The Beauty of Internet Collaboration

One of the most interesting aspects of the Internet is being able to communicate with anyone around the world, instantaneously, about any subject that interests you. When it comes to me that subject is usually music. But within the last couple of years I've been going beyond talking about music on the Internet to making music with the art form or collaboration.

Though it becomes difficult sometimes, collaborating with people over the Internet is an exciting endeavor. Recently, I was turned onto a site called TuneRooms.com that allows you to post songs or ideas to your own personal "tune room", share it with other people, and allow them to collaborate with you by them adding their own tracks. You can also browse the site looking for people in your genre, or search the want ads for musicians looking for expertise in a certain instrument. If you're worried about copyright issues, you can even choose the license agreement by which your tune will be governed by.

Even with the help of sites like TuneRooms, sometimes it's hard to convey opinions and ideas over the Web because it tends to be so impersonal. That alone is enough to put a strain on a collaborating relationship. But being patient and going with the flow can lead to great music and before you know it you're busting out a jam with someone that's rockin' out in front of their computer in Australia (or somewhere that's crazy-foreign to you).

I've actually worked with a guy from Australia. We worked a couple of rockin' tunes together. I've also worked with a number of musicians across the United States. For the past year or so I've been working with a singer/songwriter out of Florida named Katyln Lowe. (As an aspiring musician I'm sure she won't mind the plug at all.)

We've never actually "met", but we've collaborated on 6 tunes so far and hopefully many more in the future; Katlyn writing most of the lyrics and providing the vocals, me providing the musical arrangements. With Katlyn's heartfelt lyrics and ever-growing vocal talent, she has a great shot at becoming heard by the masses.

Minus the lack of proper recording and mixing equipment, our collaborations have produced some music that you would never imagine came from two people living more than a thousand miles away from each other. Check out the player below for a taste of our collaboration.


This is only one example of the beauty of Internet collaboration. I can only see the Internet becoming even more of a resource for musicians in the coming years with great sites like TuneRooms.com. For you musicians out there, don't be afraid to reach out and try something new. Let your ideas be heard and share them with other musicians to create a piece of music you never thought could have been made. As musicans/lyricists/singers, it's our creativity that drives us and practicing, sharing, and working on our craft can only make it better.

For anyone looking for a collaborator, feel free to contact me: ericdwfrye@gmail.com. Whether you need someone to sing your lyrics, to back up your lead vocal, add a musical backing to your lyrics, or even write lyrics for a piece of music, I'm game. I'll rock out with anyone, anywhere in the world if you give me the chance.

Keep rockin' everyone and make sure to check out Katlyn in the player above and at her Myspace page by clicking here. Also, take advantage of sites like Tunerooms, you'll find me on there as well.