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

Serenading the pavement

Hey hey!

I hope y'all have been staying cool! I haven't. I hate this weather. I also hate people who complain, but I will break my (non-existent) positive rule today, and say I'd like to complain about this. Being in business, and dealing with other businesses, if something isn't right, you pick up the phone and yell at somebody about it. "You call these guitar picks?!" But the weatherman is just like an umpire after the call at home plate is made, and yelling doesn't do any good. Phooey.

So, I'll give it up, and talk about something productive! The summertime is a great time to get outside and play some street music!

I've been meaning to myself, but the CD project (almost done!) is top priority right now. I've learned a lot playing on the street, technically called busking.

Now, of course, check with your local laws to make sure that it's allowed in your city, but most likely it is. I play in Alexandria, VA, and other than a noise ordinance, they say "have at it!"
It's fun, challenging, and a neat way to pick up a few extra bucks. It's also a nice contrast to have an endless audience as opposed to a stationary one.

Here's what ya need to get started:

- An acoustic guitar (or electric with a loop station - or an electric/acoustic Ukulele! I've seen it! It's AWESOME!)

- A bowl for the money! I used a guitar case once, and some rich boater dropped a dollar in the case and said, sincerely actually, "good luck with everything, buddy." Grrr! Of course, that's not the first time people have thought I was homeless...There was the bum on the subway asking for donations, and then he said to me "Hey, we should get YOU some donations!" OK, it was a bad hair day.

- Several songs. You don't need a bunch to get started - just a few, 'cause you'll end up repeating them, as the crowd always changes.

Find your "pitch" (area to play), while being respectful of any veteran buskers, and get ready to rock!

Curtis Blues, my street music mentor, has taught me there's two main types of customers:

- The walk by traffic, throwing a dollar your way as you jam.

- The show traffic, where a large crowd gathers, and you put on an impromptu gig for 'em. (Make sure you can get 'em to pay - people love to slink away at the outskirts.)

You'll also get the folks who will just stop and ask for a song. These are great, BECAUSE they can be the start of what buskers call "an edge." People tend to be skittish, and won't stop unless other people are already stopped and listening. So, if you can get a few people watching you, the more cautious will stop and listen.

There are many, many aspects of street performance, and I don't have a clue about most of them. I've shared what I know, and hopefully it will be of use to you in your quest. It's quite a learning experience, and a great way to sharpen stage skills.

So, throw your fear in the garbage, put on some brightly colored shoes, and hit the streets! It's way fun.

Rock on!

- Josh

How many colorful people?

Hey hey!

Whew, it is HOT on the east coast. And, strangely, my car must have been feeling the burn, too, because it decided it needed a new water pump. Hey, I can understand the hydration thing!
So, since my mom's a saint, she loaned me her car for a few days while I'm fixing mine. (My mechanical skills, while present, aren't exactly high ranking in the 'speed' department.)

And it seems that whenever I borrow mom's car, there's a great mix cd in the player with System of a Down and Rammstien. Ha! Seriously! This is actually because my younger brother also uses her car, BUT she gets a kick out of the music, and really likes the System stuff. (She's unsure about the Rammstien, because nobody is exactly sure what it's saying, and nobody wants to know, and mom's a very kind and harmony type of person.) (And by the way, please don't feel obligated to tell me what those guys are singing about. I prefer the bliss of ignorance. I assure you, I am a happy guy!)

So, anyway, I was driving to my teaching studio today, and I was listening to this one track. It starts out with a simple little keyboard riff, and then the chaos starts. But it's a typical German chaos - a focused, brutal, precision sonic attack. It rocks! It's actually easy to play on guitar, and I started to ponder the question "why does one riff over and over sound so darn cool?"

All of a sudden, my ear caught a subtle keyboard line in the background. The humidity so omnipresent these past few days must have acted a catalyst to the flashback that the song triggered, because, BAM, there I was...

It was years ago, and I was a camp counselor/terrorist trainer at a high school environmental leadership camp. We were out to save the world! (Some of the attendees are still keeping up the good work. I'm immensely proud of them.) My hair was super long, and super humidified, sort of like a cat that went through the washing machine. Yngwie Malmsteen lived at the top of my music charts, and if it wasn't fast, it wasn't good. If I had listened to the mosquitoes droning outside the main lodge that summer's evening, I would have thought their wings sluggish.

There was a guy there also named Josh, from New Jersey, and boy, was this guy from New Jersey, in the best sense of the word. Cool, with it, and he knew what was up. He was also a big rap fan, and he was trying to convince a younger version of myself that I could give up my diehard metalhead ways occasionally to enjoy the spitted word. I was a hard sell, but the other Josh had some interesting points. We were all standing around in the lodge, trying to look cool for the hippie chicks, and talking about music. The girls promptly ignored us. But we didn't realize it, so we kept talking.

"Look man, listen for the chord change in the back." All of a sudden, I heard what he was talking about. Behind the rhymes and the synthesized hi-hats, I heard a canvas of sound, subtly coloring the soundscape. And then it changed, and so did the picture. It was cool - and really slick! A far cry from the "LOOK AT MEEEE" mentality of the 80's music I was so obsessed with...

"DU! DU HAST!" the stereo growled, and snap, I was back in the blazing Tuesday afternoon, the rap and the enviro girls and my epic mullet all evaporating in the sun.

But Josh's New Jersey accent seemed to linger for a moment in the car, saying "See? See? That chord change is why rap is so catchy, know what I'm sayin', bro? See? Chord change there...Chord change there...See?"

And it seems to me that the subtle use of the keyboard lines is one (of the many) thing(s) that make those Rammstein tunes so darn cool, and keeps those riffs so fresh and face melting.

But it's in the subtlety that the genius is to be found. If the guy who tracked the 'boards was intent on his mix being out in the front, it would have been lost. The different parts being played were actually somewhat busy, but faded almost to the edge of imperception.

It struck me that, when faced with an arrangement choice, it's almost like planning a party. We can have weird Uncle Bill over, but that means that we probably shouldn't have weird Uncle Sam over either. (Where DOES he get off wearing hats like that?) Maybe we can balance it out with the cousins who are pretty standard.

Each part in our music is like a colorful, or not colorful, guest. How are these guests gonna work together, while keeping the party going, yet keeping the roof on? How many are there gonna be? Generally, the more there are, the quieter they should talk.

Be an event planner!

Scratch that, be a musician.

But you might try not scoffing at your ma the next time she's trying to figure out the guest list!

Rock on!

- Josh