I'll see you...at my new YouTube channel!

Rockerzzzz!

Wow oh wow am I on a roll with the music business stuff! This is SO MUCH FUN! Y'all should really try it. Anyone who says it's boring isn't doing it right!

Check it ouuut! I've got a YouTube channel now! Please visit and subscribe!

I've got a single up there from the new EP, and a bunch of iPhone Chronicles. See, I take that mighty phone around with me everywhere, and one night, about a year ago, I was walking out of the grocery store. I happened to notice a Katydid (type of bug) on the camaro. The Katydid is my favorite musician ever. They just have great tone. It was a summer's night long ago when I first noticed them. My mom said "listen, it's like the symphony in the forest!" I still remember gazing across the street into the trees, and hearing them in the distance. "Katy did...Katy didn't...Katy did..." Ever since then, I love to listen for them in the early summer, and enjoy their chorus all season long, until the cold slows them.

So, I whipped out the iPhone, and interviewed the symphony musician perched on the trunk of the camaro. (I stopped the interview when I noticed another customer wondering why some dude was talking to a car at ten o clock at night in the parking lot.) And then I interviewed a kitchen table a few days later...And all sorts of zany videos followed!

Check 'em out, and I'll also be posting music on the channel as well. (That's REALLY the main reason.)

Hope to see ya there!

Rock on!

- Josh

Six Years!

Yo!

I was walking through my living room today, and I raised my hand. As I did so, I saw my iPhone. See, it's glued to my hand. And I noticed the date: Wednesday, September 1st.

Six years ago, it was also Wednesday, September 1st. It was my first day teaching guitar at Hot Licks Guitar Shop. Boy was I nervous. Andy was my first lesson, and by some miracle, he's still my friend on facebook. He just wanted to use up a lesson coupon, and the guy knew exactly everything that I did. Usually, I can get away with teaching a guitarist who's on the same level by showing them something outside of their normal genre. But the quirks in Andy's playing style were exactly the same as mine. Wow, that was scary. He was very gracious, though. Thanks, Andy!

There was the girl who hated guitar, and was there 'cause her mom and grandma made her play guitar. There were the kids who really liked it. There was Sam, with his Blink-182 wristband and punk attitude that made me laugh. I sweated some serious bullets that first day...and that first month, really. But folks were patient, gave me a chance, and let me teach.

I locked the door to my office today, and went back to Hot Licks to say thanks. I shook my guitar teacher's hand and said "hey man, thanks!" "It's been six years already?" he asked.

Unbelievably, it has.

I'd like to thank each and every student who's sat in that chair, and listened to me opine about music, life, and learning. It's been a lot of fun! From the Annoying Orange drawings that grace the dry erase board, to the fun of routing the iPhone gun app through the PA and scaring the neighbors, to the darn good questions I get about music theory, it's been great.

I was talking to a gentleman at an event recently, and he expressed his view that I was lucky to get to pass knowledge on to those willing to listen. I wholeheartedly agree. Thanks to everyone for not only giving me the time, but also the platform (and sometimes, the soapbox!) from which to instruct. I know I'm supposed to be the instructor, but I've learned so much from my six years as a guitar teacher.


Thank you. I'm very grateful.


Rock on!

- Josh

The Making of an EP: The single is out! The single is out!

Rockers!!!

Wow! I'm so excited! The single is out!!!




So: Here's the schedule of events. The CD is off at the record plant getting replicated. It should be out in about mid-September. In the MEANTIME, be sure to "like" my facebook music page, 'cause I'm gonna be putting another single out in the meantime!

Oh boy! Oh boy! What fun!


Rock on! And thanks for listening!

- Josh

Mama said Knock You Out!

Hey rockers!


Us guitarists can be a fiercely competitive lot...most of the time! I've written philosophy on that before, but I've got an update. Check it: The vibe of competition has many elements that are useful, nay, vital to brilliance and success. Included are motivation, focus, energy, enthusiasm, and the prioritizing of the task at hand. Unfortunately, we usually use it to try to tear other people down to our level, instead of building ourselves above their level. Indeed, we confuse a positive difference between our level and theirs as a plus, without looking at the overall level. In plain English, a negative view would be: if I'm ten units better than him, I'm rockin'.

But if he's zero units, I need to step back and say "hey, I'm only ten units up the ladder!"

Much better would be to take aim at someone at say, fifty units, and strive to achieve sixty. I still get my contrast, and meanwhile achieve radical success.

Bad competition tears down to our level. Good competition builds up, and above, their level.

"Okaaaaaaaay" you might say, "but so what? How do I put this into practical application?"

That's what I'm excited about! I've been working really hard on my CD, and it provides a great venue to be competitive. If I see one of my peers really kickin' butt, instead of trying to discredit their success in my mind, or rationalize my lack of it (success, not mind!), or worse yet, take the YouTube way out, and slam 'em for a bad hairstyle, I now go back to my work with double focus!

Try it!





In the style of "Mama Said Knock You Out", Ahhh AAAAHH aaaahhh AAAAAh,
-Josh

"I'm gonna knock you out! Mama said knock you out!

Yah yah!

Hey Rockers!

So, what's the "right" way to play guitar?

I mean, I'm in the business of teaching, and everyone asks me that. I think I infuriate them when I say "well, any way that works!"

That's an idea that I'll stand by. I mean, let's look at a few historic examples: Blues, playing a minor scale over three dominant seventh chords. You gonna tell BB King that he's wrong?

Hendrix: By any earlier standards, his amps sounded broken. He sure gave stadium re-roofers a great gig, though!

Eddie Van Halen: Two hands on the fretboard? And what about that ratty guitar that's now going for 25K a replica?


You get the idea. There's many, many right ways to do something, especially if it's as general as playing music. How 'bout specifics, like what scale to play over what chord? One time, I was studying with three great teachers. I asked them a theory question, and I got three different answers. Finally, Mike Stacey, one of these teachers, said to me "Dude, there's three right ways to play it."

I've figured out two things for myself. Use 'em if you want 'em.

1. If it sounds good, it is good.
2. Concerning technique, look for the efficient way. And do that.

Simple!

Now go make history!

Rock on!

- Josh
PS. Sometimes, things take a minute to sound good. I mean, I didn't like metal at first, and has anyone ever seen Back To the Future, where he plays Johnny B. Goode to a crowd of stunned nerds? So listen for potential, too.

Take note

For once,

I don't have anything to say.


This goes to show: anything can happen. Be inspired!


- Josh

The Making of an EP - steaming toward the finish line!

Hey hey rockers!

Whew, sorry I haven't been too much fun in the blogosphere! I've been spending any available minute in my studio mixing this CD down! It's SO CLOSE! I've gotten in touch with a mastering engineer (he comes highly recommended, and I'm thrilled to be working with him!) I've been burning CD's right and left, listening to them in my car, on the computer, etc etc tryin' to get that mix just perfect. Stupid bass guitar. Grrr....It won't EQ just right. I've been working in photoshop, getting the album artwork just right. I've been dragging my brother out of the house at night to have him take pictures of me wearing a 40's hat and wool coat looking somber in the back yard. But it is ALMOST there! And I CAN'T WAIT! I'm so excited! SO, once all this is done, I will a.) start writing some better blogs, and b.) send y'all a copy!

In the meantime...Before my next student walks in, here's something to think about:

Start a sonic journal. Try writing a song every day and record it, no matter how bad it is. Now, if you're not a musician and you're reading this, you can apply it to your field, too. If you're a writer: start a blog. If you're a ice sculptor...you might need some gloves, 'cause your hands will never warm up! But you get the idea.

Too often us guitarists overlook songwriting as stuff best left to people named Ani with really strange hair. (And this is coming from a guy named "Poodleman.") But NO! Start writing those epic metal songs! Mega shredding alone won't write the song for you.

Rock on!

- Josh