The Woodshed

Nash-vegas?

2008-09-19T09:11:00.002-04:00

Chris and I made it. Hurray! It's been a busy month.

Today I'm going to be done with mixing my album, tomorrow I'm having some friends over to give it a final listen, then it's off to the mastering guy.

In other news, I finished the Triathlon! But it was really just a duathlon, since the swim got cancelled. Pictures to come...

GUTEN TAAAAAAAG!

2008-08-28T16:57:00.001-04:00

I have a new pet peeve.

2008-08-19T23:47:00.003-04:00

If you know me personally, you know that I always research and contemplate pet peeves before formally declaring them. I'm not one to make rash decisions about things that are annoying.

While watching the Olympics tonight, I have decided to add post Olympic track and field sprint interviews to my list of pet peeves (a VERY short list, might I add).

Over and over, we watch panting sprinters finish semi-finals, only to get cornered by NBC reporters who ask questions like "What are your thoughts on the final?" WELL, I hope I win but this is the OLYMPICS after all, the competition is pretty stiff.

What insight into the future are these reporters hoping to find? NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, especially the athletes who are trying to make it happen. Nobody is more aware of that uncertainty than the contenders. If they knew what would happen in the race, they wouldn't have spent their lives training for it.

Furthermore, isn't the participation in the event a declaration of intention? Are any Olympians competing to lose?

Stoop.

FLAT TIRE?!?!?

2008-08-12T15:08:00.003-04:00

WILL I EVER RIDE MORE THAN 35 MILES WTIHOUT GETTING A FLAT? I haven't even hit 35 actually... today I got to 32.75 before I got a flat. Last time I aimed for 35 I got a flat after 27. I'm getting closer, I guess.

Grrrrr.

Olympics, and random thoughts

2008-08-12T07:55:00.003-04:00

I love the Olympics. Where else can you watch weight lifting, water polo, and judo? Judo!

I'm currently watching Judo online, Italy vs. Germany. Immediately when the video started, I noticed something: there is no audio commentary from announcers at these smaller, un-televised events, only a "live commentary chat" in text underneath the video. Otherwise, there is zero commentary, no gabbing or judging or complaining. I don't have the voices of a TV anchor being injected into my brain!

Of course, I also have no clue what's going on, but I'm having fun figuring it out - and there's always wikipedia.

Thomas Sowell recently wrote an article on the constant banter found throughout our entertainment. What if there was a channel on cable like ESPN but had no announcers... I think it would do well.

2008-08-08T14:54:00.000-04:00

None of the Above

Never going back to Wildwood

2008-07-31T16:37:00.002-04:00

It's been a rough week for training.

Sunday I went for a run, and about 4 miles into it, my left foot started to hurt pretty badly. It was a weird pain along the top of my foot, and hurt when my big toe moved. It's getting better. I'll be fine.

At any rate, this week I've been restrained to swimming and biking. I tried swimming in the bay but found that it was so cold I could hardly breathe, so that got cut short. I ended up biking more than anything.

Here's the short version:

Monday: flat tire.

Wednesday: broke stem off of tube. went to bike store, but was closed on wednesdays, so I went to local 5 & 10 to get repair kit. successfully pumped tire. bloodied knee after braking to avoid idiot redlight-running driver. second flat tire. picked up by girlfriend with first aid kit. blah.

Who heard the storm?

2008-07-23T07:33:00.002-04:00

I woke up around 2am to the sound of thunder, lightening, pouring rain, and the realization that I had left my sunroof open.

It rained so hard I was soaked after running to and from my car, which was parked about 30 feet out on the driveway.

Then I unplugged all my computers, and was ready to start my day. I need to learn how to sleep again.

Swimming:

2008-07-22T20:04:00.002-04:00

1200m free (minus 50 breast stroke at 1000 from slight cramp).

I am a monster.

Now I'm going to pass out.

HURRAY!

2008-07-22T15:33:00.003-04:00

Today Jenny and Tyler came over to help me with vocals, and to sing some background stuff. I'm happy to have finally opened the door on this project to other people, and to get some feedback. It makes me think this project is finally coming together and is going to rock.

I'm as giddy as a school girl. I might not be tonight after my pool workout though...

Crunch week.

2008-07-21T07:14:00.002-04:00

I wanted to be done by the end of April. Then May. Then June. Now July. This time I'm for real. I stayed up until 1am last night, and I'm back at it now at 7am.

I figured out what my problem has been all along. I have been thinking of the steps of a process too big - recording each instrument before moving on to the next instrument. Last night I switched to just thinking of creating a song, and that gave me the motivation to work almost tirelessly for hours. I GET IT NOW! If only I'd realized this a few months ago.

Bike workout today. Brutal hill workout of death day. River Rd., here I come. More later.

I'm going camping

2008-07-18T19:31:00.002-04:00

at Codorus state park in York county. Fun time!

Today I rode 15 miles, it felt amazing.

I also saw The Dark Knight, and it was good. Maybe not the masterpiece I had heard it was, but still excellent.

Have a good weekend!

Swim and Run and Guitar and Vocals

2008-07-17T22:27:00.007-04:00

I am feeling great today, where "great" equals "hamstrings are burning from kettlebell dead lifts yesterday but it's a good pain."

Great also equals "album is coming along nicely and should be finished on schedule!"

This morning I swam with the team, and it felt good. We did some free style drills, and I used these crazy things called breast stroke fins:

They are like Crocs with an inward facing shark fin on the bottom. They make you feel like Mike Phelps when you do breast stroke. They also make your legs burn from the extra work you're doing. But it's well worth it!

Later I did my own free style work-out that ended up being 5 x50 @ 1:30 intervals. The middle 50 was breast stroke, and there were supposed to be six total, but on the fifth one, my arms bonked and I decided I was done for the day. I did a warm down that included breast stroke as slow as I can go - very relaxing.

This afternoon I recorded the last of my main guitar parts. It's all done! I have some guitar 2 parts that need fixed and recorded, but other than that, the large majority is finished. Tonight I am going to work on vocals, and I think I can get done tracking by the end of next week before I go to Avalon for a bit. That will give me some time to forget about what I'm hearing, so I can get ready to mix. Then it's off to the mastering people, then packaging, then done! Hurrah!

I also went for a run at about 9:45, but it was dark and scary. The moon was awesome though.

The end.

2008-07-17T07:05:00.002-04:00

Nothing like meds to scramble your sleep habits. I've been up for 3 hours.

Yesterday I finally figured out how to do proper kettlebell dead lifts. My hamstrings are burning - I literally can't bend over. Good thing I'm swimming this morning and I shouldn't be using my legs anyway.

More later...

WELCOME BACK!

2008-07-14T21:08:00.005-04:00

Vacation is over, and it's time for me to make up for all the time I spent reading by the bay. By the way, I finished 2.5 books.

1. The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson. Fun read. Ironic and creepy and intense, this book was a fun time.

2. False Impressions, by Jeffrey Archer. Painful. Poorly written, lackluster plot. Avoid.

3. Shattered, by Dick Francis. How have I not read anything by this jockey turned author? He's fantastic. Good writing, sarcastic, good plot, and as an added bonus, there are lots of fights. I have yet to finish this, but I'll be checking out more of this author in the future.

Anyway, today was a productive day. I'm happy to announce that I am almost complete with guitar tracking, and will be finished tomorrow. I have a sore throat, and once that goes away, I'll be able to track vocals. In the meantime, I'll be filling in some extra stuff like djembe, upright bass overdubs, and piano.

Today my goal was to ride my bike on roads that would make me sore. Not too hard around here, although I usually have a set route, and that gets boring. Today I thought I'd try something new. I took a road called River Rd. It's fairly notorious among people who are lost, because you seem to run into it no matter what you do. It's also notorious among cyclists who are either lost, or want their legs to explode.

I knew it would be bad. Roads near rivers tend to be curvy, twisty, up and down, and also poorly maintained. River Road is just that. At one point (after about 8 miles) I started down a hill. The hill lasted for about .75 of a mile. Then I got to the bottom and thought about the cycling mantra "What goes down must come up." Up I went... forever, and ever, and ever.

It was a good ride overall, and I'm glad to be back and working. Check back tomorrow for more updates!

Vacation Time

2008-07-04T14:38:00.001-04:00

It's week four of training and I'll be in Ocean City, MD. Don't expect to hear from me, but trust that I'll be working hard!!!

Who?

2008-07-03T15:50:00.002-04:00

Who swam 850 of freestyle this morning? That would be me. Phelps is a punk. I even think I could have done more.

After a week of vacation next week (during which you'll be hearing considerably less from me) I believe it's time to push it harder. I've had my 4 weeks of getting in shape, and aside from some minor setbacks, I think I'm there. Time for sprints...

Freestyle day

2008-07-03T06:56:00.001-04:00

Today is the day I overcome my fear of freestyle swimming. It's also the day I record vocals for 3 songs, and work on guitar. Stay tuned.

Today's Special

2008-07-01T13:07:00.004-04:00

Swim: 2 x 600 + TRANSITION!

I got out of the pool as fast as I could (with a nagging side-stitch) and got changed into my bike clothes. I then rode the 7 miles back home.

My legs felt like rubber. I'm starting to reconsider my previous decision to do breast stroke during the swim - it's more leg dependant, and if I can take the pressure off my legs for one of the three events, that would probably be a good decision. I guess I could hand pedal the bike leg... or not.

Thursday I'm going to push free style much harder than I have been. What is it about this stroke that always scares me? I can do the first 25 of any distance feeling like a champ but as soon as I turn around, I hit a mental wall. My form falls apart, my breathing goes crazy, I get less efficient, I slow down, then revert to breast stroke. I need to just dive in and swim a respectable distance doing free style.

Tonight I drive to Wilmington to run with Jen. She's going to kick my butt. Now it's off to vocal recording in the basement (three songs finished with vocals!). After vocals comes finishing touches, then mixing. Then mastering. Then replication/packaging. Then enjoying! GET EXCITED!

p.s. HOLY CRAP IT'S JULY? I'll never meet another deadline in my life.

Funny Google Searches

2008-06-30T20:05:00.003-04:00

Today my father installed a pull-up bar in the basement (really two handles suspended by nylon, but it works!). I wanted to see how pull-ups would help with my swimming, so I googled "pull ups swimming."

Here are the results I didn't expect:

Size 5 and 6 Diapers- ChEaP!!!!! (pull ups and swim diaps too!)

Jun 29, 2008 ... (pull ups and swim diaps too!) - $1 (Alpharetta/Johns Creek) ... 54 Eckerd Brand Pull ups size M, fits up to 34 lbs. $10 ...
atlanta.craigslist.org/bab/736642631.html - Similar pages

Can I use swim diapers as pull ups? since i don't need too many ...

they should be able to do the same job right? i am...
answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080204100755AAOUO2G - 50k - Cached - Similar pages

Been Sick

2008-06-30T16:10:00.002-04:00

I didn't run yesterday, though I should have. I've had stomach issues since a wedding Saturday night. Today I dared to get on my bike and ride Red Hill Rd. I felt ok.

Maybe the mild discomfort of riding up hills is exactly what I needed. For most of the ride, I didn't notice anything uncomfortable about any particular part of my body, as I just began to accept that discomfort is part of the process. Maybe it's like a body pain average. If I'm feeling a bit of discomfort in one part of me, I notice it. But if I feel that way all over, I just accept it as normal and move on.

10 miles, 2 miles of hills. Average: 12.8mph.

Maybe I'll do some strength tonight.

Old Man Syndrome

2008-06-27T17:12:00.006-04:00

Tuesday I got a surprise in the mail:A 16kg Kettlebell.

Since Tuesday was a Swim/Run day, I decided to hold off on this little hunk of cast iron for a night.

Wednesday: 20 Squats with Kettlebell in the afternoon. Since I'm new to this thing I figured I better get the form down, especially since the advanced moves look like a fast approach to back problems if done incorrectly. It was hard.

That night I decided to do some hills outside my house. I biked the hard length of Clearfield Rd. 2.5 times, with the last .5 in my second to lowest gear. I only quit because my back started to feel sore... weird. I asked my fitness junkie father, and he asked "well did you do anything else today?"

"Yeah, I played with the... kettlebell..."

"Hmm."

Oh well.

Thursday: Rode my bike to the pool. Swim 8 50m sprints every 1.5 minutes, alternating between breast stroke and free style.

Felt like I had been hit with a shovel.

Worked last night (serving food is probably a weight training session in itself - try carrying around a pot of coffee in each hand for 10 minutes, see how it feels!)

Today: Look for me on the next episode of Will It Blend. I feel like I've been hit by a car. I slept all afternoon and spent the rest of the time dazed. I think I'll maybe only run half a mile or something...

Today

2008-06-24T17:06:00.002-04:00

Swim:
1. 150 free warm-up
2. 1000 (75 breast + 25 free x 10)
3. Dizzy...

Bike ride home was hot and I got sunburned.

I am currently recording vocals for a song called "Forgive Me." I can only do two takes at a time before I start to get too raspy, but as long as I take a break, all is well. Tea is my best friend.

2008-06-22T13:25:00.001-04:00

I've been in Wilma since Friday. More later.

Does this get any easier?

2008-06-19T13:21:00.002-04:00

No, I suppose, it doesn't. And isn't that the point?

Today I swam 3 x 300 in the pool. In between the first and second 300 I did some minor treading water exercises, just to get my legs going. My second 300 was entirely breast stroke. The other two were 50's of free, then breast.

I still feel grossly out of shape for swimming. It's good that I have my distance coming back, but I don't feel strong. Next week I need to do some sprints.

The bike ride home was painful. I can't believe I'm supposed to do a 1500, then hop on a bike.

Question: how to record vocals without headphones?

2008-06-18T22:24:00.002-04:00

I've been recording vocals this week, and I have been less than happy with the results. I have tried different headphone mixes, different positions, and the problem is with my pitch - without being able to hear myself I can't get my intonation exact. So I typed in "can't sing with headphones on" into google and here is the solution I came up with:
Basically, this is a single monitor placed in the off-axis null of a hyper-cardioid microphone. I can listen without headphones and have very little monitor bleed. Listening back, it sounds like I had the headphones turned up really loud while close miking.

The problem of bleed can be solved though. After recording a few takes, record just the accompaniment track, and then reverse the polarity on that track. When mixed together with the vocal tracks, the accompaniment theoretically cancels out, leaving a pristine vocal take. Of course that's only in theory, but from my experiments today, it did work.

So! Get ready for some vocal tracks, and keep an eye on www.myspace.com/pzc for new song posting!

Will It Blend?

2008-06-18T21:01:00.005-04:00

Two new links.

This is Jennifer P's blog, documenting the last few months of her adventures in Wilmington, DE. You should check it out! She just started writing and I thought if I could send all my my traffic to her blog, that would increase her hit count from 3 or 4 to about 5 or 6 OVERNIGHT!

One of my favorite time wasters ever: Will It Blend? Where else can you see an iPhone be put into a blender??? There is nothing about this site that isn't funny. The host is goofy in a "I am your high school chemistry teacher and I wish I was still cool" kind of way, the blended items are hilarious, and furthermore, I never thought I'd see a YouTube video that would make me want to buy a $400 blender. But these do... maybe not for the right reasons.

Today's Special

2008-06-18T16:19:00.002-04:00

52 minutes on my bike, felt better than yesterday's ride. Maybe the fact that I didn't try to drown myself helped... Still I considered today a day off. I was not pushing too hard, and I'm ok with that (after yesterday's two-pronged workout). I did make a special effort on a few hills, notably "Frogtown Road" and "Marticville Road" which tend to be nasty and hard. I'm still getting into a routine, figuring out when to push and when to chill.

On the way back, something crazy happened: Sometime recently we bought a Frisbee for our dog, Atticus. After a few days of uncertainty, this Frisbee became his favorite toy, and he would insist that we play with it when we went outside (he picks the toy, and you can't change his mind unless that toy is a piece of meat). A few weeks ago, the Frisbee disappeared. Carried off by a fox? Thrown in the woods? Who knows, it's just a dog toy.

But I found it. Two miles down the road, just sitting there on a bridge. Can anyone figure out how it got there??? This wasn't 100 yards away, or maybe half a mile, but a full two miles. Uphill, down hill, around corners, through stop-signs... I can only guess that it was thrown on top of a car, and fell off at that point. Still, what are the chances???

Stay tuned tonight for exciting pictures of vocal recording, including a crazy new experiment with monitoring!!!!

Plus two...

2008-06-17T20:15:00.002-04:00

miles. Running, up hill. It wasn't that bad, but I'm really sore now. I think I need to find some nice trails to run on.

Harp time.

2008-06-17T14:18:00.002-04:00

SM81 pair in vertical XY... sounds like a... HARP! Woooooo!

I'm out of shape.

2008-06-17T12:35:00.002-04:00

Today I rode my bike the 8 miles to the pool (no problem). I helped coach for the SECA Sharks, and I got splashed and almost pushed in a few times. Then it was on to my workout - 800m swim plus warm-up/warm-down.

I say it to my friends and family, and I will say it again: whatever sport you are into might be really hard, but swimming is harder.

It's a unique feeling of exhaustion that you can't experience in other sports. When you run, you get out of breath, and by the end your legs are tired. In swimming, it's the opposite. Today my body was so tired it was almost unresponsive - I could tell my arms to go the the wall and they wouldn't, because they were at the point of exhaustion. Breathing? I was ok, I was out of breath but I was getting enough air.

This is mostly applicable to me getting back into shape right now, but I will always stand by swimming as the hardest sport.

Oh, yeah, then I rode back home all 8 miles.

Every day a new part of my legs and back are sore - the soreness just migrates to new parts of my body as I recover and continue working. I keep stretching and getting more flexible. Right now my arms are almost limp on the keyboard. What am I getting myself into?

Boycott the boycott?

2008-06-16T21:12:00.004-04:00

I have decided that I will not be boycotting the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Despite Facebook groups like this one, and a growing sentiment among some of my peers that the Olympics should not be watched, I think I'll go ahead and enjoy my favorite events, and root for the Americans.

Just for another point of view, check out this article which has some interesting opposing views. I guess I tend to reject arguments that go like this:

China abuses people, and abusing people is bad, therefore China is bad.

Life just isn't that simple. And I definitely think that a country that has taken thousands of years to form will not be transformed into a human rights leader because a handful of protesters decided not to watch on TV.

Even more questions could be raised.

Tell me what you think.

edit: Another interesting article.

Tracking Chart

2008-06-16T13:47:00.004-04:00

If you're wondering how things are going, please refer to the above chart. O = needed, X = finished.

MCT

2008-06-16T08:52:00.003-04:00

I've decided to get ready for the Music City Triathlon, my own personal welcome party to Nashville (with 599 of my closest friends, all in spandex). Since I'm such a fantastic blogger, I'm going to include my training with my thoughts on recording and other stuff.

Today I ran 2 miles. I've never been much of a runner. I did run XC my junior year in high school, but that was a long time ago, and since I've focused more on cycling, which is a different animal. This morning my lungs burned and my back hurt... I need to learn about posture. Swimming posture has always come fairly naturally, and through summers of swimming on a team I know how to stay efficient. But running is different. It's what I'm most worried about.

2008-06-03T10:52:00.002-04:00

Crazy how summer months go by. May was not as productive as I'd hoped. June will be better. I got two songs done yesterday, and I'm working on guitar for 3 more today. I'm behind schedule, but whatever, its fine. What's everybody doing on Black Friday this year??

2008-05-06T17:51:00.004-04:00

I've been delinquent... back to work. Introducing:

Matt Plaskota on drums. Matt flew out in March to play drums for me, and I have to admit, I was spoiled. I couldn't help but think "He's too good for this project." But he came, and after a day we got the tracks done. And that was that.

Here we have Patrick McKinney on upright bass. Pat will be supplying the upright and bass guitar tracks.

I'm feeling optimistic and I'm working hard. I learn new things every day and I record every day. Sometimes I have to go back and rework things because I messed up, but hey, thats learning right? I think this project is sounding good. More importantly, my mom thinks it sounds good - and she's objective, right?

Super optimistically, I'm hoping for an August release. Other, more pessimistic people think December... but I'm hoping for August. I'll keep you all posted (all 2 of you that are reading this!).

Tonight...

2008-03-21T01:24:00.000-04:00

I listened to Mahler and read an article about World War II. Never again...

website update!

2008-03-03T16:45:00.003-05:00

I'm gradually updating my website, which can be found at www.pzcmusic.com.

I have some sweet pictures of icicles and snow, and I'm learning very slowly how to make sweet looking websites using free software. Be sure to check it out this week as the pieces fall into place!

Also - I am playing Friday at the Infantree Gallery in Lancaster. 4th floor above the Prince Street Cafe, 7:30 - 9:00ish.

This is pretty funny...

2008-02-25T14:12:00.001-05:00

and embarassing.

Black Crowes Respond to Phony Maxim Review

The Tracking Continues...

2008-02-20T23:50:00.003-05:00

Success:
1. Recorded and comped guitar tracks for two songs.
2. Messed around with MIDI and made a sweet arrangement for one of the songs.
3. Gave up on perfectionism.
4. Left the tomatoes on my Whopper and Whopper Jr.

Failures:
1. Ate at Burger King.
2. Had two sandwiches from Burger King.

I am realizing that perfection is not an attainable goal, and as I write this my mind shoots off into 3 or 4 different directions (autism, male brains, Grace through faith, studio perfectionism).

It's too late to talk about this. Maybe tomorrow.

Day 2 (of less than indiscriminate deleting of imperfect tracks)

2008-02-19T21:34:00.005-05:00

Success:
1. Recorded several takes of two different songs, and resisted the urge to delete them all.
2. Successfully hooked up the sweet sub-snake my Uncle got for my Graduation, and dropped off yesterday.
3. Nursed sick girlfriend back to health.

Failures:
1. None that I can think of right now...

I spent part of my day hanging out with a poor sick girl who spent the day in bed yesterday, and I was delighted to see her walking and talking to me. She even ate some toast and soup!

I read from "Mastering Audio" by Bob Katz and didn't understand much of it. I need to take notes to figure out what is going on.

Not much to report...

I other news, I gave up politics for Lent. This includes conversations, newspaper articles, online articles, and certain politically oriented topics such as economics (since they invariably lead to politics). I feel happier, actually. No more scowling at certain vague campaign slogans or the fascist exclusion of candidates from debates... I've replaced my dislike of certain candidates with concern for my own practicing and learning, and it's very relaxing. I think I understand political apathy now...

Day 1 of less than not-serious recording (aka. tracking)

2008-02-14T16:39:00.002-05:00

(For anyone interested but not that interested, here is the run-down. I'll try to make this a daily thing as I progress through my recording adventure.)

Paul's successes for the day:
1. Recording guitar tracks that he didn't delete.
2. Figuring out how to group tracks
3. Figuring out how to place markers
4. Getting things in the mail
5. Finding $20 in a hidden pocket in his wallet

Paul's failures for the day:
1. Not figuring out how to listen to two tracks at the same time while comping
2. Reading Rainbow Six instead of writing music
3. Reading Rainbow Six instead of learning about MIDI (it's boring!)

Today I reached a mile stone! I started recording guitar tracks that I will eventually use. This is a big step for me. In this world of hard-disc recording, drive space can seem to be an endless page for writing... and for an obsessive compulsive perfectionist like me, any squeak of a string or slipped attack has me reaching for the stop and rewind buttons.

I finally decided to take 4 or 5 half-decent sounding tracks, and edit them together. No crime in this. I now have my 4 takes and have now approached the daunting task of... learning how to group-edit in Logic Pro 8.

Yes, placing the channels into groups is no big deal, and I'm even given the option to link them in the edit window (Yes, please) but... something must come up. This is THE MAC we're talking about. IT JUST WORKS in it's own little way that I'm sure someone, somewhere understands, but for me... not so much. You've all heard it before.

Who can help me understand why, when I have my playlists open and I'm comping them, Logic decides to randomly mute one of my two guitar tracks???

2008-02-06T12:38:00.001-05:00

"My job is to convince everybody that I'm the conservative candidate," McCain said.

A few things...

2008-02-06T08:11:00.000-05:00

1. I bought a harp. Like this one:

I don't have a clue how to play it yet. I don't even know how to tune it. One of the octaves is in tune to itself and it sounds pretty sweet. It has a full set of levers so it can play in most keys. It was made by the Marini family in New Holland, PA. This is what happens when you have a mother who reads the entire newspaper (including the classifieds).

2. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to make my mail program work? It won't open without crashing right away, or it just locks up and won't respond. I tried to call Steve Jobs but he was busy Just Working. Unlike his crappy computer. But seriously, is this a "Paul doesn't know how to work this elegant machine" sort of issue, or is it Google? I tried trashing the prefs in the library, and it won't even let me start a new account without locking up.

Congratulations...

2008-02-04T10:33:00.000-05:00

to the NY Giants for defeating the New England Cheaters.

A Modest Proposal For Change

2008-01-20T12:23:00.000-05:00

During this busy election season, the American people are treated to a show of the best our federal government has to offer. We can turn on the TV, open the paper, and view endless YouTube videos featuring politicians lying and backstabbing each other and the people they represent. I, like many people, ask myself: How did these disgusting lying cheating stealing conniving conspiring greedy two-faced emotional-baggage-carrying warmongering rats get elected in the first place, and (more importantly) what can be done about it?

I have come up with a solution.

1. All elected officials must swear an oath of silence.
Just think of all the problems this would solve. No politician could ever lie on TV or in interviews. There would be no filibustering. There would be no mudslinging or character assassination. There would be about a 90% decrease in BS, except in the case of politicians who write books (which usually make up 50% of their BS). Politicians would be forced to listen and think. Their voting record would be the only way to learn their real ideas and allegiances. Are there any problems this wouldn't solve? Yes. And it would be solved under the next point:

2. All elected officials must swear an oath of poverty.
No personal property. At all. No money, car, house, plane, boat, vacation home, jewelry or clothing. Glasses and medications... sure. But no mansions, private jets, or pant suits. Burlap clothing only (undergarments included). Immediately after being sworn in, the official must withdraw all money, in cash, and burn it by hand in front of the crowd. This would help combat inflation, and would be a public symbol of the politicians commitment to ideals and truth, not material wealth; more importantly, it would be embarrassing and cold. All assets would be liquidated and exempt from taxes because they would then be used according to the will of the opposing political party. So for instance, if Hillary were to get elected, she would have to sell all her houses and give the cash to the Republicans for whatever they want to do.

I think that sounds reasonable enough. It's fair, non-partisan, non-discriminatory, and would put the government back in its place.

2008-01-15T08:21:00.000-05:00

"Why are things not the way they seem?" is a question that I *so* wish people would ask more often than they do. Most folks seem to stop noticing that things aren't the way they seem, and start behaving as if that appearances are all that matter. To me that's the essence of that form of spiritual death which we in this society call "adulthood." It's why I believe that only children should be allowed to vote or own property--but failing that, there should be a law (or better yet, a general agreement) that grown-ups ought to answer all honest questions honestly. Then maybe we would not be such a culture of deception and self-deception, and people would retain their ability to notice things that don't make sense. -Harvey Gerst From the "Big Thread"

2008-01-04T10:19:00.000-05:00

Attention Blogland:

I am having trouble making my Macintosh Personal Computer (PC) Just Work. It's not Just Working. I am trying to attach a photo to an email, and the photo is not appearing in the "Photos" folder. I successfully attached my entire iPhoto library (725 megs) but I have not figured out how to attach the pictures I want.

I guess it's just too easy, and I'm so used to having manual control over my entire computer without it treating me like I need help. I need to start thinking like my elementary school students. OOH, I'll click on the shiny colorful icon and that will make it Just Work. Is there a button like on the Staples commercials? The Just Work button? I haven't found it yet I guess.

If anyone can help give me instructions on how to complete this simple task, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!!

P.S. Congrats to Barack Obama for defeating that other candidate. Maybe Barack can talk Fox News into letting go of their fascist hold on the Republican Debate, and let the only worthwhile Republican candidate in to participate.

2007-12-29T21:11:00.000-05:00

“The one function TV news performs very well is that when there is no news we give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were.” -David Brinkley

The Plan

2007-12-20T22:13:00.000-05:00

So here's the plan.

I have several plans for my life. I thought I would publish some of them here for your enjoyment.

1. From January 2008 - April/May/June 2008 I plan on recording/mixing/promoting my very own album of music, containing between 10 and 12 songs. These are songs that I have written over the past 4 years, and it will come out as something of a practice album. The songs are not all perfect, and my recording/mixing skills need honing, but I believe I have the time, determination, and dumb luck to come out with something that is really kickin'. And by kickin', I mean really depressed and pretentious, but thats cool these days right?

Hence, the title: THE WOODSHED. Check it out:

Main Entry:: ¹wood·shed
Function:: noun

1 : a shed for storing wood and especially firewood
2 : a place, means, or session for administering discipline

Function:: intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s):: wood·shed·ded; wood·shed·ding
Etymology:: probably from the former use of woodsheds for private practicing

1: practice; especially : to practice on a musical instrument

So the theme here is practice, and maybe a little discipline. My songs tend to be retrospective, a rehashing of something real or imaginary, often of lessons learned or lessons not learned.

Anyway

2. Dismantle the current model for public education in America.
After the recording of The Woodshed, which will become wildly popular and make me rich overnight and able to buy one of these, I will teach for a few years. Then, I will get my masters in Educational Psychology, doctorate in administration, and also go to Law School on the side. (BUT WHAT ABOUT MED SCHOOL YOU ASK? Screw it, too hard, too much school.) From this experience I will write books about how everything must change if we're going to survive as a nation and a world and blah blah blah. Ask me about this sometime. I have a few opinions.

3. Overthrow Republican Party and take it back for Ron Paul and the classical liberals.
Ron Paul is already proving this is much easier than it sounds. All you have to be is 72, quirky, and have a cult internet following. And raise a bunch of issues that nobody has talked about since... the 18th century. Since all those degrees will probably take me 49.6 years (give or take) I will be right on track for those requirements.

4. Learn Harp

5. Learn Viola and/or Cello

Christmas comes early

2007-12-20T13:57:00.000-05:00

I got lots of presents in the mail today, including a big expensive piece of hardware, and some books that I plan on giving away. Actually I bought them with the intention of giving them away, but I might read them a little bit first.

And whatever happened to children's books being huge? I bought my mom a children's book and I thought it would be huge and instead it was tiny. Whatever.

The Logic Pro 8 User Manual sounds like the rules to Calvinball

2007-12-18T11:08:00.000-05:00

If I were designing a new computer platform and wanted to increase productivity... duh! Just require endless keyboard/mouse combination shortcuts! Hold command while clicking. Hold option+command while clicking. Hold a+s+d+f+j+k+l+; while clicking with your foot! It's just so easy! And easy to remember too.

And... IT JUST WORKS!

Graduation

2007-12-17T19:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I graduated. Today I felt like I got some real work done. I moved more furniture home, I cleaned my room, I put my old rug back on the floor and put my books on the shelf. I feel like I have time to do what I want to do, and the motivation to do it. That is definitely a feeling I haven't felt in a long time.

My ID still worked today at the library, and I swiped some Brahms, Dvorak, Copland, and Faure from the CD section. Does anyone remember when I sang Faure's Requiem? Campus Chorale???? I know I've heard it before, but I can't remember.

I am only missing a few more crucial pieces before I will start recording for real. My interface is back-ordered from Sweetwater, as is the other SM81. Then I will get to continue learning to use Logic Studio and hopefully buy some rigid fiberglass and bass traps and other stuff I can't afford.

Anybody reading know about MIDI controllers and compatibility with Logic Studio?

Seriously.

2007-12-11T21:10:00.001-05:00

Nothing should take this long to install. I don't care if it's 8 DVDs worth of content. Apple has disappointed me again.

Oh yeah, I bought a Mac recently. (Which will, on this blog, be referred to as either 1. My computer, or 2. My tool. No, I do not "love my Mac," or "the Mac" or whatever.)

2007-11-23T22:50:00.000-05:00

I'd like to air something:

I believe in the moral and legal equality between men and women. I believe a woman as President of the United States would be a symbol of that equality, and I am in favor of it.

But not her.

2007-08-15T00:13:00.001-04:00

I don't want to run people's lives. I don't want to run the economy and I don't want to run the world. -Ron Paul

2007-08-01T11:50:00.001-04:00

The church is called to share God’s love.

The church does not control God’s love.
-Rich Mayfield
 

2007-07-27T02:04:00.001-04:00

I will be supporting Ron Paul for President in 2008.

www.ronpaul2008.com

In the likely event that another, more popular, less constitutional Republican candidate gets the nod, I will jump on that band-wagon, assuming they still support smaller government, lower taxes, and less foreign intervention.

God, help this country...

2007-07-20T08:50:00.001-04:00

"I never dreamed my name would be linked with Barry Bonds," Landis says with some degree of wonder.

Upon reaching a crest of the hill, we are greeted by a spectacular view of Elliott Bay and the Olympic mountain ranges. I am sweating and gasping for breath. My lungs need a fire engine. Landis is checking his e-mail or something on his iPhone while cycling with no hands.

How fast and powerfully a top cyclist can climb a steep hill is impressive enough.

-Jim Caple

2007-07-18T20:54:00.001-04:00

"Confrontation reveals true motivation."
-Andrew Schwab

2007-07-17T12:17:00.001-04:00

Some mornings during the autumn of 1933, when the unemployment rate was
22 percent, the president, before getting into his wheelchair, sat in
bed, surrounded by economic advisers, setting the price of gold. One
morning he said he might raise it 21 cents: "It's a lucky number
because it's three times seven." His Treasury secretary wrote that if
people knew how gold was priced "they would be frightened."
-George Will

2007-07-16T13:33:00.001-04:00

"The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and
Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes.
The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being
corrected."

-G.K.C

2007-07-16T13:28:00.001-04:00

"Every burned book enlightens the world." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

2007-07-10T23:50:00.001-04:00

A striking number of Scandinavian men find their wives in East Asia,
Latin America or other nations with a more traditional view of
femininity, and a number of women find partners from more conservative
countries, too. Not everyone, of course, but the trend is unmistakable.
Scandinavians celebrate “gender equality” and travel to the other side
of the world to find somebody actually worth marrying.

2007-07-06T10:18:00.001-04:00

"The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." - Chief Justice John Roberts

2007-07-05T18:33:00.001-04:00

"If you want me to be eco-friendly, make eco friendly not suck."
-Glenn Beck

2007-06-01T23:52:00.001-04:00

It's been lonely here at the Woodshed, which for the time being has been taking place in my basement. No, I'm not posting, but I am recording several hours a day, usually until I get ear-fatigued or frustrated, or both. After a while, everything sounds good and bad at the same time, and you have a hard time knowing the difference. It brings back fond memories of Solfege 1, practicing for hours at a time, trying to distinguish between different intervals and chords until after 3 or 4 hours... they all sound like mush.

I am pleased to announce the official inclusion of Patrick McKinney on upright bass.

I am also pleased to announce the all-but-official inclusion of Tim Hoover, who will be working on the cover/layout. Check him out at www.theinfantree.com

2007-05-13T20:26:00.001-04:00

Good music, even if made on some crap cassette 4 track, will win more hearts
than a professionally polished turd.

-Tweak

Finals week

2007-05-10T19:53:00.000-04:00

I was told to start blogging about music again. I sit in the Club d'Ville, preparing to play with the Matt McElravy trio for what might be the last time, both with the group and in this venue.

I have two rules of stage presence that I tend to live by, or at least perform by. Matt is doing a find job with them right now. Other performers tonight... did not.

1. Don't talk. Ever. Ever. If you have the capacity to create music, do it. Nobody came to hear to you talk, they came to hear you play music. You're probably not a stand up comedian. If people came just to see you, they are probably your friends or your parents and they hear you talk enough. If they don't know you and came to hear you play music, then they probably want to hear you play music. Bottom line: just shut up, and play until you run out of time.

2. Don't apologize. Ever. Ever. If you botch a chord, you meant to do it, and you should be satisfied, or maybe even do it again. Nobody cares if you screw up, and chances are, only the other performers in the audience will notice. If you whine about it, everyone will notice. People don't want to feel pity for a mediocre performer, they want to feel awe and wonder at a great performer.

Loophole - you can break either of these rules at any given time, IF you get some audible response from the audience. Laughter, pity (audible pity), maybe crying, whatever - if you apologize for something hilarious and they laugh, then it's ok. If you tell a funny story and people laugh, it's good. If you have friends, ignore them, and ESPECIALLY don't tell inside jokes.

------------------

I've ordered yet another piece of equipment, and I am eagerly awaiting it's arrival. I had quite an adventure making sure it was actually in the mail, and now I believe it is:

When things get under way, I will keep everyone updated.

The plot thickens...

2007-05-02T15:34:00.001-04:00

The local paper published the following today on the Stacy Snyder lawsuit:

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa - The Conestoga Valley School
District says it did not pressure Millersville University to punish a
student teacher from Strasburg for alleged unprofessional conduct.

I suppose it wasn't Millersville trying to keep connections. Drat - I was hoping for a conspiracy. And what's this?

Kelin said the photograph released along with the lawsuit was not what was submitted by the teachers. The photograph they submitted, Kelin said, shows Snyder holding a plastic cup and making a hand gesture while wearing the pirate hat.

A friend of mine suggested the same thing today. A Professional Studies professor said that there were several pictures on MySpace, and the media selected the mildest one. Well - the media didn't select any pictures, the lawsuit did. I don't know who would censor more severely, but I'm tempted to guess the lawsuit (as much as we all love to blame the media for everything).

Some things don't line up for me. She is named as a dean's list student, which could mean she got on the dean's list once or twice, or she got on every semester. At any rate, she almost got her teaching certificate in Pennsylvania, so she at least has a 3.0 gpa. But if what this article says is true:

"Snyder required 'significant remediation' as a teacher, and her evaluation reflected serious performance problems," Kelin said.

and

According to a statement issued by the school district, "Snyder's Web site invites students to continue looking at her page, and in apparent response to Ms. Reinking's advice that such an invitation was unprofessional says, 'I don't think that they would stoop that low as to mess with my future."

I guess she thought wrong.

And check out this bomb: the official CV response. It includes the letter of apology, the "real" disputed picture, and a quote from her MySpace.

For now, I still stand by what I wrote last night. Frankly I don't care what is in the pictures. What upsets me is that she was judged by a vague set of "moral standards," if you can even call them that. I don't doubt her professionalism was lacking, but I think Millersville responded in a sloppy, unprofessional manner as well.

In her defense...

2007-05-02T02:29:00.000-04:00

Suddenly, Millersville University is on national news. How exciting!

My girlfriend who lives in Indiana has a roommate who heard about the recent case of Stacy Snyder on the radio. Here is the story from Fox News:

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — A woman denied a teaching degree on the eve of graduation because of a MySpace photo has sued the university. Millersville University instead granted Stacy Snyder a degree in English last year after learning of the Web-published picture of her, which bore the caption "Drunken Pirate. Snyder received "superior" or "competent" ratings on her final student-teacher evaluation in all areas except "professionalism," in which she was labeled "unsatisfactory," according to the suit filed Wednesday.

"I dreamed about being a teacher for a long time," aid Snyder, 27, of Strasburg, who has two young sons. She now works as a nanny.

The photo, taken at a 2005 Halloween party, shows Snyder wearing a pirate hat while drinking from a plastic "Mr. Goodbar" cup. It was posted on her own MySpace site.

"There were errors in judgment that relate to Pennsylvania's Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators," wrote professor J. Barry Girvin, who supervised Snyder's work, according to the suit.

Well. I just happen to be a Senior at Millersville, and I am pursuing a degree in Music Education. I student teach this coming fall, and will hopefully graduate with the degree I am pursuing. After four years, I know the school. Here is my take:

Millersvile University, being the institution that bestows such degrees, does have the power to withhold or revoke any degrees or certifications. I see it happen every day - if a student fails a class, it is, in essence, the university keeping them from earning that degree. This should come as no surprise to anyone, and I would not fault Millersville for denying a degree to a student.

But I must side with Snyder. I can think of at least two reasons: the first being the subjective nature of the standards by which she was judged, and the second being the manner and the time line of events that led to the denial of her degree.

1. The Millersville University Guide for Student Teaching can be found here. This is the criteria by which she was observed, evaluated, and denied her certification. Granted this guide is revised as of 8-23-06, and I can't find an older guide, which she would have had access to during her student teaching. (The "Code" is the same, I believe)

If you want to understand the heart and soul of Millersville University, read over this manual. I admit, there is some good stuff in here - I've got no beef with the discrimination policies, or the diversity policies, and I think it's a good idea for student teachers not to engage in sexual relations with their students. But!

Take a look at page 23. Here we find the criteria for what the school considers "professionalism." Check out that rating scale of 0-3 - no room for a C+, but rightfully so.

My first major objection is the actual definition that is given for "unsatisfactory." It is:

The candidate rarely or never and inappropriately or superficially demonstrates indicators of performance.

I am trying to find a combination of words in italics that justifies an unsatisfactory rating based on one isolated incident. Assuming that "and" is the main function of the statement, the conjunction "and" requires that at least one adjective from BOTH sides of the conjunction be true. Which would lead me to believe either "rarely" or "never" must be true in order to warrant an unsatisfactory rating. Here are the indicators of performance:

Knowledge of school and district procedures and regulations related to attendance, punctuality, and the like
Knowledge of school or district requirements for maintaining accurate reccords and communicating with faculty
Knowledge of school and/or district events
Knowledge of district or college's professional growth and development activities
Integrity and ethical behavior, professional conduct as stated in Pennsylvania Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators; and local, state, and federal laws and regulations
Effective communication, both oral and written, with students, colleagues, paraprofessionals, related service personnel, and administrators
Ability to cultivate professional relationships with school colleagues
Knowledge of Commonwealth requirements for continuing professional development and licensure

Rarely or never... These aren't exactly the Eight Commandments. Personally, I feel the unprofessional rating according to the picture on MySpace couldn't have come from standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8. 7 is a stretch. Maybe some colleague would refuse to talk to her after seeing her dressed up as a drunken pirate, and that would inhibit professional relationships...?

But who am I kidding? Check out number 5 - then go read the code for yourself. Snyder was held to the code of professional practice, and found wanting. This code does not clearly define what is good and bad, but instead leaves the door open for interpretation:

6. Professional educators shall impart to their students principles of good citizenship and societal responsibility.

Perhaps according to this standard, "principles of good citizenship and societal responsibility" were not imparted by Snyder. But putting such a standard into a supposed "code of professional practice" essentially puts the professional (or pre-professional) at the administrators hand of moral judgment. With such a rule, I could deny a teaching certificate to a teacher or student teacher who drives an SUV. After all, global warming affects society, and it is our responsibility to cut down on pollution. Driving an SUV by some estimations will lead to the early demise of the human race - this is not professional behavior. We could exaggerate this point all day.

These are standards by which student teachers should be instructed. These are standards by which curriculum should be created, and by which character be judged. These are NOT standards by which degrees and teaching certifications should be revoked at the last minute, without warning, without appeal, and without reprieve. If this were a temporary suspension, it would be a different story. Then it could be seen as an act of correction. I am having a hard time seeing this as an act of correction.

2. Last Minute! The DAY BEFORE GRADUATION?!?!?! This tells me at least one thing: Snyder didn't get the "unprofesional" rating until the last minute. I know from my peers that real, bona-fide unprofessional behavior gets you kicked out of student teaching before it's over. Any student in education has heard the stories of people who got kicked out of student teaching for this or that - but the point is that people get kicked out, or they at least get reprimanded. Was there a reprimand in this case? If she didn't get kicked out, then I presume she did fine in everything except the imaginary, subjective "do whatever the University declares is morally just and true" category. From the statements I've read in the newspapers and from online briefs, Snyder was surprised at the last minute that her degree would be changed, and her certification denied.

Something is fishy about this... is it at all interesting the district that supervised her student teaching placement told the university that they would stop accepting their student teachers if she was not punished? That's a little crude, but perhaps the motives of the University are less than professional. Frankly I think snatching a degree at the last second is as unprofessional as anything else, and the lack of option for appeal makes this sound like a consolation prize - "Oops, you didn't live up to our Code of Professional behavior... what you didn't read it? Oh you did - well then of course you know that you made 'bad decisions' based on the code, so we're going to just give you this other degree to shut you up. Have a nice day Ms. Snyder! Give us money when you're an alumni!" Unprofessional is the word I would use to describe lots of things done within the university itself - not to say it's a bad university, but anyone who has ever gone to college certainly knows better than to say that all professors and staff always exemplify professional behavior.

And another question: from where do the accusations of promoting "underage drinking" come? Do my parents promote underage drinking? They drink wine, and live with an underage daughter... Is all alcohol consumption considered the promotion of underage drinking? OR is this just another part of the subjective criteria imposed on students and professionals?

More to come later. Let me know what you think...

Any recording philosophers must read this

2007-04-27T11:09:00.001-04:00

"Aristotle, the unities, and non-linear editing"

Thoroughly enjoyable forum read. Check it out.

2007-04-26T07:17:00.001-04:00

The chief enemy of
creativity is good taste

-Pablo Picasso
(1881-1973) Spanish painter

Shocker...

2007-04-24T15:25:00.001-04:00

Today I had a conversation with a college professor about Ayn Rand.

I am currently reading "The Fountainhead" (and enjoying it greatly), and he noticed my paperback copy in the darkroom. We got to talking, he mentioned that his 14 year old daughter (FOURTEEN?) already read the Fountainhead and is working on Atlas Shrugged. He also said that he thinks it should be required reading for all college students, but most professors wouldn't allow that to happen.

What do I think? I have never been so compelled to finish a book 1100 pages long, printed in super-tiny print, and containing the story of... railroad companies, steel companies, and socialism. For real - I remember reading 4 hours a day over Christmas break last year. I don't remember the last time I read a book that hard and fast. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good read, but especially those who feel compelled to create.

Required reading for college students? Yep. I agree with that too. Most professors wouldn't allow it? Without question.

In my experience as a college student, (and I have almost as much as anyone else - I have only 5 class days left in my undergrad career) I have found that the overwhelming attitude of students doing work has been for the sake of pleasing someone else. People do homework to make teachers happy, or to make classmates happy. People even do homework to get good grades - which is not a bad reason, but how many students do work for their own personal satisfaction? What if there were no grades - would I still feel compelled to study music? I answer "yes," and I know many others who feel the same... but I have come across equally as many peers who study for no reason other than to please teachers and do well on tests. They may suit themselves - I have no criticism, except that I cannot imagine how they make it through the day if they don't work for their own enrichment. I find that I am happiest when I spend my time doing the things I enjoy, so why not at least try to enjoy subjects and work? OR find a field that is interesting enough to devote my life to, knowing I will be satisfied and even happy if I end up working until I die?

In music, there are many such people. One time I was studying with a math major, and I got really, really excited over the resolution of a secondary dominant. The math major couldn't believe it, and commented that she wished she could get that excited over her homework. But I know of math majors who are passionate about math. If college students were all passionate about their choice in major, college would be a better place.

Thats all.

2007-04-23T10:21:00.001-04:00

Pat brought his upright bass from home this weekend. Saturday night we rocked out for a long time, we had a blast. We did a sweet rendition of Denison's "Stations" with the country feel from Joy and Sorrow. Then we played Oasis, and Beck, and "Where it's at" might have to become a show standard.

I guess I have an addiction to buying music supplies. I threw down a big chunk of cash for one of these:

It even comes in a pretty box. They're designed for broadcasting, but people rave about them in in all kinds of settings. Maybe I'll start podcasting... hah! Just like I'm going to start playing Euphonium. And Blogging.

2007-04-21T09:18:00.001-04:00

"The place where peace starts is between two people and how they handle a disagreement. If I’m really serious about peace, I have to love people more than I love ideas."

-Derek Webb

2007-04-20T17:03:00.001-04:00

Another good read.

I invite my non-conservative readers to pick through "conservative" links to find something interesting, or maybe to disagree with everything. And when you find a good liberal read, send it my way, please.

P.S. I use "conservative" and "liberal" as defined in the introduction of Russell Kirk's "The Conservative Mind."

My mind is ramblin'

2007-04-20T11:13:00.001-04:00

This article rang true to me.

George Will is the kind of conservative I look up to and aspire to be like: articulate, calm, grounded in bona-fide conservative philosophy (not fake imitation conservativism like what is dominant today). He knows history, and he loves baseball.

So I've come out and said it. Yep - I consider myself a red meat eating, gun totin', gun shootin', pro-capitalism, anti-socialism conservative. Republican? Maybe, but thats besides the point. What is the point for today?

First, I'd like to say that Mr. Will is right in this article. Yesterday I mentioned musicians hiding behind their righteous causes. A similar problem we face is the obsession with anger, and righteous indignation. Don't get me wrong - I believe anger is given to us for a reason, and there is a time and place for righteous indignation. But when people refuse to accept that our beliefs and opinions are grounded in our personal experiences, and we start creating our own imaginary enemies, we miss each other.

I've done it. I have my personal disagreements with people, and on occasion a person has caused me great emotional pain. So what's a boy to do? Characterize that person as something - slap a nice label on them. Atheist, vegetarian, Christian, jock, snob, holier-than-thou crusader, slut... anything works, really. Mac user - one of my favorites. "Hi I'm a Mac" commercials make me hopping mad for many reasons, but the biggest is because they characterize people as one thing or another: hip, secure, confident Mac user, or dopey, old, fat PC user. We speak of the "Religious Right" and "Pro-Choicers" and "Pro-Lifers" and any other number of "groups" that don't exist, and are full of people who were invented so the group could be defined. A pro-choicer is really a person who has an opinion about abortion. A Mac user is a person who uses a Mac. "Person" should be the operative word in these descriptions.

I don't mean to get into semantics - I don't think it changes much. Anyone in education has heard of "people first language" and it has good intentions, but I don't think it really changes who people are, on either end.

I, however, hope that I will not be placed into a group. I want to avoid placing others in groups, also. Again: what if, instead of protesting and plastering cars with bumper stickers, we simply befriended the people around us and talked to them. What if we stood up for our opinions but only held them as opinions, which are constantly changing? Looking people in the eye and talking about serious issues leads to real understanding of the issue, and the person who stands on the other side of it. I don't feel the need to be righteous in what I think - only to think something, and stand by it, and watch as I change as a person from experience.

Ray Bradbury mentions this at the end of Fahrenheit 451. I do not remember the exact quote, but from what I remember, he states that he hopes he will come out with his thoughts and work early, before they are perfect. If he is wrong, then he learns. This is a lesson I learned again the other night while watching "Meet the Robinsons." In one scene, the main character is praised for his failure, because when you fail you learn. When you succeed, "not so much."

Have we become so paralyzed with fear of being wrong that we've started to attack people who don't exist and therefore can't disagree? Are we so paralyzed with fear that we even choose to hide opinions from our friends we disagree with? Would we avoid meeting certain people on the grounds that our opinions differ?

2007-04-20T01:37:00.001-04:00

My friends tell me I need to make a CD, so I think I will. Progress on my upcoming album will be posted here on this blog. The album will be titled

The Woodshed

and will hopefully be finished sometime in the fall.

Currently on board is Patrick McKinney who will be playing upright bass. I have also contacted Tim Hoover regarding album artwork. I am planning on 12 tracks, most of which have already been heard in one form or another, but this will be the no holds barred what-goes-on-in-Paul's-head release. I will record these songs as I imagine them being recorded.

Instrumentation will be no more than steel string guitar, upright bass, acoustic piano, percussion, and vocals. There will be no cheese, a little bit of glitter, and no pretense...

One of my biggest pet-peeves is artists who insist on creating an image of brilliance and wisdom. Pop music today is something along the lines of the Troubador songs of the middle ages: important, but not earth shattering. I don't want anyone getting the impression that I am doing anything new, or unique. Let me make two things clear:

1. I have stolen every technique, chord, texture, and progression from somewhere in music, whether it be Brahms 4, Saint-Saens 3, James Taylor's Sweet Baby James, or mewithoutYou's Catch for us the Foxes. This should come as no shock to anyone, since, according to certain masters, it is at least a prerequisite for good writing:

"Lesser artists borrow; great artists steal"
-Igor Stravinsky

"Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal"
-TS Elliot

"Good artists copy; great artists steal"
-Pablo Picasso

Don't listen to my music to hear something new, or revolutionary. Don't pretend you are. There is plenty of music written for the sake of being new, and revolutionary... go listen to Charles Ives, or Arnold Schoenberg - if you can stomach it. I write what I write for a reason...

2. I have agonized over every note and word in every song, forcing myself to grow and stretch, making sure that everything I create is as beautiful and honest as possible. I take what I learn from what I love, and turn it into something that is mine. I am just a normal person, and I intend to reveal myself as I have experienced life to other people, through a personal medium. I am annoyed to no end when philosophies are spread through bumper stickers and anonymous blog comments.

Lobbyists and politicians are always presenting some philosophy or slogan, and tagging statistics and quotes on the end to make them convincing. I see the world becoming more and more impersonal, but I believe that it is one of the biggest problems we are facing: nobody talks anymore. What would happen if you honestly sat down with the person you most disagree with, who you would most hate, and had a conversation - and made eye contact? While writing music and making a CD is not making eye contact, I refuse to be an artist who protests and preaches righteousness through some cause or another, while hiding behind a name and an image. All I have to offer is my humanity. My opinions I will present as opinions - I won't present them as fact. I will present them humbly, but skillfully. I will not ask for my opinions to be respected because of my music - only for my music to be respected for what it is.

Now go listen to Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring."