Page 10 - Atlantic Coast Lines - February 2019

What do Musicians do?

by Jan Deis-Horton
Entertainment Editor

Ask most people what’s their idea of a musician
and they’ll think of bands they saw at the local sources I started to produce my own sheet music
pubs, headline artists they enjoyed at festivals and teaching materials which in turn led to one of
and venues or people playing on albums we an- my great passions, sheet music transcriptions of
noy our neighbours with. Maybe a better ques- everything from classical to folk and prog rock.
tion is ‘What does a musician do?’.
The sheer number of instruments I have collected
Gigging and being recorded is what most expect over the years and my students’ need for playable
from their involvement in music. But I speak gear pushed me into repairs and refurbishments
from experience - there is so much more going of a variety of instruments from student guitars
on beneath the surface, and so many ways to be worth a few pounds to pro professional instru-
involved. ments which could pay off a small mortgage.

My journey started thirty years ago when I picked And now I may find myself becoming involved in
up a guitar and started showing my face on the promotion. A new chapter? We shall see, but it’s
local folk scene, playing music in return for beer. not unlikely. After all the past thirty years have
Not a bad arrangement but not one which was go- seen me become a multi-instrumentalist, song
ing to keep me satisfied forever. Things started writer, composer, producer (of sorts), mixing
becoming a bit more serious as the number of in- engineer, live and studio sound engineer, studio
struments I played increased. After a few years of designer and builder, music tutor, sheet music
bashing out chords on guitar and messing about transcriber, luthier, drum tech, web designer,
with bands and local musos I started to dabble instrument collector... all in the name of becom-
with song writing which made it clear that gui- ing more of a musician. Am I making a living?
tar and vocals would not suffice. So, I acquired Barely, but that’s not really the point. I eat live
a mandolin, then a bodhran. A fiddle followed. and breathe music - there are other things which
And on it went until the list became too long to I know how to do but none of them really lend the
bore you with here. I was hungry for more. meaning to my life music has.

And I got more when a good friend of mine start- Over the next few weeks we will creating a new
ed to conceive his recording studio - I was in- look web page that will have an entertainment
volved in every step of the design, construction section where we will be featuring bands, solo
and running of the studio, learning as I went artists and entertainers. The new web page will
what I needed to about the principles of record- be a ‘shop window’ where the artists can post
ing and mixing, studio and live audio engineer- their biography, their gig guides and samples
ing, digital recording platforms, computer and of their work it will be interactive will enable
network technology and most importantly the reader’s comments for the act and the venue they
finer points of writing and arranging music for a played. It is an exciting step and one we look for-
host of instruments, from rock and folk band set- ward to promoting. In this issue of Atlantic Coast
ups to more classical keyboard and string parts. Lines, we have added a few sample pages of what
will be added to the web page and what will be
After my building firm folded, I fell into work- appearing in future issues of ACL.
ing as music tech and teaching guitar at the local
school which led to freelance tutoring for guitar, If you have any questions, please do not hesitate
mandolin, bass, banjo, ukulele and vocals. Out to contact me direct
of necessity and dissatisfaction with available re-