Hey all,
I've been up to all kinds of trouble lately! After a busy weekend of gigs and complicated logistics, I'm sitting down to catch my breath and give you some updates.
The new Telecaster performed admirably at both the Driveway Thriftdwellers' show at Summerfest and the opening set of The Big Payback's show up north*. The guitar is awesome in so many ways. It plays well and has a great tone that can cut through anything, but it's the little things I really notice for some reason. It stays in tune no matter how much I bend strings. The volume knob is smooth and doesn't crackle, so I can actually do volume swells. Both pickups have equal output.
I still prefer the warmer sound of my PRS for most Big Payback songs, but the Tele is going to be a workhorse for the Thriftdwellers and future solo ventures. Behold its glory:
In other news, I am busy working on my first commissioned piece of music. I am writing a song to be performed by the Madison College Big Band for Diabetes Awareness Day in November. It will feature a singer with big band accompaniment, and the lyrics will deal with diabetes awareness, prevention, and management. Those are some pretty specific requirements, so I'm giving myself plenty of time to work on it. I've never done this kind of thing before, and I shudder to think of putting it off until the last minute. I have about 3 months until the final draft is due, and I'm working on it bit by bit whenever I get a chance.
I also continue to add to my acoustic solo repertoire. My plan is to stockpile material until I feel I have a full album's worth. I plan on booking some gigs pretty soon. I have also been getting a couple conversations going with other musicians about collaborating on my solo material. We'll see where this ends up!
In the jazz world, I'll be playing the usual Five Points gig tonight as well as a gig with Charlie Painter and Friends at Merchant this Thursday. We're adding Chick Corea's "Spain" for tonight, and it's kicking my ass so far. I'll take another stab at it before the show.
Alright, that's all I got for now. I'll catch you further on down the trail.
Kyle
*"Up north" is a geographical term used by Wisconsinites. We think of everything north of us as one place.
I've been up to all kinds of trouble lately! After a busy weekend of gigs and complicated logistics, I'm sitting down to catch my breath and give you some updates.
The new Telecaster performed admirably at both the Driveway Thriftdwellers' show at Summerfest and the opening set of The Big Payback's show up north*. The guitar is awesome in so many ways. It plays well and has a great tone that can cut through anything, but it's the little things I really notice for some reason. It stays in tune no matter how much I bend strings. The volume knob is smooth and doesn't crackle, so I can actually do volume swells. Both pickups have equal output.
I still prefer the warmer sound of my PRS for most Big Payback songs, but the Tele is going to be a workhorse for the Thriftdwellers and future solo ventures. Behold its glory:
In other news, I am busy working on my first commissioned piece of music. I am writing a song to be performed by the Madison College Big Band for Diabetes Awareness Day in November. It will feature a singer with big band accompaniment, and the lyrics will deal with diabetes awareness, prevention, and management. Those are some pretty specific requirements, so I'm giving myself plenty of time to work on it. I've never done this kind of thing before, and I shudder to think of putting it off until the last minute. I have about 3 months until the final draft is due, and I'm working on it bit by bit whenever I get a chance.
I also continue to add to my acoustic solo repertoire. My plan is to stockpile material until I feel I have a full album's worth. I plan on booking some gigs pretty soon. I have also been getting a couple conversations going with other musicians about collaborating on my solo material. We'll see where this ends up!
In the jazz world, I'll be playing the usual Five Points gig tonight as well as a gig with Charlie Painter and Friends at Merchant this Thursday. We're adding Chick Corea's "Spain" for tonight, and it's kicking my ass so far. I'll take another stab at it before the show.
Alright, that's all I got for now. I'll catch you further on down the trail.
Kyle
*"Up north" is a geographical term used by Wisconsinites. We think of everything north of us as one place.