Feb 16 2009

What Has Tweeters but No Woofers?

February 16, 2009 – 10:03 pm
By Kent | Posted in Reluctant Geek | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

Riddle me this…

It has tweeters, but no woofers.

It’s totally where it’s “@”.

Brevity isn’t just recommended.  It’s required.

Twitter LogoGive up?  I’m talking about the Twitter service.  You know, the website that gives you 140 characters to “tweet” what you’re up to, what your latest thoughts are, or why exactly you hate pot-holes.

What?  You don’t know what I’m talking about?  Well, that seems to be the problem.  A lot of people who I ask about it have no idea what I’m talking about, which is kind of a shame, because I kind of like the idea of Twitter.  It’s like only having to read and write status updates on Facebook without having to duck the latest “Shmoopsy threw a llama at you”, or “Mandy challenged you to a movie quiz”, or “Johnny joined the group Fans of Facebook Fans”. (Honestly, I think 90% of Facebook is spam, these days, but that’s another story.)

Like I said, the problem is nobody I’m aware of seems to know much about it, which is too bad, because that means that I’m not following too many people, and vice versa, which, of course results in very little reason for me to keep my Twitter updates current.

Anybody here actually use Twitter?   What do you think about it?

Anybody just been dying to try it?  Let me know.  I may not follow you just anywhere, but odds are, I’ll follow you on Twitter.

By Kent | Posted in Reluctant Geek | Tagged , , | Comments (3)
Feb 13 2009

iParadigm Shift

February 13, 2009 – 12:42 am
By Kent | Posted in Reluctant Geek | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

My wife and I had been eyeing the iPhones for a while, but two things always held us back.  First, we would have to ditch our cell service, which we’d been quite happy with, and sign up with AT&T, of which we’d heard mixed results at best.  Second, it meant finally forsaking subscription music, as iTunes – and therefore the whole iPod/iPhone lineup – didn’t offer a plan.  (As I’ve raved plenty about subscription music in the past, I won’t go into it now.)

In the end, neither of those reasons stopped us.  We both ended up at the Apple store about a week ago, emerging with two shiny new iPhones.  So far, AT&T has been fine – at least in the Boulder area, and I’m coping with not having subscription music tracks available.

I won’t bore you with an in-depth review of the iPhone, since pretty much everyone knows what it is, what it does, and whether or not they like it.  I would, however, like to occasionally point out interesting applications I find for it.  Already, I’ve found two such applications that, by themselves, pretty much justify an iPhone, and assuages any misgivings I had about leaving subscription music behind.

Simplify Media for iPhone

Simplify MediaI’ve talked about Simplify Media before, and how it allows you to share iTunes libraries among friends by streaming music over the internet.  I even had a couple friends of mine try it out with me.  It was simple to use, and a nifty idea.  Over time, though, we simply forgot about it.  That is, until I got my iPhone.  You see, one of the problems with the iPhone is that it only comes with either 8GB or 16GB of space – not enough storage for most peoples’ music libraries, these days.  I grudgingly accepted that, from now on, I would be picking and choosing the music I take with me.  I was glad to find out I was wrong.

This is where the Simplify Media application for the iPhone steps in.  This amazing little app brings the streaming libraries to your iPhone, meaning that, wherever you are, whether you’re connected via wi-fi, or 3G, you have access to your entire library of music stored on your home computer.  That includes albums, artists, and playlists you’ve created, along with things you may not have in your library: artist info and song lyrics.  Who cares whether you have 8GB or 16GB when you can listen to your entire home library wherever you happen to be?

Simplify Media is $3.99 for the iPhone, but, in my opinion, well worth it.

(Actually, seeing how well this app works makes me a little greedy.  Why can’t LaLa take this one step further, and create their own iPhone app that streams all those 10 cent web songs you’ve bought?  Hmm… )

Pandora for iPhone

Pandora BannerA lot of folks have heard of the Pandora Radio website – the one that plays music based on songs you’ve rated and allows you to save “stations” of similarly styled music.  What’s the iPhone app like?  Well, think of the functionality of the website crammed – quite neatly – into a tiny interface, and you have the idea.

One of the things I liked most about subscription music services was being able to discover new music without having to buy albums that I might end up not liking.  I’m finding that Pandora does this quite well, with the ability to bookmark songs that it plays, create new stations based on specific songs or artists you like, rate music as you listen to it, and even being able to purchase the track in iTunes. It doesn’t quite have all the features that Rhapsody has, but then again, it also doesn’t have the monthly subscription fee that Rhapsody does.  The most important part – the discovery of new music – works as well or even better than Rhapsody ever did.

Pandora is a free app.  I’m guessing the small ad banner they include, and maybe cuts from iTunes purchases made from the app helps pay for it, but I could be wrong.  Whatever – it’s a great app.

Anyone here own an iPhone?  Have you tried either of these apps?  Let me know what you think of them.

By Kent | Posted in Reluctant Geek | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)
Jan 26 2009

Excerpt Purgatory

January 26, 2009 – 1:41 pm
By Kent | Posted in Bassoon | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

Bassoon at RestRecently, I had to take out the trash in the kitchen.  It had a little food in it that had rotted.  The bag was too full, so soggy napkins and wrappers spilled out as I tried to tie it shut.  As I lugged the bag down the hall, one of our dogs realized she was in the way, and decided that flattening herself against the floor was a better idea than moving.  She was greatly offended when I tripped over her, and almost dropped the trash.  Outside, it was cold and icy, and I slipped my way toward the dumpster, which was, of course, too full.  I threw my heavy trash bag onto the top of the pile in the dumpster, glad to have it join the rest of the festering piles of moldy, gooey refuse, and slipped and staggered my way back inside to wash my hands.

That little episode was a lot more fun than my other big project as of late: practicing excerpts for yet another audition.

That’s right, kids.  It’s time once again to spend hours on snippets of music, way too much money on airfare, hotels, and rental cars, and fret about which reed is going to play adequately in a different climate so you can play the same ten minutes of music you’ve played before in front of judges who will curtly tell you, “thank you”, so you can then return home.  Awesome.

The scene of this one is Jacksonville, Florida, whose symphony wants a new principal bassoonist to replace the one that left for the new job in Portland (yeah, I was at that audition, too).  It’s a job I wouldn’t mind having, at all.  I’m sure the other dozens of bassoonists who will undoubtedly show up to audition wouldn’t mind it, either.

Therein lies the problem.  Let’s look at it point by point:

  • The biggest goal for a lot of us musicians means getting a job with an orchestra.
  • The path to getting into an orchestra is knowing snippets of all the of hardest solo passages in orchestral literature better than anyone else.
  • Practicing excerpts is about as much fun as sitting in an old decrepit Datsun and pretending to drive scenic mountains roads with the top down: it’s a wonderful idea, but it’s only interesting for so long.
  • There are not nearly enough jobs to go around for all of the bassoonists who want one.

Maybe this is why so many orchestrally aspiring musicians give up on this idea, and either find a job in another field altogether (like computer programming), or find another way to make a living in the musical world.

As I continue practicing the same old excerpts for yet another audition, I admit I’m beginning to get really tired of it.  My fatigue only increases when I hear stories about great musicians who took over 50 auditions before finally nailing their job.  Fifty??!!?  I simply can’t imagine that.

I’m beginning to discover that the moral of the story is to do whatever else you can to enjoy real music on your instrument and stay in shape while you’re practicing those never-ending excerpts.  Find some solos you know.  Hook up with a fellow musician for some chamber music.  Listen to some great recordings of musicians on your instrument.  Do anything you can to stay inspired.

Meanwhile, start to think of your excerpts as nothing more than daily scales, or as warm-ups to your real practicing – not the most interesting of tasks, but a necessary part of your art. It seems to me that the second you start thinking of the excerpts as the sole focus of your playing, you get tired.  At least that’s what’s happening to me.

Any other musicians with this problem?  How do you deal with this, and force yourself to keep practicing?  Let me know.

By Kent | Posted in Bassoon | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)
Jan 12 2009

Confessions of a Nutcracker Pit Musician

January 12, 2009 – 1:38 pm
By Kent | Posted in Bassoon | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Nutcracker

WARNING: This is a post I finished and then realized that it kind of sucked.  Not sure what my point was when I typed it.  I guess it was too late to be attempting something creative.  However, since is the only proof that I have, in fact, been on my blog at all in the last month, I decided to publish it anyway.  Read at your own risk!

With the holiday season now officially over, it’s time to look back at Christmas 2008.  Ah, yes.  The endless shopping with hopes of beating that Christmas deadline.  The dragging of cheery decorations out of boxes and into the living room with that thought in the back of your head that it will all have to be put away and dragged back into storage eventually.  That day or two of rest hanging out with family and friends.  The struggle to stay up until midnight to ring in the new year.

The pilgrimage to see the Nutcracker.

As an orchestral musician, I’ve been under the Nutcracker on a few occasions, but I had never seen it from the audience.  This year, I played in the orchestra for two productions, and finally got to see it for myself for the first time from the audience point of view.  Each production was put on by a unique group as far as skill, size, and quality – from the orchestra’s, the dancer’s and the stage’s point of view.  The first production was one in Grand Junction, staged by a private dance studio, accompanied by an orchestra that consisted of musicians contracted from CU in Boulder, and DU in Denver, along with a few local musicians.  The second was staged by a high school dance studio in Longmont, with the music supplied by the Niwot Timberline Symphony – a volunteer community orchestra.
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By Kent | Posted in Bassoon | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)
Nov 21 2008

More Thoughts on the Lala Music Service

November 21, 2008 – 1:32 am
By Kent | Posted in Reluctant Geek | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Lala Service LogoA few weeks ago, I reviewed the new Lala Music Service.  At the time, my first impressions were that it was an interesting concept that was done well enough to continue with a more thorough test drive.  As I’ve continued to use it, I’ve formed a few more opinions about it, which I will be only too thrilled to talk about now.

What Were Those Features, Again?

To quickly recap the standout features of Lala:

  • A free online “music locker” with an iTunes-like interface to store your entire your music library online, giving you unlimited access to your library anywhere there’s an internet connection.
  • If you want to add to your library, there are 6 million music tracks are available, any of which you can listen to once for free before buying it.
  • Buy “web songs” for 10 cents each, which basically means buying the rights to listen to a track online unlimited times.  Or, download DRM free MP3 files for 79 to 99 cents each.
  • Social networking features to allow you to follow other users, and vice versa, letting you see their playlists, music they’ve listened to recently, etc.

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By Kent | Posted in Reluctant Geek | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)
Nov 10 2008

Meanwhile…

November 10, 2008 – 4:15 pm
By Kent | Posted in Bassoon | Tagged , , | Comments (6)

News on the old bassoon front is in short supply, these days.  Auditions?  Nope.  Performances?  Not Really.  Reeds?  Yeah, I got ‘em.  They work, though I’d rather not spend a whole post on them, right now.

So, now I’m confronted by the blogger’s worst nightmare:  Nothing much to write about, and yet, facing the need to write something. So, here’s three quick blurbs to pass the time.

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By Kent | Posted in Bassoon | Tagged , , | Comments (6)
Oct 30 2008

More Compelling Thoughts from the Ornery American

October 30, 2008 – 1:30 am
By Kent | Posted in Digressions | Tagged | Comments (2)

Orson Scott Card continues to write compelling arguments regarding the upcoming election.

Check out What Really Matters Most as We Vote.

By Kent | Posted in Digressions | Tagged | Comments (2)
Oct 29 2008

Amazing Bassoon Music: Frolic in the Land of Plenty by Jazz Player Paul Hanson

October 29, 2008 – 8:58 pm
By Kent | Posted in Bassoon | Tagged , , , | Comments (6)

There’s a lot of fantastic bassoon music out there, these days.  Admittedly, some of it is interesting more for bassoonists themselves.  However, you may be surprised to find that quite a bit of it may interest a much wider audience than just us double reed nerds.

For instance, there’s the new jazz album, “Frolic in the Land of Plenty”, by jazz bassoonist Paul Hanson, released earlier this year.  Yeah – jazz bassoonist.

Let me be clear what we’re talking about, here.  This isn’t some novelty where a well meaning player attempts a few blues scales, but ends up sounding like a bassoonist “just trying” to do jazz.  This guy absolutely rocks.  I mean he’s good.  He’s got jazz chops that would embarrass some decent sax players.  For that matter, he’s got bassoon chops that make a lot of bassoonists go weak in the knees.  He does stuff on the bassoon that you might have previously said was impossible, like playing complicated licks in the high register like it’s easy.  Furthermore, when you hear him play, it quickly becomes apparent that Hanson is actually a gifted jazz player who just happens to play the bassoon – not the other way around.

Some of the tracks actually take “Frolic” beyond even jazz bassoon.  For this album, he amplifies, processes, loops, and layers the bassoon, achieving results that are fairly astounding.  Tracks like this include the title track, “Frolic in the Land of Plenty”, a real moody sounding groove, and the arabic sounding “Subtle Deamons”, which, besides flat out kicking, features some downright nasty amplified bassoon effects.  At points in both of these tracks, you can hear the bassoon filling in the background, interjecting some counterpoint and echoes, as well as providing the melody, although if you don’t listen close, you may not recognize the sound of the heavily processed bassoons, at all.  Hanson outdoes himself with these two tracks, which are my personal favorites on the album.

The rest of the album spans the gamut from some pretty driving tracks like “Emerald Mile”, to the late night sounding “Sacred Love”, to the very different but fun “Flight of the Fly”.  Throughout the album, two things are always noticeable:  First, the band backing Hanson is top notch, and really tight, including the venerable drummer Dennis Chambers, who provided the drums on some of the tracks.  Second, this is just great jazz music, period.  The fact that the lead instrument is a bassoon quickly becomes unimportant, due to Hanson’s talents as a jazz player.

“Frolic in the Land of Plenty” is a great album.  Anyone who enjoys good driving jazz should definitely check it out.  I’ve provided a few links below to let you sample the album for yourselves.  Or, you can click on the album cover to go to Amazon’s MP3 page.  Let me know what you think!

Full length tracks on Lala:

(The Lala service requires you to sign up first, but it’s completely free to do so and very quick.  Once you sign up, you can listen to any track in its entirety once for free.  In my opinion, being able to listen to the entire track is much cooler than a 30 second sample, so I’ll probably continue to provide links like this whenever possible.)

Also, be sure to check out Paul Hanson’s website.

UPDATE:  Link to his website updated to reflect his new site.  Thanks to Hanson for stopping by my blog, and letting me know!

By Kent | Posted in Bassoon | Tagged , , , | Comments (6)
Oct 24 2008

Trying the Lala Music Service

October 24, 2008 – 6:11 pm
By Kent | Posted in Reluctant Geek | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Lala Service LogoI found out about a new service called Lala this week.  This is a service that seems to have two major purposes:  First, to provide a way for you to access your entire music library anywhere with an internet connection, without having your iPod, or your computer, or your massive external hard drive with all of those MP3’s.  Second, like Rhapsody type services, to provide a way for you to discover and buy new music through a few social networking features.  There is no monthly service fee to use Lala, and using it only to store and access your existing music library is free.  I’m guessing they hope to make their money when you start poking around their catalog, and buying tracks.

The service sounded interesting to me, so I gave it a shot and signed up.  From just a little use, including getting my music all setup online, using its interface, and exploring some of its catalog, I can say that I like the idea a lot.  Here’s a few words about what I’ve found so far.

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Oct 20 2008

Thought Provoking Articles From the Ornery American

October 20, 2008 – 11:54 am
By Kent | Posted in Digressions | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

If you’ve ever read the book “Ender’s Game”, you’ll already recognize the name Orson Scott Card.  If you’re like me, you’ll think he’s a very talented author who writes some of the best speculative fiction around.  What you may not know is that Card also has a mind for politics, and explaining his views carefully, shrewdly, and bluntly.  His thoughts on the situation in the Middle East have been particularly enlightening.

Recently he’s posted a couple more items, both of which I think are well written and worth reading:

Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn on the Lights? – Card explains the bias of the media, with some interesting examples.

Upholding the Constitution – His thoughts on how the Constitution and our democracy have already been been illegally usurped, and what we can do about it.

By Kent | Posted in Digressions | Tagged , , | Comments (0)