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Player's Journal 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 01/28/2010 Preparation 
I just read an interview with recording engineer Joe Chiccarelli. When asked about being ready when your big break comes, he replied, in part: In terms of preparation, I’m not so sure that I did anything specific, but the one thing I tell people who want to become an engineer or producer is, “learn everything.” Not just engineering and music, but also learn about art, poetry, literature, psychology. The job really involves a lot of things, and it changes from project to project. Discmakers interview with Joe Chiccarelli 01/26/2010 The Education of an Amphibian 
When the conscious will is used to inhibit indulgence in the bad habits which have come to seem natural, when the ego has been taught to refrain from "straining every nerve," from desperately trying to "do something," when the personal subconscious has been induced to release its clutching tensions, the vegetative soul, and the intelligences which lie beyond the vegetative soul can be relied upon to perform miracles. ...our business as educators is to discover how human beings can make the best of both worlds--the world of self-conscious, verbalized intelligence and the world of the unconscious intelligences immanent in the mind-body, and always ready, if we give them half a chance, to do what, for the unaided ego, is the impossible.
Huxley, Aldous "The Education of an Amphibian" 01/22/2010 Remembers 
Straddliing his knee, my back and head leaning on his resonant chest, I felt his calm and welll-modulated voice recount for me the wonders of the St. Louis 1904 World's Fair. The big fair convinced Daddy Long for all time that humankind's greatest achievements were the result of its "book learning," and he said I shoud get all i could of it. "Boy, that's the onliest thing white folks can't take away from you. Can't nobody take nothin from outta your head." ....Memory, so prized by the unlettered, was the mark of gumption and aptness with Daddy Long's crowd. And while he was a stickler for book learning, he thought every man ought to have good "remembers." ..."Hook your pointing finger right her onto miine, " he said. "Now hold on tight. You see," he said, as he tugged on our hook, "we got us a connekshun now; we bound up together. A man can keep his good remembers if he conneks one thing with another in his head. I like to make pretty poems and sayings to connek up particulars for my remembers." Ruff, Willie. A Call to Assembly 01/21/2010 Corresponcence Lesson 
I just finished a correspondence lesson for Pedro in Portugal. It was a lot of work, and took more time than it should have, but I had fun doing it, and I think I provided a good lesson. The lesson deals with applying triads for chord-melody and soloing on "Stella By Starlight." I used Notion, n-Track Studio, and a few other software tools. I created notation files using Notion. The jazz font, new in Notion 3, looks good for the jazz materials I write. I used a third-party tool to capture a portion of the Notion screen and embed it into lesson file written in HTML:
The HTML lesson has a Notation File link that opens a PDF of the Notion notation. I created the PDF from within Notion by printing to the freeware CutePDFWriter. The HTML lesson also has a link to a sound file. For simple exercises, such as arpeggio studies, I created a wav file from Notion, including a simple bass part, a drum part consisting of just hi-hat on 2 an 4 for time-keeping, and the guitar part. Example: The Notion guitar sound output is, to put it politely, not very guitar-like, so for sound files demonstrating more complex exercises, I record the guitar part myself. I output just bass and drums from Notion to a wav file. Then I imported that wav file into n-Track Studio, and overdubbed the guitar part myself. I used an Edirol UA-20 USB interface to feed the guitar into the computer. 01/08/2010 Press On 
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan press on has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge January is always a slow time for gigs, so it's a time when I go looking for gigs. Sometimes I'm lucky, and gigs come to me. Last week I was in the Barley Pub, celebrating the holidays with my wife, our two daughters Wendy and Sheri, and Sheri's husband, Jason. The subject of gigs came up, and suddenly Jason said, "Oh, yes! Do I have good news for you, Steve Carter!" He explained that the Pub was now having solo acts on Friday nights and Rob, the bartender and booking agent, had mentioned to Sheri and Jason that he was interested in having me do a couple of gigs. Russel Graham, a guitar-player and a friend of ours, was tending bar that night, so I asked him when I might find Rob in the Pub. He told me Rob's schedule, and he added, "You need to get the Steve Carter Trio in hear again, too." A few days later I dropped into the Pub and talked with Rob, and set up a solo gig for a Friday night in March. Russel's comment about the trio had gotten me thinking. I've played the Pub a few times over the years, a couple of times with a trio, once with a quartet. Rob had mentioned from time to time that he'd like to get me back in there with a group, but I'd been undecided. I checked my gig records and saw that I had played the Pub two years in a row on the Sunday before Labor Day, and drawn a good crowd. Reflecting on Russel's comment, I decided to go for it. Last night was Bluegrass night at the Pub, hosted by a bass player I often work with, Steve Roy. It's a popular night at the Pub, so I thought maybe Jim Rudolf, the drummer I've worked with at the Pub might be there. I went down to the Pub, and, sure enough, Jim was there, as was Steve; I them if they'd like to do that Sunday in September with me, and they were both up for it. I sent an email to Rob today asking for the date. Probably the furthest ahead that he's ever booked the Pub. I hadn't seen Jim in a while, so we had a nice chat. When asked how things were going, I ran down the sad tale of disappearing gigs (see the previous journal entry). We talked about the impact of the economic climate on the gig scene, and I said that in spite of that, I'm out beating the bushes looking for gigs. Jim said, "And you'll probably be the one who's successful at it, because your persistent. I press on. 01/06/2010 New Decade 
As the new year -- in fact a new decade -- begins, some gigs have come to an end, some continue. The Powow River Grille, where I had played regularly for a few years, closed on New Year's Eve. The sister restaurant, the Plum Island Grille, continues; I subbed one Sunday there for Danny Harrington and I'll probably play there a few times this year. Danny and I also played a few times at Philbrick's Fresh Market, and we will play there on a few Saturday afternoons this year, possibly starting in January. I played Bonta many times last year with both Danny and John Melisi. Danny and I had every Sunday afternoon for a while, but that ended in the fall, when football season started. The owners thought people would stay home and watch football, but Bonta is a very high-end restaurant, and I don't think their customers were the beer-and-pretzels-and-game type. Anyway, Friday night jazz continues at Bonta. It's Danny's gig, and sometimes he hires me to sub for his keyboard player, sometimes John and I cover the gig. It's a beautiful restaurant, with an appreciative crowd, so I look forward to doing more gigs there this year. Our steady gigs at Jonathan's continue. John and I had been doing Fridays and Saturdays, but that got cut back to Saturdays. Recently we added Sunday Brunch, which we hope will continue through the spring. The economy has certainly cut into gigs. John and Danny are always scouting out new venues, and I'm going to scout around the Seacoast area for potential solo gigs. Last year my goal was 200 gigs; I played 169. This year I'm setting my goal again at 200 gigs. Wish me luck! 01/02/2010 Mask Track 
Last week I went into the new studio at the Folk Cellar in Wolfeboro, NH, to add a track to Barbara Hughes's song, "The Mask." The lyrics were written by the kids in her Teen Power of Music Program program. We expect the single to be released this month. |
