what is going on in your musical life

Oh wow, good to know I'm on the right track then. Only took me 23 years to get here, I'm a late bloomer.

if you're a late bloomer, idk what that makes me
a revived corpse?

lol :)

i am feeling good about things clearly if i can make jokes about that

LL - those tracks are great! Gotta say I'm enjoying it more than the noise stuff, but I'm a sucker for catchiness.

Haha, you're not a late bloomer, just a late starter

I started playing guitar and singing lead vox in a Grateful Dead (and other similar stuff) cover band. It's a lot of fun.

https://midwestaxn.bandcamp.com/album/life-is-twigs

album out today, also on spotify and hopefully the other usual places

also i'm trying to get back into doing my own stuff but i've set a very leisurely pace for myself: write and record one song per month. attempting to follow the loose monthly schedule of writing lyrics the first week, writing music the second week, and recording the third and fourth weeks. trying to not worry about the songs being "good" or other people hearing them. the goal is just to be regularly working on my own music without putting too much pressure on myself. i finished the first one of these yesterday.

Just played a decently lengthy set before a decently large arts-festival crowd, and was decently well received. Pleasurable.

NA -- holler if you want to record or borrow some drum shit! that sounds like a fun project.

i am playing with the new band on a porch this afternoon. i feel prepared, which is pretty weird! i need to write down the set list and some notes so i don't get confused bc i'm not used to playing a bunch of rock songs in a row. on a porch.

Band released a record, I’m pretty proud of it. I think the producer/engineer did a great job making a gang of hacks sound decent. salthorse.bandcamp

Next batch of songs is nearly all written; now we need to start whipping them into shape. Summertime is always tough for that bcuz everyone goes on vacation & we never seem to be able to coordinate that.

I bought my first synth after years of jonesing — a Mopho Keys. Looking forward to learning something new from scratch (the synthesis part, not the playing part).

Sounds fantastic!

Shoutout for the physical strenuousness of playing 45 min/12 energetic rock songs (only 3 are even moderately slow) in a row at full enthusiasm in a row.

Wow

Show is on Tues, I need to practice more! We played on a porch on Sun and it was fun but also very low pressure. A 94 year old lady offered me a $5 billl while I was playing <3

Clearly the things that are getting to me are 1) in a row continuously and 2) at full enthusiasm

Sigh

we have a show on the 14th and my drum lessons are changing the way i'm playing significantly, it's both great and... well, i just wish my playing were a little more fine-tuned at this point, it's v erratic from where i'm sitting (my bandmates mostly hear improvement)

I hear you! It’s very difficult to play the same songs with new skills ime!! It’s almost easier the less you know... :-/

Also playing songs is different for me — I played some songs last summer and the summer before but mostly when I play w people it’s more improvised and therefore less strenuous. Songs are hard, esp when I’ve only listened to them for like 2-3 weeks?

You should expect hiccups as you learn imo — that’s good! It means your playing is expanding 💕

2 funny things from my musical life

two weeks ago: played on a porch as part of a "porchfest" neighborhood summertime thing. i was set up directly next to the front door in a little corner. during our 2nd or 3rd song, the 94 year old landlady (who lives upstairs) walked out the door and stood there on her porch/the stage right next to me while we played, but the singer had no idea because her back was turned to the door. Landlady was kindly ushered back inside, but she came back out a few songs later and offered me a $5 bill while we were in the middle of the song. i did not stop playing! good times.

last night -- played a free show with a touring band and a local band that had no social media presence but had been written up in the Trib (I didn't read it before the show). They were ok but had bad manners and did not stay for either of the sets after theirs and took all their people out to the bar to socialize amongst themselves for the entire evening. i looked it up this morning and guess what -- the drummer was my old dermatologist. i didn't recognize him. lol!

good times, feeling happy :)

i had another lesson on monday where my instructor made some final adjustments to my grip and i'm pretty confident with how i'm playing rn, even though it's still a little difficult (my right hand has adjusted organically, but my left hand considers what i'm trying to do a grave injustice and cramps up a lot). instructor emphasized that comfort is paramount, but i think i'm getting there anyway? i move around way less (and waste way less energy) and can play faster than i used to, just after 4.5 weeks of rudiments

band practice last night was wonderful, we've never sounded better

that's great! what are you doing for warm ups to your rudiment practice?

i've just been dipping in and out of the first 10-15 pages of both stick control and ted reed syncopation and alternating these with the PAS rudiments

rudiments have been mad fun to play but also excruciating at 40 bpm which my instructor insists on lol (he finally upped the speed to 45 this week)

prob the most immediate benefit of these lessons is that i'm no longer baffled by drummers that really impress me, i can now tell what they're doing even if i can't do it yet/at all

been there! otm about understanding impressive drummers more. i think at heart i am ultimately most impressed by feel and seek out unique voices in that regard.
i did a lot of strength building a few years ago and have been maintaining my routine -- it definitely pays off. i am currently at the point where i aim to increase my vocabulary so i can express more things, just like with language :)

even though that lady was trying to give me $5 to stop, it will take more than that!

i think at heart i am ultimately most impressed by feel and seek out unique voices in that regard

this is otm for me too

it took me forever to wrap my head around jeremy taggart's drum part on our lady peace's "automatic flowers" and but i think it's all just lightly modified stroke rolls? anyway just *thinking* about this stuff is fun

oh excellent i found a decent drum cover, maybe this one is still baffling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_xFjY3y1nQ

the drummer was my old dermatologist

Insert "skins" joke here

I just sang Love Bade Me Welcome at an evening service tonight, which means I’ve now performed all 3 of the solo numbers from Vaughn Williams’ “Five Mystical Songs”

The singer/bandleader for the band I play bass in dissolved the band yesterday, after 6 months of rehearsals & one fun show. It’s a bit of a relief, because I feel like I’ve taken on too much in my life & need to simplify, & now I get to not be the flaky guy who quit.

Need to make sure I keep up my bass muscles/chops, though — those took a while to come back!

did not stay for either of the sets after theirs and took all their people out to the bar to socialize amongst themselves for the entire evening

I hate this. I am relatively understanding if a band's on a big tour and they need some chillout time for themselves but it smacks of arrogance to not bother watching other bands on the bill.

My band's album is soooo close to coming out now, just finalising artwork and checking test pressings. It's been a long time coming!

awesome about the album! looking forward to hearing it!! will it be on bandcamp as well as physical copies? this is slum of l3gs?

the uncouth band who took off after their set was local! they played and then literally hightailed it to the bar (different room) to hang with their friends, presumably because they had to work the next morning as rock and roll dermatologist + friends. the touring band, who were very kind and funny and had some sweet harmonies, played to an almost empty room :( (we all watched them + maybe 5-6 other people) they were good sports.

usually i would be on the side of the people who maybe just didn't know the rules or conventions but these people really should have known better. i wonder if the dermatologist is an advertiser at the paper they were written up in :thinking emoji:

Insert "skins" joke here

fyi i loled at this
wonder if he hears that much

will it be on bandcamp as well as physical copies? this is slum of l3gs?

Yep, definitely putting it on bandcamp too. And yes, it's SoL!

Had a recording session in a lovely church space last night that I'm pretty happy with. I recorded a guitar duo playing a piece of mine and a piece by a friend and former student. Hope to get my piece edited and out, probably next week after life slows down. I used two of these, which wouldn't seem like the obvious choice to record classical guitars in a church but seemed to work well.

Going to do a short improv set with a biggish name classical guitarist at a concert in early July and play in a guitar orchestra for Ben Verdery's Scenes from Ellis Island at a chamber music festival here later in July.

Also getting closer to completion with a guitar/electronics recording. Still hoping to get an album done this year.

Cool Sund4r!

I agreed to back someone up for a festival set here, because her partner (who is also in the band) is an old friend, and I played on some of the albums. Feeling conflicted because I think the music is bad (not good). Well, the music is fine, but I find the singing and lyrics embarrassing. It's whatever and I'll just put on my session dude face, but I probably shouldn't have said yes. :/

I'm always trying to figure out how people can best present their talents, and this person could make really great instrumental music, or use their voice effectively in a style that doesn't call for great singing in a very traditional sense. But in this very exposed singer-songwriter context, man. People get to make their own creative decisions though, I'm sure people think I've made some bad ones too.

On other fronts though, I'm playing some drums and percussion for a Dr. John tribute show tomorrow night, and finally got a release date (Aug) for the electronic album I finished early in the year.

Those sound p cool. The other situation sounds tough. Curious how you end up making out with it. I'm probably going to have to say no to something that is just not my bag but it can be hard.

i love the apple "music memos" app, especially the feature where it can add drum and bass parts to what you've recorded. it's a little wonky but that makes it even more fun. i recorded a sketch of a song i'm working on last night, which doesn't have words yet so i'm kind of murmuring some nonsense, and with the fake drums and bass it sounds like a skip spence song. i'm tempted to export it as is and just sing real vocals on top of it once i write lyrics.

for a while i would also get my kids to do stuff by singing a song about brushing their teeth or getting dressed or whatever into my phone then adding the drums and bass before playing it for them. i should bounce all those down.

ok i did what no one was asking for and bounced down the songs i made up to nag my kids. i don't know why there's 10 seconds of silence at the beginning but otherwise it's truly the "fingerprints" of being an annoying dad

https://soundcloud.com/user-378919876-468565288/nagging-songs

I uh found myself last night looking at the free preview of a lead sheet trying to arrange piano accompaniment for Green Day’s Basket Case. Nobody asked me to do this.

Wow

I have only gotten about three measures in so far and to date I would not describe myself as being able to sing so I'm not sure what this exercise is for, exactly, if anything

Going to do a short improv set with a biggish name classical guitarist at a concert in early July

This was last night. I just played prepared electric guitar with him on one piece at his concert, which was an honour. (He was also my teacher from 02-05.) It reminded me of how much I used to enjoy spontaneous improvisation with other musicians, using one's ear to dialogue.

ooh write some more words about what you enjoy about it -- i am getting my improvisation workshop together for 12-13 year old campers (later this month) and i could use some fresh quotes!

"It's the notes you don't play, maaaan."

(not helpful, sorry)

Sorry, LL: I was thinking about it but wasn't really sure what to say; maybe there's too much to say? I'd be happy to answer more specific questions.

don't sweat it -- the workshop was yesterday, it went super well imo. i changed the structure a little, recycled some of the supplemental materials i had printed in 2017, recorded the jams. i heard from other people that it was effective, which is all i ever want from that workshop. enthusiasm! i forgot to hand out some oblique strategies to the salty teens but there is always the next camp session!

played two shows this week with band mentioned above and they were both fun. the other local band we played with last night was so fun to watch irl. this is their bandcamp but it does not do them justice. i recommend tracks "working girl" and "working boy" -- https://ovefow.bandcamp.com/album/working

did you use my potato chips quote again?