Music update

A song a week felt aggressive.

And then I was asked to learn 13 songs. FAST.

Well, shit. Here goes, eh?

Happy to report I've been playing with Adios Amigo for the past month and am now almost fully up to speed on their entire current library of music. It has kept me from learning any outside music, but it's been spectacular. I'm super excited to play my very first show with them on August 30th at Rockit Room.

Things don't show any signs of slowing. We've got another show each month through November and I can hardly wait to get back to performing. So pleased about this new musical venture!

And playing and learning so much so quickly has already had some surprising results. Rahi, Chris, Evan and I, all previously of Red Weather, have been playing music with two talented guitar player/songwriters, Ethan and Kenny. On a tune Ethan wrote, I was playing fiddle when Rahi suggested I switch to keys. I turned around, sat at the piano, and without any help or even knowledge of what chords the guys were playing, I was able to just...play along. Just like that! It was so thrilling. Excited for more of these kinds of moments.

"Doesn't miss a trick, that man."

Guess Dumbledore shouldn't have trusted the USPS, because my Hogwarts acceptance letter just showed up at my apartment almost 15 years late. I wonder if they'd take a 26 year old first year?

The Envelope

Super legit.

I knew this letter almost by heart. But it's never had my name on it before!

I told Squeegee I'd write Dumbledore to see if she could come with me. She's pretty magical.

My personal golden ticket.

What a fun thrill for a Wednesday night and/or ever. I'm about to go all Hermione on this reading list...

Continued Musical Education

Insanity at work and Planning-ness has kept me from playing music as much as I'd like, but I think it'd be fun to be able to look back on what I've learned in my weekly adventures. Let the collecting begin:

Oh No Oh My - Walking into You (Guitar)

Zwan - Honestly (Guitar)

Zwan - El Sol (Guitar)

Radiohead - Like Spinning Plates (Keys)

The Swell Season - When Your Mind's Made Up (Keys -- a work in progress!)

And on top of it, I've started playing around with writing my own music, which I'm really enjoying. I've written one complete song on piano for which I can't settle on a title, but I'm sure something will shake out at some point. I actually would love to add some additional instrumentation on top of it, but I'm anxious at the idea of playing it for anyone. I've seen how things can go sideways with differing opinions, and when it's your own creation being discussed...man, it's just going to take a while to get used to the idea and actually give it a go.

Getting ready to embrace failure.

Completion

The funny thing about writing about something that's happening to you is that you can't finish it until what's happening is resolved.

Musical Education

In the past few months I've been playing much more guitar than usual, and I've starting re-exploring keys for their full potential rather than just playing the same tunes I know and love. I've loved playing music that feels complete on its own, unlike violin, which, for the most part, can play only melody.

Problem is, I'm not particularly apt at either of these instruments.

But I also don't have the time or tenacity to learn these instruments the same way I learned violin, with intensive focus on technique and perfection before learning a new song or a new technical "trick." I've begun choosing songs that I really love that require just a little something new--a new rhythm, or a new chord--and then learning that particular skill while learning the song itself. It's been wonderfully rewarding, with the accomplishment of learning a new song coming part and parcel to whatever new skill it required. So I've decided to challenge myself to learn a new song each week, not with the intent of perfecting it, but of...conquering it, if you will. I'm certain to get better, not just because of what I'll need to learn along the way, but simply because I'll be driven to practice for the sake of a new musical achievement.

I'm sure it will begin with a LOT of pretty horrible, mangled songs, but I'm hoping it will push me to get just a bit better each week. And if nothing else, hey, at least I'll be able to expand the repertoire a bit.

Curls

Me: My hair today looks like Hermione's before she got hot.

Alex: That just means you look MAGICAL ;)

Also, this guy's doing it right: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100320150847AAtGsT8

But like always, I let them go

"Primarily, that is that Justin Vernon and Kristian Matsson both have a slightly worrying knack for articulating exactly how we all feel, in a completely unpretentious and uninhibited way." - Not Many Experts