It was also Tom Richardson's (John's dad) birthday on Saturday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM!!!
Whoohooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
XOXOXO,
BB
1.31.2005
Rollie's B-day surprise party.
Saturday night, John and I were invited to a surprise birthday party for our friend Rollie Mains. It was held at Hadley Music Group over on Music Row where he works along with our friend Donna Stanley. We had a blast...in fact...we had so much fun I was still recovering last night. There were probably 40 - 50 people there. Everyone brought food and sweets and wine. Good food. Good people. Good stuff.
JTC surprises BB!
Saturday morning, from 8 - Noon or so, I had a CLC Council meeting. John let me know that he was going to practice and then run a few errands while I was gone. Not so unusual. Happens all the time.
Then, my council meeting ended early. So, I went home. John was already gone so I gave him a shout to let him know I was home. He told me he'd be another 45 minutes or so.
Great! That meant I had time to lay "The Forgotten One" down on tape and give Denice a ring.
At around Noon, John arrived home and asked me if I could help him carry some stuff in from the Element. Sure. No problem...I could help.
I had just gotten off the phone with Nicie and had all kinds of things to tell him about. So, of course, I was talking non-stop as we walked out to the garage. "Blah...blah...blah...blaaaaaah..."
As I rambled on, JTC opened the back of the Element to reveal a big rectangular box. It took a couple seconds for me to register what it was...and then I just started crying.
John had found out that the keyboard I've been pining over for a while was being discontinued...which meant music stores were selling them for less than half the retail price. So, there in the back of the Element, was a Korg SP200.
And, I must say, it is perfect. It plays and feels like a real piano...I'd swear there are little hammers somewhere in there! And, it hooks right up to the multi-track digital recorder so i can now record songs w/ the keyboard as I am working on them. No more tape player in front of the upright. Whoohoooo. Very cool.
THANK YOU Johnny the Clock!
Then, my council meeting ended early. So, I went home. John was already gone so I gave him a shout to let him know I was home. He told me he'd be another 45 minutes or so.
Great! That meant I had time to lay "The Forgotten One" down on tape and give Denice a ring.
At around Noon, John arrived home and asked me if I could help him carry some stuff in from the Element. Sure. No problem...I could help.
I had just gotten off the phone with Nicie and had all kinds of things to tell him about. So, of course, I was talking non-stop as we walked out to the garage. "Blah...blah...blah...blaaaaaah..."
As I rambled on, JTC opened the back of the Element to reveal a big rectangular box. It took a couple seconds for me to register what it was...and then I just started crying.
John had found out that the keyboard I've been pining over for a while was being discontinued...which meant music stores were selling them for less than half the retail price. So, there in the back of the Element, was a Korg SP200.
And, I must say, it is perfect. It plays and feels like a real piano...I'd swear there are little hammers somewhere in there! And, it hooks right up to the multi-track digital recorder so i can now record songs w/ the keyboard as I am working on them. No more tape player in front of the upright. Whoohoooo. Very cool.
THANK YOU Johnny the Clock!
Anchorman...not so funny.
After our Greek adventure at the House of Kabob, we went home and watched "Anchorman," a Netflix movie we had rented. As much as I dig the guy in other things, this happens to be a Will Ferrel movie I didn't like. It was a stupid movie punctuated by occasional hilarious moments. John fell asleep and I kept watching...hoping it would get better. It's two hours I'll never get back. HA.
DISCLAIMER: Now...for all of you who saw the movie and loved it (as did many reviewers of the flick) it's possible that my 7ish years working in the local TV news realm may have poisoned me on this one.
DISCLAIMER: Now...for all of you who saw the movie and loved it (as did many reviewers of the flick) it's possible that my 7ish years working in the local TV news realm may have poisoned me on this one.
House of Kabob rules AGAIN!
John and I went out to eat Friday night at the House of Kabob on Thompson Lane...again. LOVE IT and recommend it to anyone when enjoys yummy Mediterranean food. (Anatolia's on White Creek Road is another favorite.)
MMMMMmmmmmm...GOOD.
MMMMMmmmmmm...GOOD.
1.28.2005
NSAI Workshop / Jason Blume
Wow.
I went to a GREAT NSAI workshop last night.
Featured speaker: Jason Blume.
It was sooooo informative. I'm not sure I can explain it.
From a songwriting perspective...it helped me feel like I'm on the right track.
The topic of his workshop was writing good melodies. Jason gave us several "tools" to writing a "hit" song.
Interestingly enough, Jason (a platinum selling songwriter) isn't good at writing with an instrument. (Just like me.) He sings into a tape recorder. JB recommended that you don't limit your writing to your limitations on any instrument. That is how songs start sounding alike and uninteresting. (For the record, my friend Donna who is a full-time songwriter told me this very thing a year or so ago. It is just nice to hear it from another writer as well.)
He also said the key to creating a song that people will sing as they walk down the street is repetition. Repetition in the phrasing, the rhythm and the melody.
And, the kicker...don't try to write a hit song. If you write songs from the heart and have something to say, while applying the tools of course, you'll have success. Jason said that if he is trying to write a hit song, he can't do it. While he may end up with a song that is structurally perfect, the song has no soul.
Because of the workshop, I've been thinking about rewrites on songs I thought were done.
I went to a GREAT NSAI workshop last night.
Featured speaker: Jason Blume.
It was sooooo informative. I'm not sure I can explain it.
From a songwriting perspective...it helped me feel like I'm on the right track.
The topic of his workshop was writing good melodies. Jason gave us several "tools" to writing a "hit" song.
Interestingly enough, Jason (a platinum selling songwriter) isn't good at writing with an instrument. (Just like me.) He sings into a tape recorder. JB recommended that you don't limit your writing to your limitations on any instrument. That is how songs start sounding alike and uninteresting. (For the record, my friend Donna who is a full-time songwriter told me this very thing a year or so ago. It is just nice to hear it from another writer as well.)
He also said the key to creating a song that people will sing as they walk down the street is repetition. Repetition in the phrasing, the rhythm and the melody.
And, the kicker...don't try to write a hit song. If you write songs from the heart and have something to say, while applying the tools of course, you'll have success. Jason said that if he is trying to write a hit song, he can't do it. While he may end up with a song that is structurally perfect, the song has no soul.
Because of the workshop, I've been thinking about rewrites on songs I thought were done.
1.26.2005
It's been a whirlwind lately...
Well...I just realized I haven't posted anything since last week.
Thought my faithful BB's Blog readers might want a BB & JTC update.
BB's Update:
Writer's rounds / Songwriting:
I've had a couple rounds over the past two weeks. One at the Bluebird on 1/9 and the other at the French Quarter on 1/14 with Tre Burnham and Ricky / Micol from BMT. Both went really well. We had a blast. And, I debuted two new songs at each. One is called "I Don't Love You Anymore"... it is a sad song that made people cry. Then, I followed that up with a song I co-wrote with my friend Eric called, "Quit Your Bitchin." This one is an audience participation song. By the end of the song the entire, packed place was screaming the title line back at me. It was GREAT. (Probably not a radio cut, but I think people can relate to it!) And, I just finished a song called "The Forgotten Ones." It's about living in a nursing home...another tear jerker...but I just had to get it out. I've got several songs in the works, too...there are three in priority list right now. One called "Excuses" that is about making excuses for everything and not taking responsibility for your own destiny (a continuing theme with me...hmmmm) that I'm trying to finish with the help of our friend JC. I wrote out the lyrics and know how I want it to feel (Delbert McClinton-ish / Gary Nicholson-ish). JC is going to help me make that happen. Another one called "Drama" is about the drama we all seem to create in our lives and somehow end up constantly having other people create in our lives. This one is going to be a bluesy / ballsy song. I'm thinking it will sound Etta James-ish once it is all said and done. The third is a song about being true to yourself that I started over the weekend. It is about having something driving you inside, something you don't really understand, but that you are glad is there to keep you moving forward. Don't have a title for this one yet, but am hoping I get closer to finishing it this weekend.
Church happenings:
On 1/9 I was elected to Christ Lutheran Church's council. In two short weeks, the choir director resigned, we've elected to let him out of his obligatory month notice and we're now pushing through a "music program" proposal from our very capable organist. To make this happen I've attended two council meetings, a finance committee meeting, a vision team meeting and two worship committee meetings about it. And those are just the meetings...several hours have been spent meeting outside of the meetings with people to help move the whole thing forward. Overall, it is going very smooth and I've been able to stick to the "no drama" rule I implemented for myself when elected. I actually feel really good about what is going on with CLC because of it. While I'll miss our choir director, the proposal we've got on the table right now, I think, will propel the church forward in many ways. It looks like I'll be attending a council retreat this weekend to vote on the music situation and to go over the 2005 goals of the church. We're off to a running start...and I actually feel good about it. I'll keep you posted on the progress and how the council thing is going as I get into it more. (Serenity now...serenity now....)
NFIB craziness:
Work is going well for the most part. Got a modest raise and had an excellent review in December. NFIB has been very good to me over the past year. While I sometimes feel restless...I think this is where I'm supposed to be right now. The organization itself is not perfect (as with any place) but it is one of the best places I've worked in the past 18 years. The people here are really good at what they do and dedicated to making things happen. Lately, people, resources and circumstances beyond my control are trippin' me up, but, I'm trying really hard to keep a good attitude, put myself in other's shoes and be a part of the solution. I really miss managing a team, having the authority to make things happen and being a decision maker. I just have to be patient and keep on smilin'. It is what it is...It's a good place to be and I think eventually there is potential for me to assume more leadership roles if I stick it out. I'll keep you posted.
JTC Update:
Blue Mother Tupelo:
John had a gig with BMT at The Five Spot over the weekend. We all worked together to invite enough people to pack the joint. Some of John's Grassmere co-workers came and tons of music / songwriting friends came. It was a blast. Micol and JTC were really in sync that night. A rep from Big Tractor Music was there to check them out. Sounds like she loved the band and her interest was peaked. Not sure if anything will come of it...but we are hopeful that it will. We'd really love to see something happen for Micol and Ricky...and, well...John would hopefully be included in that, too.
On another note, BMT is quickly filling up JTC's schedule for the next few months. In March they are doing another tour of Florida and in June they're doing a Chicago and surrounding area tour. Should be some great exposure and help them build their audience outside of the Southeast. We'll keep you posted in case there is a chance you can go see them when they come to the area!
Session work:
Dale Herr has hooked JTC up with some studio sessions on Monday morning. They're doing some commercial work...knock-offs of old blues tunes to use for TV spots, radio spots, etc. Hopefully, the gig will lead to more studio gigs. Fingers crossed.
Oldies acts:
Still getting a steady stream of oldies work from Dale Herr as well. He really likes John (his extensive experience with these guys is a BIG plus). JTC played in Paducah, KY a couple weeks ago. As per usual, the bands really loved working with him (of course! HA.)...and the rest of the band for that matter. It's a good thing and it keeps the music money rollin' in!
Grassmere Animal Hospital:
John's working everyday from 7 - 3 and an occasional...and I mean occasional...Saturday. He really enjoys it. It's nice that he has a PT gig that he likes...but still hopes to someday (in the near future) get so many gigs that he can musically work himself out of a job there. Until then, the people are great and he loves working with animals. Everyday he has a story about something that happened to him or happened to an animal. It's wild.
I think that is everything for now. Just the highlights for a while. We still haven't gotten that new monitor at home, but we will eventually. I'll post some pics when we do.
Have a GREAT rest of the week.
XO,
BB
Thought my faithful BB's Blog readers might want a BB & JTC update.
BB's Update:
Writer's rounds / Songwriting:
I've had a couple rounds over the past two weeks. One at the Bluebird on 1/9 and the other at the French Quarter on 1/14 with Tre Burnham and Ricky / Micol from BMT. Both went really well. We had a blast. And, I debuted two new songs at each. One is called "I Don't Love You Anymore"... it is a sad song that made people cry. Then, I followed that up with a song I co-wrote with my friend Eric called, "Quit Your Bitchin." This one is an audience participation song. By the end of the song the entire, packed place was screaming the title line back at me. It was GREAT. (Probably not a radio cut, but I think people can relate to it!) And, I just finished a song called "The Forgotten Ones." It's about living in a nursing home...another tear jerker...but I just had to get it out. I've got several songs in the works, too...there are three in priority list right now. One called "Excuses" that is about making excuses for everything and not taking responsibility for your own destiny (a continuing theme with me...hmmmm) that I'm trying to finish with the help of our friend JC. I wrote out the lyrics and know how I want it to feel (Delbert McClinton-ish / Gary Nicholson-ish). JC is going to help me make that happen. Another one called "Drama" is about the drama we all seem to create in our lives and somehow end up constantly having other people create in our lives. This one is going to be a bluesy / ballsy song. I'm thinking it will sound Etta James-ish once it is all said and done. The third is a song about being true to yourself that I started over the weekend. It is about having something driving you inside, something you don't really understand, but that you are glad is there to keep you moving forward. Don't have a title for this one yet, but am hoping I get closer to finishing it this weekend.
Church happenings:
On 1/9 I was elected to Christ Lutheran Church's council. In two short weeks, the choir director resigned, we've elected to let him out of his obligatory month notice and we're now pushing through a "music program" proposal from our very capable organist. To make this happen I've attended two council meetings, a finance committee meeting, a vision team meeting and two worship committee meetings about it. And those are just the meetings...several hours have been spent meeting outside of the meetings with people to help move the whole thing forward. Overall, it is going very smooth and I've been able to stick to the "no drama" rule I implemented for myself when elected. I actually feel really good about what is going on with CLC because of it. While I'll miss our choir director, the proposal we've got on the table right now, I think, will propel the church forward in many ways. It looks like I'll be attending a council retreat this weekend to vote on the music situation and to go over the 2005 goals of the church. We're off to a running start...and I actually feel good about it. I'll keep you posted on the progress and how the council thing is going as I get into it more. (Serenity now...serenity now....)
NFIB craziness:
Work is going well for the most part. Got a modest raise and had an excellent review in December. NFIB has been very good to me over the past year. While I sometimes feel restless...I think this is where I'm supposed to be right now. The organization itself is not perfect (as with any place) but it is one of the best places I've worked in the past 18 years. The people here are really good at what they do and dedicated to making things happen. Lately, people, resources and circumstances beyond my control are trippin' me up, but, I'm trying really hard to keep a good attitude, put myself in other's shoes and be a part of the solution. I really miss managing a team, having the authority to make things happen and being a decision maker. I just have to be patient and keep on smilin'. It is what it is...It's a good place to be and I think eventually there is potential for me to assume more leadership roles if I stick it out. I'll keep you posted.
JTC Update:
Blue Mother Tupelo:
John had a gig with BMT at The Five Spot over the weekend. We all worked together to invite enough people to pack the joint. Some of John's Grassmere co-workers came and tons of music / songwriting friends came. It was a blast. Micol and JTC were really in sync that night. A rep from Big Tractor Music was there to check them out. Sounds like she loved the band and her interest was peaked. Not sure if anything will come of it...but we are hopeful that it will. We'd really love to see something happen for Micol and Ricky...and, well...John would hopefully be included in that, too.
On another note, BMT is quickly filling up JTC's schedule for the next few months. In March they are doing another tour of Florida and in June they're doing a Chicago and surrounding area tour. Should be some great exposure and help them build their audience outside of the Southeast. We'll keep you posted in case there is a chance you can go see them when they come to the area!
Session work:
Dale Herr has hooked JTC up with some studio sessions on Monday morning. They're doing some commercial work...knock-offs of old blues tunes to use for TV spots, radio spots, etc. Hopefully, the gig will lead to more studio gigs. Fingers crossed.
Oldies acts:
Still getting a steady stream of oldies work from Dale Herr as well. He really likes John (his extensive experience with these guys is a BIG plus). JTC played in Paducah, KY a couple weeks ago. As per usual, the bands really loved working with him (of course! HA.)...and the rest of the band for that matter. It's a good thing and it keeps the music money rollin' in!
Grassmere Animal Hospital:
John's working everyday from 7 - 3 and an occasional...and I mean occasional...Saturday. He really enjoys it. It's nice that he has a PT gig that he likes...but still hopes to someday (in the near future) get so many gigs that he can musically work himself out of a job there. Until then, the people are great and he loves working with animals. Everyday he has a story about something that happened to him or happened to an animal. It's wild.
I think that is everything for now. Just the highlights for a while. We still haven't gotten that new monitor at home, but we will eventually. I'll post some pics when we do.
Have a GREAT rest of the week.
XO,
BB
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