Not quite a starry night with these fireworks

Not quite a starry night with these fireworks
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

Fireworks.

It's funny how much money you would spend for a few seconds of flashy fun. Either way, this shot was on a 30sec shutter speed. I guess that's why the shot seems to be taken in the middle of the day. Ah, the fun things you can do with the Rebel XT.

Quote of the Day

"Isn't it interesting that the same people who laugh at science fiction listen to weather forecasts and economists?" - Kelvin Throop III

"Isn't it interesting that the same people who laugh at Chuck Norris are usually not around to see their next birthday. Nobody laughs at Chuck Norris and lives to talk about it." - BassBassDude

The Bell City Chase-Team Running to Stand Still

"Complete 10 of 15 events that are scattered all throughout the city".

Since it first came to Toronto in 2004, I have been a huge fan of the Bell City Chase. This past Saturday June 24th, was no exception. Great weather, great people, great race. Although we did not win, it was the journey and all the events that took place that were the highlights including some personal highlights. Unlike some competitors, my teammate Dave-o and I can hold our heads up high for finishing without cheating and for running the race as hard as we could with the spirit that the City Chase had intended. Here is how "Team Running To Stand Still" ran the Toronto I Bell City Chase.

Starting Line. Dundas Square, at the corner of Yonge and Dundas, was our starting point for the race. We warmed up to "hip" style of Tai-Chi and went over all the rules of the race. The race began when we were told that our clues were at the two fire stations in the downtown core. Team Running to Stand Still decided to run East along Dundas, past Parliament, all the way to Regent Park's Fire Station to pick up our clues.

First Event. Dave-o and I decided to run North up to Riverdale Farm where we (we being only Dave-o) carried a bale of hay down a hill. From there, we had to build a life-sized Scarecrow. When completed, we had to take apart the Scarecrow, and then take the bale of hay back up the hill. Only one qualm with this event; our team arrived first but the event was not ready for us. In the long run, that didn't hurt us, but we did waste energy running around park looking for this event.

Second Event. We ran North to Bloor, then West to Mt Pleasant then North to Branksome Hall. Behind the school was a field where we had to quickly pitch a tent. No problem seeing that both of us are (ex)campers.

Third Event. I'm not sure why, but we ran South on Sherbourne all the way down to Queen St to Moss Park's John Innis Pool. With both of my calves begging for mercy, we both jumped into a pool of floating golf balls and rubber ducks. Each golf ball had a number that coinincided with a duck that needed to be found. This was a good event that didn't take too long because it was a chance to wash all that hay off us from our first event. Too bad my buddy forgot to take his wallet out of his shorts.

Fourth Event. Ran down to King St and grabbed a streetcar to 40 King St W. Under the Scotiabank building, we teamed up with another team and participated in a photo hunt with a Bell Mobility Cell phone. We had to find a man with moustache, a person with the City Chase logo, a manequin wearing jeans, and a person eating ice cream. This took a bit of time, but still, was not overly long.

Fifth Event. We jumped on the King street car and headed West to Fraser St (East of Dufferin) and ended up at Joe Rockhead's where we both had to do some rock climbing. I personally thought that this would be difficult, but it took no time at all to finish. By this time, my legs were not cooperating with my brain and refusing to run.

Sixth Event. We caught the King streetcar heading East to Strachan. Jumped off and ran up to Trinity-Bellwoods Park to play ultimate frisbee. The object was to play against another City Chase team and score 2 points in order to advance. Loster has to stay and play again. Our team forced a turnover and we scored a nifty point as I sqeezed a pass to Dave-o into the endzone. After another turnover, Dave-o threw a pass into the endzone where I made a diving catch to score our second point enabling us to advance. You usually know it's a good catch when everyone on the pitch start jumping up and down cheering and congratulating you on such a spectacular feat. This was easily my highlight of the day and thank God for Robaxacit Platinum.

Seventh Event. We ran East along Dundas past Bathurst to Scadding Court Community Center. In the bowels of this center, we found many anxious City Chasers weilding fishing rods surrounding the perimiter of a pool full of fish. In the nearby corner was a table of bait. We had two choices: 1. Spend 30min trying to catch a fish. 2. Spend 30sec Eating a worm. One qualm; don't bite a worm when trying to swallow it.

Eight Event. Dave-o and grabbed a Spadina streetcar and headed north to Harbord. We headed East up Queen's Park to the Royal Ontario Museum. From there, I had the priveledge of properly dressing Dave-o up in a toga. No problem no qualms.

Ninth Event. We jumped on the Subway and headed East to Christie Station. We headed south to Bickford Park where we had to fill a bucket with water using sponges (sans hands). Anyway, that took no time, and was by far the most forgetable of events. At this point, my legs had decided to go home.

Tenth Event. Scavenger Hunt. This was our ultimate low. We wasted over an hour trying to find a business card that had one of our names on it within the Church and Wellesley district. Although it took a lot longer than we were planning, we finished the scavenger hunt and headed to the finish line.

Finish Line. We jumped on the subway and headed south from Wellesley to Dundas and made a final dash to the finish. Our finish time was around 5 hours and 20 minutes.

We both had a blast and we will be in the race again next year with yet another top 10 finish as our goal. As I nurse my race injuries and battle scars, I can hold my head up high and say that Team Running To Stand Still finished with the right spirit in mind from beginning to end. Cheers to all that finished with that same spirit.

visit:
bellcitychase.com

iPod Nano

I just bought a brand new iPod Nano and I am happily impressed with it. It's incredibly small and I need to get a case. It's a lot of fun, but I can't help but feel that I'm going to break it. Here's hoping for a lot of good luck while I have it.

Zephyrologie

A couple of years ago, I went down to the Montreal Jazz Festival and found a plethora of differnt types of music. One of which was a French brass band by the name of Zephyrologie. At the time, I was completely blown away by the sound that these ten musicians could create with what is essentially a marching band with soul. This is a group that cannot be easily described but does have its roots in soul, jazz, funk and rock. Sadly, they will not be anywhere in Canada this year, but hopefully, they will reach our shores in the near future.

Click here to listen.
Also, please visit zephyrologie.com

Marlowe-Richmond Hill tomorrow night

Hi all,

I'll be at the Marlow-Richmond Hill Tuesday June 20th. Here's the details:

155 York Blvd (Leslie & Hwy 7)
Richmond Hill, ON
905-771-8645

We begin playing around 7pm. Hope to see you there.

Too cute... rookie photography mistake

My boy and the ducky.
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

With all the photos I shoot, my main problem is that I create motion blur. In a nutshell, I should A) shoot with a higher shutter speed with a possible flash or B) start using a tripod. Then again, I should focus more on C) not moving when I shoot.

Hi tiger

Hi tiger
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

Another tiger shot, just a little closer. I contemplated purchasing lenses with Canon's Image Stabalizer on it, but thought otherwise. As a rookie shooter, I'm finding that I need to improve my shooting skills and having the IS models for my camera may turn into a crutch down the road. Besides, the extra dough was a bit of a deterrant.

Don't get me wrong, Image Stabalizers are great in various situations, but in my case as a hack, I'll leave IS lenses off my wish lists (for now).

Waiting Alone

Waiting Alone
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

I'm becoming a big fan of the use of lines and shadows in my photography. I'm still working on it, but here's a taste of what I'm beginning to enjoy.

Practice recap

Holy busy batman. I've been in and out of gigs that I can't remember which gig was which. Most of them being wedding reception gigs.

Anyway, I rehearsed yesterday afternoon with a few friends for an upcoming wedding reception which went very well. It's funny how people you've known for years still seem to suprise you with new talents. Anyway, I look forward to playing with these extremely talnted people.

Doh... no Marlowe

Looks like I messed up my schedule. I won't be at the Marlowe tonight. Next week.

Sorry for those who were coming down.

I think my cover's been blown...

I think my cover's been blown...
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

I haven't been to the zoo in the longest time. Anyway, I took a few shots of the animals. Let me know what you think.

Marlowe Tueseday Night

I'm back @ Marlowe this Tuesday May 30th. Should be a good time. Good food. Good music. Good time. Hope to see you there.

558 College St
Toronto, ON

(416) 963-2229

7pm to 10pm


visit:
marlowe.ca for more details

Change of plans - The Marlowe Downtown

Looks like I'm back downtown tonight.

Marlowe Restaurant
558 College St
Toronto, ON M6G 1A1, Canada
(416) 963-2229

Click here for a map.

Same time: 7pm to 10pm

Marlowe- Richmond Hill

Tomorrow night, I'll be playing up at The Marlowe in Richmond Hill (Leslie & Hwy 7). We'll start playing at around 7:00pm 'til about 10:00pm. Hope to see you there.

Marlowe Restaurant
155 York Boulevard
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3B4, Canada
(905) 771-8645

Click here for a Google map.
visit www.themarlowe.ca for details.

NYCO Recap

Well, to sum it up, it was a well done performance by all. All I heard from those who came out were positive reviews. I had a blast learning all the music and being able to perform it with the NYCO. I look forward to reading through some of the other pieces we'll be performing next year.

NYCO Final Concert of the Season

Here's the scoop.

The North York Concert Orchestra's Final concert of the season will be taking place this Saturday May 6th at Willowdale United Church (349 Kenneth Ave) a couple of blocks south-east of Yonge&Finch. The concert begins at 8pm and tickets are still available at the door. On the program for the night is as follows:

Weber - Der Freischutz Overture
Weber - Concertino for clarinet & orchestra
Ricardo Mojica, clarinet
Beethoven - Symphony #5

Please come and show your support and I hope to see you there.

New to Aikido

Well, I know that this blog has been mostly been about me in music and my reflections on this subject. Some of the secondary articles have been about golf and running with a couple of my photos from Flickr. Anyway, my new passion began this week as I enrolled myself into learning Aikido. Similar to my other hobbies, it is a life-long endeavour and I hope to share some of my insights on this subject.

Gig Tonight - The Marlowe

If you're free tonight, I will be playing for a couple of hours at The Marlowe on College Street, west of Bathurst starting at 7:30pm tonight.

The Marlowe
558 College Street West
Toronto, ON
416-963-2229

visit
www.themarlowe.ca/collegestreet/ for more details.


Sorry for the late notice but I hope to see you there.

Wibi Show this Friday

This is my a capella alma mater (try saying that 5 times fast). Come out and show your support.

Wibi's Spring Concert
Friday April 21st is the date
8pm is the time

It will be held at York University in 050 McLaughlin College "The Dacary" (#51 on the map)

Just follow our signs

Tickets will be sold at the door:
$6 students and seniors
$8 everyone else


If you'd like to learn more about Wibi visit wibi.ca

Better Weather=GOLF

Angus Glen Clubhouse
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

The golf itch has kicked in and I can't wait to scratch it. I've already hit the driving range (just an L-wedge) and I'm feeling pretty good. Although I won't be able to get out to play much this year, I still can't wait to get the first round in. April rates in the GTA are looking okay so here's hoping that I get out sooner than later.

Bloor Bridge

Bridge
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

I did a bit of a walk-about a couple of weeks ago and found this bridge at Broadview and Bloor. I wonder if I shot it in B&W if it would have come out a little better.

Quote of the Week

"Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics."
- Fletcher Knebel

"There are lies, big lies, and then there are statistics."
- Anonymous

"..."
- BassBassDude

Mental Blocks

Mental blocks can kill you. Especially when performing live. Lucky for me, it was only a rehearsal. Unlucky for me, I had a mental block.
Wednesday night was another NYCO rehearsal and it was going well. When nearing the end of the night, I could not get through one of the finales in Beethoven's 5th. The worst part was that it was at a point where everyone rests; dead silence. My mental block was finding new points in this section to "un-deaden" these precious moments.
"Sticking out like a sore thumb" would be an understatement of a phrase. Sticking out like a pink neon sign outside of a cheap motel at midnight flashing "Vacancy" with an arrow pointed at my head; that would be a little more accurate.
Anyway, mental blocks suck.

Quote of the Week

"Everybody tells jokes, but we still need comedians" - Jimmy Wales

"You've been a fabulous audience. Have a great night and don't forget to tip your waitresses." - BassBassDude

"BassBassDude shouldn't quit his day job." - BassBassDude

Zoom-Zoom-Zoom

Zoom-Zoom-Zoom
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

I'm a big fan of driving. But, sometimes you need to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Cadence Last Night

4 on stage. No instruments
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

A great Cadence show last night at Hugh's room. All a capella; no instruments attatched.
I was glad I could catch the tail end of the show.

Visit: Flickr for a couple of pics.

Cadence @ Hugh's Room - Tonight

WHO: Cadence, plus Special Guests Onoscatopoeia, the University of Toronto's Hart House Jazz Choir
WHEN: TONIGHT. Wednesday March 29. Doors open at 6pm, show at 8:30pm
WHAT: 2 sets of vocal fun!
WHERE: Hugh's Room, 2261 Dundas St West, Toronto Ontario
(1 1/2 blocks south of Dundas West subway station)
WHY: Good vibes for the Juno Awards! We're nominated for: Best Vocal Jazz Album, Best Engineer (for producer/mixmeister Adam Messinger and Dylan)
HOW MUCH: $10 advance, $12 at the door.

I'll be taking photos...

Hopefully good ones.

Well, I just downloaded a Blogger widget through Google and this is a quick test to see how it goes.  I'm a big fan of all things Google and this seems like it is something that I could use.

The Better Way

The Better Way
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

I was doing a bit of a walk-about close to where I worked and found the subway zooming by. I probably could have used a slower shutter speed but I was without a tripod. Still working on my technique, but, that's part of the fun of photography.

Warden passage

Warden passage
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

I took this shot on my way home from work in Scarborough.

Cadence this Wednesday

Here's the Scoop...
Cadence's Juno Celebration Performance
@ Hugh's Room, 2261 Dundas St West, Toronto Ontario
(1 1/2 blocks south of Dundas West subway station)
Tickets are going fast, so reserve a seat and coming early for dinner. They have great food at Hugh's.

To order tickets in advance, call: 416 531 6604
$10 advance, $12 at the door

I'll see you all there. I'll be at the back taking photos late in the evening.

NYCO Rehearsal Last Night

Well, just had another North York Concert Orchestra rehearsal last night. After being off for a week, I felt like I was sight-reading again. At least I have proper music to take home and practice. Anyway, you always sound good when your part is covered up by the whole orchestra. Once you are singled out, you really notice what you need to work on.

Rebel XT continued

Now, I'm not a camera aficionado, but I do know what I like. After purchasing the Canon Rebel XT, I've become camera crazy. I'm playing with all the creative features that this camera offers and I'm still trying to learn more. I am finding that I like playing around with the different shutter speeds and the different types of photos it can produce. I'm still trying to wrap my head around ISO speeds and when to adjust the aperture, but overall, it is a fun hobby. I feel like I have to drop a few of my many hobbies in order to improve on my other hobbies.

Canon Rebel XT

I just purchase the Canon Rebel XT. I am a big fan and I highly recommend this camera to anyone who has the money. I just have to figure out how to use its full potential.

Quick Tip: Relax to play fast

Playing quick passages can be very difficult. More often than not, it is a mental hurdle that holds us back. Frustration tends to settle in and then we tense up. Once tension takes over, our playing muscles cannot move as freely and quickly as we would like them to. Try relaxation exercieses when your practicing leads you into a brick wall. Breathe easy, slow things down and chill out; it's music.

Practice Backwards

While at my last NYCO sectional, a fellow contra-bassist suggested we practice some of the difficult passages backwards. Not it in the literal sense of going backwards via note-by-note, but breaking phrases up in sections and starting from the end first. I have found this practice technique quite useful and extremely practical. When attempting to learn a piece of music, most people begin from the beginning of a piece and plough on through until they get to the very end. What ends up happening, at least in my case, is that I get quite familiar with the opening sequences of a piece of music because of all the starts and stops that come about. Eventually, when I'm at the middle of a piece, I begin to lose interest and when I finally reach the end, I am completely disenchanted, that is if I ever reach the end. What eventually happens with this latter method is that I will start a piece of music strong, but then I will fade in technique and energy by the time I hit the finale. To paraphrase Joseph Conrad "In with a bang, out with a whimper." Now, this inferior technique also applies to the micro level of difficult runs, passages, bop heads, memorization, etc. By first learning the end, one can set theirself up for continual growth. The way I see it, "end-first" is kind of like building blocks. First you learn the last note, then you stack on a couple of other notes that lead into that last note. After that has been mastered, add a couple more notes to that phrase, and so on. This isn't revolutionary but it does make sense. We, as musicians are essentially trying to communicate. The notes and phrases we try to employ in our craft are our sentences and simplifying the language is the best way to get our point accross, or at least for us to understand our own thoughts or the thoughts of the composer. It can be as simple as "See spot. See spot run. Run Spot run."

Practice...

I haven't practiced in a while due to various circumstances. I feel awful for it and want to get at it again. Here's hoping tonight I get a good session in.

Quote of the week

"There are lies, big lies, and then there are statistics"-anonymous

"35% of households asked know not to believe statistics" -BassBassDude

Bass Stool

Normally when playing bass, whether it be jazz or classical, I trained myself to play standing up. Seeing that I'm not getting any younger, I'm finding that standing for 3 to 4 hours at a gig or rehearsal is slowly taking its toll. To make a long story short, I am now in the market for a bass stool. Anyway, I don't want to break the bank on a seat, but, I would like something that does the job. The only drawback to having a bass stool is the fact that it's another thing to lug around. Getting through doorways was hard enough with only a bass in hand, but with a stool in the other, things could get a little tricky.

(PS- Call it immature, but I thought it was humerous talking about stools and how awkward it would be to lug them around)

Inspiration everywhere

You just never know when it will hit you. This time I found myself wanting to figure out a song thanks to the NBC show "Scrubs". "Men At Work" lead singer Colin Hay's appearance on this show lead me to want to figure out the song he sang throughout one of the episodes. Those who are a fan of the show know what I'm talking about. Anyway, after thoroughly enjoying watching a couple of "Scrubs" episodes, the Colin Hay's "Overkill" tune kept ringing through my head so I just had to go and figure it out. Anyway, it's fun learning new things, especially when you weren't planning on it.

In need of good copies

Last night I had my first rehearsal with the NYCO. Everything went well until we had to play; sarcasm intended. We received music for Beethoven's 5th, but the copy we had to play from was completely illegible. It didn't have any markings on the different movements and a good number of notes were cut off. It was quite frustrating but, it helped develop a much needed skill. Patience. Apparently, my feelings if ineptitued were shared with many others in the orchestra because most players were having the same difficulties as I. Hopefully, this is the worst it gets.

NYCO Concert Recap

The North York Concert Orchestra had its second concert of the season last night; my first as a part of its double bass section. It is always a bit of an adjustment when playing in different venues. Whether it be in your practice room or on a theatre stage or in a great sounding acoustic church, you have to make necessary adjustments. Last night at Willowdale United Church, I felt that we did a great job and the audience seemed to respond well to the Orchestra's performance. Thanks to all for coming out and supporting us.

NYCO Concert

Last night went well with the NYCO, even though it was a portion of the songs we will perform. I noticed that we tend to play things slightly faster when playing live. Granted you are a little excited, but, I should have gotten my hands ready to play some of those pieces that fast. It's not that I didn't keep up; the tempo we played at blind-sided me. Well, if you missed last night, you can catch the full concert this Saturday evening.

For details, visit www.nyco.on.ca

Reminder: North York Concert Orchestra

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

7:30 PM

Benefit concert for the Downtown Alternative School (DAS)

Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People
165 Front Street (at Frederick Street)
Toronto

NYCO:
Copland - Outdoor Overture
Glazunov - The Seasons: Winter

With the DAS Choir:
Traditional Quaker - Simple Gifts
Anderson - Sleigh Ride

NYCO:
Dvorak - Symphony #8

Tickets: $10 - $25

Visit www.nyco.on.ca for more details.

Click here for a map to the theatre.

See you there.

Little Jam

Last Friday, I had a small little jam session with a couple of people that I did a recording with late last year. We went through a few jazz standards and a couple of contemporary songs as well. I always find it interesting to see how other players process music, especially those who have been self-taught. I threw out a tune that the others didn't know at all. Although it took a little bit of time to figure it out, it came out sounding pretty good. In fact, everyone always brings different things to a song and it is always refreshing to see how a person interprets printed music. After all, "there's more than one way to carve a turkey" or "all roads lead to Rome". Anyway, we got to where we wanted to.

Find a mentor

Many people have this idea that they can learn everything from a book. This applies to those that want to learn music. Sometimes a person would buy a book or magazine with "tabs" in the hopes of being a virtuoso. But, we all know that learning music from books can only take you so far; they have limits. Don't get me wrong, when used properly, books are a great resource for musicians and artists alike. They can give you ideas to further your musical progress or be a source of reference to rehash some techniques. By far, having a competent mentor or teacher to show you the ropes is the way to go. A teacher can show you the tiny little things that you may be doing incorrectly and give you feedback. They are 3-dimensional fonts of knowledge that can give you visual, audio and tactile tips. Anyway, my point is to find your musical Yoda. They can guide you through your books and

NYCO Concert Details

Here's the low-down on the North York Concert Orchestra concert.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Willowdale United Church
349 Kenneth Avenue
North York

Copland - Outdoor Overture
Champagne - Danse Villageoise
Glazunov - The Seasons: Winter
Dvorak - Symphony #8

Here's a quick link to the gig courtesy of Google Maps

Weaknesses Exposed

On Wednesday night, two of the double bassists that I play with in the NYCO were unable to make it to rehearsal. Well, in that kind of situation, your weaknesses are completely exposed. Essentially, I held my own. I still have much to work on and a lot to learn. Although, I learned very quickly how much I lean on the others in my section; mostly on when to come in after long rests. Counting is easy, but when the phrasing of orchestra is focusing on off-beats, it can throw you for a loop. Anyway, you have to be very focused when you're under-staffed, especially when your principal player is away.

Tiger Unleashed

Last night I finally received Apple's new OS Tiger for my ibook. It took a while to install but, I'm excited about what it can do. If you have a review on this, let me know.

Honda Civic commercial

Now, those who know me, know that I enjoy most things a capella. The "coolness" factor of being able to perform music without instruments is a feat. This commercial definitely qualifies as cool. Check it out. www.honda.co.uk/civic/ Oh, and make sure to WATCH the ad.

Bass Mute

One of the songs that we are performing for this coming concert with the North York Concert Orchestra requires a mute. I didn't realize that a mute could be used on a double bass in a performance setting, but I guess you learn something new every day. I decided to go cheap and painless with the common plastic mute that goes just around the strings inbetween the bridge and the tailpiece. My analysis, the word "mute" is loosely termed and should not be taken literally. All it does is dampen/take away the upper partials/harmonics. That's another story I should talk about later.

iLife '06

Last night, I received iLife '06 in the mail and I have yet to get my hands wet on all the apps. Being an convert since late 2004, I have been a strong advocate for apple. One of the apps that I can't wait to play with is Garage Band 3. Now, I never purchased iLife '05 and I wasn't very interested with the original Garage Band, but I was turned around by the easy use of pitch correction from this new version. Anyway, I'm curious to see what you think of iLife '06.

Here's a couple of
iLife '06 reviews

Speed Practice Notes

I was going over a couple of the more challenging passages of one of the pieces that I am going to perform as a member of the North York Concert Orchestra. I was told that the best way to get through fast/difficult passages is to slow everything down. Now, I've known about this for the longest time and have used this always. Go through it slow and once you are comfortable, pick up the speed. What I was not aware of until as of late, is that you must practice slowly but as if you were playing in real time. That is to say in a double bass setting, keep your bow strokes short and quick and keep both your hands moving quickly. I have always made the mistake of practicing slowly but with a technique that would not help me when the tempo picked up. I was always getting my hands used to playing long and heavy when practicing for speed. What I should have done was to practice "speed training". I'll get into this a little later. Anyway, you can always learn something new regardless of where you are in your playing.

NYCO Practice

Wednesday night was the first North York Concert Orchestra practice for the new year. It was great to see the group back together playing again. More importantly, seeing and hearing four double basses playing together in that setting was great. It is always nice to get back into things to rekindle your passion for playing and practicing.

Imogen Heap

I normally don't listen to electronic-styled music. But, because of the "Hide and Seek" arrangement by Transit, I began to look up stuff on Imogen Heap. I never heard much about her, but I'm becoming more intreagued with her stuff. Not my favourite stuff but her song writing is quite interesting. Anyway, it just turns out she's at the El Mocombo in Toronto. It's funny how one song can peak your interest.

Happy New Year

It's a new year and I'm finally back to Bloggin'. Just to start things off, a friend of mine brought this to my attention.
visit: www.transit-music.com
From what I know, they are an a capella group from North Carolina. They have an mp3 called "Hide and Seek" that is a must hear.

Take care and keep practicing.

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.