It is amazing to me how much music and technology are blending together in new ways. Certainly, there has been an ongoing connection through sound engineering and recording and of course through electrifying or amplifying your instrument or sound. However, it would seem we have zoomed (pun intended) to a new level of technology during the times of this blight.
I believe that I have a fair vocabulary but until early spring I thought latency described the state a seasonal plant or tree was in during the off season. My thinking adjusted quickly to the fact that it also the reason we sound like a train wreck when we try to play music with others in a different location over the interweb. You know zoom, skype, whatever schtick google has for this.
Reportedly, there are some tech wizards that can do this better than others but even so the best I’ve heard might be a two car traffic accident wreck as opposed to the train wreck but it is still bad. I think that these wizards can sound a little better because they have thicker cords and wires, or so I’ve heard.
Actually, I’m doing okay with zoom. I “attended” RiverTunesAtHome music camp a couple of weekends ago and took some terrific bass classes taught by Jonathan Stoyanoff. I’m looking forward to getting the videos downloaded as there is plenty of material to woodshed.
I also spend some zoom time hanging with bass players from all over. I’ve attended a number of webinars from the Berklee Bass Department. The participants are by no means bluegrass players. I’m not sure what county in Kentucky they’re from. Heck, I’m not even sure they can cut playing old time bass. You know you’re a good writer when you don’t have to explain sarcasm. I’m still explaining mine.
The bass players in the webinars are the best in the world. jazz, rock, classical, country, all of it. They are all affiliated with the Berklee School of Music. My favorites are the webinars with the legendary upright players; Ron Carter, Rufus Reid, Christian McBride and more. These guys are the ones whose books I bought when I first picked up an upright. I’m not sure that is an overwhelming endorsement of their books or teaching but seeing and listening to them has helped me through the ongoing plague.
Last Sunday I was able to hook up to a bass hangout Zoom with a more appropriate genre link. The hang was entitled Austin Bass Hang: The Nashville Cats. This webinar featured Mike Bub, Missy Raines, Mark Fain, Viktor Krauss and Glenn Worf. Read the band notes of your
bluegrass record collection and these bass players are all over them. This webinar and the Berklee one are not lessons. It is just bass players talking about playing bass and their experiences, including in these quarantine times with all their gigs and shows called off since March.
bluegrass record collection and these bass players are all over them. This webinar and the Berklee one are not lessons. It is just bass players talking about playing bass and their experiences, including in these quarantine times with all their gigs and shows called off since March.
These webinars are great for me. I’m a guy who likes to talk and talking bass is even better. Although, I don’t do any talking in these I just listen to the bass pros do the talking. I get to learn a lot through osmosis. Strings, pickups, amps and other gear are part of it but the best is listening to these pros talk about feel, note length, placement and of course groove.
For my need to hear my own voice, I don’t use zoom. I’m a live stream on Facebook guy. Every Thursday at 5:00 I do 15 minutes of listening to myself talk about whatever is on my mind. I get a group of folks usually for the live portion and a few others on the replay. Some folks drop by and never come again. I suppose that tis a statement of how intrinsically valuable this 15 minutes really is. It is happy hour so I encourage drinking. By the way, that’s today.
Other non zoom technology music during the shut down are live stream music performances on Facebook or YouTube. I really appreciated CBA’s TurnYourRadioOnline in June. Lots of good music.
Also keeping me going are performances on Facebook by Toby Gray, Meredith Axelrod and Craig Ventresca and Suzy and Eric Thompson among many others. There is always something to see and hear if you’re looking. This weekend there is a GOF live stream on Saturday beginning at 5:00. Check out ncbs.us for the particulars. I’ll see you there.
Also I’m trying to spend a reasonable amount of time in my combination woodshed / studio / living room. The multiple use keeps things very cozy. I upgraded some of my recording interface gear and moved up to Logic Pro from GarageBand. I’m just getting started with the new gear.
Finally, on a less technical but equally important front, I keep my tequila bar well stocked…and well used. I post a happy hour news update every day at 5:00ish that always features my tequila and my craft beer selection. Thursday’s are live streamed with a post on the other days. It beats watching the news for me.
Catch you in September, Sheesh already!!!
Stay sane everyone.
Stay sane everyone.
