Entries copied from my old Blog site
Monday, Monday, bah, dah, bah, dah, dah, dah
Oh yeah, Mondays. And today I have an extra bad case of the Mondayitis despite having a great weekend. I actually got some sun on my skin, maybe even a little too much on my forehead. My wife was giggling at me last night because I had lines across my face from wearing my sunglasses. I got some sun because we took a nice walk from our house around the coastline to Waverley Cemetary, which is one of the oldest in Sydney. It is filled with some wonderful tributes to the departed and was the first time I'd ever been there, despite having lived in the area for at least a 1/2 dozen years. This Cemetary has some of the best views in Sydney, which is pretty odd considering it's residents could care less about views. Isn't it funny how you can live in an area for many years but still not really SEE it. After our little walking adventure on the weekend, I made a little promise to myself that I would try to experience as much of what this area has to offer. Next weekend, we are planning on going out to La Perouse, where the First Fleet landed and another place I've never been.
As I said in Friday's missive, I met with a couple of vocalists over the weekend: one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Saturday's vocalist, Peter, is a really nice young bloke with an untrained but solid pop/rock voice. He was not quite what I'm looking for mainly because of his inexperience. Without demeaning him in any way, I just can't waste time 'training up' someone. He might be fun to jam with and do a bit of recording with, but that's about it.
On the other hand, Sunday's vocalist, Ben, was all business. This guy has management, contacts, interest and dedication. Being a singing teacher probably helps as well. He has a very strong voice, great range and is looking for collaborators, which suits me to a tee. He seemed taken by my material, what little he heard, but left with a couple of demos of mine which he promises he is going to listen to carefully. I'm trying not to be too excited about this or have any expectations. I do feel quietly confident that he is going to do soemthings that will help my career as a writer. Only time will tell...
posted by Dynamaso at 4:42 PM 0 comments
Friday, September 24, 2004
Friday Thoughts
I don't know about Fridays. I mean, I'm glad they come along, especially if I've spent all week working hard. As weekends come around, I get excited about having a couple of days off, particularly about being able to sleep in. Two days later - BAM - its Monday again and I have to go through the whole rigmarole of convincing myself I should get out of bed and go to work. Fridays are sort of like a favourite meal you've had many times. When it comes around, you happily indulge yourself but when you sit down and start eating, the taste is somewhat tainted by the fact that you've eaten the same thing before. It's the feeling of 'yeah, I've got two days off - I'm going to start a riot' (or change the world or whatever you fancy yourself doing but never do). The reality for most is we don't do anything that we haven't done before.
This weekend could prove to be a little different. I'm meeting two singers this weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Peter, the Saturday guy, is new to Sydney, comes from Noosa Heads in Queensland but spent the last 12 months in Melbourne. He sounds like a bright, happy guy and someone who could potentially be excellent to make music with. The Sunday guy, Ben, lives on the Central Coast, sounds very laid-back but dedicated, writes in partnership with a guy in L.A. but is looking for Aussie songwriters as well. He's driving down to Sydney on Sunday and would like to catch up. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I'm my own worst critic and, in that respect, probably my own worst enemy when it comes to trying to sell myself. I either go so overboard I drown those around me or I make snap judgements about what I think people think and get myself twisted into knots about it. Ideally, I would like to get to a mid-point between these two extremes. At least the weekend is shaping up to be something different.
posted by Dynamaso at 3:58 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Everyday...
I could be offended. But then, so could you.
A close friend of mine, Bruce, asked if I'd been writing something everyday for this blog. I told him I hadn't and he wondered why, if I was trying to keep this as a journal. I got thinking about it and decided I would really try hard to put even a couple of sentances up everyday. That was two days ago and this is the first thing I've written since that conversation. Pretty slack, huh?
The reason I could be offended is because going to my blog today, it looks as though I've not had a single visitor. Could this be because of my ramblings or simply because there are so many blogs out there that my little contribution is way, way, way down on reading lists.
The reason you could be offended is because I haven't maintained my blog on a day to day basis. As I said earlier, I am going to try but having said that, I am not prepared to put this little missive above all else. So if I miss a few days (or weeks) please don't hold it against me.
For those of you who don't know, while I hold down a pretty good day job but my passion is my music. Not only do I listen and collect a lot of music, but I am also a dab songwriter and performer. I've written for various music publications (mostly street press), maintain a large collection of music related literature and periodicals and enjoy most forms of music. My biggest problem has been not being able to extrapolate this obsession (yes, I think it could be called so) into a way to make a living.
Ideally, I'd love to be in a successful band, touring the world and playing my music for the masses. The reality is I didn't start my pursuit of a career in music until I was in my late 20's. Each year that has passed since has put my dream a little further out of reach, wholly due to my age. Most record companies these days are so big, so corporate and so damned sure of their place that most of their artists, unless signed when 14 years old, don't have lasting career prospects. The mainstream music industry is a fickle, impetuous and impatient beast that stamps use-by dates on their products very shortly after releasing them (in some cases, even before releases are made). This has left me with no choice but to become truly independant and try to record and release my own material myself.
To that end, I've spent the last few years building up some recording equipment and then learning how to use it all. Realistically, I probably know about 1/100 of what I need to know at this juncture but I am enjoying the learning process. I've recorded some absolute crap as well as some truly beautiful moments. I'll keep everyone up to date about how this is going. Hopefully, the future will see a few snippets available through this blog for feedback from anyone who cares to listen.
I've also been trying to find a few like-minded souls to help me out. Last night, I met a lovely man called Al, who plays bass, guitar and keyboards (although the keyboards is a very new instrument). He came over to my place to meet me and have a listen to some of my songs. I was blabbering at full speed and probably came across like a speed-freak (which I'm not). I can get very enthusiastic at times and am starting to realise this might put people off. I don't think I come across as a stressed person, just very enthused and positive (bloody hell, I almost sound like a born-again Christian, which I'm not). Al seemed interested in my songs, to the point of clapping and singing along at one point. I am taking this as a good sign. We intend to get together in the very near future. I'm also hoping to hook up with a couple of singers who recently responded to an ad I'd left on a music website. I'll keep everyone up with the progress of this project.
posted by Dynamaso at 9:55 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Use It Or Abuse It
I've been trying to decide how I'm going to use this blog. I've gone to heaps of different sites and have seen all sorts of different blogs, some great, some not so great. At first, I wanted to post stuff that was provocative and maybe a little dangerous with the idea that one person can make a difference. But there are plenty of people who use their blogs as soapboxes and I didn't want to be another.
So I've decided I will try and keep this as personal as possible, maybe detailing my day to day struggles of trying to decipher the mess of humanity around me. So, to get started, I figured I flesh out my character a little. I live in Sydney, Australia, which is just about the best place anyone could live. I'm sure most people would say that about their chosen home, but Sydney IS a great city in a great state in a great country. I live with my wife in a beach-side suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. This city is our adopted home, with our respective immediate family groups living in rural New South Wales. We're city people with a deep love and respect for the country. One day, we would like to live a semi-rural life but for now we are happy to be where we are. We love each other very much and are very happy together. We have a wonderful, honest, adult relationship and are constantly surprised by how happy we are together. Maybe this is because we have both been through the wringer in the past and have settled for nothing but the best this time around. Or maybe it is because we are older and more willing and able to live and let live. I don't really know. All I know is it is working better than any relationship I've had in my life. And who could ask for more?
I work at a major hospital during the day, basically as a dogs-body administration person. It is a job of varying satisfaction. Some days, I really love the fact that, in a small way, I'm helping the sick and injured. Other days, I feel completely frustrated at not being able to do more because it is such a pissant, pedantic workplace, full of dead-wood public servants who like nothing better than complicating anything I try to do. But it is a job close to home, affording me the pleasure of not having to commute.
Afterhours, I spend a lot of time writing, recording, playing and listening to music. Music comes a close second to being my greatest passion, first, of course, being my wife. But creativity generally is a high priority for me. I believe I have a gift and I'm just waiting for the rest of the world to catch on. Maybe this will happen, maybe it won't. Fame and all that goes with it has never been my motivation anyway.
So there you have it. This is me. I hope you like what you've read so far. Let me know. Post a comment, even if you think I'm full of it. Any response is a good response, as far as I'm concerned. Unlike a lot of people who believe life to be a competition, I believe life is a lesson we are all constantly striving to learn. With each mistake we make and correct, we are ticking off another task on our study list. With every breath we take, word we speak and gesture we make, we are making an indelible impression on our subconcious, which then carries over to our concious mind. So I try to understand without judging, stay calm in face of anger and ridicule, be compassionate and mindful of those around me and, above all, maintain a positive outlook on life, because life is too short to waste time on activities that only damage the soul.
posted by Dynamaso at 1:09 PM 0 comments
Monday, September 13, 2004
Blog Virgin
I'm a blog virgin, so please go easy on me if I seem nervous or anxious. I want my first time to be memorable, not spoilt by any unnecessary pressure or force. I want to relax and have a good time. I want to enjoy my 'deflowering'. I don't think I'm alone in saying that the first time can either make or break it for anyone committed enough to take the first step. So here goes...
I'm keeping my back straight and looking deep into the warm glow of my screen. Now my fingers are feeling the keys under their tips respond to my insistent pressure, relenting and pushing back as these glorious words flow out. I can feel a beautiful force building up as I approach the mark. Ahhh, this feels wonderful. I had no idea it would feel this good to just let go. I can't believe I waited this long - oh what divine cruelty has kept me from expressing myself like this. Oh, this is heavenly. Yes, that's right, just there, don't quit, keep it up, yes, yes, ohhhhh...
So, this is it, huh? Oh well, I hope it was good for you too. But don't blame me if it wasn't. You knew I was a virgin. I even put this is my title. I mean, I don't want to sound ungrateful but you didn't have to read this. No one was forcing you.
Yeah, sure, leave me your number and I'll call you sometime. No, really, I will. Sometime...