Fret Club Song Circle

Andy Ard invited me to join his Song Circle last week. It was a real shot in the arm for me musically.
It was a really enjoyable evening. Andy, Andy II, Terri Jo, JJ, and myself attended. We just went around the circle, and each of us would pull out a song or an idea. Sometimes everyone would play along, sometimes we'd just listen.
There was some really good music. Everyone has a distinctive and unique style and musical 'voice,' and each songwriter had some really good, strong material.
I have several song ideas that have been percolating for the last few months. It gave me a chance to dust them off and take 'em out for a spin. I realized that I had been sitting on some good song ideas, and it was high time I did something with them.
It inspired me to come home and start developing some of the ideas.
I'm looking forward to the next song circle!

Feel-good time!!!

It's really amazing...
No matter how exhausted I may be after work, no matter how tired, or cranky, or whiney...
An evening of playing great music with good friends and bandmates just makes everything feel fine. There is nothing quite like that feeling when a song is going along and everything meshes together just right.... it's a great, happy, fulfilled feeling.
I gotta say, I am really enjoying this period of the band's life, this format - just the three of us - playing great songs, harmonizing, locking in together, it's amazing.
The music is sounding good - but best of all, it feels great!
We're writing new songs, and adding things to old songs... it's fun!!!
I call it "Feel-good time!"

Everything is going to be alright now...

Blast from the past - vintage pics of Mikey playing music

Here's the breakdown:
With my very first guitar, a Harmony "Stella" - circa 1968:


Playing at church with my first electric, a Sears Silvertone - circa 1970:

With my trusty Gibson ES-175 - circa 1971/72:


Playing my Strat, with Stiffwater - circa 1975:


Playing my Ibanez Paul Gilbert PGM300 with Coventry - circa 2003:

Mikeyz Guitarz: a gallery of the many instruments I have owned (and still own) over the years.

My guitars, in roughly chronological order:

*indicates a guitar that I still own...
Here's the breakdown:
Harmony Stella, purchased in 1968:

Sears Silvertone electric, purchased in 1970:


My Gibson ES-175*, originally purchased in 1969:


Harmony "Buck Owens American"* (new 1971):


Yamaha "Flying Samurai" - a reissue*, a near-exact replica of the guitar I originally purchased in 1973 - and the original:


Fender Stratocaster* (new 1975):


Gibson "V2" Flying V (new 1980):


Ibanez Paul Gilbert signature PGM300 (new 1996):


Fender Acoustic "Samantha"* (new 2009):

Funny old world, innit?

I just realized something interesting...
One of the things that I am really good at is deciphering and arranging vocal harmonies - creating distinct individual vocal parts and melodies.
However, the other thing that I have found that another thing that I seem to be really good at is having the other guys sing the part that they fall into, and I find a part that fits in on top of it all. I guess I can just hear it.
Given a choice, my first inclination would go with arranging vocal parts. However, I am learning more and more that I really like finding a part that fits in, fills the gaps like mortar. Or glue. Or another thing that fits in between other things. In addition, if the other guys are singing the parts that they 'fall into,' then everybody is playing to their strengths; i.e., everyone is singing what comes naturally to them, and nobody is out of their element trying to sing a forced vocal part.
I am lucky that I am in a band of musicians who can sing what comes naturally to them, and it works.
Interesting how things work out.

BIG QUESTONS

I just met with my band mate Scotte to discuss updating our website, and we took the opportunity to reflect on the past year, and take a look at where we are headed in the near future.

The flurry of activity from the last year winds down. The summer, with its crazy schedule of rehearsing, performing, recording, promoting, and networking, is behind us. The new CD is out. The holidays are drawing to a close, and for a moment all is still and calm. I find myself asking, “Well, where DO I go from here?”

This prompts a flood of related questions, for how can I know where I am going unless I understand who I am and what I want? Sure, at some level, I just want to play. But that is overly simplistic; there is much more to it than that.
So I started writing down the questions.( While these questions are valid in a much broader context, for the time being I am focusing on how this all relates to my music. )

• Who am I as a musician? What is my musical identity?
• What is my creative vision? Where do I see myself going in the next year? The next 5 years? The next 10 years?
• What are my strengths?
• Where does the joy in music come from?
• What moments in music do I enjoy the most?
• What parts of being a musician do I enjoy the most?
• What unique gifts do I have?
• What do I do exceptionally well that is distinctive, that sets me apart from other musicians?
  
• What do I do better than anybody else?
• If I were to be identified by one single musical trait or quality, what would that be? What would I like it to be?
• How/when/where do I shine as a musician?
• What circumstances, environments, situations make it possible for me to really shine as a musician?
• What gifts do I have to offer to those who listen to my music?
• What benefit does my music bring to the world?
• What do I do that is unexpected, a pleasant surprise?
• Where do lists come from?
  

These are all good questions. And what is vital is not so much the answers, as it is the process of asking and exploring the questions, and gaining insight into myself, my goals, and my sense of purpose.

The Gibson is BACK!!! Reunited at long last!

After several years apart, a dear sweet friend has brought my Gibson back home to me!

Yup, that's me with my Gibson ES-175 back when I was a kid.
It was my first really good guitar (no duh) and I played it in my first band.
It really is a sweet instrument, and I love it dearly.
I took it with me to rehearsal tonight, and it was so cool to play it with the band. There are some things that it is just born to do, like jazz and blues. The problem is, it's almost too easy to play; after playing acoustic for so long, and putting light gauge strings on it, I really had to 'ease up on the throttle' or I would push it out of tune. It really only takes a very light touch to make this guitar sing!
:D
Thanks Stacey, for bringing the guitar to Denver with you! And thanks to Dino and Juliette for keeping it for me the last 7 years!