Content Warning!

This blog on occasion addresses depression, death, suicide and other sensitive themes. Continue at your own discretion in reading the content.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Black Country Communion "An Ordinary Son"

Today's video is from Black Country Communion.  When I am writing I usually have music playing in the background.  This is one of the songs that sometimes plays.  It's a great song and I hope you like it.





Friday, June 27, 2014

Kalani Peace

This video was put together by my friend Zenne who is having a grand time in Hawaii. She's in a place called Kalani and it's absolutely beautiful.







Writer's Crisis

Hi All,

I have done my last edits for now on my book and need to hand it off to an official editor soon.

I am still struggling with writing my book blurb which I shouldn't be surprised about since I've been working on this book since 2011. This book has gone through six incarnations and has had at least 30 different titles.  It has been a struggle since day one to get this book to come together in a way that truly worked.

I have also been looking through photos to use as my cover but nothing has jumped out at me. Thankfully, I have an idea I just need to make it come to life.

That is where I currently stand with my book. Hopefully, I will have it out by the end of the year. I was aiming for end of summer but I doubt I'll get there but you never know.

Music is and has always been a huge part of my life and I decided after all this time that I should take acoustic guitar lessons.  There is something about the guitar and the sounds it makes that speaks to me. Mind you it's the electric guitar that speaks to me but for myself I'm just not ready to crank the knobs to 11 and secondly, I just don't have the room for an electric.

I did meet with a potential teacher but decided not to go with him.  I was fine with him not knowing who Joe Bonamassa is - the running joke amongst Joe and his fans is that someone will always say - Bona Who?  So I let that fly with this potential teacher.  I then mentioned Steve Clark of Def Leppard.  He was not familiar with Steve Clark or had heard of Def Leppard.  I mentioned Peter Frampton and he lit up like a kid at Christmas so there was some hope. I mentioned Dave Mustaine of Megadeth and he seemed to know who Dave was, he wasn't sure if he knew Rory Gallagher or Vince Gill and admitted flat out he did not know who Richie Sambora is.  When I said I wasn't a fan of Clapton he gave me a sad face.

Let me clarify, I like Clapton's music it's just that his guitar playing does nothing for me.  It doesn't speak to me on any level at all.

It was a good learning experience for me but for him to not know who Def Leppard is kind of irked me. I realize there are artists I don't know but I didn't mention anyone to obscure on my list of favorite guitar players. I left there very puzzled and a little deflated.  Seriously, how can you not know who Def Leppard is or Richie Sambora for that matter? 

The guy was nice and was more than happy to teach me Fleetwood Mac's Landslide which is a good song but there was nothing that made me want to take a class with this guy.  I'm still looking for a teacher and perhaps I may just go the route that so many of my guitar greats have gone and teach myself.

For now, guitar lessons are on the back burner as I really do need to finish my book.

Today, I will leave you with the video of my favorite Def Leppard song so you can tell all your friends you've heard of them.

Rock on!
~Maynard