TECHNOLOGY

The fact is we are all here because of the beautiful web of technology. Technology has literally shaped life as we know it. In fact, it has been way of life for me since birth. From early toys, machines, and instruments to the dot-com boom and the iPhone, it's almost impossible to grasp the full extent to which technology has changed my life. 

As Howard Thurman says, "what the world needs is more people who have come alive." Technology does just that. For one, the technological advances of musical instruments and recording has allowed me to truly feel alive by providing vast outlets for self-expression. I literally have the potential to create a record in my bedroom that would have cost thousands of dollars 20 years ago with a $50 keyboard and a program I downloaded for free. I can copy, paste, splice, tune, and warp any performance to be perfectly in time on a laptop. Furthermore, this same technology allows me to work anywhere, from a big screen TV in a living room to a window seat on an airplane or even a boat in the middle of the sea (which could be solar-powered if needed)!

Then there is the internet which is an unlimited source of knowledge. I have become a self-sufficient jack of all trades simply in a matter of minutes by doing a Google search. I have installed car stereo systems, replaced my air filter and even fixed my flooded engine from instructional videos on YouTube. I have downloaded free blueprints and built tree houses and gardens for my family. I have taken computer courses at Harvard and MIT for free. I have stayed connected with friends and class mates through Facebook. I have read multiple sides of political discussions and formed my own opinions. I have even woke up at 4 a.m. to watch live video lectures from gurus on the opposite side of the world. The internet, in the hands of a pure heart, is perhaps the greatest tool for self-mastery and certainly one of the most efficient means to changing the world.

This upcoming Monday, August 25th, 2014, I am embarking on a journey of self-mastery by entering the graduate program at Loyola University of New Orleans in order to become a Master of Music Therapy. The excitement I feel is surreal. I am following my passion and committing myself to the service of others. And all the while, the universe and technology is abundantly providing for me. I can't help but to inhale each moment with gratitude for being alive. Now it is the time to give back with spirit, imagination, and hard work. To be creative and discover ideas that foster growth. I owe to all who have helped me in life and we owe it each other. To all the inventors who have put their love and sweat into the technological advances that unite us and allow humanity to flourish. In this day and age, if we want to survive as a species it is vital that we as individuals reach our highest potential. We have to remain open to learning everyday. We have to embrace change and co-evolve with technology.

BOOTS AND BOOBS

The title of this post has absolutely nothing to do with its content. Haha it's been quite a while since my last update and my how things have changed. It's a new year! And there is so much to celebrate and appreciate right now. I've grown stronger in more than music (as all things are connected this should come as no surprise). For one, I have begun a solo project for the first time in a few years. As of now I've written 10 songs and continue to write and record as inspiration strikes and commitment takes hold. I still love the idea collaborations and look forward to making music with those dear to me, but I believe an artist gains strength by creating and experimenting alone; and can better appreciate what others bring to the table and in turn bring more themselves. 

For one, I am surprising myself with guitar abilities, though I have a long way to go still. I am also growing confident in my singing as well. My mixes still aren't quite sounding "professional" and huge. Fortunately, I will this weekend delving into stereo-buss compression and understand more how that affects a mix… In other words, I've got a game plan. Starting next Thursday I will be going into the studio at Dizzy Records with my friend and master musician, Reed Guillory. I am extremely optimistic and am working to have my songs ready to rock and roll.

Another plan developed from a recent trend in my life: the spontaneous jam session. It could happen anywhere, anytime, with anyone, with out any instruments (though there are those who are special souls who are especially likely to join or even start one). The joy of connection and being present in such a moment is so inspiring. In fact, it makes me rethink the traditional role of a concert. Generally, there is a clear divide between the performer and the audience. The performer has practiced and practiced until mastery has been achieved and then performs with as much flash as needed to compensate for the lack of musical substance, hahahah… That's a rather negative view just to make a point: Imagine how fun would it be as an audience member to simply be improvising music with the master musician you adore.

This leads me to another thought: Masterpieces. What makes a masterpiece? The simplest answer I can think of is a Master. Anyone can be a master through mastery… okay, what is that? I hear you ask… Mastery is making the exact right action in the moment. This awareness takes practice but time is irrelevant in the actual rate of progress. For some, it will take a lifetime (especially if they are unaware), for others, like Josh Radin, it could take two or three years only. Still other "child prodigies" (Tony Royster Jr.) seem to fly through the process overnight… Here is one wise, old man's (Tom LaCoque) explanation of the Mastery process: ignorant, inept, bad, ok, good, adept, boredom, mastery. Let's apply this to my singing history thus far: 

1) Ignorant: So at first I was ignorant of any skills involved in singing… I was complete unaware. I didn't know I didn't know how to sing.

2) Inept: Growing up with many musicians, I would join in the singing and playing and was quickly told I was not helping

3) Bad: I attempted with more awareness and had the occasional success but learned now that I was "off pitch"

4) Ok: Soon I was encouraged to sing along with simple choruses that were too easy to mess up 

5) Good: I became aware of the physical sensations of singing and analyzed them 

6) Adept: This is where I am now. I can now singing a tune and have anywhere from a 75-95% success rate hahah

7) Boredom: This is a critical stage according to LaCoque where one can get stuck and never develop into a true master… One must power through with belief and work ethic and critical awareness in order to make the jump to mastery

8) Mastery: Again, Mastery is making the exact right action in the moment. Singing very note with feeling and awareness

As this music blog borders the line of being a life lesson blog I will make a recommendation for the book I am currently reading, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. This book changes everything… Enjoy!

LA MUSIQUE

I recently watched the absolute best musical instruction DVD - Victor Wooten's Bass Groove Workshop. It breaks down music into 10 equal parts. Even though the lessons are given to bass players they are directed to all musicians. I, in turn, am currently attempting to share these lessons with all of my co-musicians as it provides for the most efficient communication. I cannot recommend this enough...

In letting these thoughts marinade, I applied them to my vocals, of course. They are easily applied to drums, even piano and guitar is more accessible because of this instruction. What I did not expect was an application of these principles to song-writing. 

Fun fact: my new job (Vision Therapy) also shed light on the process of song-writing. Thus, I present...

THE SECRET SEQUENCE OF SONG-WRITING ORGANIZATIONS

1. Recognize

2. Describe

3. Reproduce

4. Remember

5. Cognize, perceive, know

6. Manipulate, elaborate, extrapolate, transfer

7. Automate, abstract, generalize

8. Imagine, create

It wouldn't be enjoyable to write through each step of this sequence, so rather I will start off with an example. Without further ado, I present the case of the album version versus the live version:

Feist - "When I Was A Young Girl"

Album Version:

Live version:

Do yourself a favor and watch all of this. 

Ok, so which version of the song is better?

I willing to bet a solid $5 that most people would say the live version is better. 

Same artist... Same original song... What's going on?

I believe that Feist used the recording process as part of the song-writing process. Basically, the song-recording was finished around steps 5-7. But playing this same song night after night on a tour and is when Step 8 actually occurs... it's when you decide to get creative and imagine the song in it's truest form. 

"People used to make records as in a record of an event. The event of people playing music in a room." -Ani DiFranco, "Fuel"

I am not saying that I would rather a recording only after step 8 - in fact, the opposite is probably true. I would bet another $5 that I enjoy the Live Version so much more because I can see the history of how far the song and artist has evolved. 

Another artist that has beautiful re-interpretations of their own songs is Andrew Bird - check out Live In Montreal as compared to The Mysterious Production of Eggs. 

SINGING

So I've recently begun to really delve into singing... And of course, that means research and practice. For a while, I wasn't really sure if I was making any progress. Now I've figured quite a bit out though...

For starters, I've always been very dynamic in my vocal expressions. Still, I was often told I couldn't sing. Hmmm...

So I learned the fundamentals of vocal chords, how it felt to hit a note in my normal speaking voice. A friend showed me Per Bristow's Singing Freedom. Then I understood what a relaxed high note felt like. Then I became conscious of my bridge between each register (or my break).

Cool so I once I understood the basics of my voice and how notes felt, I realized that I wasn't able to connect the pitches I heard in my head to the pitches coming out of my voice. I rationalized to myself that this was because I was a drummer and never had to worry much about pitch. In fact, I began to think that it would be impossible for me to make any progress in the area at all.

A couple research hours later and I found hope that this was not the case. I just had to put the practice and work in. "Everybody wanna be famous but nobody wants to put in the work." (Kevin Hart)

Looking on my fancy iPhone I found an extremely helpful app called "Singer's Studio" by EROL. This app gives instant feedback of pitch (mapping it out very similar to AutoTune or VariAudio) and tracks your progress in comparison with your range. Its been three days and I've already noticed a tremendous difference my ear and confidence.

Naturally, I want to be able to sing difficult melodies and very emotionally but I realize that I need to have pitch mastered as well as understand more about screaming/stressed vocals.

Off to research the Zen of Screaming by Melissa Cross...

A COLOR MAP OF THE SUN

An interesting concept was recently introduced to me by the artist, Pretty Lights (Derek Vincent Smith). He speaks of "the break… an uncluttered moment of deep groove… the essence of hip-hop."   

Throughout the making of his latest album, Derek directs the recording artist to go for time period breaks (i.e. 60's & 70's) all on the cusp of the moment. This idea resonates with me… I've grown tired of practicing a part over and over for weeks as I am confident in my ability to make soulful music. Of course practice is essential, but I am ready to have any idea captured and played back instantly (perhaps the only positive aspect of this generation that Snowden could agree to).  

In fact, recently, I did just that. Stephen Richard and I simply laid down this track starting with a guitar loop. I then went in with a melodic phrase and a few lyrics and did one take of vocals. Next Stephen came up with a guitar melody and a bass line. As we ate dinner we listened to the song and thought the ending could use something big and sing-along-y. Here is the result, "Brass Hearts." Of course, giving the idea some time to age shows a lot of ways we could improve the idea (especially considering that it was all recorded on a laptop microphone) but still the song was written, enjoyable, and efficient.

I digress, Derek Smith then goes on to press the recordings to vinyl, sample them, and then manipulates all the recording with analog synthesizers... This is all allowed by his artistic license, but I can't help but to enjoy the original concept he pulls from the artists more than his remixes if you will... this is more the purist in me speaking than any sort of insult, as I do respect the entire production.   

Definitely check it out:

ESSENCE FESTIVAL 2013

This weekend has been a constant drum-gasm …setting up for Essence Fest has put me in close contact with the best drummer's of "black music" today. These guys have gospel chops of such tremendously varying personality that I can't help but to be inspired. The fact is, I still did not care for a majority of the acts, perhaps I felt they were cheesy as a musical whole. Regardless, I could still appreciate the entire show just by virtue of the drummer. In many ways this goes against the "tasteful" drumming concepts I've been accruing, as the drums did often outshine the rest of the music, but alas, this felt appropriate and enjoyable. 

 

It makes me realize that I have a style I've developed over the years that, while good, could really be expanded to include more influences such as hip-hop and even more, like classical.

 

My favorite moment of the entire Essence Festival was setting up Beyonce's drums. I got to caress and polish the most beautiful 11-piece, custom, DW drum kit. It was designed for Cora Coleman-Dunham (aka "Queen Cora") and endorsed by Sabian. Behind her floating drums, hung two of the most unique cymbals I've ever seen - from the bell a spiral was cut all the way to outer edge and when hung it looked a curl of hair. Cora's drum tech described their sound as "dark" and he described Cora, herself, as Jedi Knight of drums. When all was said and done, the house lights came up and I rushed up to the stage to tear-down. Cora was still there and I told her that she had done a great job and that I got to polish (using microfiber) and love her kit. The drummer for Prince, Beyonce, the Grammy's, and the 2003 Guitar Center Annual National Drum-Off competition then thanked me and seemed genuinely happy to have had my help.

She also gave me her custom drumsticks that she had just played with. Oh yeah…

CALIFORNIA PRISON BLUES

I've had a crazy life. Really. My biological father, Kelly, and I met for the first time 2 years ago... He is currently doing some time... In the strangest way, we have grown closer because of his situation. We write letters but I never get a response in a timely fashion due to whatever restrictions their postal service enforces. Regardless, I've asked him to write me songs and he has. He has a great movement in his words and I get to throw their rhythms against any chords and resonate with them. It is a beautiful thing to me and I can't wait to show him what they've turned into. 

He wrote me back recently saying I should share our letters and our story more in depth calling it something to the effect of the "Weezy-anna, Kelly-fornia Connection" ...I'm not sure if I will or not, but the idea is neat. He hopes it would bring together more fathers and sons, but alas, I am just happy that we are together...

Anyway here is one in progress, Snapdragon.