Michael

Over the weekend I was in Tarrytown, NY with Erica helping out at the crafts show that takes place twice a year at Lyndhurst. Be sure to look at the Lyndhurst site as I’m not going to be talking about that today.

Across from Erica’s booth, Bob McNally had a booth showcasing his instrument, the Strumstick. It is similar to a guitar but with only 3 strings. The frets are spaced such that the only notes that can be played are in a major key. For the non-musician, this means that no note sounds bad. The tagline for this instrument is “For the musically disinclined.”

It’s true. I watched many people play this instrument who had no musical experience at all. They were amazaed at how well it sounded. Watch and listen to Bob demonstrating the grand strumstick (key of D). The smaller, standard strumstick has a higher sound (key of G).

I had a great time playing with the lady working the booth and other times just playing by myself. I met several really nice people from England, the Ukraine and multiple states. Music is a great way to relate to people. We really enjoyed watching a four year old boy play the electric strumstick for awhile. He was quite entertaining.

Bob also invented an electric version of the strumstick. It has a great sound. If you have 6 minutes, check out this cool little video of him playing the electric strumstick.

If you have always been intimidated by the guitar, try the strumstick. Many people have successfully moved from the strumstick to the guitar after several months of playing the strumstick.

Playing music is fun, a great way to relax, brings people together and allows your creativity another outlet.

Michael

Lead Guitar Player

Since I’ve been off from work since the August 15th, I needed a relaxing evening to unwind.

So, I drove down to Newport, RI this afternoon to meet Erica for the “Thursday on Thames” evening. This is a fun packed evening with a variety of free music, food and discounts in many retail stores. The Lower Thames Business Association puts on this event for several Thursdays in a row during the summer.

I particularly liked the band called The Buddy Roach Trio. The guitar player was very good and I liked their generally fast paced jazz music. There were three other bands down the street all playing different types of music. It was a lot of fun to check out each venue. Plus we got to taste some good food as we moved along the street.

The Rest of the Band

The streets were filled with a decent number of people. I always enjoying going to these kinds of events. They help take the mind off the normal day to day activities and help to get to a happier place.

I especially like the local events of cities and towns. There usually is a much more intimate feel to them and the people seem to be a bit closer.

A real bonus was that the weather was almost perfect. Partly cloudy, cool air, low humidity and a lovely sunset. You can’t go wrong there.

Michael

I was up in Northampton, Massachusetts this weekend with Erica. She was at a show and I was there to play. Of course I helped out a little bit in the booth.

Right next to Erica’s booth was a lady selling ceramics. Her husband was Steve Katz, one of the original members of the 1960’s band Blood, Sweat and Tears. How cool is that. If you were listening to music back then, you may have remembered the hits “Spinning Wheel” and “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy.”

We chatted for a bit, not about music that much, but about the new Amazon Kindle. It’s like an iPod for books. I was amazed as I could literally have hundreds of books, newspapers, blogs and etc. at my fingertips on one device. It is a first generation machine and expensive but I think it will change the way we do things, just like the iPod.

Steve was a good guy and very into the Kindle. I wish him luck on his current tour schedule with the band.

Michael

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. - Berthold Auerbach

Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. - Ludwig van Beethoven

A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. - Leopold Stokowski

Erica and I went out to enjoy some music tonight. My guitar teacher and his band, The Blackstone Jazz Project, were playing at a local venue in Providence, RI. They actually play a wide variety including mellow jazz, rock, little latin, tango and polka. Their original songs are really hard to categorize. It was quite enjoyable especially their second set which had a number of originals.

Music has an amazing ability to relax, inspire, increase our happiness and give us energy. Music can touch all levels of emotions. I really love listening to people who take traditional forms of music and mix them all together to come up with something new. It’s very refreshing and inspiring.

I can’t imagine my life without music, whether listening or playing a little bit myself. Music has always been an integral part of my life and always will.

I think I’ll go listen to some of my favorite songs right now.

Have a great day!

Michael

Last Sunday night, I was pleasantly surprised to watch Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova win the Academy Award for their song called Falling Slowly. Both Glen and Marketa were the stars in the movie Once. It’s a great story about making music, collaboration, budding relationships and following your dreams. This song also has a very special meaning to Erica and me.

According to Glen Hansard, the movie was made in 3 weeks, for $100,000 and shot with two handy cams. What’s amazing is how much the success of the characters following their dreams in the movie was paralleled by their real success outside the movie. Their success should be an inspiration to many artists and others following their dreams.

I really enjoyed Marketa’s comments after accepting the award:

Marketa Irglova:
Hi everyone. I just want to thank you so much. This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling, and this, the fact that we’re standing here tonight, the fact that we’re able to hold this, it’s just to prove no matter how far out your dreams are, it’s possible. And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don’t give up. And this song was written from a perspective of hope, and hope at the end of the day connects us all, no matter how different we are. And so thank you so much, who helped us along way. Thank you.

Dare to dream and don’t give up. This song was written from a perspective of hope. Great words to live by, don’t you think?

Watch the movie. Hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

Michael

I’ve been working on learning a new song on the guitar for many days now. It hasn’t helped that I’ve been traveling a lot and haven’t had a guitar to practice on. Even so, I was having a difficult time getting the rhythm part which included a lot of single string picking. The more I tried, the more frustrated I got. I decided to take about a week off from playing that part. I wanted to let my frustration cool down.

Tonight, I picked up the guitar and tried the part again. No luck. I was not getting it. My determination only increased. There was no reason I couldn’t get this. So, I played the song several times on my stereo trying to play along with it. I then turned off the stereo and played the part at about half speed.

Viola! I finally saw/felt the pattern of play that I was reaching for. I practiced for about 30 minutes on this one piece. I continually improved over that time. It was a great feeling.

Every time I reach an impasse with my music, I give myself some leeway to make a bunch of mistakes, stay relaxed but focused, believe that I can figure it out and remember that I’m doing this to have fun. Sometimes I have to release my frustration and replace it with some patience, but generally speaking my four part formula works. I use it for other aspects of my life also.

If you are working on something new, just remember my four steps and maybe you will have the breakthrough you are looking for.

Have a great day!

Michael

It is better to create than to be learned, creating is the true essence of life - Barthold Georg Niebuhr

Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things. - Ray Bradbury

I started taking guitar lessons last October 7th. I have a fantastic guitar teacher who keeps me quite challenged. I’ve had to deal with feelings of intimidation at least initially, but not really any more. What’s really fulfilling is that the past few months of lessons and practicing are starting to pay off. I’m working on two guitar pieces that are still quite small in duration but I like the sound and the flow of the melodies. I talked to my teacher today about adding and expanding what I had created. It was a great discussion that encompassed a lot of the theory and techniques he had been teaching me. I got some great ideas on how take my new creations in some other directions. I’m having a lot of fun.

The creative process has always been a little challenging for me whether I’m playing music, taking photographs or writing. I’m learning how much you have to “let go”, stop thinking and allow the creative process work on its own. I liken it to going on a ride and enjoying the scenery. I’m also discovering that creating requires you to open up and bare yourself. That’s difficult for me. But, bearing your soul is what makes the creation real. It doesn’t really matter whether your creation is “judged” good or bad by others. The important part is to create. So, here I am today creating, sharing the creation, generating new ideas plus being excited about the entire process.

Life is good.

Michael

Erica and went to see Van Morrison tonight at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) in Rhode Island. I’ve always wanted to see him and it was worth the wait. Mr. Morrison and his band were extraordinary. They played almost two hours with no breaks at all. It’s was solid Van Morrison minute to minute. PPAC is a small theater with excellent acoustics. We had a great view from the edge of the first balcony. The seats were perfect.

Van Morrison is a versatile musician, comfortable and expert whether playing the saxophone, harmonica, guitar or keyboards. His voice has been heard for over 40 years and is as unique as his music.

Van Morrison started off a little tentative, but he realized very soon how enthusiastic this crowd was going to be. His performance and intensity increased with each song. It was really fun to see the passion fly off the stage note for note. I think my favorite song was their extended rendition of Moondance.

When it was over, I left wanting more (selfish I know) but was incredibly happy to see and hear everything in the performance tonight.

Michael

I love how life can give little surprises when you least expect it. Today I was in Barnes and Noble wandering around looking for something interesting to read when I began hearing beautiful melodies as if being sung by angels. I followed the sound to the back of the store. In the children’s section, I found a middle school girl’s choir softly singing Christmas carols.

I watched for about 10 minutes. Their harmonies were really fantastic. Many people in the store had stopped to watch and listen. Their voices were so perfect that many stood transfixed. As I started to walk around again, I could continue to hear their soft melodies wafting through the building. The music kept a smile on my face the entire time.

As I started to leave, I witnessed a stunning sunset. The colors were brilliant partly due to the very cold and dry air today. All the colors from blue to red were highly saturated and almost unnatural looking. I watched in amazement for about several minutes until it had faded into black. (Unfortunately my camera was at home. Never again. But, on second thought maybe I was just supposed to enjoy the sunset without photographing it.)

I went to the store on impulse. If I had waited 15 or 20 minutes, I would have missed both the girl’s choir and the sunset. If you get the urge to go do something, go do it. Don’t wait. Don’t come up with excuses why you shouldn’t. Just go. The more you listen to those urges and impulses the more you’ll hear them. Who knows, you might have some fun.
Have a great day!

Michael

As I mentioned previously, I started taking guitar lessons on October 4th. The experience so far has exceeded my expectations. I’ve learned more in a month about music than I had in many years prior.

I have a really great teacher that keeps pushing me well beyond what I believe that I’m capable of doing. He really doesn’t let me stay on the edge of what I know. He is constantly prodding me forward to go way past my comfort zone.

For my next lesson, I’m supposed to create a solo composition based on what he has taught me so far. In music terms, I’m to use my new found knowledge of the diatonic chords in the scale of E, sixths and the seven modes (scales) to create something totally unique.

I find it fascinating how in the process of doing something that I completely enjoy, I’m feeling very uncomfortable. All sorts of thoughts went through my head like: How am I supposed to do this so fast? What can I possibly create in 11 days? Will it sound really stupid? I have no clue what to do or what I’m doing. Is my teacher being unrealistic?

The other side of my mind is incredibly excited because it’s (I’m) thinking if this is the expectation in one month of lessons, what will I be able to do in 12 months? It really is challenging and a lot of fun.

I’m concerned that what I create will be amateurish, simplistic and not that good. But, I know that I will surge forward in my capabilities just by doing this exercise. So, in the long run, it’s not about the end result, it’s solely about the creative journey. In just one month of practicing what I’ve learned, I can already see vast improvement. It will only get better.

The bottom line is that I’m playing guitar for two reasons: 1) It’s a lot of fun and 2) I want to see if I can play what I’m hearing in my head.

Have a great day!

Michael