Farewell, Hot Licks Guitar Shop

Greetings, interstellar travelers. Be warned, I'm breaking my rule of a non self-centered blog...Cause I'm in a reminiscing mood today. And if you don't frequent Hot Licks Guitar Shop, you might be booored...

It's hard to believe that today is my last day teaching at Hot Licks Guitar Shop.

I'm moving my teaching business to a new studio space, and today marks the last day of my term as a Staff Guitar Instructor at Hot Licks.

It's been fun. I've had the honor of working alongside musicians such as Mike "walking encyclopedia" Stacey, Todd Rhodes, Anthony Wellington of the Victor Wooten Band, Mark Foster, jazz bassist extraordinaire, my first guitar teacher Joe Palchak, John Fortier (you should see his Hendrix tattoo!), Mark Lewis, Randy Runyon, and Kenn Taylor of DC Star...And of course a great drum department with guys like George Jones, KJ Baker, and Matt Strain.

I also enjoyed having access to a wall of guitars to try out, and bothering the guys up front! Thanks, guys, for your patience.

It was a great environment to learn in. Everyone had a different point of view with music, and you'd hear 'em practicing those views. I learned a lot about jazz, amps, theory, and most importantly, business.

I'd like to say "Thanks" to everyone who's helped me out, and shown me stuff. I'll be walking out the doors of Hot Licks a (hopefully) wiser player with some great memories.

I'm off to build my empire. So long, Hot Licks Guitar Shop. It was fun! Thank you.

(By the way, my new location is 3195 Old Washington Road, Waldorf, MD. So if you're looking for the empire...You'll know where it is! I'm having an open house on Saturday, December 1st, from 12-4pm at the new location. Stop on by and check it out!)

If it's crazy...

Howdy!

Man, I've been swamped lately. But in the midst of my running around like a poultry who has endured an unfortunate meeting with a sharp object, I've got this for ya:

If it's crazy...you must be on the right track!

Lookin' cool and composed is what audience members do, folks.

If you feel like a spectacle...it means you're not a spectator, and in the world of entertainment, this is good.

All the world's a stage, and if you feel stupid, awkward, and "this is gonna bomb..." You're on the right track.

Otherwise, you're probably playing it too safe. Jump out, and be the center of attention!

(And make sure your guitar's in tune...)

Rock on!

A new face of gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving, Rockers!

Thanksgiving is a neat day. I used to dislike it - no presents involved. (Of course, I just got an early Christmas present last night, and that should keep me thankful all year! Thanks, Doc!)

But as the years have gone by, the idea has dawned on me of - "Hey, this is a day to be thankful! Even without presents!"


A death occured in my family a few days ago. Suddenly, the season seems filled with darkness and sadness. So much pain. But, as odd as it sounds, Thanksgiving could not come at a better time for me.

I am so grateful for everything in my life. This misfortune has shown me how lucky I truly am. And what an ideal day to reflect on that.

It won't take away the sadness, loss, and mourning. But it will show me exactly where I'm at.
And that's a good thing to know.


So what the idea, lesson, insight?

First off, even if you're in a sugar coma, or stuffed to the gills with a peculiar waddling bird people choose to eat, find some time today to feel truly grateful.

Now, that might be tricky, especially if you see a lot of bad stuff in the near future. But try this: focus on the moment right now. And feel happy for that. If that doesn't work, eat some more stuffing, and try again. ;)

Secondly, next time you pick up your guitar, sit quietly with it for a minute. Be grateful for it. Really look at it. Then, play. And play with a song of gratitude, like a bird singing the sun up.

(err...A heavy metal bird yelling the sun up...)

And Happy Thanksgiving.

All the best,
Josh

Mass crowd control...

Hahaha!

I am an evil sonic scientist. I think I've found a way to control a crowd!

Actually, I'm not a mad doctor, and perhaps I've just figured out a way to help people.

But regardless, this lesson presented itself many years ago. Some people were over for dinner, and a fellow was giving my brother some advice on drum solos. He said that the best way to get people to listen is to play quiet. They'll lean in to say "what's this guy doing?"

Fast forward a few years to this weekend, on a dark and chilly night in Northwest DC. Halfway thru a solo gig, I was jamming away. The patrons of the venue were very interested in getting their food, and not very intent on the most happenin' guitar playin' on da block (mine!)

I tried to catch folks' ears with volume. They just talked louder. All of a sudden, I stopped playing. Then I played very quietly. People looked up....then went back to talking. Ah ha! A crack in the wall. Their train of thought, and the natural flow of monotony had been broken. Bingo.

I did it again, and while not a dazzling success, it did work. The dinner guest of years gone by knew his stuff, that's for sure.

Here's another way to visualize the concept. If you're at the beach, and the surf's up, you're just gonna holler louder. If Stevie Ray Vaughan came back from the gig in the sky, and stopped the waves suddenly, you'd stop talking, and look up in surprise at the sudden silence on the beach. When the Sea roars louder, so do we. But when it stops, we look up.

And speaking of the Ocean, I hear tell that some of the scariest times on the water, such as before a tsunami, are when the Sea is dead quiet. The calm before the storm.

Playing part of a song with a quiet intensity is a very mind-opening experience. I also find it difficult, but worth it. Try it for yourself, and see what you can come up with.

We seem to adjust for noise, but when it stops, we find our train of thought interrupted. (And, if you're like me, you'd also find the whole restaurant staring at you while you're hollering away in a suddenly quiet room!) Applying these concepts to our music just might help us rule the world with sound. Yeah, man!

In this new use of Dynamics, you might fall on your face a few times. But that's OK. After all, little kids quickly learn how to walk...by falling on their face.

Pro Talk

Thank Jimi it's Friday!

Whew! What a week...I've got a gig tonight, I signed a lease for a new studio space, I resigned my current teaching position in order to move on to a new location (see the previous blog for details), and the autumn is a beautiful color.

But I said this was a non-self centered blog! So here's the lesson presented to me this week...

The musical universe is....Very, very small. Word, reputations, and gossip travels at twice the speed of light in this universe. (If you doubt me, two words should take care of it...Van Halen.)

Wanna give yourself an edge in the field? Want to be truly competitive, and the guy or gal that every band leader or sideman wants to work with?

Don't gossip. And don't badmouth.

If you fail to see the beauty of someone else's music...or even if they totally bomb...You really don't have to point that out! They know it, and if they don't, someone else will tell them, guaranteed. The world is full of cynics, why add to the mix? If someone really needs to know if a person is competent, you can tell them if they're not there yet without being petty. If The Blood 'n Guts band is looking for a new drummer, and they're asking you about Billy...And Billy ain't that great, PLUS he said your playing is awful...Don't grind an ax, just say "Well, Billy is still working some things out, and for me personally, I wouldn't hire him, but you should talk to him to figure that out."

Making a habit of not saying anything unnecessary is a super duper thing to do. It builds great respect, especially in an industry where people skills are still at the "Cro Magnum" mark.

And you know what? We've all bombed, and we know what it feels like. A "no gossip" policy is priceless. Do it. Today. You'll be glad you did.

New Studio Location!

Heyyy folks!

This blog is intended for my clients, but you're certainly welcome to read it if you're not...

I just signed the lease on a new studio for teaching! I also just submitted my letter of resignation at Hot Licks Guitar Shop.

I will sincerely miss working at Hot Licks, and pestering the guys there. (I'm very good at that.) They've really helped me get to where I am today, and I will always have good memories of my tenure as a staff guitar instructor.

Things ended very well, and I will be finishing the month at the store. My last day teaching will be Thursday, November 29th.

The new location is just across the street - At the Southern Maryland Business Center. (Right across from the Food Lion on Old Washington Road.)

Boy, I'm excited! Y'all are gonna love the new studio. It's bigger, it has a window, and best of all, there's three conference rooms on the grounds that I'll have access to! Can you say "guitar club?" Or "PTA?"

By the way, speaking of a guitar club, it's my intention to start one. We'll watch guitar concert videos, check out gear, have fun, and maybe even learn some cool theory. The conference rooms have a projector, so we'll be able to watch Stevie Ray Vaughan burn down the El Macambo in a big way! If you've got any ideas for this club, just let me know.

I'll be open for business in December. I really hope to see y'all there! I will be calling each and every one of you to discuss this exciting new chapter in the Empire of Poodleman!

Stay tuned!

For now, rock on, and make sure your phone is nearby.

New solo project!

I've finally got a solo project going!

It's called The Front Porch Jamming Concept.

I like it. And I hope you do to! Check it out on Myspace!

www.myspace.com/thefrontsteps

I'll have a proper website up for it very soon as well.

And if ya dig it, add me to your friends list!

If you're in the DC area, let me know, and I'll keep you informed about upcoming shows.

Rock on!

Own the Ladder

Y'all are in trouble.

I'm reading financial books again.

Get ready for the barrage of wall street analogies, and me trying to be professional.

Has anyone read Rich Dad, Poor Dad? What a great book. It stirs up the evil capitalist that exists within me, and sets me plotting, scheming, and of course, lecturing. And have I got a good deal for you folks today!

What the heck does this have to do with music?

Well, I'd like to squarely tackle the baloney that my elders always spit in my face whenever I announce my career choice.

"You're best off getting a good, safe, secure job, and then do your music on the side."

In Rich Dad, Poor Dad, the author disagrees as much as I do with that statement, albeit for different reasons. He states that the traditional job is the reason that the poor and middle class stay stuck in the same financial position, working hard to make the government and the rich man richer. He says it's vital to mind your own business. Meaning - create your own business, take a different view of finances than the mob, and develop financial aptitude.

I read the book first thing in the morning, and then I go out jogging. I see the groggy commuters stumbling off to work, coffee cups glued to their faces, and well, after reading this book about thinking differently, it makes a profound impression.

Stock guru Jim Cramer says in his book Mad Money that you must take care of your money, because sadly, no one else will do it for you. Another case of minding your own business.

And in music, this is a DUH with a capital D. How many horror stories have we heard of rock stars going broke? Of managers, agents, and record labels ripping off the "poor artists?" Of starving artists?

OK, fellas, but if all we do is play guitar, and loudly proclaim we don't care about what happens with money, we're walking around with a big neon sign over our heads saying "Mug me!"

And the industry will.

Wow, this sounds pretty darn depressing. But check this:
If there's money involved, and people being ripped off, it sounds like....a business!

I was disappointed when I figured out that the music industry is just that, an industry.

But now I'm excited! If you want to rise to the top of the heap in software design, people don't say "oh, that's just lucky if you can pull that off." No! They say "better get up early!"

This is very exciting. If music is a business, that means that there's ways to get to the top!
And can artistry survive in business? Of course. Just think of the incredible art in advertising. How about the pure elegance of luxury cars? And so too with music. Just because we acknowledge a business side of it doesn't mean we've sold out, or thrown the life out of our art. No sir! It means that we're adding an exciting new field to our knowledge base.

By learning about business, the music industry, and how to manage our finances, we're liberating ourselves from financial ignorance.

This does not mean we have to be money hungry. Of course money will make a difference in life. We need it to survive. But we certainly don't want to step of folks to get it. Learning about
business, money, and the industry will only help us, and you know what? It's really cool!

Here's a few things to get you started. (I told you I had a good deal for you today!)

Consider buying these books:





One of my favorite ideas from Rich Dad, Poor Dad is when the author is advised by his "poor dad" to get in with a good company, get benefits, and climb up the corporate ladder. His "rich dad" just laughs, and asks......


"Why not own the ladder?"


And why not?

Rock on!

A Case for Reading

Howdy, folks! And it is Wednesday again. A very good day.
OK, so you know you need to practice, and when you're not writing songs, or practicing scales,
you're trying that interval ear trainer....Right?? Well, perhaps you're getting burnt out doing that stuff, and you want to add something to your routine.

May I suggest something shocking. Something radical. Something that's uncool, but will help you be the ultimate cool.

How about...Learning to Read Music?

Most of us are tab junkies. It's easier, faster, and it doesn't involved the dreaded MUSIC READING! ("Please! No Etudes!") There's a glaring omission in guitar tab, however. A big ol' tear the the fabric of it's apparent perfection. There's no (efficient) way to read rhythms from it. Plus, it's incredibly instrument specific. It only works for the guitar!

There's several tremendous advantages of traditional music notation.

1. It's not instrument specific. A piano player can jam on the same stuff as a guitar. Neat!

2. It looks cool. (Ha ha, just partly kidding...They do have some nice ties with notation, tho.)

3. If you bury it in a time machine, and dig it up a century later, you'll be able to play it exactly the way the composer intended. Hey, how to you think they play Beethoven nowadays? From his demo tapes? (Tapes may be old, but they didn't even have records in Ludwig's time.)

4. This is possible, because the rhythm is part of the notation. In other words, the composer can specify the note duration, rhythm, beat, etc.

5. If you really want to learn J.S. Bach's "Invention #4", GOOD LUCK finding a tab for that! And if you do, you'll be at the mercy of the transcriber. (There's many different ways to play the same notes on the guitar, and you want to be able to choose which works best for you.)


Traditional notation is almost a universal language among musicians. Limiting yourself to reading guitar tab is stifling, indeed.


OK, now what? You're ready to learn, but where to start? A good book is helpful. And this article by an editor of mine is REALLY great. Check it out.

http://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=65


Most important, however, is finding a style that catches your interest. I've stumbled on several ways to learn, and of course, many more exist.

1. Classical. Practicing from a classically themed book, learning etudes, inventions, etc. Very proper, and very traditional.

2. Kiddie. Learning "Mary had a Little Lamb." Approachable, fun. But if it's not your thing, it's not your thing.

3. Jazz. This is the way that really got me hooked. Once I knew the notes, and their location on the guitar, learning jazz tunes from The Real Book sharpened my skills considerably. Music reading was fun, and most importantly, applicable to my playing.

I'm sure you can find a facet of this language that catches the light of your interest, and illuminates your journey.

Here's a few ideas for you. Are you a shredder? Learn some Bach pieces, and wail like Yngwie. (Don't forget the hairspray, and many hours of practice.)

Perhaps you're a black metal guitarist, interested in adding a Celtic interlude to one of your crushingly devastating songs. Check out some traditional celtic folk songs, especially the flute parts!

Maybe you'd like to rock in the style of the Trans Siberian Orchestra. Find some holiday charts, and arrange 'em for the guitar.


The possibilities are endless, because soon, the entire world of music will be open to you.

Enjoy the journey!

The Great Teacher

When's the last time you've recorded yourself playing?

Rockin' out presents several challenges for me:

1. I have to figure out what the heck I'm playing.

2. I have to figure out where the heck I'm supposed to be on the neck.

3. I have to listen to the other musicians.

4. Which doesn't leave a lot of brain power, at least for me, to listen to my tone, phrasing, and other vital stats.

Enter the beauty of the recorder. Even an old tape player will suffice for our purposes. Try recording your playing, and take an honest listen. As a friend of mine, Curtis (www.curtisblues.com) said, "Recording is a heck of a teacher!"

Listen for bends. Are they where you want 'em? How about vibrato? Is it too slow, or fast? (When I play a gig that I'm nervous at, my vibrato speed usually increases - my sonic "knees" shaking.) And of course, how's that tone?

Incorporating a recorder into your practice routine a few times a week could drastically help your playing. Listening back might be the dreaded time of your day, but - sooner or later, you'll stop, bob your head, and say "hey, that sounds pretty good!"

(And remember, it's what everyone else hears, so you might as well attend to it now.)

Rock on!

Jesus' Copy of the Bible

Holy smoke!

Van Halen burned down DC this past Thursday!

I was born in '85. This means I missed the boat, as far as the heyday of the mullets and charvels is concerned.

So when a tour with David Lee Roth was announced, I was enthused, to say the least.
Nosebleed seats were to be had for a hundred bucks three minutes after tickets went on sale. But I got mine, and boy, I'm glad I did.

If you haven't been to an arena show, you really owe it to yourself to go. And in some ways, it's almost cooler to be way "back in da' back," as my go go buddies would say. To jump into better seats, I could have easily committed suicide, or at least knocked any remaining sense from my head. But thank goodness for binoculars and jumbotrons.

The boys, who really ain't boys anymore, rocked the house. Eddie had a wall of his signature amps delivering that toneful roar he's famed for. Dave was the most extroverted extrovert I've ever seen. Alex, looking like a tired turtle, did his thing and did it well. Wolfgang, Eddie's son, held it down and showed typical 15 year old alertness in front of a sold out arena. (I'm not sure if he realized that fifty thousand people were watching him or not....Hard to tell, he's on "planet 15." But the dude did great.)

In short, they rocked!

One of the most memorable parts for me was, when scanning the set before the band came on, I spied Eddie's guitars through my binoculars...They were tucked away, stage left. I was awestruck. It was like....Seeing Jesus' Copy of the Bible!

And boy, what an inspiration they were to me. I was so amazed, I forgot to clap sometimes.

It leads me to a thought - Man, that is what I want to do. And I think it's what a lot of us want to do.

We're all terrified to say it out loud. What if we fail? And we're surely crazy to even hope to play arenas, right? Better get a nice safe job in a cover band, or with the government.

But if we never ask for what we truly want, how will we ever hope to achieve our loftiest aspirations?

And are we crazy to ask? Well, Dave proved to the mob watching him on Thursday - You have to be crazy to pull it off.

Better start now! Be crazy, and ask for what you want.

No more elevator music

The title "Professional musician" seems to many people the biggest oxymoron contained in the English language.

However, I have tried. I shower. I show up on time. I brush my teeth, I learn the songs, and I'm in tune and warmed up when I show up on the gig.

One of the biggest challenges of maintaining this blog has been to keep it strictly musical. As I'm (hopefully) speaking to an audience with a wide range of viewpoints and opinions, it is foremost in my mind to keep a certain level of professionalism in my writing.

Sure, I'll offer crazy ideas, insane advice, and zany thoughts - but careful ones.

However, I feel that in trying to maintain an image, I'm inadvertently becoming strictly an entertainer, and not a force of positive change.

Us entertainers have an important job. We're in the center of attention, and in a world where it's hard to get people to focus, the stage, blog, or video is a powerful tool. We shouldn't throw away the opportunity to better the world around us.

I feel that I've become too neutral, to head-in-the-sand ostrich like, and well, it's stopping now.

(I'm sure you won't be surprised when I tell you that I used to be a fiery grassroots activist.)

I will be occasionally posting links to stories and websites that I consider important, such as Amnesty International petitions, etc. They'll just be a link at the bottom of the post, so they won't be in your face. But they will be there.

Please click on 'em, and think about 'em, and if you agree, take action.

By the way, in order to keep this blog from leaning too far the other way, don't bother posting any comments about the links and/or the issues. They won't be posted.

Bands who speak out for the world are brave souls, indeed. It's very easy to just sing soft love songs, or angry hate songs.

But it's not quite as simple to sing about stuff that matters. You might just wake people up.

Take a look at Troy Davis' story.

No more elevator music

The title "Professional musician" seems to many people the biggest oxymoron contained in the English language.

However, I have tried. I shower. I show up on time. I brush my teeth, I learn the songs, and I'm in tune and warmed up when I show up on the gig.

One of the biggest challenges of maintaining this blog has been to keep it strictly musical. As I'm (hopefully) speaking to an audience with a wide range of viewpoints and opinions, it is foremost in my mind to keep a certain level of professionalism in my writing.

Sure, I'll offer crazy ideas, insane advice, and zany thoughts - but careful ones.

However, I feel that in trying to maintain an image, I'm inadvertently becoming strictly an entertainer, and not a force of positive change.

Us entertainers have an important job. We're in the center of attention, and in a world where it's hard to get people to focus, the stage, blog, or video is a powerful tool. We shouldn't throw away the opportunity to better the world around us.

I feel that I've become too neutral, to head-in-the-sand ostrich like, and well, it's stopping now.

(I'm sure you won't be surprised when I tell you that I used to be a fiery grassroots activist.)

I will be occasionally posting links to stories and websites that I consider important, such as Amnesty International petitions, etc. They'll just be a link at the bottom of the post, so they won't be in your face. But they will be there.

Please click on 'em, and think about 'em, and if you agree, take action.

By the way, in order to keep this blog from leaning too far the other way, don't bother posting any comments about the links and/or the issues. They won't be posted.

Bands who speak out for the world are brave souls, indeed. It's very easy to just sing soft love songs, or angry hate songs.

But it's not quite as simple to sing about stuff that matters. You might just wake people up.

Take a look at Troy Davis' story.