Recording Report Last Night

Last week I wrote a bit about Caroling at St. Joseph's hospital. I met there a good guy who was looking for a bass player. Well, last night I helped him out and recorded a song that he had written. We, along with a few of his other friends, learned his song and laid down his tracks. I think I may have suprised a few people on how big my double bass was, but more shocking, how it could be easily squeezed into a tiny recording studio. All in all, everything went great and my new-found-friend was greatly pleased. The people that I worked with last night are great people and are great at their craft; I hope to work with them again in the near future.

Caroling @ St Joseph's

I'm glad this tradition has lasted 11 years.

Caroling at St. Joseph's hospital every Christmas has always been a fun time. Every year always brings out new people and creates a new choral sound. This time around for its 11th year stint we coincidently had 11 singers. The important thing is that we made a couple of people smile a little during this season. That, plus we had a good time singing, even if we only meet once a year.

Folk Choir Rehearsal

It's always good to take a look at something that you haven't worked on in a while just so that it gets the memory juices flowing. Last night was another Folk Choir Rehearsal before Christmas and it went very well. We took a look at one of the songs that we had worked on endlessly earlier this past spring. I find it funny how muscle memory works. We seemed to remember everything about the song and we stumbled through some of the stuff that we had difficulty with when we were learning the song. I found that when we were a little bit more relaxed, there were no problems; when people would tense up with the difficult parts, we would not hit those trouble notes. It is almost as if some of us built some mental walls and have unconsiously psyched themselves out with their abilites. We worked hard on this song for a long time but it seems we also worked hard at making the hard parts harder. Anyway, it sounded good, but it is always different when singing in front of people. Just relax and enjoy it.

Practice w/ NYCO

Wednesday night, I think I received one of the nicest complements in a while. During this last NYCO practice, we had the pleasure of playing with the lead double-bassist. On top of that, we had a small section session for the first part of the practice; double basses only. We got to pick apart some of our problem spots and worked through them. Most importantly, we learned how to better our technique; something that I can use a lot of work on. The sound that the lead-bassist could produce was hauntingly beautiful. It was so clean and clear and had such a rich attack that i could stop a charging rhino. Anyway, playing with him was a great experience. It wasn't until the end of practice as we were leaving that he asked me some questions about my playing. To is shock, he had discovered that I was basically self-taught. He continued to encourage all that I was doing and if I needed any help, that I could go and see him. To close, he said that, from what had heard, it sounded good. For me, hearing that I wasn't all that bad helped boost my confidence and I can't wait for another session. I could use the practice.

Folk Choir Practice Rehearsal

Last night, we had another Folk Choir Practice. This went really well. We went over an arrangement that I had been working on for a while and I must say that it is coming along nicely. It's always nice to see something like that and watch it come together so nicely. Anyway, there's still a lot of work to do before Christmas so I just hope people continue to practice. Also, at the end of practice, we tried to get through a very difficult song by memory. In all honesty, it moved very well. A couple of rough spots here and there but overall, not bad. I've been a strong advocate of trying to memorize music because I think once it is stored in your head, somehow, it can be recalled at will. Anyway, keep practicing.

Gig Recap

Yesterday afternoon, I had a small jazz gig in Scarborough. Lucky for me it was only 15 minutes from my pad. Anyway, it went well and everyone had a good time. I haven't played with Glen in a while so it was great that we got to play together again. That afternoon, I had the pleasure of playing with the first time, a new vocalist, Jennifer. I first met her at a wedding last year in Toronto and it just so happens she is married to a person I met a couple of years ago while I was working as an Assistant at Villagers. Anyway, she's a great person and a pleasure to work with.

It is always funny when playing with a new person. You always have to be on your toes listening for cues and such. Moreover, you have to really know your stuff and focused when the keys are changed around on different songs.

Wibijazz'n Saturday Night @ YorkU

NOTICE:
SATURDAY SATURDAY SATURDAY
The annual Super Special Winter Concert is coming up soon.
December 3rd @ 7:30
Check out their GIG section for more info.

Also, the 2005/2006 group pictures have finally been posted. Check them out under the SEE US menu.

Lastly Guys and Gals,
They have posted a brand new track in their HEAR US section of the website. It's a sneak peak at what to find on the upcoming album in January 2006.

OR
Visit www.wibijazzn.com

Rehearsal Synopsis

I Had my second rehearsal with the NYCO. Once again, I had a good time. I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable and I'm finding I am learning a lot, but there is still plenty to learn. The first half of the rehearsal was with the entire orchestra, which, in my opinion. Of course, my opinion is jaded because my instrument gets drowned out by every one else. After the break, the rehearsal was held in sections. This was a chance where the orchestra could fine tune everything in smaller groups. This was also a chance for me to feel more exposed and vulnerable as a double bassist. I felt timid and small but I learned where all my weaknesses and problems lay with what we were learning. It was a good practice and I just need to build my confidence. "Strong and wrong" as the saying goes.

Visit:
www.nyco.on.ca

Quote of the Week

"Management by objectives works if you first think through your objectives. Ninety percent of the time you haven't." - Peter F. Drucker

"Keep these three points in mind. One: There are lies, two: there are big lies, and three: there are Statistics. Ninety percent of people asked know this." - BassBassDude

Practice Last Night

I had finished a 4-part choral arrangement over the weekend and last night was the first time the choir looked at it. Overall, things went pretty well. I can't complain too much but when you put a lot of time and effort into something, you sometimes expect the same when you are trying to teach it. Such is not normally the case. Yes, I realize we're a bunch of friends that are just doing this for fun, but, I know that we can always get better. Last night, I had to tighten up sometimes with everything, but, that's okay. We only have a couple of weeks before we have to sing this piece, so a little push is not a bad thing. I just have to watch what I say, these are a good bunch of friends.

Lastly, wine does help take the edge off.

Retrocity: Friday December 9

Friday Dec. 9th, Club 279

Retrocity will be performing its biggest gig ever on Friday December 9th, 2005. They are playing Club 279 (at Yonge and Dundas, above the Hard Rock Café), and they want every single one of you there!

Doors at 9pm, performance at 9:30pm, cover $10

Here's a map for directions









visit:
www.retrocity.ca

Practice time

I've found that as much as I enjoy practicing, especially with a goal in mind, I often find myself struggling with various items. I usually get frustrated with my tone, time, phrasing, or inability to get to through some passages. Last night was not an exception. It was a prime example of me getting peeved with different elements of my abilities. Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to give up and pack it in. In fact, I enjoy going through these tough times. I find that these struggling points as growth (pardon the cheese). Even though while I am practicing, I'm vocally trying to "motivate" myself, I find it's helping me get over some mental hills. Anyway, there's a lot of hills on the way and it will always be an uphill battle, otherwise, I would be going nowhere fast.

Wibijazz'n Winter Showcase 2005

Here's the scoop to Wibi's Winter Showcase:

DATE: December 3rd 2005

TIME: 7:30pm

GEOLOGICAL LOCATION: Winters Dining Hall (Winters College, York U)

Come out and support these guys. Tons of fun. Tons of energy. Great Tones.

visit:
www.wibijazzn.com

Bass-ic Protection

One week ago, I decided to upgrade the gig bag that I had been using for the past eight years. The case of yester-year was a shade too snug for my double bass, had numerous holes and tears and had all but one of the handles torn off. On top of that, this was not the original case that this bass came in. The first cover was basically an over-sized garage rag with two broken buckle straps. Anyway, my new case is the Mooradian Standard Double Bass Bag. I'm a big fan of something that can hold everthing including my bass wheel and protects my double bass. Also, big thanks to the great people of The Sound Post for helping me with the bag... and everything else double bass related.

For more on these bags visit www.Mooradian.com or www.thesoundpost.com

email me at michael.penafiel@gmail.com

North York Concert Orchestra

Last night was my first practice with the North York Concert Orchestra. Overall, it went well. I haven't sight-read music in a while in a setting where it was a little quick paced. I enjoyed it a lot, even while I was stumbling through everything. I must say, the hardest part of joining was actually taking my first steps into the room with my double bass. It was a bit of a surreal feeling being the "new-kid-on-the-block" but it was a very relaxed setting that helped me feel less like a pig on roller skates. Anyway, I have a lot to work on and I need a little bit more confidence in my playing but otherwise, I think I will be okay.

Visit
www.nyco.on.ca

Practice. Little better than none

I found last night, due to different factors that were out of my control, that I could only practice for a few minutes. I must say, it is a little frustrating when you want to practice and once you feel like you're ready to get into the meaty stuff, it's time to pack it in. Oh well, at least I tried.

Finding Motivation

Finding motivation to practice can be hard, especially when you haven't been at it for a while. Little distractions begin to fill your time and slowly take over. Even to the point of becoming a priority. I, unfortunately, reached this apex and it has taken me a long time to re-focus and re-kindle my passion for the double bass.

Actually, it was a two-pronged effort that helped bring this into action. First, I decided to join a community orchestra. My greatest weakness on double bass has been classical playing and my arco technique. Being a person that enjoys challenges and discovering new things; I found this to be a suitable endeavor. I love learning new music and sight-reading, plus, I haven't played with a large group of people in many years. I now find that I am practicing every chance I get and there isn't a moment in the day where I cannot think about the many aspects of the double bass. I am currently looking at Bach's Suite1: Prelude for Cello. This piece of work is absolutely gorgeous and to be able to play on the double bass will take some time, but it is something I enjoy practicing. Just on a side note, compositions and etudes by Bach are great for study from a performance and theoretical standpoint if you are interested.

The second part of getting me motivated to practice was more of a materialistic maneuvere. I decided to purchase a brand new bow. Prior to this purchase, I had an old student bow that was never re-haired, was slightly warped and bent, but most importantly, was never taken care of. I am partially to blame for this but that could be due to my ignorace with this device. Over the years, I have developed a greater knowledge with taking care of this instrument which I will hopefully incorporate into my brand new bow. With regards to practicing, this has been one of the greatest pleasures. I never realized how easily playing arco would be with this tool. I felt more confident in my abilities and the tone that it produced was remarkable. Although my pocket and bank account are somewhat less burdened, my playing has reaped the benefits.

Anyway, I guess in some ways you can buy confidence.

Quote of the Week

"How can you say luck and chance are the same thing? Chance is the first step you take, luck is what comes afterwards" - Amy Tan

"How lucky do you think you will be when you land on Chance in Monopoly?" - BassBassDude

Angus Glen Half-Marathon Results

Well, I finished standing up.
It took me a while to post because I was trying to recover from the run. My finish time was 2:21 and I'm pretty sore but not as sore as I was expecting. The last 5k were the hardest. I thought I would try to push just a little at that point but then I found myself really hurting with 2k to go. Overall, I'm just happy to finish. I found that my breathing was fine throughout the race from holding back a bit. Overall, I think I held it together pretty well; it's my legs that pretty much died at the end. I wanted to push but they couldn't do it. I decieded before the race that I would take quick walking breaks when I hit a water station which helped a little but I really want to increase my tempo. The biggest challenge was the weather; more specifically, the wind. I usually can turn it up a bit on the downhills but all of those were negated by the wind. Oh well. I finished (10/10 in my category) and on the last kilometer into the clubhouse, finished strong.

Keep Practicin'

Stairway via ElectricBass
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

Check this guy out.

http://www.devilducky.com

Although, I think anything more that a 6-string bass seems a little excessive. Granted, that's my opinion.

Quote of the Week

"He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt, and his only mission each time he went up was to come down alive." -Joseph Heller

"Your mission should you choose to accept it is to climb a mountain. Don't fall again." -BassBassDude

Angus Glen Half-Marathon

Angus Glen Clubhouse
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

Angus Glen Half-Marathon is just around the corner. November 6th to be exact. I'm excited and a little nervous but it should be a good time. I'm hoping for a good time and most importantly, finishing. Once I see cross that finish line by the Club house I'll be happy.

Arranging Time

With Christmas just around the corner, I've got to have an arrangement done, fast. My experience tells me that keeping my ideas to a minimum and trying to keep it simple will be the best thing in this situation. I'm back at it with the choir thing, althought the numbers are going to be a little bit smaller. Here's hoping for a tighter sound since the Spring.

Quote of the Week

"You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want" -Margaret Young

"You must be first to be first if you want to be first" -BassBassDude

M-Pact next Wednesday

I have to say. These guys are good. I mean they are really good. They came to Toronto a while back and they'll be back once more.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 12th
WHERE: Clinton's Tavern, (Bloor Street, south side, just east of Christie)
WHAT: m-pact, with very special opening guest, Wibi
DOORS: 8:30pm
TICKETS: $12 at the door

visit
m-pact.com

Wedding Show

Looks like I'll be at the Toronto Wedding Show. Details to follow.

Cadence Last Night

Great Show.

That's pretty much all I can sum up at this time. Last night, a capella quartet Cadence had their CD release party at the Lula Lounge in Toronto and it was fantastic. Hosted by Heather Bambrick, the foursome brought their A-game that night by mixing in some of their old material with their new releases along with their energy and humour. A mix of jazz, pop and rock, Ross, Carl, Kevin and Dylan did a great job and was enjoyed by all.

Murphy's Law - Electric Bass

Let me know if something like this has ever happened to you.

I had a gig up in Orangeville where I had to bring both my electric and upright basses. While setting up, I had everything up and running and I was ready to go. To my luck, Murphy's Law decided to rear its ugly had. Five minutes before it was time to play, I plugged my electric bass into my amp and all I got was this enormous low-end buzz. I unplugged the electric and tried again. Once again, the loud buzz would not dissapear. I unplugged once again and attepted at fiddleing with the input socket on the electric to see if that would help. Again I plugged in and again the buzz returned. Thinking it was my brand-new 1/4" cable, I experimented by plugging the cable into my upright; no problem. I plugged back into the electric and began fiddling around with the input jack. I found that the buzz would cut in and out. I deduced that the problem was the input jack. With only seconds before playing I informed my band-mates that I would be playing my acoustic bass all night. I plugged back into upright acoustic and dove right into our first set.

Everything went well and all the clients were happy. I was especially pleased with the way I played on my upright that evening. Next stop, the music store to find a new electric.

Holding back

I have a potential gig tonight back and Day & Night (weather permitting) and tomorrow I will be playing for about four hours at a wedding reception. I must tell you, I'm thinking that I will have to hold back and pace myself on Friday night in order to last for four hours on Saturday night. I've never liked playing passively, but it will be in the back of my mind while I play tonight. Anyway, here's hoping I don't develop new blisters until after Saturday night.

Gig - "Day&Night"

This Friday September 16, I will be playing at Day&Night Restaurant which is located one block West of Brimley on Steeles in Scarborough. We start at 9pm and we go until midnight. It will be a mix of Jazz, old-school R&B and pop. Come by and say hi.

Hope to see you there.

Cadence CD Release Party

"TWENTY FOR ONE"
CD LAUNCH
Tuesday, September 20th
The Lula Lounge
1585 Dundas St. West, Toronto

These four guys are great. Fun, energetic and entertaining. I'v had the pleasure of singing with these guys back in my tenure with Wibijazzn' while at York U. I'm just happy that I can beat them all in billiards.
See you there.

If you'd like to learn more about Cadence, visit their website at cadence-unplugged.com

Google Talk

Let me put it this way, Google Talk is pretty good. I'm still trying to figure out a few things, but it seems pretty cool. It just started today and I'm finding it a neat little tool. I'm even intrigued about buying a headset to use the VoIP feature. The best part... it's free. Anyway, visit google.com/talk

More info can be found on Wikipedia

Adam Dow Fund

Adam Dow Fund

This has to be one of the most horrible things that I have heard about. Moreover, this story applies to a friend of mine. I was never one for details because I usually misinterpret facts but here is the story that I have paraphrased from a friend.

Matt Dow(a friend whom I've had the pleasure of working with), his brother Adam and his wife were trying to put up a flagpole at home. It hit some hydro lines and Adam was severely electrocuted. His wife has some burns from trying to remove him from the pole, but otherwise she is physically ok. As for Adam, he remains in hospital; he has severe internal damage, especially to his lungs. Furthermore, he has had numerous skin grafts and has had BOTH arms amputated. Apparently, he is unaware that he has lost both arms right now as he is heavily medicated. To make matters worse, Adam and Kelly have 2-month-old twin boys! This truly is one of the most horrible stories I have ever heard in my entire life. He is 25....His wife 23. And they have 2-MONTH-OLD TWIN BOYS! So horrible.

Well, I received a phone call a short while ago and it turns out that Adam Dow died Sunday night. A group of people are trying to put together a trust fund for the family and a care-package for the twins. One of my friends has created a website that is also receiving donations that will be donated to Adam Dow's family.

delish.typepad.com

Being a new father and with brothers of my own, I cannot help but feel for the Dow family. Hopefully, most of you can see where I am coming from. If you can make a donation or have ideas to help out the family, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Practice Time

Ever fall into a rut when it came to practicing. For me, it was never about falling into a rut, but being distracted by so many different forces. I enjoy the many things that life has to offer and I have always thought of myself as a "Jack-of-all-trades". This has been my blessing and my curse. Whether it is golf, sports, or just trying to learn about everything and anything, I have found that it takes time away from my time to practice music. I'm not saying that I'm going to drop everything right now just to free up practice time, but, it's more difficult to discipline myself to lock myself up and practice. On the other hand, I do find myself enjoying practice time after a short hiatus.

New Golf Equipment

Alright, I know. I've heard it many times before. "It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools". But I'd like to think that it's pretty cool to have new tools. Especially when they make you a better "craftsman". If golf were my workbench, then this new driver would be my 19.2V cordless drill. Just this past weekend, I decided to try out my newest weapon in my golf arsenal at a driving range. Let me put it to you this way; after hitting a few balls, I wouldn't want to bet against myself in match play. At least, that's what I felt when using my new driver. It's always a nice feeling when your ball starts hitting the back fences and people around you stop and stare at your very own "long ball". With a little work, I can control that fade I have on that club. When I was looking for a driver, I found a stiff shaft would give me a fade. With a regular shaft, I found myself severely hooking my shots and losing distance. Most of the store reps said that with my high handicap, I would only need a regular. It seems not listening to them has paid off; at least at the driving range. Next up, taking the big stick to a course; preferably one that accomodates my power fade.

Ill

Alright, I'm sick. Physically; not quite mentally. Usually when you get a cough you hope it will die as the days go on. Unfortunately for me, it has been wishful thinking. What can you do. Doctors and researchers state that you should just rest. I find that difficult when you find yourself up at all hours of the night hacking and coughing, hoping that you don't wake the neighbours that live 10 doors down. Oh well, grin and bear it.

Quote of the Week

"As for me, I know of nothing else but miracles."
-Walt Whitman

"As for me, I know nothing"
-BassBassDude

Friday July 22: "Day & Night" @ 9pm

I'll be at "Day & Night Restaurant" in Scarborough @9pm once again. It should be a lot of fun. There was a good turn out last time and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow night. It will be a little trio with Glen Narona on keyboard, Kenny DeLaSantos on vocals and yours truly on Double Bass. To those who might need directions, Day & Night Restaurant can be found one block west of Brimley Rd on Steeles Ave. I hope to see you there.

Quote of the Week

"For there is not ordinarily a greater sign of the equal distribution of anything than that every man is contented with his share"
- Thomas Hobbes

"For there is no sign than that of the equal sign "=""
-BassBassDude

Gig Recap

Well, the gig went well. I found that the sound and feel was good. Most of all we both had a good time playing and performing for people that seemed to genuinely enjoy what we were doing. We played some old jazz standards and mixed in some pop and "old school" R&B. I think I may have played a little too aggressive off the top; it seems my hands are not used to playing for extended periods of time. It's funny how you sometimes need to practice for "long distance" playing; you may find yoursel not having the opprotunity for a break, or in my case, not wanting a break. It seems I'll be back next week on Friday @ 9pm at Day & Night. This time it looks like the trio will be coming out which is always a blast.

Day & Night on July 15 @ 9pm

Well, I've been tied up with a couple of things for the past few weeks but just so you know, I'll be playing in Scarborough this Friday night. On July 15 from 9pm to 12am, I'll be playing at Day & Night with a wonderful and skillful Keyboardist/Vocalist Kenny DelaSantos. You can find Day & Night on Steeles just west of Brimley in Scarborough, Ontario. It will be a lot of fun and it will be nice to be working with him again. Anyway, hope to see you all there.

City Chase Completed

Well, the City Chase is over and we performed a lot better than last year. With over 450 teams competing, team WIBI LOUD placed 135; about 2:35 later than the first place finishers. Not too bad considering last year we didn't get a chance to complete all the tasks. Communication between my brother and us turned out to be a lot better this year. He was able to download the City Chase clues and while we were competing in events planned out the best route to run. He was easily our eyes and ears of the race. He even made sure that we completed tasks that needed to be completed and that we skip those that were unnecessary. He was a lifesaveer as we stared up a 26-storey climb. Thanks to him, there were points during the race where we had completed 7 tasks and others had only 4. I think we had saved our energy well and used it when we needed to. We made a couple of errors but stumbled upon items that helped us finish; running around China Town looking for a cat on a red post for an hour helped us bump into a person that donated us our remaining item on our "Scavanger Hunt".

Speaking about bumping into people, I didn't get a chance to see anyone that I recognized but I got a chance to meet many new racers. Whether it be chatting with them on the subway, cheering them on as they completed a task, sharing strategies and last year's experiences, or teaming up with them just to get through a chase point, it was fantastic interacting with all the different teams. Like most races, the City Chase is designed to be one that is not about the finish line, but of the journey that you embark.

The City Chase - Toronto

The City Chase is but a few days away and I am feeling pretty good. Hopefully we'll be a strong enough team to make it into the top ten. It's a long shot, but with a bit of luck we could make things happen. I hope we can save our energy early in the race which was our biggest mistake in last year's race. We came out of the race pretty dejected, but we did finish. One thing is for sure; it will be a ton of fun.

Visit:
www.bellcitychase.com

Quote of the Week

"To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance"
-Oscar Wilde

"If looks could kill, then I should be handed a mirror"
-BassBassDude

Quote of the Week

"I don't ask for the meaning of the song of a bird or the rising of the sun on a misty morning. There they are, and they are beautiful."
- Pete Hamill

"But I want to go into Tashee station to buy some power converters!"
- Mark Hamill (as Luke Skywalker)

"I like"
- BassBassDude

Training Time

Well, this morning was yet another run for me as I train for the City Chase Yesterday, my Hill Training and today was an Easy/Recovery Run. Tomorrow, I rest with Friday being my Speed Training/Yasso 800s leaving my long run for the weekend. I'll keep this up until program up and gradually increasing my hills, laps and most importantly, mileage right up until a week before the race. Here's hoping for no problems. My main concern has been my left ankle which I had injured in January and rehabed for about 6 weeks. Because of this injury, it has been difficult getting back into the swing of things.

Folk Choir Performance Reflections

Well, all the hard work paid off. The folk choir performed the other night and did a great job. We all had a fun time performing and all that came out to listen enjoyed themselves. As I look back on all the work that we all put into it, I can't help but feel like that as a group, we took a gigantic step forward musically and as friends. Don't get me wrong, there were some rough patches along the way, but it was something that, as a group, you overcome. I have a great deal of pride knowing that I was part of something special. Individually, I'm sure that each person exceeded they're own expectations of them selves. Whether it be sight-singing, working on blend and tone or just keeping up with the pace that we were learning music was a great accomplishement for each of them.

Anyway, I'm ready to start working on some new charts and for our next performance.

"What's next."

Always take advantage of a good day

You never know what can happen if you take hold of the day. Over the weekend, I decided to do a little walk through the beaches at Ash Bridges Bay. It was a gorgeous sunny day and it seemed like everyone was out to get a little sun down on Queen St. With that being said, I bumped into an old friend of mine whom I used to sing with. She was sitting out on one of the restaurant patios having lunch and, like me, was just enjoying the weather. We were catching up on a few things and it turns out she has her own website that is up and running. She's a wonderful vocalist and musician and above all a fantastic human being. If you'd like, take a look at her website at www.hannahpurkiss.com

Practice last night

Well, I was unable to make a couple of practices for the past few weeks, so it was nice to be working with the folk choir again. We started working on our stuff again. It was good to hear improvements in my absence with all the songs but there's always those "trouble notes" that seem to always re-occur. I find that my problem is not hearing where the problems are, or pointing out where there needs improvement or keeping a good tempo in practice. My problem is trying to help people get over their mental barriers with those "trouble notes". I love working with these guys, but I would love to try to find a way to help them through those difficult areas. I guess that's where you need to help understand where each individual is coming from musically and to walk them through these trouble spots. Too bad time is always against you and all you can really do is ask everyone to practice.

Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist, but I believe deep down that they have the ability to make each song fantastic. Good thing there not far from there. But it's the last little bit that makes it hard to make it fantastic. I'm glad that they all haven't settled for just getting by and giving a mediocre effort because hard work will pay off.

Show's over

Another year, another success. Things went very well during each show and I had a great time working with every one. I can't help but feel like an anti-socialite, but due to some other duties, I was unable to make it to Spotlight's post-show parties. I'm sure the cast understood my situation. Hopefully next year I'll be invited to work with them again; it was a great honour and a privelidge. You can never complain about opportunities to better your musical skills and to be able to display them in front of a live audience. Furthermore, it is a great chance to play with differnt musicians and performers from within the community. Most of all, we had a good time putting this production together.

Show 1 Thursday

Last night went well. It felt good and the performers had good energy. Most importantly, everyone enjoyed the show. There are still some tickets left so if you're interested, come out and support Spotlight Productions. Once again, tonight and tomorrow at 8pm, Spotlight Productions presents "Broadway Our Way" at Fairview Library Theater. Tickets are $18 and there are just a few seats left.

Just on a side note, the band is on stage the whole time so I'm finding it tricky to find a point in the show to take a sip of water. That and trying not to cough.

Spotlight Productions: Broadway our way

I haven't been able to post in the past little while because I've been so busy with, well, a number of things. Anyway, I should fill you in on the fact that I've been working with a theatre production company for the past couple of days and they will be performing this week.

Spotlight Productions will be presenting "Broadway Our Way" at Fairview Library Theater in North York on April 28th, 29th and 30th. Show starts at 8:00pm and tickets at the door are $18. As I stated earlier, I have been working with them for the past little while and I will be in the "pit" as their bass player. The show is fun and enjoyable and I encourage anyone that is free on any of those nights to come out. I'm honoured to be a part of this company and am very glad to have been a part of their performances for the past three years.

Golf Season Begins

This past weekend I played my first round of the year at Parkview Golf Everything was going well until I reached green. I can best describe my putting in one word. Bad. I was striking the ball pretty well with a couple of mis-drives here and there. I'm actually happy with my 7-iron right down to the wedges. I made good decisions when inside 130 yards. Even around the green, I had the touch that I needed to get my ball in tight. Not that it mattered because I couldn't hit a 3-footer if my life depended on it. Through 18 I had 3-putted 8 times. Regardless of my "ever-impressive" 103, I still had a great time. I was really lucky being the first group out because while my four-some was finishing up the 18th, I found out that the group behind us were still on the 15th. I guess it pays to check in every day to find out when the course would open. On top of that, the course was completely booked right up to 4pm.

That morning, I learned something about greens and taking care of them. Due to my excitement with playing that day, I had arrived at the course one hour prior to my tee time. To my dismay, the clubhouse wasn't open yet so I couldn't go and have a coffee. So, I decieded to work on my short game on the pitching green. Shortly after, a man yelled out from the clubhouse "Sir! There's frost on the greens, could you please get off." I yelled back, "Sorry!" and shuffled off back to the clubhouse. I went in and asked why it was bad to be on the greens when there was frost. He explained to me that when you walk on the greens while there is frost, you risk leaving black marks with every step, thus, ruining the turf for the season. Go figure, all that work on the greens could be ruined in a heart beat. Maybe that's why my putting was so terrible; the greens were not happy that I had made the mistake of stepping on them when they were not ready. You can bet that I won't make that mistake again.

All in all, a great day for golf with good company, but maybe it is time to look for a new putter.

Another week...

Another practice.

We flew through about four to five new songs and I think it might have been a bit of an overload for a couple of them. That's okay. The main idea was that they got a taste of what the songs sounded like. We've still got a lot of work to do and I'm very optomistic about how we'll sound once the concert comes around.

A good friend of mine just got into the whole blogging thing after stumbling into mine.

www.parkdalelife.blogspot.com

She may not ever mention it, but she's a creative person with a great ear for music.

Practice = Progression

Monday night was yet, another practice for this upcoming concert. I must say that I am pleased with the way things are going. Everyone wants to learn and perfect their part (at least, that's how it seems). On a night where I had very little energy, I came out of it feeling re-energized; a second wind. On top of that, I have to hurry up with this new arrangement and get it done for everyone to learn. Lots to do in a short amount of time; move quick and make minimal mistakes. If mistakes are made; fix them quickly and move on. This is how I like it although some people are not used to it. The pressure is present to learn and be creative in a short amount of time, yet this kind of pressure can be the mother of invention.

Quote of the Week

"There are two freedoms: The false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where a man is free to do what he ought."
- Charles Kingsley

"There are two things that I can think of right now. One, I have a bad memory, the other... I forget..."
- BassBassDude

Quote of the Week

"Life is like pizza. Even when it's bad it's good."
- Paula Devico

"Life is like pizza. Even when it's bad it's good... unless it is street pizza."
- BassBassDude

"Mmm pizza."
- Homer Simpson

Practice again

Wow, it's been 10 days since my last post. Well, when you get busy with a few things, it can be hard keeping your blog in check. Anyway, I just came back from another choir practice where we got to take a look at the chart that I had transcribed. It when very well although it was tough to have a good feel of the song without all the members at the practice. Go figure, a complete alto section was MIA. Anyway, I jumped on that part to help the others find theirs. All in all; not too bad. I'm really impressed with the progress that most of us are making on this part. I better start working more on my part than enjoying the fun parts that the others get to do.

Quote of the Week

"Open your arms as wide as you can to receive all the miracles with your name on them"
-Sarah Ban Breathnach

"Open your parachute when jumping from a plane lest you become street pizza"
-BassBassDude

Practice Time

About a month ago, I had transcribed a choral piece for the folk group/choir. Last night, a bunch of us got together to give it a go. Overall, it went well. We got through a good chunk of it and with a bit of work, it should be ready for the concert in May. Hopefully we keep ploughing through it.

Gig?

Just to let you know, I might have something in the coming spring (when things thaw out) where I'll be playing a public gig for a friend of mine who's fundraising for something. I don't have much details, but I still have to iron those wrinkles out with the other guys I play with. Anyway, just to let you know how things are going. More on that later...

Quote of the Week

"Love is how we feel toward those who show us that which is lovable about ourselves."
-Gerry Spence

"If looks could kill, then I should be handed a mirror"
-BassBassDude

How did that go again?

How did that go again?
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

One night in Toronto, I was catching up with some friends in a near-by pub and one of them sent me a couple of pics from that night. I know this is annoying to a lot of people, but when a song comes on, whether it be in a pub, a restaurant or even a public washroom, I can't help but try to mentally figure out all the parts. Whether it be the drum track, the bass line, or at the very least, figuring out which key the song is in, I've got this need to learn the "W5Hs" of a song. Just one of those wierd quirks that I have.

Thanks for taking the pic. I look kind of silly.

To Gig or not to Gig

Well, I've got a potential gig coming up durning the last week of April. I'll be the pit bass player for a stage company called Spotlight Productions and I should be getting the music sometime next month. This will be my third season with Spotlight and I'm looking forward to it. It's always good to get a chance to sight read stuff at a quick pace and being a part of team. That, and it's great to be working with a good group of people. Here's hoping things work out especially with the date of the shows.

My Textbooks...

I had mentioned to a friend in passing that I referred to my CD's as my textbooks; stuff that I had to go through and learn from. For the past little while I have been calling my music collection as my textbook library. I'm not sure if many musicians do the same, but it is a good habit to get into if you're serious about music. In addition, it's important to listen to music that you would like to aspire, to surpass, or to build upon.

My old Jazz shop leader, Al Henderson said "What goes in is what comes out. This also applies with music and what you play as a musician."

I've always felt this to be true. If you listen to jazz, you'll better yourself as a jazz musician. Likewise, if you listen to classical, you'll better yourself as a classical musician. My old professor went to the extreme of throwing out his Soul LP's and kept only Jazz LP's in order to devote himself completely to Jazz.

The only way that the learning can occur is if you actually enjoy what you're listening to. Otherwise, that's a pretty tough barrier to overcome.

Quote of the Week

"Only solitary men know the full joys of friendship. Others have their family-but to a solitary and an exile his friends are everything."
-Willa Cather

"A full deck of cards is necessary to play a good game of Solitaire"
-BassBassDude

Bop Heads

Now, as a double bass player, I find this task to being difficult. If you were a virtuoso player, this may be laughable, but for me, it's quite frustrating and yet humbling at the same time. I would like to take this opprotunity to state that playing Charlie Parker's Bebop Jazz Heads is difficult. Now, I'm not talking about walking the changes, but the actually melody. This to me is hard. Listening to various other jazz players get through it as if they were just breathing makes me feel like my playing can be closest described as "death". Anyway, even listening to a double bass player get through Bach's Prelude flawlessly provides me with this wonderful feeling of "you suck." Anyway, I'm still ploughing through these little pieces/heads in the hopes of at least achieveing some level of mastery. Although sometimes disheartening to hear these jedi-like bass players, knowing that the potential of a double bass of doing what they do is pleasing.

Right now I'm enjoying (every blue moon so as not to dig a bigger self-depressing hole) Christian McBride/Roy Hargrove/Stephen Scott Trio's Parker's Mood. There's this one track where all three of them play the head together. To me, I really like their sound (no offence to any drummers out there). Anyway, when I got serious about playing double bass, I took it upon myself to learn "Scrapple of the Apple". Anyway, I tried playing it last night, and found to my delight that I can get through it pretty well. Like a lot of things that need some work, I have to watch my tone and pitch, as well as speed and dexterity.

Well, I'd love to learn more Parker heads, it'll just take some time and dedication.

Wibi/Cadence Concert

Last night I drove up to York U to watch both Wibijazzn' (my a capella alma mater) and Cadence (a Wibi spin-off group) perform in my old stomping grounds of Winters College. Both groups performed in an effort to help raise money for the college and to display a little taste of what they could do. Wibi and Candence put together a stellar show with great music, a solid sound and great entertainment value. In fact, a friend of mine actually drove in from Waterloo(approx 1 hour west of Toronto) and back just to catch the concert.

Since my departure from Wibi, I'm always amazed at how the sound of the choir always evolves and creates something unique from years passed. This year, the focus seems to be on a tight, conisistent sound with extremely strong soloists; above all, they're having fun.

Cadence was brilliant once again displaying what only 4 men with mics can do. Huge sound, great arrangements, amazing vocalisms and enormous energy are what Cadence brings to the table each time they perform. It turns out they just returned from a tour in British Columbia and will be finishing their second CD in the next couple of months. I'm just glad that some of the Wibi-ites were able to get a taste of how being in Wibi is a great stepping stone into many other great musical opprotunities.

It's always a treat to see either of them perform, so to have them perform together was fantastic. I was so inspired to hear them that when I came back home, I stayed up an extra hour to finish cleaning up the arrangement I was working on.

If you get a chance, check out www.cadence-unplugged.com and www.wibijazzn.com.

email me at:mfpenafiel@hotmail.com

Quote of the Week

"It is a wise father that knows his own child"
-William Shakespeare

"It is a wise decision to remember what you were going to...um"
-BassBassDude

Clean Up

Well, with all the chicken scratchings that I made, I decided last night to put the choral arrangement onto our mac and make it look a little nicer. Usually, my buddy just takes the chart and does it himself. With me doing it myself, I can at least make sure that all that I've transcribed souds right. The possibility of me making a couple of mistakes is possible, especially if you had to transcribe the piece without any keyboard. It was pretty much me and a pitch-pipe. Anyway, I got a program last night from a buddy and started putting it together...

It's Done

Well, the last section was really easy. I could have finished this chart in a day. Too bad I don't have a day to spare solely for transcribing. Anyway, I finished the chart after hanging out with friends and coming home at around 11:45pm. I stayed up for just over an hour to have it finished. Piece of cake.

I have a couple of other charts that I've been asked to transcribe so those will be next. Hopefully, I can practice a little bit more than I have this week.

Just on a side note, the board game "Gestures" can become very competitive.

Almost Done

I'm almost done the transcription.

I found myself just starting to get into the transcription when our friends dropped by for a visit. It's always nice to have people over, too bad it slows down the steam that you had going for your work. The unexpected is what makes life so interesting and fun. So, after my friends left, I went back at it for another hour; with more yawns than I was planning that night. The neat thing about the visit is that the arrangement is for my friends. Tonight I'm planning to have it all done to give them tomorrrow. I'm not too worried. It will be done.

If there was an exercise I would advise people to try is to take a choral piece and transcribe it; or any piece of music. It's a chance to get an idea behind the arrangers musical tools and devices used for a piece of music. I've definately learned a fair bit from this transcription. I just have to get it done.

mfpenafiel@hotmail.com

A capella @ York U

If you're in the Keele & Steeles area on February 9 and have an appetite for some good a capella singing, then come on out to York University's Winters College. Both Wibijazz'n (of which, I and many of my friends are proud almunists) and the award-winning Cadence (a spin-off group of Wibijazz'n and a group that I am a proud supporter of). Anyway, they are performing together in the Winters College Dining Hall and the show starts at 6:30pm. Admission is pay-what-you-can with the suggested price of $5. Proceeds will be donated towards the Winters College Fund. So, come out and have a good time.

Blogger Shout-Outs

Last Friday night, I went out with some friends and I bumped into Amber, from Call for Help, the person who introduced me to Blgger.com. She definately knows her stuff and can help a ton of people with their web problems. Anyway, I'm just really happy with how easy it is to post stuff on blogger.com. Anyway, thanks Amber. I still have a lot to learn about html, but I'm glad I've got my head in the game.

Arranging Project

I love challenges.

Just this past weekend, I was given a couple of a cappella songs to transcribe by a friend. I haven't done this in a while so it's refreshing to get back into it. On top of that, there's a loose deadline where my friend would like it done sometime in February. I'm setting a personal goal where I have my first arrangement finished by this Sunday. I'm already through the first section. It's just a matter of ploughing through and gettting it done. The hardest part is actually sitting down and doing it.

Quote(s) of the Week

"There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow annonymous benefits upon the world."
-Rober Louis Stevenson

"Don't Worry... Be Happy"
-Bobby McFerrin

"???"
-BassBassDude

Quote of the Day

"The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy"
-Merryl Streep

"The great gift of elephants is their power of never forgetting where they left their trunk"
-BassBassDude

Quote of the Day

"We cherish our friends not for their ability to amuse us, but for ours to amuse them."
- Evelyn Waugh

"You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your friend's nose"
- BassBassDude

The City Chase

I just thought I'd mention that a good buddy of mine and I have recently joined Toronto's Bell City Chase. Last year was our first time racing in this event and we didn't do too badly. We had high expectations of ourselves, but we fell short of our goals. This year we're planning on a top ten finish. Will, it happen? Who knows. We went in last year running around like chickens with our heads chopped off. We spent a lot of energy on the unimportant stuff and found ourselves out of gas at the end of the race. My calves tightened up early in the race and that slowed us down immensely. It was a disappointment but it was a fun time none the less. Anyway, I'm planning a workout schedule for me to follow so that way I can keep up with my buddy who seems to always be in shape. If you have any tips or insights on training, feel free to e-mail me at www.mfpenafiel@hotmail.com

Pulled it off

Well, with the folk choir, we got through the two arrangements and opened the Rice Cafe last night. It went well and the arrangements that I/we had put together sounded good. The group learned it quickly and worked hard at it. I'm just glad they made it through it and made it sound good. The other performers from the Rice Cafe did a good job as well. If you're looking for more info on the Rice Cafe, please visit www.rice-cafe.com

"It's always a good time when you are performing in front of people and you are comfortable."
-BassBassDude

Afterwards, a late dinner and some karaoke topped off the night with some good old fellowship and merriment. Hard work, in the long run usually pays off. If not, it's good to be around people that can at least laugh about it.


Just on a side note, if you would like to e-mail me you can do that as well. Drop me a line at mfpenafiel@hotmail.com

Learning by rote

Just a quick point. After last night's second practice/dinner, I am reconfirmed in my belief that learning by rote is a powerful way of learning music. Although it can be difficult and frustrating for the most part, it is through this discipline that one can fully internalize a song.

I remember my days in Wibijazzn' when I would learn songs and parts through rote. I remember how painful it felt when I was having a hard time to get it. Eventually after practicing it over and over again, it became second nature to me.

I guess it only makes sense that we learn music similar to how a baby learns how to speak.

The way to a musician's time is through his...

Stomach.

Last night, I was invited over to my buddy's house for dinner. As soon as I sat down to eat, I found out that it was going to be a practice night. It didn't bother me at all. In fact I was howling at how deceptive he was about it all. Either way, it didn't matter whether I knew or not; good thing I didn't have any set plans that night. I can only guess that my friend didn't tell me about the practice because I guess he didn't want me to bring my upright bass over. Either he wanted me to focus more on the vocal arrangements or he's being subtle about how I play my bass. Either way, that's a clever way of getting a practice together.

A little change up...

A little change up...
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

Just last night, I had finished an arrangement for the folk group/choir that I'm a part of. I tried to keep it as simple as possible keeping in mind that it had to be learned quickly for this little thing that we're a part of next weekend. It sounds fine, I just hope it works out. Anyway, my buddy came over to take a look at it; he says it sounds okay. On top of that we went over a few things as well. After that, we decided to change things up a bit. For a guitarist, he picked it up well. I'm just happy that he admits that playing the double bass is hard.

Happy New Year

P1000246
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

Here's to setting new goals, and to have the courage just to try them, regardless of the circumstances.

Happy New Year

To a year that will be kind and generous to those who need it most.