fun recording session, yet stressful
Wednesday, 27th July 2005
Where there’s no mutual respect, there’s trouble!
—jazz trumpeter, Dizzy Gillespie
I had the opportunity to do a recording session in a prominent local recording studio in San Diego. Overall, it was a lot of fun, but hard work and it was also stressful for me.
Well, I really wished I could do more studio work. I really feel I have the potential to be a good session musician. But I need more opportunities to gain experience.
It was supposed to be a reading session where I would have a chart in front of me and I would sightread some music. But, there were no actually drum charts to work off of and I ended up asking for a piano chart so I could at least read the form of the song. And I made some notes from that.
I just hope I did well. But I wonder… although the lady said we did great and she seemed pleased with the recording (which will be used for a new musical). I just have these sixth-sense feelings that I might not get called back because there were problems with the recording.
There was talk that the bassist was continually out of tune. Whenever that happens I wonder if someone will be talking negatively about me. Still, given the circumstances, I think I did a reasonably good job. So, we’ll see how it goes….
The thing about being a working musician, is that you really have to be exceptional, so the pressure’s on. And there’s no room for failure in many situations. So, you get work depending on how well you play and your reputation. Also, it’s hard to perform when there are people who don’t respect you. It’s almost as if, one has to have people who really believe in you so that you can do your best…
my about page
Saturday, 23rd July 2005
I don’t know why it’s been so hard for me to do this, but I finally got around to updating my about page. I’ll try to add more later….
A Larabar
Saturday, 23rd July 2005
Tiffany at the Bistro gave me one of these raw vegan energy bars, called a “Larabar”, so I tried it out and it was quite tasty! (thanks Tiffany). I’ll have to buy more of these at Trader Joe’s.
I’m still sticking to raw vegetable salads and raw veggie sandwiches. I’m allowing myself to eat bread that is 100% sprouted, although I think my current diet is still about 90% raw foods.
The diet has been going very well, and I’ve found it an easy transition, although the change itself is thought to be a major one… giving up all animal products, plus eating only raw foods, mostly. People today are used to eating cooked meals.
I’d say the only problems are actually in social settings, when people have to ask why I’m not eating, and I have to tell them there isn’t anything there for me to eat! Then I have to explain that I’m a strict vegetarian for ethical as well as health reasons.
an arrogant vegan
Friday, 22nd July 2005
My wife called me an “arrogant vegan” because I refused to help plan a meateater’s breakfast for family staying with us from out-of-town. Am I wrong for not wanting to participate in that, when I’m now feeling nauseous at the site and smell of beef and bacon? Even to think about bacon makes me want to throw up… I just asked if I didn’t have to do that. I really shouldn’t, and it’s respectful of my own philosophy. I don’t consider myself arrogant at all.
sweltering heat, humidity and broken cable modems
Thursday, 21st July 2005
Since last night, I didn’t have internet access at home! So, naturally, yours truly was freakin’ out over not having any internet access.
I put in a call to Time Warner Cable and they would send someone out on Monday. This was too long for me to wait. For some reason I didn’t know that the cable modems TWC provides are free of charge. So, I bought a new one at CompUSA. After installing it, I still was without the internet. So, I called customer support again and told the person everything so far. She told me to come on down and get another free cable modem from them.
So, I’m on my way to get the cable modem, and there’s this major accident on the road leading to my destination. After at least half an hour of trying to find an alternate route, I get to Time Warner Cable and they give me a new cable modem that is “initialized” (the one I bought wouldn’t work because it needed to be “initialized” by TWC, *hullo, shuh?*). And I did bring my old broken one to trade.
Anyways, I still had to hit traffic (from the accident) to get home. *sigh* …such obstacles in daily life, no? And once I got home and installed the “initialized” cable modem, it worked and we were finally online again, after almost 24 hours.
Now, I just have to return the other cable modem (which was the same exact model as the one I got from TWC) to CompUSA!
Earlier in the day, I attended my nephew’s 8th grade promotion/graduation ceremony. And because of the sweltering heat and humidity, it was rather unbearable. Imagine sitting for a couple of hours on wood bleachers in the gymnasium with no air conditioning, and seemingly hundreds of girls screaming in high-pitched, hysterical voices whenever their friends’ names were mentioned…. the high-pitched screams, the heat and humidity, the fact that beads of sweat continuously poured down my forehead, did I mention the high-pitched screams? And the hard wood bleachers, for two hours on a hot summer’s day… and well… you get the picture.
My only consolation was looking fondly at the two banners on the gymnasium wall that represented my high school’s CIF Championship wins for football and basketball, won during my Sophomore year. And reminiscing, and thinking back at all those times I watched those victorious games while in marching band and in the pep band…. it was all that kept me from literally going insane!!!
Yes, I tried yogic breathing… and meditation… but even Yogis have bad days. This was one of them!
Okay, now to return the other cable modem…
Princess Mononoke (anime)
Monday, 18th July 2005
I seldom ever watch Anime movies, but my oldest son rented this one and it was still in the DVD player so I thought I’d give it a try. Mononoke-hime (1997) has an 8.4/10 rating on The Internet Movie Database, and surprisingly there were some well-known actors lending their voices to this English version: Gillian Anderson (of X-Files fame), Billy Bob Thornton, Jada Pinkett Smith, Minnie Driver, Billy Crudup (Almost Famous), Claire Danes….
The animation was pretty awesome, and I was really impressed with the backgrounds. Stunning vistas of beauty, yet there was an element of brutality amongst the beautiful meadows and forests… arms and heads getting lopped off in battle, for instance.
But the story was a good one, and the actors did an awesome job. This movie came out several years ago, but it’s worth seeing if you haven’t already seen it.
I saw it twice before return it to Blockbuster, and the featurette includes interviews with the actors involved.
Mutual Love
- Aigoo-Chamna
- Aiyah
- ajgazmen
- ALS Sucks!
- Cami
- Champuru
- Chi Speak
- Cindy Pon
- Cyn
- Earth-Bound Insight
- Echeng
- Fluttering Moments
- Joyceline
- Luchie
- Luckykat
- manny
- Marvin
- Media’s Memoirs
- Min Jung Kim
- Mommy Misadventures
- Pari
- raw2zen
- Rice Bowl Journals
- Sandee
- Shell
- Spitfire.cc
- Suki
- Sunfood Nutrition
- The Beauty Within
- Tokyo Rose
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