Sunday, March 18, 2012
3/18/12 Letting Go
I started my my first band when I was 15 or 16. I had some music lessons when I was 8 until about 11 or so. Stuff didn't stick because it wasn't what I wanted to play - it was classical and I liked some of it. Also there were always distractions around the house.
I actually wanted to start on the accordion but my grandmother didn't want me playing in bars. Don't blame her necessarily but that's been my tension a lot in life since... Play in bars? How much? etc...
I got my first accordion when I was 15. The band I helped to start played rancheras at first. Eventually we went to all English music. Another life long tension... starting in bands that play Chicano music and then ending up with a lot of standard English music.
At the same time there's just lots of great music that I love. There must have been a jazz station or something that I heard growing up because when I got to high school I got the idea that learning jazz piano would be a smart move. Maybe it was from listening to the college stations. That's the only place I could hear Esteban Jordan, outside of my own cassettes.
I signed up and there were all these horn players and the one piano player. They had all come from orchestra or been in jazz band awhile. Since I came "late" he said what horn can you play? I couldn't so he was like "what the hell are you going to do in my class then?" I said I could play guitar and bass. So he put me on bass. He put out a several sheet piece of music in front of me and said play that. I said what are the chords?
He figured out I couldn't read music and said, can't you sight read that? I said no, but if you let me take it home I can figure it out. He wouldn't let me. I said, can you write the chords above the music and I can do it. He said the only option was to sight read it and that he wasn't going to teach me how to do that.
Then he would do fun stuff in class like ask a question. He would say something like here's the note "a" - if you wanted to play A major what would the third be. I would raise my hand and he would wait a long time for the other kids in class. After they didn't answer he would say "OK what do you think it is?" I would say c# and he would then go into a long tirade at the other students because they didn't know this and the darn rock musician knows this. He never provided any positive feedback, just used me to beat up his other students.
Had he taught some jazz history he may have had to deal with the reality that early jazz was learned mostly by ear. The heavy reading didn't come until later.
He gave me a D or F for the first half of the semester and the regular piano teacher in the next room took me on. She said, pick some music and bring it into class and we'll work on it.
I went to the music store and brought into class some Rush and maybe Pink Floyd. I would go through and play parts and ask her questions. I came to a 13th chord and played it and she asked me "why did you get a bad grade in jazz class?" After hearing the story she went to talk to the jazz teacher, explained that I knew all the fundamentals and that I just read slowly. His response was "so what?"
She came back and told me she wasn't happy with how that happened. She taught me for the rest of the semester and that was cool but it wasn't what I wanted. I didn't quite know how to explain what I was looking for. Basically, I've been stuck in that for all these years. I've only had a few people show me things of value musically since then. I tend to pick stuff up by accident.
I think if I could buckle down and REALLY woodshed it for a year I would make some great strides. I know what I need to know, I just don't know the order of difficulty for some of what I'm trying to get. It will be a process of just going for it and taking it week by week and sometimes coming back to things I'm not ready for.
I'm a decent musician. I've been playing most of my life and can play a few instruments. The fun part will be getting to actually blend rancheras, jazz, blues, and funk. Hopefully there's an audience for it. If not it will still be fun!
I think finishing my comps and mid-terms opened my brain back up a little bit.
KEEP LEFTING!
Labels: Musica y Musicos, Woodshedding
Thursday, September 01, 2011
9/1/11
Workout wise things are still progressing. My main lifts are at 100 pounds now. That feels good. For sake of time I'm going to drop from sets of 20 to sets of 10 after a week off. I really am taking this a lot slower than I thought I would. 12 workout weeks out of 13 is good. I don't feel less tired - but that's mostly because I actually don't get full nights of sleep.
My clothes feel better and people tell me I look different. I had a month of no caffeinated drinks until a really rough day last week. If I only have one or two of those a month that will be good. If I can let them go all together - that will be better.
Whoever the anonymous poster was on the previous post - thanks. And thanks to others for their comments as well. I usually hear about the blog in person. I'll run into someone and they say the blog encourages them. That's good to know.
Musically I've drawn some different energy to me. I think I may need to change my relationship to music until after graduate school. Feels hard but should be fine.
KEEP LEFTING!
Labels: Health, Musica y Musicos, Workout
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Donation Gigs 1
Fundraisers and Bands
Last year I had a bad experience with a band member at a gig we had volunteered for. I no longer play with that group but I still play with groups and those groups are still asked for volunteer gigs. I also work with groups that ask for volunteer gigs and try to help them think it through. Most musicians are willing to do some volunteer work and most not for profit ventures are still willing to ask for donation gigs – so I thought I’d write something up. Hopefully other musicians and organizations will throw in their two cents.
BANDS:
If you volunteer for a gig, you volunteered. Be nice to the people you volunteered for. Find out whatever you are concerned about ahead of time. The gig is not the time to interrogate people or ask for things. Agreements need to be made ahead of time. Find out about sound equipment – is there any or do you bring your own? How long are you going to play? Ask for as much time as is worth it to you. Hauling a sound system and instruments takes time.
If you really need some compensation to go through all of that, ask ahead of time! It is unfair to try and guilt people for beer, food or a small contribution after you are there. You should negotiate up front in an open and honest manner.
If sound is being provided for you, talk with the sound person before you get there. I was once told there was sound equipment and it was a small PA with two microphones. For this group, that was not sufficient. If there is a person in charge of sound find out if they are going to take care of everything or just have a system for you to use. The more detail you get ahead of time the better the gig – well I guess that’s true for all gigs!
ASKEES:
If you are asking for a discount or volunteer gig it is good to think things through ahead of time as well.
Remember, many musicians play music for the money. How often do you volunteer what you do at your job for free? Musicians have to spend time learning songs, practicing, and then packing, traveling, unpacking, performing, packing, traveling, and unpacking… For each performance!
If you are broke and raising money, it is perfectly fine to ask for a donation gig. Even if you are not totally broke it is always fine to ask. Give information about why and be ready to answer questions.
Think about space. Often donation gigs end up in places without a stage. Where are you going to fit the band? A small room that only holds 28 people is not a good place for a loud rock band. A large stage may not be best for a single musician without amplification. If you are not sure, take someone from the group(s) to the location to look it over. Often, people will say “that’s not necessary.” At least you offered.
If there is any form of compensation that you can consider ahead of time, make that part of the offer. I know some people hold that off to negotiate with. That’s always up to you. Remember that live music is suffering from lack of support financially and otherwise.
Food, drinks, a passing of the hat are always good offers. If you are doing pictures, a free picture is always nice. If you have t-shirts or other things, those are often appreciated. Charging a performer for entrance to a gig they are donating is usually not appreciated. And some musicians will play for hugs! (Some are suckers for that) **If you do drinks, be clear on the limit ahead of time and work out if the number is per person or for the band. There is increasingly musicians who do not drink alcohol so “two beers” is not a good offer for them. And by limit is it 2 drinks per musician or 10 for the whole group. Bartenders are sometimes very strict on that. Some place offer unlimited drinks... that's at your own risk! Having water for on-stage is a nice gesture.
Keep in mind that they may be hauling around heavy equipment and driving long distances. Agree to the amount of time ahead of time. Sometimes 15 minutes is too short a time to make the travel and set up worth it. Get that agreed to ahead of time. If the situation is appropriate and you think your audience may want to ask for an encore beyond the time allotted let them know ahead of time. Some will be happy to and others may not.
Musicians may have other gigs either before or after, so try and keep your schedule as close to the agreed upon time as possible.
If things go off schedule be thoughtful. I have been dissed by a particular City and a particular neighborhood association because they lost power. They let the early bands start (2 hours late) and kept the later paid bands on schedule, and screwed over some of us volunteer musicians who had been waiting 2 hours in the sun with people who drove in from out of town to see the performances. Needless to say, I will NOT volunteer for either of these two groups again and will insist on being paid ahead of time for any work. (Maybe venting, but hey, It’s my blog!)
If the band is willing you may ask them for their song list ahead of time and request songs that you think will work for the event. If you can hear the band ahead of time that’s always better. If you trust the musicians without hearing them ahead of time you are taking a risk. If the musician(s) are part of your organization it may not be as bad – hopefully they are thoughtful in matching the event and the music. Some musicians though will put their band above the event. That’s a gut call, or something to learn through experience.
Make any rules about guests clear. This is important for the venue and if you are fundraising by serving food or collecting at the door – a big deal.
One last thing – when making fliers it is more respectful to put the name of the performers as much as possible instead of saying “free music.” A CD and a boom box is “free music.” This credit is important and helps to support live music.
Well, that’s all I can think of this morning. I will post more and look forward to any feedback.
KEEP LEFTING!
Labels: Musica y Musicos, Solidarity
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Presented on health equity and social determinants to a UNM service learning program yesterday. Sounded like it made sense to them.
Still very happy about this year's May Day!
KEEP LEFTING!!!
Labels: Grad School, Musica y Musicos, Woodshedding, Workout
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
4/26/11
Labels: Musica y Musicos, Solidarity
Friday, March 25, 2011
3/25/11
This weekend I'm going to try and create some practice space in the house. I keep getting interrupted and it is frustrating. Probably not just for me. If I get enough energy I can create a space in the front and one in the back of the house.
I've been working on some different jazz patterns and exercises, scales following jazz progressions, etc. I've started slowly also doing these with the button accordion. I will also start learning some Esteban "Steve" Jordan songs for a tribute in August.
Last time I talked about the scales I would teach a new student. I would still do major, mixolydian, dorian, natural minor, and lydian. Then I would go for blues and also teach some common passing tones (b3 and b7) depending on the music style.
Hopefully by finals time I'll be lifting. I will post up some of the music workouts for the period in between.
KEEP LEFTING!!
Labels: Musica y Musicos, Woodshedding, Workout
Thursday, March 17, 2011
3/17/11
I have been working on some jazz drills and feeling like "geeze I should have learned these in middle school." Then I noticed on Tuesday during rehearsal and jamming with some friends that I was playing a bit differently. Decent stuff for a couple of weeks of work. I guess I'll have to keep it up!
It has been hard to keep up with current events. Japan, Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Wisconsin, etc.
KEEP LEFTING!!!
Labels: Grad School, Health, Hell In Handbasket, Musica y Musicos
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
3/15/11
On the musical side I was very tired but tried some drills anyway. Wasn't pretty, will try again today before rehearsal.
What I did get out of it was an idea of how I would teach scales to a new student. I would teach C major one week, all white notes. Then the second week teach A natural minor, again all white notes. Then the third week teach the D minor Dorian mode - all white notes. Then the fourth week teach the G Mixolydian scale, you got it, all white notes.
If the student is interested in blues I would continue with the C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic. Follow that with the A Blues scale. Then for the 8th week give them a CD with a rhythm section playing a background appropriate for the scales and exercises given.
Of course scales exercises aren't that much fun, so a song for each scale would also need to be given. And encouragement to make up melodies and experiment with random notes.
KEEP LEFTING!
Labels: Musica y Musicos
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
3/9/11
So for lent I will do an hour of jazz drills a day. And if I miss a day I will make it up on following days or at the end of lent. Maybe I'll get a good habit going.
As for health - I went to get my x-rays done today. We'll see how it goes.
I'll post some info on the gigs and get back to this more regularly.
Keep Lefting!!!
Labels: Musica y Musicos, Woodshedding
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Route 66 Blues House
As I listened to that story I thought - yes it is a BIG deal. Along with Rudy Boy, I started calling it the "World Famous" Blue Jeans Lounge. And I was planning to take a few days in late February and write this particular blog. Here I am writing on a quick lunch break.
But think of it. The Rudy Boy Experiment is a great band in and of itself. They perform there almost every Thursday night, and then host the blues jam. But other groups and musicians such as Felix y Los Gatos, Triple X, Paul Pino y Los Tone Daddies, Joe Mancuso, Li'l Bo Diddly, Fern Shegonee (RIP), Roger Weinreich, The Deteriorators, Split Decision, Suzy Marquez, Sherri Gonzales, even some mariachis including John Mancha, and so many others perform there (I know I'll catch it for some of the great people I missed). And some random jammers perform there not even knowing the quality of musician they are playing with.
It's an amazing and under-appreciated experience. If you want you can call the location of Blue Jeans (9018 Central SE) Burque's "lower east side." So I had told Rudy I would write a blog and start promoting this both as a place where this great Chicano musician leads the jam, but also Burque's Route 66 Blues House, or the International District's Blues place, etc.
For a quick background on the importance of jam night - since it often can sound fairly rough. Jam nights is where a musician gets experience, gets to be challenged, to stretch, and to mess up really bad! In the old jazz days that's where people learned. Often on blues changes and standards. And it isn't all blues at Blue Jeans. So one could learn on various, funk, and soul songs as well. This jam - and others across town - are an important seed for the musical culture of Albuquerque and New Mexico.
And people celebrated their birthdays, anniversaries, and other events there. On Friday the 18th at 5:30 will be a happy hour in honor of Chicano legend Esteban "Steve" Jordan. And it is rumored that some "Socialist Drinking Club" met there as well!
And then its gone.
Blue Jeans will close on the 20th of February. The last jam night is Thursday, Feb. 10. Tomorrow night. That is from 5PM till close. There will be a Blues and Brews and BBQs on Sunday from 3PM until 12. We can only hope that someone can take up this working class bar and breathe some life back into it. Sonny's closed a while back. And now Blue Jeans. Sonny has done a great job supporting local music.
Let's celebrate 25 years of a great place.
If this particular location can't be saved we'll see where the seed has spread to. One thing for sure is that the Blues in 'Burque aren't dependent on one location. Something will continue. Whether you'll see a great Blues band, mariachis, punk, funk, cajun and rock-n-roll all in one night? Pues let's see...
If you come out take lots of pictures and post them on your personal pages if you have them, "and remember to tip your bartenders and wait staff well. They take care of us, let's take care of them." This tips gonna need to count for awhile.
Labels: Musica y Musicos
Friday, February 04, 2011
2/4/11
Did some walks. And it is too cold to go into my uninsulated garage to fix up the gym area. Gonna keep that on check for now.
I did get to work on lyrics for some Esteban Jordan songs and also working on the chords. Starting to get the "signature" patterns down like a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 type of scale for the preparación (transition to the IV chord usually via a I7). It's nice and he uses it as a strong preparación and sometimes just within a song in going to the IV. Starting to hear some patterns in the bass lines as well.
This will be a fun journey! On 2/23 I'm going to the World Famous Blue Jeans Lounge to listen to the Esteban Jordan songs they have on the juke box and drink a few beers.
KEEP LEFTING!!!
Labels: Esteban Jordan, Musica y Musicos, Woodshedding, Workout
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
1/18/11
KEEP LEFTING!!!
Labels: Musica y Musicos
Saturday, January 15, 2011
1/15/11
KEEP LEFTING!!!
Labels: Musica y Musicos
Monday, January 03, 2011
Tómate Esta Botella Con Migo...
Siempre caigo en los mismos errores.
Otra vez a tocar con extraños.
Y a cantarle a los mismos dolores...
OK, words changed a little bit from Jose Alfredo's version. I've been thinking about what to do between now and my 45th... 46th birthdays. (Long story for another time.) I know that I will be working a lot on politics for the next round of elections. I already quit one band and told the other that I would likely take a short to long break after graduation from the MPH program.
So I started talking with musician friends about what I would like to do with music in my life. So below will be a quick overview of that and some of my musical history and links for anyone who wants to hear what I'm talking about. Part of my difficulties so far is that most people I have been playing with do not take the time to listen to much accordion music so it gets difficult to try and express what I'm trying to get people to do. The other is that often the accordion is a funky add on for people and they could be happy with me playing keyboards instead.
In the most basic sense, I want to play urban Chicano Acordeón. For me the fundamental example of that is Esteban "Steve" Jordan. Of course I don't play button accordion, but the urban nature of the music is what grabs me. This has been an issue since I was raised by very rural grandparents, I've picked berries, and living in New Mexico also doesn't embrace urbanism completely - and for some good reasons. Growing up I also listened to Jimi Hendrix, Suicidal Tendencies, The Beatles, Jimmy Reed, Oldies, Santana, El Chicano, War, even The Doors, Prince, and George Clinton, Tierra and other amazing groups who played music in English.
(Huh, listening to El Chicano just reminded me how we used to get into the deep music beyond what's on the radio these days...) Sounds like I was a musical sponge, there are lots of groups I can keep thinking of that I've tried to at least learn one of their songs...
Then there was the earlier stuff. The Chicano Mexicano stuff that was on at home all of the time. My uncles owned a bar and my Abuelita was the cook. So I remember hanging out at the bar. I first played pool standing on a chair at about 4 years old. There were almost always some Relampagos del Norte going on. Ruben Vela, Tony de La Rosa, Los Gavilanes, Los Dos Gilbertos, Los Alegres de Teran and Conjunto Bernal were also normal at the house.
And of course there are groups who I still learn about and try to learn from like Albert Zamora and El Tri. My favorites are Los Garcia and Esteban Jordan. Esteban is who influences my concept of what can be done on the Acordeón and why I feel comfortable playing on rock, blues, R & B, even country and other styles. It's why I can go to jam night. Sometimes people trip out on the instrument, but I usually do fine. I didn't grow up listening to Louisiana music but I have listened to some of those masters as well, but I'm not much interested in being that type of player. I doubt that many people go to New Orleans and ask if they play conjunto, but people ask me if I play cajun... I don't. I can add a little touch of it, but I can't say I play it as it should be played.
So all of that to say that I would like to take some traditional songs and make them relate to an urban Chicano reality. Take an oldie like El Ultimo Trago, and shuffle it with accordion. To do that, and to do English songs with a Chicano feel. And also take very traditional songs and push the urban part of the ranchera. Pushing Volver, Volver as a cumbia. Maybe some straight Chicano Jazz or blurring the line between cumbia and salsa, or between polkas and jazz. That's my goal. And if I can do it at a Route 66 Roadhouse that would be even better!
I don't know if I can live up to all of that while I work, support my family and go to grad school. But if I don't try to rush it, I can have fun trying!
Maybe a song every couple of weeks if my musical friends can put up with it!!!
Labels: Musica y Musicos, Woodshedding
Saturday, January 01, 2011
1/1/11
Labels: Chicano Chingon, Familia, Hell In Handbasket, Musica y Musicos
Thursday, November 25, 2010
11/25/10
Labels: 'Buelo Time, Esteban Jordan, Musica y Musicos
Sunday, November 21, 2010
11/21/10
Being a 'Buelito is still a rockin' thing. And I've been getting nice messages on Facebook.
Playing at the Bandido restaurant on Saturday was fun. Awkward that some of the groups were trying to get me to play more. I think I need to keep it chill for awhile.
KEEP LEFTING!!!
Labels: 'Buelo Time, Musica y Musicos, Routine
Monday, November 08, 2010
11/8/10
Loading and unloading is also always a great workout!
As a random aside, I found out that Obama as a Senator sponsored an Instant Runoff Voting bill.
KEEP LEFTING!!!
Labels: Musica y Musicos, Real Democracy
Friday, November 05, 2010
11/5/10
People are bummed out about the elections. I think it is an opportunity to promote multi-party democracy. So I started a FB page for Bernalillo County LRU.
Gotta go walk now.
KEEP LEFTING!!!
Labels: Musica y Musicos, Raza Unida
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
10/26/10
Also reviewed "En Este Cabaret." Seems much more straight forward with interesting breaks and accents. I'll be going over these types of songs as much as work, familia and grad school allow. And either try to play the actual songs, or incorporate parts into standard rancheras.
One more week until election day. KEEP LEFTING!!!
Labels: Esteban Jordan, Musica y Musicos
