Upright Bill

I thought I was a senior member of this board but I was born Setember of 1953!

I remember many people "politely" suggesting that Tony and friends should perhaps go home. I don't remember the brand of sampoo in use.

It was either MC5, The Frost or Pacific Gas and Electric. All were within weeks of each other. Some band that none of my friends had every heard of was opening for PG&E, Tony Orlando and Dawn. This was during my Rock and Roll stage also I think it was 1967.

I got all 6, but I used to be a proofreader. The "trick" is to read it backwards.

Mine is totally random.

Great performance today guy! I'm looking forward to next Sunday!

Just got back from seeing Dave Spring (bass), Tim Froncek (drums) and Kurt Ellenburger (piano). Uncle Skid, you messed up man. Took my brother along and all the way there (40 minute drive) he was talking about being pretty sure he was going to hate it. Thirty seonds into Tim's solo I could hear him saying "Oh my god" under his breath. Dave did a solo of "Willow Weep For Me" that was unbelievable! Ellenburger did the "play the inside" of the piano thing that made the Steinway sound like a Zither (none for me, thank you). My brother's comments on the way back home was how surprised he was that he enjoyed a band that didn't have a guitarist. He told me that on the way there he was trying to decide who to watch play, since there was no guitar he was afraid he wouldn't know what to do. Sunday, Organissimo at Dockers!

I live in Michigan, everyone here with a valid driver's license has hit at least one deer. My first was in 1984. I had owned the car exactly 4 hours when it happened. I saw him and stopped, he lowered his head and charged the car. He broke his neck, totalled the left front quarter panel, scared my son. In a six hour period I landed the second biggest contract I had ever bid on, bought a brand new car, lost the second biggest contract I had ever bid on and crunched the new car (47 miles on it at the time of the accident).

The metronome workout that Uncle Skid survived is for my more advanced students, not the new guys. There are a couple of other list members checking it out now as well. All have reported limited injuries.

I've purchased CD that I already owned several times. In almost every case the old one hadn't been opened yet. Now I enter every new CD in the database before listening to it and I never buy a new CD without a paper copy of the database. Never except for yesterday, but I was pretty sure I didn't have that one already, and this time I was right.

That's interesting to hear you say that. The metronome exercise sets are hard and I reserve them for my more advanced students. Are you saying that the metronome exercises were frustrating or some of the other stuff? You seemed to breeze through the theory and soloing stuff with ease at the time. Your timing went to very good in a couple of weeks. I had already decided to just let him enjoy the music but I was feeling unsure about the appropriateness of letting it slide. I asked the question here hoping for verification. I was sitting in Schuler's coffee shop late one evening with our trombone friend when a comment from him made me think that maybe I was too tough on my talented students. He was talking about a prof he had in college who sucked all of the fun out of every piece of music by making every piece an exercise (isn't that what college is for?).

Western Michigan RVG purchasers: Louie at Schuler's on 28th Street in Grand Rapids is putting RVGs on sale for $9.95. He is on the board here, although I don't know his screen name, so if I wasn't supposed to tell he can yell at me here. Also, Guaranteed Swahili and our own Organissimo will be playing there in April!

If this guy were younger or had different goals I'd push him hard. If he were a kid I'd talk to his parents about music school. I pride myself on my ability to teach time. I have developed a set of metronome exercises that set your internal clock to atomic accuracy or kill you in the process (ask Uncle Skid, he's one of the survivors). Every week when I assign metronome exercises he never gets to them in favor of the next piece. On the other hand he's having a great time.

I mentioned last week how much I enjoyed the energy that he fills the room with when he plays. The look on his face was what makes teaching worth the effort. The joy you see on his face when he plays is so great that I don't want to spoil it.

Its interesting that you mention a physical handicap. He has arthritis in both hands and one shoulder, I hadn't consider that as part of the timing problem. I'm actually his second teacher, his first recommended that he play only electric guitar to avoid pain in his shoulder. I switched him to a classical guitar and worked on posture and correct technique and he's had no pain since. I also switched him from Green Day to Fernando Sor (can you imagine telling a 68 year old retired doctor that he needs to learn Green Day tunes ).

I teach, among other things, classical guitar. I have a student that has been with me for about a year and a half. He's learning only classical (some students expand into other areas, some don't study classical at all). He reads nearly flawlessly the entire length of the fingerboard in almost any key. He loves to play. He recently gave me one of the greatest complements I've ever recieved as a teacher, with a tear in his eye told told me that he was able to play for his mother the last three days of her life and he thanked me for giving him that opportunity. However, he can't play in time. He can count and clap his way through any piece I put in front of him. Every piece he play sounds great if you don't know the piece, he plays with great emotion and energy. But you can't play a duet with him. However, he 68 years old and is filling his lifelong dream of playing classical guitar. He'll never play professionally. I feel obligated to push the timing issues but I don't want to kill the dream. What would you do?

Oh yeah, baby

I did an orchestra pit thing for a high school musical two years ago. The conductor did all of the 3/4 tunes in 1. Several members of the pit were high school students, talk about confused!

To what are you refering?

I WIN! I'm listening to it right now!

He did! All day all: "Are you done yet?" 8x "I hate my life." (maybe that was wife) 14x "Just shoot me!" So I did!

I just found out that mine was shipped today. Since Chuck is less than 20 miles from me, if my karma is good I should have it tomorrow! Oh crap, there was that guy at work today.... Darn karma, I won't get it until next week now!

I would suggest that anyone that uses this site on a regular basis that does not own a copy of their CD consider that now is a good time to pick one up. I have three brothers that will be having birthdays this year, how can I buy CDs for them direct from you guys?

If you, just you, owe the taxes you can get them to release the money that was your wife's. That is, if its business taxes. If its personal tax like income or property tax then you are both liable.

Anyone can attach your checking account. It requires a court order and unless you are a government tax collector the other party has to be aware that you intend to attach.