Steve Ball Diary     sb home   sb music   related seattle diaries guitar craft diaries seattle rep circle seattle practice circle discipline diaries nj circle diaries		Monday January 28  Tuesday January 29  Wednesday January 30  Thursday January 31  Friday February 01  Saturday February 02  Sunday February 03      Read the archive	Monday February 04  Tuesday February 05  Wednesday February 06  Thursday February 07  Friday February 08  Saturday February 09  Sunday February 10
		Monday January 28 A long, productive day.  No SBRS rehearsal this evening -- too much to do.  Business to take care of at home.  Home work.  Then, SGC rehearsal at HQ.  I presented the sketches of part two of a three part suite; this second movement is lightly and somewhat ironically titled BootlegTV.  Curt and Dean will be playing the almost-in-sync-but-always-slightly-out-of-tune slippery sliding 'VC' melodies.   After the break, Bob also presented a piece; ironically, his piece is also a part two.  The evening was musical and felt like good work. Home later, facing a huge pile of empty boxes that need to be filled.  Ug.  * * * Tuesday January 29 Another sleepless morning.  There were days (many) near the end of BTV (an 'end' which lasted for about a year) and Rockslide (whose end also lasted about year) where I would wake up at 4:30 or 5:00am filled with anxiety and churning with automatic 'problem solving.'  My sleeplessness lately has less to do with solving problems and more to do with a struggle to learn from my mistakes.  A mistake is not a problem to solve; there is no right answer that can be derived from equations that model what happened.  Sometimes it is so much simpler than that. I am not a morning person; that is, I would much rather be able to sleep in, stay in bed, absorb that extra REM that feels so right when you do finally wake up because you are genuinely rested.  But I generally get up and get a lot done in the morning.  And I prefer to get up early, despite the pain of doing so.  * * * Power-filled mail in my box really early this morning.  So much for going back to sleep today. * * * Wednesday January 30 What a strange roller-coaster.  I've managed a fair level of detachment from many potential emotional train wrecks over the past week or so...  and yet trains have been crashing all around me lately. Was able to laugh out loud a few times today at various internal, external, local and global foibles.   Perhaps listening to the Bee Gees in the background most of the day has helped with this.  Now: You Should Be Dancing, Yeah!  Perhaps deciding to abandon any and all sense of expectation, history, and baggage (just for today) has helped with this?  I'm sure it will be back tomorrow.   One day is possible.  We shall see about tomorrow.  Got a pile of good work done today, fueled by a massively cheesy dance soundtrack.  Much more to do this evening. * * * Theme for the evening: * * * Thursday January 31 A looooong day.  Lunch with BobW was plesantly interrupted with a phone call from TonyG who asked to speak with Steve Ge-Balle.  Took me half a second to realize it was Tony...  going to see him tomorrow evening. * * *  Much to say, but not the right time.  May be offline for the next few days during a major moving transition.  But there were a few gems in my inbox today that deserve some attention.  Such as this: ----- Original Message ----- From: David LV To: SB Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 10:49 AM Subject: Discard the superfluous Each lent I try to give up despair and personally imposed limitations. Much more difficult than giving up chocolate or red meat. -- DLV Agree.  Oi vey.   And another: ----- Original Message ----- From: David LV To: SB Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 11:29 AM Subject: In case you were wondering who Jean Vanier is Jean Vanier. ... "Community is not built upon heroic actions but rather upon the love shown in the little things of daily life" -- DLV There are some things that money can buy.  For everything else, there is David LV.  Dinner with DLV in Belltown this evening after moving some of my musical baggage around town with DLV and CurtG.  * * * SGC rehearsal later this evening, diving head long into Bob's new piece.  Then a quick visit to my new sequel, working title BTV. See you again here in a few days. * * * Friday February 01 TravisM is a saint.  Thank you Travis.  Deborah Gunn, too. Thanks Deborah.  * * * Soundtrack to my early evening recovery: Did I disappoint you? Or leave a bad taste in your mouth? You act like you never had love And you want me to go without Well it's too late tonight To drag tha past out into the light We're one, but we're not the same We get to carry each other Carry each other One Have you come here for forgiveness Have you come to raise the dead Have you come here to play Jesus To the lepers in your head Did I ask too much, more than a lot You gave me nothing, now it's all I got We're one, but we're not the same We hurt each other, then we do it again You say Love is a temple Love a higher law Love is a temple Love the higher law You ask me to enter But then you make me crawl And I can't be holding on To what you got When all you got is hurt One love, one blood, one life You got to do what you should One life with each other Sisters, brothers One life, but we're not the same We get to carry each other Carry each other One. -- U2 * * * Saturday February 02 02 02 02 -- this day has significance.  But not just because of this ultra-pleasing numeric coincidence to overly anal idiots like myself.  Today was really the beginning of the end of winter for me, and the invisible beginning of spring; of a springing back to life, post 2001. * * * Quote of the day (my own): that which does not kill me, could almost kill me.  Vulgar translation: long term heroics are not sustainable. On the other hand, long-term analysis, resting, healing, and recovering from devastating personal and professional failures is also not sustainable.   * * * A wonderful day getting up to speed again after a difficult Friday.  My day today began at 6:30 (Steve Reich, remix in the alarm.)  Then, calisthenics at HQ with TonyG leading a ship with ten in the crew.  Work with the 24 permutations of the first primary fingerings.  Where would we be if the Seattle team began every day this way?  Well, in Seattle.  But with well-balanced finger strength, efficiency, and speed.  A satisfying workout. Then onto a standard Geballe finger twisting anchoring exercise.  This is the homework that makes music possible. It can be musical in it's own right, but this really scaffolding to stand on while the sculpture is being built.  Many other lame-o analogies spring to mind.  But you wanna play?  You gotta doo the woik first.    * * * Spent the afternoon cleaning up.  * * * Then, dinner at Dean and Patty's.  Excellent, food, dessert(s), yes plural, company, and conversation.  Some insights about both how and what to do this year.   Rightness in the air.  And a new level of maturity, clarity, and groupness seems to be available to us now.  Three years later (give or take fifteen) and it now feels like we are ready to begin.  Again. Even what I thought might be potentially controversial ideas seemed to be heard with a measure of open consideration... Could be a great year ahead.  * * * Sunday February 03 Heard on NPR this morning that Steve Reich has a new recording featuring Violin Phase played by an electric guitarist.  In a former life (at University of Illinois, actually) many years ago, checked out the score from the music library (from DeanJ, perhaps?) and I 'performed' (term used very lightly) Violin Phase on electric guitar in Forbes Hall for an audience of righteously confused twenty year old co-eds.   Ah, the brave idiocy of youth.  Side note:I agree with Jax: Frankie should call her student. The new Steve Reich release also apparently has a piece played by the Kronos Quartet.  * * * About to be going for brunch with Derek and Whitney.  It is so strange outside -- the sun is beaming unapologetically in the east like long-sleeved yellow shirt on stage at Mr. Spots.  (How's that for a Sunday morning insider simile?)  The sky is also mostly blue with patches of white and gray. Springing. * * * home Monday February 04 In a "class" in the morning, then much to read and learn all afternoon.  Rumor that visitors from NY and LA will be in town tomorrow evening.  Could be a mini-BTV reunion. SBRS rehearsal this evening -- good work on playing and staying in time.  Doing two things is possible (singing while playing complex guitar parts.)  Doing three is harder (singing while playing complex guitar while locking to a metronome.)   Singing while playing complex guitar parts while locking to two other people sans metronome -- this can be risky business.  Hence, work with a metronome.  Some good metronome work on Walking in Your Footsteps and Kneeling Down whose versus and choruses are felt (quite naturally) at different tempi.   Then SGC rehearsal, primarily focused on Bob's new piece, Fermat's Last Stand.  I hear this as the soundtrack to an animated short film (Peter Max, perhaps) about a mathematician being pursued by prime numbers dressed as keystone cops.  Good (too longish, but necessary) discussions during the break.  After years of preparation, hard work, and struggles, this team seems to be on track.  Have I mentioned recently that something seems to be going on in Seattle? * * * Three musical gifts, post-rehearsal.  Dean introduced me to Greg Bissonette's solo CD.  One massive pop song there that deserves attention.  Many thanks. * * * Tuesday February 05 Jon Hassell has replaced Steve Reich in my alarm clock. A long day ahead. * * * The long day, now behind me.   Much homework and reading today.  Nuts.  Bolts.  Washers.  Wrenches. * * * Listening to some tapes of lectures I bought in the Red Lion House era in the car over the past week.  My listening is up an octave from last time.  JGB speaks truth, and I am ready to hear the melodies in his words.  These are small but potent gems that I have been hauling around for 12 years, and I am just now beginning to mine the power and value.  Too much said already. * * * Evening: dinner with BillB, in from NY.  Wonderful conversation over a mediocre meal, then retiring to the place we should have stayed, the bar in his fancy hotel.  BillB has some incredible stories about his relatives and friends in the worlds of art and politics.  Some good belly laughs over diverse conversations and uncanny observations.  Memories from my last visit to this bar over excellent pizza color the later part of our conversation.  Where did I go wrong? Too bad CVB blew us off.  * * * A new song emerging from an improvisation during SBRS rehearsal last night.  Where does this music come from?  It seems to just arrive at my fingertips sometimes, without force, without thought, without effort.  Why practice?  For moments like these.  Feeling peace and joy.  * * * Wednesday February 06 An engaging day.  Verbal virtual ping pong throughout the day with J. at work.  Pleasant surprises on many fronts. This evening: the debut Skirt at Seattle Circle HQ had a large-ish and unexpected audience who provided good-ish feedback on three new-ish songs.  More observations about this process when I have more energy, but it was a good beginning to what could become a very powerful forum for the practice of performance. Thanks to all who participated.  Side note: it would be interesting to develop a set of guidelines and best practices for both audience and performers to guide us in our work in the Skirt.   I will be curious to read others perceptions of the event as they pour into the various SC diaries. * * * A day of serendipities surrounding  BootlegTV interactions and intersections.  For example, David Miller, former BTV DirectMusic developer stopped by my office today to say hello and see how I was doing since coming back to the borg.  I also had lunch with Mark Handfeld, Secretary of BTV and one of our early believers / representatives from Venture Law Group.  Mark and I met to catch up personally and check in on the local start-up scene.  Then, most surprising, a visit from Christian Von Burkleo and the friendly and intelligent CEO of his new LA-based start-up, Vidius.  Great to see Christian thriving in his new job. If all of this were not enough, I found this today that brought back vivid memories of our initial raison d'etre.  Check it out.  Remember the original vision?  Seeing all of the floating names reminds me that we brought an amazing group of people together to deliver on a necessary mission.  The mission, and it's potential remains available.  * * * sple·net·ic (spli-net?ik) also sple·net·i·cal (-i-k?l) adjective 1.Of or relating to the spleen. 2.Affected or marked by ill humor or irritability. noun A person regarded as irritable. Excerpted from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. * * * Thursday February 07 Thinking back on the simplicity of the original BTV mission: bring the artifacts of live music out of the closet and into the hands, ears, and collections of people who need it.  You know, build an $250K enterprise level asset management software system to enable content owners to easily ingest, catalog, manage, distribute, and monetize their assets.    Uh,... Then, thinking back on the bubble-brained execution: taking million$ in valley VC, hiring quickly to grow quickly to capture market share, shifting business plans based upon the whims of these same VCs, word-smithing 150 powerpoint presentations, again at the whims of 'advisors' and VCs who were at least as clueless, if not more clueless, as the rest of us.  What a hare-brained method of 'undermining' the illegal bootleg market.  At many steps along the way, the only thing we really undermined was our own ability to see straight.  Revisiting all of this is not a form a torture.  It could be form of learning and remembering. Or it could be like opening up an old scar.  But not for me.   Almost all of my own emotional investments (now scars) in BTV have now been processed, digested, released, and healed.  So how about an inventory of some really obvious lessons: a) money always comes with a price tag, b) Venture Capital is a legalized form of gambling, the odds are stacked against the recipient, and it always comes with ropes (not strings) attached, c) never hire friends unless you actively wish to make them your enemies, d) "large group discussion" is an oxymoron,  e) when something is not working, address quickly and cleanly, f) watch your back, watch your sides, watch your front,  g) a business is not a democracy, h) stand up and say any idea (good, bad, brilliant, idiotic) out-loud in a room full of employees and half will hate you (because they vehemently disagree) the other half will love you (because they want the team to win, and/or they want to get a good review), and most of both halves really won't give a shit (because they are are actually waiting for 5:00 to come so they can leave and go do what they would rather be doing if they did not have to earn a living by building someone else's business.)   There are probably hundreds more, but these are the first to roll off of my tongue at 6:45 in the morning.  I'm sure a few more will find their way into my inbox today as a result of this Pandora's Box I am opening.       Oy vey.  Now into my day. * * * Yikes.  Seems I've opened a few cans of worms today.  More wonderful banter with J. at work today. But tomorrow is the real deal.  Re: BTV reflections, many more lessons to learn than those outlined here.  * * * Finally checked my online mailing list form tonight after weeks, perhaps, months of neglect..  Nice to hear from Patricia Fripp in SF (not sure how long ago - hi Sis!), Phil Johnson, who seems to have received a damaged CD, which I will gladly replace if he wishes, Randy Chiurazzi, Matthew Henry, and a DJ from Brazil who says he is a fan and wants free CDs because "I am so much better than Tori Amos." Hmmm... * * * Quite a full mailbag today too.  Deleting most of it, but a few gems worth sharing here: ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lance Halvorsen" To: SB Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 3:43 PM Subject: ok, i'll take the bait :^) hi steve, it's been a while since i've sent out an installment of war and peace, so here goes. first of all, i hope that all is well with you. it sounds as if there have been a number of changes and upheavals in your life in recent months. it also sounds like you are making compost out of the shit, as it were. :^) god speed with that. i did catch the forbes hall reference the other day, btw. i can still see you dancing in that dorm room. . . on to the meat of it. i'm disappointed that you didn't use the term 'value proposition' even once in today's diary entry. shame on you. ;^) 'monetize our value proposition' would have been even more appropriate. quick takes: - the vc will most often play the part of the little red guy with a pitchfork on your left shoulder whispering treachery in your ear. - the web bubble was a classic tortoise and hare story. those that rushed the hardest to be 'the world leader in. . . ' often turned into the most spectacular flame outs before they got to the finish line. - to me, the single idea/metaphor that ate most web companies was that the late '90's were another 'land grab' or 'gold rush'. this idea led them to:  1) spend way too much on advertising for 'branding' purposes.  2) expand way too quickly, thereby increasing their burn rate beyond all sense.  3) bet the farm on strategies before they really understood how this new market might work.  4) bet the farm again on some new, poorly understood, strategy the next week. - imo, unless you are an 800lb. gorilla to start with, the way to get a toe-hold and survive, is, and will always be, to start small, with the highest quality you can muster within your budget. from then on, grow the business as the need arises or opportunity presents itself. this is the metaphor of the acorn becoming an oak tree, and no vc will ever advise this because it takes time. vc's want roi *now*. - oh yeah, and all those incredibly extravagant parties didn't help matters. :^) btw, i'm heading down to santa barbara next week for the gc course (level one for me, naturally). i'm wondering if the course hasn't started already, aad, because from time to time i feel juiced up like i've got my finger in a light socket. then again, maybe it's just nerves. i wonder, does the course fee include a box of depends undergarments? ;^) recently, it has become clear to me just how important our early correspondence last year was for me to make this step into guitar craft. emails can be more than emails when they are shipped with quantum packets of good will. thank you for taking the time to write when i first sent mail to you. best wishes in all things, .L Lance, my old friend, my pleasure.  We met many years ago (at University of Illinois) in and around the work of King Crimson.  How fitting that years later you are running off to catch the train.  You also bring up many good points about the recent start-up insanity.  "Land grab" -- geeeze!!!  Did you know that BTV, at the peak, owned something like 600 URLs.  "Artist channels", if you drank the kool-aid.    We should have sold them to Marc Geiger (ArtistDirect) when he offered to buy them.  And don't even get me started on "value propositions" and other VC-speak.  I lived it for 18 months. Nice to have some distance, though. * * * ----- Original Message ----- From: "Curt Golden" To: "Steve Ball" Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 9:35 AM Subject: btv "and most of both halves really won't give a shit (because they are actually waiting for 5:00 to come so they can leave and go do what they would rather be doing if they did not have to earn a living by building someone else's business.)"   I'm pretty sure that was never true at BTV. An excess of undisciplined passions and unrealistic expectations, perhaps, leading to profound disappointment and occasional rage, but rarely apathy.   cg   Curt, as usual, right on the money. * * * More from Pandora's Box: ----- Original Message ----- From: "SteveE" To: "SteveB" Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 11:18 AM Thoughts: 1. VC money is expensive money. 2. Hire carefully. Interview all the way around. 3. Grow slowly and organically. 4. Get clients before funding. 5. Under-title, over-deliver. 6. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer. 7. When you stop believing the vision yourself, consider ? 8. Keep business and personal lives separate 9. Relationships live on beyond the success or failure of a single venture. 10. Relationships are more important than any single venture. -steve Wisdom from SteveE.  We often don't know or notice what we have until it is gone.  SteveE I will miss you.  * * * And finally, some reflections on the Skirt (the Practice of Performance Workshop that took place last night at HQ.) ----- Original Message ----- From: "TravisM" To: "CurtG" Cc: "SteveB" Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 11:16 PM Subject: Skirt energy? So, we had a remarkable rehearsal tonight. Words I would use to characterize: "energy, good will, attention, boldness". Dare I include "quality"? The huge temptation is to connect the "co-incidence" of tonight's great rehearsal energy with last night's Skirt... Did I mention that SBRS had a remarkable rehearsal this evening?  Could be related to our work at the Skirt.  I was soooo full of joy when I walked in to HQ: TravisH, once again, wailing away on an amazing new song, singing at the top of his lungs, and sounding great!  Joy.  I found my guitar parts and harmony in about three minutes, and we now have another total winner in the set.   Three part harmony lives! Watch out Dixie Chicks.    Next Pitcairn show is going to rock.  Hopvine show is just around the corner too...  * * * SGC also had a remarkable rehearsal.  Solid work on the Shostakovich Prelude, then more tightening on Bob's funky Fermat's Last Stand, followed by presentation of the whole form of BTV, the requiem.   Everyone melted into the spirit of the piece.  The un-official not formally spoken instructions:  We begin in a cloud of un-knowing, and remain there at all times during the piece.  All parts are to be largely improvised around the loosely defined skeleton, and every note is to be played with complete conviction, by the seat of your pants.       Our last rehearsal as a septet until Curt returns from the Level One Guitar Craft course in Santa Barbara next week.  Much energy in the air. Feeling very up, awake, and alive this week.  * * * Friday February 08 7:14am.  It is very refreshing to have Jon Hassell and Brian Eno waking me up in my alarm clock.  Buzz schmuzz.  Dream Theory in Malaysia is the way to go. * * * At the Skirt on Wednesday evening, SBRS played one of our new songs called "Kneeling Down."  As part of the critique discussion on my periodically lame-o enunciation skills, I mentioned that lyrics, while important to me as a songwriter, are not my primary concern as a performer.  As a singer who has an attraction to simultaneously complex and almost-always polyrhythmic guitar parts, my attention in performance is usually divided according to the following priority: a) pitch, tone (does my voice sound good?) b) guitar part and tone (am I supporting the song with parts that sounds good?) c) time (am I playing in time with Travis and Travis?) d) audience (am I reaching anyone? is this song working? e) lyrics (what were those words again?) f) posture, logistics (are my shoulders relaxed, are my feet balanced, does the 'scene' on stage look good?) and then, finally, as if there were any attention left to divide: g) enunciation (can anyone understand what I am saying?) Generally, I put enunciation low on this list for two simple reasons.  Firstly, I speculate that many people (perhaps 30-50%) of any given audience does not care what a song's words are in performance.  They listen to the music which is a mysterious blend of sound, performance, and for lack of a more articulate description 'presence.'  The actual 'meaning' of the words (as if there is a singular objective 'meaning' to the words) is, perhaps, a secondary concern. Secondly, the words of most of the songs in the SBRS set carry lyrics that are more poetic than literal stories.  Miss a word here or there, and the musical experience goes on. There are some famous examples of bands who give not two shits about whether the audience can understand what they are saying.  Ever hear of Radiohead?  (Yesterday I woke up sucking a lemon...)  Anyone know of others.  Many.  Love to hear about your favorite indecipherable band or artist. * * * Anyway, for those who were asking the other night, here again, are the mis-enunciated lyrics to "kneeling down"      kneeling down where are all the others mothers, fathers missing brothers where are you? what are all these whispers bleeding blisters crying sisters where are you? sell me out cash me in pick me up lay me down down in the basement found a replacement up in the ceiling Mary is kneeling down who has hired these talk-show scholars lending spending rubber dollars in my name? who inspired this royal highness spineless blindness clueless genius that we blame? try it on show it off put it down blow it off down in the basement found a replacement up in the ceiling Mary is kneeling down * * * 12:57am, technically it is tomorrow already.  A long full day and evening.  Many emails worth sharing, but not tonight, tomorrow.  And plenty of activities to report, but not here. Home, is where I want to be but I guess I'm already there. * * * Saturday February 09 A small, but potent string of 'unintelligible lyrics' emails poured in since yesterday: ----- Original Message ----- From: Joel Palmer To: Steve Ball Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 1:10 PM Subject: Your diary entry Steve, I, too, love Hassell & Eno's Dream Theory in Malaysia, reminds me that's one I'd really like to have on CD. My favorite unintelligible lyrics band is Cocteau Twins. Elizabeth Fraser has never published her lyrics because, reportedly, she wants listeners to imagine the words to be whatever they like. Those I've puzzled out, and those I imagine, are achingly romantic. Joel Palmer - - - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Curt Golden" To: "Steve Ball" Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 1:29 PM Subject: Ever hear of Radiohead? Yes, but I've never listened to anything by them twice. On the other hand, possibly the single most stunning performance moment in my experience was Peter Hammill at the Bottom Line, singing a piece I had never heard before. The words were so moving that I spent the next several days going through record racks looking for what song it might be. cg - - -  -----Original Message----- From: Tim Root  Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 1:48 PM To: Steve Ball Subject: Multiple choice Importance: Low Re:  a) pitch, tone (does my voice sound good?) b) guitar part and tone (am I supporting the song with parts that sounds good?) c) time (am I playing in time with Travis and Travis?) d) audience (am I reaching anyone? is this song working? e) lyrics (what were those words again?) f) posture, logistics (are my shoulders relaxed, are my feet balanced does the 'scene' on stage look good?) g) enunciation (can anyone understand what I am saying?) a=b one instrument damnit (extrapolates to the ensemble as well) c=e=g how becomes easier when a=b f is a subset of both of the above (or f2 (scene) is a subset of a=b and f1 is just more how) Try: A or D C A D C Depending on your goals. Could also be that everything is C except for D, but that isn't as much fun, and may put too much pressure on the audience to unify all of the input into a singular set of Hows and keep it all separate from the What of connection. But when someone complains about your enunciation you get to tell them that you just weren't concerned with C that night. This from someone who only practices once a week, never performs (except in mail) and is usually disappointed by live performance. ;-p   Is your spec done yet?   _________________  Tim Root  Producer  WindowsMedia.com  http://windowsmedia.com - - - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Taylor" To: "'Steve Ball'" Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2002 2:00 AM Subject: lyrics Scratching my head over these from the Melvins CD I got recently (from the liner notes): Los ticka toe rest Might likea sender doe ree Your make a doll a ray sender bright like a penelty Exi-tease my ray day member half lost a beat away Purst in like a one way sender war give a heart like a fay And it goes on. I'm half convinced that it must really be something that makes sense and this is just a re-articulation of it. But, with this in front of me, that's all I can hear. He does have excellent enunciation, however. Taylor * * * Speaking of occasionally unintelligible lyrics that force the listener to rethink their understanding of syntax and language, I ran into an Alan White (former John Lennon drummer, and drummer for my ex-favorite band on the planet, Yes) in RedWest A yesterday after a meeting. He was coming over to visit another old acquaintance, Mike Tiano, who edits the popular YES newsletter "Notes from the Edge."  Nice to see them both again.  Alan asked me if Prometheus was still playing around town...  (he came to one of our shows at Sit and Spin in 1996.)  Hmmmm....  been awhile, eh?  Told him I would email him an 'update.'  I guess if GregG and JarodK both bail on SBRS, I now have a plan C.  * * * The bad news: Some idiot volunteered to drive TravisM, CurtG, FrankS, and BillR to the airport tomorrow morning at 5:30am.  What was I thinking?  * * * Off to calisthenics and sitting at HQ.  Then, many things to chew on today, eh J. ? * * * Late morning, I have a Dixie Chicks song stuck in my head.  CurtG obviously has a different song stuck in his... ----- Original Message ----- From: "S J Prow" To: "CurtG" "SteveB" Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2002 11:47 AM Subject: Gyros When I did merch in Nashville, the end of the show the first night KC performed, Adrian put on an apron and had Ken hold up a white board that was decorated like a menu. He offered up the encore restaurant-style, and one of the selections was Gyros. He asked an audience member to pick and that's what he picked, I think. I remember them playing it anyway. s * * * And one more from : ----- Original Message ----- From: "S J Prow" To: SB Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2002 11:54 AM Subject: Lyrics A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace, And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace, And achieve it all with music that came quickly from afar, Then taste the fruit of man recorded losing all against the hour. And assessing points to nowhere, leading ev'ry single one. A dewdrop can exalt us like the music of the sun, And take away the plain in which we move, And choose the course you're running. etc. Personally, I have always been quite impressed with your diction and it stands out for me on your work as really adding to the feel of the lyrics. hugs... packing now...trying to avoid being the stereotypical girl with the huge suitcase but it's kinda hard when you're packing a sleeping bag. The song Greenthumb has special meaning for me now that there are so many new non-guitarists coming to L1... s Those lyrics (Close to the Edge) still send chills up my spine.  * * * A much needed nap and a cheery phone call make my day. * * * Evening: getting my studio sorted out.  What a mess of cables and crap.  Four computers (two Macs, two PCs) make for a pain in the arse.  The bright side: listening to some old Steve Hackett (Spectral Mornings) while getting setup.  Inspiration in the air.  Yes, I am a complete sucker for Steve Hackett's first five solo recordings.  To my ears, this music is timeless - a strange blend of English prog and American pop..  I'm sure these were each considered complete commercial disasters by his record company(s.)   Musical value is not to be measured via quantity of plastic discs sold. Hackett-based inspiration drives me to the piano. * * * Later in the afternoon, back into a search for harmony via the Dixie Chicks.   How can one person have such diverse musical taste?  I wanna be the only one For miles and miles Except for maybe you And your simple smile Oh it sounds good to me I said It sounds so good to me * * * Sunday February 10 7:51am - Four men with three guitars successfully picked up all over town and delivered to Seatac earlier this morning.  Great to catch up with FrankS about his recent European GC adventures.  He also gave me a gift which, like all good gifts, will remain in motion. Painful to get up an hour earlier than normal, but good practice for the rest of the week since I have committed to  sitting and calisthenics with Derek every morning during this next week.  Wonder who else will be joining us for this? BTW, current plan (initiated by DerekD) is: Monday - Friday 7:00-7:15am short, focused sitting 7:20-7:50am calisthenics, focus on Tony's 1st primary All within the Seattle Circle community are welcome to join us. * * * First meeting of the Seattle Circle Fundraising team to be held this morning at Dean and Patty's.    * * * Good luck to everyone beginning the Santa Barbara Level One GC course this week. * * * home