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