| How did we get here |
[Nov. 18th, 2009|12:02 am] |
| [ | music |
| | Police - Walking On The Moon | ] |
Took a long weekend at the seaside last weekend.
Lots of DVD's, good chinese food, a decent amount of sun, little rain and okay temperatures (considering it's fall), long walks (foot in shambles, but healing), Simpson movie, BSG S4, Angel S1, Lucky Number S7evin, more movies, some cargo 747's lifting up and touching down, Oostende city center, etc.
Back in the Rat Race now.
Awaiting happy news from close friends.
Practising with our band.
Tuesday next week there's one of the Jam-events from our music school where we (the students, mostly band practice classes) will be playing in a bar (yes, in public !).
We asked if we were allowed to play a few songs with our band, and given the time, we may.
Just a few, though.
Btw, I got the latest Paramore album about a month ago.
I really like it ! Especially the bonus track. |
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| Evil needs some fun too |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|11:32 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Gloria Estefan - Bad Boy | ] |
Yay,
I took a couple of days off of work. Of, off ... ehm, whatever.
So yesh, I'm heading for a looong weekend.
And I can very much use it after these past few very busy months.
To the seaside I go ! Watch DVDs, practice some guitar.
At least after today, spent painting ceilings at a friend's house, which is cool.
But now: down time ! |
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| Hands of Time |
[Nov. 1st, 2009|05:06 pm] |
... and now I'm going to Disney Land !
Well okay, not really. Figure of speech :-)
Last sunday was the concourse (competition) with the Concert Band.
And it seems we did all right. Of course, as in all live performances, there were some glitches, some trouble actually grooving and sounding great together. But we did fine.
One of the jury members even wrote a commendation for our percussionists (me on drums, 2 peeps on timpani and melodic percusson, one on misscellaneous percussion. Yay us !)
Result is, we are now in Second league, which is cool. (Apparently, there's 3rd, 2nd, 1st and also 2 "extra ordinaire" leagues).
Of course on a global scale, this means absolutely zip. But it's fun to participate and receive a correct grade. Pretty much all of us play music purely as a hobby and simply for fun, so the entire group is pleased with the result.
However, since I still have 5 classes a week in music school and play in a small band as well, I decided to quit the Concert Band for now. Especially the last month, I noticed I couldn't practice for all these things as thorough as I would like to. So I needed to make a choice.
They were sad to see me go, and ... I was a bit as well.
Maybe I'll return there one day. Time will tell.
Music school:
- On drums teacher suggested going through as much The Police songs as we can, since Copeland sounds really amazing. But since I haven't had much time to practice, we focussed the past 2 lessons on technique (doubles, triplets, paradiddles)
- Band practice class: We've been going over several songs the last few weeks, going from Police's "Roxanne" over Duffy's "Warwick Avenue" and last tuesday all of a sudden we started on Evanescence's "My Immortal", ad-libbing to add guitar, bass and drums.
Good thing I know most of these songs by heart. And some that are deeply lodged.
- Band practice class 2: We're doing some jazzy number called Minor Blues.
- Guitar: Finally started on an actual song, and yay! it's A Brand - "Time".
I got the entire sequence in my head by now, and sometimes up to 80% of the original speed ;-P
Righty ... I feel like I've been completely run down lately. Batteries are drained beyond, so I'll be happy with having a bit more time to myself.
Next week is the holiday of 11/11 ... think I'll take a few days off work around.
Spend a few at the seaside, with my guitar and BSG Season 4, which I haven't even opened yet.
(I have it for like, a month already !)
And I'd like to have re-visited the entire Season 3 again by then ... erm ...
That'll be like ... 2 episodes per day to get there in time. O_o...kay.
Gonna round up the final episode of Sarah Connor Chronicles tonight, this time with audio commentary. Then it's Dollhouse on TV.
Drummer-boy out.
PS: We started D&D again yesterday. Totally revamped kick-ass characters, courtesy of ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) halfcore. Good times ! |
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| Whut ? |
[Oct. 15th, 2009|03:23 pm] |
This just passed my sleep depraved mind ...
"I know a Freudian nipple slip when I hear one".
Busybusybusy week, all week.
Tuesday night: 4 music classes
Tonight: Concert band
Tomorrow night: Practice with our (new) band
Saturday: Music theory class and Dinner with the Concert band
Sunday: FACTS
And yes, I have a day job. |
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| Still here |
[Oct. 5th, 2009|12:27 pm] |
This weekend, I bought the new Paramore album.
And ... Battlestar Galactica Season 4 (the complete 8 disc box).
Hell yes !
Still in the middle of watching the Sarah Conner Chronicles, though.
But soon, I'll re-watch BSG Season 3, and then Season 4. |
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| Kitty, kitty |
[Aug. 18th, 2009|06:53 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Heather Nova - London Rain | ] |
Got a reminder from Photobucket, that I was forgetting I had an account there.
Seems I added a few pics there of my past cars, but haven't added my current one yet.
Possibly, I wanted to make sure my Black Cat could hang in there long enough to prove worth a picture. *knocks on wood* It was quite cheap when I bought it a good year ago, and is now 10 years old.
So there, a picture.
Well, randallsilver. See what you're missing out on.
Still don't feel like trading ? :-P
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| Infinitisemal ... |
[Aug. 11th, 2009|01:20 pm] |
Music filled week last week. Every evening tuesday through saturday (jamming with guys from music school, rehearsal with the concert band in Niel and the free Casa Blanca festival all the other nights. Can't say I've been very much awake the last weeks. Up, yes. But awake ? ;-P
Parents were on the way back from holiday during the weekend, they arrived nice and safely sunday evening, while I was at trinket410 and endimi's for dinner, their wedding pictures, chats and continuing our viewing of the 6 Star Wars movies (long, long time ago, we watched Episodes 1 and 2 back to back). Time flew by, and so we only got around to Episode 3.
One day, I'm sure we'll get to Episode 6. :-)
Tonight, birthday party @ randallsilver's. So, Happy Birthday !! Seez tonight. |
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| They need to take seven and they might take yours |
[Aug. 4th, 2009|12:10 pm] |
Sweet Lords.
Looks like it's been ages since I posted.
In short:
- Went on holiday (Spain as usual) It was groovies and wonderful. And over waaay too soon.
- Had some time home alone, which is good. But all in all I was out a lot of the evenings.
- Saw Buffy Season 1 again. Then skipped to Season 4 (Yay! "Something Blue" and "Hush")
- Casa Blanca festival this week
- Got together with a few peeps from music school to see if we can play together, or even start a band
- Second gathering tonight
- Concert Band rehearsals beginning again this week
- Some issue with my Black Cat: Fuel seemed to be leaking from the tank, but apparently it has something to do with the fact that the tank was topped off and stood in the sun for a few hours. A lot of pressure builds up in a heated fuel tank, hence the spill. The slight dripping stopped after the sun was down and I opened the tank, releasing a lot of pressure.
When checked yesterday, the undercarriage of my car was completely dry, no signs of any actual leak, so that was probably the issue.
Still, to be sure I'll have to keep an eye on it. If the symptoms persist in other circumstances, a thorough check will be necessary. *crossing fingers*
Heat wave the next few days. Le sigh.
Spike out. |
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| Closing Time (cheque please) |
[Jun. 17th, 2009|11:52 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | The Kooks - She Moves in Her Own Way | ] |
Hey y'all.
What's been going on with me lately ?
Hmm, well. Mostly just work and music, really.
Music school is nearly at its end for this year. Last few classes, but these are more like social gatherings :-) Last week I had exam drums, the week before exam guitar.
They all went quite well. Not that I'll ever be entirely happy ;) but it was all very much okay, really.
My scores ?
80% for drums
82% for (electric) guitar
Which is all good for me ;-)
Next week monday and tuesday, I still have an assignment for recording some of piano/keyboard students. Possibly, tuesday june 30th is still an official schoolday, though most teachers are saying we're going for a drink next week already. We'll have to wait and see.
Concert band rehearsal is this week and the next. And then we're having a summer hiatus.
Frankly, everything seems to be grinding to a halt.
Yesterday, I brought my car to a friend/mechanic for maintenance and annual (mandatory) checkup.
Though I hadn't noticed any problems, it's always a bit scary, like an exam for the car itself, as they might find some hidden, slumbering issue. Early stages of mechanical wear, parts that would need to be replaced, etc. My wheels is 10 years old now, so anything's possible.
But, my Black Cat got through with flying colours. Yay! Very happy for that.
Next friday is the closing event for the (music) schoolyear. The "Laatste Nootjes".
And the sunday after (june 28th), there's the small free festival (just 1 day) Rock Edegem.
Not sure if I'll be going.
Pointing to a bigger (but also free) festival: there's Casa Blanca in early august.
The line-up is not to be compared with any of the great festivals, of course, but nevertheless fun.
Aaand ... in a few weeks I'll be on holiday. Finally !! Back to the Medditerranean with sun, a nice beach, clear blue water, a nice scenery, beautiful horizon ... !
Really, I've started my countdown.
And after that, I got the house to myself for a few more weeks, which is also pretty cool.
Wouldn't mind some more peeps around me, though. For something to do, to hang out with during the summer. |
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| ... But I'm talking about Dirty Frank ?! |
[Jun. 9th, 2009|10:28 pm] |
Looks like it's been a while since I last posted.
Well, I'm also on Twitter these days, so a lot of my immediate blogging urges flow out there :-)
Anyways. The schoolyear at the music school is gently strolling to an end.
- There won't be an exam for theory class, which is cool by me. I've got enough points.
- Exam for Band Practice class was a few weeks ago. And went pretty okay.
- Exam for electric Guitar was last thursday. I played AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long, and some improv on a blues shuffle. Teach said it was good. Don't know my score yet.
- Today was the exam for drum class. I did a Swing study, and together with my drum teacher (playing electric bass) we did the Pink Panther theme. Which is in fact also a Swing. Jury decided for a nice 80%. To which I can totally agree ;-P
Righty. It's been almost a year since my Black Cat crossed my path.
So that also implies the annual overhaul and checkup. Should've been today, but my mechanic canceled. So it'll be next week.
Starting the countdown for my holiday !!! Jacknabbit. Been craving my vacation spot for far too long now. Just about every day now I'm looking at a webcam that is relatively nearby. |
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| Life is but what you make it |
[May. 24th, 2009|06:17 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Bat for Lashes - Daniel | ] |
Just spent a very relaxing few hours on the terras, soaking up some sun, with Lykke Li, The Police and An Pierlé (+ White Velvet) on mp3 player, reading one of the short stories in a book with old victorian ghost stories: "Night Shivers". Drinking a few glasses of yummy sangria. This is how summer should (and I hope it will) be. Serene, and shiny ;-P
Actually I think I own that book twice now ... holding it in my hands felt so familiar, and then I had some déjà vu's on the cover from up close. Possibly, I read some of it last summer, or maybe even two years ago.
Lessee ...
Thursday: games night at Roellie's. Played "Bang". Talked lots, but ended too soon.
Friday: Went into the city late afternoon. Went by the local MM and Saturn (and Fnac where they kicked me out as it was 19:00 already ;-) to find birthday presents, and some cd's I'd been searching for. Finally got the Grandmaster Flash album that came out in february, also the previous Paramore album "All we know is falling", and the Pearl Jam album "Ten", which was rated quite high in the StuBru album top 100 the day before. Also walking on the boardwalk of the river Schelde. One of my favourite places to be. Love the sunset, the smell of the river and the restaurants around there, exostic and local. Got home late for dinner, so I got me a pita and put on my Fifth Element cassette on the VCR !! Tradition is to be kept up ;-) Fifth Element is meant for an sunny uninterrupted evening in may. Yay! Quoting: "There's some very good words in V. 'Valiant', 'Vulnerable' ... 'Very Beautiful'".
Saturday was roleplay evening. The last one for at least a month, and then there's summer stuff, and also I'll be on vacation for a little while to some of the places I love most since childhood. Still, roleplay. Star Wars. Happy for sci-fi and being inside my favourite of stories. :-D
Today afternoon was spent easily on the terras, reading and listening to music. Relaxing. Not thinking about work tomorrow ;-)
One of the sayings I try to live by ...
"Act upon others, as you would like them to act upon you"
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| Leg of Lamb |
[May. 20th, 2009|12:19 am] |
| [ | music |
| | Queens of the Stone Age - Better Living Through Chemistry | ] |
The days are weird. Now possibly from lack of sleep or so.
Last weekend was pretty much busy, and I was running on fumes during that week already.
Friday evening practicing for exam.
Saturday: exam in the early afternoon. By good measure I was 15 minutes late. But since we had agreed to 30' setup time, I was actually still 15' early. Though when I arrived the jury asked if we could start immediately. The room was in fact a gymnasium hall, with awfull acoustic qualities, though they did put up some dampening cloth. Still circumstances were, as always when performing, much different than when we were practicing. So yet again, I couldn't hear a single note the sax was playing, hardly hear the guitars and the bass only slightly. So that caused a few errors, mostly in Song for Bilbao, which was the more advanced number we were playing.
However, we got back in the groove, concentrated on each other and pulled off the rest without much trouble. The jury was more than reasonable, and so the grade for our band practice group came to a whopping 82%. We happy !
Didn't stick around, coz in the late afternoon around 4, I was off to the edge of the world to see trinket410 and endimi for the birthday party + BBQ.
Yay BBQ ! I had bought her present way back during the LAN party we had last December, when we were talking Star Wars Lego a few weeks before :-P
Sunday, the original plan was to go to Studio Gyraf, for visiting a recording session of the music school's current AMC-3 class. But my classmate called right before we'd be leaving that he couldn't make it. Since I had just gotten back (late) from the party (was a sleepover, so yay cocktails !) and I didn't feel like going to the studio by myself, I immediately decided to go to the Boekenfestijn here in Antwerp instead. By then it was 16:00 already, so I rushed only through the aisles that probably contained interesting stuff for me.
Result:- Pro PHP: A very recent PHP book with programming techniques (for once not a beginner's level)
- Night Shivers: A book with Victorian age Ghost stories. Always fun, classic thrillers.
- Ice Station: A very typical scifi about a city of some advanced race beneath the Antwarctic polar cap.
- Ringworld's Children: Larry Niven's fourth installment of the RingWorld 'verse (sci-fi). Fascinating concept: same as a Dyson Sphere, but in this case only a ribbon/slice of sphere around a sun.
On a sidenote, there's pretty much always some nice looking females walking around the boekenfestijn (hey, it's a book fair after all) ... unfortunately they're always there with their boyfriend/husband. drats. So unfair ;-)
Yesterday wasn't really going well. The kind of day when everything you try seems to fail. So not much practice again. Really, I was very much thinking why I try playing the guitar at all. But in the end I blame the tiredness, since just about everything either slipped out of my hands, or just went wonky on me.
Now a very short working week. Wednesday is the last working day already. :-D Concert Band rehearsal was moved from thursday to wednesday, so tomorrow evening will be busy as well.
Mailed the guys if we could hang out some of the time. Looks like thursday evening and maybe saturday has potential.
So .... that'll leave me some time for practicing my instruments some more, and well, cleaning up this room, which looks no less than a disaster area.
Lessee .... 1 AM already. Hmm, wonderfull *sags*. Tomorrow's gonna go well again.
Yes well, I'll be happy 24 hours from now.
Time off == bliss. |
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| Come with me now to the edge of time ... |
[May. 15th, 2009|11:17 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Arid - If You Go | ] |
Le weekend is here.
I've been busy for a while now, and it ain't letting go.
Band practice exam tomorrow, during open school, so there's an audience.
Afraid the room we will be playing in has awfull acoustics ... dunno yet.
Funny, I'm less nervous about playing in front of an audience right now. Guess playing in front of people regularly spawns some sort of shield for that.
More nervous since it's this year's final test.
And then, on tuesday the drum teacher asked me to play drums with another group of students also during open school this saturday. They're a group of sax players. It'd be only 2 songs, but completely without any practice in advance. *angst* They gave a music sheet, apparently created by someone who doesn't play the drums much. And I think there's an actual 2 bar error on it *sigh*
Wednesday I learned that this other band is playing roughly at the same time as my band practice class. With there only being one of me, that could be a problem.
Then today drum teach replied that he'll take those 2 songs.
Right after, I'll be off to the birthday party. Present is packed and ready.
On sunday, the odds are good that we'll be visiting the recording studio Gyraf.
The M3 class Music Culture will be recording their own made song there that day. (Last year, our group didn't get to do the recording, so these guys are lucky)
But anyway, we're welcome to witness the recording, ask the people there questions. It's part of our current classes Music Theory.
Yesterday I heard that the Boekenfestijn is currently here in Antwerp. So if there's any time left on sunday, I'll check it out as well. Though honestly, I wouldn't mind crawling into my bed and stay put for a week or so.
Concerning my ankle, hurting from another attempt to start jogging, the doctor recommended a physiotherapist *pout* So to find a way to gently nudge that joint back up to strength.
Yay! DJ Shadow lyrics (mixed recordings)
In a few moments you will have an experience which will seem completely real...
it will be the result of your subconscious fears, transformed to your conscious awareness...
you have 5 seconds to terminate this tape...
There's a game out there, and the stakes are high.
and the guy who runs it figures the averages all day long, and all night...
Once in a while he let's you steal a pot,
but if you stay in the game long enough, you've got to lose
and once you've lost, there's no way back...
No way at all... |
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| Not the Answer to your Questions |
[May. 11th, 2009|10:24 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Nailpin - A Dream To Begin With | ] |
Last saturday, I raided the local Saturn shop.
Well, okay. "raided" is a bit strong. I was very financially aware, and not very much inclined to spend cash. And honestly, the loot is by any standard quite modest. However, about 100 of my bucks made their way into their register.
I got me the latest Lacuna Coil cd (Not sure I like it yet. The songs and band performance IS good, but the producer or studio peeps made the record sound sooo compressed. So much not like their previous albums, which sound very clear and spacious.)
Plus, I didn't find me the Paul Simon - Graceland album *pout*
So I got an "Essential Simon and Garfunkel", which served nicely as a present for my mother.
Also got the latest Papa Roach. Didn't have a chance to listen to it yet.
As I say, support the bands you like !
Then, I got me the fourth Indiana Jones installment. Haven't seen it at the theatre, and opinions were all over the place. So now I have it cheap.
And also finally, BSG Razor. The movie parallel to season 1-2 of the Pegasus. I saw it once, 1.5 years ago. Need to see it again. :)
And last I got me 2 Phoenix Wright games for DS. Originally, I didn't want to spend more then 20 bucks for a game. One of them was 25 bucks, which I was okay with.
Then I saw another one from the series ... which cost 42€. :-/
However, one box of the 42€ kind actually had a price tag of only 15€.
So I couldn't leave it lying there.
Anyways, yesterday was a family birthday party. All out in the garden all day since the weather was amazing. Back of my neck is still hurting from unexpected sunburn.
Plans for going to sleep early were thwarted yet again. :(
But really, I'm babbling. Don't even know why I'm writing this.
This week:
Maybe drinks with an old friend I haven't seen in 15 years.
Saturday = exam band practice. Tomorrow we have 2 hours of class for it.
And ... endimi's birthday party.
Damn, still need to pack the present ;-) |
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| You can call me Al |
[May. 8th, 2009|01:18 pm] |
Weekend is heeeeere !!! Well, in a few hours it is, anyway.
Think I' gonna go to the MM or Saturn. It's been a long while now.
Yesterday I saw a documentary about Paul Simon, particularly about the album Graceland.
It's always been one of my favorite albums, ever since I was a kid. Though it's been years since I heard any of the songs. Reminds me of going on holiday with my parents and my two sisters, driving by car to Spain in the summer. My dad had a portable cassette player/recorder which we took along, and Graceland was one of the tapes we played regularly. Even 10 years later, I played it on my walkman when we were driving to Spain for the summer.
Driven around for hours carefree with the sun shining brightly, a cool breeze through the open window and happily being on holiday. That's what the album reminds me of. *bliss* And mostly the title track Graceland, which immediately brings me that soothing road-trip feeling :-)
A road to salvation, of reclaiming your life. Leaving the bad things behind and going off hoping to find new grounds and starting anew. Closing up a part behind you.
As the lyrics say: Losing love is like a window in your heart.
So, I'll be looking for that album tomorrow. And put it right in my car to stay :-)
Also, I'm hoping to find the new Lacuna Coil album. Curious about the new songs and sounds ! |
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| May 4 |
[May. 4th, 2009|09:15 am] |
| [ | music |
| | Tom torrrommmm, tom, torro-tommmmm tom | ] |
Hey, my Peeps.
May the Fourth be with you ! |
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| Strange World |
[May. 3rd, 2009|10:58 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | The Kooks - Sway | ] |
Whoah. Party weekend.
Think the weekend was a bit too much, really. :-D
Well, actually, I think was already too tired before, so this really didn't do much good. Or did it ?
Of course it did ! Apart from the headache and tiredness right now, I spent a lot of time among the best of friends. And honestly, I haven't been this relaxed and content in their presence since a long time. For which I'm very thankfull. These last couple of gatherings have been very pleasant.
Friday was a holiday, and my after-work music activities had been canceled wednesday and thursday. So I put myself to dust and disassemble my Lego Star Destroyer (nr. 10030) I'm selling, and pack all blocks neatly in bags again. Counted everything, disassembled by going backward through the instructions, removing piece by piece so I would be very, very sure all is there.
Possibly, this might be the reason my head hurts now ;-)
It took about 12 hours of concentration and counting. But it's finished and delivered.
Thursday evening was a family birthday party with lots of yummy chinese food.
Friday evening was a short notice "impromptu" but very, very much enjoyed BBQ.
Saturday afternoon, we took to trinket410 and endimi's place for our Star Wars roleplay session and ... a hearty BBQ. :-)
So really, I'm thinking I've been having a bit too much of the good life during past weekend. And it's no wonder my head and stomach are a bit wonky.
Still, the rest of the month is bound to be busy. With 2 more family birthday parties to come. Apparently another holiday in about 3 weeks (possibly a very long weekend), and a long weekend for june 1st.
On saturday 2 weeks from now, there's open house at the music school. People can come and see what the school is all about. Looks like we'll be playing our year final (test) with band practice that afternoon. We'll probably be playing Child's Anthem, Tipatinas and Song for Bilbao.
As it's the same day, this also means I'll be somewhat later to arrive at endimi's birthday party. Luckily, I've already found her a present ;-)
And I heard that the next day we'll be visiting a recording studio with music theory class. Really, I'm hoping that won't be too early in the day.
Finals for guitar and drum class I heard will be sometime early june.
But now ... some much welcomed sleep.
Btw, I'm on twitter these days ;-)
PS: It's May ! Which means I'll have to find a moment to see "The Fifth Element" again. A tradition for me, to watch it on some very warm and sunny evening in May. No reason. Just came to be that way. |
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| Never left the building |
[Apr. 26th, 2009|02:02 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | (BONZAI !!) DJ Dave Davis - Transfiguration | ] |
WTF ! Looks like I've been gone for 6 weeks !
Though I've been here, reading LJ just about every other day. Never got around to posting. Been kinda busy. That, and a bit of me-time.
Lessee ... a summary:
- The concert of our band practice class with the Concert Band was a success. Even though the audience wasn't really that tough :P
I believed the average age to be 70+. But still, performing is funness. - As they requested me, after the second practice session already, I joined the Concert Band. Not sure yet for how long, and they also said, no pressure, it's for fun. There is an open atmosphere, the people are kind friendly. The conductor is a bit shielded and grumpy, but still if you pay attention, you start to notice that he's really a good guy.
- The wheather was finally improving lately. About time, spring is in the air, I'm due for a small heat wave.
- Actually I'm due for grand holiday. I'm pretty much sick of the daily stuff, seriously need some time off. Looks like I always get that around this time of the year. My actual holiday is still two months away. *sobs*
- *knocks on wood* My Black Cat is still doing nicely, even though I'm not that happy with the gas-guzzling. Kinda hoping it's the winter cold that caused higher consumption, and that the summer will be better again.
- Parents were on holiday for a while *bliss* The house to myself, and the TV and stereo :-) Watching dvd's ... though I didn't get around to serious movie nights. Plus I started on BSG 1 again ;-)
- I borrowed trinket410's PS2 and Dancing Stage one more time. Got better on some of the songs, but my ankle was still hurting from taking up jogging again, so I had to go easy. Also because ... I didn't want to be limping and so much needed to dance the night away with my friends when ...
- trinket410 and endimi got married !! (Congrats again to you !). I was co-best man, together with halfcore. All but the wheather, and we surely didn't let that get us, it was a very wonderfull and beautiful day. Between the ceremony and the party, we went back to their house to fill the smallest rooms and both their cars with balloons, a 4kg bag of sweets spilled over the bed, some dvd switching, books turned upside down, sugar in the salt container, wrapped the cars in plastic, etc. All meant to be harmless stuff :-)
Good people and friends, lots of laughs, a cool magic show by randallsilver, good muscicians performing live, good music, dancing our collective rocks off til 4am. Oh yeah! - The week before we had trinket410s bachelor party right here in the city. Didn't do much action, but we did laugh our asses off several times. We need to do such stuff again, bachelors or not.
- What else ... I participated in a Jazz/Funk workshop here in Hoboken. tWas cool, even if I didn't get to show any drum moves. Was sorry about that, but hey.
Also, saw an amazing teenage drummer there ... Don't know how, but that kid was incredible. Seemed to be born and raised on a drum kit. He's gonna make it far, I'm sure. The week after, I went to the drummers festival, bought a Steve Jordan dvd. Saw Cindy Blackman and Will Calhoun perform. Will Calhoun !!! Funkeeey ! And Gregg Bissonette, doing an hommage to The Police drummer Stewart Copeland. - Had planned to pick up my parents again tuesday, 23h pm (late but feasable with needing to go to work the next day) Still, after a full day at the office and music classes 18:00 til 22:00 I was pretty tired already ... and then their flight was delayed for 3 hours. Ouch. With an hour drive, I picked them up around 2am and got to bed at 3:30. Wednesday morning, alarm clock at 7 am, at work at 8:30. In the evening music class and practice, then thursday all day work and Concert Band rehearsal in the evening. *drops dead* But I managed. Now, how about that holiday ?
- Last week we went to a fund raiser for musician Sofie Cavez, since she lost so much as all her posessions when her appartment burned out. Good music, good people, good atmosphere ! We hope it did some good.
- And so yesterday was another small concert with the Concert Band, the first with me officially on board. Almost literally, as we played along the riverside in Niel, about a mile downstream from the place called "Hellhole". They put up two flatbed trailers as a podium. It was the opening festivities for the new touristic season, with Fire as the main theme.
- After the concert, I rushed to the Antwerp center to trinket410 and endimi, to the Heksenketel to see Helen Flaherty, Philip Masure, Dave Munnely and de Fons perform there. I caught them near the entrance during their break, and Sofie was hanging out there as well. As the place was more than packed and there scarcely was a breath of air left (and since the window was open), we decided to put ourselves on the terras of the bar across the street, where we could enjoy the music just as well. Lateron, Peter arrived with his guitar, and after the performance was done, we went back in for talks and some very limited jamming. Still, good times and I hung around til late.
I'd say, that's good enough for catching up.
Oh yeah. Cinema tickets have reached a new low ... or should I say, a new high. Over 9 bucks to see a movie. I'm sure that my limited movie theatre visits will further dwindle. And now, since parking after 19:00h is no longer free in the city center area of the UGC (only free after 22:00 ! WTF!), I'm thinking of visiting the city less and less. And moving my "cinematic experience" to the Metropolis theatre building, as long as they don't charge for parking. With dvd prices of 7 to 10 bucks within a year after release, I can do with less theatre visits.
Right now, listening to some Zillion remixes of some of the house classics of the nineties. *warm feelings* (Dave Davis - Mutation, Three Drives - Sunset on Ibiza, Lotus - With or Without You, Push - Strange World, Cygnus X - Orange Theme)
Makes me feel like partying sooooooo much again !
Flipping on the dance floor, letting the music take over.
And oh yeah. The new Lacuna Coil album is out !! Finally.
I'll be buying it soon.
Unfortunately, they'll only be performing here in Belgium during the Graspop Metal Meeting festival, instead of having an actual tour show. *pout*
Most of the other bands at Graspop don't really interest me (with a few exceptions, for example Papa Roach). So I won't be going there. |
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| It's Nice to be Wanted |
[Mar. 11th, 2009|09:17 am] |
| [ | music |
| | Selah Sue - Fyah Fyah | ] |
The concert band (you know, the one which our band practice has temporary joined for a small concert on march 22nd) is apparently impressed with my humble being.
Yesterday they asked me if I'd like to join them permanently ! :D
Not sure yet what I'm gonna do with it.
The role of a drummer/percussionist there is of course much more formal and rigid.
Plus you're playing and supporting 50 other people with instruments, so there isn't all that much space for improv or to wander around musically.
And then there's the total difference in genre, which might wear on me.
Also, with me preparing music school on monday, a whole evening of class on tuesday and another hour on wednesday, I tend to hold on to my thursday evenings for taking a breather.
But the concert band practices late every thursday evening, which means preparing on wednesday as well.
Btw, I came across this ... and it's application is not limited to software development alone.
We called it the Rubber Duck method of debugging. It goes like this:
1) Beg, borrow, steal, buy, fabricate or otherwise obtain a rubber duck
(bathtub variety)
2) Place rubber duck on desk and inform it you are just going to go over
some code with it, if that's all right.
3) Explain to the duck what you code is supposed to do, and then go into
detail and explain things line by line
4) At some point you will tell the duck what you are doing next and then
realise that that is not in fact what you are actually doing. The duck
will sit there serenely, happy in the knowledge that it has helped you
on your way. |
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