The Future

I could make a living (ed. note; define living, compadre) commenting on Bob’s posts but he’s got a good thing going and has some insight. His latest take on the future has some merit. He’s always belittling the Garageband types that call themselves ‘artists’ but aren’t any good. I actually think it’s a scare tactic and that he’s got a better heart than he lets on. He’s just trying to give some tough love to everyone out there that hasn’t had any constructive feedback and is convinced they’re something special.

The point is the right one: Namely, that you should dispense with any dreams of fame or riches or ‘making it’ and you should commit too creating your art because it’s something you need to or have to do or want to do and you’re willing to toil in obscurity indefinitely. Kind of like Buddhism or something. If you let it go, it may come back to you. But you need to have real faith and be willing to put in the hard work. For me, I’m only on the beginning of my road.

I know how to write a song. They’re not always great. They’re not always good. But I can fashion them. So that’s what I do. I construct them and build them and fantasize about differrent arrangements and mostly I think about the next thing. That’s a bad habit in life but it’s just the way it is in art.

I wrote these songs years ago. We recorded them a year ago. They’ve been mixed and mastered for months. I’m on to the next thing. I still have dozens of EPs sittiing in my head, a bunch more records. I live in a constant state of delayed gratification when it comes to music. In fact, it’s almost not possible to be gratified because there’s always a new idea that needs to be fleshed out and a new song to record and better lyrics to write.

But the real point is that if you’re writing songs for Bob Lefsetz or anyone like that. If you’re writing songs because you think this is some path to fame and riches. Well, it’s not that it’s such a terrible motivation. It’s just that you’ll either give up or that your songs won’t be very good.

Good luck.

Christa Oatway

The strangest thing happened, after this blog, Bruce showed up here at his home...I wonder what he is up to? It is as somehow, someone was able to reach him through the web and was able to touch something in him on a deeper level and bring him back, if not for good at least long enough for him to rekindle the good times. Thanx guys!!!!!
Christa Oatway

Creativity is not just an art or a craft - it's an attitude about life and living.
Bruce Oatway would realy appriciate that!
Bill

Well, I'll take this sentiment over the the one you posted the other day about agreeing with everything Bob says. That old man makes some great points. But he is so out of the loop, it's embarrassing. I used to read his stuff to learn. Now I'm laughing more often than learning. Every old band sucks now and should give it up; except for The Eagles who are gods in his eyes. Springsteen & U2 are far more relevant today than Bob Lefsetz is.
Bruce Oatway

I've been following Bob for about 3 mos. and yes he is insightful. The future of music is the same as it ever was.....one person and their song. The music BUSINESS is something else. My grandmother once told me that a musician has only one song ,even Mozart . That song as i understand it now is the song of my heart ,my life. Music is my life, I live and breathe for it and no amount of depravation ,frustration or massive success will ever change that need to create. perhaps its because I'm a poet. Poets never expect to make it. So being a music man is actually a step up. it's all about having something to say ,saying it well and providing an avenue for others to listen. Whether they can "hear"what you're saying is another matter. And whether it matters is a matter of "craft".
Malibu Music News

Many of the compositions of Bruce Oatway including some of his most recent songs are about "the good old days" meaning when Oatway sings about Trancas in Malibu. What is missing is the actual source of the material. A real blast from the past would be to hear Christa Oatway inarguably the Muse of Oatways missives.
Christa Oatway is the compliment to and no doubt the target of all of Oatway's musings. So why not listen to the originals? Are they lost? Can they be reissued or possibly mashed with the new material?
bugger

im bruce oatway from malibu....im huge.....on a small remote island
Christa Oatway

Too bad...this site does not say anything about accepting html.
Christa Oatway

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To Bruce Oatway: This is your story!
Malibu Music Review

...sounds like a continuum of the downward spiral LIVE ON MAUI - or whatever else Bruce Oatway is on.
Next to KIN of Bruce Oatway

Hey Bruce Oatway...what about Zuma Tribe?
Your last sighting was selling avocados by the side of the road and grandma also warned you against island fever!
My sources reveals-you had it ALL... fame, riches, family and its waiting for with open arms right there where you left it.
Don't ya think it's time to move on...get your life back on track!!!
You claim to listen to your heart???
Maybe you just can't hear it saying your missed, your irreplacable, these are your LOVED ONES.
Try be a bit crafty...it's not impossible!
ZUMA TRIBE

Abuse & IMPERSONATION There is a user on the net who has impersonated Bruce Oatway, me as well as other respectable net posters. He/she is using our names, email addresses and profiles to post loads of nonsense on the net, as I have found in my name and much like Bruce didn't post the following messages and nonsense here-blogspot- myspace etc. This impersonator seems to be lokated on Maui or Kula and has the IP address of 66.91.190.240