the South Eastern States, recorded my song, “Traveling Light” that I wrote in 1993. See below.
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Reader Comments (4)
Those are really great songs Dave. I only fin one other you do on Youtube. You need to post more.
Great post Dave. Congrats on the recordings. Colin Laing Another talented British frame builder, is also quite an artist, he even hand painted his name on many frames that he built. He also wrote a book and did all the art work, he also sang and I had the pleasure of hearing him sing "My wild irish rose one time." I did talk to him a few weeks ago and he sounded fine but is in hospice in Arizona. he is 81 now. When are you going to write a book and share all your memories and talents with us all?
Dave,
You should offer to braze his little chrome fish on his truck next time this happens. :-)
Dave, Do you still do an open mike? Diane and I didn't get the opportunity to see you perform when we were in Charleston.