Personal

Whiskey Business

Cooking & Baking, Personal

I’m a camper.

For good prices. I loathe actual camping. My idea of roughing it is a four-star hotel with weak Wi-Fi and a lack of room service. However, if I see a pricey item that I want, it’s not unusual for me to stake it out on two or three websites until I see a price I like.

Along those lines, I got the blue 500w 12-speed Cuisinart stand mixer that I wanted for $99 instead of $250. No excuses left — Now I have to bake up those three fancy cake mixes I bought as an impulse purchase!

It arrives tomorrow. To celebrate, I mixed up an apple poundcake … by hand.

Failing Your MHC Test

Health, Personal

“Maybe Have Covid,” that is.

I’d been feeling worse-than-terrible. Not just tired or having a rough patch. Truly, I would’ve gone to the ER if it got much worse. I took a Covid test today, and it was indeed positive. I have other stuff as well, so Covid on top of it is never an easy ride.

When the only thing I’m fit for is watching YouTube videos about primitive 1960s Soviet lo-fi synthesizers, I know I’m seriously ill.

Talked to the moms of my students and got that all squared away. One of their responses reminded me of the importance of being pro-active.

O

If you have a suspicion, take the test. This particular mom is immunocompromised, and was so thankful that I took a test, canceled the day, and spoke right up.

This is the world in which we now live. Covid may feel like a rough flu to one person, but could be very dangerous for another person.

School is back in session — keep your guard up. And your spirits. =)

In the Studio

Musician, Personal

One of my older students asked me yesterday what my studio looked like. I’m sure he was imagining the puffy egg cartons on the walls, a rolling desk chair, a gigantic mixing board, and a plate glass window.

We had been talking about recording, and he was interested in what I am doing right now, so we’d had to listen to the track I’m working on (“Saint Clement’s, Forestbury“).

At one point, I guess it must’ve been about 15 years ago, my studio did indeed take up a small room of its own — a full-size digital piano, a smaller controller keyboard, digital sound modules in a rack, a mini disc deck (and before that, a DAT deck), a big lunky computer, etc. I still use versions of all those things and more; but as we know, electronics have gotten much smaller and much more powerful. I use an iPad Pro, an Akai MK3 mini, and a Sennheiser condenser mic.

A picture sounds 1000 notes, so here is a photo of my studio and workstation these days; including my recording engineer, Eli.

No vocals today, so we didn’t have the mic set up.

Creature of the Night

Goals, Musician, Personal

I’m a nighttime person.

Undeniably, part of the reason that I most enjoy the late hours is that everyone else is asleep (and leaving me alone). I understand and appreciate the privilege in my schedule — I have time to do things I enjoy, I can do some of my work while I am resting, and in fact, I enjoy my work.

I like where I have arrived. There were unavoidable years of survival jobs and work in music which necessitated long hours. There was returning to school to learn new instruments or improve skills. I’m thankful for all this, and also thankful that it’s now in the past.

I have a been assistant to a broker on the trading floor of a private bank. I have been a buyer’s assistant for QVC. I have been on corporate national tours. I have worked in retail at a record store. I have been a classroom teacher. I have been the receptionist for the office of a celebrity talk show. I have been a pit musician.

With all this past (and plenty left out), days are calm. Almost invariably, this is what my days look like.

o

9:00 am

10:00 am

o

12:00 pm

o

2:00 pm

o

6:00 pm

11:00 pm

2:00 am

Wake Up, shower.

Answer work emails, book work, planning, etc.

Composition, orchestration, recording time.

Teaching private students (piano, theory, music exploration).

Rest, watch a play or documentary; or DIY work.

Read, write a blog post.

Bed time.

I suppose the moral of the story is that it’s best to work hard honing your (practical) gifts and putting them into practice, working toward a long-term goal of peace and enjoyment.

Or at least, it worked for me.