by Hank Brockett
10/18/01
Put three musicians together for the sole purpose of waxing philosophical on the art of music and prepare for a verbal cornucopia.
An audience figuratively put a glass to the door on a conversation among Mike Watt, Steven Bernstein and Sean Donovan — names only known to the most hardcore of fans — at one of 50 panel discussions at the CMJ Music Marathon Oct. 11.
But maybe these names should be more familiar. Watt still draws adulation from punk afficionados for his part in the influential Minutemen, and later years found the 44-year-old recording adventurous solo material and playing with the likes of Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl. Bernstein lends his trumpet talents to a variety of other artists, including Tricky, Aretha Franklin and They Might Be Giants. And Donovan is a classically trained composer with avant-garde tendencies like a musical piece based on the diaries of author Franz Kafka.
Watt, in the quick-paced format, hid his rambling word associations and potential rants behind wild gray hair and classic dark sunglasses. Bernstein floated between opinion and historical context and Donovan ... well, many times he sat back and let his musical elders weave their thoughts.
And though they use different instruments, tell different tales and spouted varying degrees of curse words, these three musicians could offer sage advice to any musician — from the road-weary veteran to the high-minded air guitarist.
So many quality quotes came from the 75-minute session that inspirational calendar-makers could have the days set through 2003. Here are but a few, with minimal background other than the keep-on-truckin’ artistic lifestyle of those outside the world of superstars.
* “It’s like writing with a kick drum and then asking all the other guys just to fill in,” — Watt, on writing songs on bass.
* “The mistakes are the good things. You should take that ‘mistake’ and try to build a style on that,” — Bernstein, on imperfect (but defining) wrong notes.
* “I know very few people that I’ve ever met that have done anything truly original,” — Donovan, whose band throws out songs if they sound too much like other bands.
* “Be careful who you pretend to be, because that’s what you’ll become,” — Bernstein, quoting something said to him early on in his career.
* “Things really change when listeners change,” — Watt.
* “It's really hard to dream by committee,” — Watt, on the troubles of writing songs as a band.
* “On bass, you look good making other people look good,” — Watt.
* “The reason why all the piano players in the Grateful Dead died is because they could be so wasted and just press on the keys and make it loud,” — Bernstein, in part of a theory on the precision needed for live performance.
* “Maybe because we’re not good at sports,” — Bernstein, on why a person gets into the music industry.
* “To take it up a level means having the right to pay people more,” — Watt, on success.
* “I can’t even listen to my records after I make them because I have regrets,” — Watt.
* “My wife hates my music,” — Bernstein.
* “How do you keep things organic? Don’t use synthetic things?” — Watt, questioning the music critic buzzword “organic” when brought up by an audience member’s question.
* “It’s like never growing up and sitting up in front of the class,” — Watt, supporting the idea that life really is an extension of high school.