ok, i've been lagging on my posting to the blog.. the holidays are still going in my world, with just a few gigs and lots of free time to spend around the house. it's great. there's time to think and plan for 2005 too. the boring side of things is that I have to do a bunch of year-end accounting and junk like that, but otherwise i am pretty much on vacation...
As part of of my year-end, I authored a DVD of the entire "aware" dance project; I compiled the performances and the rehearsal footage from this past year and organized it in iMovie to make a great DVD archive of the work. I'm going to do this for the cc+mo work too... if anyone is really interested, I can probably make a few extra copies (email me), otherwise, just stay tuned to the website for more downloads.
one cool thing from this holiday season has been the re-acquaintance with an old music-friend, Ashley Newall. We ran into each other at a holiday party, and we hadn't played together since 1999. he's a singer/songwriter in the truest sense of the word, and has been diligently writing and recording for at least 15 years. I started doing gigs and sessions for him back in my teens. Anyway, he's emailed me an mp3 of a studio track we did in 1999, and it sounds pretty good. I even played "sheryl crow" style bongos (I remember that was the "producer" comment during the tracking). I'll try and get it up on the website. While checking out his website I stumbled upon this mp3 that is available at CBC, it is really old, and Ashley has presented it as a "comedy" song (I honestly don't remember it being approached as a comic thing when we did it, but perhaps in hindsight it was, or should be viewed as), anyway it's here: http://zed.cbc.ca/go?~tabbedContent~tab=Groups%20Tab&user=JeanLenin&CONTENT_ID=94776&type=acquisitionCMS&set=contentPage&c=contentPage&page=content Ashley has called himself "Jean Lenin" on this recording...
anyway, stay tuned, hopefully lots to come in 2005. music music music!
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
In surf around some drum-forums on the net. One of the more interesting ones is located at the website of session drummer and teacher Billy Ward, www.billyward.com It's probably the most interesting because it's host is an active participant in the discussions, and he presents himself as a very humble, intelligent, and humour-filled guy. Anyway, I usually just lurk there, but I posted these two posts (there were replies, but I won't include them) because I've been wrestling with some career issues and was curious if other drummers could relate (turns out they could)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
the $100 gig.... an economics discussion :)
hi everyone,
i'm out of lurk-mode to pose a query to the group:
for those that are doing this for a living (myself included), or even part-time; what would you say the average gig pays?
for me, living in Toronto, the magic number is $100. These gigs are usually club/restaurant gigs playing covers (i play primarily jazz and r&b), and last about 3 sets over 4 hours or less... playing showcases with original artists can also hover in around that number, but not as often...
wedding gigs are another story, but those can vary widely, and are very much seasonal.. what I am talking about is the stuff a working drummer has to rely on 52weeks out of the year to keep the bills paid...
with the exception of orchestra pit for the big-budget musicals (lion king, etc.) and the toronto symphony the musician's union is a non-entity up here.. i would say at least 70% of most working players' gugs are non-union, and 100% of mine are.
so, essentially, by the time the average gig is done, after basic travel expenses (gas, maybe a quick bite to eat), you're left with $100 or less. Now, between all the of gigs, a bit of teaching, and some other stuff (i am guest artist with the school board, which is $27/hour, and I usually do about 3 or 4 hours in a day... after taxes and expenses, again I'm around $100/day), the magic number is still $100 for most gigs I do.
Here's the issue: from the anecdotal evidence I've casually collected from older players (I'm only 30, and have been semi-pro since I was 15, pro since I was 20) is that that $100 figure has been in place for at least 15 years, or more, and the average gig pays LESS than what it did 20 years ago.
so, how is it that the price of beer in the bars we play in can triple over 20 years and the price of music stays the same or drops?
I'm not really looking for why this has happened, more why we let it happen?
It's a bad business model, and a recipe for disaster. When I've had a good year financially, it's because I worked more hours, not because the gigs paid better than the previous year.
So, are we just so committed to playing for a living that we'll play for less and less each year? I'm excluding the realm of major tours or sessions because frankly, those are issues that may only be relevant or possible for those willing to re-locate to NY, LA or Nashville and play the lottery of the major-label music business. I'm talking about selling your skills in an average market to average clients. I am sure most of us are in that situation.
Ultimately, I feel lucky to do what I do: I play the drums and make my living from it. But the economic model as represented by the $100 gig suggests that the older I get the harder the work will be for less money (that's the vibe I get from the older players I work with)....
any thoughts?
chris
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"the $100 gig" - a path to creative burnout?
thanks for the replies to my little post,
I'm not looking for personal advice, but I thought I'd shed a little more light on what drove my original post.
Billy mentioned that "we don't run this as a business" (meaning our careers), and it's so true. Many of us direct our music careers from our creative hearts, and in the process direct ourselves straight into business with people who's careers are directed from an entirely other place ("greed" would be too harsh a word, but when placed in contrast with the simplicity and purity of self-expression, "business-minded" actions can seem so callous). Furthermore, as another post mentioned, often the best paying gigs are playing music that is creatively negative or at best, neutral.
I'm not complaining. The marketplace (people buying live music) will always move towards the average, and that means we'll often play music that is less than satisfying to us. That's a fact of doing business, right?
So, most of us (save for the lucky few who's creative vision turns them a profit) do the gigs to our professional best, get paid, go home and pay the bills, and then whatever money may be left, we invest into our creative efforts (studio time, gear, money-losing tours of our original work, etc.).
I have currently reached a decision-point in my career. I don't have the best gigs by any stretch, but I certainly don't have the worst (I am aware that other musicians would be happy to get to my level of busy-ness and finance). But, it seems apparent (and other posts concur) that I will be working harder for less money (relatively) into the future as long as the "$100 gig" persists.
My concern is that this negative cycle will drill its way down to my creative work; as costs-of-living rise and drive me to do more and more $100 gigs there will be both less time and funds available to finance the creative work I am driven to do. The gradual reduction in true creative output will no doubt take it's toll on my skills as a drummer.
So, another poster's joke about how he must be a worse player now than when he started (because he's making less money per gig) can actually become a truth.
Where I'm at is that I am looking at plans to pre-empt this creative burnout. Ideally it would be pre-empted by moving up to a higher gig-bracket (but as we know that can always be at best, temporary); but more likely it will be a re-evaluation of what I personally require to fuel my creativity. Do I have to exclusively sell my drumming for a living to still consider drumming my main activity? The notion of slogging through less-than-ideal gigs for progressively less money is a helluva creative burden to justify this notion of being a "pro".
My feeling right now is that the creative heart is fueled by time (no pun intended, drummers ). We need to buy ourselves time to reflect, be inspired, and then mold these inspirations into music. That time can be found in a variety of ways: Arts-endowment or government grants, record company advances, prolonged state or federal incarceration (just kidding), or "outside financing" (be it from your own non-musical activities, or the generosity of others). So, I am trying to settle upon the ideal (and possible) way of maximizing this creative time. This way may include getting out of the world of the "$100 gig", and that's how this thread started.
thanks again for replying and contributing!
chris
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
the $100 gig.... an economics discussion :)
hi everyone,
i'm out of lurk-mode to pose a query to the group:
for those that are doing this for a living (myself included), or even part-time; what would you say the average gig pays?
for me, living in Toronto, the magic number is $100. These gigs are usually club/restaurant gigs playing covers (i play primarily jazz and r&b), and last about 3 sets over 4 hours or less... playing showcases with original artists can also hover in around that number, but not as often...
wedding gigs are another story, but those can vary widely, and are very much seasonal.. what I am talking about is the stuff a working drummer has to rely on 52weeks out of the year to keep the bills paid...
with the exception of orchestra pit for the big-budget musicals (lion king, etc.) and the toronto symphony the musician's union is a non-entity up here.. i would say at least 70% of most working players' gugs are non-union, and 100% of mine are.
so, essentially, by the time the average gig is done, after basic travel expenses (gas, maybe a quick bite to eat), you're left with $100 or less. Now, between all the of gigs, a bit of teaching, and some other stuff (i am guest artist with the school board, which is $27/hour, and I usually do about 3 or 4 hours in a day... after taxes and expenses, again I'm around $100/day), the magic number is still $100 for most gigs I do.
Here's the issue: from the anecdotal evidence I've casually collected from older players (I'm only 30, and have been semi-pro since I was 15, pro since I was 20) is that that $100 figure has been in place for at least 15 years, or more, and the average gig pays LESS than what it did 20 years ago.
so, how is it that the price of beer in the bars we play in can triple over 20 years and the price of music stays the same or drops?
I'm not really looking for why this has happened, more why we let it happen?
It's a bad business model, and a recipe for disaster. When I've had a good year financially, it's because I worked more hours, not because the gigs paid better than the previous year.
So, are we just so committed to playing for a living that we'll play for less and less each year? I'm excluding the realm of major tours or sessions because frankly, those are issues that may only be relevant or possible for those willing to re-locate to NY, LA or Nashville and play the lottery of the major-label music business. I'm talking about selling your skills in an average market to average clients. I am sure most of us are in that situation.
Ultimately, I feel lucky to do what I do: I play the drums and make my living from it. But the economic model as represented by the $100 gig suggests that the older I get the harder the work will be for less money (that's the vibe I get from the older players I work with)....
any thoughts?
chris
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"the $100 gig" - a path to creative burnout?
thanks for the replies to my little post,
I'm not looking for personal advice, but I thought I'd shed a little more light on what drove my original post.
Billy mentioned that "we don't run this as a business" (meaning our careers), and it's so true. Many of us direct our music careers from our creative hearts, and in the process direct ourselves straight into business with people who's careers are directed from an entirely other place ("greed" would be too harsh a word, but when placed in contrast with the simplicity and purity of self-expression, "business-minded" actions can seem so callous). Furthermore, as another post mentioned, often the best paying gigs are playing music that is creatively negative or at best, neutral.
I'm not complaining. The marketplace (people buying live music) will always move towards the average, and that means we'll often play music that is less than satisfying to us. That's a fact of doing business, right?
So, most of us (save for the lucky few who's creative vision turns them a profit) do the gigs to our professional best, get paid, go home and pay the bills, and then whatever money may be left, we invest into our creative efforts (studio time, gear, money-losing tours of our original work, etc.).
I have currently reached a decision-point in my career. I don't have the best gigs by any stretch, but I certainly don't have the worst (I am aware that other musicians would be happy to get to my level of busy-ness and finance). But, it seems apparent (and other posts concur) that I will be working harder for less money (relatively) into the future as long as the "$100 gig" persists.
My concern is that this negative cycle will drill its way down to my creative work; as costs-of-living rise and drive me to do more and more $100 gigs there will be both less time and funds available to finance the creative work I am driven to do. The gradual reduction in true creative output will no doubt take it's toll on my skills as a drummer.
So, another poster's joke about how he must be a worse player now than when he started (because he's making less money per gig) can actually become a truth.
Where I'm at is that I am looking at plans to pre-empt this creative burnout. Ideally it would be pre-empted by moving up to a higher gig-bracket (but as we know that can always be at best, temporary); but more likely it will be a re-evaluation of what I personally require to fuel my creativity. Do I have to exclusively sell my drumming for a living to still consider drumming my main activity? The notion of slogging through less-than-ideal gigs for progressively less money is a helluva creative burden to justify this notion of being a "pro".
My feeling right now is that the creative heart is fueled by time (no pun intended, drummers ). We need to buy ourselves time to reflect, be inspired, and then mold these inspirations into music. That time can be found in a variety of ways: Arts-endowment or government grants, record company advances, prolonged state or federal incarceration (just kidding), or "outside financing" (be it from your own non-musical activities, or the generosity of others). So, I am trying to settle upon the ideal (and possible) way of maximizing this creative time. This way may include getting out of the world of the "$100 gig", and that's how this thread started.
thanks again for replying and contributing!
chris
Saturday, December 04, 2004
...been more than a week since the gig, and I've yet to mention it significantly. well, I haven't really looked at the DV of it (with the exception of the opening piece, "aware" with Arwyn), so I'll go on my experiences that evening...
the week leading up to the gig was stressful. I wasn't convinced that the material I had selected to play with michael and darryl was at 100% readiness. That could have been helped by more rehearsals, but that costs money and time; I didn't have the former, and they didn't have the latter. Nonetheless, it sounded good, and would be fine, but it didn't sound sparkling enough that the anxiety about it wouldn't dwell in my brain before and during the gig itself.
All in all, the gig felt good to play, and from some reports in the audience, sounded pretty decent too. "mathematics" (a tune of mine) was the only true train wreck; things got started without a count-off from me (due to poor staging whereupon I had placed Darryl directly in my sightline to MO). Anyway, it was too fast, and I tried to slow it down, now too slow, then Darryl couldn't come in properly, YIKES!!!!! it finally worked its way around to where it was supposed to be but that was just before the end... (sigh). a few folks still commented on how it was nice to hear that song (maybe the song itself is strong enough melodically to withstand such abuse, I hope so).
Basically, this gig was my last "creative" effort of 2004. The rest of the year will be spent doing cc3 and Hot Buttered Soul gigs, finishing up my residency work for the school board, and doing some teaching. With any luck, I'll get into Kevin Cooke's studio and finish move2 as well...
The current creative calendar for 2005 is TBA. I am keen to go in another direction. The cc+mo duo made a great record and played two interesting concerts in its 1st year of life. I am not sure where to take it next; perhaps, like so many other projects, it will hibernate until there is demand (either personal or external) to revive it. (i.e. if a promoter was willing to put on the concert and offer me a fee for our performance--the year's creative activities ended up well into the "red" for me).
we'll see...
the week leading up to the gig was stressful. I wasn't convinced that the material I had selected to play with michael and darryl was at 100% readiness. That could have been helped by more rehearsals, but that costs money and time; I didn't have the former, and they didn't have the latter. Nonetheless, it sounded good, and would be fine, but it didn't sound sparkling enough that the anxiety about it wouldn't dwell in my brain before and during the gig itself.
All in all, the gig felt good to play, and from some reports in the audience, sounded pretty decent too. "mathematics" (a tune of mine) was the only true train wreck; things got started without a count-off from me (due to poor staging whereupon I had placed Darryl directly in my sightline to MO). Anyway, it was too fast, and I tried to slow it down, now too slow, then Darryl couldn't come in properly, YIKES!!!!! it finally worked its way around to where it was supposed to be but that was just before the end... (sigh). a few folks still commented on how it was nice to hear that song (maybe the song itself is strong enough melodically to withstand such abuse, I hope so).
Basically, this gig was my last "creative" effort of 2004. The rest of the year will be spent doing cc3 and Hot Buttered Soul gigs, finishing up my residency work for the school board, and doing some teaching. With any luck, I'll get into Kevin Cooke's studio and finish move2 as well...
The current creative calendar for 2005 is TBA. I am keen to go in another direction. The cc+mo duo made a great record and played two interesting concerts in its 1st year of life. I am not sure where to take it next; perhaps, like so many other projects, it will hibernate until there is demand (either personal or external) to revive it. (i.e. if a promoter was willing to put on the concert and offer me a fee for our performance--the year's creative activities ended up well into the "red" for me).
we'll see...
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Thursday, November 25, 2004
so NOW magazine and Eye Weekly both failed to print my concert listings. Thanks very much. then again, if you're reading this blog you already know about the gig....
it's gonna be a great show, hope to see you there. We're rehearsing this afternoon, then I head down to the cc3 gig, then in between other things I'm being logistical about tomorrow's show (packing drums, organizing merchandise, getting the dv camera ready...).
see you at the show!
it's gonna be a great show, hope to see you there. We're rehearsing this afternoon, then I head down to the cc3 gig, then in between other things I'm being logistical about tomorrow's show (packing drums, organizing merchandise, getting the dv camera ready...).
see you at the show!
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
hello hello
a few more gigs have snuck in before the end of the year, which is most welcome ($$$$$)... :) Hot Buttered Soul is doing a one-off at the Oakville Athletic Club on Saturday December11 (we usually do two-nighters there), and with any luck CC3 will do new year's at Canyon Creek (still working that out...).
I've decided to compile a year-in-review webpage that will include audio and video clips from my main "creative" projects (projects that are very much original and/or creative work, like cc+mo and the "aware" dance project). It'll be a nice way to archive the work and clear up the site for new projects (and maybe help me spur these new projects on...). So, stay tuned to the site, it should be ready before year's end...
a few more gigs have snuck in before the end of the year, which is most welcome ($$$$$)... :) Hot Buttered Soul is doing a one-off at the Oakville Athletic Club on Saturday December11 (we usually do two-nighters there), and with any luck CC3 will do new year's at Canyon Creek (still working that out...).
I've decided to compile a year-in-review webpage that will include audio and video clips from my main "creative" projects (projects that are very much original and/or creative work, like cc+mo and the "aware" dance project). It'll be a nice way to archive the work and clear up the site for new projects (and maybe help me spur these new projects on...). So, stay tuned to the site, it should be ready before year's end...
Friday, November 19, 2004
it's my first friday not working in some way in a while... it's nice to get to chill out, but I have that paranoia that the phone will never ring again with a call for a gig. I think most musicians get this; I remember reading an interview with super-tour drummer Ricky Lawson (Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Steely Dan, etc.) where he said the even he was worried about the phone not ringing!
anyway, last night's cc3 gig was great; I may have been lulled into a false sense of accomplishment, but for the first time it really felt like people were there to listen (we have a few regulars that are always out to listen, so forgive me if you're reading this and you're one of those wonderful folks). coincidentally, last night was the loudest (and mosty dynamic) we've ever been able to play at Canyon Creek. Did that compel people to pay attention, or did we simply finally get a listening audience? Who knows? it was nice while it lasted. :)
MO is off next Thursday, so Bruno Ierullo (who just bought himself a new Telecaster) will be filling in. Next week's big event is the cc+mo+guests show at Dancemakers on Friday night.. I got together with Darryl Huggins yesterday afternoon to run down his tunes, man, he sounds great. I'm really looking forward to performing with him again. I think the last time was in 2000...
anyway, last night's cc3 gig was great; I may have been lulled into a false sense of accomplishment, but for the first time it really felt like people were there to listen (we have a few regulars that are always out to listen, so forgive me if you're reading this and you're one of those wonderful folks). coincidentally, last night was the loudest (and mosty dynamic) we've ever been able to play at Canyon Creek. Did that compel people to pay attention, or did we simply finally get a listening audience? Who knows? it was nice while it lasted. :)
MO is off next Thursday, so Bruno Ierullo (who just bought himself a new Telecaster) will be filling in. Next week's big event is the cc+mo+guests show at Dancemakers on Friday night.. I got together with Darryl Huggins yesterday afternoon to run down his tunes, man, he sounds great. I'm really looking forward to performing with him again. I think the last time was in 2000...
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
back from Montreal. great trip. great gig. lots of fun. The Studio 303 show was sold-out, and over 50 people were turned away. THIS NEVER HAPPENS IN TORONTO. modern dance just doesn't get a chance down here; Arwyn and I were talking about it (she is actually investigating this issue in a formal academic way too...) on the drive up--that modern dance audiences are chronically small--and then we come to MTL and there's people actually ANGRY they can't get into the show.
the only bummer was that 100% of the people we knew coming to the show (about 10 folks) didn't get it. Luckily they stuck around and we got to see them at the show anyway. A group of my old students from ESA who know are at university in Montreal showed up, so that was a real treat.
As for the performance, we were happy. We went first and it felt great to perform. There were technical issues for me in terms of the drums themselves: I use this old parade bass drum and it was sliding around on the very slick floor of this performance space; the temperature in the space tightened the calfskin heads on the drum too tight too; the lighting tech removed the marker on the stage to show me where to set up the drumkit, so the placement for the show was off.. Anyway, all nuisance details.... I think for the 11.26 show I'll use my regular drums for the piece because I know they'll stay in place, then I can concentrate on playing the piece. Also, with the cold weather upon us, everywhere will have their heat on, so the calfskin drum will be difficult to keep at a low tuning...
I'm determined to add photos to my blog, let's see if I can:
if this worked, this is a photo of the Habitat housing complex that I took on Sunday while taking a chilly walk with my family.
the only bummer was that 100% of the people we knew coming to the show (about 10 folks) didn't get it. Luckily they stuck around and we got to see them at the show anyway. A group of my old students from ESA who know are at university in Montreal showed up, so that was a real treat.
As for the performance, we were happy. We went first and it felt great to perform. There were technical issues for me in terms of the drums themselves: I use this old parade bass drum and it was sliding around on the very slick floor of this performance space; the temperature in the space tightened the calfskin heads on the drum too tight too; the lighting tech removed the marker on the stage to show me where to set up the drumkit, so the placement for the show was off.. Anyway, all nuisance details.... I think for the 11.26 show I'll use my regular drums for the piece because I know they'll stay in place, then I can concentrate on playing the piece. Also, with the cold weather upon us, everywhere will have their heat on, so the calfskin drum will be difficult to keep at a low tuning...
I'm determined to add photos to my blog, let's see if I can:
if this worked, this is a photo of the Habitat housing complex that I took on Sunday while taking a chilly walk with my family.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
yikes!
there's some complications brewing with the nov26 gig... turns out the venue may not have any technical and/or admin staff (administrating my rental of the space) for the rest of the month.... hopefully it should be resolved tomorrow. maybe with the resolution being a new venue. bummer.
luckily it's not too late to re-promo with regards to a venue change...
but, you know, at this point, it'd be nice to focus on the music (not likely to happen, though)
in the meantime, Hot Buttered Soul plays friday night at the Oakville Athletic Club, and we may be filming this one for a promo video... then I'm off to MTL (family in tow, we're making a vacation out of it too). Arwyn's sick right now, but sometimes the best gigs come out under less-than-great conditions...
let's hope that holds true for nov26!
there's some complications brewing with the nov26 gig... turns out the venue may not have any technical and/or admin staff (administrating my rental of the space) for the rest of the month.... hopefully it should be resolved tomorrow. maybe with the resolution being a new venue. bummer.
luckily it's not too late to re-promo with regards to a venue change...
but, you know, at this point, it'd be nice to focus on the music (not likely to happen, though)
in the meantime, Hot Buttered Soul plays friday night at the Oakville Athletic Club, and we may be filming this one for a promo video... then I'm off to MTL (family in tow, we're making a vacation out of it too). Arwyn's sick right now, but sometimes the best gigs come out under less-than-great conditions...
let's hope that holds true for nov26!
Monday, November 08, 2004
great news!
my old friend and former bandmate Darryl Huggins (he was the singer in HEARSAY) is available on nov26, so he's going to do 2 or 3 tunes with CC+MO at the Dancemakers gig...
Darryl's voice is wonderful, very unique timbre and my years of writing songs for him to sing in HEARSAY (1996-1999, roughly) were very prolific for me, due in no small part to the inspiring players I had to write for. I was already looking forward to this show, but now even more so.
Coincidentally, with the exception of Arwyn, the other three performers on this show are recent proud papas of baby girls....
my old friend and former bandmate Darryl Huggins (he was the singer in HEARSAY) is available on nov26, so he's going to do 2 or 3 tunes with CC+MO at the Dancemakers gig...
Darryl's voice is wonderful, very unique timbre and my years of writing songs for him to sing in HEARSAY (1996-1999, roughly) were very prolific for me, due in no small part to the inspiring players I had to write for. I was already looking forward to this show, but now even more so.
Coincidentally, with the exception of Arwyn, the other three performers on this show are recent proud papas of baby girls....
Thursday, November 04, 2004
MO called me tuesday night (while we watching US election returns at my Grandma's, of all places; none of us could really figure out the Electoral College system, and I have my doubts about whether anyone else can either), and told me he'd forgotten that he wasn't available this Thursday for the cc3 hit. So, I spent Tuesday and Wednesday electing a sub for the gig. After many calls, Paul Neufeld (pianist extraordinaire) was available. This will be the first time I've played with Paul since a jazz giga t an Ethiopian restaurant when I was a teenager. I was woefully under-prepared for that gig (I thought bringing an 18" bass drum was all you had to do to be "jazzy"), but then again, that feeling never goes away, right? That's the beauty of the creative career: you climb mountains, and at the top, the bottom of the next (higher) mountain awaits...
I'm listening to a (paid) download of a Wayne Krantz set at 55 bar in NYC. He's selling 1-hour sets for $4.95 each at his website www.waynekrantz.com. I think his price might be a bit too high (the mp3 download itself is just one long file, so you can't listen to selected songs from the set) to encourage regular purchases (he plays weekly at 55) from myself. However, I did want to show support for both his music, and the paid download concept in general.
I plan on doing this at my site, but will offer everything for free at first (and track the interest in it from visitors). Stay tuned.
I'm listening to a (paid) download of a Wayne Krantz set at 55 bar in NYC. He's selling 1-hour sets for $4.95 each at his website www.waynekrantz.com. I think his price might be a bit too high (the mp3 download itself is just one long file, so you can't listen to selected songs from the set) to encourage regular purchases (he plays weekly at 55) from myself. However, I did want to show support for both his music, and the paid download concept in general.
I plan on doing this at my site, but will offer everything for free at first (and track the interest in it from visitors). Stay tuned.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Since my last post, I've begun rehearsals with Arwyn Carpenter for our upcoming shows (nov13 in montreal and nov26 in toronto). Our first rehearsal was really just a hang, checking out what videos we have of the piece to make some notes; wonderfully, we came to the conclusion that, hey, we like this piece. This is not as simple as it sounds. The piece works. It's fun to do. AND we can see room for it to get better. So, instead of re-tooling and re-writing, we're committed to refining the work, and disciplining our performances within it.
So, we got into a dance studio up at YORK University last night and did just that. We plan to get back in the studio once more before the gig in Montreal.
Otherwise, this week I'm just playing dance classes and doing the regular cc3 hit in Burlington, actually. So, that should allow me to get some work done on promoting the nov26 show, and finish getting the music prepared for that show. The following week is a bit crazy, with classes, cc3, a drum lesson to teach, a rehearsal with Arwyn, planning/packing for Montreal (my family is coming with me), and then doing a Hot Buttered Soul gig the night before we leave for Montreal.
So, we got into a dance studio up at YORK University last night and did just that. We plan to get back in the studio once more before the gig in Montreal.
Otherwise, this week I'm just playing dance classes and doing the regular cc3 hit in Burlington, actually. So, that should allow me to get some work done on promoting the nov26 show, and finish getting the music prepared for that show. The following week is a bit crazy, with classes, cc3, a drum lesson to teach, a rehearsal with Arwyn, planning/packing for Montreal (my family is coming with me), and then doing a Hot Buttered Soul gig the night before we leave for Montreal.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Thursday, October 21, 2004
I was watching a surfing documentary last night, "Step into Liquid". It occured to me that the wipe-outs are often just as satisfying to watch as a "perfect" ride. It's the combination of all of it: the wave, the camera, the ride itself. The actual outcome is a minor part of the experience of watching it. Furthermore, the wipe-outs themselves are just alternate conclusions to the ride; and can be powerful and interesting in their own way.
It made me think of improvising, and how if audiences could embrace it in this way, I think it would definitely transmit its energy to them, as opposed to confounding or alienating them.
It made me think of improvising, and how if audiences could embrace it in this way, I think it would definitely transmit its energy to them, as opposed to confounding or alienating them.
Monday, October 18, 2004
yeah, the site is still broken.
I've been gigging too much to sit down and really fix anything. So, that's a good excuse, right? :)
I picked up a set of SONOR Designer Series drums from CollAudio on rental for the next week or so, nice drums. I'm just taking a vacation from my SONOR Phonics, that's all.
So, the next orders of business are starting promo for the CC+MO gig and rehearsing with Arwyn. Then, in November I hope to finish the long-delayed MOVE vol.2 CD. I'm not committing to much more than that for now, as I am starting to get a handle on just how much free time I have in my new life; which juggles my family, my "work" gigs, and my creative gigs.
Hot Buttered Soul is doing its last couple of dates next weekend, and then there is nothing else on the horizon for a while, as yet. The Trio resumes in its intended lineup (me, Mike Pelletiter, and MO), and hopefully we'll be free of any subbing for a while. Not that having subs isn't fun, but part of the appeal of the steady gig is that the group itself can really develop a "sound", in the absence of rehearsals, which there simply is no time or money for.
take care
I've been gigging too much to sit down and really fix anything. So, that's a good excuse, right? :)
I picked up a set of SONOR Designer Series drums from CollAudio on rental for the next week or so, nice drums. I'm just taking a vacation from my SONOR Phonics, that's all.
So, the next orders of business are starting promo for the CC+MO gig and rehearsing with Arwyn. Then, in November I hope to finish the long-delayed MOVE vol.2 CD. I'm not committing to much more than that for now, as I am starting to get a handle on just how much free time I have in my new life; which juggles my family, my "work" gigs, and my creative gigs.
Hot Buttered Soul is doing its last couple of dates next weekend, and then there is nothing else on the horizon for a while, as yet. The Trio resumes in its intended lineup (me, Mike Pelletiter, and MO), and hopefully we'll be free of any subbing for a while. Not that having subs isn't fun, but part of the appeal of the steady gig is that the group itself can really develop a "sound", in the absence of rehearsals, which there simply is no time or money for.
take care
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
wow, I'm having a bit of trouble keeping up with the day-to-day right now, lots going on (I guess, it's sometimes hard to tell from inside it all).
the website is still in disarray, as I am still waiting for an upgrade/replacement for my webpage software. so, things are developing offline, as it were.
...MARK YOUR CALENDAR: nov26 cc+mo will perform at the Dancemakers Studio in the Distillery District, Toronto. Arwyn Carpenter will be our guest, and we'll perform (at least) our current dance "aware", and maybe something else if preparation time permits.
the Trio is still working, doing the Thursdays (MO has been absent a couple of times recently, and Bruno Ierullo has subbed. This week I am not sure who is with us, yet. MO is performing with Arraymusic (a new music orchestra), and MP and I are still looking for someone), and we're doing a gig tonight at, of all places, an Acure dealership. There's a car launch, and we provide the background music. It's a good gig (straightforward, reasonably well-paying, and the client is very upfront and easy to deal with), but it's really hitting home these days that the best-paying jazz gigs I can get for my Trio are the ones that require us to be seen and not heard (the presence of a band is more important than the sound of a band at these gigs). Basically, play as quietly as possible, with NO DYNAMICS. :)
alot of my time has been consumed by ugly administrative work (chasing down cheques from gigs that are almost distant memories), which rapidly erodes any financial gain from the gigs (by the time I add in the admin hours to a gig, I'm working for minimum wage). I have to develop some more efficiency in this regard, or simply raise my price. ;)
ok, stay tuned, there's a few more gigs on the horizon, but nothing concrete to speak of as yet...
the website is still in disarray, as I am still waiting for an upgrade/replacement for my webpage software. so, things are developing offline, as it were.
...MARK YOUR CALENDAR: nov26 cc+mo will perform at the Dancemakers Studio in the Distillery District, Toronto. Arwyn Carpenter will be our guest, and we'll perform (at least) our current dance "aware", and maybe something else if preparation time permits.
the Trio is still working, doing the Thursdays (MO has been absent a couple of times recently, and Bruno Ierullo has subbed. This week I am not sure who is with us, yet. MO is performing with Arraymusic (a new music orchestra), and MP and I are still looking for someone), and we're doing a gig tonight at, of all places, an Acure dealership. There's a car launch, and we provide the background music. It's a good gig (straightforward, reasonably well-paying, and the client is very upfront and easy to deal with), but it's really hitting home these days that the best-paying jazz gigs I can get for my Trio are the ones that require us to be seen and not heard (the presence of a band is more important than the sound of a band at these gigs). Basically, play as quietly as possible, with NO DYNAMICS. :)
alot of my time has been consumed by ugly administrative work (chasing down cheques from gigs that are almost distant memories), which rapidly erodes any financial gain from the gigs (by the time I add in the admin hours to a gig, I'm working for minimum wage). I have to develop some more efficiency in this regard, or simply raise my price. ;)
ok, stay tuned, there's a few more gigs on the horizon, but nothing concrete to speak of as yet...
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
yeah, the website's a bit of a mess right now... sorry. the direct link to my folder of files is this:
http://ca.f2.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/musicformovement@rogers.com/rlst?.dir=/&.src=bc&.done=http%3a//ca.f2.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/musicformovement@rogers.com/lst%3f%26.dir=/My%2bDocuments%26.src=bc%26.view=l
please go there and download anything you want or needs, it's open to the public.
in the meantime, while trying to fix my pages, my html design program has given up the ghost, so I gotta fix that before I can do some fixin....
but you don't come here for this kind of news, so here:
- Bruno Ierullo will be back with MP and I on Thursday, MO returns next week
- Prep is beginning for Arwyn and my's performance in MTL in November...
- I'm considering doing a show in early Dec with MO and having some dance element to it
ok, thanks for your patience with the site, stay tuned!
http://ca.f2.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/musicformovement@rogers.com/rlst?.dir=/&.src=bc&.done=http%3a//ca.f2.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/musicformovement@rogers.com/lst%3f%26.dir=/My%2bDocuments%26.src=bc%26.view=l
please go there and download anything you want or needs, it's open to the public.
in the meantime, while trying to fix my pages, my html design program has given up the ghost, so I gotta fix that before I can do some fixin....
but you don't come here for this kind of news, so here:
- Bruno Ierullo will be back with MP and I on Thursday, MO returns next week
- Prep is beginning for Arwyn and my's performance in MTL in November...
- I'm considering doing a show in early Dec with MO and having some dance element to it
ok, thanks for your patience with the site, stay tuned!
Saturday, September 25, 2004
changes, changes, changes. chriscawthray.com will soon have some new features (new CDs for sale, etc.),; I am in the process of closing down my company, musicformovement.com The website and company will be shut down, and all of its current business operations (the ones that make money at least) are going to be run through this site.
So, there'll be a new section here for my MOVE series; a CD and book series of resources for modern dance. M4M was originally created to sell this stuff and foster new content and products; but the end result has been, while MOVE sells well, the day-to-day running of M4M is slowing down production of new work. I can operate the MOVE brand from this site just as effectively, and be able to actively create new content for both my MOVE series and my other creative work.
In the pipeline: a new CD of music for modern dance, focusing on odd meters, and a (hopefully) major recording project.
So, there'll be a new section here for my MOVE series; a CD and book series of resources for modern dance. M4M was originally created to sell this stuff and foster new content and products; but the end result has been, while MOVE sells well, the day-to-day running of M4M is slowing down production of new work. I can operate the MOVE brand from this site just as effectively, and be able to actively create new content for both my MOVE series and my other creative work.
In the pipeline: a new CD of music for modern dance, focusing on odd meters, and a (hopefully) major recording project.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
well, the world seems to be re-centred after wednesday night's weirdness....
...the gig I had lost on Sep26 is back, I think. They still have to approve the budget (basically, they have to agree to the amount I am asking, and at this point, I have no reason to be flexible on it), but I am hopeful it will work out
...wednesday nights are over (not because of what happened last week, but because it's an outdoor gig and it is getting too cold), but I did get a nice email from the manager apologizing for the mix-up this past week. HBS is back at this same restaurant next Saturday for a gig, actually...
...MO is AWOL from the cc3 for the next two Thursdays, so next week MP and I are playing with big bad Bruno Ierullo (from HBS, and many many other bands of mine.. he was the original guitar player in HEARSAY back in 1992, with MP and/or nikku nayar on bass), and then the following week I'm not sure yet who it'll be. MO is away with good reason: he's gigging with Sam Rivers next week!
... what's left this month? my residency at ESA is ongoing, I start the Pickering Ballet School today, Arwyn and I have to plan a rehearsal schedule for the 11/13 gig, and I want to start thinking about some ideas for a recording project for later in November, along the lines of "winter music"... oh yeah, and I turn 30 on 10.2
...the gig I had lost on Sep26 is back, I think. They still have to approve the budget (basically, they have to agree to the amount I am asking, and at this point, I have no reason to be flexible on it), but I am hopeful it will work out
...wednesday nights are over (not because of what happened last week, but because it's an outdoor gig and it is getting too cold), but I did get a nice email from the manager apologizing for the mix-up this past week. HBS is back at this same restaurant next Saturday for a gig, actually...
...MO is AWOL from the cc3 for the next two Thursdays, so next week MP and I are playing with big bad Bruno Ierullo (from HBS, and many many other bands of mine.. he was the original guitar player in HEARSAY back in 1992, with MP and/or nikku nayar on bass), and then the following week I'm not sure yet who it'll be. MO is away with good reason: he's gigging with Sam Rivers next week!
... what's left this month? my residency at ESA is ongoing, I start the Pickering Ballet School today, Arwyn and I have to plan a rehearsal schedule for the 11/13 gig, and I want to start thinking about some ideas for a recording project for later in November, along the lines of "winter music"... oh yeah, and I turn 30 on 10.2
Thursday, September 16, 2004
...had a great time with Tim and Mike last night; but I think the Trio itself was in a "happiness bubble" while the immediate world around us went to shit:
-Mike had his car window smashed and his briefcase stolen (it was later found, with most things intact, since it had nothing of value presumably to the theif)
- the bar somewhow, after 12 weeks of straight wednesday nights, f'd up paying us. they didn't have a cheque, then they wouldn't pay cash (they said they didn't have it, meanwhile a steak costs $30 at this place). it was exasperating and insulting, and a grand waste of my time.
it makes wonder "why bother?" I am sure the three of us would have played just as well in my basement or in someone's living room, so why subject ourselves to this nonsense to play some music? oh, yeah, the money. (but then again, when we're each going home with $100, which is whittled away quite quickly after gas and instrument maintenance costs, how much "money" are we really killing ourselves for...?)
i love music, and drumming, and I am fortunate to really enjoy the company of the musicians I make music with. I'm not pretending we're the first band to get the runaround at the end of the night (and this certainly wasn't the first time for me), but this gig was a "house gig", where we had been lulled into a sense of welcoming. Last night's events reminded me that in all likelihood, the bar either resents the music (it was the general manager that booked us, and he's never there), or is simply so indifferent to our presence that they can't even be bothered to acknowledge us.
but, hey, I'm back at it tonight! I must admit that our Thursday gig treats us better; it's the audience that swinbgs being indifference and hostility (with a few exceptions..) :)
-Mike had his car window smashed and his briefcase stolen (it was later found, with most things intact, since it had nothing of value presumably to the theif)
- the bar somewhow, after 12 weeks of straight wednesday nights, f'd up paying us. they didn't have a cheque, then they wouldn't pay cash (they said they didn't have it, meanwhile a steak costs $30 at this place). it was exasperating and insulting, and a grand waste of my time.
it makes wonder "why bother?" I am sure the three of us would have played just as well in my basement or in someone's living room, so why subject ourselves to this nonsense to play some music? oh, yeah, the money. (but then again, when we're each going home with $100, which is whittled away quite quickly after gas and instrument maintenance costs, how much "money" are we really killing ourselves for...?)
i love music, and drumming, and I am fortunate to really enjoy the company of the musicians I make music with. I'm not pretending we're the first band to get the runaround at the end of the night (and this certainly wasn't the first time for me), but this gig was a "house gig", where we had been lulled into a sense of welcoming. Last night's events reminded me that in all likelihood, the bar either resents the music (it was the general manager that booked us, and he's never there), or is simply so indifferent to our presence that they can't even be bothered to acknowledge us.
but, hey, I'm back at it tonight! I must admit that our Thursday gig treats us better; it's the audience that swinbgs being indifference and hostility (with a few exceptions..) :)
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
I like updating my webpage, because it usually means I am adding to it. Today I had to take a gig off the page, which always sucks. Without going into specifics, suffice to say, ALWAYS GET IT IN WRITING. Sometimes I do, sometimes I am lulled into a sense of security (because this venue/client has booked you before, etc.).
So, yeah. Big hole in my schedule on Sunday Sept. 26. I'm free if you want to book me. :)
So, yeah. Big hole in my schedule on Sunday Sept. 26. I'm free if you want to book me. :)
Monday, September 06, 2004
so I'm up early this morning (well, thanks to baby, I'm always up early...) and surfing around the web. I hadn't checked in with the websites related to King Crimson in a while, so I did that. Well, they're down in Nashville right now jamming with no record or tour on the horizon.... I checked in with drummer Ian Wallace's site, who's diary is always entertaining. Well, it turns out that he has decided that 6 years in Nashville has yielded no real professional gain so he's moving back to LA to do a musical... So, a "real" band has no record or tour, and a fantastic (this guy's played with Bob Dylan, King Crimson, and many others....) drummer can't find any work.
Well, I've got work. Playing the drums. At least four days a week, usually six. I'm contemplating a new recording project, maybe recorded on DV too for a DVD release. I've got two weekly house gigs that I am the leader of (one is ending for the winter but the other looks to extend indefinitely)... Furthermore, I'm lucky enough to be playing exclusively with people I genuinely like and care about, and I like their playing!
Has the music industry bottomed-out so much that I've actually "made it"? Wow.
So I guess there's nothing left to do but stop procrastinating and start making music. And CDs, and DVDs, and mp3 releases. Why not? They may not sell, or even connect with people on a large scale; but with the exception of a handful of "blue chip" artists, EVERYONE is in that boat. So, why not?
....in other news, I've noticed that the weekend Arwyn and I head to MTL to perform is that same as the Montreal DrumFest, so I've humbly contacted the organizers to see if they would be interested in our piece (solo drums + dancer), we'll see...
Well, I've got work. Playing the drums. At least four days a week, usually six. I'm contemplating a new recording project, maybe recorded on DV too for a DVD release. I've got two weekly house gigs that I am the leader of (one is ending for the winter but the other looks to extend indefinitely)... Furthermore, I'm lucky enough to be playing exclusively with people I genuinely like and care about, and I like their playing!
Has the music industry bottomed-out so much that I've actually "made it"? Wow.
So I guess there's nothing left to do but stop procrastinating and start making music. And CDs, and DVDs, and mp3 releases. Why not? They may not sell, or even connect with people on a large scale; but with the exception of a handful of "blue chip" artists, EVERYONE is in that boat. So, why not?
....in other news, I've noticed that the weekend Arwyn and I head to MTL to perform is that same as the Montreal DrumFest, so I've humbly contacted the organizers to see if they would be interested in our piece (solo drums + dancer), we'll see...
Thursday, September 02, 2004
news:
Tim Posgate rejoins MP and myself for two weeks of Wednesday Trio-ing. The wednesday gig is in it's last days, as it's an outdoor gig, and the nights are going to get chilly. Of course, last night (Eric's last night with us) was perhaps the best night weather-wise all summer, so who knows?
Last night was musically quite allright, if I do say so myself. Very nice versions of Wichita Lineman, Naima and even Zep's No Quarter! (ok, have you ever seen a gig where those three songs were played by the same band?). We had an audience of 2-4 year olds for the 2nd set, so we busted out the Sesame St. theme. They were the most attentive audience we've had all summer, it was a shame to see them go (presumably it was bed-time). The audiences at the Canyon Creek establishments are, at best, passively positive about jazz, or live music in general. I think they like the "ambience", but the prospect of having to intellectually interact (i.e. acknowledge the presence of live music and live musicians) with music upsets their carefully presented public image. The Wednesday crowd smokes way too much, so it's nice to be outside, when there's a breeze.... I sometimes find it amazing that ANYONE smokes anymore: I can't imagine a more heinous and disgusting act, especially in public, where SO MANY PEOPLE are violated by even one person's choice to do it. But all that just means I haven't been to Europe enough, where smoking is a cultural pastime. :)
Evan Ritchie (e-drummer extraordinaire, rep for Alternate Mode/drumKat and old old friend of mine) came over yesterday to get me started on my drumKAT. I still need some software to get going on my own, but I plugged into his Powerbook and started getting acquainted with it. SO MANY possibilities, particularly for my dance work. Gonna be fun. For Evan's troubles, I made him a sandwich. He seemed pleased with the exchange. :)
Hot Buttered Soul has pleasantly surprised me with dates all the way into late October. Things usually die down in the fall and winter, but maybe it'll be different this year. I have noticed that almost all of our work comes from the 'burbs, I wonder if people spend more money out there, so bars can justify the expense?
Arwyn and I have confirmed to perform in Montreal on November 13 at "vernissage-dance" at Studio 303 (I think "vernissage" roughly translates to "unpolished"...), I can't wait. I really enjoy the piece we've got. I've got ideas for a few more too. The trip is gonna be a road trip for the whole Cawthray clan, which should be fun.
oh yeah, the new Bjork is great, almost all a cappella. she's wonderful. get it.
Tim Posgate rejoins MP and myself for two weeks of Wednesday Trio-ing. The wednesday gig is in it's last days, as it's an outdoor gig, and the nights are going to get chilly. Of course, last night (Eric's last night with us) was perhaps the best night weather-wise all summer, so who knows?
Last night was musically quite allright, if I do say so myself. Very nice versions of Wichita Lineman, Naima and even Zep's No Quarter! (ok, have you ever seen a gig where those three songs were played by the same band?). We had an audience of 2-4 year olds for the 2nd set, so we busted out the Sesame St. theme. They were the most attentive audience we've had all summer, it was a shame to see them go (presumably it was bed-time). The audiences at the Canyon Creek establishments are, at best, passively positive about jazz, or live music in general. I think they like the "ambience", but the prospect of having to intellectually interact (i.e. acknowledge the presence of live music and live musicians) with music upsets their carefully presented public image. The Wednesday crowd smokes way too much, so it's nice to be outside, when there's a breeze.... I sometimes find it amazing that ANYONE smokes anymore: I can't imagine a more heinous and disgusting act, especially in public, where SO MANY PEOPLE are violated by even one person's choice to do it. But all that just means I haven't been to Europe enough, where smoking is a cultural pastime. :)
Evan Ritchie (e-drummer extraordinaire, rep for Alternate Mode/drumKat and old old friend of mine) came over yesterday to get me started on my drumKAT. I still need some software to get going on my own, but I plugged into his Powerbook and started getting acquainted with it. SO MANY possibilities, particularly for my dance work. Gonna be fun. For Evan's troubles, I made him a sandwich. He seemed pleased with the exchange. :)
Hot Buttered Soul has pleasantly surprised me with dates all the way into late October. Things usually die down in the fall and winter, but maybe it'll be different this year. I have noticed that almost all of our work comes from the 'burbs, I wonder if people spend more money out there, so bars can justify the expense?
Arwyn and I have confirmed to perform in Montreal on November 13 at "vernissage-dance" at Studio 303 (I think "vernissage" roughly translates to "unpolished"...), I can't wait. I really enjoy the piece we've got. I've got ideas for a few more too. The trip is gonna be a road trip for the whole Cawthray clan, which should be fun.
oh yeah, the new Bjork is great, almost all a cappella. she's wonderful. get it.
Sunday, August 22, 2004
Ok, it's sunday morning, so I'll update all y'all since my last post...
- wednesday's trio was cut short by one set due to torrential rain, but it was quite fun until that point (this week we'll make up for the last set by playing till 10pm, so come on by!)
- thursday saw the return of MO to the house gig, and MP played electric bass... I'm 50/50 on the ebass for this gig; it allows us to carpool as a band (which lowers the travel costs and increases pay-in-pocket, as it were), but I think it'll be a few more gigs before it settles. One problem for me is that we're doing low-volume stuff, I'm playing with hands and brushes almost all night. I love that challenge, but with the electric (since it has such a punchy sound), the sound coming out of the amp rattles the snares on my snare drum all the time. I don't seem to have this problem with an amped acoustic bass... Furthermore, the presence of the acoustic always warmed up the overall sound and helped the band stay quiet. With electric guitar and bass and an always excitable drummer, the volume always creeps up. This week, we may play outdoors in Burlington, so the volume issue won't be as crucial (they'll let us rip a bit), so we'll see...
-Hot Buttered Soul has a bunch of dates coming up, two nights this week at Joe Dog's in Burlington (100% non-smoking, so it can be alot of fun), and then we play 9/11 at the jazz festival in Port Credit, which usually draws a big crowd. In between there, we may have a date at the Canyon Creek (Sherway) for a special event; the date keeps changing, as does our availability, so who knows....
-my new snare drum arrived, and with the 7weeker in the house, daddy (me) has yet to play it. it certainly looks fantastic! I may have to sneak out to a friend's practice studio to give it a honk... at any rate, it'll be in effect this weekend with HBS
- I've been watching drum instructional DVDs this week. I only have two, but luckily, I think they're the two best ones out there, Steve Jordan's "The Groove is Here" and Billy Ward's "Big Time".. lots of inspirational playing, and great music too...
- I should be getting my drumKAT this week! I have no idea how to use it, but I think it's going to totally change my solo playing (for dance work, mostly). I really need this, as I feel I'm spinning my wheels a bit with that part of my playing... On that note, TDT (Toronto Dance Theatre) asked me to go on tour with them this fall. I would love to, man, would I love to (travel + music is the absolute best), but I won't leave home right now without my family. So, I've politely declined, but told them if they were willing to accomodate my wife and baby along with me, then I'd be happy to. I'm quite sure their budget doesn't allow for that, but we'll see...
- wednesday's trio was cut short by one set due to torrential rain, but it was quite fun until that point (this week we'll make up for the last set by playing till 10pm, so come on by!)
- thursday saw the return of MO to the house gig, and MP played electric bass... I'm 50/50 on the ebass for this gig; it allows us to carpool as a band (which lowers the travel costs and increases pay-in-pocket, as it were), but I think it'll be a few more gigs before it settles. One problem for me is that we're doing low-volume stuff, I'm playing with hands and brushes almost all night. I love that challenge, but with the electric (since it has such a punchy sound), the sound coming out of the amp rattles the snares on my snare drum all the time. I don't seem to have this problem with an amped acoustic bass... Furthermore, the presence of the acoustic always warmed up the overall sound and helped the band stay quiet. With electric guitar and bass and an always excitable drummer, the volume always creeps up. This week, we may play outdoors in Burlington, so the volume issue won't be as crucial (they'll let us rip a bit), so we'll see...
-Hot Buttered Soul has a bunch of dates coming up, two nights this week at Joe Dog's in Burlington (100% non-smoking, so it can be alot of fun), and then we play 9/11 at the jazz festival in Port Credit, which usually draws a big crowd. In between there, we may have a date at the Canyon Creek (Sherway) for a special event; the date keeps changing, as does our availability, so who knows....
-my new snare drum arrived, and with the 7weeker in the house, daddy (me) has yet to play it. it certainly looks fantastic! I may have to sneak out to a friend's practice studio to give it a honk... at any rate, it'll be in effect this weekend with HBS
- I've been watching drum instructional DVDs this week. I only have two, but luckily, I think they're the two best ones out there, Steve Jordan's "The Groove is Here" and Billy Ward's "Big Time".. lots of inspirational playing, and great music too...
- I should be getting my drumKAT this week! I have no idea how to use it, but I think it's going to totally change my solo playing (for dance work, mostly). I really need this, as I feel I'm spinning my wheels a bit with that part of my playing... On that note, TDT (Toronto Dance Theatre) asked me to go on tour with them this fall. I would love to, man, would I love to (travel + music is the absolute best), but I won't leave home right now without my family. So, I've politely declined, but told them if they were willing to accomodate my wife and baby along with me, then I'd be happy to. I'm quite sure their budget doesn't allow for that, but we'll see...
Friday, August 13, 2004
last night's Trio hit with Tim Posgate was great fun. This was the first time MP and I had played with Tim (and actually the first time we've ever met), and he was fanastic as both a player and person. Very organic in his musical approach, Tim's got a sweet/sour guitar tone that was a real pleasure to accompany and he's not afraid of mixing it up rhythm-wise. (which we drummers appreciate). Anyway, good fun, and hopefully good music. We'll do it again soon with any luck.
what's next? I have the weekend off to be Dad and contemplate the purchase of some electronic drum equipment. Next week I am hoping my new snare drum will arrive (the Sonor Artist Series Beech 13x5) via UPS...
what's next? I have the weekend off to be Dad and contemplate the purchase of some electronic drum equipment. Next week I am hoping my new snare drum will arrive (the Sonor Artist Series Beech 13x5) via UPS...
Thursday, August 12, 2004
hello hello
I got offered a really cool gig yesterday, alas, I had to turn it down. Toronto Dance Theatre (www.tdt.org) offered me their fall tour; I would have been drumming for them in technique classes and workshops, and doing some driving. Coulda been cool. But, between Drummer, Driver, and Dad; Dad takes precedence. So for now, I'm staying home to be with my family. No regrets about that; but you never know, there may be a way to make it work (bring the family along!)...
Tonight MP and I gig with Tim Posgate, should be fun. I missed last night's Trio gig (EB and MP played duo) due to a minor health emergency with my daughter, but everything's OK now.
OTHER NEWS:
my business partner and new friend Kip Hanrahan is off to NYC to begin recording of his new record. It'll be his first all-original (non compilation, soundtrack, production of another artist) in many years. For years I devoured this music from afar, it's almost too much to be "in on the ground floor" with it now.
Montreal's Studio 303 is interested in having Arwyn Carpenter and I perform in their 2004/05 Vernisagge Danse series. We'd love to, so we're just working out the dates now...
I got offered a really cool gig yesterday, alas, I had to turn it down. Toronto Dance Theatre (www.tdt.org) offered me their fall tour; I would have been drumming for them in technique classes and workshops, and doing some driving. Coulda been cool. But, between Drummer, Driver, and Dad; Dad takes precedence. So for now, I'm staying home to be with my family. No regrets about that; but you never know, there may be a way to make it work (bring the family along!)...
Tonight MP and I gig with Tim Posgate, should be fun. I missed last night's Trio gig (EB and MP played duo) due to a minor health emergency with my daughter, but everything's OK now.
OTHER NEWS:
my business partner and new friend Kip Hanrahan is off to NYC to begin recording of his new record. It'll be his first all-original (non compilation, soundtrack, production of another artist) in many years. For years I devoured this music from afar, it's almost too much to be "in on the ground floor" with it now.
Montreal's Studio 303 is interested in having Arwyn Carpenter and I perform in their 2004/05 Vernisagge Danse series. We'd love to, so we're just working out the dates now...
Friday, August 06, 2004
sorry about the lack of updates.... I've been working alot, and changing baby diapers in between.
I recently mangled my web software, so updating the page itself is overdue (I have to get new software). But suffice to say, here's what's been up:
my Trio has been doing lots of work. Eric Boucher has been AWOL but tenor/soprano player Ryan Oliver ably filled in. It was cool to play "chordless" trio for a few gigs. The Thursday night house gig in Burlington looks like a keeper, and I now have a 2nd regular Trio of Mike Pelletier (bass) and myself with my duo-mate Michael Occhipinti on guitar. The bar in Burlington digs the guitar (MO subbed for the AWOL Eric, and they liked it so much I decided to establish a guitar/bass/drums trio), so that's what they get.
Next week MO is away, but he was going to hopefully get the great Tim Posgate to sub, whom I've never played with, but enjoyed for quite some time...
So, for those that are keeping score, or making plans:
WEDNESDAYS (probably till mid-Sept.) - TRIO @ Canyon Creek Sherway -cc, mp, and eric boucher on piano
THURSDAYS (at this point indefinitely!) - TRIO @ Canyon Creek Burlington - cc, mp, MO
The Thursday gig is 100% non-smoking, which we love.
What else? I'll be working with the Toronto Dance Theatre for a week at the end of this month, playing company class for TDT director Christopher House.... When our routine at home with our new baby-friend settles down I'm going to begin preparing a new show for Arwyn Carpenter and I... I am going to begin the process of having "winter music" submitted for JUNO awards consideration... I am going to apply for Arwyn and I to do a workshop at the PASIC (Percussive Arts Society) convention in fall 2005....
I recently mangled my web software, so updating the page itself is overdue (I have to get new software). But suffice to say, here's what's been up:
my Trio has been doing lots of work. Eric Boucher has been AWOL but tenor/soprano player Ryan Oliver ably filled in. It was cool to play "chordless" trio for a few gigs. The Thursday night house gig in Burlington looks like a keeper, and I now have a 2nd regular Trio of Mike Pelletier (bass) and myself with my duo-mate Michael Occhipinti on guitar. The bar in Burlington digs the guitar (MO subbed for the AWOL Eric, and they liked it so much I decided to establish a guitar/bass/drums trio), so that's what they get.
Next week MO is away, but he was going to hopefully get the great Tim Posgate to sub, whom I've never played with, but enjoyed for quite some time...
So, for those that are keeping score, or making plans:
WEDNESDAYS (probably till mid-Sept.) - TRIO @ Canyon Creek Sherway -cc, mp, and eric boucher on piano
THURSDAYS (at this point indefinitely!) - TRIO @ Canyon Creek Burlington - cc, mp, MO
The Thursday gig is 100% non-smoking, which we love.
What else? I'll be working with the Toronto Dance Theatre for a week at the end of this month, playing company class for TDT director Christopher House.... When our routine at home with our new baby-friend settles down I'm going to begin preparing a new show for Arwyn Carpenter and I... I am going to begin the process of having "winter music" submitted for JUNO awards consideration... I am going to apply for Arwyn and I to do a workshop at the PASIC (Percussive Arts Society) convention in fall 2005....
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
long time no post!
we have a baby in the house now, which (as anyone with one knows) CHANGES EVERYTHING. it's wonderful though.
July has been busy, lots of music. This week's gigs include playing @ TDT, teaching @ MHSB and working with my Trio. Only, my Trio is not "the" Trio this week.
Tonight, Mike Manny subs for Eric Boucher (who is away this week doing a theatre gig...). and tomorrow the Trio starts a new house gig, Thursday nights at another Canyon Creek location, in Burlington. Neither Mike Pelletier nor Eric are around tomorrow, so it's a one-time-only, never-before-seen trio of myself, Michael Occhipinti, and Kevin Cooke on 6-string bass. It should be fun.
What else? Looks like Hot Buttered Soul will do some dates in August at one of our usual hits, Joe Dog's in Burlington; and the Wednesday Canyon Creek may do some Saturdays with HBS as well.
Stay tuned!
we have a baby in the house now, which (as anyone with one knows) CHANGES EVERYTHING. it's wonderful though.
July has been busy, lots of music. This week's gigs include playing @ TDT, teaching @ MHSB and working with my Trio. Only, my Trio is not "the" Trio this week.
Tonight, Mike Manny subs for Eric Boucher (who is away this week doing a theatre gig...). and tomorrow the Trio starts a new house gig, Thursday nights at another Canyon Creek location, in Burlington. Neither Mike Pelletier nor Eric are around tomorrow, so it's a one-time-only, never-before-seen trio of myself, Michael Occhipinti, and Kevin Cooke on 6-string bass. It should be fun.
What else? Looks like Hot Buttered Soul will do some dates in August at one of our usual hits, Joe Dog's in Burlington; and the Wednesday Canyon Creek may do some Saturdays with HBS as well.
Stay tuned!
Thursday, July 01, 2004
It's starting to look like a busy July, great! I've just been offered a whole bunch of teaching gigs at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, plus some dance-class accompaniment there too. So, there's my days (along with teaching the kiddies every Tuesday all summer at Martha Hicks School of Ballet), and the Trio and a few other things at night.
Also, a last-minute addition: I'm playing with Akim Triebsch (his duo gigs are under the name Traveller) at the Up+Down on Roncesvalles Ave, in Toronto on Friday night from 9:30-1:30... I used to play with Akim alot, then I gave the gig to a great drummer, Chris Stott. Anyway, I'm now the "fill-in" guy for this job, and that suist me fine. So, come see my fills on Friday. :)
Also, a last-minute addition: I'm playing with Akim Triebsch (his duo gigs are under the name Traveller) at the Up+Down on Roncesvalles Ave, in Toronto on Friday night from 9:30-1:30... I used to play with Akim alot, then I gave the gig to a great drummer, Chris Stott. Anyway, I'm now the "fill-in" guy for this job, and that suist me fine. So, come see my fills on Friday. :)
It's starting to look like a busy July, great! I've just been offered a whole bunch of teaching gigs at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, plus some dance-class accompaniment there too. So, there's my days (along with teaching the kiddies every Tuesday all summer at Martha Hicks School of Ballet), and the Trio and a few other things at night.
Also, a last-minuet addition: I'm playing with Akim Triebsch (his duo gigs are under the name Traveller) at the Up+Down on Roncesvalles Ave, in Toronto on Friday night from 9:30-1:30... I used to play with Akim alot, then I gave the gig to a great drummer, Chris Stott. Anyway, I'm now the "fill-in" guy for this job, and that suist me fine. So, come see my fills on Friday. :)
Also, a last-minuet addition: I'm playing with Akim Triebsch (his duo gigs are under the name Traveller) at the Up+Down on Roncesvalles Ave, in Toronto on Friday night from 9:30-1:30... I used to play with Akim alot, then I gave the gig to a great drummer, Chris Stott. Anyway, I'm now the "fill-in" guy for this job, and that suist me fine. So, come see my fills on Friday. :)
It's starting to look like a busy July, great! I've just been offered a whole bunch of teaching gigs at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, plus some dance-class accompaniment there too. So, there's my days (along with teaching the kiddies every Tuesday all summer at Martha Hicks School of Ballet), and the Trio and a few other things at night.
Hope to see you all on Wednesday soon!
Hope to see you all on Wednesday soon!
Thursday, June 24, 2004
The Trio has put two in the bag so far... last night was considerably better than the first night (last week). It felt like a band again, lots of listening and some unexpected turns. Why, oh why, do musicians seem to fall into the trap of ending songs the way they started? I mean, few films, books, plays, or dances really do that; why music? Is the musical language so foreign to the audiences ears that we can't assume they can appreciate something starting, changing, and ending? I don't know. Jazz standards are most noticeably stricken by this curse; you play the "head", solo, then play the "head" again. It would seem that jazz, of all musics, would be able to loosen itself from these shackles. In the end, it's up to us I guess to take these chances.
... I just read that Lollapalooza has been cancelled in its entirety due to poor ticket sales. WOW. So, right now, I have more gigs this summer than 30 bands who just days ago had way more gigs than me. This is a fragile business. It's a helpful reminder that music is its own reward, and the mere notion that I will pay my bills (and maybe, just maybe, save some money, or spend some money on my family and I) through music is a pretty wonderful thing. I've yet to reach any substantial notoriety in this business, and may never, but I do play my drums almost every day, and have yet to pick up a spatula and flip a burger for money, or ask "do you wear black?".....
.. new CD finds: John Abercrombie (w/Joey Baron)/Class Trip (ECM)
... I just read that Lollapalooza has been cancelled in its entirety due to poor ticket sales. WOW. So, right now, I have more gigs this summer than 30 bands who just days ago had way more gigs than me. This is a fragile business. It's a helpful reminder that music is its own reward, and the mere notion that I will pay my bills (and maybe, just maybe, save some money, or spend some money on my family and I) through music is a pretty wonderful thing. I've yet to reach any substantial notoriety in this business, and may never, but I do play my drums almost every day, and have yet to pick up a spatula and flip a burger for money, or ask "do you wear black?".....
.. new CD finds: John Abercrombie (w/Joey Baron)/Class Trip (ECM)
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
The Trio starts tonight, and should continue weekly all summer. I've been looking forward to this gig since it ended last fall. The venue (a restaurant called Canyon Creek) treats us well, and the music goes in lots of different places. Pre-production for the Trio has been impossible, what with everyone finishing up other projects and me expecting the expectation @ home (not yet, any day though)... So tonight we'll just wing it, and then in the next few weeks start working out of the band "book" (a collection of repertoire we want to do, as opposed to just showing up and playing the same old jazz standards all the time). The "book" requires me to do some photocopying.....
What else, the Hot Buttered Soul performance July 16 at the Docks is confirmed, although the details have changed. They originally sold it to us as a large (2000 + people) event. The reality is that it may be only a few hundred of the attendees that actually stick around for the band. So, the budget had to be scaled down, but it's all OK. They've offered us some other dates too in the future, so that make sme happy.
What else? The summer may shape up to be OK work-wise, stay tuned to the website for new dates.
Otherwise, come out on Wednesday night and say hello!
What else, the Hot Buttered Soul performance July 16 at the Docks is confirmed, although the details have changed. They originally sold it to us as a large (2000 + people) event. The reality is that it may be only a few hundred of the attendees that actually stick around for the band. So, the budget had to be scaled down, but it's all OK. They've offered us some other dates too in the future, so that make sme happy.
What else? The summer may shape up to be OK work-wise, stay tuned to the website for new dates.
Otherwise, come out on Wednesday night and say hello!
Friday, June 11, 2004
I got a call today from a promoter that stages running races (with parties attached), and they are looking for Hot Buttered Soul (my cover band) to play an event of theirs in July. We've done the Toronto Marathon through these people (we'd play on the course itself, so while the audiences were small at any given moment, literally a few thousand folks would hear us in the space of a few hours), and this race in July, they want us to play the end-party. That's cool. 2200 people, which I think would be the largest crowd this band has played for....
Anyway, details to work out, fees to be discussed, songs to learn (they want lots of classic rock). This is the business side of the music business, but I don't mind. The end result is always playing the drums (and paying the bills by it). How could I complain?
Anyway, details to work out, fees to be discussed, songs to learn (they want lots of classic rock). This is the business side of the music business, but I don't mind. The end result is always playing the drums (and paying the bills by it). How could I complain?
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Friday, May 28, 2004
I've just put up some new audio, a track from 2001/2002 (I can't remember if it was recorded late in 01 or early in 02), from a suite of songs I did for PBJ dance projects. Laurel James is the featured vocalist, and she sounds great. I would like to officially release this stuff one day.... Anyway, go grab the mp3 and enjoy!
Friday, May 21, 2004
Ok, Canyon Creek has confirmed: we start Wednesday June 16 and for the first few weeks we'll be going 3 sets from 6pm-9pm. Once it warms up, we'll add a 4ths et until 10pm... Hope to see you there, you can get info on the venue from www.chriscawthray.com, just click on Canyon Creek's name in the performances calendar...
I just got some new cymbals, so I'm selling some old ones:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3725513189&ssPageName=ADME:B:LC:CA:1
check 'em out. there's something funky between eBay and the Safari browser, so I couldn't get the photos up, so go to:
http://www.musicformovement.com/602.html
to see them...
not much else to report professionally right now, with the exception of the Trio at Canyon Creek I will essentially be off from June 10 to the beginning of July, in anticipation and preparation for the arrival of new (very small, in need of a lot fo assistance) person in our house.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3725513189&ssPageName=ADME:B:LC:CA:1
check 'em out. there's something funky between eBay and the Safari browser, so I couldn't get the photos up, so go to:
http://www.musicformovement.com/602.html
to see them...
not much else to report professionally right now, with the exception of the Trio at Canyon Creek I will essentially be off from June 10 to the beginning of July, in anticipation and preparation for the arrival of new (very small, in need of a lot fo assistance) person in our house.
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
welcome to Canada.... where your June outdoor gig may be postponed due to cold weather. :)
I got a call from Canyon Creek yesterday, they want to delay the start of the Wednesday jazz nights (we play outdoors on the patio) till the third week of June, as they fear the evenings will be too cold until then. OK. I was looking forward to getting started, but the anticipation will just be building even more now, I guess.
In other news, I've elected to change my role in the upcoming Martha Hicks ballet gigs. I am now going to be essentially a "producer" instead of performing. My dear colleague Romano DiNillo will be taking my place. Some very wonderful personal stuff is occuring around the time of the gigs that will require my entire attention, so I have chosen to limit my working hours during this time. It'll cost me money (lots, actually), but I'll make it back sooner or later.
Elvin Jones died yesterday, he will be very much missed by many drummers and music lovers (myself included). I had the pleasure of seeing him perform a number of times when I was a teenager, and he never ceased to amaze, inspire, and fill me with joy. Elvin had a sense for picking out the drummers in the crowd, and I do think he felt a kinship with them. I remember settling in to a seat right beside his drumkit one night when I was in high school, and before the set started, he came over and sat down at my table and welcomed my friend and I and he was genuinely interested in who we were and how we were doing (and he correctly guessed I was a drummer). Another drummer friend, Paul Fitterer, spontaneously related a similar story today to me. I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands of these stories out there being told today, all of them true. R.I.P. Elvin...
I got a call from Canyon Creek yesterday, they want to delay the start of the Wednesday jazz nights (we play outdoors on the patio) till the third week of June, as they fear the evenings will be too cold until then. OK. I was looking forward to getting started, but the anticipation will just be building even more now, I guess.
In other news, I've elected to change my role in the upcoming Martha Hicks ballet gigs. I am now going to be essentially a "producer" instead of performing. My dear colleague Romano DiNillo will be taking my place. Some very wonderful personal stuff is occuring around the time of the gigs that will require my entire attention, so I have chosen to limit my working hours during this time. It'll cost me money (lots, actually), but I'll make it back sooner or later.
Elvin Jones died yesterday, he will be very much missed by many drummers and music lovers (myself included). I had the pleasure of seeing him perform a number of times when I was a teenager, and he never ceased to amaze, inspire, and fill me with joy. Elvin had a sense for picking out the drummers in the crowd, and I do think he felt a kinship with them. I remember settling in to a seat right beside his drumkit one night when I was in high school, and before the set started, he came over and sat down at my table and welcomed my friend and I and he was genuinely interested in who we were and how we were doing (and he correctly guessed I was a drummer). Another drummer friend, Paul Fitterer, spontaneously related a similar story today to me. I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands of these stories out there being told today, all of them true. R.I.P. Elvin...
Monday, May 17, 2004
hello, long time no post.... here's the news:
-my Trio (with Mike Pelletier on bass and Eric Boucher on piano) will return for it's summer residency gig at Canyon Creek (a restaurant at the southwestern edge of Toronto, what was formerly called "Etobicoke"), starting Wednesday June 2, 6pm-10pm, and continuing weekly all summer. Eric can't do the first two weeks, so I'm hopeful Michael O. can sub in for him, and I anxiously await his confirmation of that.
-I am slow getting started on the prep for the Martha Hicks gig, but I will make some effort this week, it's a lot of work, and I am procrastinating like crazy. :)
- ABC (Australian Broadcast Company... Australia's national radio station), has shown interest in "winter music" for their "THE PLANET" show. I've sent off a CD (they won't make final decisions based on mp3s) and hopefully they'll dig it enough to play it.
-had lunch yesterday in Guelph, ON with Robert Blonski, the painter whose work I used for the cover of "winter music". great stuff. he has a show in Guelph right now until June 6 at the Bookshelf (a very Guelph-esque bookstore/gallery/restaurant/move theatre), also visit www.robertblonski.com
-my Trio (with Mike Pelletier on bass and Eric Boucher on piano) will return for it's summer residency gig at Canyon Creek (a restaurant at the southwestern edge of Toronto, what was formerly called "Etobicoke"), starting Wednesday June 2, 6pm-10pm, and continuing weekly all summer. Eric can't do the first two weeks, so I'm hopeful Michael O. can sub in for him, and I anxiously await his confirmation of that.
-I am slow getting started on the prep for the Martha Hicks gig, but I will make some effort this week, it's a lot of work, and I am procrastinating like crazy. :)
- ABC (Australian Broadcast Company... Australia's national radio station), has shown interest in "winter music" for their "THE PLANET" show. I've sent off a CD (they won't make final decisions based on mp3s) and hopefully they'll dig it enough to play it.
-had lunch yesterday in Guelph, ON with Robert Blonski, the painter whose work I used for the cover of "winter music". great stuff. he has a show in Guelph right now until June 6 at the Bookshelf (a very Guelph-esque bookstore/gallery/restaurant/move theatre), also visit www.robertblonski.com
Friday, May 07, 2004
I've added some stuff to the website: some pictures and an old mp3 of Relax with Trudy; which by some reports, was probably the best power trio onstage anywhere for maybe a few seconds while we were playing. What I mean to say is that we had our moments....
I've been checking out iTunes (the store) too, and while it's not available yet for Canadian customers to shop, we can browse. They have "celebrity playlists", essentially song compilations. It's a simple thing, but the fact that the reader can actually get the songs listed immediately is quite cool... I've been thinking about making some mp3 lists of my previous bands, and then offering them on the website as condensed "best of"s for those who might be interested.
I've been checking out iTunes (the store) too, and while it's not available yet for Canadian customers to shop, we can browse. They have "celebrity playlists", essentially song compilations. It's a simple thing, but the fact that the reader can actually get the songs listed immediately is quite cool... I've been thinking about making some mp3 lists of my previous bands, and then offering them on the website as condensed "best of"s for those who might be interested.
Friday, April 30, 2004
...just checking in during what has become quite a busy time... I was out on the road today doing more "outreach" dance&drums workshops in elementary schools, and have spent most of my evenings this week doing audio editing for various dance shows. That work continues tomorrow all day as well. Unfortunately, I won't even be able to see any of these shows I've been working on, since I have to move on the next project during the performances (I don't get paid to watch shows, so if work is being offered during those times, taking the work is my priority)... in other news, I just found a great piece of drum gear (a SONOR cymbal stand) on eBay... and I am enjoying a James Taylor DVD from 1998 that I just got that has the unparalleled STEVE JORDAN on drums; I'm learning alot from watching him on this DVD, and he's all over it, I guess the director found him worth watching, which we drummers should be thankful for...
Monday, April 26, 2004
Sunday, April 25, 2004
we debuted the new dance work last night.. I'm very happy with the performance, and I love playing the piece, it's very open and simple, and the challenges inherent in that are so elusive: when something doesn't require technical facility, that doesn't make is "easy" necessarily. without pure technical hurdles, it's harder to assess the task at hand...
we shot the performance with my DV cam from a stage-right angle, and we should be getting a centre-view from the theatre; for now I'll put up our camera angle on chriscawthray.com just to give you a glimpse of what we did...
but, of course (morning after), what's next? well, I'm looking into more performance opportunities, and I think this piece would be a natural fit as a CC+MO show, as the music is more than playable by the duo, and I think stylistically, intentionally, it's in the same realm... So, perhaps a collaborative show between CC+MO and Arwyn Carpenter? we'll see... that's something worth taking on the road,IMHO...
But, before I get ahead of myself, I have to return to Earth (and finances), and do my other gigs. I have audio editing work for two dance shows to finish up for May2, three pieces to clean up and edit together for a dance show in June (music deadline is May1), then I have to begin planning out how to do my solo performances at the Martha Hicks Ballet shows June 10-13... I will be solo, but I need to be able to convey melody/harmony/ etc... all of it. I want to do it from the drums, so I may be investigating using some technology (sequences, samples, triggers) from a computer source mixed in with my instruments.. we'll see! I've basically got 3.5 weeks to figure that out before the show...
so, ok, go to www.chriscawthray.com later today to see last night's work...
we shot the performance with my DV cam from a stage-right angle, and we should be getting a centre-view from the theatre; for now I'll put up our camera angle on chriscawthray.com just to give you a glimpse of what we did...
but, of course (morning after), what's next? well, I'm looking into more performance opportunities, and I think this piece would be a natural fit as a CC+MO show, as the music is more than playable by the duo, and I think stylistically, intentionally, it's in the same realm... So, perhaps a collaborative show between CC+MO and Arwyn Carpenter? we'll see... that's something worth taking on the road,IMHO...
But, before I get ahead of myself, I have to return to Earth (and finances), and do my other gigs. I have audio editing work for two dance shows to finish up for May2, three pieces to clean up and edit together for a dance show in June (music deadline is May1), then I have to begin planning out how to do my solo performances at the Martha Hicks Ballet shows June 10-13... I will be solo, but I need to be able to convey melody/harmony/ etc... all of it. I want to do it from the drums, so I may be investigating using some technology (sequences, samples, triggers) from a computer source mixed in with my instruments.. we'll see! I've basically got 3.5 weeks to figure that out before the show...
so, ok, go to www.chriscawthray.com later today to see last night's work...
Saturday, April 17, 2004
summer gigs!
the Trio (myself, mike pelletier (bass), eric boucher (piano)) will be resuming our summer residency gig at Canyon Creek in Etobicoke, ON. Last summer we did Wednesday nights, 6-10, and I think it's going to be the same deal this summer. I am working out all of the details in mid-May... Suffice to say, we're very happy to be back, it proved to be quite a creative outlet last summer, and regular gigs mean regular money. :)
right now, I am overwhelmed by writing/recording/editing work for dance shows, including the 8:08. After this round of shows (I hope to be completed all of this work by end of April), I have to begin planning for the Martha Hicks School of Ballet shows, in which I perform solo (but have to sound like many musicians)... I am thinking about toying with some electronics this year, using some e-drums and samples, maybe triggering melodic/harmonic loops. Nothing new (to music in general), but very new to me....
the Trio (myself, mike pelletier (bass), eric boucher (piano)) will be resuming our summer residency gig at Canyon Creek in Etobicoke, ON. Last summer we did Wednesday nights, 6-10, and I think it's going to be the same deal this summer. I am working out all of the details in mid-May... Suffice to say, we're very happy to be back, it proved to be quite a creative outlet last summer, and regular gigs mean regular money. :)
right now, I am overwhelmed by writing/recording/editing work for dance shows, including the 8:08. After this round of shows (I hope to be completed all of this work by end of April), I have to begin planning for the Martha Hicks School of Ballet shows, in which I perform solo (but have to sound like many musicians)... I am thinking about toying with some electronics this year, using some e-drums and samples, maybe triggering melodic/harmonic loops. Nothing new (to music in general), but very new to me....
Thursday, April 15, 2004
...on the road today and tomorrow doing music and dance workshops for school children... fun stuff! Arwyn Carpenter and I are doing them together, which allows us time in the car to hash out ideas for the piece, which debuts Apr24. Lots of talk about what to do next with it, and where to find the $ to do it.... stay tuned!
Monday, April 12, 2004
Monday, April 05, 2004
...after much deliberation (mostly with myself...), i've decided to continue making the "winter music" discs myself as home-made one-offs. The expenditure to produce 100s of discs is not really a wise move in this current industry. There is much debate of the future of CD as a commercial format, giving way to DVD or SuperAudio CD. So, for now, I can chrun 'em out at home and the buyer gets a truly independent, hand-made product, at a cheap price.
I've been thinking that maybe the direction to be moving in is towards some sort of DVD. Not a single release in DVD format, but (since the format itself can hold so much content), a DVD release that includes a video of a concert, some documentary/interview footage, "winter music" in mp3 format and playable from the DVD, and perhaps another studio project. So, you'd get a concert, a doc, and two records all on DVD.. Stay tuned...
In the meantime, I've changed the cover image on "winter music" to a painting by Robert Blonski, and the packaging is slightly different (slimline jewel case as opposed to a cardboard sleeve)...
they'll be for sale at the 4.10 show, so bring an extra five or six bucks!
I've been thinking that maybe the direction to be moving in is towards some sort of DVD. Not a single release in DVD format, but (since the format itself can hold so much content), a DVD release that includes a video of a concert, some documentary/interview footage, "winter music" in mp3 format and playable from the DVD, and perhaps another studio project. So, you'd get a concert, a doc, and two records all on DVD.. Stay tuned...
In the meantime, I've changed the cover image on "winter music" to a painting by Robert Blonski, and the packaging is slightly different (slimline jewel case as opposed to a cardboard sleeve)...
they'll be for sale at the 4.10 show, so bring an extra five or six bucks!
Thursday, April 01, 2004
Monday, March 29, 2004
Sunday, March 21, 2004
back from a weeklong vacation... we went to a tropical isle, and of course there was sun and sand, but there was also non-corporate commercial radio. that is a rarity. to listen to the island's main "rock" station and hear playlists that were very clearly decided upon by the dj (grateful dead album cuts like "pride of cucamonga") was refreshing. here in toronto, commercial radio has been completely choked to death by the mega-media companies that own a station in every market and play the same crud on a 9 song rotation.... I am not neccessarily anti-corporate, but my informal research has shown that corporate influence on radio playlists induces increasd iPod use by this listener. :)
so now, back to work: I am off to Guelph tomorrow to do a workshop with Arwyn Carpenter, and I have prep and promo for the CC+MO show on April 10. before that, I am playing two weeks of dance classes with Milton Myers (of Alvin Ailey...) from NYC, and doing some recording for some other dance pieces, and other stuff too...
so now, back to work: I am off to Guelph tomorrow to do a workshop with Arwyn Carpenter, and I have prep and promo for the CC+MO show on April 10. before that, I am playing two weeks of dance classes with Milton Myers (of Alvin Ailey...) from NYC, and doing some recording for some other dance pieces, and other stuff too...
Friday, March 12, 2004
hahahaha... so the two gigs I thought I'd be doing (that I mentioned in the previous post) have both fizzled out (one cancelled, and one no longer needs a sub). gotta love this business. both opportunities are still open doors to me, I just won't be going through them in two weeks, like originally suspected...
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
two calls today for two new gigs (possibly).... One, I'll be subbing on a gig that I used to do a few years ago, with a singer/songwriter named Akim. He's doing more covers than originals now (and working more as a result, such is this silly business), and my good friend (and drummer) Chris Stott is his regular guy now... Two, my rhythm section mate in many situations, bassist Mike Pelletier has offered me a spot in Shannon Weir's band, she's a singer/songwriter doing originals, and while I've yet to meet her or really dig into what she's doing, it could be fun. Either way, if the gig is good enough for Mike, it's good enough for me... I'll post the dates of these gigs when they become official...
Monday, March 08, 2004
I've updated the calendar over at chriscawthray.com.. lots of workshops being booked, which is a good way to spend one's day... I hope to be adding in the next little while some dates for my Trio with Eric Boucher and Mike Pelletier, as we are hopefully resuming our summer-residency gig on Wednesday nights, stay tuned!
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Hello!
Big day today:
-a concert date for Michael Occhipinti and myself has been set: Sunday April 11th 3:30pm Dovercourt Ballroom, Toronto
-"winter music" was reviewed by John Sakamoto in EYE magazine!
here's the review:
CHRIS CAWTHRAY/MICHAEL OCCHIPINTI, "One Morning": Whether it's the profound musical symbiosis between percussionist Cawthray and NOJO guitarist Occhipinti or the fleeting reference to the Largo from Dvorak's New World Symphony, there's a palpable feeling of "home" to this improvisation, which is no easy matter to convey without the benefit of words. (From Winter Music, chriscawthray.com/wintermusic.html)
http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_02.26.04/music/ahl.html
Honestly, I respected John's opinions before he reviewed us, but now I know he's right! :):):):)
So, yeah stay tuned, concert details TBA
Big day today:
-a concert date for Michael Occhipinti and myself has been set: Sunday April 11th 3:30pm Dovercourt Ballroom, Toronto
-"winter music" was reviewed by John Sakamoto in EYE magazine!
here's the review:
CHRIS CAWTHRAY/MICHAEL OCCHIPINTI, "One Morning": Whether it's the profound musical symbiosis between percussionist Cawthray and NOJO guitarist Occhipinti or the fleeting reference to the Largo from Dvorak's New World Symphony, there's a palpable feeling of "home" to this improvisation, which is no easy matter to convey without the benefit of words. (From Winter Music, chriscawthray.com/wintermusic.html)
http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_02.26.04/music/ahl.html
Honestly, I respected John's opinions before he reviewed us, but now I know he's right! :):):):)
So, yeah stay tuned, concert details TBA
Sunday, February 29, 2004
Hello!
The weather has turned oh so nice up here in Toronto, definitely something to be happy about. Today's CD purchases were the new brad mehldau and the new norah jones. I guess I am now one of the million folks that bought the jones disc... I was on her bandwagon long before the hype, honest. :) Anyway, all reports are that the disc is great, I have only heard one tune which I thought was really nice, so every once in a while popular and good can mix. That's also something to be happy about.
"winter music" is being prepped for official release. The first edition was entirely home-made (cd burner, et.al), but with the inclusion of cover art by Robert Blonski (www.robertblonksi.com), and a general sense of positivity surrounding the music (thanks in part to the warm reactions of the first recipients), I'm going to press it professionally, and embark upon promoting it. Expect some performance dates soon for MO and myself... in the meantime, go visit robert blonski's site...
Arywn and I rehearse tomorrow, and things are taking shape in a very great way. Playing drums in this project is really fresh feeling and I am tending to let the music play itself, as opposed to any other, less natural method.
The weather has turned oh so nice up here in Toronto, definitely something to be happy about. Today's CD purchases were the new brad mehldau and the new norah jones. I guess I am now one of the million folks that bought the jones disc... I was on her bandwagon long before the hype, honest. :) Anyway, all reports are that the disc is great, I have only heard one tune which I thought was really nice, so every once in a while popular and good can mix. That's also something to be happy about.
"winter music" is being prepped for official release. The first edition was entirely home-made (cd burner, et.al), but with the inclusion of cover art by Robert Blonski (www.robertblonksi.com), and a general sense of positivity surrounding the music (thanks in part to the warm reactions of the first recipients), I'm going to press it professionally, and embark upon promoting it. Expect some performance dates soon for MO and myself... in the meantime, go visit robert blonski's site...
Arywn and I rehearse tomorrow, and things are taking shape in a very great way. Playing drums in this project is really fresh feeling and I am tending to let the music play itself, as opposed to any other, less natural method.
Friday, February 20, 2004
I was out in Fergus, ON yesterday doing a session at Eclipse Music, with producer Doug Stronach. It was my third session in as many years for an artist that I have still yet to meet, Mark Curtis. He's a gospel/folk singer/songwriter, and I am invariably always overdubbing to a scratch-vocal, guitar and click track, and then they re-build the tunes around my parts. It's more fun than it sounds, actually. I bring a whole pile of stuff, and Doug pushes me and prods me in various directions until he gets what he wants. Doug is a great producer, and a helluva drummer himself... In other news, Michael Occhipinti and I are hoping/planning to do a concert at the end of March, I am just waiting on comfirmation of our schedules, then I'll announce something....
Monday, February 16, 2004
we aren't rehearsing (arwyn and myself) this week, but we have some useful DV footage to investigate individually; I took the weekend off and it was much appreciated. The end of last week saw some new developments in my other professional life, that of musicformovement.com. Michael Reinhart has brought a new disc to sell at the site, one which I have had for some time but he had not gotten around to officially designating it for sale at the site. go to wwwmusicformovementcom to check it out... also, sooner or later 3 brand new American Clave releases from Kip Hanrahan will arrive, and that is definitely something to get excited about.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
I just did an interview for a friend studying at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. The interview deals with the topic of improvisation. Here's the questions (and answers)...
1.Who introduced you to improvisation?
I think that, in my experience, improvisation came rather naturally. I acquired my first instrument (a drumset) before I had any formal training or any experiencing with music notation. As such, my very first encounter with my instrument was improvised. The quality and/or musicality of these improvisations was likely minimal, as I was just beginning to discover the sonic possibilities of the instrument let alone how to make music with it.
Beyond that, I think my next true encounter with improv as a discipline would have been through my discovery of jazz music at around the age of 12/13. The first "jazz" record I had was "Bitches Brew" by Miles Davis, which I received as a 13th birthday present. This was not the first jazz music I had heard (my parents had some jazz records), but this was definitely the first one I truly devoured and explored. The record itself is mostly improvised, or improvisational variations on basic composed themes.
After I was well into my studies and experiences as a musician I encountered improvisation in a formal setting at YORK University where I studied the subject specifically with Casey Sokol and also was a student in the Jazz and South Indian music depts. (two musical genres with a strong improvisational character).
2.When and why did you begin to incorporate improvisation in your work?
I used it from the very beginning, initially as a way to explore and understand the sonic possibilities of my instrument; and to extend or diverge from my music lessons (which variously, I would have in my mind completed, or was simply bored by them). As I began to play with other musicians, I found that improvising with others was a very exciting way to connect with other musicians and it gave us a sense of place and purpose within the music (the improvs were OUR OWN, as opposed to playing someone else's composition).
3.Do you use improvisation primarily as a tool to create music, or as a way of performing? Why?
Both, but I think the character of the improvisation is different in each application. As a performance discipline, it can't help but be tempered by the particulars of the performance (audience, venue, technical realities of recording studios, etc.). As such one may improvise with some portion of one's sensibilities attuned to the audience's satisfaction. This cannot help but have an effect on the performers creative choices in an improvisation. I think that the effects themselves are variously positive and negative (and probably hard to codify as a standard), so it is more important simply to acknowledge this influence on the improvisation, than to try and control it.
Another outlet for improvisation is where one improvises freely to discover new work. I am currently developing a duet with dancer Arwyn Carpenter and we are relying heavily on improvisation in our creative process. We are documenting a series of improvisations (some theme-directed, others "free") and reviewing them later to extract motifs, phrases, moments that we find compelling. We'll use these as foundations for the final piece, which will be a mixture of composed and improvised work.
The question of "Why?" is less easily answered. I don't think that I improvise to necessarily "express myself". I think that my dedication and training to and in my chosen discipline has (hoepfully) developed a sensitivity and ability within me to convey these musical ideas. I concentrate less on "what I want to say" and more on simply speaking.
4.Do you set up structures to follow when you improvise? Are they formal structures, or do you work with images, moods, emotions, etc?
All of the above, yes. Structure can be very rewarding for improvisers. I don't find it limiting at all. Some say that "there is no freedom, without structure"; when you give yourself boundaries, I think you find that you explore the space within those boundaries more thoroughly than if you had never set the boundaries.
Having said that, there is much value in "free" improvisation. However, I think that even when one plays "free" they set very temporary structures all the time, explore them, and disband/discard them. I think it's human nature to do that.
5.Do you prefer to improvise alone or with others? Why?
I am rarely improvising alone. Much of my day is spent improvising while accompanying dance classes. While I am the only musician present, I don't think I am "alone". The presence of the dance teacher and the dancers has a tremendous impact on how and what I play, and I am certain that were I in the dance studio truly alone, I would not play as I do when there are dancers there.
I think the best way to describe my experience of improvising with others is to view the improvisation as a conversation. Having a conversation with one other person is a very different experience from being in a discussion with 4 other people. I really do feel that the dynamics and formal structures of a conversation (which is, in essence, improvisation too) are more than analogous to a creative improvisation; I think they are essential.
6.Do you consider playing for a dance class a form of improvisation?
Yes, a very structured improvisation, but nonetheless improv. Some of the characteristics of dance-class improvisation for me are: as stated above, the effect of the dancers on my playing; the "goals" of the improvising are tempered by the needs of the class, and as such I make creative choices skewed to the dance in favour of the music. There are some dance exercises that require an accompanist to play consistently from class to class (the Graham floor work, for ex.). I think that "what" one plays is not nearly as important as the formal structure and phrasing (tempo, accents, etc.) of what is played that maintains the consistency. I have never played the same thing twice in class, but there are forms and rhythmic patterns that recur all the time.
7.How do you play when you are asked to accompany a movement improvisation?
Dance requires that I watch it while I improvise, so that in itself is a challenge. Also, I have to remember to give the dancer sonic space. They may not actually make any sound when they dance (voice, clapping, etc.), but if I fill the sonic spectrum entirely, I feel that it makes it harder to see the movement. So, I try and leave spaces in the overall sound spectrum for the movement. When you're working with dance, I find it's easy to neglect the importance of breath (the dancers' and yours). So, I also try and be sensitive to that, and it can affect rhythms and dynamics greatly. (The "breath" element is something that I think is universal, but I only truly discovered it once I started working with dance/movement).
8.What do you see as similarities or differences in musical and movement improvisation?
Again, I would draw the "conversation" analogy. As such, I think the "rules of the game" are the same, it is the tools we use that differ. The way a musician "bends" the sonic spectrum, a dancer inhabits the physical/spatial world. I think one can see a relationship between, for ex. pitch (music) and levels (movement). Tempo and rhythm are already identical in each discipline, in my opinion. There is a relationship between melody (music) and gesture (movement); and we affect both with emotion/character etc.
So, I think the differences are the obvious ones, and somewhat inconsequential as it pertains to the effectiveness of the improvisation (neither holds an improvisational advantage). The similarities are numerous.
9.Is there a difference for you between recording improvised music and playing it live?
Yes, not so much in my intention, but the execution of those intentions is greatly tempered by those two environments. Recording, presuming it is done without an audience present, introduces all manner of technical minutiae into the creative process. How a microphone hears music and how one's ears hear music are very divergent. The recording medium is unforgiving: in performance, a musician may strain to reach a particular note, the audience sees/feels this strain and is "with him" all the way, and as such will be sympathetic if he doesn't reach the note, or the note sounds strained... In a recording it is simply a missed note.
So, sonic clarity becomes a concern in recording. The musicians may do a "sound check" whereby they can record a bit of playing to assess what is really being transmitted to tape. This affects how one will improvise, because you will omit musical acts that may not "transfer to tape", and insert ones that surely will. This is not to say that one can't get great improvs in a recording situation. I quite enjoy the recording process; but it is a definitely different.
10.Several pieces on your Winter Music CD were improvised. How did you go about creating these particular pieces?
That project had very little direct preparation. Out of the five pieces on the CD, only one was composed "Hope Song". I composed that piece some time ago, and I simply presented Michael (Occhipinti, guitarist on "winter music") with the main melody line and its harmony (chords). The actual written portion of the piece is only a few bars, (30 seconds worth of music in "real time"), but the performance is over 7 minutes in length. That was, essentially, a highly structured improv; we maintained a formal structure that repeated, and improvised continuously atop it. The improvisation itself is framed by the statement of the composed melody at the beginning of the piece (repeated twice), and then its return at the end of the piece.
The other four selections were entirely improvised in that I had prepared no musical material in advance to present to Michael and myself. What I had prepared were a series of cues: emotional, contextual, and sonic. In certain instances we established the sonic characteristic of what we would play, but what we would play by way of themes, motifs, tempi. etc. Others were very programmatic (the theme of "winter", times of day, etc.), whereupon I asked that we imagine ourselves to be in a certain space or time, and allow that to inform our performance.
1.Who introduced you to improvisation?
I think that, in my experience, improvisation came rather naturally. I acquired my first instrument (a drumset) before I had any formal training or any experiencing with music notation. As such, my very first encounter with my instrument was improvised. The quality and/or musicality of these improvisations was likely minimal, as I was just beginning to discover the sonic possibilities of the instrument let alone how to make music with it.
Beyond that, I think my next true encounter with improv as a discipline would have been through my discovery of jazz music at around the age of 12/13. The first "jazz" record I had was "Bitches Brew" by Miles Davis, which I received as a 13th birthday present. This was not the first jazz music I had heard (my parents had some jazz records), but this was definitely the first one I truly devoured and explored. The record itself is mostly improvised, or improvisational variations on basic composed themes.
After I was well into my studies and experiences as a musician I encountered improvisation in a formal setting at YORK University where I studied the subject specifically with Casey Sokol and also was a student in the Jazz and South Indian music depts. (two musical genres with a strong improvisational character).
2.When and why did you begin to incorporate improvisation in your work?
I used it from the very beginning, initially as a way to explore and understand the sonic possibilities of my instrument; and to extend or diverge from my music lessons (which variously, I would have in my mind completed, or was simply bored by them). As I began to play with other musicians, I found that improvising with others was a very exciting way to connect with other musicians and it gave us a sense of place and purpose within the music (the improvs were OUR OWN, as opposed to playing someone else's composition).
3.Do you use improvisation primarily as a tool to create music, or as a way of performing? Why?
Both, but I think the character of the improvisation is different in each application. As a performance discipline, it can't help but be tempered by the particulars of the performance (audience, venue, technical realities of recording studios, etc.). As such one may improvise with some portion of one's sensibilities attuned to the audience's satisfaction. This cannot help but have an effect on the performers creative choices in an improvisation. I think that the effects themselves are variously positive and negative (and probably hard to codify as a standard), so it is more important simply to acknowledge this influence on the improvisation, than to try and control it.
Another outlet for improvisation is where one improvises freely to discover new work. I am currently developing a duet with dancer Arwyn Carpenter and we are relying heavily on improvisation in our creative process. We are documenting a series of improvisations (some theme-directed, others "free") and reviewing them later to extract motifs, phrases, moments that we find compelling. We'll use these as foundations for the final piece, which will be a mixture of composed and improvised work.
The question of "Why?" is less easily answered. I don't think that I improvise to necessarily "express myself". I think that my dedication and training to and in my chosen discipline has (hoepfully) developed a sensitivity and ability within me to convey these musical ideas. I concentrate less on "what I want to say" and more on simply speaking.
4.Do you set up structures to follow when you improvise? Are they formal structures, or do you work with images, moods, emotions, etc?
All of the above, yes. Structure can be very rewarding for improvisers. I don't find it limiting at all. Some say that "there is no freedom, without structure"; when you give yourself boundaries, I think you find that you explore the space within those boundaries more thoroughly than if you had never set the boundaries.
Having said that, there is much value in "free" improvisation. However, I think that even when one plays "free" they set very temporary structures all the time, explore them, and disband/discard them. I think it's human nature to do that.
5.Do you prefer to improvise alone or with others? Why?
I am rarely improvising alone. Much of my day is spent improvising while accompanying dance classes. While I am the only musician present, I don't think I am "alone". The presence of the dance teacher and the dancers has a tremendous impact on how and what I play, and I am certain that were I in the dance studio truly alone, I would not play as I do when there are dancers there.
I think the best way to describe my experience of improvising with others is to view the improvisation as a conversation. Having a conversation with one other person is a very different experience from being in a discussion with 4 other people. I really do feel that the dynamics and formal structures of a conversation (which is, in essence, improvisation too) are more than analogous to a creative improvisation; I think they are essential.
6.Do you consider playing for a dance class a form of improvisation?
Yes, a very structured improvisation, but nonetheless improv. Some of the characteristics of dance-class improvisation for me are: as stated above, the effect of the dancers on my playing; the "goals" of the improvising are tempered by the needs of the class, and as such I make creative choices skewed to the dance in favour of the music. There are some dance exercises that require an accompanist to play consistently from class to class (the Graham floor work, for ex.). I think that "what" one plays is not nearly as important as the formal structure and phrasing (tempo, accents, etc.) of what is played that maintains the consistency. I have never played the same thing twice in class, but there are forms and rhythmic patterns that recur all the time.
7.How do you play when you are asked to accompany a movement improvisation?
Dance requires that I watch it while I improvise, so that in itself is a challenge. Also, I have to remember to give the dancer sonic space. They may not actually make any sound when they dance (voice, clapping, etc.), but if I fill the sonic spectrum entirely, I feel that it makes it harder to see the movement. So, I try and leave spaces in the overall sound spectrum for the movement. When you're working with dance, I find it's easy to neglect the importance of breath (the dancers' and yours). So, I also try and be sensitive to that, and it can affect rhythms and dynamics greatly. (The "breath" element is something that I think is universal, but I only truly discovered it once I started working with dance/movement).
8.What do you see as similarities or differences in musical and movement improvisation?
Again, I would draw the "conversation" analogy. As such, I think the "rules of the game" are the same, it is the tools we use that differ. The way a musician "bends" the sonic spectrum, a dancer inhabits the physical/spatial world. I think one can see a relationship between, for ex. pitch (music) and levels (movement). Tempo and rhythm are already identical in each discipline, in my opinion. There is a relationship between melody (music) and gesture (movement); and we affect both with emotion/character etc.
So, I think the differences are the obvious ones, and somewhat inconsequential as it pertains to the effectiveness of the improvisation (neither holds an improvisational advantage). The similarities are numerous.
9.Is there a difference for you between recording improvised music and playing it live?
Yes, not so much in my intention, but the execution of those intentions is greatly tempered by those two environments. Recording, presuming it is done without an audience present, introduces all manner of technical minutiae into the creative process. How a microphone hears music and how one's ears hear music are very divergent. The recording medium is unforgiving: in performance, a musician may strain to reach a particular note, the audience sees/feels this strain and is "with him" all the way, and as such will be sympathetic if he doesn't reach the note, or the note sounds strained... In a recording it is simply a missed note.
So, sonic clarity becomes a concern in recording. The musicians may do a "sound check" whereby they can record a bit of playing to assess what is really being transmitted to tape. This affects how one will improvise, because you will omit musical acts that may not "transfer to tape", and insert ones that surely will. This is not to say that one can't get great improvs in a recording situation. I quite enjoy the recording process; but it is a definitely different.
10.Several pieces on your Winter Music CD were improvised. How did you go about creating these particular pieces?
That project had very little direct preparation. Out of the five pieces on the CD, only one was composed "Hope Song". I composed that piece some time ago, and I simply presented Michael (Occhipinti, guitarist on "winter music") with the main melody line and its harmony (chords). The actual written portion of the piece is only a few bars, (30 seconds worth of music in "real time"), but the performance is over 7 minutes in length. That was, essentially, a highly structured improv; we maintained a formal structure that repeated, and improvised continuously atop it. The improvisation itself is framed by the statement of the composed melody at the beginning of the piece (repeated twice), and then its return at the end of the piece.
The other four selections were entirely improvised in that I had prepared no musical material in advance to present to Michael and myself. What I had prepared were a series of cues: emotional, contextual, and sonic. In certain instances we established the sonic characteristic of what we would play, but what we would play by way of themes, motifs, tempi. etc. Others were very programmatic (the theme of "winter", times of day, etc.), whereupon I asked that we imagine ourselves to be in a certain space or time, and allow that to inform our performance.
A copy of a record I did back at the beginning of 2003 arrived in the mail today. It's a gospel/folk album by Mark Curtis (www.fathermarkcurtis.com) called "Bend My Heart". I played percussion and drumset on about half the record (the other half is more "acoustic" i.e drum-less). It's always nice to get this stuff, when you do sessions it's not always a given you'll get a copy, let alone even hear how the record sounds finished. Apparently they are hoping for a Juno nomination for this disc, so that'd be kinda cool...
Arwyn and I and the DV camera rehearsed yesterday, and found some very cool stuff. For me, I am trying to play organically. I found that I was, at times, just dropping into a groove or a beat, and really with no justification for how I got there musically (which means it's likely I just played something because I knew how, not because the moment required it). I am also getting a better idea of what sounds are going to speak well in this piece. I tried a 10x10 SONOR Signature Lite tom tom as a floor tom, which I liked. I think smaller drums and cymbals will be better, so that they might speak their fullest quicker, and requiring less velocity. When you're working with dance, I find it's easy to neglect the importance of breath (the dancers' and yours). The big drums and cymbals can sometimes cover over everything, and as such, don't really absorb or interact with the subtleties.I want to try some tiny hihats (like 10" PAISTE signatur micro hats), but the budget for new toys may not be available for this project. We'll see...
Arwyn and I and the DV camera rehearsed yesterday, and found some very cool stuff. For me, I am trying to play organically. I found that I was, at times, just dropping into a groove or a beat, and really with no justification for how I got there musically (which means it's likely I just played something because I knew how, not because the moment required it). I am also getting a better idea of what sounds are going to speak well in this piece. I tried a 10x10 SONOR Signature Lite tom tom as a floor tom, which I liked. I think smaller drums and cymbals will be better, so that they might speak their fullest quicker, and requiring less velocity. When you're working with dance, I find it's easy to neglect the importance of breath (the dancers' and yours). The big drums and cymbals can sometimes cover over everything, and as such, don't really absorb or interact with the subtleties.I want to try some tiny hihats (like 10" PAISTE signatur micro hats), but the budget for new toys may not be available for this project. We'll see...
Friday, February 06, 2004
we've been hit with a big pile o' snow again this morning (of course it always snows in Canada, but this seems a little excessive), so weather-permitting I'll be heading out to record some piano tracks with Erik Geddis for move2 at his house this afternoon, on his quite fine baby grand piano...
I'm also working on a discography page for the website. It'll be visual, with the album covers and all, but I also want to work in the composition works (for dance, etc.). I've been surfing the web to find the .jpgs of some session work I've done and found some interesting stuff:
-a promo video featuring myself working with a singer/songwriter
-a Russian fan website for a band I used to work for, that includes pictures of me onstage
I'm almost scared to Google myself now... :)
I'm also working on a discography page for the website. It'll be visual, with the album covers and all, but I also want to work in the composition works (for dance, etc.). I've been surfing the web to find the .jpgs of some session work I've done and found some interesting stuff:
-a promo video featuring myself working with a singer/songwriter
-a Russian fan website for a band I used to work for, that includes pictures of me onstage
I'm almost scared to Google myself now... :)
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
We had a great rehearsal on Monday night, things are starting to take shape. Our next meeting is Monday, this time in a real dance studio, so there will lots of space (physical and aural) to work. This will also be the first rehearsal that we record on DV. The plan is to record a series of improvisations, and then watch them and distill the parts that really work out of that....
In other news, I've been toying with the idea of putting on a concert, possibly a duo concert with MO, supporting the "winter music" disc (go to chriscawthray.com/wintermusic.html to hear it and buy it). The problem in Toronto right now is a lack of great space to do such a show. There's tons of bars/clubs, but in my personal opinion, that scene is pretty incongruous with what this music is about. (essentially, it doesn't sell booze, which is why (and I have no issue with this) bars exist. They don't (fundamentally) exist to serve music. So, certains musics work well with the aims of a bar/club, and others don't. The duo with MO is the latter, I think. We haven't actually done it in that setting, but I know from experience that putting this somewhat gentle music in that setting would not work. So, yeah, where to do it. Well, there's tons of galleries, dance studios, etc. but not many that are centrally located (i.e. people would actually make the effort to come to the gig). So, one hurdle in planning the concert would be finding a suitable venue (centrally located, cheap to procure, and hopefully reasonably acoustically satisfying). Luckily, this duo doesn't need a PA, so we do have some flexibility there.
Anyway, stay tuned, or better yet go to my site and send me your email address and I'll let you know...
In other news, I've been toying with the idea of putting on a concert, possibly a duo concert with MO, supporting the "winter music" disc (go to chriscawthray.com/wintermusic.html to hear it and buy it). The problem in Toronto right now is a lack of great space to do such a show. There's tons of bars/clubs, but in my personal opinion, that scene is pretty incongruous with what this music is about. (essentially, it doesn't sell booze, which is why (and I have no issue with this) bars exist. They don't (fundamentally) exist to serve music. So, certains musics work well with the aims of a bar/club, and others don't. The duo with MO is the latter, I think. We haven't actually done it in that setting, but I know from experience that putting this somewhat gentle music in that setting would not work. So, yeah, where to do it. Well, there's tons of galleries, dance studios, etc. but not many that are centrally located (i.e. people would actually make the effort to come to the gig). So, one hurdle in planning the concert would be finding a suitable venue (centrally located, cheap to procure, and hopefully reasonably acoustically satisfying). Luckily, this duo doesn't need a PA, so we do have some flexibility there.
Anyway, stay tuned, or better yet go to my site and send me your email address and I'll let you know...
Friday, January 30, 2004
So, what's new?....
Arywn and I have officially begun working on our piece, but my portion of that effort has been to procrastinate. :) We're meeting again on Monday, and I am very quite almost sure that I will sit down at the drums tomorrow afternoon and do my homework. It's funny, I play every day (thanks to great regular gigs accompanying dance classes), lots of improvising; but I seem to approach work like this dance project as something wholly different. I have to "psych" up for it in some way.
First step was to stop off at Steve's Music to get some new sticks. My visit to Steve's was a social one as well, catching up with the friendly and helpful staff there in the Drum Dept. I ended up going home with all of the JohnnyRabb "Jim Keltner" sticks they had left (8 pairs). The JohnnyRabb company has gone out of business some time ago, but their JK sticks are some of best around. I used a pair of the JK Slims (sounds like a ladies' cigarette or something, I know) all summer with my Trio and they were great. The regular JK (apparently designed after a stick that Keltner used to use when he was kid in a marching band) is a great stick. If I take them out with Hot Buttered Soul or any other high-volume stuff, I break 'em, but for recording and more sensibly decibled stuff they suit me fine. They sound incredible on cymbals too. Anyway, if you can find 'em, buy 'em, or tell me and I will. I hope that some stick company convinces Keltner to sign another endorsement deal so they'll make them again...
So, yeah, new sticks, that ought to get me to start work. :)
What is this work? Well, we're on a search mission right now. Our initial inspiration is (seriously) a concept derived from 11th century Japanese poetry known as "aware" which in contemporary Japanese translates as "miserable", but its original etymology is quite different: It refers to a deep emotion evoked by an ephemeral thing. (i.e. the sound of the wind in the trees, the sight of melting ice, etc.)... I find really strong parallels in creative work in general. A creator (or "artist") may prepare and rehearse for huge amounts of time and energy for a single moment in front of an audience. The audience cannot honestly appreciate the work that led up to the event (they can understand it intellectually, but they can't really know), yet that fleeting moment in performance can still be deeply moving and have a lasting impact. Perhaps even more interesting is that we (both creators and audiences) give such weight to the moment of performance, that event where the creator sets the work free from him/herself and watches it live and/or die with the audience. It's beautiful, and I don't mean to be pretentious or elevate myself or any creator in any way. What makes it beautiful is the shared experience of the creator and the audience (be they in a live performance, listening via CD or watching on tape, etc.). It's out of control, yet so absolutely essential...
So, we're exploring that, firstly by "getting in shape". We're working apart from one another (improvising, composing short pieces, motifs, etc.) that reflect this "aware" notion. The hope is that the more we "get in shape" the more habitual and ingrained information we'll throw away and tune our creative selves to bring new work into the world. As we go we'll introduce narratives, contexts, etc. as they present themselves or we feel the work requires one. It's the real deal, this is the work that I have hoped to be doing. Of course, it has nothing to do with money or career (that would be too convenient that the best work would also be the best paying), but about this committment we (creators) make to the craft, and full circle, to ourselves...
One "trap" in being a percussionist without one particular specialty is that part of finding that new work is also a process of finding its voice. So, at this point I am not sure if it's hiding in my drumset, on a single cymbal, in my kanjira (a small south indian lizard skin tambourine), or maybe just my hands clapping. Stay tuned...
Arywn and I have officially begun working on our piece, but my portion of that effort has been to procrastinate. :) We're meeting again on Monday, and I am very quite almost sure that I will sit down at the drums tomorrow afternoon and do my homework. It's funny, I play every day (thanks to great regular gigs accompanying dance classes), lots of improvising; but I seem to approach work like this dance project as something wholly different. I have to "psych" up for it in some way.
First step was to stop off at Steve's Music to get some new sticks. My visit to Steve's was a social one as well, catching up with the friendly and helpful staff there in the Drum Dept. I ended up going home with all of the JohnnyRabb "Jim Keltner" sticks they had left (8 pairs). The JohnnyRabb company has gone out of business some time ago, but their JK sticks are some of best around. I used a pair of the JK Slims (sounds like a ladies' cigarette or something, I know) all summer with my Trio and they were great. The regular JK (apparently designed after a stick that Keltner used to use when he was kid in a marching band) is a great stick. If I take them out with Hot Buttered Soul or any other high-volume stuff, I break 'em, but for recording and more sensibly decibled stuff they suit me fine. They sound incredible on cymbals too. Anyway, if you can find 'em, buy 'em, or tell me and I will. I hope that some stick company convinces Keltner to sign another endorsement deal so they'll make them again...
So, yeah, new sticks, that ought to get me to start work. :)
What is this work? Well, we're on a search mission right now. Our initial inspiration is (seriously) a concept derived from 11th century Japanese poetry known as "aware" which in contemporary Japanese translates as "miserable", but its original etymology is quite different: It refers to a deep emotion evoked by an ephemeral thing. (i.e. the sound of the wind in the trees, the sight of melting ice, etc.)... I find really strong parallels in creative work in general. A creator (or "artist") may prepare and rehearse for huge amounts of time and energy for a single moment in front of an audience. The audience cannot honestly appreciate the work that led up to the event (they can understand it intellectually, but they can't really know), yet that fleeting moment in performance can still be deeply moving and have a lasting impact. Perhaps even more interesting is that we (both creators and audiences) give such weight to the moment of performance, that event where the creator sets the work free from him/herself and watches it live and/or die with the audience. It's beautiful, and I don't mean to be pretentious or elevate myself or any creator in any way. What makes it beautiful is the shared experience of the creator and the audience (be they in a live performance, listening via CD or watching on tape, etc.). It's out of control, yet so absolutely essential...
So, we're exploring that, firstly by "getting in shape". We're working apart from one another (improvising, composing short pieces, motifs, etc.) that reflect this "aware" notion. The hope is that the more we "get in shape" the more habitual and ingrained information we'll throw away and tune our creative selves to bring new work into the world. As we go we'll introduce narratives, contexts, etc. as they present themselves or we feel the work requires one. It's the real deal, this is the work that I have hoped to be doing. Of course, it has nothing to do with money or career (that would be too convenient that the best work would also be the best paying), but about this committment we (creators) make to the craft, and full circle, to ourselves...
One "trap" in being a percussionist without one particular specialty is that part of finding that new work is also a process of finding its voice. So, at this point I am not sure if it's hiding in my drumset, on a single cymbal, in my kanjira (a small south indian lizard skin tambourine), or maybe just my hands clapping. Stay tuned...
Monday, January 26, 2004
friday night we welcomed a piano into our home. after a surprisingly easy amateur/volunteer move of the device occured (thanks to all who helped!), it took its place in the basement. will it be the catalyst for a composing renaissance? who knows? at the very least, the piano stool that arrived with it is convenient for sitting while removing one's boots, Mr. Rogers' style....
over the weekend I started making notes regarding the direction of the new dance piece with Arwyn Carpenter and we meet tonight for the first rehearsal/meeting... during the note-making session, I re-acquainted myself with two great old vinyl LPs - "Improvised Music for Piano and Guitar" - Eugene Chadbourne/Casey Sokol and "The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon" - John Surman/JackDejohnette... ECM vinyl (like "Simon...) is a treasure, easily my favourite cover art, and it made such great use of the large canvas that LPs offered...
anyway, stay tuned, stay warm!
over the weekend I started making notes regarding the direction of the new dance piece with Arwyn Carpenter and we meet tonight for the first rehearsal/meeting... during the note-making session, I re-acquainted myself with two great old vinyl LPs - "Improvised Music for Piano and Guitar" - Eugene Chadbourne/Casey Sokol and "The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon" - John Surman/JackDejohnette... ECM vinyl (like "Simon...) is a treasure, easily my favourite cover art, and it made such great use of the large canvas that LPs offered...
anyway, stay tuned, stay warm!
Thursday, January 22, 2004
So, how do you like the new BLOG format for the news page? To get back to my page just click on the link in the "LINKS" section on the right side of the page.
Now the news...
-Arwyn Carpenter and I begin rehearsing on Monday. We're going to have a DV cam recording us, so that lots of our process gets documented. In this ever-changing music market, this project's final resting place may be on DVD, or as a stream on the web, so I want to document as much video and audio as possible along the way.
The piece (currently with a working title of "aware") debuts in a work-in-progress form at Series 8:08, Saturday April 24 at the Metro Central YMCA in Toronto.
-tracking for MOVE2 continues and nears completion...
-it's been confirmed I'll be teaching weekly workshops for the Martha Hicks School of Ballet Summer Programme starting in July through until September
Now the news...
-Arwyn Carpenter and I begin rehearsing on Monday. We're going to have a DV cam recording us, so that lots of our process gets documented. In this ever-changing music market, this project's final resting place may be on DVD, or as a stream on the web, so I want to document as much video and audio as possible along the way.
The piece (currently with a working title of "aware") debuts in a work-in-progress form at Series 8:08, Saturday April 24 at the Metro Central YMCA in Toronto.
-tracking for MOVE2 continues and nears completion...
-it's been confirmed I'll be teaching weekly workshops for the Martha Hicks School of Ballet Summer Programme starting in July through until September
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