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saturday, august 5
Nature Aquarium
Inspired by the
work
of
Takashi Amano,
I was an avid tropical fish hobbyist a few years back.And I mainly focused on freshwater tropical plants, actually, and the few
tropical fish inhabiting the tank were just incidental. Here is a
photo gallery
of my nature aquarium at its best.
1:20 PM
~
friday, august 4
Answering The Negativity Towards Blogging
Evan
responds
to more negativity concerning (web)blogs and blogging.
If there's anybody who can settle the "score" once and for all regarding the negative issues toward blogging,
well it's the president of
Pyra.com,
creaters of
Blogger.com,
who would be most capable of explaining the true intentions of Blogger, and weblogs in general.
1:30 PM
~
A Gig In A Restaurant... Somewhere
I'm getting mentally prepared for tonight's gig at Valentino's, something I always do for any gig... anywhere for that matter. If I were performing in Las Vegas, Disneyland or in a small bar on Market Street, I would go through some sort of mental preparation.
So I normally prepare my mind before I perform, akin to clearing my mind of pre-conceived thoughts or notions, so that I can approach the gig with a blank canvas to create! If I approach each gig in this manner, then it usually is a very successful evening for me personally. It's this whole mental, emotional and spiritual thing when it comes to the music. For me, there's no getting around this. I've realized that for me to be a successful jazz musician, I HAVE TO get into the proper frame of mind. It's never just "only a gig". It has to be an event. And Jazz is just that... it's sort of like painting, but in "real time". The music is being created right then and there... on the spot!
And for this Jazz, like painting, or writing... you need a blank piece of paper as the framework in which to create. So, with Jazz the framework is the usual "standard" song, like "Autumn Leaves" or "A Day in the Life of a Fool". The blank page is set to create spontaneous music from within this framework.
And that is why I love the setting of a small Jazz trio plus vocalist. Enough room to "breathe" and create, and to put forth your own personality into the music. And so I continue to mentally prepare for the gig.
Usually, I think about what
Keith Jarrett
has said in his biography, about playing music at insignificant situations:
"I've played in some very, very insignificant situations where I learned a lot; humdrum situations
in which I was uncomfortable were often where I learned most from the musicians involved"
This quote means a lot to me. Because in reality, a situation is what you make of it. The environment might have its own dynamics about it. Like the restaurant I will perform in tonight. It's got its own idiosyncratic personality of its own, and I simply have to be able to read the situation and adjust to it, yet still create my own impression of myself onto it.
Okay, I know this might sound a little too deep for just playing a little gig in a little Italian restaurant, but that was Keith Jarrett's point. These little insignificant places where musicians play can be a VERY significant event for a jazz musician... a true-to-life learning experience. And like the spontaneity that Jazz IS... the spontaneity is always there to create at that very instant!
12:10 PM
~
Blogging In France
I received a nice reply from
Becky
in France. I too like to read her blog because she and her hubby are expecting a baby,
and so they are doing things like getting the nursery room ready. It brings back fond memories of getting the
nursery room ready for our two boys... y'know... that "nesting" instinct!
Aside from that, it's nice to communicate with someone in France, as I have not been there yet. It's like communicating
with
Bronwyn
in Australia... and reading about her and soulmate moving into their new house.
10:35 AM
~
Comabound Will Ramble
Okay, confession time! I really, really dig these recently added links to the weblog:
1) Cyn's Ramblings
2) Comabound
3) Will's Bloggerfied I actually owe a bit of gratitude to
Cyn
for her list of favorite links, and I'm still grateful to her for letting me to be one of her "hedgies". Thanks again, Cyn!
As a matter of fact, I think
bronwyn and
teri
are the only other two that have linked to me. (thanks girlz) Well, it's a great start.
3:31 AM
~
A Good Exercise Routine
Okay folks! My wife and I have been on this consistent walking/jogging program
lately... about a week now. And the important thing is we are doing it together.I'm definitely one to ease into this type of
thing because of the stress on my knees and my drumming! Lord knows, I don't want to get sore knees again and spend
my evenings "icing" the knee. I'm also working with free weights and doing basic calisthenics (push-ups, crunches,
etc.) and my wife's doing Yoga (which I should be doing too---been slacking off on that one). So, it's a good routine
and it gets us out of the house in the late afternoons/early evenings. Now, if I could just get rid of this insomnia,
then I can hopefully become totally rested and healthy again. Anyway, wish us luck with the new program. They say that
a good habit becomes solidified after the 19th day, and that's what we're aiming for.
3:11 AM
~
And Another Thing...
Well, in reaction to my own previous post, there's always a bottom line to everything under the sun. Live life and have
fun... and don't get too wrapped up in the intricacies of life. Life is much too short for that. Y'know... Go forth amid
the noise and the haste... "and all that jazz"!!!
2:56 AM
~
More Negativity Toward Blogging
This kind of
incessant talk
about blogging makes me sick!!! It really does... sick to my stomach, I tell ya! Read this: "The internet right now has 12 thousand editors and jesus fuck, not enough writers. Be a writer." Huh???? And how 'bout this: "Important to note! I do not hate weblogs! Some of them are great and compelling and provide an amazing service. Some. 1% or less." I find this very insulting to a lot of us, and totally inaccurate... there are a lot of
fine writers on the web who blog. But that is NOT the point. The point is, everyone gets their opportunity for self-expression, and we learn and grow as we blog along. This kind of garbage really, really pisses me off. And I don't give a rat's ass if the guy
is popular and gets a gazillion hits on his site. I remember
Heather
mentioning this same issue on her weblog, and I take
her stance
on this... people... do not listen to this self-obsessive drivel
and continue to write and blog and have fun at it! This wasn't meant to be a nit-picking fest! Jeez!!!
2:33 AM
~
Bill Gates Arrested!
Boy, even Bill Gates, the world's richest man, was
arrested
once back in 1977! Oh, the humanity!!!
1:14 AM
~
Years Ago, Before The Matrix...
Keanu Reeves, arrested? Well, he apparently was arrested back in 1993 for driving under the influence. Check out the
mugshot.
1:09 AM
~
Evil Henchmen
Take your pick! Which form of
Evil Henchman
would you rather be?
12:45 AM
~
Lose Weight With Pork Rinds!
Hehe...
this article
gave me a chuckle. So, dieters claim that pork rinds help you lose weight. Hmmm... contradictary but interesting
to say the least.
12:41 AM
~
This Sweltering Heatwave!
Aargh!!! I know electricity in San Diego is at a premium, and my wife is telling me
to use less power, but with no airconditioning I have to turn on a fan! Aaaahhhh..... that's better...
12:22 AM
~
thursday, august 3
Electricity Bills Double In San Diego
Yep! Electricity bills have
skyrocketed
for everyone in San Diego. Our own gas & electric bill has doubled in the past two months!!! So, deregulation rears its ugly head.
Funny, just last night around 8:30pm, I was outside and noticed that all my neighbors' homes were pitch black! No lights whatsoever!
Is this a trend? Is this a way to protest the high utilities costs? Or are we all going to be forced to cut down our usage
of electricity from now on?
Well, they are now addressing the matter at the State Capitol level and I hope there's a
good answer, otherwise, it's high gas & electric bills from now on, baby!
1:15 PM
~
Will and his
bloggerfied
site had me in stitches last night... a funny read, if your not a prude and can get passed the cussing! And his
main page
has some nice
RealAudio
files so you can see and hear the man speak!
11:40 AM
~
wednesday, august 2
Here's a new photo of
my wife and oldest son.
10:46 PM
~
Yosemite National Park
During the latter part of August, we'll be in
Yosemite National Park.
And I'm sort of embarrassed to say that this will be
my first time there. And me, being a California native? You'd think I would've been there at least a dozen times already!
I guess it's because I'm a musician. You see, musicians like myself seem to always be busy on the weekends, and also
during the week... a rehearsal here, a gig there, always on the phone making contacts, trying to get more work. It's this
ongoing thing and because we are self-employed, you'd think we would have more freedom to call the shots. Well, yes and
no. But I intend to get better at budgeting my time, and this first expedition to Yosemite will be great for starters.
Here are some nice photos of
Yosemite
just to get me drooling over what we're about to experience in the weeks to come.
10:07 PM
~
No Cameras Allowed In The Swimming Area!
We just got back from this new community pool over at Miramar College. It's got three different pools within this facility:
1) A "kiddie" pool with water slides, spray hoses and more... 2) A medium-sized pool that is 3-4 feet deep, and 3) a large
pool for swimming laps and for competitions.
Upon paying at the main door, I was told that cameras weren't allowed in the swimming area! This was a first for me, as
I've been at this pool half a dozen times and usually I bring a camera. And I explained that I had brought a
camera before, and the guy sarcastically said, "well then, you'll have to ask permission from ALL the parents if you can
take pictures! And with that I felt very insulted, as if I were some sort of pedophile or something. Surely, I can understand
the worries concerning pedophiles, but people should be allowed to take pictures of their kids in the swimming pool area if they feel like it!
5:46 PM
~
San Diego Weather
It's quite hot today! Most definitely in the upper 90's (F). I'm taking the kids swimming today, that's for sure, and I'm
definitely going to jump into the pool myself. I'm not used to this much humidity either.
San Diego usually basks in a "dry heat", unlike other parts of the continental United States.
12:14 PM
~
Chocolate Lovers (Chocoholics) Unite!!!
Hershey's Ordered To Pay Obese Americans
$135 Billion
Hey now! Where's my "cut" in this? I demand restitution!
1:37 AM
~
tuesday, august 1
New Tracker and Guestbook
I never really put an official
tracking service
on this website before, so,
here it is.
And I also added a
guestbook,
so now you can
sign, or you can
view.
11:17 PM
~
Words That Had Cut Me Like A Knife
"You will NEVER amount to anything in music!!!"
Those words had cut through me like a knife, slicing into the core of my psyche, my life's devotion to music... my saviour, in a world that seemed in total disarray without it. And thus, began the dark side of my musical past. It wasn't so much that those mere words came from the very man who was musical director and head of the university, but rather, it was just the simple resonance in my brain, of one sentence that reached into the core of my musical psyche and yanked out the very soul of me.
After those words were spoken, I had to leave... and never looked back... never finished
that semester with the top wind ensemble in the university. And I never finished the degree I always had dreamed of attaining. Of course, those words would always haunt me. They would torment me
for so many years until I finally had the personal strength and courage to say, "No! I am NOT a failure! And I WILL NOT allow those words to force me to admit failure in the one thing out of life I held with so much confidence and pride... my musical creativity!
So, it wasn't until just a few years ago, that my self-acceptance on being a true musician had finally taken hold. That I could finally admit to myself that I AM a musician, and a good one with a musical ear and the sense of creativity behind it. But those fateful words are still a dark echo in the distance past... they ring with a muffled wickedness, and it would seem that I had shed many, many tears because of it. I don't think those words will ever escape me. They are "burned" into my psyche. But I HAVE finally learned to deal with them on my own terms, and have used that negative energy and turned it into something positive. And as long as I can believe in myself and turn that which is negative into something entirely positive... then, I would have fulfilled my destiny as a musician!
12:52 AM
~
monday, july 31
More Scenes From Childhood
I remember wispy, cirrus clouds cascading up into blue azure skies, during much of my childhood days. On Coronado,
the fact that it was an island, made my childhood days more adventurous, almost taking on a mystical, dream-like reality. And on
summer days like today, we'd ride our bikes all around the neighborhood. We had our own clique and we'd journey off into other
neighborhoods to seek adventures with other kids, as if they were in some far away land. It was most enjoyable, the spirit of
childhood. It seemed that our hearts soared with endless joy, just like the kites we'd flown on sunny afternoons, continuing on
until the sun would begin its descent, and cast long, eery shadows onto the sidewalks and lawns until dusk. And the sunsets
would adorn the skies with paintbrush strokes of orange and red clouds, before it all turned to dark blues and grays, and then
the night. To be blessed with this
type of joy is something one learns to cherish as one gets older. But how could we have known as children, that our early years
were the real blessings of life! The memories live on in my mind. I can't forget those wonderful times on Coronado... they'll always be with me until my dying days.
11:43 PM
~
Riding Bikes On Coronado Island
When I was in the 1st and 2nd grades, I lived in Coronado, the island
across the bay from downtown San Diego. It was a fun time, dominated by the childhood ritual of riding bicycles
around our neighborhood, and as far as we could go before turning around and going home. Life seemed so carefree
back then. And it was during a time when parents just let their kids go out where they wanted, just as long as they
were home by supper.Back then, there was no Coronado Bay Bridge. Instead, there were several ferryboats that
transported vehicles across the bay to downtown, and then back. The only other way to get off the island was to take
the long way, down Silver Strand (a man-made strip of land connecting Coronado to Imperial Beach, the community to
the south). I just remember many sunny, carefree days just riding my bike. Alone or with my friends, it didn't
matter... just the simplicity of riding around the neighborhood in your bike. It seemed like a slice of heaven to me.
5:39 PM
~
Carrying The Scarlet Letter
I am finding more sites like
this one
refusing to call themselves a "blog", or not admitting to owning one. It's as if those with blogs are carrying some sort
of
Scarlet Letter
or something.
I just feel this is a way to treat the masses (who are discovering the joys of blogging) like lemmings jumping to their
death. Sad thing, instead of showing positive feedback toward something new, we are shown the door, and told that
what we find new and refreshing to us, is just a waste of everybody's time.
4:55 PM
~
Lorraine
tells of her experience with a
psycho stalker.
[ link via
Cyn
]
1:06 PM
~
Ugh!!! Still have this head cold! Time to call my doctor...
12:39 PM
~
Sob... *sniffle* *sigh*...I'm going to have a hard time letting go of my trusty
18" Zildjian K. Dark Crash Cymbal.
But, like a lot of the things I've been sorting through lately, it must go...
1:21 AM
~
Okay, for those of you who've made your way to this site, you've probably noticed the
eBay link
below. Yes, I'm
auctioning off many of the CDs and LPs in my 2000+ collection.
Here are my
"cream of the crop" CDs
displayed above the stereo system. My collection of LPs are below.
1:04 AM
~
sunday, july 30
The Not-Made-For-TV Blues
I am totally bummed. Somebody on one of the swing mailing lists mentioned the fact that I am not shown at all
on the HBO featurette. Nathan was shown a lot... hmm... he must be more photogenic that the rest of us.
I guess Hollywood is very selective on who they pick to be on TV, or maybe it was just a
coincidence that I wasn't shown. I was at the very back of the stage, so naturally, I'd be blocked by the others. I
really don't care either way. I'm happy that my band was used for HBO's little deal to promote "Last of the Blonde
Bombshells". And the dancers seemed to be the main emphasis anyway. As long as we were there and had a good
time doing it. It just makes me wonder, that's all. We were groomed for the part by the club owner, mentioning that
we wear our best garb and plan on being in front of the camera. So, naturally. I was prepared to be in front of the
camera and found out I wasn't at all. I feel sort of let down, but I'll live.
6:17 PM
~
More Thoughts On Performance
Being that I AM a musician, I've always felt that my perception of what music really IS differs slightly from the non-musician.
Not to claim an elitist attitude, like some of my colleagues HAVE exhibited, but rather, I just have a different approach
to the aspects of music as a daily part of life.I feel everyone enjoys music in pretty much the same way, but for
the musician who is definitely a performer on stage, there is a definite language connection and relationship to the
audience during performance. When I perform in front of an audience, I feel this connection, and it's a two-way street,
whether the audience is aware of it or not. People may not realize that my success as a performer hinges on my
ability to connect to the audience and be able to allow the audience to bring some of that positive energy back to me, the
performer on stage. And thus, it goes back and forth. And also, there is such a great responsibility for the performer
on stage to be totally confident of his/her performance. Well, that's obvious.... when you're "dying" up there on
stage, the audience will definitely know it! It's tough being on stage, whether a musician is successful or not. You could be up there feeling pretty good and having the time of your life, but if you can't connect to that audience out there, then you're sunk!
1:45 AM
~
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