Technology has really afforded anyone with just a little computer savvy to record music a variety of different ways, very quickly. I was cleaning up my external drive and came across a little sumthin’ I threw together just as I was finishing lunch at home one day, getting ready to head back in to the office (took me about 5 mins to do in Logic Express 7.2, Powerbook G4). Check it out…
There u have it….yummy.
This is me, visually (…a relatively close facsimile, anyway).
Greetings folks…
From this point on, I’ll occassionally post some gems from my musical journey to present (as it’s been a lonnng journey thus far…haha). Hope u enjoy the ride as well
This one tells the beginning of how I got started. When my brother was 3, he received a Mickey Mouse guitar for Christmas. Being as though he was 3, the guitar lasted for ABOUT 3 days. By the third day, it had no strings so…..being the big brother of 13 that I was, I fixed it….then began to play around with it….and enjoy it.
About a few months later, I spied a small electric guitar and tiny amp in the local record shop. I begged my dad to buy it for me. All and all, I think both cost less than $100 total (the guitar was a hefty $42!!! – LOL). In any event, I thought playing the guitar, out of any other instrument, would be the coolest to learn (and yes, since I was a teenager, I felt the girls would love that…yes, I admit it….and yes, I was …mostly correct – heh).
Coincidentally enough, the other guys in the neighborhood also sprung some musical talent as well. My friend next door started playing bass, another friend down the street played drums, one around the corner played guitar, yet another played percussion, and another friend up the street played trumpet.
We practiced at each others homes every weekend (God bless our parents), and soon became good enough to form a lil neighborhood R&B band named…Black Frost, which began to do all kind of litttle events around town – HS dance parties, etc. We had a ball, and began to hone our musical and songwriting skills based upon the influences of R&B and commercial radio. We began writing our own material to perform out, and took 2nd place only to the hottest R&B band across town, Sundae (those last two parts, in themselves, are enough for future blog posts! haha)
Good memories from back in the day, when bands were the hotness. We need that back in music today.
The above pic is an afternoon rehearsal in my backyard…who can guess what year that was, annnnd which guy is me?
Have a good one….
F!
This post I can’t take credit for, and I can’t quite recall the original source, but it speaks great truths to me. I often partake it some of the advice but hope to increase in those areas where I don’t. I hope you find it useful.
Ten Ways To Stay Grounded In a Busy World
1. Live simply and live deliberately. By choosing not to get caught up in the details of this fast-paced world, you are doing your part to slow down the . You will also discover that you have more time to enjoy being alive.†
2. Stay in touch with yourself. Soul searching, meditation, and journaling are just a few of the many activities you can take part in to stay aware and learn as much as you can about your emotions, reactions, likes, dislikes, dreams, and fears. Having a solid sense of self gives you a firm foundation for living in this world.†
3. Support or teach others as often as you can. This can help you form connections with people while also giving you an opportunity to make the world a better place.†
4. Consciously choose what you will allow into your being. The media bombards us with visions of hate, war, and pain. Be judicious about what you read, watch, and listen to.†
5. Acknowledge the beauty that resides around you. Whether you live in a sprawling metropolis or a stereotypical suburb, there are natural and man-made wonders just waiting to be discovered by you.†
6. Nurture your ties to your tribe. If you donít have one, create a community that you can belong to. Modern life can be isolating. When you have a tribe, you have a circle that you are a part of. Its members ñ loved ones, friends, or neighbors – can be a source of support, caring, guidance, and companionship.†
7. See the larger picture. Remember that the way that you choose to live is not the only way to live. Widen your perspective by exploring other modes of being through research, travel, and discussion.†
8. Embrace the challenges that life presents to you, and challenge yourself often. After a time, even the most exciting jobs or lifestyles can seem routine. Never stop assimilating new knowledge about whatever you are doing, and your life will never seem dull.†
9. Move your body. In this busy world, it can be easy to live a sedentary life. Movement reacquaints us with our bodies and connects us to the earth in a visceral way. It also restores our vitality.†
10. Make time for stillness, silence, and solitude. The world can be noisy, and we are subject to all kinds of noises nearly every waking hour. We are also often “on the go” and unable to relax. Being alone in a peaceful place and making time for quiet can help you stay in touch with yourself.
peace…
F!
For the longest time I’ve been considering a netbook. Why, for the obvious reasons…ultraportable computing and a good cross between a standard size laptop and the smaller Sony Vaio. I’ve had online discussions and tweets with Roddykat and Kenya and still really think about getting another high end Powerbook Aluminum or better yet cheap Macbook Pro (last generation, not unibody) In any event, as some of you know, I am a die-hard Macintosh fan and have been one since 1991 (my first Mac was a Macintosh Classic II).
Imagine my delight when I came across this article from Gizmodo, a Dell Mini 9 running Mac OSX….perfect combination! I think I may have to try and roll with this. The current issue of Wired has a good article about netbooks that I’ll crawl in bed to read….that may help me solidify the decision!
Had to share a comment from the Facebook group…a comment that makes doing this podcast all worthwhile. Have a great day!
Christophe Sandot (France) wrote
at 7:46pm yesterday
Bonjour Doug ; )
Happy to read you, i like your warm voice in the night, when candles are burning on my indonesian opium low table and Nag Champa indian encens is burning… Just finish a week-end with a charming south-korean girl :p Chill out attitude is the way of life and musics feed our souls. You have a very good taste in your selection. I feel that you are influenced by european electronic musics, this week, for example. I am already addict to your podcast dude : )
I see that each week you put a pic with your podcast. Let’s have a look at my travel photos sets on flickr.com. (Backpacker75 is my screenname on lonelyplanet.com travel forums). If there is one you want put a week with your podshow, be free to take one.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88374290@N00/sets/
Kristof
Hey folks….
Thanks for listening in once again. While this week wasn’t VERY busy (this past Friday night and Saturday evening moreso), I didn’t get the new tracks I was hoping to get, and currently need to troubleshoot a mic issue with my audio interface. That being said, I’m posting another recast. I hope you enjoy the mix.
1. Vibrations – Sutro Heights/Om Lounge – Vol.7
2. Well I Gotta Story to Tell – Evolve/Chill Out-West Coast Edition, Vol. 2
3. Survivor – Mr. Fingers/Future Soul
4. Planet Of The Breaks (Jazzanova Rmx) – Visit Venus/The Endless Bummer Rmx Appendix
5. Then Came You – Euphonic feat. Kevin Yost/Mushroom Jazz 2
6. Hurt Of A Nerd (Jimpster Rmx) – Visit Venus/The Endless Bummer Rmx Appendix
7. Feeling Good (Joe Clausell Remix) – Nina Simone/Verve Remix Box Set Deluxe Edition Set
8. Like a Tattoo – Sade/Best of Sade
Thanks to AMR for expressing interest in Nina Simone. I would have never considered her considering the vibe and genres of this podcast, but I was able to find the remix above. Again, Verve Records comes through.
I hope you enjoyed the tracks, and further hope that whenever you’re listening to this, your state of mind is playing your desired soundtrack as well. If you have any questions about The Sunday Soundtrack, please feel free to email me.
The Sunday Soundtrack is on Twitter, you can follow it here and on Facebook as well, here.
For those podcasters/musicians/remixers/etc…I’m hoping to resurrect another podcast that I started in 2007. It is entitled “Fusion: Where Music, Technology, and the Creativity of the Artist Intersect”. If you are interested in participating, you can find more information about it here.
peace, have a great week!
All the best,
F!
Hello readers and listeners.
I trust all is well today. This post is a follow-up to the previous post about the subject of an upcoming podcast I hope to resurrect entitled Fusion. The concept of this podcast came to me via an off the cuff discussion I had a few years ago with a fellow podcaster/recording artist/graphic designer. Both of us, being musicians in our own right, began discussing our backgrounds and influences in making music, which invariably talking about how technology (past and present) played a role taking the music from inner to outer.
I began to see the different paths he had taken and compared them to mine. I also began to see, along our separate journeys, how there were things we couldn;t *readily accomplish* (but did) that we could easily accomplish now. The conclusion of the discussion led me to develop the concept for this podcast – one that would share the insights of an (generally musical, but not limited to) artist by which they leverage technology to get their art out there – including their journey along the way, their influences etc.
The format of the podcast is to use an audio interview, very casual but basically formatted, and to just have some fun with it (which is the most important part). Being a techy, I have to include the usual aspects of what kind of hardware/software was/is being used, suggestions/recommendations, tips, etc…but fuse the overall flow with some laid back fun.
As said, although the general focus is about music (recording, arranging, creating, production, podcasting), every once and awhile, I’d like to include the same concept with regards to web design, photography, etc. All aspects of using social media, Web 2.0 and the like are definitely topics of discussion as well.
That being said, I’d like to invite all interested in leaving me your Skype ID, Yahoo IM, iChat ID, Grand Central number or even cell or landline number so the audio interview can be recorded to my laptop. Primarily, I’d prefer to do it via net chat, but will consider landline/cell phone interviews down the line (gotta keep it as inexpensive as I can – heh!). If you are interested, feel free to leave your info in the comments section or e-mail me
Thanks (for your time and interest) in advance…
peace!
F!
Coming soon… FUSION – Where music, technology, and the artist intersect (a podcast)
Stay tuned….4….details.
peace,
F!
Good people…
Hope all is well. Here’s a quick clip of the band I’m in, 150 East, performing at DC Metro area wedding reception a year ago. This is our edition of Jeff Lorber’s “Reflections”. Your’s truly on guitar.
peace…
F!
