tanner bechtel

Album Pre-Release Show at the Historic Hotel Frederick

tannerbechtel — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:11:49 +0000

Hotel Frederick

The Muse album is done, but CD production is still in the works. However, you can hear it live on Saturday, February 25th, 8-10 PM at the historic Hotel Frederick in Boonville, MO. I’ll have pre-release copies of Muse and plenty of friends and good cocktails to keep you company. It’s a very intimate venue and one of my favorite places to visit. I’d be honored to have you there!

Hotel Frederick Lobby

If you’ve never stayed at the Hotel Frederick, visited the century-old lodge barroom or eaten at Glenn’s Cafe, I can’t urge you enough to book a room. Each room is custom designed by regional artists and they are all an aesthetic and artful joy to experience. Boonville is a romantic little river town and the Frederick sits atop the Missouri River bluffs and is a gem of this community. Rooms are very limited in the hotel, so if you plan on booking, I’d urge you to do it sooner than later.

Listen to the album, streaming online by clicking here.

MUSE is available to stream FREE on ReverbNation (iTunes/Spotify/Pandora coming soon!)

tannerbechtel — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:06:22 +0000

Today is a landmark day in the production of my second album, “Muse.” I can not begin to tell you how pleased I am with how it came together. It’s still processing for iTunes, Pandora and Spotify addition. Cover art needs to be finalized and the details squared away. I’ll let you know as soon as that part is done.

In the short term, the entire album is up and available for streaming–in its final form–on my newly re-activated Facebook Page (click here).

I really hope you like it. I really do. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done, musically. I wrote, performed, recorded, mixed and mastered every song on this album. All 11–and was it ever a job. Constant critique, constant battle with myself over quality and whether the music was good enough to go. Here it is–good, bad and otherwise. I am very proud of it and I hope you enjoy.

## If you like it SHARE it via Facebook, Twitter, email, whatever works. I’d greatly appreciate it and I’d love to drive interest in the iTunes release! ##

iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and the real live, pressed CD coming soon! Stay tuned.

#tannerbechtel
#muse

How a Song Ends: Whiskey and a Ring

tannerbechtel — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:16:09 +0000

A couple weeks ago, I posted “How a Song Begins: Whiskey and a Ring.” I posted the original lyrics, right out of my moleskine. At that time it was new. I had no idea where the music was going to come from or what it was going to sound like. In customary manner (completely randomly), I got it figured out.

I had a long evening with a couple old friends, N.G. Browing and Josh Kluck this week. We laughed, we played a little music and shared progressions. We even recorded an impromptu blues number, made up on the spot. The thing that stuck with me was this progression that N.G. had put together. It’s a little different than the final progression I used in this song, but its most certainly influenced by it. It was hollow, painful and definitely had country ballad written all over it. So I stole it. Thanks, G!

Tanner Bechtel – “Whiskey and a Ring” (MP3)

P.S. For those that are having trouble downloading the MP3 files (or streaming them through the browser), here’s a link to the song on ReverbNation - http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_12132751

The result of my larceny is the most reflective piece I’ve written and by far, the longest. There’s nowhere to trim, though. It’s 7 minutes of pure letter-writing ballad. I loved the roll, the pace and bridge. It’s meaningful and its a story. I hope you like it. You saw it born and now you see it grow up and go out on its own. Pretty cool, huh?

One Guitar and Five People? No Problem.

tannerbechtel — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:32:41 +0000

Maybe the coolest multi-user guitar track ever recorded. I have a hard enough time playing this thing by myself, much less having 4 more sets of hands on it. Amazing piece.

Social Building Blocks: The Art of Storytelling–A Bedtime Story

tannerbechtel — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:35:24 +0000

Social Business Design and social media, at-large has changed the way we communicate with the world. If there is one baseline principle about great content, on or off-line, its that it all tells a great story. In the age of email, powerpoint and word documents, we lost that art. All our communication was one-sided. We were telling rather than truly communicating with our audience.

I have long believed that powerful content, powerful messaging is truly a story, well-told. I practice this in a lot of ways, personally and with my family. I write music to tell a story. It may not always be my own, but its someone’s. It resonates with an experience or a time in someone’s life. It’s what I think, truly, sets compelling, memorable music (and presentations, meetings, etc.) apart from the herd.

The Exercise:

Linked below is an exercise I’ve used with all my children since they’ve been old enough to talk. At night, instead of (or in addition to) reading a bedtime story, we make up our own. Most often its set to music (me on an acoustic guitar.) The reason is; music has boundaries. It has structure and rhyming forces the brain to think quickly, to tell a story within a defined space–much like our business and social lives (140 characters on Twitter, the Timeline on Facebook or the boundaries of a presentation deck.) It allows my children to think fast, create immense satisfaction with a good rhyme and tell, what can be (listen to the audio) a very funny story that’s all their own and never the same twice.

Listen to it and give it a shot with your own team, children or group. It can teach valuable lessons about how to make content powerful, timely and well-formed–plus, it’s a very entertaining way to put children to bed!

MP3 Player: Social Story Telling – Odessa’s Impromptu Bedtime Story (set to music)

“Hey Jude” Performed Live at Cosmopolitan Casino, Las Vegas

tannerbechtel — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:18:52 +0000

“Hey Jude” performed live at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV. One hell of a way to close the CT2 event. Amazing performance by the Erin Dorr (DG) band and the unbelievably awesome crowd. It’s Vegas, baby. What a great time!

“Crossed the Line”, Performed at the Cosmopolitan Casino, Las Vegas

tannerbechtel — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:56:57 +0000

The title track: “Muse” (still in development)

tannerbechtel — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:06:43 +0000

This is the title track and a song that’s very fun to sing and to play. It’s very genuine and honest and one of my favorites. This is a first run recording–in no way a final, but open for review. The album is called Muse as all of the pieces are affected songs. Songs of love; good and bad–happy and, in the case of “Someday is Tonight”… pretty determined for change.

All of you that have listened to each track, emailed me, messaged me and provide your insight: I am forever grateful. This has been one of the most genuine music experiences of my life. Enjoy the title track, “Muse.”

Tanner Bechtel – Muse (MP3)

- tann

Acoustic Serenade: Symphony for Sleep

tannerbechtel — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:12:13 +0000

It’s a simple song: two mics, one picking up the piezo pickup inside the guitar and the other capturing the raw acoustic sound of the Martin DCX 1KE. It’s pleasant. It’s a song to fade out to–or in to. All depending on your mood.

Tanner Bechtel – Symphony for Sleep

#muse #tannerbechtel

New Song: Someday is Tonight

tannerbechtel — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:49:39 +0000

This song is a diversion from my normal songwriting style. It’s angry, it’s raw and it’s definitely meant to stir. The title is Someday is Tonight. It’s not done, it’s messy but I wanted to share it in its rawest form–right off the board.

This song was co-written with my wife, Jody. She helped form the chorus and the dynamic levels between verses. She would also like me to disclaim that she, in fact, has not been sleeping in anyone else’s bed. Just for the record.

Tanner Bechtel – Someday is Tonight (MP3)