2015 - Year of the Blues Songwriter.
July 1st, 2015 will be the 100th anniversary of Willie Dixon's birthday. I would like to see people write a lot of great new blues tunes to commemorate Willie Dixon and to continue to advance and popularize blues music the way he did.
So I'm starting a campaign, and I'm hoping you will get on board!
What I am trying to do
My ultimate goal is to increase the popularity of blues music by improving blues songwriting. We can all do that right now. I believe the most effective long-term path to achieve this is to encourage young musicians to write (and play) blues songs with lyrics that reflect their true personal feelings, the real world they live in and their day-to-day concerns about living in the 21st century. In short, make the blues relevant to modern life.
Why?
Because I love blues music and I am concerned that it is becoming a niche genre. Once the Baby Boomers die off, the blues may exist only in museums. And let me disclose my self-interest that I am a blues songwriter myself.
How will I achieve this?
First, convince fellow blues lovers and musicians that better songwriting is a fundamental requirement for the blues to become more popular. Given the number of people and projects that are aimed at “Saving the Blues”, it is clear that blues lovers do recognize that there is a problem (or problems) of some sort.
Second, provide support for musicians to write better blues songs. This will include:
- · Educational tools: awareness of how “good” songs are made
- · Blues fans and the blues “establishment” are more open-minded about accepting new forms and expressions of blues music, especially when it comes from young musicians
- · An active community of blues songwriters that share their collective knowledge and skill, and celebrate good songwriting by their peers
- · Professional musicians are open to playing the new songs because it gives them more expressive range and their fans dig it
Third, build momentum for a powerful wave of enthusiasm about good songwriting to surge through the blues world. Specifically, involve
- · Blues bloggers
- · International Blues Foundation and Willie Dixon Blues Heaven Foundation
- · Blues magazines
- · Radio broadcasters and podcasters who curate blues programs
Fourth, Create opportunities for young musicians to showcase their songs, and receive recognition and acclaim from their peers
Barriers
The blues establishment defines what is, or is not, blues music from a historical perspective. Music that sounds “different” may be disparaged as not having “blues content”, even though it is clearly grows from strong blues roots.
Change always generates resistance.
I may come to doubt that better songs will increase the popularity of blues music, and lose enthusiasm for the project.
How will I know if I succeeded?
By January 2016, I’ll hear blues music during drive time on commercial radio
Nigel Egg
nigel@nigelegg.com
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