BOOO Economy!

Unfortunately, with my personal finances being what they are (unemployed since last December), I can't afford to return to The Real School this spring. I'm disappointed, but I will persevere on my own with steady and frequent practice, so that when I jump back onto the classroom circuit, I will have measurable improvement.

In the meantime, I am going to see if my friend Jay will either spend some time with me to help me learn some useful stuff, or even pay him for the occasional lesson.

Recommendations (music I am into at the moment):

• Minus Pilots
• The Tumbled Sea
• R.E.M.'s "Live at The Olympia" double disc - especially "On the Fly" and the older material
• The Mamas & the Papas - I watched their doc on the Biography Channel this morning.
  

Music New & Old

I was online this morning checking out some local Massachusetts bands that appeared on a top ten list somewhere, and I felt my guitar's pull unusually strongly. So off & on all day (between bands), I have been practicing both the usual stuff in my pile and the Christmas songs Erik gave me. It's pretty much been an all music day except for meal breaks, coffee making, and a few chapters of Craig Ferguson's autobiography "American on Purpose" (very funny). Plus I winterized my office (studio? - haha) window.

I've been trying to speed up my playing (as well as my accuracy) on "Mrs. Robinson" and "Who Will Save Your Soul". And as silly as it sounds, I just discovered that if I hum the vocals as I play whatever song I am working on, it helps a lot more than I'd expected. I've also been considering songs for my next semester. I have cds by Michelle Branch, The Sundays, Pale Saints, Travis and Pete Yorn in my stereo.

I plan on going to see a lot more local bands in 2010, to both support them, and see how 'it' is done. And hopefully by the summer (or at the very latest, next fall) I will be able to join the ranks of live performers, at least at open mic nights - a worthwhile creative project to keep me warm this winter!

Anyway, back to work...

Currently listening to:

Fine Friend - Pale Saints

Round One Complete

Today was my last lesson of my first semester of guitar lessons at The Real School of Music. It's been an amazing 14 weeks, and I feel like I've accomplished something. I've learned a lot of basics, achieved some proficiency on at least ten songs (plus a few Christmas tunes), spent an average of an hour a day practicing (some days for several hours, and a few days not at all - hey, it's called "life"), and am looking at music performance in new and exciting ways.

And an unexpected side effect of this project is how it's stimulated my creativity in other areas. I draw a lot more, and I even cranked out most of a childrens' book I've had percolating in some part of my brain (which I hope to complete the written portion of over my break between semesters). I've actually given up on the cooking though. While it was fun, and I got fantastic reviews & feedback (from my family of course), something had to give! ☺

Anyway, I am going to practice my ASS off during the next three weeks between this successfully completed semester and the new one that begins (for me) on Thursday January 7th.

Currently listening to: "Flyweight" (Thursdays 5-7 pm) on WZBC 90.3

Holiday Cheer

Since I only have two more lessons before the holidays (after today's), I asked Erik to teach me a few Christmas tunes. We went over the following:

• 12 Days of Christmas
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas
• Jingle Bells
• O Christmas Tree...
• What Child is This?

He showed me the best ways to strum/pick each song, and printed out copies with his notes. Also, he is burning me a cd of a bunch of Christmas arrangements he did a couple years ago for his family, so I can try to learn them too! I want to get a few of these (both the ones listed here, and the ones off of his disc) down so I can surprise the family at Christmas ☺

Currently listening to:

Calato - Vanessa Kafka