I got a phone call from an old friend today. The funny thing is, he didn't intend on calling me. He was looking for another kid named Zach, but nevertheless, it was good to catch up. Hearing familiar voices after a long period of time does a mind good.
I'm sitting here doing analysis of the Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. Why? I don't know. I guess it's pivotal that I know this kind of thing if I want to be a "real" musician. Not that I don't like theory...I love learning new things about music all the time. I just don't think it's necessary that I know that the chord on the first 8th note beat of measure 2 is a B7b5. Big deal. Honestly.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
bad luck
Today was a day where I probably experienced every mood in the emotional spectrum. I got invited to take part and observe a recording session with some friends of mine in one of Berklee College of Music's sweet studios. It was from 2am - 6am....while I should be sleeping. I decided to against my better judgement and make the hour trek up to Boston at 12:30 in the morning. When I walked in there, I was totally blown away. Not that I should have been because it was the typical run-of-the-mill recording studio, but it makes my setup look like chump change. The SSL mixing console was the coolest thing I've ever laid my hands on. Drums and bass were tracked for two songs, and I left the studio right after 6.
Guess what....
....my car got towed.
I still made it to class on time at 8 in the morning.
Guess what....
....my car got towed.
I still made it to class on time at 8 in the morning.
Monday, February 18, 2008
short-term future.
20/70
I have a lot to look forward to next month
3/10-Spring break
3/17-I'm playing at The Living Room in Providence. 8:15pm, $8. All Ages. It's likely to be my band's CD release.
3/19-I'm playing with my Jazz combo group in Sapinsley Hall at RIC. 7:00pm. Free.
3/21-MAE.
3/25-Band-business related shizz in Framingham somewhere.
I have a lot to look forward to next month
3/10-Spring break
3/17-I'm playing at The Living Room in Providence. 8:15pm, $8. All Ages. It's likely to be my band's CD release.
3/19-I'm playing with my Jazz combo group in Sapinsley Hall at RIC. 7:00pm. Free.
3/21-MAE.
3/25-Band-business related shizz in Framingham somewhere.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
in due time
I've contemplating transferring schools, but the fact of the matter is, I would be setting my graduation process back by doing so. Right now, I'm right on pace to graduate in four years, and I don't want it to take any longer than that. I am nervous about what happens after college. Job...?...move out?...band?...? What am I going to do with myself? I remember a conversation I had with an old friend a year or so ago. It was simply a statement of "go for it and don't look back." I am at a point in my life, personally, financially, and socially where I have nothing at all to lose and everything on this planet to gain. It would be foolish of me to have finished school, and to not experience every single place that is significant to this country we live in. I want to see Florida again. I want to go to LA, Seattle, back to Colorado, Chicago, Ohio. So many places.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Zach's my name, don't wear it out.
15/70
I'm only blogging tonight for the sake of consistency. My grades in school are significantly better than they were at this point last semester...and I finished that off with a GPA over 3...so I guess things are looking up in that end. On the downside, I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks. I'm not going to schedule myself any classes until after 10 or 11 AM next year. I desperately need to catch up on some rest. Perhaps my lack of sleep is contributing to my frustrating writer's block, as well as a number of other things. Spring Break (or Summer break for that matter) can't come soon enough.
Cheers
I'm only blogging tonight for the sake of consistency. My grades in school are significantly better than they were at this point last semester...and I finished that off with a GPA over 3...so I guess things are looking up in that end. On the downside, I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks. I'm not going to schedule myself any classes until after 10 or 11 AM next year. I desperately need to catch up on some rest. Perhaps my lack of sleep is contributing to my frustrating writer's block, as well as a number of other things. Spring Break (or Summer break for that matter) can't come soon enough.
Cheers
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
the nostalgic emo kid
I don't know what it is that drives my music making skills, but I seem to lack the ear for the abstract. Contrast that with my strong ear for writing generic pop-rock tunes with sappy nostalgic lyrics, which for some reason I'm just good at. Nostalgia is a great source of lyrical material no matter how cliche it gets. Why not take advantage of those resources? I'm writing one right now because I got some strange strong influence from a photograph of a certain female.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Getting over it.
10/70.
The pats were winning with 2:42 left in the game. They lost it on two plays: the should've Manning sack, and the lack of Hobbs defending Plaxico. If those two plays went in the Patriots favor, we'd be saying 19-0, undefeated season. Hats off to the NYG for beating NE.
Another getting over it issue:
"When you hear your voice recorded for the first time, it isn't usually something that you enjoy. It is a shock. Some wonder, "What's wrong with this equipment." Others are just stunned and flabbergasted.
It is actually quite a simple phenomenon though. How we think we sound is different then how we really sound.
Under normal circumstances our hearing is due to the sound waves on the air reaching our ears, "banging" our ear drums (yep that was a bad pun), vibrating the bones of the inner ear, stimulating the hair cells within the cochlea, changing into electronic signals which are then sent to the brain for interpretation. It is an amazing process, but the interpretation of sound is all based on sound waves.
There are a few things that can alter sound. For speaking purposes, the reason your voice sounds different when you speak then when you hear a recording of yourself is simple, it's all in your head. Not that you have gone crazy or anything, but the tissues and bones of your head effect the sound you hear. Your cochlea is stimulated by sound waves through the normal process, but also by the vibrations of your bones from the action of speaking. It causes you to hear yourself in two parts, the first out in the air through sound waves, and the second within yourself as vibrations.
The answer is simple, it's all in your head, literally!"
I found that article online. It's made me ponder the reasons that when I'm singing live, I feel great about it. Play it back and I think it sucks. It's just something to get used to.
The pats were winning with 2:42 left in the game. They lost it on two plays: the should've Manning sack, and the lack of Hobbs defending Plaxico. If those two plays went in the Patriots favor, we'd be saying 19-0, undefeated season. Hats off to the NYG for beating NE.
Another getting over it issue:
"When you hear your voice recorded for the first time, it isn't usually something that you enjoy. It is a shock. Some wonder, "What's wrong with this equipment." Others are just stunned and flabbergasted.
It is actually quite a simple phenomenon though. How we think we sound is different then how we really sound.
Under normal circumstances our hearing is due to the sound waves on the air reaching our ears, "banging" our ear drums (yep that was a bad pun), vibrating the bones of the inner ear, stimulating the hair cells within the cochlea, changing into electronic signals which are then sent to the brain for interpretation. It is an amazing process, but the interpretation of sound is all based on sound waves.
There are a few things that can alter sound. For speaking purposes, the reason your voice sounds different when you speak then when you hear a recording of yourself is simple, it's all in your head. Not that you have gone crazy or anything, but the tissues and bones of your head effect the sound you hear. Your cochlea is stimulated by sound waves through the normal process, but also by the vibrations of your bones from the action of speaking. It causes you to hear yourself in two parts, the first out in the air through sound waves, and the second within yourself as vibrations.
The answer is simple, it's all in your head, literally!"
I found that article online. It's made me ponder the reasons that when I'm singing live, I feel great about it. Play it back and I think it sucks. It's just something to get used to.
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