Why Do We ‘Cover’ Songs? (Part 3)
(Continuing on from Part 2)…
Finally, what’s the deal with all us Youtubers who are posting our dinky covers online? Are we that desperate for attention? Well I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can tell you why I do it. And yes, I’m sure there’s a slight element of attention-seeking to it, that I think most performers-at-heart are inherently blessed/cursed with. But aside from that, and everything else I’ve already covered (pun totally intended)…
The initial reason I started posting mine was to have them serve as ‘guitar tutorials’ - something of use to people that I could offer on my website that I didn’t see anyone else doing, outside of Youtube itself. And that’s still the main purpose for doing them.
At first, they were just straight guitar demos. I didn’t even show my face. I was recording videos of myself singing as well as playing, but I didn’t intend to post those online. I was too chicken. Those were only meant as self-feedback for me, in my own shy, reclusive efforts to determine whether I could ever be a decent singer (under the strong presupposition that I definitely was not, yet).
The first video of me singing that I actually put online was only meant for this one friend of mine, who’d taken singing lessons and taught them to her friends. She needed to hear me sing before she could give me any custom pointers (and she lived in a different town). I truly meant to take it down as soon as possible.
But much to my surprise, comments from strangers started rolling in, and even more shocking to me was how overwhelmingly positive they were. This gave me a newfound level of confidence I’d never felt before, about my voice (I already knew I was a kickass guitar player, or I wouldn’t have been making guitar tutorials in the first place), and now I needed to find out of it was just a fluke.
At the same time, I simply realized it was time to stop being such a chicken and just put myself out there, regardless of what people might or might not say. It was the only way I was ever really going to find out once and for all whether or not I ‘had something’ worth pursuing, or if I was just deluding myself.
And that last point is so important. That feedback I get on Youtube, based as it may be on ‘mere’ ‘unoriginal’ covers of ‘other people’s songs’, has been the final push I needed to do what I’ve wanted to do all along (and secretly knew deep down that I could do, all along): to get serious about my own music. Until the Youtube thing, I lacked the confidence, and even when I felt confident, I didn’t trust my own judgment. I woudl fluctute wildly between high hopes and harsh self-deprecation, on a pretty much daily basis.
Turns out I just needed to hear from some people who weren’t me, who didn’t know me and didn’t feel any pre-existing need to be nice to me. Now, in a very short time since getting me some of that, I’ve taken giant leaps in getting set up to record my first record.
I’ve always had bits and pieces of songs floating around in my head. I’ve come up with great compositions and just not bothered to record them or write them down. Belief in self makes all the difference. I’ve always sensed my potential to make really great, original music, but it was ultimately the willingness to go ahead and do something as silly and ‘unartistic’ as throwing up my dinky covers on Youtube, ‘just to see what happens’, and all the wonderful feedback I’ve received through that, that can be thanked for the album I’m now finally creating.
And of course, I can’t leave out the part about all the fun and friendships (those other, equally important values of mine) that I’ve also gained in doing this. There’s a real, genuine sense of community and mutual support amongst all the aspiring musicians besides myself, who are also using Youtube to get their musical feet wet — or simply to ham it up, as we all like to do from time to time (admit it). This support network is truly wonderful. There is no music scene where I live, neither existing nor emmerging, that I’m aware of, so that makes this all the more valuable to me.
Through these silly videos, I’ve already made some true friends and musical mentors, and discovered some truly talented musicians that few are yet aware of, but will be. I’m involved in collaborations with a couple of these guys already; and these were people that contacted me just to tell me they liked my covers, and wondered if I’d sing on their album or co-write some songs with them. Since I happened to really dig what they were doing, I decided to go for it. You only live once. You must “seize the day” as Charlie would say. But the point is, if stuff like that, alone, isn’t good enough reason to make silly cover videos and put them on the interwebs, people, I don’t know what is. So get to it.
Peace out.
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8 Responses to “Why Do We ‘Cover’ Songs? (Part 3)”
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last but not least, Part 3… 1faa …
You are definitely a talented musician/singer. I can’t wait to hear some of your original stuff.
You need to be cloned immediately for the salvation of the human race.
(I may recycle that observation at some point, but it will be more developed and expanded on, so it won’t be totally lame.)
Thanks :)
Hey, if that were possible, I could start a clone band. A badass superhero clone band, like if Jem and the Misfits became one. And we’d be ninjas. And we wouldn’t answer to no robit. If nothing else it would solve my problem of wanting to play all the instruments myself.
Well, multi-talented child of mine, you never cease to amaze me and fill my heart with pride and happy feelings for you! I heard your song on youtube too and it is pretty damn awesome…..I wanna put my name down now for the first copy of your record, ok? Don’t forget!
As if you need to put your name down for that. It’s a given. (Thanks mumsy). :)
greetings, Brooke. the word ”wow” comes unbiddingly to mind, as i aimlessly mosey thru the bejewelled streets of your SuperNaturalThingyTown. in regards to your above 3 parter on why-we-cover-what-we-do i can’t think of anything you haven’t thoroughly touched on and/or casually alluded to, other to redundantly add that the personal enjoyment factor is definitely high in the mix. and sharing that joy with any fellow EarthDwellers who care to listen just intuitively seems like the next step in that communication process. because, damn-it-to-hell, if some songs (original or otherwise) don’t just say exACTly what’s on your heart, mind, conscience or tip of the tongue at any given particular time; songs capable of articulating whatever it is we’re trying to say in ways typical 2-way brain-to-mouth-to-ear conversation can’t hold a candle to. as for how this ties in with YouTube & its like…well, i think we’ve been gradually witnessing how people are beginning to use the very technology that, over the course of not that many decades, has turned our culture into a (uh, pardon the melodrama here) pale, fractured, insular & dispirited version of it’s former self, to come out of our collective shells and start sharing some joy again. there’s just such an overwhelming, as to be almost heartbreaking, array of talented, comical & articulate people out there who until something like YouTube came along were sitting at home with their unrecited poetry stuffed into an IGA bag at the bottom of their closet, or working on their impressions in front of a sold out crowd at Ye Olde Bathroom Mirror, or heatedly discussing the pros & cons of hydrogen-based power with their budgie, or singing their heart out to the deafening indifference of their basement wall, or screaming at their basement wall. uh…i could go on and on(and probably will but at a later date). but hey, Brooke, this is your show not mine. thanks for lettin me ramble. love the site, love the tunes, love the new do (bangs rule)…though when do we get to hear some of Your Tunes…when? Brooke, when?…THAT is the question. could you maybe just uh, i don’t know, hum a few bars with maraca accompaniement?..i mean c’mon, girl give us SOMEthin’! FCOL. k. that’s all. i am so signing off now. shine on.
NO, Boo, this is your show too. Ramble away. Don’t leave me in a bubble of my own delusions. This is a collaborative work and you just added a nice piece to it. What you say about youtube is so true. I’ve only been using Youtube for what, not even a year now, and already I have a hard time remembering life without it. In a good way. It has literally, fairly significantly altered the course of my life. Or at least sped certain things up considerably.
“Bangs rule”… yeah they do. They’re always telling me what to do. Them and pans are the worst for that. Why won’t they shut. up? (Sorry if that made no sense, but if it did, it was worth it).