What is this?

It’s how I communicate with you*.

*the “royal” you.1

When I started making my original music, decades ago, I played tiny shows to get started. Every contact was personal, I would try to find the most intimate venues well-suited to my particular way of playing. I was ever-so-precious about it: I like the sound of headroom and I like to play quiet.

But just about every talent buyer in those small clubs would say (or at least imply) that “the more the people drink during your set, the more you'll get paid and the more you’ll get asked back. So make sure you fill our place with people who like to drink." Pretty soon I started to question my choices.

"Of course!" I thought, "That's why I wrote these songs to begin with, to sell beer." Not.

And did I get a cut of those beer sales?

Nope.

I’m not a drinker, but I still managed to sell quite a bit of other people’s beer to some very enthusiastic drinkers. It got old.

I’ve played all over: St. Louis, Little Rock, Rosenberry, Charleston, Harrisburg, LA, SF, Chicago, Austin, Jackson, NYC, Easton, Vicksburg, Williamsburg, Williamsport, Ithaca, Boone, Marion, Ypsilanti, Keene, Seoul, Aachen, Immeldorf, Paris, La Plata, Buenos Aires, plenty of places… it’s a long and beautiful list.

The heart of rock n roll is still beatin’, but these days my main channel of expression is no longer the endless touring circuit. I like communicating on this platform and in person. I tour more intentionally now, as in less often.

So thank you for being a part of this.

Trevor

PS! While you may already know and enjoy my work, you might also have friends who don't know about it yet. And that gives you your edge – you know how to find the good, lesser-known stuff.

So feel free to send my stuff to someone you think might like it.

Thank you!

Share "Play It Like It's Music" by Trevor Exter

Q: “Wait, wasn’t this your podcast feed?”

Yes, and it still is! The pod is currently on hiatus. It might come back if there’s sufficient audience demand:

"Play It Like It's Music" is a podcast (currently on indefinite hiatus) where professional musicians talk shop and craft. Since we have yet to find the show we really want to hear, this was our own attempt at making one. You can browse all 80 episodes if you scroll back in the feed.

Some might say (trying to be helpful) that capital “M” music has seen its peak. Purists whine that the best days of music are past us, decrying a scene that's undergone too many mechanical evolutions, stylistic recombinations or cultural bastardizations to even be heard under the spark and pop of the digital age.

It’s tough to make a living too, so some folks on the outside see no point in trying.

But here at Play It Like It's Music we believe the opposite. Not only is the act of musicmaking an essential life skill with a human lineage stretching back to the beginnings of history, but the art and vocation of the professional musician is more vital today than it ever has been.

Musician, songwriter and producer Trevor Exter has recorded 80 visits to a rich variety of working musicians from every genre. If you love to play, yearn to play or just want to experience what a musical life feels like from the inside, this is the show for you.

Who are we talking about? Here’s a playlist of some of the artists we’ve had on the show: (Apple Music | Spotify) It’s a mix!

Why listen?

We're all contending with a mutating professional landscape, jacked revenue streams and a lot of noise in the culture.

But you gotta keep playing.

If you are a listener, it’s a peek backstage.

These are exciting times. It's almost as if the simple act of playing an instrument is a revolutionary one.

We don't draw any lines here between scenes or styles, so join the mailing list if you haven't done it already.

Stay up-to-date

I am this guy: trevorexter.music

I’ll never rent out or share your information.

To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this, visit Substack.com.