Don't forget to send me your best of musical experiences

what?

Read the News letter.
Unbelievable, another year over already.

I know I have another newsletter to go, but I wanted to try
something a bit different. We had so many disasters and
unpleasant things happening this past year it seems like it's
almost a good year to forget. But you know in the Ying and
Yang of things a lot of good things happened this past year too.

So here is your assignment, (should you decide to accept it);
email me what you think were the best parts of last year as it
pertains to you musically.

Did you reach any milestones? Play out for the first time?
Get some new gear? Meet new people? Learn a song you only
dreamed you'd ever play?

Do you want to pay tribute to a musician who passed last year?
Send it to me.

How about best post or funniest post on the forum? What was
your favorite article?

Surprise me.

Send your emails to me at nick@guitarnoise.com and I'll publish
the best next week in the newsletter.

My student, Joseph, passed his Step 1 Classical Guitar with Honours.

I got a new classical guitar, and did my first London performance in many years (in the pub across the road from where I bought the guitar, by strange coincidence).

Best,

A :-)

My student, Joseph, passed his Step 1 Classical Guitar with Honours.
I got a new classical guitar, and did my first London performance in many years (in the pub across the road from where I bought the guitar, by strange coincidence).

Congrats to Joseph, Alan. That truly is cool. And by the bye, is it possible for us to get a set list of your latest performance?

Speaking for myself, musical highlights were numerous and it's very hard to separate some of them because they all seem to flow together in what passes for my memory these days.

So, in no particular order:

Playing twelve hours of Neil Young songs at a time with Marilyn, Karen, Karen and Paul. On a couple of occasions! Absolutely a blast!

Hosting the first (hopefully of many) Guitar Noise Mini-Camp. My thanks to everyone who made that weekend a special and fun time.

gnease's annual "Black Friday Jam" the day after Thanksgiving. Special tip of the hat to Veronica (age 5) who played harmonica on On The Road Again and The Weight. To John, Jeff, Nick, Karen, Nicky Kyle and Greg, thanks for a wonderful time.

And then there was the Riverside Jam 2005, which leaves too many memories to post...
Highlights include (but not limited to):

Meeting Tim (Musenfreund) and family. You wouldn't believe he's actually nicer in real life than on the forum! :wink:

Sitting amazed while Kathy put on her first set, including many of her own songs. Who'd guess that this was the person who had to be coaxed into playing a year ago? Thank you for letting me sit in on a few numbers.

Getting to play melodica on Rio De Tanapa, sung by the peerless Tony Nuccio.

I can't even begin to talk about the second set. Jose did a stellar job on One and Only Living Boy In New York, while Nick established himself once and for all as the Uberfunkster with Ophelia, with Mike, Greg and Pete providing lots of fun solos and fills. The group harmonies on Summer Wages were impeccable and the whole group ensemble (twelve musicians!) working behind Paul's awesome vocals on Amazing Grace brought the house down. Every year there seems to be a moment that brings the entire universe to a stand still and I think this one is going to be hard to top next year.

Like most years, though, it's also all the "quieter" moments that shine through - working out song arrangements with Jeff and Anne, playing with Mike on the "balcony" of the Comfort Inn lobby before people got there, trying out different guitar parts for Romeo And Juliet with Kathy and Karen. Practicing in the garage on Friday night. Playing banjo on a riverboat on Sunday. Simply having breakast or lunch with people whose company brings such joy to me.

To everyone who's made music this year and especially to those of you who took the first step in playing with others, I wish you even more fun in 2006.

Peace

Hopefully, a good musical experience will come around next year, if we can ever get this UK GN Get-together together, if you know what I mean.....

I don't know how many people look at the seminars forum, if anyone's got a suggestion to create more widespread interest, let's hear it....

:D :D :D

Vic

I don't know how many people look at the seminars forum, if anyone's got a suggestion to create more widespread interest, let's hear it....

:D :D :D

Vic

Free Balloons!!

*cough*strippers*cough*

Someone please shoot me....NOW!!!!

Finally relaxing enough that I can tap my foot while playing. Okay I'm sloooow! Also stopping the incessant bar chatter on my lap steel.

Watching Mark Knopfler up close for an entire concert and his handing me a pick at the end of Money For Nothing. Still a bit giddy from that.

I hope to get down to David's next summer for a seminar. I had hoped to go this year but seeing Knopfler 3 times ate up the spare cash. Hope some Brits come over so we can play some Kinks :)

Let the next Brit invasion commence..... :evil: :evil: :evil:

:D :D :D

Vic

We'll be ready for ya! :twisted:
:D :D :D

My highlights in 05 were to be being asked to sing and play at our neices wedding. A beautiful experince at the Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, and having my brother in law comment that he should have just had me play for the entire ceremony instead of hiring the string quartet!
And of course, the rehersals and performance for the Riverside Jam! I never get enough of playing with all those great people! And also being able to play the song i wrote for Nick, "The Ultimate in Funky"!

Ok , i will perform on 14th and tell how did i do ?Lets see......how good is my GN training :wink:

There are basically two events that hit home for me.

Playing live.....

Setting the stage for your visual....Hot, steamy, partly cloudy day with a slight breeze. Just enough air to breathe. Outside on a huge stage and drum riser. Lights everywhere. The performance begins and the sun is just setting. When you can hear every sound you make, every note you play, your band is nailing a rocker and the crowd has it's heads bobbing simultaniously and the snare and bass drum are just cutting through everything. (July 4th outdoor concert....15,000 people and it was a private party)....LMAO!!!

Setting the stage for your visual...In the studio. This was our first time in and we had no idea what to expect. A few simple sound checks and fixing some loose lugs on the tom-toms. Mic's are all set, the guitars are tuned up, the keyboard/leslie are spinning up to speed. We are prepared to make our first take on the original for our up and coming first album.

I click off the beginning and away we go. Jamming to the song as if we were playing it live. Complete the song, head to the control room and replay to find the flaws. Everyone stares at each other as we decide we can't find any flaws and make the recording on the first take. :shock: Hmmm guys, we just saved ourselves about $600 in studio time. Tweak the mix and print to the album. (1984 release of LP) YES I SAID LP :twisted:

Other than that every gig has a memory of some sort. Either crowd and music related or gig site and equipment related. Most good I will say. 8)

Congrats to Joseph, Alan. That truly is cool. And by the bye, is it possible for us to get a set list of your latest performance?

ok, going under the doubtful working title of "Music by a bunch of dead guys", the set list for 2005 was:

Claire de lune - Debussey
Love Theme from Titanic - James Horner (he might still be alive, I didn't check)
Bm Etude - Sor
Minuet (from the little notebook) - Bach
Saltarello - Galilei
Paysane - SL Weiss
Romanza - Anonymous (this one's on my website)
Largo in D - Vivaldi
Andante in Em - Vivaldi
Classical Gas - Williams (this guy is definitely not dead)

Encores - A couple of Pavanas by Luis Milan

I don't have Opus numbers (or RV numbers for the Vivaldi) but it's all familiar stuff; and it got its first outing at the December 2004 JPMorgan London Documentation office Christmas party.

Best,

A :-)