If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Tonight, I’ve been needing to hear a “loud and clear” message about the life-affirming properties of music. Found it in this article about the late great jazz drummer Elvin Jones.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Feel your motivation flagging at the thought of yet another dreary practice session? Your instrument starting to pick up dust? Never fear! We’re living in a brave new age of gurus, and there’s a solution-head out there for every spiritual and practical problem that ails’ ya. Here’s a shortlist of techniques and approaches from trusted authorities in [...]
Friday, July 6, 2007
In life it’s often best to keep up with the Joneses. On the practical level, people ask less questions. On the existential level, you’re more well-adjusted. Or betterly-adjusted. So imagine this: I’m a musician, and I just woke up to the fact that I still don’t own an mp3 player. Pow! How could that be? I [...]
Monday, June 4, 2007
You’re ten years old, it’s Christmas eve. Uncle Fritz (fictitious name) has gotten in disguise: Santa’s about to distribute the gifts. The living room is packed with relatives, in dizzy anticipation at the surprises to come. Alas, before Santa Fritz can grab the first gift, your mom stands up, and blurts out to all ears: “Wait, [...]
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Don’t have enough vein diameter to feed blood to your virtual avatar in Second Life? Need to relax, but find the practice of meditation too emotionally barren to pursue? Can’t even properly evoke the Slow Movement in your bowel displacements? Listen, friend. Don’t even think about “getting tased”. Rather, consider this quote by classical guitarist Julian Bream [...]
Monday, March 5, 2007
Musicians are well-known for being hypersensitive freaks. Baring their souls to the world, they rarely suffer fools when it comes to lukewarm responses to their public performances. Indifference is the worst crime, in their view, to their appeals to be universally loved through their art. Combine this trait with a (barely concealed) conceit of wannabe semi-godhood [...]
Friday, March 2, 2007
It’s true, Vivaldi’s the dude behind my initial decision to learn a musical instrument. Recently pondering on the movers and shakers of my life, I’ve been left wondering how many other wannabe violin virtuosos Vivaldi must has spawned. And, conversely, how many misguided career choices. We’ve all heard of people who were compelled in childhood to take [...]
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Found this photocopied ad in my archives, from some 1990’s advertising industry digest (sorry, didn’t note the source). Straight from the horse’s mouth. Note that they’re not just after your pocket book, but something a little more far reaching… Makes one appreciate Magnatune’s tagline all the better.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
I never thought I’d see the day where bureaucracy gave way to music. Or perhaps it’s my middle-class angst that has finally found its ideal outlet. Regardless, whatever hurts your soul, thanks to artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, it’s goodbye (Swedish) Ombudsman, hello (Finnish) “Valituskuoro”. Valituskuoro - literally “Complaints Choir” in Finnish - is a figure [...]
Monday, December 25, 2006
Alright. So Pachelbel isn’t around anymore to defend himself. But really, what got into your head, dear Pachelbel, to compose that ditty, now so pervasive in popular music and classical FM radio that even Christmas music can’t hold a candle to the powerful “meme” effect of your Canon in D major? This clever rant by comedian [...]
Sunday, August 5, 2007
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