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Friday Fill

March 25, 2011 by brhythm Leave a Comment

1. Why does it have to be warm enough for me to get the scooter out one day, and a few days later it’s snowing again?

2. Most people don’t like the metric system. They like the English system since it’s “familiar.” Yet most people don’t even know one tablespoon is equal to three teaspoons; most people think it’s four.

3. My favorite breakfast includes pot roast hash, eggs over medium, toast, and enough coffee to float a skiff.

4. “The Making of the Empire Strikes Back” was the last book I read before falling asleep the other night. (I usually read my Bible before going to sleep, but I did something different the night before last. I didn’t read anything last night; I was too tired and went right to sleep.)

5. I am SO glad I took a couple hours off from the office this AM.

6. A hot shower would make me feel better right now.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to playing “Hello Dolly” in the pit of a high school musical, tomorrow my plans include going to a pastor/deacon conference (I will represent the latter; I’m not called to be a pastor!) and Sunday, I want to have lunch with my Mom!

Posted in: Uncategorized Tagged: Chrisitanity, cooking and food, drums and drumming, Memes, scooter

Friday Fill In #198

November 5, 2010 by brhythm 3 Comments

1. Sometimes, I have one of those days at work where everything clicks, I get a lot done, and feel like I did a great job for the company. Yesterday was one of those days.

2. Last night I had this gianormous meatloaf sandwich for supper and I ate just about the whole thing.

3. Small minded are those supposedly “broad minded” people who call “foul” when an election doesn’t go their way.

4. When making biscuits, you should put a little Bakewell Cream in your dough; it helps the dough rise and is very enlightening.

5. I keep meaning to recover that Pearl tom-tom in pink sparkle to match the rest of my drums but…

6. (cont. from #5) I just haven’t gotten around to it …yet.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to being at home and playing with the boys while Susan and Julia are out decorating the church, tomorrow my plans include working in the AM then playing a gig in Brewer in the evening, and Sunday, I want to have some cool lesson ready for Sunday School!

Posted in: Uncategorized Tagged: Chrisitanity, cooking and food, drums and drumming

Northern Kingdom Music & Chocolate

October 9, 2010 by brhythm Leave a Comment

I had a dream last night I was shopping for a new drum throne at Northern Kingdom Music. (Note: NKM is my local music shop, and I am considering buying a new drum throne.) Who are the actors in last night’s dream? Well…

Elwood is kicking around the shop. He’s talking under his breath. He’s busy trying to figure out how to keep the seagulls off the roof. Harvey is working with another customer. Neither Mac or Ethan are around. There’s also a group of about five people, one of whom is mentally challenged. As Elwood walks by this group, he says “You’ve got about two minutes before we close, folks.”  The group is taking pictures. It’s raining outside.

I’m trying to figure out who is going to help me. This young lady, early 20’s I’d guess, comes up to me. She’s some new employee, but apparently she knows who I am. “Harv set aside the drum throne under the counter.” She lets me behind the counter, and shows me the parts. I grab them, the head out of the way next to a wall to put the throne together and try it out.

Meanwhile, the group of five are still taking pictures. They’re against the opposite wall. They call to Elwood “Come join us in this picture.” He goes and stands with them. “Wait,” one of them says. “Let’s open the door to the kitchen. That way, we can see inside and remember what the kitchen looked like inside.” I’m not sure how I knew it, but I knew they were taking the photos for the handicapped person. He was going away, and they were getting some photos of “home” for him, so he wouldn’t get homesick. Also note that NKM doesn’t have, nor has ever had to my knowledge, a kitchen.

It’s now time to close. The group leaves. I’m putting away the drum throne when I notice a stain on the wall. The roof is apparently leaking, and water is dripping through. But there’s also this brown, sorta oily stain. Elwood looks at the stain and says “What’s that?”

“I’m not sure” I say. “It wasn’t there when I sat down.” He goes up and rubs it with his finger. Then he smells it.

“It’s chocolate,” he says. “I guess that wasn’t such a good idea.” You see, in an effort to keep the seagulls away, Elwood had covered the roof of NKM with chocolate.

I then noticed that my head was a little  wet. I touched my head, and left on my hand was a chocolaty wet spot. “It got in my hair, too.” I said.

Then I woke up.

Posted in: Crazy Dreams Tagged: Chocolate, drums and drumming

The Relationship of Musician and Instrument

October 2, 2010 by brhythm 4 Comments

Last night,  I played a fundraiser at Cellar Door Winery. This isn’t the first time we’ve played for them. These were the same folks who asked us to play on TV for the July 4th weekend. These folks are really nice, and they treat us very well. This weekend was no exception.

Originally we were planning on this being a regular type gig. We’d bring our own instruments and PA system. That’s the norm, right? Well on Wednesday, we got word that they had hired a soundman, and we wouldn’t need to bring our PA. Just our instruments and microphones. Nice. So we showed up at the gig. It was a HUGE tent system–not just one tent, but a series of interconnecting tents–in a wine field. I walk in, and there is a huge stage, complete with everything. A house drum kit. A bass amp and cabinet. A guitar amp, all mic’d up. A monitor for each person. (For those who don’t know, a monitor is a speaker on a stage that points back towards the musicians. When the sax player is at the other end of the stage–as he was last night–I can’t hear him. He’s too far away, and the drums are too loud. So they pipe some of his sax sound through the mixing board and back to me. Last night, everyone had their own monitor mix, and could have whatever instrument or vocal set to whatever their preference was.) A keyboard stand and amp, just waiting for a keyboard player to set their rig on. All I had to do was bring a pair of sticks, and hit this drum set.

And what a drum set it was! It was a Drum Workshop kit in purple onyx. (The link is blue onyx, but you get the idea.) DW really is the “Cadillac” of drums. They’re a high end American based drum maker. They’re not a boutique builder, and they’re not the most expensive drums ever made, but they ARE expensive, nicely made, and somewhat exclusive. Each tom and the snare had brand new Remo heads on it. In addition to the fantastic drum set, they had a case full of Ziljdjian and Sabian cymbals. Not cheap ones, but nice ones. My butt was cushioned in a Rock-N-Sock throne–probably one of the most expensive thrones available.

I played like crap.

See, here’s the thing. Unlike most instruments, the drum kit is built around the drummer. Each individual instrument needs to be in just the right spot. I had five drums and four cymbals last night. Each one has to be positioned in just the spot in relation to my body. And last night, I just couldn’t get them where they needed to be.

There were two other bands slated to play after us. In an effort to keep things flowing, and to prevent lots of noise from the stage, the sound crew asked that we use as much of the house system as possible. I agreed, and said something to the effect of “I’ll just go grab my cymbals.” The soundman said “Look, we have all these cymbals available for you. Can’t you just use some of them?” He was saying, though not in these words, ‘you can use your own stuff, but we’d really prefer you not. We’d even prefer you not use something as easy to change out as your own cymbals.’

So, I stuck with the house kit. The toms were too high. The throne was too high. The cymbals were thicker than what I usually use, and not really my sound. The snare was really not my sound, and I couldn’t even tune it to get my sound. Everything was just not exactly right. And for a drummer, it really needs to be. Drumming is much more physical that playing any other instrument, I would guess. I’m swinging my arms in a lot of space, hitting an instrument I’m not holding next to my body; an instrument out there in space. Even the best instrument can’t sound great if it can’t be played great. And if I can’t reach it, I can’t play it. And I don’t think other musicians relate to their instrument in quite the same way.

Posted in: Uncategorized Tagged: drums and drumming

Friday Fill In #191

August 27, 2010 by brhythm 7 Comments

1. You do your thing; I do mine and sometimes it involves me playing drums.

2. Having to be put in a financial situation that forces me to sell my cymbals–the tools of my trade– is what’s been on my mind on and off all day.

3. Remember when you had extra money in the bank, and enough savings where you could have your own “snare drum fund”?

4. Susan, drums, working out are three of my favorite obsessions 🙂 (I know, hard to believe, but I’m really starting to like exercising!)

5. During the last year my outlook has really gone into the tank.

6. Playing the drums with friends puts a smile on my face.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to playing the drums at The Black Bull, tomorrow my plans include playing the drums at a Kiwanis picnic and playing the drums at a wedding, and Sunday, I want to play the drums in evening church!

Posted in: Friday Fill-Ins Tagged: drums and drumming, Susan

Friday Fill In #190

August 20, 2010 by brhythm 6 Comments

1. Laughter wasn’t used in any of the operating room scenes in MASH; the producers felt a laugh track took away from the seriousness of what was on screen.

2. “I wasn’t at” are the three words that started off the last email I sent.

3. What I’m most looking forward to today is my family coming home from a week at camp.

4. The prayers of my children puts a smile on my face.

5. Where in the world can you find a Gladstone snare drum for $6.00? If you know, please call me immediately!

6. The Cars had a song that included the lyrics “ just what I needed! ” and Susan and I were talking about American new wave bands the other day. (Other than The Cars and Blondie, I couldn’t come up with any more.)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to having Susan (and the kids) home, tomorrow my plans include driving three hours to a gig in Machias, playing three hours, traveling three hours home, and then going to another gig and Sunday, I want to probably get some rest!

Posted in: Friday Fill-Ins Tagged: drums and drumming, kids, Memes, Susan

Friday Fill In #188

August 6, 2010 by brhythm 4 Comments

1. Life is moving along pretty fast right now; after all, it is summertime in Maine.

2. I’ve got a couple of cars, both over 10 years old, both with 150,000 miles, and both with lots of creeks, squeaks, and rattles. I’m not sure how long they’re going to keep going.

3. My last text message (or IM) ended in these three words: Umm, I have no idea. I don’t use IM much, and I’ve never sent a text message in my life. Honest. I’ve only received (excepting spam text to but more Tracfone minutes) less then 10, and those have all been from Pastor Dave or my friend Mike.

4. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and roasted broccoli with red pepper flakes is what I’m thinking about for dinner sometime soon. (And that sometime soon is tonight!)

5. On the 1st day of August my true love sent to me a Tama bell brass snare drum from the ’80s and all the Hostess cupcakes I could eat.

6. Hang out with my twin boys for the afternoon and they’ll give you the definition of lively and energetic.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a super supper cooked by my favorite laddies, tomorrow my plans include working at the office and playing a gig at the Lobster Festival, and Sunday, I want to mow the lawn after church is over!

Posted in: Friday Fill-Ins Tagged: cooking and food, drums and drumming, kids, Susan

Friday Fill In #186

July 23, 2010 by brhythm 9 Comments

1. I feel much better than the last two days. (It seems that 24 hour stomach bug has finally passed.)

2. I recently came back to work after a week’s vacation; it took me a day or three to catch up.

3. Do You Feel Like I Do is one of those “guilty pleasure” songs I’m almost embarrassed to say I still like.

4. There aren’t too many things out there that are completely unique.

5. It’s hard to know how much money is going to come in from that ebay auction; sometimes someone gets caught up in auction fever, and the price goes through the roof! (Too bad that never happens to any of the stuff I’m selling!)

6. Usually, whatever one of my twin boys does, it isn’t long before the other one follows suit.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to playing a gig in Kenduskeag, tomorrow my plans include playing a gig in Thomaston and Rockland, and Sunday, I want to squeeze a nap in after church before my Sunday wedding gig!

Posted in: Friday Fill-Ins Tagged: drums and drumming, kids, Memes

Joe Morello’s Left Hand

June 15, 2010 by brhythm 2 Comments

In another installment of “Bill’s Youtube Videos He Watches Over and Over,” I bring you Joe Morello:

Joe was Dave Brubeck’s drummer for years and years. Here, Joe takes solo in the Brubeck classic “Take Five.” The original recording is fantastic; one might even say monumental. Like Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue,” Brubeck’s “Time Out” album is a Jazz album for people who aren’t into Jazz. You don’t have to be to dig this album. Anyway, here Joe offers a different solo than the original recording. Dig the one handed roll at about one minute in. Joe is a big proponent of what’s called the “Moeller Technique,” a way of snapping the drumstick and using the stick’s natural rebound to turn your arm into an engine, cranking out hit after hit after hit. Here Joe shows his tremendous finger technique, coupled with Moeller, to give us those super tasty one handed yummies. For non-drummers, it probably doesn’t look like much. No flash flailing, no rolling around tons of toms for days and days. But for those of us who know what he’s doing, well, we can tell you that little one handed drum roll is crazy hard to pull of.

Posted in: Uncategorized, Weekend Wrap Up Tagged: drums and drumming, music

Friday Fill In #177

May 21, 2010 by brhythm 8 Comments

1. Louis Armstrong’s singing never fails to make me smile.
2. I’m looking forward to a vacation sometime.
3. The whir of a fan is what I’m listening to right now.
4. Potato salad must have bacon in it!
5. Raisin Bran was the best thing I ate today. (Of course this early in the AM, it’s the ONLY thing I’ve eaten today.)
6. Today was not even a “was” yet. (It’s too early. I can’t answer these past tense questions about “today” first thing in the morning.)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to playing a gig in Bar Harbor, tomorrow my plans include lawn mowing and kid watching, and Sunday, I want to maybe go watch alewives swim upstream!

Posted in: Friday Fill-Ins Tagged: drums and drumming, kids, Memes
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