Music by Kori Kay

What makes a band your favorite?

There are hundreds and thousands of singers and bands out there, so what makes our favorite ones so special? As of right now I have three bands/singers that I consider my favorite, and here are the reasons why. My top favorite band is The Lumineers. The Lumineers are a modern indie/folk band. Among some of their most popular songs are “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love”. The reason they are my favorite band is because they sound the exact same live as they do on their recorded tracks. I have seen The Lumineers twice in concert and both times I have been extremely impressed with their performances. Not only do they perform well, but they talk to the crowd to create a deeper connection with them. Their stage presence matches the emotion of the type of songs they play, which makes the performance more authentic. Here is a link to my favorite of their songs, “Stubborn Love”: https://youtu.be/UJWk_KNbDHo

The second band I like the most is Wallows. They are a band made up of three childhood best friends. Their style is a mix of classic soft rock with a modern twist. I enjoy this style because they are very unique. Their style of music does not fall under one particular genre. They alternate between a 70s soft rock, alternative, modern rock, or indie pop style. I am most impressed with their flexibility of styles while still maintaining their own unique sound. You can tell that the band members have known each other for a while because their ideas come together for one main goal, which is the product of their songs. Here is a link to my favorite of their songs, “Pleaser”: https://youtu.be/fUU0xHiW2_0

The third singer that is my favorite is Kacey Musgraves. She is a modern country singer. My favorite thing about her is the messages of each of her songs. She sings about things that could come off as a little controversial but they are things that need to be said. She speaks her mind but in a way that is not offensive to others. Besides the lyrics she writes, I also really enjoy her style. She is a modern county singer but every now and then like to throw in a little bit of a classic country style. In one of her songs, she features an old country singer, Willie Nelson. Her songs are not only enjoyable to listen to, but they have deeper meanings behind the lyrics. Here is my favorite of her songs “Follow Your Arrow”: https://youtu.be/kQ8xqyoZXCc

So what makes particular singers or bands our favorites? The emotions we get when hearing them.

Proper Performance Preparation

One of the most important elements in playing a gig is the process of preparation. For musicians, it is crucial to be extremely prepared for a performance. When choosing songs to play, you must choose songs that are at your skill level. It is important to choose songs that are at your skill level because if you are “iffy” about your playing, you will not be able to play the song at your best. When playing a song you are unsure on, musicians often mess up due to lack of preparation. It is best to hold off playing that song until you have advanced enough to play at that level.

Besides making sure you are choosing songs of your level of playing, you also need to choose songs that are relevant to your audience. Choosing songs that appeal to your audience is a key aspect of performance preparation. Song choice is very important. When playing the songs that appeal to your audience it is important to sing the song in your style, without losing the actual sound of the original song. If you are wanting to change up a song, make sure to memorize the changes so that when performing you don’t confuse yourself on how to sing/play it.

The final piece of advice on performance preparation is creating a good set list. Your set list is the list of songs you are going to play in the exact order you plan to play them. It is important to order you songs in a way that mixes up the types of songs you are playing. If you are playing more than one instrument throughout your set, you should evenly alternate the songs with those instruments. For example, if you are playing guitar for the first three songs, change to ukulele for the next three, etc… This will keep your gig more interesting to your audience. Once you have chosen your songs, practiced them, and completed your set list; you are fully prepared for your gig! Good luck!

Singer/Songwriters: A dying breed.

Music Today is often sung by people who did not write the song themselves. Many artists like Ed Sheehan and Taylor Swift write songs for other artists to sing. Ed and Taylor are some of the few musicians today that still write all of the songs they sing. A time in which artists mostly relied on writing their own songs was the 60’s and 70’s. From these time periods came iconic song writers like Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, and the members of The Beatles.

Jim Croce was a great song writer. He was most popular for writing songs that told a story. Some of his most famous songs are “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown” and “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”. Both of these songs tell a story of a man who is very feared among people of the town. In “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”, Croce sings the story of a man rematching a fight so he could win his money back. In the end the man beats Jim and becomes the new face to be afraid of. The way Croce writes and sings his songs makes you feel like you were part of the story. He describes things so vividly that you feel as though you were there.

Other artists that were known for their song writing and singing skills are Cat Stevens and The Beatles. Of the Beatles, John Lennon was most known for his songwriting skills. John was particularly known for the lyrics he wrote. In one of The Beatles most popular songs, John Wrote “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done. Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung.” These are the lyrics of the song “All You Need Is Love”. John Lennon was not just a songwriter, he was a poet. His songs consisted of a beautiful choice of words that flow off the tongue like a poem, often including rhymes. Likewise, Cat Stevens also often wrote songs with a poetic rhythm.

These Singer/Songwriters are iconic musicians. They are not only icons in their talent of singing, but though their excellent song writing as well. It is almost rare for musicians today to write all of the songs that they sing. When you do listen to a singer/songwriters song, remember to always listen to it twice. One time to hear the music and another time to hear the words.

One of the Best Feelings

One of the best feelings as a musician is hearing the sound of applause after you perform. One of the first times I sang on a big stage was my freshman year of high school. Every year my high school would put on a spring show at an auditorium. For years I had watched some of my older siblings perform in the show but now was my time. I wanted to sing and play my ukulele but I was too nervous to sing alone. I had done gigs before, but never in front of an entire audience of people from my school. As a performer I find it much easier to perform in front of strangers than people I know.

Auditions to enter into the show were a little over a month away. I almost convinced myself not to try out because I was so nervous. One day while sitting in choir class I noticed the girl sitting next to me sounded very good. She had a similar tone of voice as me and could carry a tune well. I didn’t know her well but I was desperate to find someone to sing with. I decided to ask if she would sing in the show with me. At first she seemed reluctant because we weren’t very close, but she agreed to do it. When we first met up to practice it was a little awkward. We didn’t know much about each other besides that we both liked to sing. After a few weeks of practicing we started to become really close. Before we knew it we started to become best friends.

The day had come. It was time to audition for the show. We were a little nervous, but relieved that we had each other supporting one another. The next day the audition results were posted. We made it into the biggest performance that my school hosts. At first we were so excited, but then reality set in. We would actually be singing in front of at least 400 students from our school. When the day came to perform on stage, all the nerves set in. We could see all of the familiar faces as we peeked through the curtains. When the curtains finally opened we sang our hearts out. After we finished there was a split second before the crowd began to applaud. In that split second I knew that all our hard work had paid off. The feeling of hearing people cheer for me is a feeling I can never forget. That is the kind of feeling that you want repeated. After that day I decided to look past all of my nerves that come when performing. Now I can go on a stage without being terrified. I am grateful that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. Without doing so I would not be able to perform as confidently as I do now.

Crowd Pleasing For Musicians 101

Pleasing everyone in a crowd when performing can seem like an impossible task, but that is far from true. In this post I will give some tips on how to please your crowd when playing a gig.

The first thing one should do when booking a gig is ask the person hiring you what age group will be there. The next question to ask is if there is any specific genre they would prefer to hear at the event. As an artist it is very smart to have a variety of different genres and decades in your set list. If they tell you what genre they prefer that does not mean you only have to play songs of that genre, you just need to make sure you have enough songs like that in your set that will please them.

Another way to please your crowd is to play a variety of up-beat songs and slower songs. When playing a gig it is good to get a read on your audience while performing. If the crowd is looking a little bored then it may be time to play an upbeat, classic song that everyone knows. If your crowd seems content then you can play an original song or a song that not many people may know. Often times if you play a song they don’t know they may come up to you after and ask “What was that song? I liked it and wanted to know.” It is always good to throw in some songs that may broaden your audience’s horizons. The audience becomes more intrigued with your performance if you play something other than the classic songs they always hear.

The most important thing when performing is by far your stage presence. An audience loves when you interact with them. Talk to your crowd and let them get to know you. When you talk to your audience they feel a more personal connection to you and will pay attention to you more. Another important part of your stage presence is your attire. Make sure you are dressing appropriately for each event you are playing at. It is good to dress your own style but make sure it also is appropriate for the event. If you are dressed too casual your crowd will not take you seriously.

There are many more tips I could give on effective ways to please your crowd but for now this is what I’ll leave you with. More tips to come in the future!

My Music Journey

My name is Kori Kay and I am a musician. Ever since I was a little kid music has been my passion. I started playing piano when I was eight years old, picked up the guitar when I was ten, began to sing at thirteen, and started playing the ukulele when I turned fourteen. I have constantly surrounded myself with music throughout my entire life and plan to continue the journey.

When I was fourteen I decided to take all of my skills to the stage. I performed at a local coffee shop for an open mic event and received nothing but positive feedback. This really motivated me to take my music career seriously. After that I ended up booking a gig for a school picnic and ever since then playing gigs has become somewhat of a career for me. For the future I plan to go to school and get a degree of Music Business. I not only want to continue a music career for myself, but inspire others to continue theirs as well.

The purpose of my blog will be to keep updated on my musical journey. I will talk about song covers I have done and post links to listen to them! You can listen to one of my first covers, Cat Stevens’-“The Wind”, on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/71v7RdWn2CE . I will also talk about some of the people who have inspired me the most throughout my musical journey. Most of these inspirations include other musicians and bands that I listen to and do covers of. Lastly I will tell stories from the many different gigs that I have done in the past. Over all this page will focus on music and the many ways it inspires me and how it can inspire others.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

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You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

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Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
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Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
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If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

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