I wrote this list right before I turned 20 this past March, and is just a compiled list of some things I'd like to do before I turn 30. Updates included!
-go surfing
-spend a summer with a touring band (COMPLETED - Summer 2009)
-record a full length album
-complete my guitar collection
-build a record collection
-paint a picture that's worth hanging up
-attend a yoga class
-attend a cooking class
-go to the west coast
-go to mexico
-go to mardi gras in new orleans
-road trip anywhere
-own a car
-watch all the films that won "best picture" at the oscars
-have a job doing something music related
-build a shed
-build a bike
-learn how to build a guitar
-learn how to build a trumpet
-learn a new language, preferably German or Dutch (PENDING - classes start Jan. 2010)
-actually finish a tube of chap-stick
-attend a network show taping
-sell something on craigslist (COMPLETED - December 2009)
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
I'm back to it.
Just wanted to post this here...
I just put a new Lambent song up at myspace.com/lambentmusic
It's called Palindromarama, and I hope you enjoy it.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
I just put a new Lambent song up at myspace.com/lambentmusic
It's called Palindromarama, and I hope you enjoy it.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Getting back to it.
Current iTunes track: Anti-Orgasm - Sonic Youth
After a filling Thanksgiving weekend I can't help but think about what the next month or so has in store: finals, juries, papers and other miscellaneous exams. More importantly, a chance to work on my music is fast approaching. I've been wanting to get back into my ambient project for months now, but haven't had the time or the resources.
I still have a ways to go on building my pedal board, but that's just a bonus to the music itself. Hopefully I'll have an EP put together by the new year for you guys to check out.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
After a filling Thanksgiving weekend I can't help but think about what the next month or so has in store: finals, juries, papers and other miscellaneous exams. More importantly, a chance to work on my music is fast approaching. I've been wanting to get back into my ambient project for months now, but haven't had the time or the resources.
I still have a ways to go on building my pedal board, but that's just a bonus to the music itself. Hopefully I'll have an EP put together by the new year for you guys to check out.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
Sunday, November 22, 2009
7 miles and 7 pages.
Current iTunes track: You've Got Everything Now - The Smiths
Today consisted entirely of me cleaning my room and doing my laundry, and then going up to Temple to get my Beethoven paper done. I hadn't started at all, but I was able to pump out a great 7 page paper in about 4 hours. I'm pretty happy with myself.
I would post it here, but I'm not that vain, nor am I naïve enough to think you'd actually read it.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
Today consisted entirely of me cleaning my room and doing my laundry, and then going up to Temple to get my Beethoven paper done. I hadn't started at all, but I was able to pump out a great 7 page paper in about 4 hours. I'm pretty happy with myself.
I would post it here, but I'm not that vain, nor am I naïve enough to think you'd actually read it.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
Friday, November 20, 2009
The hunt contniues.
Current iTunes track: Track 12 - Bongripper
So recently I've started putting together a pedal board for myself...not because I need to, but because I want to. I'd really like to get a band going, but my gear (guitars aside) leaves something to be desired. It's a welcomed improvement to my musical options.
I've also been putting together an acoustic set list for myself. Nothing original, though. I'd really like to get all these songs down before the new year and perform them at an open mic night or something. The list is:
Last Train Home(?) - Defeater
The Aeroplane Over The Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
The Killer - Damien Jurado
Album Of The Year - The Good Life
Bad News - Owen
Yuma, AZ - Damien Jurado
Play Crack The Sky - Brand New
The Gardener - Tallest Man On Earth
Sound good? I think so.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
So recently I've started putting together a pedal board for myself...not because I need to, but because I want to. I'd really like to get a band going, but my gear (guitars aside) leaves something to be desired. It's a welcomed improvement to my musical options.
I've also been putting together an acoustic set list for myself. Nothing original, though. I'd really like to get all these songs down before the new year and perform them at an open mic night or something. The list is:
Last Train Home(?) - Defeater
The Aeroplane Over The Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
The Killer - Damien Jurado
Album Of The Year - The Good Life
Bad News - Owen
Yuma, AZ - Damien Jurado
Play Crack The Sky - Brand New
The Gardener - Tallest Man On Earth
Sound good? I think so.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
12 miles and counting.
Current iTunes track: Where Do My Bluebirds Fly? - Tallest Man On Earth
Nothing really to speak of today. I really should be doing work... but why would I do work when I can sit here and do nothing?
Stay safe.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
Nothing really to speak of today. I really should be doing work... but why would I do work when I can sit here and do nothing?
Stay safe.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
Monday, November 16, 2009
Talking shop.
Current iTunes track: A Lot - The Wind-Up Bird
Right now I'm taking a look at a new body for my custom Tele guitar. I originally bought it as a Squier Tele, but ripped out all the hardware and replaced them with higher end stuff. I got a buddy of mine to build me custom pickups, so the guitar sounds absolutely amazing. The only problem is that I still have a VERY crappy bridge on it and the action leaves a lot to be desired. If I replace the body and bridge this guitar will be unstoppable.
I've also been looking at putting a pedal-board together, which is proving to be a more daunting and expensive task than I originally thought. Stupid electronics and their outrageous price tags...
I've been getting into my guitar playing lately, which makes me both happy and quite upset at the same time. Trumpet has been my main joy for music making for the past 11 years and now that passion has fallen by the wayside. I still enjoy doing it, but it now seems more like work than a passion. Guitar gives me the creative freedom I need, and because I'm practicing so much I see tons of results in a short period of time. I know I'll hit a plateau soon, that's just the nature of practicing. It's just that seeing myself drawn towards a different instrument so strongly is a weird thing for me... 11 years and now I'm moving on.
Cheers,
The Philadephia Musician
Right now I'm taking a look at a new body for my custom Tele guitar. I originally bought it as a Squier Tele, but ripped out all the hardware and replaced them with higher end stuff. I got a buddy of mine to build me custom pickups, so the guitar sounds absolutely amazing. The only problem is that I still have a VERY crappy bridge on it and the action leaves a lot to be desired. If I replace the body and bridge this guitar will be unstoppable.
I've also been looking at putting a pedal-board together, which is proving to be a more daunting and expensive task than I originally thought. Stupid electronics and their outrageous price tags...
I've been getting into my guitar playing lately, which makes me both happy and quite upset at the same time. Trumpet has been my main joy for music making for the past 11 years and now that passion has fallen by the wayside. I still enjoy doing it, but it now seems more like work than a passion. Guitar gives me the creative freedom I need, and because I'm practicing so much I see tons of results in a short period of time. I know I'll hit a plateau soon, that's just the nature of practicing. It's just that seeing myself drawn towards a different instrument so strongly is a weird thing for me... 11 years and now I'm moving on.
Cheers,
The Philadephia Musician
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Well here we are...
Current iTunes track: Ashcroft - The Suicide File
Seeing as this is my first post I'll take this opportunity to tell you guys a bit about myself and how I got to where I am in life right now.
So the story begins back in New Jersey where I grew up. I was born into a family of almost exclusively musicians. Both my parents are vocal music teachers, everyone on my father's side of the family is involved in music in one way or another, and even distant relatives on that side of the family are deeply involved in music. So it came as no surprise when I knew that music was my path as a junior in high school. At that point I had been playing trumpet for about 7 years and guitar for just as long, and it was only then that I really buckled down and practiced trumpet (my main instrument).
Getting to college I quickly realized that I wasn't even close to being the best musician in the school, so the ego I had developed in regards to my trumpet playing and musicianship quickly disintegrated, and I stayed fairly reserved. It was only when I made it into the upper ensembles as a freshman did I start coming out of my shell.
I spent the next two years of my life slaving away in the music education degree that I eventually decided against getting. I switched to music history in October 2009 and I couldn't be happier. Even though I'm taking classes this semester that are in the music education curriculum, just thinking about next semester makes me smile. I've come to realize that being a high school instrumental teacher just isn't what interests me anymore. I care MUCH more about Beethoven's reclusive years leading up to his third period than about how to teach intonation to beginning bassoon players.
Well...that about sums everything up from my early years to now, so on to more current events.
It's the end of the weekend and I can honestly say I was totally and completely unproductive. Well, that's not entirely true. I caught up on Fallout 3 and made some totally bitchin' salsa today.
My good buddy Brendan came to Philly this weekend to scout locations for his next film. I'm excited to help out with this project and watch the final project next year. He's a brilliant dude, so I'm sure his film will be nothing short of spectacular.
Aside from walk around Philly looking at potential filming locations we didn't do a whole lot. We drank...a lot. I'm normally not a drinker, but if you get me in good company I knock them back like a champ. We also jammed out for a little while. Brendan and I were in a band in high school and we're apparently trying to get that project back together. If we do end up getting a band together I really want to take things in a new direction. My music tastes have changed so much since Atlas Ataxia (our old band) was in full swing, and I'd like to write new stuff instead of play older stuff.
When Atlas Ataxia took - what was then - an indefinite hiatus I picked up a loop station for the hell of it and my creative juices really flowed for about a year. I wrote the best music I had ever written, and it was just me and my guitar. If Brendan and I get everything going again I'm really afraid of losing that creative freedom. That's not to say the music we write isn't good, I just want to be able to throw whatever I want into a song without someone there to tell me they don't like it. I guess compromise is a virtue I haven't practiced in a long time.
Anyways, I don't want to spoil everything on my first post, so until next time.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
Seeing as this is my first post I'll take this opportunity to tell you guys a bit about myself and how I got to where I am in life right now.
So the story begins back in New Jersey where I grew up. I was born into a family of almost exclusively musicians. Both my parents are vocal music teachers, everyone on my father's side of the family is involved in music in one way or another, and even distant relatives on that side of the family are deeply involved in music. So it came as no surprise when I knew that music was my path as a junior in high school. At that point I had been playing trumpet for about 7 years and guitar for just as long, and it was only then that I really buckled down and practiced trumpet (my main instrument).
Getting to college I quickly realized that I wasn't even close to being the best musician in the school, so the ego I had developed in regards to my trumpet playing and musicianship quickly disintegrated, and I stayed fairly reserved. It was only when I made it into the upper ensembles as a freshman did I start coming out of my shell.
I spent the next two years of my life slaving away in the music education degree that I eventually decided against getting. I switched to music history in October 2009 and I couldn't be happier. Even though I'm taking classes this semester that are in the music education curriculum, just thinking about next semester makes me smile. I've come to realize that being a high school instrumental teacher just isn't what interests me anymore. I care MUCH more about Beethoven's reclusive years leading up to his third period than about how to teach intonation to beginning bassoon players.
Well...that about sums everything up from my early years to now, so on to more current events.
It's the end of the weekend and I can honestly say I was totally and completely unproductive. Well, that's not entirely true. I caught up on Fallout 3 and made some totally bitchin' salsa today.
My good buddy Brendan came to Philly this weekend to scout locations for his next film. I'm excited to help out with this project and watch the final project next year. He's a brilliant dude, so I'm sure his film will be nothing short of spectacular.
Aside from walk around Philly looking at potential filming locations we didn't do a whole lot. We drank...a lot. I'm normally not a drinker, but if you get me in good company I knock them back like a champ. We also jammed out for a little while. Brendan and I were in a band in high school and we're apparently trying to get that project back together. If we do end up getting a band together I really want to take things in a new direction. My music tastes have changed so much since Atlas Ataxia (our old band) was in full swing, and I'd like to write new stuff instead of play older stuff.
When Atlas Ataxia took - what was then - an indefinite hiatus I picked up a loop station for the hell of it and my creative juices really flowed for about a year. I wrote the best music I had ever written, and it was just me and my guitar. If Brendan and I get everything going again I'm really afraid of losing that creative freedom. That's not to say the music we write isn't good, I just want to be able to throw whatever I want into a song without someone there to tell me they don't like it. I guess compromise is a virtue I haven't practiced in a long time.
Anyways, I don't want to spoil everything on my first post, so until next time.
Cheers,
The Philadelphia Musician
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