Happy Holidays

It’s hard to believe that the holidays are here and the year is nearly done. I made the decision in January to start doing videos via Zoom for my podcast and posting them to YouTube and Spotify. It’s been very successful (depending on how you measure success) and I will continue as best as I can. I keep pretending that I know what I’m doing but I’m convinced I’m going to get caught at it any day now.

I started writing this blog only a few weeks ago as an extension of the podcast and also to toot my own horn periodically. Between the two I have begun to believe that I can help introduce the general population to many of the creative people we know and the hard working people behind the scenes. But I need your help. Please feel free to comment, criticize, or make suggestions that will help this endeavor along. Listen to as many episodes as you can. I’m trying to convince the dreaded algorithm that I actually have friends. And finally, please recommend me to anyone that you think may enjoy this.

I’m going to take the next couple weeks off after this weeks podcast is posted. But I’ll be back to annoy you in January and I’m looking forward to some very cool stuff in 2025. I wish you peace and love and I’ll see you next year.

In case you missed it…

Last weeks podcast featured the very talented singer/songwriter Jamie-Sue Seal. She is also the founder of Smokin’ Sleddog Records and Togo Touring Artists. We had a great discussion about the business of the business and the difficulties all artists face.

Next weeks podcast…

The award-winning violinist/conductor Tigran Shiganyan makes a return visit. Please join us as we discuss his many recent projects and accomplishments.

By the way…since we recorded our interview Tigran has received the American Prize Ernest Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music. He conducted an entire program of music by composer Lowell Liebermann with the Kazakh State Orchestra. Congratulations my friend!

Something extra

I should have posted this before. I’m sorry but I thought people in Mid-Michigan should know.

The Mid-Michigan Classical Guitar Society is presenting its annual Holiday concert on Sunday Dec. 8, 2024 at 7:00 PM at Creative 360 in Midland, MI. We will present performances featuring several of our members, four songs by the full ensemble, and an exciting recital by our featured guest artist Nick Liu. The venue is lovely and very relaxed. This is a family friendly event and is free to attend. Please come spend your Sunday evening with us if you can.

If you would like more information about the Mid-Michigan Classical Guitar Society please visit MMCGS.ORG

Dec. 5, 2024

In case you missed it…..

Last weeks guest on the podcast was columnist, author, podcaster Jeff Giles.

Coming up this weekend…

My guest this weekend is singer songwriter Jamie-Sue Seal. Jamie-Sue is also the founder and CEO of Smokin’ Sleddog Records and Togo artists. This is a great conversation about what goes on behind the scenes in the music business. You won’t want to miss it.

In other news…..

The trio HAVEN has recently released a beautiful new album of music by contemporary composer Lee Kesselman. Lee will be a guest on the podcast in January. Although known primarily for his choral works his talent for writing beautiful melodies and harmonies is very much on display in this CD.

Several years ago I released an album of Christmas Carols. You can buy it through my website or go to YouTube and give it a listen. I’m not comfortable hyping myself here but people get cranky if I don’t let them know stuff.

I don’t want this to become an op-ed place. Goodness knows there are plenty of other places for that. However, President Trump tried to eliminate funding for the arts and humanities during his last term. It’s a distinct possibility that he may do so again. If this funding is important to you please be vigilant and don’t be afraid to contact your representative or senator.

Nov. 28, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m currently preparing some food for todays feast when the kids all show up. But I really wanted to thank you all for subscribing and helping me along. If you can think of anything I can do to improve this blog or the podcast please leave a comment.

In case you missed it……

                     Last weeks podcast featured Chicago based painter Adam Thomas.

Coming this weekend …….

I’m joined this weekend by author/columnist Jeff Giles….

In other news…..

I uploaded my rendition of the BeeGees classic “I Started A Joke” the other day. You can watch it here on YouTube.

It’s also available on my Patreon page.

November 22, 2024

So this week I’ve been working around some minor scheduling issues. Still, they are very aggravating. It’s put me a bit behind in getting this post out.

In case you missed it…..

Entertainment attorney and artist manager Randy Ojeda joined me to discuss the business of being a successful artist.

In other news…..

Orli Shaham has just released this wonderful collection of Piano Sonatas by W. A. Mozart. You can find it on Amazon. 

Coming this weekend…..

Chicago based painter Adam Thomas talks about his journey from the corporate world to successful artist.

This week on Creative Conversations

In my seemingly never ending stuggle with technology I’ve made what I hope to be some improvements to this blog. They were suggested by subscribers like you and greatly appreciated. If there you have any suggestions please tell me. I’m not nearly as good at this as I pretend to be but I really want it to be successful for all of us.

In case you missed it……

Last week guest was the amazing and widely acclaimed composer/conductor Victoria Bond. She’s composed operas, ballets, and many other works large and small.

And in other news….

Folias Duo recently had a successful recital at Indiana University. Here’s a link to see an excerpt.

Guitarist/composer Dale Kavanagh has a new CD out. I haven’t heard it yet but I most certainly will in the next couple of days. She’s a favorite of mine. Here’s a link if you’d like to buy it for yourself.

This weeks guest is Randy Ojeda esq. whose law practice focuses on artist management. Please join us as we discuss the too often ignored and misunderstood aspects of being a successful artist.

     A new CD by composer Lee R. Kesselman will be released on Friday Nov. 15. I’ve heard it and it’s          wonderful. Many people don’t know that there is a lot of new classical music being performed these days. It’s not just old music by dead people.  You should definitely check it out.

Making Changes

So professionally some things are changing….I think/hope. It was suggested recently that my podcast should be video instead of audio only. I’ve actually been thinking about this for awhile now but I was undecided. (That’s a polite way of saying wishy-washy) But I’m committed to the change now. Actually I would like to think of it as an upgrade.

I’m not entirely sure how it will be presented but I’ve got this part figured out….all of the future episodes will be approximately a half hour in length, unedited, and recorded from Zoom. Past episodes were quite heavily edited. Some conversations were nearly ninety minutes long and I cut them down to fifty or so. The audio version will be available wherever you normally get your podcast and then the video version, or at least clips, will be available on my YouTube channel. I’m still trying to sort it all out. I’ve got a lot of technical stuff to work out too. The plan is to be up and running before February 2024.

When I started out doing this stuff I knew that I didn’t know anything about it and that mistakes were unavoidable. That means that as I continue to learn and grow, changes are inevitable….or at least they should be. I’ve enjoyed many entertaining and informative conversations with my artistic friends and I thought others would enjoy listening in. So I started the podcast with the idea that the listeners could be “a fly on the wall”. I steadfastly avoided the “interview” model of a traditional show. Well, I was wrong. Nobody cared to listen to other people shoot the breeze. And, like many people, I was slow to acknowledge it. But I’ve finally come around.

While talking about it with my advisor I was urged to transform this blog into a vlog and do video only. I’m not too sure I want to do that. I enjoy the act of writing. I probably should have been a writer instead of a musician. If I were to turn on the camera and just talk about this weeks topic I would likely just babble away. And if I scripted it first I would recite it with all of the finesse of an eighth-grader reciting Shakespeare. This may not be the smartest move but I think I’ll just continue writing for the time being.

I bounce my ideas off of my wife. She’s very smart and very intuitive and often thinks of angles that I miss. I also pay a consultant an hourly fee to help out periodically. Honestly, I’m not smart enough to think of this stuff by myself and I’m always looking for input. So with that in mind, please send me your thoughts and ideas, criticisms, complaints, or just general comments. Such things matter to me and are beneficial. I’m sorry that I can’t afford your hourly fee. I’m sure you’re worth it.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been in the news a lot over the past several months. Although there is no specific publishing date, it was first developed in September of 2021. However most of us didn’t learn about it until earlier this year.

I’ve been curious about it and have read articles and watched news reports with interest. I think the joke “artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity” has been effectively disproven. AI is emerging as a very powerful tool. And like all tools it can be used for any purpose the user determines.

I downloaded ChatGPT recently just to see what the fuss was about. It was very easy and quick to download and it’s free. So…why not? Okay, I’ve got it. Now what?

I’ve had an idea for a how-to book that I’d like to write so I decided to see if AI could help. I asked it to give me ten chapter headings on that subject and I instantly had them. Several were obvious choices and one was off the mark. But a couple of them were pretty good and I hadn’t thought of them before. Although I won’t be able to use them, they caused me to think in other directions and gave me some inspiration. So without knowing how to use AI, I was able to benefit from it just by goofing around.

The process is simple enough. You type in a question or request and it instantly (and I do mean instantly) responds. In another experiment I took a small point in my future book and asked it to write a 500 word article. It instantly gave me a pretty good article. I can see how this can be exploited by students and why teachers are worried.

ChatGPT is just the beginning. There are other AI programs that have recently come out. A battle for good and evil has already begun. Please remember that I’m an old man and if I’m aware of some of this stuff younger, more sophisticated people are also aware and familiar. This is, in part, a concern for striking actors in Hollywood. Their voices and images can be duplicated and used without their consent for the financial gain of the studios. This is generally referred to as “deep fakes”.

In a New Jersey high school some students used deep fake technology to create nude pictures of some of their classmates and then posted them online. I know it sounds outrageous that the ability exists, but not surprising that it was used. I would like to think that the perpetrators were clever….misguided, of course, but clever. Nope. This morning I saw an ad for another AI program and that was its primary selling point. Yes, these kids need to be held accountable, but so should the software developers.

On a brighter note, the Beatles released a new single this week with the help of AI. (Geez. With the release of a new single by the Beatles and a new album by the Rolling Stones it makes me wonder just how far we set back our clocks this weekend.) Paul, George, and Ringo tried to do something with the remaining cassette demo that John had recorded before his death in 1980 but the original was, in George’s words, “F**king rubbish”. Now, nearly 30 years later, with the help of this new technology, Paul, Ringo, and others were able to make it work.

There were several technical problems, of course, but the biggest hurdle then was that John had simply sang and played piano into a cassette recorder. The piano overpowered his voice in several places and there was no way to balance them out…..until now. With the help of AI they were able to separate the voice and the piano and put them on different tracks. I recently saw a demonstration of the process and was amazed. The demonstrator played piano and sang into a single microphone, took this recording and plugged it into the AI program and instantly got back two separate tracks which could each be manipulated individually. No fuss…no muss.

There is no doubt we are at the beginning of a turning point. For better or worse this technology will change our lives. Yes we should be worried about it’s potential and need to take precautions. But we should also be excited. The possibilities are mind blowing. I’m not too worried because predicting the future has only ever worked with tabloid astrologers. If you watch the movie “2001, A Space Odyssey” you’ll see the video phone (of course) but it’s attached to the kitchen wall. I should add that we don’t have a presence in orbit around Jupiter either. And the pocket communicator in the original Star Trek TV show looks absolutely quaint.

So, for now, I will watch my back but hope for the best. Perhaps it will eventually make me a decent cup of coffee or help me decipher the words to “Louie, Louie”.

Happy Halloween

It’s Halloween. In a few hours the “trick-or-treaters” will be stopping by the house and I will be handing out treats. An annual tradition that I happily participate in, partly out of gratitude for all of the goodies I received as a costumed child many years ago. In truth I look forward to the excitement-turned to duty that the kids have.

As the evening begins the kids run up the steps to the front door and yell “trick or treat” and are excited that you drop a piece of candy into the opened container (usually, but not always, some sort of sack). However, an hour and a half later they just sort of wander up the sidewalk, saunter up the stairs, and dutifully mutter “trick or treat”. When I offer a piece of candy they don’t hardly notice. They simply open their sack as if to say, “just put it in here with the rest of them.” Their enthusiasm has waned and become something like their parents daily enthusiasm about fifteen minutes before quitting time.

Old people like me inevitably make comparisons between the way it was when we were children and the way it is today. It’s not our fault that we remember stuff but I hate it when these words dribble from my lips…..(fill in the blank) “back in my day” or “when I was your age” or any other variation that you can imagine. But dribble they do. Things today are very different of course. The big differences for me is the presence of adults accompanying the kids. It’s sadly necessary. It wasn’t when I was a kid. We would roam the neighborhood like pint-sized marauders rushing from house to house. However, once we had been to every house the evening was done. We went home ate treats.

Another difference is the treats themselves. We would often get home-made treats like fudge, brownies, cookies, and popcorn balls. I honestly didn’t care for popcorn balls but my Mom loved them. So I happily gave them to her as a bribe to keep her out of the good stuff. Unfortunately those days will never return. It’s the one night of the year where it’s okay to accept candy from strangers as long as it’s store-bought and the wrapper hasn’t been tampered with. Today’s kids will never know the joy of choking down a popcorn ball or a peanut butter cookie that was left in the oven too long…..about a week ago. But you did find out which of your neighbors could bake….or couldn’t. You also found out which ones cared enough to actually take the time to make things instead of simply buying a bag of root beer barrels or rock hard bubble gum.

So yes, things today are a bit different than they were. But the important things still remain. Luckily no one has figured out a way to do it virtually. It is still a brief opportunity to socially interact with real people. It’s a very brief opportunity for me to meet my neighbors and their children. We can choose to be either those nice old people who live on the corner or those grumpy, mean old people that no one likes.

And we give out the good stuff. We give it out to anyone who rings the bell. Little kids, teenagers, and one old lady holding her infant grandchild claiming she was trick-or-treating for the baby. (Yeah, right. I wanna see that kid chow down a Snickers bar) Age doesn’t matter…it’s just a piece of candy. It’s more important, in my opinion, that the kids have a safe night on the town.

Even though it’s an international event it’s still very local. A celebration of Barbies, ninjas, superheroes, and things that go bump in the night. A “hall pass”, if you will, for children of all ages to extort a small treat from their neighbors. A tradition that most of us willfully participate in….some gleefully and some begrudgingly. But I’m grateful that we still carry on this peculiar tradition. So Happy Halloween to all.

Oh….and I’m also grateful for the demise of the dreaded popcorn ball.

Homecoming Parade

Our great-granddaughter is a cheerleader. This is her first year and she is understandably excited. This past Friday was Homecoming at the school which, of course involves a football game in the evening. Before that, however, is the Homecoming Parade that travels through our little town and makes its way to the school. Our little cheerleader was in the parade so Grandma and Grandpa decided to attend.

We hadn’t gone to the parade in many years. It’s kind of embarrassing because the parade route passes within a block of our home. But we made it this year to support our cheerleader if not the hometown.

As soon as we left the house and headed downtown we recognized the commotion. There was excitement in the air. A Homecoming is special in a small town.

When we got downtown we spotted an empty spot at the curb and so we claimed it as our own. We chatted a bit with others in the vicinity and got to know our neighbors. A lot of the older folks were there for the same reason we were. A family member or family of a friend was involved.

I looked about and took in the spectacle. Folks lined up along the curb or standing directly behind someone who was. Someone had set up a hotdog stand nearby. I guess I wasn’t curious enough to walk over and find out who it was. Perhaps a local church using it as a fundraiser. In past years I’ve seen a popcorn machine set up too but I didn’t see it this year.

There were little kids, with their parents, excited not only for the parade but also because parade participants would be throwing candy to them as they passed by. There were middle-school kids there too, happy to be off their tether and allowed to socialize with their own kind in a feral sort of way. This included a couple of small herds of young girls who seemed to be on some kind of urgent mission based on the way they scampered from one location to another.

The parade began at 5:30 sharp with the blast of sirens from the various police cars that were in the lead. That was followed by the local marching band. If you were hoping for world class music you were destined to be disappointed. But this is where world class music begins. I have the highest praise for local band directors who can somehow wrangle these children and teach them how to play their various instruments while marching. Oh….and the music was still pretty darn good.

The parade continued with a succession of convertible cars carrying the Homecoming King and Queen and their court two-by-two. There were a few more vehicles carrying members of various charities and, of course, the cheerleaders. The passengers of all of these vehicles were throwing handfuls of candy to the children as they passed. All of the kids had plastic bags full of the candy they had collected. It was a pretty good precursor to Halloween. I doubt the candy would last that long but their weekend was looking promising.

Many of vehicles were provided by or sponsored by local businesses and so also doubled as rolling billboards. My wife and I lamented that there were no traditional floats. That used to be a big deal when we were in school during the dark ages. And then another blast of sirens as a firetruck and ambulance passed, announcing the end of the parade. Our little parade had lasted about 15 minutes.

During the time we were there I spent a moment to take it all in. The folks there were from all walks of life all along the economic spectrum. There was no question that many differing socio/political views were well represented. But none of that mattered this night. This was homecoming in our town. The town that belonged to all of us. The town that we all cared about.

If all you knew about America was what you saw in the news you would be disappointed in what had become of the American Dream. But when you balance that with our little Homecoming Parade, which is little different from homecoming parades in every town across America, you get a much more balanced view. Yes we have our problems. You can list them as easily as I can. But we have our good points too and they should be listed just as often to remind us of how lucky we are. I’ll  start…..Homecoming Parade.

TheUntalented Students

After my Mom died a couple decades ago we went through her stuff, as one does. I came across all of the school report cards we had received as children. She had kept them all. While I was a pretty good student generally, I noticed one very ironic item in my elementary cards. Apparently the one subject I did poorly in was (wait for it…..) music. So, of course, I chose music as a profession (as one does).

I always felt drawn to the creation and performance of music. But when I pursued it I realized that I was not a natural nor particularly talented. But I had forgotten these report cards. When I came across them they reaffirmed my feelings.

I’m largely a self-taught (feral?) guitarist. I’ve had a handful of lessons over the years but all of my students have had more formal music training in the last couple of months than I’ve had in my lifetime. I’ve joked that I am living proof that you don’t need to take lessons and study to become a good guitarist…..if you don’t mind spending 20 years learning 4 years of material. And, although I think of myself as a good guitarist, I’ve never been a great one. I don’t know if studying formally would have changed that or not.

I believe, however, that my background has made me a pretty good teacher. I did so very many things wrong before I did them right that I can properly advise a student. (“I used to think that your way was easier too. I was wrong. Please don’t make the same mistakes I did.”) I’m also empathetic with their struggles. I clearly remember my own struggles in trying to get my fingers to do stuff. Some memories of that frustration still make me wince.

I’ve been thinking of all this recently as I look over my teaching career. It’s easy to point to the talented students. The small handful that made a successful career in music. The few extremely talented amateurs who’ve decided to play for the sheer enjoyment of it. The standouts that every teacher in every field has.

However I’m equally proud of some of the students who weren’t talented. Their struggles were often painful to watch. But they never gave up. They toughed it out. They likely will never be awesome, but they will (I hope) have a lifetime of enjoyment from playing music. They will also have a deepened appreciation of the virtuosi that they encounter throughout their life.

As their teacher I was often frustrated and even angry. Not at their inability to comprehend or execute but at my own inability to present the information in a manner that was more helpful. If a student is really trying and is unsuccessful, then much of the responsibility rests on the teacher.

It’s funny that I’ve also had many extremely talented students who failed because they just didn’t try. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t get them motivated to apply themselves. Those are the ones that disappoint me. But when someone tries really hard and finally is able to play pretty good? I’m really proud of them too and like to brag…..as one does.

My Excellent Adventure

About four or five years ago I got this bright idea that I wanted to start riding bicycle again. I rode a lot 25 years ago but stopped when I developed a heart condition. I just chickened out I guess. At the very least I didn’t want to ride alone. But I missed riding and so, after getting the okay from my cardiologist, I started again.

I was so out of shape that I could only ride 4 or 5 miles at a time. Then I needed a snack and a nap. (Still two of my favorite pastimes) However, I kept going out and gradually increased the distance and frequency of my rides. To coincide with my rediscovered hobby I went on a diet and lost over 70 lbs.

I’m not too fond of riding on public roads anymore. I’ve had some unpleasant experiences with the occasional driver and just don’t want or need to put myself in that situation anymore. There are some extraordinary trails for unmotorized vehicles all over the country. I’ve driven past some of them in my travels to northern Michigan and thought I would like to ride them someday. The problem is I didn’t want to drive for two hours just to ride for ten minutes. But this past summer I was regularly riding 15-25 miles and could have gone further but I just didn’t want to. I didn’t feel like I had that much discretionary time. I’ve got students to teach, blogs to write, podcasts to produce, blah….blah….blah!

This past weekend, at the urging of my wife, I packed up my bicycle and my credit card and headed north. The first stop was in Leland, near Traverse City. Within Leland is a historical site called Fishtown. A former commercial fishing village on Lake Michigan. It’s been preserved and repurposed with art galleries, sandwich shops, etc. I had never been but my friend Carolyn Damstra had a pop-up art gallery there so I thought I would surprise her with a visit and also see if there was a trail nearby.

We hadn’t seen each other in person since before the pandemic so it was nice getting a chance to hang out and catch up. But she was working, after all, so I left after a half hour. But she gave me directions to a nearby trail so my biking adventure officially began. I parked my car, unloaded my bike, and jumped on the trail. The trail was a mixture of crushed limestone and fine sand. It was a nice surface to ride on, but a bit slower than I’m used to. On the other hand, I wasn’t in a hurry so it didn’t matter. I rode through mostly forest and open meadow. After a couple of miles it became a paved surface and the ride was smoother and faster. I spent the next couple of miles just admiring the beauty of the area and occasionally stopping to take a picture or two. I finally got to a place where the trail crossed a busy road, so I decided to turn around and go back.

When I returned to my car I checked my bikes odometer and saw that I had ridden about ten miles in approximately an hour and a half. I probably could have made better time but why would I want to? As an old man I officially have “mosey” down to a science.

Normally I would be done for the day, but I hadn’t ridden all those times over the last few years building my stamina just to quit now. Nope! I had other places to go. Specifically Charlevoix, or a place just north of there. There is a bike path that runs parallel to US31 along the Lake Michigan shoreline. I’ve driven that rode hundreds of time but have never been on the trail. I’ve ofter said, “One of these days….” But had not done it…..until now.

I rolled into a rest area/trail head around 5:30pm and unloaded my bike. I jumped on the trail and headed north with a beautiful Lake Michigan to keep me company. After a couple hundred yards along the road the path turned into the woods. Riding along, soaking it all in, and feeling grateful for the experience as I looked to the sky and saw the blue expanse over the lake contrasted with dark storm clouds off to the east. Uh oh! So I came to where the path crossed a side road (is there a pattern here?) and turned around. After I loaded the bike I checked the odometer and saw that I had ridden a mere six miles. Only sixteen accumulated miles but it was quality not quantity that was important on this trip. As soon as I got in the car the rain started. Slowly at first and then heavy. Like driving through a car wash.

My family has a cottage about 40 minutes from there so the plan was to spend the night there and then do some more riding the next day. As I was driving I realized I hadn’t eaten since breakfast so I stopped at a local market and got some food. While sitting in the cottage I started to make plans for the next day. I had toyed with the idea of spending the morning riding around that area but ultimately decided against it. Instead, one other destination on my “one of these days” list was about an hour away. So the next morning I headed east to Hartwick Pines State Park.

I originally thought there was a trail there. I misunderstood. There were two I soon discovered.  I followed the trail as I was driving from Grayling to the park. It runs parallel to the road. When I got to the park the trail ended (began?) at the entrance. However there was no place to park. So I entered the park hoping to ask the park ranger but none was on duty. So I drove about looking for a trailhead but couldn’t find one. So I drove over to the Visitor Center and hoped I could find someone there.

Luckily there were three people there with only themselves to talk to. I think they were happy to see me and were anxious to help. I told them I was looking for the trailhead and this nice woman immediately said, “Sure. It’s right at the end of the parking lot. You just go this way (she pointed) and you’ll see it.” I was thinking that this was some distance from the trail I saw, but okay. “You’re right here”, she point to a map taped to the counter, “and there’s a 3 mile, 5 mile, and 7.5 mile loop that you can follow.” (Loop??) I thanked her and went in search of the entrance.

I found it easily enough and as soon as I entered I realized that my query should have been more specific. This trail was different from the one I was asking about. This trail was a primitive path designed for mountain or fat tire bikes. Not my little urban runabout. But…when in Rome….

So I began my ride thinking a 5 mile loop (now that I understood that nomenclature) would be just about right. The trail immediately went uphill…and then uphill again. When I got to the top of that hill I saw that it went (you guessed it) uphill a third time. Then it went downhill….severely. I wasn’t sure if I was going to coast down or fall off.

It leveled off a bit and then started a series of hills again. I remember thinking it was like the old joke…..”up hill both ways”. I also remember amending my distance to the 3 mile loop and still wasn’t entirely sure I would make it. The path was dirt, punctuated with tree roots and small holes, and a mixture of dirt and very soft sand. When the tires hit the sand it was like riding on ice and then I would bog down as the sand deepened.

The path opened into a beautiful meadow and flattened out. It was at this moment that I thought of a couple of friends who look forward to this kind of ride and do it often. And I briefly understood why. And then I went uphill again…..and again.  On one hill there was a stretch of sand that bogged me down enough that I had to get off and walk.  On another hill I missed a shift and ended up walking again about 30 feet. Those were the only times I walked. I managed to ride the rest.

When I finally emerged from the trail into the parking lot there was a young couple about to hike it. They saw me riding (I’m being generous to abilities here) down the hill that I had earlier ridden up and cautiously waited for me. “Good morning! How are you doing today?”, they asked. “I’m tuckered out”, I said. But I realized I was grinning. That wasn’t the trail I had intended to ride and I will go back soon to ride that one. But I may take another crack at the forest too. It had never occurred to me that I could ride that bugger, but now that I have I may have to consider a return trip. I’m not over confident, but I do feel somewhat emboldened.

I loaded up the bike and checked the odometer. The lady told me it was a 3 mile loop, but my bike said it was almost 4 miles…….and my body suggested it was closer to 30 miles.

Then I checked my watch. It was just 10:30 on Saturday morning. As I had mentioned in a previous blog, my friend Tom Heideman has an internet radio show on Twisted Road Radio from 11:00-1:00. He told me he was going to play my song “A Fond Farewell” at the very end and I was only 90 minutes from home. So I hightailed out of there and got home in time for lunch with Tom. And I still had time later for a snack and a nap.

Tunes With Tom

I am a creature of habit. My wife teases me about it often. But my routines keep me productive. I get stuff done because I follow my routines. The downside is that I’ve become complacent. My habits are comforting, like an old pair of sneakers. And, like a lot of old people, I don’t care for change. I don’t find change to be exciting. Instead it’s usually a bit unsettling.

Recently I interviewed Tom Heideman for my podcast. Tom is a singer/songwriter that I’ve known and admired for over twenty years. He also has an internet radio show on Saturdays from 11:00am-1:00pm. I had never listened to it because, well…..it’s new. It’s not part of my routine and I didn’t know what kind of music he played but I knew it would be different from the music I normally listen to……and that can’t be good. But in the name of “research” I tuned in a couple weeks ago.

Internet radio is very different from what I imagined. First of all I needed to find the website. Then I needed to figure out how to tune in and listen on my computer. So I’m already a long way from my comfort zone. But it’s Tom…..he’s a friend……..and a guest on my show. So I guess I’ll just “man up” and deal with it. (Insert audible sigh here).

It turns out that it wasn’t that tricky after all. Just a couple of clicks of the mouse and I was in. I came into the show several minutes after it started and was greeted with a really cool, kind of jazzy tune. I also noted there was a live chat room. People were engaged in pleasantries (remember pleasantries? Pleasantries seem to be in short supply these days.) discussing the song they were listening to as well as other songs they had heard by the same artist. And, in this case, the artist was also a part of the discussion.

I “lurked” for a few minutes and then simply typed “Good morning Tom” and was immediately greeted by several others and welcomed into the group. That encouraged me to become a semi-active participant. (I didn’t want to be pushy and I wasn’t sure of proper chat room etiquette)

Then came the next song. It was a soft acoustic ballad. A far cry from the one before it. Each successive song was different from the others. What a pleasant change! (Wait! Did I just say that out loud?) And it quickly became apparent that these were indy productions….and they were good…..mostly. Some of the production qualities were a bit sub-par, but once you learn to listen past that you will enjoy yourself. And if you don’t like the song you’re currently listening to, just wait a minute. The next one will be different.

I’ve been advocating “buy local” for years as a point of principle and philosophy, but it turns out there is a much more practical reason for doing so. This is just plain, old, great music. In many ways this is the way it was when I was growing up. The local radio station played a wide variety of music from rock, to country, to polkas, to big band. Radio today is formatted and the music has a sameness about it. Ok…I know that’s comforting. Believe me….I get it. But “Tunes With Tom” (that’s the name of his show) is eclectic. It’s new and exciting (geez…there I go again).

I revisited the show again last Saturday morning. This time it wasn’t for research or to be polite to a friend. I went back because I really enjoy it. And I honestly expect to be a regular listener and participant…..routinely.

If you have some spare time on a Saturday from 11-1 take a moment and listen to Tunes With Tom on Twisted Road Radio. It might became a part of your routine too.

Never Forget

“We will never forget.” We’ve all said it. My parents said it about Pearl Harbor in 1941. Their parents said it about Armistice Day in 1918. As a teenager I also said it about the Kennedy assassination. The problem is that events that happened before we were born are not remembered. Oh, we learn about them in school and memorize the important dates and names long enough to pass a test and then we move on.

I remember as a child my father would talk about the Great Depression and WWII, events that had a huge impact on his life, but barely budged the needle in mine. He became frustrated and angry because I just didn’t get it.

I understand his reaction now. I’m the patriarch of a sprawling family and I have adult grandchildren who don’t remember 9/11. It happened 22 years ago and for someone in their early twenties there is no personal recollection. And if there is then it’s a very dim memory. When I speak with my young students about their American History classes it seems odd to me that these abstract names, places, and dates that they are learning are a part of my life and had some influence on the man I became. Younger generations visiting the Viet Nam Memorial don’t totally understand why their grandfathers weep when reading the names. I remember seeing the Iwo Jima memorial with my father and watching him get lost in his memories.

I don’t think that “fortunately” is the proper word, but I’m grateful that we have images to rely on. From Matthew Brady’s primitive photos of the Civil War to recent news videos, we have captured the memories that would have otherwise been lost. However they can only provide a foggy reflection of the emotions that those people felt as the news reached them. The denial, the disbelief, the horror of acceptance, and the unsettling concern of “what’s next”. Those questions have been resolved by the time the history books are written.

“Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.” Historically speaking we do forget. Currently there are those who are convinced that everyone should live by the rules that they live by and are willing to use violence to achieve that purpose. Others are greedy and willing to subjugate entire populations to enrich themselves. The worst part is that they have convinced themselves, and their followers, that they are the righteous ones and therefore entitled to do these things. Most of the political and economic disasters of the past has been caused by just a few of these people and a handful of their friends.

Civilizations come and go but human behavior remains fairly constant. Most people just want a life with the assurance of food, shelter, and peace. In the U.S. we call it “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. The wording is different in other cultures but the meaning remains the same. But there always seems to be someone determined to keep it from happening. In order to try and prevent them from doing it we must do more than “never forget”. We need to actively remember.

Customer Service

Customer service is not a relic of the past but it sure seems like it some days. I’ve had difficulties with a streaming service for the past month or so and the aggravation was exaggerated by my inability to get the company to address the situation. Whenever I clicked on the “Help” button (you can’t actually talk to a person anymore it seems) I got a bot that would offer solutions to problems that I didn’t have or direct me to YouTube videos that showed me how to do the things I was already doing. So I’ve moved on. I dropped their service and replaced it with another. Within minutes they sent me emails asking to call them 24/7 to resolve the issue. Too little too late.

I know that you all have similar stories to tell. It’s frustrating. That’s why it’s always refreshing to hear stories about companies and/or people who go out of their way to offer a great product/service and also bending over backward to satisfy the customer.

When I was just starting out as a full-time guitar teacher I told a friend of mine (a piano teacher) that I wanted to be the best in the world. He went off on me for about ten minutes explaining why that was a very stupid goal. “It’s unmeasurable. There’s always going to be someone better. You’ll burn out trying to catch the wind. And so on..”

I explained that he was missing the point. The goal was to never become complacent. To be a much better teacher at 65 that at 30. That’s the only way I can keep from becoming bored. Although it’s worked and I’ve received a lot of compliments from my students and their parents over the years, I’ve never felt comfortable accepting those kind words. I’ve always known I could do even better. I was raised to “always do your best”. That code has allowed me to be successful enough to earn a modest living.

When I heard of Jimmy Buffets death this week I recognized that same ethos. I like his music (it’s hard not to) but I’m not a “parrot head”. However I really admired his desire to take care of his fans. It’s not just good business (although it most certainly is that) but it’s also the right thing to do. Taylor Swift has made a career out of taking care of her fans and her “Eras” tour is a true phenomenon.

In the late sixties and early seventies the rock and roll acts acted as if the fans were a necessary nuisance. They would even turn their backs to the audience while they played. It took acts like Alice Cooper and Kiss to break that mold. The Grateful Dead even encouraged their fans to make recordings of the concert and distribute the bootlegs. In the meantime country artists would meet their fans at Opryland and spend a day signing autographs and briefly chatting with each one. They had an understanding of the importance of showing gratitude to the folks that supported them.

We all work hard for our money and if we choose to spend it we would like to be appreciated and respected. Most companies at least try to. When they fall down on the job we usually understand. But when they don’t seem to care we get angry. If I ever act that way toward a student or customer I hope someone will hold me to account. I would like to be better at this at 95 than I was at 65 and that’s the only way I know how to do it.

House Concerts

This past February on the Sunday following the Super Bowl my wife and I hosted a house concert. The performer was classical guitarist Brad DeRoche. Brad is a friend and we’ve had many conversations about the future of classical guitar and we’ve often theorized about the importance of small intimate events like this one.

We were both pleased that this event was a huge success. My wife said that one of the guests commented that it was “an elegant way to spend a Sunday afternoon”. There were a dozen guests who were treated to an hour of beautiful guitar music. Up close and personal, as it were. The music was followed by light refreshments and conversation. Everyone had the opportunity to spend a few moments with the artist. They had all been informed that donations would be solicited to pay Brad and, in addition, he has/had a CD for sale.

One of the guests was inspired by the event and hosted his own house concert a few months later. The artist was a different classical guitarist and there were many more guests invited. A little wine and cheese on the patio afterward completed a wonderful Saturday evening.

I had attended a couple of house concerts in the past, but these post-pandemic events seem to take on a new importance. I interviewed composer/guitarist Anthony Glise for my podcast recently and mentioned this. Anthony lives in northern France and he said that this is becoming a big thing in Europe. And a few of my European counterparts have been posting pictures on social media of the various venues they are now performing in. The ubiquitous churches, of course, but also garden recitals and house concerts.

We tend to think of live music as being a loud and exuberant event. And it most certainly can be that. Whether it’s “stadium” size concerts or clubs. And classical music gets a bad rap as being stuffy and stodgy. But music in someone’s home played to a handful of appreciative people is very different. It touches you in ways very different than the raucous places. And guitar music exemplifies that. Even when it’s loud it really isn’t very loud. When it’s soft it whispers gently. A world unto itself that is visited too seldom by many who’s soul would benefit.

After one such event a college student of mine summed it up. “I’ve attended concerts my entire life”, she said. “My parents took me to stadium concerts, symphonies, the ballet, and opera. We attended jazz and folk festivals too. But this is the first time I’ve sat in a small room and watched a lone guitarist (who didn’t sing) create an entire universe and suck me into it.”

I hope to host another some day and I hope you’ll consider hosting one too. I hope to attend several more in the future and I hope you attend a few also. You know……if we each host one then we can give new meaning to the phrase, “I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours.”

Down The Rabbit Hole

If you could read my mind you’d probably need therapy soon after. It’s pretty messy in there. For example, a colleague recently complained about using iMovie to make his music videos. The problem had to do with syncing sound with the video and he had run into a glitch that I had never heard of. (I won’t bore you with the details.) So I told him that we should get together at some point and work toward a solution.

I found the problem intriguing and have been thinking about it (on and off) for a couple of weeks. So I’ve spent some time looking at alternative production techniques in hopes of coming up with a miracle solution. Then I can come riding in heroically on a white horse and…..well you get the idea.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours on YouTube (The University of YouTube?) watching different how-to videos hoping to find an answer. Surprisingly I haven’t found any that reference that specific problem so I’m going to need to ask him some additional questions. But I did come across a couple of points made that may hold the key. We’ll see.

Now it’s important to understand that artists (especially musicians) are nearly always broke so the fix needs to be cheap. Free would be best. But then, nobody wants to pay for anything anymore so there is that…..    That’s why so many of us use GarageBand and iMovie. These programs are very good and come free with our Macs.

A couple of the videos referenced a video editing program called DaVinci Resolve so I looked them up online and discovered that there are two versions. The first one is free and the second is only $300. Apparently the second one is a go-too tool for many major Hollywood studios. (who knew?) But the free one is amazing and has features that are generally found in some very expensive software.

So then I went back to YouTube to watch how-videos for this program. There is so much that can be done that the learning curve seems quite steep. But, as I’m watching the first tutorial (over 40 minutes long), my mind starts to imagine the various ways I could use it for myself. I started to imagine putting together many different types of projects. I was, and am, quite inspired.

Maybe I should get a decent camera (used of course). So I made a trip to ebay to see what was available. I also know that I would need a decent set of lights so I checked into that too. And if I’m going to get all of that maybe I should consider turning our spare bedroom into video studio. I would probably need a new computer dedicated to just media production.

As my head reeled with the possibilities and my imagination went head-long down the rabbit hole another quiet thought infiltrated the chaos. Maybe I should just turn off my computer and go practice my guitar.

I can refer you to a decent shrink if you need.

Actors/Writers Strike

“Nothing happens until something is sold” is an adage I learned as a young man. I’m fairly certain that some will disagree but it has a pretty firm foundation……at least for the purposes of this post.

There are people who create stuff but don’t know what to do with it. Oh, you can sell it to your friends if they’re good friends who have a spare dollar or two. Or you can sell to your family members if you’re not currently feuding with them. But that’s hardly a sustainable plan for a successful future.

“Sales” is currently one of the highest paid professions. It’s a specialty that requires an outgoing personality, skill, determination, and self discipline. Most people don’t have all of those qualities and hardly any creators do. Creators want to spend their time……well….creating. Entertainers need to practice/rehearse. Finding gigs is hard and requires time they consider better spent.

Sales people need stuff to sell. They don’t invent, manufacture, or create in any substantive manner. But if you give them the right product or service they can work wonders. As a musician/recording artist I get bombarded daily with offers to help me become a star……for a fee of course.

The entertainment that you and I enjoy comes to us via collaboration between writers/composers, performers, various technical folks (these people are amazing wizards), and sales. For every concert you attend or movie you watch there is a bunch of people behind the scenes making it possible. The problem is when some people get greedy and things get out of balance.

The music business has been rife with this since the beginning. Record companies and promoters have taken advantage of artists often to their own detriment. Some of these people would butcher the goose that lays the golden egg just to have a nice Sunday dinner.

It would appear that this is what’s going on in Hollywood currently. Actors, other than the biggest stars in hit productions, are just working stiffs. They don’t get paid big bucks and they don’t get paid often. For them it’s a “gig” lifestyle. The same for writers. And yet, without them there would be no production. So when a show is a hit and the majority of actors on that hit still have to keep a day job while the studio (sales team) lives in the lap of luxury……..well the goose isn’t dead yet, but it definitely has a fever.

And none of these people would have any kind of a job if someone didn’t write the stories. The usually fertile imaginations of these folks generally keep us entertained for many hours every day. If your affluence depended on their creativity why would you underpay them? I would pamper them in hopes that they will continue to crank out wonderful stuff.

I hope, for the sake of my friends in the movie/tv industry that things get properly settled in Hollywood. I would love to see them back to work and earning a proper living.

Perhaps I’m just being naive and that’s why I’m just stumbling along hoping to make the next mortgage payment. I don’t understand these things as well as I should and I’m not very good at selling. By the way, have you visited www.rogerhumphrey.com/store yet? (Can’t blame a guy for trying)

August Musings

Summer is nearly over. It seems like it just began. I’m watching the back-to-school advertisements and making my own plans for Labor Day weekend. The children in my family are buying clothes and supplies.

Several of my students have taken a substantial amount of time off this summer and others have taken the entire summer off and will return in September. So I’ve had more time available for other things.

I did something that I’ve never really done as an adult this summer. I took two weeks off from teaching and spent a few of those days on a trip with my wife. I have always worked six or seven days a week just to make ends meet. It was just never possible to just take some time off and go places. I’m not complaining. I chose this life and turned down several offers to walk away from it for greener pastures. But choices always have consequences and time was one of my sacrifices.

I feel fortunate that I’m finally able to do little things like take trips and have time to spend with my family. I’m also lucky that I’m able to segue into other things. Old age has saddled me with shaky hands. Not real bad but bad enough that I won’t play publicly now. But I keep busy with things I had never considered before. Yes, I still teach some, but I also have a Patreon page where I offer new original arrangements of four songs every two weeks. I just started a virtual store on my website.  I have a podcast that is gradually changing into a focus on fine arts (all disciplines), and, oh yeah, this blog. I no longer practice 3-5 hours daily but I sure enough keep busy.

By and large any deadlines that I may have are self-imposed. No matter how uncomfortable it makes me, I can postpone or even ignore them. I know a lot of people who wish they had that option.

And so I look at mid-August with mixed emotions. I’m sad that the warm weather will be leaving soon. I’m happy that I’ll be resuming my normal teaching schedule and will be able to see all of my students again. I’m sad that Halloween decorations are popping up in the chain stores. I’m happy that Halloween candy is popping up in the chain stores. I won’t miss anything that is “Christmas in July” and I’m not looking forward to “pumpkin spice” everything.

More than anything I’m reminded of just how many Labor Day weekends I’ve seen already and that these are limited occurrences for all of us. So, with simple resignation, I seeming hurtle toward another. Too often I refuse to acknowledge that most of my “future” is now in the past. That doesn’t keep me from looking forward to it but it does give me a good reason to buy a bag of Halloween candy in August.

Seeking Magic

Sometimes you’ve just got to smile. I love working with my students (usually), but I get the feeling that occasionally they are just not into it. I get it. I play and teach guitar for a living and sometimes I’m just not into it either. But when they are into it and really interested it becomes a real treat to spend time with them.

I was thinking of a couple of different students recently who were not a lot of fun early on. Oh, the first few weeks were fun but then the honeymoon was over and the reality set in. There was no magic wand and I didn’t possess any supernatural powers to make them awesome overnight. No secret potions or shaking of bones at midnight. Nope this was going to take work. A lot of it spread over weeks, months, and years. Reality can be such a bummer at times.

But that was then and this is now. The students I was thinking of are wonderful……now. They’re involved with the process and proud of their achievements (as they should be). They eventually did the work and I bit my tongue more than once and tried to be as patient as I could as they pushed back, or worse, ignored my directions. It was not an easy time for either of us. But we toughed it out and are now beginning to enjoy the process more than ever.

One of the things as I ask of them during the lesson is to play some old favorites. Their favorites, not mine. Now they get to control part of the lesson. For me it’s instructive to know what they like and frankly I’m often pleasantly surprised by their choices. The purpose of the exercise is to correct any mistakes that may have wormed their way into the music and also to use their choices as a way to teach them how to be more artistic. Once a student can comfortably play the notes of a song, then we can get into the interpretation. That’s where the magic is. That’s the moment when someone who can play the notes on the guitar becomes a musician. Or even (gasp) an artist.

One student reworked an old favorite a few weeks ago and played it for me during a recent lesson. It was technically correct, of course, but it was also just plain beautiful to listen to. He even found a couple of moments in the song that I hadn’t seen and played it in a way that was quite different than me. When I pointed that out he was, at first, apologetic. As if he had done something wrong. When I told him that, quite the opposite, he had done something wonderful he just beamed with pride.

One of my music teacher heroes is the late Nadia Boulanger. A Parisienne who dominated advanced music education in the early and mid twentieth century. Her former students are a list of some of the most successful composers of that era. The interesting thing is that each one sounds completely different and original. You would have no sense that they all studied with the same teacher. That has always been my goal too.

When I hear my students play in an honest and non-imitative way it makes me happy. Their goals may have changed with maturity and experience, but are fundamentally the same. To have fun. To play expressively without worrying about doing it the same way as everyone else. And thinking about these students doing that makes me smile.