Meet Peter Kelly

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Peter Kelly. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Peter below.

Hi Peter, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

When I find myself suffering from a block in creativity, I have often noticed that having too many options can be a problem for me. As a musician, ideas sometimes come fully realized in a moment of inspiration. This is the magical part of the creative process. However, once you have an idea there is the question of what to do next. Having infinite options can prove to be a blessing or a burden. I often find myself wanting to try every possibility and then being unable to settle on what I like the best. I have found it very helpful to establish rules or a fixed structure in which to work.

My band, The Wood Vibrations, completely embodies this concept. We perform weddings and private events like many other bands. When forming this group I wanted to do this kind of work while giving our clients something unique. I didn’t want to follow the same format as most working cover bands. I wanted to be able to play all the popular music that could fill a dance floor but I wanted a signature sound that was just ours. I came up with idea of building the band around acoustic instrumentation. The band consists of acoustic guitar, violin, bass, and drums and everyone is a singer. This is my structure. No matter what song we choose to learn, I have to make it work with these instruments and these voices. We perform everything from Beatles songs, to Disco, to 80’s pop, to 90’s rock, to modern dance music. A lot of the songs we perform don’t have any acoustic guitars or violins on the original recordings. We can’t just duplicate the songs we choose. We have to dig deeper and find a way to make the song work within the context of the group. To fill the space and create the dynamics and energy we have to make lots of creative choices. Sometimes a male will sing a female’s song, sometimes a violin has to cover a keyboard part, sometimes we arrange three part vocal harmonies to fill the space of heavy guitars, and sometimes we’ll shift the entire feel or style of a song, These choices make for some interesting results.

The same concept can be applied to something like songwriting. I may find myself stuck on where to go with a melody I am writing. If I can’t find a direction that feels right I might impose a rule that I can’t go in a new direction. I have to find something that is already exists in the song and repurpose it. I’ve done things like allow myself to write a certain number of melodic phrases and force myself to use just those options or variations on those options to create my melody. Perhaps limiting yourself sounds strange when you are engaged in a creative process. However, I find that it refocuses my brain and yields often unexpected results. Stumbling onto something unexpectedly can reignite that magical moment of inspiration.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a guitarist/singer/band leader/songwriter/teacher in the New York City area. I started playing guitar at the age of 10. By the age of thirteen I was in an all kids cover band that played around Florida opening for many popular acts from 50’s and 60’s like The Coasters, The Shirelles and The Spinners. I continued playing in different groups including the school jazz band, my church band, and theater productions. After graduating high school, I was accepted into Berklee College of Music in Boston. It was there that I began writing and performing original music. After graduating I moved to New York and continued writing and performing my own music. Some of my songs received national radio play, placements in film and TV, and positive reviews in places like Songwriting Magazine. I also began working with some cover bands and performing weddings and private events around the region as well.

In 2017 I decided to put together an acoustic duo to play small venues. I called it The Wood Vibrations. That duo grew into a trio and then a quartet and now there are five members. We are an acoustic based cover band that brings our signature sound to popular songs that we have performed at private events, concerts, casinos, and venues of all sizes all around the Northeast. Our unique sound comes from our instrumentation (acoustic guitar, violin, bass, drums), vocal harmonies, arrangements, and eclectic song choices. We are currently preparing to launch a new 8 piece configuration that will include a second violin, cello, and tenor saxophone. Our goal is to always exceed expectations. People who see us expect one thing but are blown away when we started playing modern dance music or 80’s hits. We strive to create a memorable musical experience for our clients and audiences. We want to keep them guessing and constantly surprised.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The most important skill is discipline. I call it a skill rather than a quality because I think it’s something you have to develop. I recently read a quote from boxer Mike Tyson who said, “Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but doing it like you love it.” That definition resonates with me. Even though I love music, it’s not always fun. Making a career or business out of it is not easy. Having to rely on other musicians who want different things than you or dealing with rejection is frustrating. However, it’s what I want to do more than anything else so I have to wake up each day and find my enthusiasm to keep pushing.

Communication skills are essential. Whether it’s talking to band members about an arrangement, a club owner about a booking, or a bride who can’t decide which song should be her first dance, good communication is a key component to getting things done. Communication is a two way street. One must also know how to listen to the band member’s ideas, the booking agent’s suggestions, and the indecisive bride’s reasoning. Having confidence in what you need (or hope) to accomplish with your words, as well as, having the awareness to know how your words are being received is very important.

Good musicianship is a broad skill that relates specifically to music but has been very helpful to me. I am a schooled musician. There are endless examples of very successful musicians who never took a lesson. However, I have found throughout my career that having knowledge in many areas of music helped me. I can play guitar and sing, so I can perform. I read music and understand theory, so I can read charts or teach students. I understand what different instruments do and how they function in a song, so I can write and arrange music. It goes beyond that too. I own sound equipment and I have worked with agents, venue owners, private clients, so I can run a band. I own recording equipment and can work it competently, so I can make recordings. The more you know about the field you are in, the more you can do within that field. Some might find that focusing on one thing works better for them. I like to have at least a basic understanding of everything in my field.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

One of the biggest challenges I have in the music business is dealing with the different personalities and needs of the people on my team. I love playing music and working on my different projects. It’s what I want to do with my time. I particularly love the musicians in The Wood Vibrations. They are the easiest and most talented group I’ve worked with. However, not everyone wants to work when I do. Not everyone wants to focus on just one thing as much as I do. Many bands that are hired to play for private events are made up of whoever is available when the band leader calls. I’ve been hired to plays many shows where I’m working with a twelve piece band and seven people have never met anyone else on the stage. I love the idea of showing a client a promo video and saying that when you hire us you are going to get the band you see. We function as a tight unit and I love the confidence that goes with playing with the same people every show. This is not always possible. People have lives outside of the band and I struggle with the idea of utilizing substitute players or maybe not taking a booking because people are unavailable. I schedule my life around my musical endeavors and it’s not always practical for others to do the same.

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