elemental spirit
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.
Archive | musings
musicians: make your own economy!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
In the last few years, we’ve seen a rapid increase in social and economic opportunities for DIY‘ers (do-it-yourself’ers), both on- and off-line. I’d argue that changes in our communication technologies are enabling this home brew entrepreneurship revolution. For example, the so-called “Web 2.0” paradigm shift on the Internet, describes a new way of creating wealth [...]
5 expert ways to turbo-charge your practice routine
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 [...]
that no-good, stupid mystery we call music
Sunday, July 22, 2007
OK history buffs, here’s a question for you: (drum-roll…) Q- Why was (ancient Greek philosopher) Socrates put to death by his fellow Athenians? A- Because he was “corrupting Athens’ youth population”. Or so the verdict said. To be sure: history’s most phenomenally lame verdict! But if the word “corrupting” evokes debauchery, apparently this wasn’t quite [...]
top 10 reasons why I don’t own an mp3 player
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? [...]
community guitar: interview with Andrew Lawrence
Sunday, June 24, 2007
For my June 2007 podcast, here’s an interview I conducted with Andrew Lawrence while I was attending Django In June in Northampton, Massachusetts. Andrew is founder of the Community Guitar Program, as well as being the director and coordinator of Django In June, the only annual music camp in North America dedicated to the pursuit [...]
django in june ’07 – conclusions
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Here’s my final formal post on Django In June ’07. I’ll try to encapsulate how this experience has changed me, and which direction I’m likely to take in my musical development as a result. But first… what was it like? Well… read my other posts, for starters. The details describe the experience fairly well. Nevertheless, [...]
django in june ’07 – video update
Friday, June 22, 2007
Wayne Nakamura of HyperHip Media has just posted a couple of videos from the Saturday June 16 concert on Youtube. Enjoy!
django in june ’07 diary – day 6
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Andrew had warned us: on the last morning, many of us would be either exhausted or heading out. Nevertheless – in a final display of commitment to this experience – many Django Campers are attending the last seminar of the week, at 10am! Not me. I’m done for. Fingers are hurting, I haven’t slept much [...]
django in june ’07 diary – day 5
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Tunes of the day: Djangology Douce Ambiance Morning session: improvisation with Biel Ballester (Barcelona, Spain) What was covered: Djangology: learned to practice changes with arpeggios. Learned two chord substitutions for the second chord in the piece. Instead of C dim, play basic triad: with F#, play D7 with G natural, play Cmin 6 (“planar cadence”) [...]
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- fear that tune
- no child left behind without a midlife crisis
- have music, will love learning
- play from your heart, or i’ll knock your teeth out
- the Molestics have a Memoir
- input/output: the taste-makers
- why your music is somebody else’s noise
- the symbolic matrix of music
- there’s too much goddamn music
- music. it’s really simple.
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Sunday, August 5, 2007
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