This blog has now reached it's end. The American Adventure has finished. Will there be a sequel in the near future? One will never know, but for now let's let the credits roll...

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Chapter kthxlolbbq!

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

This is an LPW I didn't record for some reason, and someone else did! Featuring me! Yay!

The joys of youtube. There's actually another one with me in it, but you can't see me. You can look on this dude's videos and find the 'North, South, East and West' one to hear me playing if you want to. Yay!


Oh and here's a little something extra for you. Turn the volume down. You have been warned.


One more LPW coming. Once I get round to editing it.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

chapter w00-10

Yes it's the victor wooten night.

I had a shitty seat that night. The club was packed to overflowing and we had to share a table with some other people. There was a pillar right smack in front of me because technically I wasn't in a proper seat. They just skooshed me in somehow.

Thankfully though, the pillar was blocking the part of the stage that Victor decided not to stand on. It wasn't the best of views, but it wasn't completely obscured.

Pictures. Yes.



Surprisingly, those came out quite clear.

Fun facts of the night
- I don't know if you can see from the pictures, but Victor was wearing what must be the most horrendous looking polo-T I have ever seen. You'll NEVER catch me wearing something like that. But then again... who am I to judge fashion sense?
- There was a dude behind me who was sleeping throughout Victor's ridiculously powerful and exhilarating solo. I could hear him snoring. I mean come on... you paid 30 bucks to watch a hard thumping bass man and you sleep during his solo? That's just.... nevermind.
- Many people left before Victor was done. I don't quite understand what that indicates. Was he boring? Did they have other appointments? Was it late? I don't get it. Pay and sit through the show. Why leave 10 minutes before he's done?
- Victor didn't play an encore. The lazy bum.



There's something about seeing this dude live. Sure I've seen the countless youtube videos showing off his impossible abilities to manipulate the bass guitar. But to actually watch it in person is a whole different experience. His hand is literally too fast for the human eye. It's ridiculous.

I want to jam with this man one day. I want to make the Gregg Bissonette face when he does his ridiculous chops in front of me.

Th-th-th-that's all folks!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Chapter continue

Short blurb.
To let you know I haven't died.
I'm still here.
Busy.
Very busy.
3 bands?!
Yes three.
Rehearsals.
Practices.
Did I mention 3 bands?
But I'm still here.
Just so you know.
Victor Wooten concert was amazing.
More on that later.
Promise.
Running out of food.
No time this week.
Looks like lots of ramen.
Survive till weekend?
I hope.
Been rainy all week.
Good.
Cold.
Good.
Have a new plight.
Going for audition in Feb.
Cruise ship drummer.
Yeah, you heard right.
Jazz/Latin/stuff I hope.
Me.
On a ship.
Playing drums.
Free lodgings.
Free food.
3-6 months.
Paid.
Lots of money a month.
I.
Want.
This.
Job.
But here's the plight.
Requirements.
Over 21.
Check.
Excellent sight reading.
Err... check.
Resume.
No check.
Never made a resume in my life.
Drummer's resume?
How does that work?
Have to cobble one together from scratch.
Not sure how.
Not a lot to put on it.
Played drums for God a ton.
Does that count?
Counts for Him I guess.
Hope it works.
Hope I even make the auditions.
I want the audition more.
The job doesn't really matter.
I need to test my skills.
So resume.
Make it past stage 1.
Hopefully.
Wish me luck.
And stuff.
Wooten update later.


Er.


Yeah.


Ok.


Cool.


Stop reading.


I'm done.


End.


No really.


Finished.


There's no more.


Stop scrolling down.


There isn't any special content down here.


You're wasting your time.


I'm not writing anymore.


I'm not.


I said I'm not.


This is not a trick.


It really is the end.


Stop.


Stop I say.


Why are you still here?


Why?


Get back to work.


Stop wasting time on the internet.


You heard me.


I'll tell your boss.


I will.


Bye.


Bye already.


Geez.


.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Chapter Jive - Just Jamming Jiving Jazz

Uptempo jazz practice session.

Recording is crap as usual. Will attempt a better one soon. Bear with it.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Chapter 1+1=1 - the Chili Adventure (Pt 1)

Wow, I haven't written anything for the past 10 days.

Not much has been going on. I report that I am safe, alive, healthy, breathing, moving etc.

Just school's been happening. It's good to be back. I suspect I'm falling in love with school life too much. I enjoy it too much. And I hate it when it's cancelled for a holiday, like next monday - Martin Luther King Day. As much as I respect Mr. King, I want my school day thanks. You owe me one.

Anyway.

I bought this recently.


Yes. I've suddenly realised I miss heat in my cooking. I've been doing fine so far. But now I'm just not satisfied.

So, the next couple of purchases are going to be experiments - to try and file the scale of chili heat and see if I can find my perfect match. I've tried the top end of the scale - mexican hot sauce - and that's a bit too much. So now I begin at the bottom end.

And it's pathetic. What was I thinking. Chili powder? The stuff you sprinkle on your pizzas? Clearly, this was rubbish. Now to take it up a notch.

Stay tuned for the upcoming Chili exploration adventures.

Oh and here's the first LPW of the Year.



Friday, January 1, 2010

Chapter 1.00 - A new beginning


Happy New Year!

****UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***

Ok, so I was spose to write this on New Years Day. But I got lazy. And it's now a day after... so before it all goes pear shaped I better get things together.

Firstly, this is how I spent New Year's Eve. No party, no countdown... and I loved it.

Photobucket

A couple of beers (later on some rum and sprite), a box of leftover Christmas chocolates, my music on my laptop and a book to read.

So a year has gone by. It almost feels like 2009 never happened. So much has gone on in 2009 that my mind hasn't had the opportunity to sit on anything in particular and let it really set into my brain. You could say there's soup in my brain now, and nothing's really fixed in it's solid place. But I do know that I've learned loads in every aspect of my life and alot of great things have happened throughout the year. It's just that it's gone past in the blink of an eye that I haven't felt like a whole year of stuff has happened.

I'm rambling. As I normally do. I curse this ability to string tangible sentences together without ever making a point.

Here's some fun stuff.

KJ'S LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

I. FOOD I CAN COOK NOW
My menu has grown considerably. Here's the things I'm now proficient in cooking
- brilliant rice (A primary achievement... in a pot....)
- Brilliant Fried Rice (it's a start ok.. bear with me.. the list gets good)
- brilliant fried noodles
- brilliant (but not as brilliant as mom's) spaghetti
- brilliant onion soup
- brilliant fish and chips
- brilliant potatoes (roasted, sauteed, mash)
- brilliant roast chicken
- brilliant pork chops
- brilliant pie fillings (I don't make pastry.. just the filling.. hey it's just as good)
- brilliant glazed ham

and alot of interestingly brilliant recipes.

II. NEW DRUM SKILLZZ
- very fast and accurate rimshots
- very fast and accurate double paradiddles
- very fast and accurate triple paradiddles
- very fast and accurate flams
- very fast and accurate pull out accents
- real samba and bossa nova and other latin skills
- real jazz improvisational skills
- proper hand percussion skills
- double bass skills
- hi hat syncopation skills
- heel toe skills
- right hand lead skills
- transcription skills
- playing to a click (and still learning to master... it's not as easy at it sounds)

and alot of other uber cool coordination skills, rudiments and such.

III. RANDOM NEW THINGS
- music programming skills
- iMovie editing and stuff
- recording drum covers over existing tracks and syncing audio and video
- managing money (VERY IMPORTANT LESSON LEARNT)
- weekly exercise

IV. GOD'S LIFE LESSONS
God's taken this time in the States to really teach me things. I feel this area being the biggest area of growth in my life. I've learned a ton in school and living on my own for 9 months now, but I feel I've learned so much in regards my faith. God's been teaching me all over again what it really meant the day I believed in grace and the cross of Jesus. He's taught me and reminded me that I was in need of rescue without even knowing it and He sent Jesus to live the life I couldn't live, and died the death I should've died for my sins. He's been reminding me of grace and the righteousness I now receive in Christ. I have been claimed by Jesus as His own even in the state of my own sin.

He's taught me what it really means to worship Him. What worship really is - it is a response to Him for who He is and what He's done for me. Any experience generates a response in us. Riding a rollercoaster makes us respond 'AHHHHH!' or 'WHEEEE!'. Eating a delicious burger makes us respond 'mmmmmmmmmmm'. In the same way the gift of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary makes me respond 'Wow wow wow wow wow. God I'll do anything for You. God I want to tell the world about You'. In the same way that we do not respond to someone else's experience - we don't scream when we see someone ride a rollercoaster nor do we go 'mmmm' when hearing about someone else eating something delicious - worship is my own personal response for what Jesus has done for ME. My sin was what nailed Him to the cross but it is HIS love for a sinner like me that kept Him there. And now I'm blown away and all my life is dedicated to Him to proclaim of His amazing work on the Cross.

I don't know what it is, but I've never been so responsive to the Word of God in my life. I've never sat in church and paid this much attention before. I've never heard the Word and remembered so much of it before in my life. It's like God's turned me into a sponge this year and just laid it on me day after day after day.

I am blessed. I am saved.

I am a Christian. Ask me why.

**************************

For those of you who're up for some extra reading, here's how I start my New Year.

Especially this year. 2010 is the year of GREAT THINGS with God.