The weather is finally starting to cool down a little bit. Not only will I be a lot more comfortable, our electric bill will drop substantially. If asked I'd have to say that autumn is my favorite season of the year. All the benefits of spring without the incessant tornadoes and such.

I'm going to have to give my Acid epic a couple of days rest (at least). First, I've heard it so many times that I'm almost sick of it. Second, I think I've just about used up all the creative energy I have for that. I need to spend time doing other things because I have put many, many long hours into the project. There's so much more I want/need to do with it but I should wait until I have some fresh ideas. I listened to it on one of the stereos in the office and it just seemed like there was something missing. Or not so much "missing" as that it didn't sound as good through those speakers as it does through my headphones. This discourages me. It makes me think (rightly?) that I need to go back and re-mix levels. Unfortunately there are a couple of sections in this piece that can't be re-mastered. I should have thought about that before I did it that way, but I really didn't think the thing would progress to such relatively massive proportions.

Yes, I will be voting for Obama next month. The whole McCain/Palin campaign seems ridiculous to me.

Bryan's first marching band contest was yesterday. I don't know how they did because apparently they don't get the results the same way. We always did when I was in band, but that's been 30 years ago and I'm sure they do a LOT of things differently now. They went to Pizza Hut for lunch (not the one I've boycotted, thankfully) and he said he sat at the table with the popular kids. He told me that he sat at an empty table and the next thing he knew they were all seated there with him. I'm glad to see that, because he was fairly socially awkward for a long time. He's gained a lot of popularity singing in the talent shows the last couple of years. Maybe that's part of it. Plus the fact that he's just a very musically talented kid and the band people can see that. If they only knew just HOW musically talented he is...all they've heard is his singing and trombone playing. I wonder what they'd think if they heard him playing Mozart on the piano? Or listened to one of the many compositions he's made on the Anvil program?

They may get that chance at the next middle school talent show. He's seriously considering playing piano this time instead of singing. He says he's going to put together a medley. I don't know what he'll wind up choosing, but surely the Mozart sonata section that he's taught himself will be there.

I am very proud of him...I always was, but as he's grown he's given me many more reasons to be proud. In the eighth grade and he already knows infinitely more about math/algebra than I ever did. He uses a lot of spare time writing lengthy stories that revolve around a cast of characters he's created (all of whom are dogs...one is a private investigator, another is that dog's nemesis, you get the idea). He probably has enough to fill a couple of books, and it's really good stuff, too. He's well-behaved and polite. He's extremely intelligent...

I'm sure he gets it from his mom...

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Music Video of the Week: Sreamin' Jay Hawkins

After last weeks incredibly "uplifting" Music Video of the Week (in which Joni Lamb just barely upstages Rooster Boy) I feel it is my obligation to explore another, much darker kind of insanity. Well, I don't know, it may not exactly be "darker" but it's sure as hell more bizarre (in the most common definition of the word). Coutesy of the legendary Screamin' Jay Hawkins, "I Put a Spell on You" is the kind of performance that will either have you rolling on the floor, laughing your ass off, or frightened to the point of soiling your jeans. Me? I just got up and my gut hurts. Pause the Sigur Ros jukebox while playing this goofy, yet unsettling video. The juxtaposition of "Spell" and "Glosoli" may well induce a catatonic state.

"I Put a Spell on You"
Screamin' Jay Hawkins

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Here's my response to a message I received from someone on garageband:

***Orignal comment: Music has surely progressed during the computer age. ***

Some would say it's progressed...I imagine the big record labels would disagree. One thing is for sure...now more than ever it is back in the hands of the people who make it. I am sure there are a lot of groups out there who still dream of "hitting big", but the reality is that only a scant handful of bands (new bands, at least) are playing large venues and those groups all have niche audiences that have been on board for awhile, ie they didn't get where they are at because of any record label support. "Breaking Out" is a concept that is very soon to follow the dodo bird into oblivion. There are SO many choices and so many venues of exposure that it's almost like a huge river stuffed to the gills with fish...you snag one, you don't like it, you throw it back in. You catch a good one, you keep it. The difference between now and 20 years ago is that YOU decide which fish are worth taking home and not the game warden (record labels). Not that the warden didn't sometimes have some good suggestions, but it gets tiring to have someone else tell you where you can find some trout when you're looking for catfish. You might just love trout, you may be ignorant of the whole species of fish and the game warden may be your indispensable best friend. But the seasoned fishermen (the serious musician, music lover in this analogy) knows enough about the craft and what he wants/likes that he'd like nothing more than the game warden staying as far away as possible.

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The Kronos Quartet play Sigur Ros

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It was another "lost weekend" for me. Very little of it will be remembered other than what is chonicled in the Acid project I got lost in. It wasn't even a "new" project...I just decided to do some things with the last one, "Snow White 8 Ball". What I've come up with is an elaborate 15 minute piece that earns it's title, "Snow White Suite". Yesterday when I posted the link for "8 Ball" I said that I thought it was the best thing I've down with the program so far. But now that I've caused it to evolve into a sprawling head trip of mammoth proportions I must update that opinion and let it be known that I am more impressed with the Suite.

I haven't uploaded it to garageband yet...there are still a few tweaks I want to get done before calling it "good". I'm tempted to enter it into the review process...maybe I should. So what it if it's twice as long as "Stairway to Heaven"? There's hardly a dull moment to be found, so everyone who is gonna say "Well, it's a little longish" can kiss my ass, because when you get as deep into the sonic mind as I have in the first two minutes of the song you can afford to extend the journey.

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