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.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
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
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
Saturday, May 17, 2014
I Survived a Joe Bonamassa Concert
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| Joe Bonamassa 5/16/14 Hampton Beach, NH |
Hi All,
A co-worker and I took yesterday off from work and went on a road trip to Hampton Beach, NH to catch Joe Bonamassa in concert. Unfortunately, my camera failed miserably but then again I was third row center and the memories of lasts night show are not going to fade anytime soon. I think my photos could be labled "An Ode to JJ Abrams" because of the lense flare except mine aren't as pretty. (If you don't get the joke ask a Star Trek fan).
The photo I put up does have an interesting flare to it but then there's something a little extra. Do you see what is behind Joe on the left? If so, leave a comment or send an email. I'm curious if you all see what I see.
It was my first time seeing Joe in concert and as a bonus I met him too! It was brief but I met the man, shook his hand, had my photo taken with him and spoke a little. He was very nice and humble.
There was some humor in the show too. Lenny Castro must be the life of the party. The poor guy broke one of his sticks during a solo, shrugged and kept going! The audience was behind him because he was so non-chalant about it. We were laughing and so was he.
Gerry O'Connor was so serious at the start of the acoustic set but then he was making faces with the front row which was funny. Between him and Lenny it was a sight to see and the thing was it didn't detract from show at all. It was a clear indication of how well these guys get along and what chemistry they have together on stage. Joe had some lines in the show which had the audience rolling and I loved the fact that he wore a suit with sneakers. Both the acoustic and electric bands were amazing. They were a well oiled machine and fed over each other so easily.
I have admitted before that I don't play a guitar and I haven't a clue about chords and a lot of the technical aspects of playing. I just know what I like when I hear a guitar. My favorite guitar player list is rather short and Joe is on the list. All guitar players are not created equal and I think what I enjoy most about Joe is his willingness to explore music and evolve it, whether it's his own or a song by someone else. Some of the songs in his catalogue have at least four different versions.
Joe's passion for music is very evident if you watch him play. The past comes with him to the present. Some people don't get that from him but sometimes you need to listen with your soul and not your ears. I think I may have mentioned Joe's foundation before but I'm going to mention the Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation again. A lot of schools cut music programs which is unfortuante and Joe's Foundation tries to give schools the resources it needs so kids can continue to be enriched by music. Music is a universal language, it is something we all understand no matter the genre.
Okay, that's it for me. I'm off to crash a bit as I didn't get any sleep last night. I swear the concert moved to my hotel. If you're going to be rowdy then it might as well be due Joe Bonamassa.
Rock on!
~Maynard
Saturday, May 10, 2014
The Little Stuff
Hi All,
My full-time job is in super busy mode and I won't see a lull again until about October or November. It's full throttle for the rest of the year.
I have been trying to craft my book blurb which is proving to be more difficult than writing the book! I've have managed to write 16 different blurbs and none of them quite work. I may need to take a little from each one to get what I'm after. It certainly wouldn't be the first time I've had to piece things together.
I'm still stuck on finding a cover for my book. The issue is that the story I have crafted can be approached from many different avenues. There is one overall story but focusing on that for the cover in my mind detracts from everything else. There is a lot going on with my main character so finding the right cover that represents the journey is important.
While my story lingers in my mind and another edit looms ahead of me my thoughts have been focused on a mini-road trip with a co-worker. Six days from now I will be sitting in Hampton Beach, NH listening to the amazing guitar sounds of Joe Bonamassa for an evening. I will be watching him share his craft with an audience of blues/rock fans and guitar enthusiasts.
I am not a fan of Blues music. It's not for lack of trying and listening but I can't get into most of it. Joe blends his love of the blues in a way that appeals to these ears that have grown up listening to Def Leppard and Megadeth for 30 years. He guitar playing appeals to me too which is why I am a fan. It's due to Joe that I've delved into Free, early Whitesnake (pre-Tawny Kittan dancing on the car years) and then rediscovered Rory Gallagher, Peter Frampton and Gary Moore.
Paul Rodgers is an amazing singer but we all knew that, right kids? After listening to the Free album I recently bought I started to think it would be cool to have Paul Rodgers, David Coverdale, Robert Plant and Roger Daltrey sing on an album together or do a concert. That would be one hell of a show!
So in honor of Mr. Rodgers (won't you be my neighbor?) being an awesome singer, please enjoy him having a good time with Joe Bonamassa, an awesome guitar player doing the Free song "Walk In My Shadow" from the Beacon Theatre in 2012.
Rock On!
~Maynard
My full-time job is in super busy mode and I won't see a lull again until about October or November. It's full throttle for the rest of the year.
I have been trying to craft my book blurb which is proving to be more difficult than writing the book! I've have managed to write 16 different blurbs and none of them quite work. I may need to take a little from each one to get what I'm after. It certainly wouldn't be the first time I've had to piece things together.
I'm still stuck on finding a cover for my book. The issue is that the story I have crafted can be approached from many different avenues. There is one overall story but focusing on that for the cover in my mind detracts from everything else. There is a lot going on with my main character so finding the right cover that represents the journey is important.
While my story lingers in my mind and another edit looms ahead of me my thoughts have been focused on a mini-road trip with a co-worker. Six days from now I will be sitting in Hampton Beach, NH listening to the amazing guitar sounds of Joe Bonamassa for an evening. I will be watching him share his craft with an audience of blues/rock fans and guitar enthusiasts.
I am not a fan of Blues music. It's not for lack of trying and listening but I can't get into most of it. Joe blends his love of the blues in a way that appeals to these ears that have grown up listening to Def Leppard and Megadeth for 30 years. He guitar playing appeals to me too which is why I am a fan. It's due to Joe that I've delved into Free, early Whitesnake (pre-Tawny Kittan dancing on the car years) and then rediscovered Rory Gallagher, Peter Frampton and Gary Moore.
Paul Rodgers is an amazing singer but we all knew that, right kids? After listening to the Free album I recently bought I started to think it would be cool to have Paul Rodgers, David Coverdale, Robert Plant and Roger Daltrey sing on an album together or do a concert. That would be one hell of a show!
So in honor of Mr. Rodgers (won't you be my neighbor?) being an awesome singer, please enjoy him having a good time with Joe Bonamassa, an awesome guitar player doing the Free song "Walk In My Shadow" from the Beacon Theatre in 2012.
Rock On!
~Maynard