what is going on in your musical life

luthier vandrodd

I found a viola in a dustbin last month. Don't think I'll ever learn how to play it, but it's fun just to make terrible noise with. Lockdown has been doubly cruel to my family.

Yah when I asked the luthier a ballpark idea about what his instruments cost, he said "oh I don't want to be like two people arguing in the grocery store about the price of potatoes" and I'm sitting here like dude it is a cello, it is a huge investment, it is not a potato.

He kept talking about art, and meaning, and spouted a bunch of "impossible is nothing"-style "you have to give your 100%! this is all there is to it!" When I explained that music is actually my job and I don't have a legal profession to fall back on to drop huge bucks on a passing fancy, that I always have to make purchases with cost-benefit in mind, he got ruffled by suggesting that his clients were lawyers, and talked about a number of them and their backstory

Then I said "no, I only mentioned 'lawyer' in passing because my lawyer brother also plays the cello and can afford to have a finer instrument than an amateur perhaps deserves" and the luthier suggested I have my lawyer brother buy one of his cellos for me instead

I am starting to think this is kind of part of his sales pitch

To keep me off-balance and 'wanting it' enough to not-flinch when he tells me a probably-outlanding figure

Man, what a dude. His instruments sound amazing though, gotta give him that

*outlandish

Haha I have to admit I haven't come across luthiers like that but I kind of want to now.

lmao at NickB's post in the midst of all this btw

I really have to up my dustbin game.

I sold my college guitar (modded up Squire) to a friend after undergrad in 1991.

I had not heard from him SINCE I SOLD IT, and he hits me up on LinkedIn two years ago. He asks for my address so he can send a holiday card.

A week later my college guitar shows up on my doorstep unannounced with a note that says, "I'll bet you wondered what became of this." The electronics were rusted from sitting in his attic for 27 years but the neck was straight as an arrow so I fixed it up and it plays really well now.

A lot of guys I know get guitars from this luthier who seems to be a model of sanity, at least based on my own interactions with him and everything I’ve heard: http://www.borysguitars.com/

You have to keep this luthier talking (and you have to keep sharing him here!). He's a character waiting to be written.

thread contributors, you are obliged to work in "you have to keep this luthier talking" into the lyrics of a new song you write this year.

ddw that is a great story, post pics of the guitar!

I was thinking this morning that I might send some of the information re: this luthier to a doc-making friend, see if he's interested in doing something about early music lutheries and musicians. The characters I've met are compelling and exhausting and the music (and instruments) are spectacular

Also James those guitars look gorgeous

I got my archtop needs all taken care of already but they really are beautiful

I wonder if drum makers (drumiers?) are like this? Probably.

I'm still working on a mastering chain & workflow so I can self-release tracks that I'm happy with (partly because the label I've been working with for the last 5 years is coming to a natural conclusion this year). So far the results are improving, basically I'm doing very little EQ and going back to the mix if I need to change individual levels or EQ, and focusing on loudness/dynamics. The only problem is that when I add something to the chain or learn a new trick, I feel like I need to go back and re-master this clutch of 8-9 unreleased tracks that I was previously happy with. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Also have my album of programmed kalimba pieces coming out in in a little over 2 weeks! With some video bits by our own Karl Malone.

Oh, agree 100% that EQ should mostly be dealt with at the level of individual tracks at the mixing stage when possible. Mastering is mainly about dynamics imo.

Does that mean you programmed sequenced music for sampled kalimba sounds? Or did you actually play kalimba?

Last week I recorded a video performance of a classical guitar piece for a video 'concert' a Toronto guitarist and former teacher is putting together. I probably got enough material that I could put together a proper studio recording as well.

Yesterday I was interviewed on Zoom by a New England-based guitarist/blogger about my album for a series of video interviews he's doing. I keep going over it in my head, feeling like I rambled too much and went too often to the self-deprecation well.

Jordan, am also interested in your kalimba thing.

Sund4r - digging Electric currents.

also hoping for a slum of legs presence in the 77.

Thanks, Tib. Glad you're enjoying it.

Seconding Tib's praise of Electric Currents, which is just the right mix of ear-pleasing immediacy and proggy technicality.

Does that mean you programmed sequenced music for sampled kalimba sounds? Or did you actually play kalimba?

Definitely the former, I like to noodle around but I'm no kalimba player, and get more interesting results writing with samples. I recorded a few different ones and made one shots, then made the record only using those samples. It was those early COVID months, when it was a novelty being at home and I was excited to sneak up to my studio...not having to worry much about choosing/making sounds let me write a little something in an hour, arrange it the next day and move on. Out next week!

Thanks, pom! Sounds interesting, Jordan.

If you want to see me fidget and stammer like someone who has been locked down for months:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPdjOHoSo-w

Galaxie 500 meets the Bee Gees in this one, with heaps of mellotron:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUZOYGf-Cj8

oh, and my wife on background vox!

sund4r i am loving your album! really hitting the spot on this sunny afternoon

Just finished arranging a 90-minute album for a really great new client, feel proud of myself and also empty inside
Have my first viola lesson (ever!) in an hour, playing Bach and Bruch and Schubert

Are you the teacher or student?

Thanks, La Lechera! Glad you enjoy it.

I did a video recording of live versions of those pieces tonight. We spent most of the day trying to set up lighting and cameras in our bedroom. Hope to get everything ready to go live tomorrow.

I played the acoustic version of Shawn Bell's "Currents II" for this video concert that premieres at 4pm Eastern time today. Q&A afterwards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as0Rp7mlKdY

I can almost play Blackbird on the guitar now

its a classic! i still enjoy playing it.

That's a major step in learning fingerpicking!

Yeah my guitar teacher is throwing all sorts of shit st me since he doesn’t have to bang through basic theory with me. He also had me practicing the guitar arpeggios in “Message In A Bottle” and got me through most of “Here Comes The Sun”

I also taught myself the solo guitar line in Just Like Heaven

Oooh Dan that is so exciting! "Blackbird" was the first thing I learned on guitar

And no I'm taking viola lessons. My first lesson kicked my ass, I'm completely overhauling my positioning and my vibrato. I did three days of "just exercises and studies" since my lesson, and this morning, for a lark, played through Bach Cello Prelude 6 (which I know pretty well) and when I got to the improv section it felt like my left hand was on steroids, I was flying through it spectacularly. Even now I feel like my left hand is 'typing with purpose'

It's gonna take me MONTHS before I can do vibrato properly again but I'm hoping it's worth it

I might also try and squat my way to "having an ass" just to make two miracles happen this year

registered a bandcamp yesterday :)

def here for a "lewis gets thicc" track

xp ya gotta link us when ur new shit drops, simon

if it ever happens yall will be the....fourth or fifth to know

Yay Simon!

Right on, Simon!

I have a virtual convert coming up on Valentine's Day with my church gig; I recorded "Wohin?" by Schubert and the whole group recorded an arrangement of "True Colors" that I did:

http://www.kings-chapel.org/virtualmusic.html

THought you wrote "virtual convent" for a second.

I wrote concert, I thought

Having a tiny bit of post-release depression, even though I know from experience that it's best just to move on (can't make any changes now!), and that anything interesting that comes from putting something out into the world usually comes weeks/months/years down the road. Also wishing I could put out the things that I've finished more recently and am currently excited about.

Also doing a livestream jazz thing next week, pretty meh about the whole livestream thing but it will be nice to play drums again. It's a good excuse to practice and to figure out where the various pieces of my kit are.

I did a video recording of live versions of those pieces tonight. We spent most of the day trying to set up lighting and cameras in our bedroom. Hope to get everything ready to go live tomorrow.

Premiering tonight at 7:15 w picture-in-picture during pieces with pedal work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcG0_o4aA-U

Oooooh I can't wait

Watching now. Might have to go deal with laundry before the end, sorry.

That was fun!

The Valentine's Day concert I did some recording for now has a YouTube link for livestreaming on Sunday at 5:00 EST:

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

Once the concert has been livestreamed, that link will remain for viewing.