what is going on in your musical life

Ha that's how I feel, would have been nice to have been good and comfortable (and to have had Youtube) when I was young and actually playing jazz gigs all the time. Oh well.

I don't even play drums but I love watching drummers doing those vids showing drummers licks, especially jazz ones. It kind of gives a visual to some grooves that I have never seen in person.

I also like watching stuff where people get into harmony and progressions by piano players.

Even if you don't play jazz itself, there is a boodle of information from people that are good at teaching out there in videos. They do the creators work.

Yeah, there's always something to be gleaned from the good ones. It was funny, I was scrolling on instagram yesterday and after some genuinely inspiring stuff from drummer Dan Weiss, a JD Beck video, and this woman who breaks down James Brown guitar parts, I clearly hit the end of my feed. It started showing me random shit like a girl playing along with an uptempo Charlie Parker solo on a keyboard while sipping a drink with the other hand to show how easy it is for her. Like, ok, that's the worst version of social media muso culture, chops without adding anything new or placing it in any kind of context.

I started recording drum breaks for a new sample pack yesterday and I forgot what a headfuck it can be. I'm going for something perfectly loopable with just the right tones and sound, so nothing else makes me put my own playing under such a microscope as I'm playing. Way harder than recording songs imo. The dynamics of each limb, hyperaware of any hit that's a little behind or ahead, etc. And then when I'm sifting for the gold later, it's funny that the parts where I remember really feeling like I had the flow and swagger aren't necessarily the ones that sound the best. Lots of good lessons there!

i've been taking a songwriting "class" (really more of a workshop) for a few months and i'm really enjoying it. bc of who is offering and teaching the class, it's pretty focused on traditional folk/pop/rock songwriting and not very understanding of more abstract song forms/lyrics so i take all feedback with a grain of salt. but it has been very useful in terms of forcing me to write something every week and allowing me to write songs that don't have to fit into the styles that i usually play.

that sounds fun and challenging!

this woman who breaks down James Brown guitar parts

Who is this woman? The link isn't working for me.

https://www.instagram.com/ella_rae_feingold/

I took my kids to a Kwanzaa celebration today and got up to sing “Deep River”. Afterwards, one of the band members asked for my number so he could contact me for possible tv/movie soundtrack gigs.

!!!!

that's awesome!

Wow, DJP, I wish the best for you.

Me, I had a nice moment tonight at the local bar where I did a Shane McGowan tribute (because I had to), "Navigator." My mother and sister were visiting so we did a John Dnevr song ("Today"), for sentimental reasons. Then I yielded the stage to my daughter who did a song solo. Three generations of puffins on stage at once. A first.

hell yeah djp

thanks to the songwriting class mentioned above, i have a glut of new songs that will probably not be recorded by my recording project, since we move pretty slowly and have three people writing songs. i might record some of them for a solo thing, but i also miss playing out. i was considering doing some open mics to feed this need, but i'm not sure it's right for me. i'm not big on performing just me with an acoustic guitar - i've done it a couple of times but i'm less interested in that. also i imagine that at open mics you're mostly playing for the other people waiting to play the open mic. but they probably all have different vibes.

nice DJP!!! that's awesome

I'm working on finishing up the tracks for an EP for this project I have called Renegade Priests (beat/sample/drum machine based post punk thing)

I'm also in a band again, playing bass, no band name yet, digging it, most trad thing I've done in a while very classic 80s jangle, early REM, New Zealand, etc etc

that band sounds rad ums!!!!

vocal parts/lyrics almost all figured out for f/v lp2, we might start recording with all the songs completed for once. we also figured out the title and the direction of the cover art and i’m so fuckin hyped about it. i wrote lyrics for 6/10 songs and they’re the best i’ve ever written imo. four agonizingly long weeks until i’m in the studio

Nice DJP. And NA, maybe you should host your own open mic/songwriting workshop with friends?

thanks ivy! it's been fun, i really like the songs they have and that type of stuff is a cool challenge on bass, trying to do little inventive things but you can't go ham and overwhelm stuff. the guitars/singing will always be the most important part of a band like that.

https://renegadepriests.bandcamp.com/track/i-dreamed-i-lost-my-hat

this is the best renegade priest song (for me) - ilxor cbesinger is the other member he does all the lyrics and vox, great lyrics imo which i cannot take any credit for

(uncleared and awkwardly edited fleetwood mac drum sample is me haha)

Had a real burst of creativity over the Xmas period and finished a bunch of things that had been floating around, unloved, for most of last year. Quite happy with the results - https://nowherians.bandcamp.com/

Last year I:
* replaced my old shitty synth with a Korg minilogue and i love it
* got a new gong
* played one show (solo, at a library, fairly well-attended!)
* continued practicing w my dad band and word has it that we have 11 songs now, hope to record properly in 2024
* this is not a lot but it's pretty good considering the pandemic/life stuff wiped out my musical life around Oct 2021

I made a playlist of songs I recorded last year, including a group jam w my campers/drum students from the summer, some songs that indicate I am dangerously headed toward Vangelis/MST3000 theme song territory, and what I think is a dungeon synth track in which I try to establish the microgenre of cronecore. Maybe I'm back?!?!!?

https://on.soundcloud.com/DfxFA

oh also celebrated my 10th birthday as a drummer

the playlist is the "good" songs (scare quotes intentional) -- i record them almost every time i practice. i think i am addicted to the instant gratification of hearing something immediately after making it.

I've thought about buying a Minilogue, would you recommend it?

lol cronecore. That's great LL!

I am very much trying to make cronecore happen, ngl

xp I love it! I am still figuring out all of the features/how to edit my own presets, but it's versatile, easy to use, and fun. I really like the visualizer display -- I didn't realize I wanted to see what my sounds were shaped like until I saw them. I bought a "pre-owned" (lol) one for $200 less than new too, and it showed no sign of any wear/tear.

Cool, thanks.

forgot something!
* contributed gong sounds to my coworker's solo project which will yield my first gong credit :)

now i want a gong

I want a tiny gong to put on top of drums and hit with sticks (inspired by Nate Wood). Actually I have a Balinese one that I sampled for this track, I will totally try that now.

I have two — one 26” and one 22” iirc
I love them!! Sometimes I stand right up close to them to feel the sound, I have the stands arranged so they’re at chest level to me. Pretty neat.

When I played the library show I let ppl play the gong (just one there) between sets and they seemed to enjoy making that much sound. Kids and adults alike tbh. (I cautioned everyone not to bang the gong.)

Get it on!

LOL

I got a Volca Beats and a Volca Modular for my birthday ^_^

I got a SSL Six mixer, because I needed more than one good mic preamp, and I was curious about the compressors, and I realized I can leave more stuff plugged in all at once, blah blah blah. Tiny Mackie-ish thing, but I've never used a mixer of this quality! Taking a few outputs out of my interface and doing a semi- out of the box mix really surprised me. Even though my interface can do mic/line/hi-z inputs, I didn't really realize how much of a difference it makes to do routing/gain staging on a little desk. A lot of fun abusing the talkback compressor as well. Would definitely recommend!

Jealous

I got this cute midi controller so I can automate multiple things at once using faders that feel nice (mostly for more live-feeling dub mixes).

https://themidimaker.com/products/sparrow-3x100mm-midi-47280

(I am also jealous of the SSL, are you running tracks out of the computer through it and back in?)

yep, I've done a little bit of that. nothing crazy, 4 outs, through the SSL back into the interface on another 2 tracks. you can do 6 realistically but technically 10 balanced ins are possible.

I have an Alesis Multimix 8, which generally works fine as both a live mixer and a recording interface - its only limitation is that the USB out is two-track instead of separated. Which I don't need anyway because I am usually recording one instrument at a time.

I really want to get back into making music. I've bought Ableton and I am in the process of making my spare room comfy and convenient enough to encourage me back into it.

I also think I need to get better at finishing work. Would anyone be interested in giving me some feedback on this avantgard(ish) dance track I started a little while ago? https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_EMl10d_m__yjW9DrE-P5HT3Gam24zt/view?usp=drive_link

Heh to my ears that sounds like a very straight-forward DJ tool. I put it on a couple times when doing other work and nothing caught my ear that I didn't like, cool track!

everything in my life seems to be conspiring against me going to the studio tomorrow: my roommate has covid, unseasonable warming in the atmosphere is usually the thing that gives me an automatic sinus infection... but i seem to have avoided both of these things and will be sitting behind a drumkit recording our new album in 24 hours. unbelievable. last time we recorded was almost six years ago

Imperfect conditions -> the necessity of the work feels more critical. It's gonna go great!

I have a to-do list for "new personal work" and top of the list is "clean the basement", lol

Are you tracking drums by yourself or as a band? Remember to relax, breathe, and have fun!

we've always tracked live and we're planning to do that again. which is good because the band chemistry is actually something that relaxes me. thank u both

i just have to make sure i get enough sleep tonight. good luck me

(i will be wayyy too excited to go to bed at a reasonable time)

<3 good luck ivy!

hope the session goes well!

tracking live makes such a difference

Break a leg ivy!

one thing I've really been into recording is something I saw on Never Mind the Bullocks Classic Albums episode where Steve Jones talked about how they would overdub the main guitar line twice, an octave below and an octave above, it sounds pretty amazing