Latcho Drom

From http://www.rambles.net/latcho_drom94.html:

They are called Gypsy, Romany, Rom, Tsigane, Bohemian, Gitano and are known by other names as well. They live primarily in Eurasia where they have wandered and engaged in specific trades for centuries, if not millennia. They constitute a large underclass in European countries like Romania and Slovakia, the poorest of the poor.

They also produce music that is among the finest in the world, that has strongly influenced the European classics and jazz, and that is an intrinsic part of their culture.

Tony Gatlif's 103-minute 1993 film Latcho Drom (Safe Journey) is a homage to the music of the Rom people from Rajastan, India, where the journey begins, to Egypt, Turkey, into Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, and finally into France and Spain.

Unfortunately, the DVD seems to have been discontinued. Fortunately, somebody uploaded the movie. Start at the linked page below and follow the links to the rest of the film:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x47tom_latcho-drom-part-1_music

Turn your iPod Touch into an iPhone (almost)

I'll probably get an iPhone when the next model is released. But some folks simply want to run the cool iPhone apps without getting stuck with a phone company contract, hence the appeal of the iPod Touch. This article introduces iPod Touch owners to Voice Over IP ("VoIP") and SMS software for the iPod Touch. With VoIP software, one can have phone conversations over the Internet without need of a phone company.

The article touches on a disadvantage of this approach, in that you need to be at a WiFi hotspot. Still, a cheap cell phone and iPod Touch might be an attractive alternative to an iPhone for some folks.

Creative Rhythmic Concepts for Jazz Improvisation

Interesting book by Irish jazz musician Ronan Guilfoyle:

This publication is the first of its kind to clearly explain the most recent developments in jazz rhythmic techniques. Intended for use by all instruments, it explains clearly how to go about developing and exploring one's rhythmic technique and how to use these sophisticated techniques in a jazz context. Areas discussed include

Metric Modulation
Subdivision
Odd Metres
Bulgarian music
South Indian Tala system
Multiple subdivision
Polyrhythms
Odd meter polyrhythms
Odd meter modulation.

Each technique is clearly explained and clearly notated and the accompanying CD acts as both a demonstration of the various concepts, and as a playalong CD. There is a comprehensive listening list included in the book as well as 6 compositions that demonstrate the different techniques outlined in the book.

Check his website for more info

ZT Amplifiers Lunchbox

I read about this compact amp in one of the many NAMM 2009 reports.


I currently use an Electro-Voice SXA 360 Powered Speaker and a Roland KC-350 for amplifying my processed guitar and synth signals. The same two amps are also used for the band's vocals. I'm thinking it would be nice to get more separation for just my guitar/synth rig from the vocal mix, without adding more bulk to what we have to stuff into my car. This looks like a viable solution.

http://www.ztamplifiers.com/lunchbox.html

Harp-like Harmonics Guitar Lesson

The beautiful harp-like arpeggios utilizing harmonics, as played by the likes of Tuck Andress and others, have always been a mystery to me. I think this video might be helpful:

Crayon Physics Deluxe

The goal of this game is to get the ball to the star, using crayons to draw items to move the ball. It's been out for the PC and was recently released for iPhone/iPod Touch.

SynthPond

synthPond is a relaxing spatial sequencer and audio toy by conceptual new media artist Zach Gage.

Unlike a normal sequencer where you place notes on a grid and a moving playhead plays them, in synthPond you place nodes in a field (pond).

There are two major types of nodes.
-Circular nodes release waves at certain intervals.
-Hard-edged nodes release waves when waves hit them

Moving these nodes about allows you to create complex and relaxing melodies.

ABC News: Five Best Work-From-Home Jobs

Five Best Work-From-Home Jobs

RjDj

RjDj is a music application for the Iphone. It uses sensory input to generate and control the music you are listening to.

Here's a demo video:

Which food is not worth buying organic, and which is

Is 'Organic' Worth It?

How Quit A Day Job

A professional blogger's story of how she quit her day job to pursue her passions.

I'm not even thinking of quitting my day job now or within the next 2 years, actually. But I'm fascinated by this type of story.

Tips for reducing tension in seconds

Learn the Art of Self-Massage

A couple of good roundup articles on green countertops

One decision I've been putting off on the upcoming kitchen remodeling project is which countertop to use. Anyone who has been following this blog (yes, all 2-4 of you) knows I've been looking for something environmentally friendly.

The Kitchen Designer - Green Kitchen Countertops

New York House Magazine - The best in green kitchen countertops

I was initially leaning towards recycled glass such as IceStone... until I found out recycled glass countertops cost just as much as granite (which, though popular, is not considered environmentally friendly due to quarrying practices). I'm probably going to get PaperStone Certified, which is made from 100% post-consumer standard office paper.

One Block Off The Grid program

One Block Off The Grid is a group "on a mission to make solar accessible at a fraction of the cost, one city at a time".

Solar power is notoriously expensive, typically costing about $20,000 US per home. Should I wait for Ikea to start selling affordable solar panels, or sign up with One Block Off The Grid?

I'd love to get my house off the grid, or at least generate so much electricity via solar power that the electric company would have to pay me.

13 Magnificent Renewable Energy Successes and Failures

13 Magnificent Renewable Energy Successes and Failures

Making a To-Do List in Gmail

I'm very new to Gmail. Ok, I actually had my account for nearly 2 years but only started using it more regularly a couple of weeks ago. This article and previous ones in what appears to be a series on Gmail Labs look useful to me.

Lifehacker's Gmail To-Do List

Korg DS-10

I originally bought my Nintendo DS Lite to play Electroplankton. Sadly, my Electroplankton era came to an ignoble end, thanks to losing my DS Lite case which had the Electroplankton cartridge and 5 or so other cartridges (the other two "games" I'm unhappy about losing are My French Coach and Brain Age 2). Electroplankton was more of a multimedia art piece than music software, though one could improvise a musical performance with it.

Korg DS-10 is a new cartridge for the DS that will probably bring an end to my cryinga moping over my losses. It is a true synthesizer-on-a-card which I understand was inspired by Korg's MS-10 analog synth. I anticipate having lots of fun composing beats and other song parts on my commuting rides. An interview with the DS-10 developer sheds more light on this much-anticipated product.

25 Tips to Make Your Apartment an Eco Friendly, Sustainable, Green Paradise

I still like my Green Remodeling For Dummies book, but this article contains several tips not in the book...

25 Tips to Make Your Apartment an Eco Friendly, Sustainable, Green Paradise!

Pen Zen: Bring Clarity to Writing

I could obviously use the advice in this article...

Pen Zen: Bring Clarity to Writing

Travel Photography Tips

I love to snap photos as much as the next traveler. I realize I haven't shown this much in this blog, partially because I've been so behind in uploading pics to various sites. I used Shutterfly for several years, and lately have started using Flickr, which has more up-to-date features, but restricts uploads to 100MB a month.

Anyhoo... this article appears to have some useful tips for travel photography. Hopefully I'll have the photos from my trips to the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Chicago online by the end of the year.

The A-B-C-D-E of Travel Photography

15 (More) Future Wonders of Green Technology: From Spinning Towers to Seawater Greenhouses

As a casual fan of both architecture and science fiction, I enjoy looking at pics of futuristic buildings, even more so if they're "green". Maybe you will too...



15 (More) Future Wonders of Green Technology: From Spinning Towers to Seawater Greenhouses

Russian cartoon based on Bradbury

Check out this 9-minute animation based on "There will come soft rains" by the great science fiction author Ray Bradbury:

Alan Watts on Life & Music (with Animation)

Cute, funny, and thought-provoking animated short, with audio from an Alan Watts lecture how we tend to treat music in our lives (or perhaps more accurately, how we tend to put it off). Produced by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park fame.

Life & Music

31 Simple Ways to Prevent Cancer

31 Simple Ways to Prevent Cancer

34 Uses for Lemons

Discover this popular fruit's 34 clever uses

60 Second Guide To Short Term Savings

60-Second Guide to Short-Term Savings

The Eco-Friendly Mega-City of the Future

This is a very nicely done presentation of the environmentally-friendly city of the future. With fast-rising oil prices, there seems to be more interest than ever in alternative energy sources. You'll need a tiny bit of extra patience as you have to click "Continue" three times or so, but it's worth it:

Popular Science's Plan for Tomorrow's Mega-City

Frugal Beginners Guide To Green

I recently bought a house and I've been researching environmentally-friendly ideas for renovating my home. My primary source of information has been this book:

Here's a nice introductory article for "green" living and the financial benefits:

Go Green And Save Green: Beginner's Guide

In this guide, you’ll find out how to spend less than $1,200 to save over $8,000 over the course of 5 years. Here are suggestions of free or low cost things you can do to help you go green and save green.

Scientific American: How to Unleash Your Creativity

How to Unleash Your Creativity

Top 10 Things You Forgot Your Mac Can Do

Top 10 Things You Forgot Your Mac Can Do

Victor Wooten performing "Amazing Grace"

Arranged for solo bass guitar...

Guitar Harmonics Lesson - Tommy Emmanuel

An 11-year-old guitarist

...who plays better than most adults:

Dick Moore's Interval Practice Routine

This is the practice routine we learned from F. Richard Moore, a professor at University of California, San Diego:

1. Pick a starting note.  For the purpose of this article, the starting note is C.  You may use an instrument to provide the starting note only.  Do not use an instrument for the rest of the exercise

2. Sing a minor 2nd up, then back down, using the note names then the number of half steps in the interval, for example:

C Db C
Minor second one

3. Repeat #2 above for the following intervals: major 2nd, minor 3rd, perfect 4th, augmented 4th/diminished 5th (depending on the enharmonic spelling you're using), perfect 5th, minor 6th, major 6th, minor 7th, major 7th, octave.  For example, when you get to the minor 7th:

C Bb C
Minor 7th ten

4. After you have done #2 and #3 above for the octave, reset your starting note to the octave above your original starting note.  For example, your new starting note is the octave C above the original C.

5. Sing a minor 2nd interval down, using the note names and the number of half steps in the interval.  For example:

C B C
Minor second 1

6. Repeat #5 above for  major 2nd, minor 3rd, perfect 4th, augmented 4th/diminished 5th (depending on the enharmonic spelling you're using), perfect 5th, minor 6th, major 6th, minor 7th, major 7th, octave.

Vary your starting notes from session to session.  Start from Bb, A, F#, etc.  Avoid using "pet" starting notes.

Give an Old Laptop New Life with Cheap (or Free) Projects

Give an Old Laptop New Life with Cheap (or Free) Projects

I have a Mac iBook which is getting a bit long in the tooth, by computer standards. I'm sort of bookmarking this article for ideas on extending the life of my (mostly) trusty Mac laptop...

And a related article of interest:

14 Best Ways to Use Your Computer’s Spare Time

The Business Of Jazz,

...posted by a member of The Bad Plus

Pat Metheny and Joe Diorio - Blues In The Closet

Nice pairing of one of my favorite jazz guitarists with one of the great jazz guitar educators (who isn't a bad player himself!)

McNiel Lesson on Hybrid Picking (with video)

I work a lot with the Hybrid Picking For Guitar book and highly recommend it. That said, it's nice to see another take on the technique, particularly with video demos.

McNiel Lesson on Hybrid Picking (with video)

Stanley Clarke, Upright Bass Virtuoso

Mr. Clarke going nuts with flamenco and slap bass licks on the upright acoustic bass:

A practice idea for developing jazz improvisational skills

I've recently started pursuing a practice idea for developing the ability to improvise over a jazz tune. When I take a solo, I have a tendency to rely too much on muscle memory and the layout of the instrument. I want the solo to be created by my imagination rather than mindless movement of the fingers. Here is the idea:

1. Listen to lots of jazz, especially recordings of jazz musicians playing the tune you are specifically working on.

2. Memorize the melody and chords to the tune.

3. While away from your instrument(s), mentally practice soloing over the tune - imagine your instrument playing the notes with an imaginary rhythm section playing the chords for you.

4. When you have your instrument at hand, do this:

a. Make up a melody for a 1-3 measure chunk of the tune in your head, without playing your instrument.

b. Play the melody you made up in 4a. above on your instrument.

c. Repeat 4a. and 4b. until you're done with the tune.

The purpose of this practice is to develop the ability to compose a solo on the fly - ie. improvise. By composing short phrases at a time, the task seems less daunting.
As a demonstration of this practice idea, I recorded myself doing Step 4 above for the tune Blue Bossa, with a backing part courtesy of Band In A Box. I recorded two guitar parts, panned right and left in the stereo field, so that you can hear the two guitars taking turns playing phrases that I composed on the spot.

Some of the phrases required several practice repetitions and re-recording. This is because I can compose a phrase in my head that does not match anything I've ever practiced on guitar before, and sometimes this phrase does not fit neatly under the fingers. Thus it took me about an hour to record this one-minute track. The aim was not to be perfect - let alone impress anybody - but simply to capture the main gist of the melody I spontaneously composed for Blue Bossa. The other reason I did not clean up all my mistakes on this recording was to document my starting point as I journey down the road of jazz discovery - I can't claim progress without showing where I started.

My September 30,2007 solo over Blue Bossa is now up on my MySpace page.

Ear training Practice for Parallel Modality

Dave Woods just posted this to the jazz guitar group. Enjoy!

Ear training Practice for Parallel Modality

On your guitar using the open A string as a common Tonal Center, play this

---0------
---10----
---8-----
---7----
---0---
---X---
This will play an A Tonal Center on the open 5th str., and the open E on the
1st. string will sound the perfect 5th. These set up an A Tonal Center drone on
the Guitar. The fretted notes give you A D# A, and against the A Tonal Center,
it sounds the Key Tritone of A Major Lydian Key of E.
(A) B C# (D#) E F# G# (A). Strum the guitar, play it with the open A,
open E Tritone drone, and sing the Mode. Then sing The Mode in your mind only,
as you play the drone. You will be hearing the Key Tritone against the Tonal
Center. Nothing cements the feeling of a Mode in your consciousness better than
this.

Next, on your guitar using the open A string as a common Tonal Center, drop
the fretted notes down one fret.

---0------
---9----
---7-----
---6----
---0---
---X---
This will play an A Tonal Center on the 5th str., and the open E on the 1st.
string will sound the perfect 5th. This sets up an A Tonal Center The fretted
notes give you A D# A, and it sounds the key Tritone of A Major Ionian (A) B
C# (D) E F# G# (A). Key of E.
Strum the guitar, play it as a tonal drone, and sing the Mode against the
drone. Then sing it in your mind only, as you play the drone. D# is lowered to
D. This gives a feeling of loss of tension.

Next, move the fretted notes down another fret.
---0------
---8----
---6-----
---5----
---0---
---X---
The fretted notes give you G C# G, and it sounds the Key Tritone of A
Mixolydian Key of D
(A) B C# (D) E F# G (A). Strum the guitar, play it as a tonal
drone, and sing the Mode. Then sing it in your mind only, as you play the
drone. Here D# drops to D. Go back and forth till' you sense the drop. G# is
lowered to G.

Next, move the fretted notes down another fret.
---0------
---7----
---5-----
---4----
---0---
---X---
The fretted notes give you F# C F# , and it sounds the Key Tritone of
A Minor Dorian Key of G
(A) B C (D) E F# G (A). Strum the guitar, play the tonal drone,
and sing the Mode. Then sing it in your mind only, as you play the drone. Here
C# drops to C. Go back and forth till' you sense the drop.

Next, move the fretted notes down another fret.
---0------
---6----
---4-----
---3----
---0---
---X---
The fretted notes give you F B F , and it sounds the Key Tritone of A
Minor Aeolian Key of C
(A) B C (D) E F G (A). Strum the guitar, play the tonal drone,
and sing the Mode. Then sing it in your mind only, as you play the drone. Here
F# drops to F. Go back and forth till' you sense the drop.

Next, move the fretted notes down another fret.
---0------
---5----
---3-----
---2----
---0---
---X---
The fretted notes give you F Bb F , and it sounds the Key Tritone of
A Minor Phrygian Key of F
(A) Bb C (D) E F G (A). Strum the guitar, play the tonal
drone, and sing the Mode. Then sing it in your mind only, as you play the
drone. Here F# drops to F, and B lowers to Bb. Go back and forth Through the
Modes till' you sense the drop.

A lydian has the most tension, as you go down through the Modes from
A Lydian to A Phrygian, the tension keeps dropping. Keep listening, singing, and
singing in your head as you listen to the Modes against the Drone.. This is
great training for composers, but will be a revealation to jazzers as well.

Dave further elaborates:

The Parallel Modality exercise was invented for a very talented friend who
wanted to learn to hear Key and chord Changes better.
In parallel Modality the Tonal Center is fixed on a given tone and the keys
change in relation to it. As you go through it, you feel the lift and drop
within you as the Key Tritone changes in relation to the Tonal Center and notes
get raised and lowered. Lydian is the most tense and brilliant, and as you go
down the line, Phrygian is the least tense and an angry sad feeling.

I come from a composition background. Grant Fletcher was my teacher at Arizona
State University back in the 60's.
There, I learned a theory of modulation.

Starting from the Key of C, G is 1#, D is 2#'s, A is 3#'s, E is 4#'s B is 5#'s,
and F# is 6#'s. In Modulating from the Key of C, to keys with sharps, the
pitches (frequencies) of notes are being raised (getting faster). .

Starting from the Key of C, F is 1b, Bb is 2 b's, Eb is 3b's, Ab is 4b's, Db
is 5 b's, and Gb is 6 b's. Here, pitches (frequences) of notes are being
lowered (getting slower) Therefor, the body feels a drop in tension.
These effects are best felt when the key changes are heard within the same
octave register.
Gb and F# are enharmonically the same, and here the effect of a lift or drop of
frequenct cancels itself out. raising from C to 5 #'s, or lowering from C to
five b's is the limit of the effect.

In my opinion, such as it is, training your ear (inner feelings) to be sensitive
to key changes is the all important first step.
Whin I hear a Key change the new key opens up within me in all regesters from
high to low at once, and I can just dive in. We hear and sing inside, and that
is projected through the guitar.

Dave Woods www.jazzguitarstartingright.com

Physical Training Update

My apologies to anyone who is still following this blog - I've been really slacking off on updating it.

In my quest to rehab my lower back, I noticed that the Yoga routine assigned to me by my last two teachers emphasized the core in some way. I discontinued Yoga lessons because of the need to create some time in my schedule for other things, but carried the idea of emphasizing core work to my regular exercise.

Monday's training, with Intuitive Training scores:

Circuit (done 5x):

Chinups x6, RPT=8, RPE=6, RPD=4
Power Wheel Hand Walk x10 forward and backwards, RPT=8, RPE=4, RPD=4
Power Wheel Leg Curl x5, RPT=6, RPE=5, RPD=3
Power Wheel Pike Up x10, RPT=8, RPE=4, RPD=4
Rest 3-5 min.

Finish with Chest Expander work to compensate for training effects on shoulder. I was experiencing left shoulder soreness from the above routine until I tried the Chest Expander exercises I'd used to rehab the same shoulder a couple of years ago.

This has been my exercise routine of late, with rep numbers increasing as Intuitive Training scores allow. As a very brief recap, if RPT (Rate of Perceived Technique) is 8 or greaters, RPE (Rate of Perceived Effort) is 3-4 or less, and RPD (Rate of Perceived Discomfort) is 4 or less, then it is time to increase exercise difficulty. Intuitive Training is of course from Scott Sonnon's Circular Strength Training system.

The Power Wheel came with an instructional DVD and a brief set of printed instructions, which differ from one another in what exercises are prescribed for each skill level, so I use elements from both the DVD and the printed manual.

I use Lifeline's Jungle Gym 2 as my chinup device. I do chinups to strengthen my back from the top side - so the entire back is covered. The chinup was also one of the few ways to strengthen my arms without negatively impacting my back.

I'll keep doing this routine until I can do 10 Power Wheel Leg Curls. I figure by then the lower back should be strong enough to handle a switchover to Clubbell training.

Allan Holdsworth playing Traditional Jazz in 1978

Allan Holdsworth is best known for his blazing, sophisticated jazz-rock fusion guitar work. Recordings of Allan playing more traditional jazz is rare, aside from the None Too Soon album.

Thus, it was a pleasure to discover a 1978 recording of the Allan Holdsworth Quartet playing traditional jazz, which was posted to the discussion forums on Allan's website. For this gig, he opted for a guitar tone that is as close as he's gotten to the traditional jazz guitar sound. The performances are fantastic, and the sound quality is incredible.

Update: Here's a song list:
Scatter - Kenny Wheeler
What Am I Doing With You - Fran Landesman & Hod O'Brien

There are plenty of other recordings by fusion luminaries as well on that site. Enjoy!

Ozan Yarman's 79-tone Qanun

This is the first batch of audio demos that I have encountered of Ozan Yarman's 79-tone Qanun. Qanun, as I may have previously mentioned, is a Turkish zither that is played with fingerpicks and has little levers to instantly retune certain strings. Ozan's 79-tone tuning is a recent invention.

Demo1
Demo2
Demo3

Video: How To Upgrade a Macbook

This video shows how to upgrade the RAM, hard drive, etc. of a Macbook:

Charles McNeal

To be honest, I only just now heard of Charles McNeal and I certainly haven't heard his music yet. But his website came up in a thread about soloing - it was mentioned as a source for transcriptions of solos by some great jazz players.

Transcribing the solos of the masters is often recommended to jazz students, but not everyone has time to write down these solos onto paper - I find it a MUCH slower process than learning the solo by ear myself and I suspect I'm not the only one. Enjoy Mr. McNeal's work!

Guitarists' Secret Weapons for Textural Effects

Check out this discussion thread on the Gear Page Effects forum for ideas on achieving textural effects.

Some of these ideas will work with just your guitar and bare hands! My favorite, courtesy of the great David Torn:

light taps on the back of the neck (or, the body) whilst the lefy hand holds chords.
alternatively, tapping on the bridge itself (or at the base of the bar, if the guitar is whammified) with the thumb, a sharpie, etc.

Phil Keaggy demonstrates E-Bow technique

NFL Linebacker In-Season Training Program

It is highly unlikely that I would ever follow such a program myself, because I am not a football linebacker. Still, it is interesting to see how a real NFL linebacker trains during an NFL season.

Check out Joe Defranco's program for an unnamed NFL linebacker.

Bjork on Modern Minimalists, Pt 1

Tobogganing Safety Tips by Rush's Geddy Lee

While I haven't kept up with Rush much of late, as I prefer the warmer sound of their Moving Pictures album and other albums from around that era, I'm still an admirer of the band, particularly lead singer/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee. So I know I can always count on Geddy to give me great tobogganing advice!

Notes from the Janos Starker Masterclass

These are my notes from the Janos Starker Masterclass at the Hungarian Embassy in DC, in which which we watched Mr. Starker instruct two talented young students. No doubt I missed something, but I wrote down what I could.

All opinions expressed in these notes are Mr. Starker's alone. Both students were right-handed, so right-hand = bowing hand, left-hand = fretting hand.

The first set of notes are his comments directed at the two students (keep in mind both are advanced level, not beginners!):

- Beware of rigid thumbs. Thumbs need to be loose on both the fretting hand and the bowing hand.

- A practice to try with the bow: Hold bow in bowing hand with palm facing up and play with the balance.

- Beware of tension in non-playing fingers of the left hand

- In thumb position, "lean back" the index finger. I think he didn't want to see the index finger perpendicular to the fingerboard.

- "Hitchiker's Thumb" is not desirable in thumb position

- Practice slow vibrato technique. The demo of this slow vibrato practice looked similar to the latter half of the "Beginner 1" lesson on http://violinmasterclass.com/vibrato.php

- Less vibrato is preferable on notes with more natural overtones

- Tense right-hand thumb causes aggressive bowing

- Pressure on bow should come more from weight of arm, not the fingers. The forearm should "roll". Use knees to turn cello for more (volume? tone? I don't remember)

- Use less thumb pressure on bow. Arm should be suspended.

This set of notes are from Mr. Starker's responses to questions from the audience:

- To improve your intonation, work on double stops

- Use breath control to anticipate phrases

- "Accent" of cello playing is related to language (Russians play this way, French play that way, etc.)

- Two styles of vibrato: 1. Thumb is anchored 2. Thumb ??? (my note is unreadable, sorry) with arm

- There is nothing "natural" about playing the cello. The thumb opposes the 2nd finger because of the rotation of the arms to play the cello, not because of "nature".

- In thumb position, do not leave the thumb in the air ("Hitchhiker") or lying on the fingerboard if you are not using the thumb. Anchor it to the side of the fingerboard, from where it can be readily deployed when you need it.

Improving Your Learning

Learning is a way of life for me. I'm learning how to play the cello, guitar, and other instrument, learning Yoga, etc. So, here's a relevant article I found, entitled 7 Little Known Ways To Drastically Improve Your Learning.

I'm not sure effectively I'll be able to apply the advice in this article, because, for example, I'm in the habit of diagramming how I play the cello. The article seems oriented towards the acquisition of nonphysical knowledge as opposed to learning how to perform certain physical skills and how to improve upon those skills. Still, I'll see how it goes.

How To Be Creative

This article has been out for a while, but perhaps you might enjoy reading (or rereading) it.

Pearls Before Breakfast - washingtonpost.com

Pearls Before Breakfast - washingtonpost.com describes a social experiment by the Washington Post:

Each passerby had a quick choice to make, one familiar to commuters in any urban area where the occasional street performer is part of the cityscape: Do you stop and listen? Do you hurry past with a blend of guilt and irritation, aware of your cupidity but annoyed by the unbidden demand on your time and your wallet? Do you throw in a buck, just to be polite? Does your decision change if he's really bad? What if he's really good? Do you have time for beauty? Shouldn't you? What's the moral mathematics of the moment?

The passersby above were people passing through an indoor arcade just outside the L'Enfant Metro Station in Washington, DC. The street performer in question is the famous classical violinist Joshua Bell.

I wasn't surprised to read that Bell was for the most part ignored, despite the quality of his performances. If you read the article, you will find video excerpts from this social experiment.

Current State-Of-The-Art Guitar Technique

The number of guitarists who can play multiple musical styles at a very high level does not seem to be high. Most guitarists seem to specialize in one genre or two.

Here is a guitarist who can play really, really fast, but is also willing to take the time to let his guitar sing, demonstrating astonishing versatility as well as skill: British guitarist Guthrie Govan



The guitar is one of the most popular instruments in the music world, yet so few players reach this level...

25 Tips For a Better Pre Sleep Ritual

25 Tips For a Better Pre Sleep Ritual

Slide Guitar using a Spoon

Behold, a guitarist who can play melodies with a spoon in his mouth while accomanying himself with chords at the same time:



From the official Karoo Kitaar Blues informational page:

In 2001 David Kramer presented a show called Karoo Kitaar Blues that made South Africa sit up and take notice. It was a concert presenting the eccentric guitar styles of the Karoo the unique finger-picking and tunings of a marginalised people who live in remote villages and outposts of the of the semi-desert areas of South Africa.

"Karoo Kitaar Blues" - the documentary - follows David Kramer on a journey through the Northern Cape where he hopes to find another 'blikviool' player and new musicians whose instruments and songs are still unrecorded.

Don't play nice when house-shopping

Americans love a bargain and come hell or high water, they’re going to do their best to get one….

….Unless, of course, they are making a major financial purchase such as a house or a vehicle. Then they close their eyes tight, hold out their hands, and allow the smarmy guy in the suit to lead them like lambs to the slaughter.

Strong words, eh? Read this house-shopper's tale.

A designer's thoughts on how to fight outsourcing

...or, in other words, things you can try to do to save your job from outsourcing. Not surprisingly, not everyone agrees with this designer (it's unclear what type of design he/she does), but the 5 points outlined make sense to me. "Work hard and stay creative"

Hope for aging brains

I actually saw this a while ago, but this article describes how research is now showing that older brains do not necessarily become senile and may even improve with age.

VoIP Lowdown � Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Top 50 Amazing VoIP Gadgets

VoIP Lowdown � Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Top 50 Amazing VoIP Gadgets

Project Management Source: 61 Time Saving Tips: Keeping you, your co-workers, and your family on-time

Project Management Source: 61 Time Saving Tips: Keeping you, your co-workers, and your family on-time

Eyeshield 21 - Anime possibly inspired by Tomlinson

As a Charger fan, I was amused to discover this anime devoted to American football. The main character is obviously inspired by Ladanian Tomlinson - no other running back I know of in the NFL matches his description:

1. Wears #21
2. Wears an eyeshield
3. Has uncanny talent for seeing running lanes around people in front of him
4. Runs freakishly fast.

Enjoy!

Mexico City - So much for some of my prejudice

Never having been there, I've always had this preconception of Mexico City as an overpopulated, polluted mess. Pretty much like this:



This photo collection presents other, fascinating aspects of one of the world's largest cities. Some examples:

Humanity's Dark Side in 20 photos

WARNING: Some of these are quite disturbing

Edit note: Many of these photos are from World Press's Photo Of The Year collection

52 money hacks - one for each week!

Found this on Digg.com. This article is packed with useful advice for saving money. I've found music to be a relatively expensive hobby and I like to travel on occasion, so I could sure use it myself!

How to Eat Right without Starving Your Wallet

How to Eat Right without Starving Your Wallet

A Cello Rondo

A great multi-track cello composition and video, by Ethan Winer.

Ethan also has a great article for anyone who wants to take up the cello as an adult, drawing from his own experiences in taking up the instrument himself at the age of 43.

Life lessons from a video game

I haven't been playing video games much, due to most of my free time being occupied by music and exercise (mostly Yoga), but I've played them enough to chuckle appreciatively when I read Seven Things I Learned from World of Warcraft.

22 Ways to Reduce Eye Strain at Your Computer

I'm starting to lean more and more on Digg.com for my daily news fixes.

Those of us who use computers at work on a regular basis can always utilize the info in articles like 22 Ways to Reduce Eye Strain at Your Computer.

Advice on Salary Negotiation for Geeks

http://www.negotiations.com/articles/geeks-earning-more/

Some Turkish music listening recommendations

These come courtesy of Turkish musicologist Ozan Yarman, who has proposed a 79-tone tuning for the Kanun, though he was unable to recommend any recordings featuring that new tuning.

Turkish Art Music Compositions - Instrumental Works Collection
http://www.ideefixe.com/muzik/tanim.asp?sid=WDUUORJMUS3SWTMSOI82

"Life is a song" Huzzam Collection
http://www.ideefixe.com/muzik/tanim.asp?sid=M4I4IJT8CT5TDSPDJ5IF

Turkish Art Music Selections, Kurdili Hijazkar Collection
http://www.ideefixe.com/muzik/tanim.asp?sid=FEC1SV7D5H7HXLESIK6T

Songs loved by Ataturk:
http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=MU940910AO765

This seems to be dedicated to kanun music, but I haven't listened to it
myself:
http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=MU938952QL461

Solo Kanun performance

Turkish Kanun music is something I am not familiar with. Despite the distorted audio quality, I was blown away by this performance. This music reminds me of both Spanish flamenco and Persian music at once.

In case you missed the Police at the Grammys

like I did, here's their rendition of Roxanne:

Book: Creative Rhythmic Concepts for Jazz Improvisation

I took a few Indian tabla lessons and have been to a workshop on doumbek drumming for belly dancers. Thus my interest in this book was piqued - it teaches rhythmic concepts for improvisation drawn from the Indian tala system, as well as other rhythmic concepts that are still not commonly used in jazz.

A sample lesson on improvising with Odd Metres, with Quicktime example, can be found here.

Mac OSX Defragmentation

The official word from Apple is that defragmentation of hard drives under Mac OSX should not be necessary. It seems that the main reason Apple doesn't want users using 3rd-party defragmentation software is most of the software choices are not "Hot-File aware" (Hot-File Adaptive Clustering is mentioned in Apple's article).

In spite of this, a number of people in the Mac DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) community use iDeFrag to defragment their hard drives. I guess sometimes you just have to clear some space right that moment and don't want to wait for OSX to try to do it for you. Hot-File awareness is a selling point of iDeFrag.

Switched to Blogger 2.0, got some glitches

The most serious glitch from switching to the new version of Blogger is the loss of all the links that i had on the right side. I'll gradually rebuild the Links section. Apologies to anyone who was accessing other blogs and sites through this one.

Lecture on Microtones in Arabic Music

24-tone Equal Temperament divides the intervals of Western-standard 12-tone Equal Temperament, so that there are 24 equal divisions to the octave instead of 12. The notes between the notes of the 12-tone Equal Temperament scale (aka "Chromatic Scale") are thus referred to as quarter-tones.

This excellent lecture by Sami Abu Shumays explains the problem of trying to shoehorn Arabic maqam into strict 24-tone Equal Temperament, as part of a general introduction into the use of microtones in Arabic Music.

YouTube - Jazz guitar - walking bass lesson

I've actually gone even further down the road to a back-to-basics approach in my guitar musicianship education, by getting and starting to work with A Modern Method For Guitar , the first volume of which recently became available in a book/DVD-ROM package.

But for those readers who are ready to take on the challenge, check out the above lesson on how to put together walking bass lines and chords.

Nice Ney Impression on Synth

I've been fascinated by the sound of the Ney for a while. High-level Ney players can vary their tone dramatically by manipulating their tongues. Check out this nice synth emulation of a Ney, using a keyboard and breath controller.

How to prevent brain mush and feed your soul

My book-reading has been greatly restricted, ever since I signed up for the free magazine subscriptions that Best Buy offered for the mere purchase of a DVD last year. I chose Entertainment Weekly(which I read the least), Sports Illustrated, and Time. I'm about a month behind as far as catching up on my Time magazine reading.

If I ever do get caught up with my magazine reading, I plan to check out some classic literature. I am definitely ignorant when it comes to Shakespeare. This article, found on the Arts Journal blog, makes a convincing argument to read Shakespeare.

Free Bananas Blog

The song "Galvanize" by Chemical Brothers has been stuck in my head ever since I started seeing those Budweiser beer commercials prominently featuring the song. In doing some research on the song, I learned that the song uses samples from Najat Aatabu's Just Tell Me the Truth, which led my Google search to the Free Bananas blog.

Click HERE for the direct link to the post with the tracklist and MP3 file link for a Middle Eastern-themed DJ set that includes both Galvanize and Just Tell Me The Truth.

Links to various NAMM 2007 Coverage Sites

Sonic State's Winter NAMM 2007 Coverage

Batmosphere Blog

Namm Oddities

I'll either update this Permalink or just add more NAMM coverage posts. The problem with much of the Internet coverage of NAMM is that they are oriented towards guitars, keyboards, and computers - it is harder to find coverage of new products for those who play bowed strings, brass, woodwind, and other instrumentation not typical of the rock genre.

Antonio Gates interview from The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

This is an entertaining interview (about 6 minutes long) featuring Antonio Gates of the Chargers

Physical Training Status

In all my Charger-related excitement, I haven't posted much about my physical training. In summary, these are the programs I've tried in recent months:

4 x 7

A program designed by Scott Sonnon that incorporates the Three Wings of CST (Intu-Flow, Prasara Yoga, and Clubbell Training), for improving general athleticism (strength, explosiveness, etc.).

FlowFit

An all-bodyweight strength and conditioning program addressing the Six Degrees Of Freedom, based on Prasara Yoga. From the Wiki page:

Six degrees of freedom (6DoF) refers to motion in three dimensional space, namely the ability to move forward/backward, up/down, left/right (translation in three perpendicular axes) combined with rotation about three perpendicular axes (yaw, pitch, roll).

Viniyoga/Bullwhip

My current program - I practice Clubbell lifting that is focused on the Bullwhip Combination Routine and a personalized Viniyoga routine on alternating days.

A little bit about each:

4 x 7

The "4" is the four days of a cycle in this program. The "7" is the total number of 4-day cycles, thus bringing the length of the program to 28 days. Day One is Moderate Intensity, Day Two is High Intensity, Day Three is No Intensity (active recovery with joint mobility emphasis), and Day Four is Low Intensity (active recovery using Prasara Yoga, to prep the body for more work). The Day One and Day Two sessions utilize Clubbells, a pullup bar, and a box (or similar implement) for strength/explosiveness training and conditioning. When I tried 4x7, I enjoyed the exercises but I decided my lower back was not ready for the plyometric jumps and the Four Corner Squats (sophisticated variations of the one-legged squat). Also upon retrospect, I was working with a heavier Clubbell than I should have been using for the 2-handed Clubbell exercises of this program.

FlowFit

The FlowFit program consists of 7 exercise families to address the aforementioned Six Degrees of Freedom. Each exercise family has four variations, one for each level of difficulty. In addition, there are Flows, each of which consists of a members of each of the seven exercise families linked together into one continuous movement. There are four Flows, one per difficulty level. This program was designed to be as accessible to as wide a range of people as possible. The Level 1 Flow and exercises, for example, utilize a sturdy stool as a prop for those who are really, really out of shape or recovering from serious injury. As with several other CST programs, the ultimate goal of FlowFit is to achieve "flow-state", otherwise referred to as "being in the zone", which is what elite sportsmen and women such as Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and Tom Brady experience at the very top of their games.

My personal experience with FlowFit was that it was at first a welcome relief for my back from the plyometric jumps, Four Corner Squats, and heavy two-handed Clubbell work of 4x7. But then I noticed left shoulder soreness and left knee soreness - both joints were previously injured - start to reappear and gradually be aggravated.

Viniyoga/Bullwhip

Viniyoga, according to the American Viniyoga Institute website, is

an approach to Yoga that adapts the various means and methods of practice to the unique condition, needs and interests of the individual - giving each practitioner the tools to individualize and actualize the process of self-discovery and personal transformation.
This approach evolved out of the teachings transmitted by T. Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar of Madras, India.

My previous experience with Yoga, the 12-week course in Iyengar-style yoga, had a positive effect on my low back recovery. However, I was intrigued by the personalized approach to Yoga study and practice promised by Viniyoga, so I found a local instructor and began taking lessons. I am now four weeks into my personalized version of the 10-session low back recovery program developed by Gary Kraftsow at the AVI. My teacher in particular customized the program to address my previous shoulder issue, as well as monitor my low back and adjust the program accordingly. Unlike Iyengar style which seems to place more emphasis on getting into a posture and holding it there, my Viniyoga program places more emphasis on gentle movement into and out of postures, in sync with the breath. So far, the positive effects on my low back recovery have been noticeable and more dramatic than when I took the Iyengar class.

The Bullwhip is a combination routine for single Clubbell, which consists of the component exercises known as the Parry Cast, Arm Cast, and Front Pendulum. I feel this is also having a positive effect on my back recovery.

AJ Smith, General Manager of the San Diego Chargers

AJ Smith is the chief architect of the resurgent San Diego Chargers. When he was named the new General Manager in spring of 2003, the Chargers had not had a winning season since 1996. They were a perennial laughingstock of the NFL. Check out this great article on how Smith took over, and how he rebuilt the team into the winner that it is today.

Smith clearly believes the key to building a winning team is a solid draft. The 2004 NFL draft was AJ's first truly great draft. It netted the following standout players:

QB Philip Rivers - Now the trigger man of the NFL's highest scoring offense

DE Igor Olshansky - Solid run-stopper and contributor to the NFL's top pass rush

PK Nate Kaeding - Solid kicker who has several touchbacks this year

Offensive linemen Nick Hardwick and Shane Olivea - Key players on the Chargers' best offensive line in years

OLB Shaun Phillips - One of the AFC's top pass rushers, who is also solid in pass coverage and tackling

RB Michael Turner - Capable backup to the great Ladianian Tomlinson,who has made some big plays. Also an excellent kick returner.

The 2005 NFL draft netted the following standout players:

OLB Shawne Merriman - One of the NFL's most disruptive defenders who has just reclaimed the lead in sacks, despite missing 4 games on suspension

DE/DT Luis Castillo - In a 3-4 defense, his job is to take on blockers to free up the likes of Phillips and Merriman to make plays. But he is also explosive enough to make plays on his own

WR Vincent Jackson - A monstrous (6' 5", 241 lb) WR with speed and hands. Though currently a backup, Jackson showed big play capability this year, as well as excellent run-blocking

RB/KR Darren Sproles - A dangerous kick returner who unfortunately is missing this season due to injury

The 2006 NFL draft netted these standouts:

CB Antonio Cromartie - Despite being a rookie, he has been mostly solid as a nickel corner. He has also had some big returns as a kick returner. Cromartie has the greatest physical upside (size, reach, speed) of all Charger CBs.

OT Marcus McNeill - Took over the offensive left tackle position and has exceeded all expectations, excelling in both pass protection and run-blocking. Has the best size-speed combination of all Charger offensive linemen. All top scoring offenses have an elite-class left tackle and the Chargers are no exception.

QB Charlie Whitehurst - A controversial pick to some, but with the departure of Drew Brees and the ascendancy of Philip Rivers, its nice to have another talented young QB to develop in case anything happens to Rivers.

Key free agents brought in by Smith, via trade or straight signing:
WR Keenan McCardell - An accomplished veteran who is not only a key player in the offense but also a teacher to the younger wide receivers.

OT Roman Oben - A solid starter at left tackle in 2004 and 2005, until he was sidelined by injury. Now a solid backup to McNeill.

S Marlon McCree - A veteran playmaking safety who is now doing for the Chargers secondary what McCardell did for the WRs, provide leadership and share secrets of the trade, as well as make plays on the field as the starting free safety.
ILB Randall Godfrey - Solid run stopper
TE Brandon Manumaleuna - Gets plenty of playing time as the Chargers love to use 2-TE sets. He was acquired for his blocking and has excelled in that capacity. However, he has also provided an unexpected bonus as a receiver with his soft hands. His monstrous 288-lb girth makes him a load as both a blocker and receiver. He's a key component of the power run blocking package that makes Tomlinson unstoppable in goal line situations.
QB Billy Volek - Veteran backup to Rivers, who excelled as a Tennesee Titan in relief of injured QB Steve McNair

S Bhawoh Jue - One-time starter at FS who is a solid backup to McCree

CB/S Steve Gregory - Undrafted free agent excelling as a special teams tackler.
OLB Marques Harris - Helped fill in ably for Merriman during his suspension
nfl - Helped fill in for the injured Castillo and is a solid contributor to the DL rotation

You can see from the sheer number of contributing players listed that were acquired in just the past 3 years how AJ Smith transformed the San Diego Chargers from a bad team into a team that just won the AFC West and is expected by many to go to the Superbowl.

In conclusion, here's a photo sequence of AJ Smith enjoying Tomlinson's record-breaking 29th touchdown of the 2006 season, against the rival Broncos. I love this sequence because it shows AJ Smith the passionate football fan, not AJ Smith the hard-nosed businessman:

Blind, Physically-Challenged Musician in Louisville Marching Band

Please check out this truly inspirational story about this incredibly talented young musician and his devoted dad. And yes, watch the video too.

Sight-Reading Tips for Guitarists

Sight-reading on the guitar is a challenge, and it never hurts to try different approaches to see what works for you. Here's an article:

Sight Reading by Steve Carter

How the GR-300 Works

As you know, I am a huge Pat Metheny fan. His main guitar synthesizer is the venerable Roland GR-300, a pre-MIDI-era analog synth designed to be controlled by a special type of guitar. Check out this informative page on how the GR-300 works, as well as links to demo videos and a nice-sounding GR-300 emulation patch for the Roland VG-88.

Ladanian Tomlinson sets 100 TD record

Last Sunday night during the San Diego Chargers' 35-27 victory over their nemesis, the Denver Broncos, Charger tailback Ladanian Tomlinson set a new NFL record for scoring 100 touchdowns in the fewest number of games (89), besting former record holders Emmitt Smith and Jim Brown.

In honor of this accomplishment, a Charger fan put together this highlight compilation video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8490062482782248854&hl=en

Bear McCreary: Soundtrack Composer for Battlestar Galactica

I may have mentioned this before, but I'm a huge fan of the 21st century version of the TV series, Battlestar Galactica, which is a re-imagining of the original series that ran in 1978. I have some fond childhood memories of the original, but the current version has far better production, writing, characters, etc.

Check out Create Digital Music's informative article on Bear McCreary!.

Great Philip Rivers moment

My favorite Philip Rivers moment in the Chargers latest victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers was not one of his two touchdown passes, but his 15-yard run for a first down. The sheer passion which he displayed at the end of the run is indicative of the kind of leadership I like to see from the starting quarterback of the San Diego Chargers:

Michael Brecker-Pat Metheny Quartet excerpt

I may have mentioned this before, but my favorite overall jazz guitarist is Pat Metheny. The video clip below has an excellent example of Metheny showing how it's done:

Michael Brecker Pat Metheny Quartet : Timeline

Getting back into jazz guitar

I recently switched my role in our band from bassist/keyboardist to guitarist/keyboardist, thus opening up more possibilities for the dual guitar textures along the lines of bands such as Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky, and Mono.

As a result of the switch, I've once again become interested in jazz guitar. Now, our band is not a jazz band nor is it a jazz-rock fusion band. However, I do have some fondness for that genre of music, and the study of jazz is one of the most comprehensive means to develop improvisational skills that can be applied to rock and other contemporary styles of music. I'm going the route of self-teaching at this point, as I have had lessons with teachers in the past - enough to know what I'm doing on the guitar (at least I like to think so), though I'm not ruling out studying with a master improvisor or composer/theorist in the future.

The books I am using at this time:

Robert Conti's Source Code Series - I actually bought this series a couple of years ago. Since I already have these books, I will primarily be studying jazz improvisation for guitar out of these. I'm obviously still on Vol. 1 (Jazz Lines) of the series. I agree with what has been presented so far, that in the study of jazz improvisation, it is more useful to focus on chord progressions rather than individual chords, as what seems to be the tendency in other jazz theory books. For example, if you are presented with the common ii-V-I progression, it is more useful to identify the major scale that those chords are built on, and improvise using that scale, instead of trying to memorize the tones of every chord individually.

Sheets Of Sound, Vol. I - A relatively new guitar method book, though I think of it more as a reference book than a book for studying guitar, due to the sheer volume of information ($30 gets you 300 pages!). The author, Jack Zucker, has a jazz background, but the book is written for a general audience. The book presents numerous unusual guitar fingering ideas that feel awkward at first but can help the guitarist break out of ruts. The way the guitar is typically laid out too easily tempts guitar players into playing what is only in their comfort zone, and thus allowing their fingers to dictate the music, instead of the other way around. The sweep picking is similar to what was presented in Frank "King of Sweep Picking" Gambale's method books, though I have yet to see material that presents sweep-picked arpeggios in the context of jazz chord progressions, which Gambale's books do have.

Both authors promise super chops to the reader. However, what neither author can do for the guitar student is make sure that student has the physical setup to be able to develop "super chops", unless that student is already taking meeting either author at a physical location for lessons. By "physical setup", I mean an umbrella term for the student's physical approach to the instrument, in particular how the fretting hand is being used and how the pick is being manipulated (use of a pick is pretty much needed to maximize the material in these books). Physical setup is the area where a good teacher can really, really help. The fretting hand has to be positioned in a way that allows for horizontal stretches that are comfortable and without strain. The Sheets Of Sound book in particular has numerous fingerings that require stretches over 6 frets or more. The more you can stretch your fretting hand, the wider the variety of chords and melodies you can play. As for the use of the pick, you have to find the right balance between holding the pick solidly enough to play an articulate note, and holding the pick in a relaxed enough manner to facilitate high-speed sweep and alternate picking. In short, the ability to play as relaxed as possible, using only enough tension as necessary to produce the desired musical result, is what is needed to really develop "super chops". I cannot brag too much at this time about my own chops, though I can sweep-pick a few arpeggios and scale runs with reasonable articulation.

I also have other learning resources such as Jimmy Bruno's No-Nonsense Jazz Guitar DVD and a couple of Jamey Aebersold Playalong/Method Book/CD sets. However, my self-teaching will be focused on the aforementioned two titles - the Conti books for the jazz theory, and the Zucker book for generalized technique practice, to whet my appetite for more "modern" style lines, as exemplified by the likes of Scott Henderson, Eric Johnson and Michael Brecker, than what is probably in Conti's books.

I'll try to report my progress. I hope to get around to installing Band In A Box soon to start practicing improvising, which is a different activity than practicing guitar technique and studying theory.

1985 Bears vs. 2004 Chargers

Yes, I am a fan of the San Diego Chargers. I became a fan during the Air Coryell days, then stopped following NFL football for a few years, then started following the team again in the 1994 season when they made their first Superbowl appearance, not as the offensive juggernaut I remembered from Air Coryell, but as a scrappy team that made it to the Big Dance via a combination of sheer will and luck (LOTS of luck). It was a shame they got blown out by the finest 49ers team of the decade, but at least they made it.

I then suffered through years of bad Charger football as then-General Manager Bobby Beathard methodically dismantled the team with a relentless barrage of bad draft-day decisions, bad free agent signings, and bad coaching hires. His crowning achievement was undoubtedly the drafting of QB Ryan Leaf and the hires of Kevin Gilbride, then Mike Riley to coach the team.

Current GM AJ Smith has done a fantastic job of reviving a franchise that was once a laughingstock of the NFL. He's made his share of mistakes, but they are far outweighed by his personnel decisions. The 2004 Charger team went 12-4 and made the playoffs for the first time in 9 years. It was in 2004 that the Chargers were once again recognized as high-powered offensive team, due to the emergence of explosive tight end Antonio Gates (who went on to set the touchdown record for TEs with 13 TDs) and the vastly improved efficiency of quarterback Drew Brees, to complement the already established star running back Ladanian Tomlinson. Their run defense was restored under new defensive coordinator Wade Philip's 3-4 system.

The 2006 Chargers may well be an even better team, with an improved pass rush and secondary, thanks to the addition of safety Marlon McCree and the drafting of talented cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who plays in nickel packages. They currently are ranked #1 against the pass (a longtime weakness in years past) and #2 overall in defense. The offensive line has benefitted from the addition of Marcus McNeill, who is an inexperienced rookie at left tackle but with tremendous upside. Backup RB Michael Turner has seen increased playing time, which saves some wear and tear on Tomlinson and keeps the ground game humming.

The 1985 Bears are still thought to have the finest defensive unit in the history of the NFL. That team also had the great running back Walter Payton.

A fun website called What If Sports is available for fans who want to try fantasy matchups, such as the 1985 Bears vs. the 2004 Chargers. Here are the game results, with full play-by-play:

http://www.whatifsports.com/nfl/boxscore.asp?GameID=2194087&ad=1

Sequencer for Extended Just Intonation Tunings

I haven't been able to devote any time to exploring microtonal music due to my involvement with our band but I still try to follow the microtonal music-making world. Here is a free sequencer for making music with just intonation.

In the author's own words (posted to the Yahoo MakeMicroMusic group):

I wrote a program that sequences JI, with a common set of intervals
that follow the mouse; if you hit T while one of these intervals is
up, that interval becomes 1/1 and the other notes change to show their
relationship to it. So it is possible to sequence a melody or
modulate or borrow chords from other tonalities without doing
multiplication.

The program runs in the Pure Data programming environment. The
simplest way to set it up is to download pd-extended from
http://puredata.info/downloads

My sequencer program:
https://www.puredata.info/Members/badmuthahubbard/index_html/view?searchterm=bad%20mutha%20hubbard

You have to start Pure Data (PD-extended) and make sure your audio is
set up, then open "JI.pd" from my folder. Some instructions are
below. I used this program to write the JI sonata at
http://www.badmuthahubbard.com/music.html

Another favorite Boondocks episode

"A Date With The Health Inspector" - one of the funniest episodes in the series, including a tribute to Pulp Fiction. Featuring Charlie Murphy as Ed Wuncler III and Samuel Jackson as Gin Rummy. I can't wait to see the uncut version on DVD!

Part 1

Part 2

One of my favorite Boondocks TV episodes

is "Riley Wuz Here". While the comic strip was more focused on Riley's revolutionary-in-training brother, Huey, the TV show places more emphasis on Riley, because he is by far the funnier of the two characters. This episode shows a more serious side to Riley, and has a touching ending.

Most of this episode was uploaded to YouTube:

Part 1

Part 2

The art teacher appears to be inspired by Bob Ross, of the Joy Of Painting fame.

As of today, the Boondocks First Season DVDs are the #3 top seller at Amazon. I guess this helps explain why between myself and several coworkers, we have found that five area Target stores were ALL sold out of these DVDs. I plan to get my own copy when I return from vacation.

New Blog links added (Choro Music, Physical Strategies)

Choro is one of my new favorite Brazilian music styles, as mentioned earlier. I'm happy to see a blog devoted to this wonderful art form. Thank you, Durium!

Physical Strategies is a new blog started by martial artist and fitness trainer Tom Furman. Tom has an infectious enthusiasm for the martial arts and has an interesting perspective on training, as a theater worker with a highly irregular schedule.