...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...

I've uploaded 2 videos to chriscawthray.com.... a stage-right camera view of the dance piece from 4.24 and a song from the CC+MO 4.10 show.... watch 'em, download 'em, whatever you like... http://www.chriscawthray.com

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...

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....

...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!

setlist from saturday's cc+mo show:

jorge de capodocia (caetano veloso)
improv (cc/mo)
doxy (sonny rollins)
improv (cc/mo)
hope song (cawthray)
the oracle (dave holland)
chicken strut (the meters)

fun show... we got it all on DV, so sooner or later I'll put something on the web...

...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!

... great rehearsal with MO today, a very short rehearsal (maybe 1 hour), but great. I'm excited for the show on the 10th.
... apparently they're spinning "winter music" over at CIUT FM in Toronto (89.5fm) www.ciut.fm