I'm Like Yoda In Tight Pants

The musician part of me had a really fun week last week; specifically, he (it? How do I refer to the musician part of me?) had a fun three days.

I was invited to Bluevale Collegiate Institute to be interviewed by a student I know there for his music class. I was not the first choice: I received the invite after randomly running into this student a week before the class. Also, when I mentioned this to my worship team, they simultaneously said “oh, so YOU’RE the one he got to do it,” since they all apparently had stuff to do. It’s a sad life, being the last option.

ANYWAY, I got interviewed about being a musician and how I got started and all that for about 12 students and it was fun. I got to go off about downloading, tell stories about poorly attended shows and well-attended shows, and so on. I felt like I spent too much time stressing how un-fun the life of a musician can be. I was trying to make sure they knew that even if you “make it” (i.e. tour, release CDs, etc) the odds of you effectively supporting yourself through music are very slim. Unfortunately, I think I might have come off as a little bitter and unsuccessful, which I surely am, but I try and save that part of myself for my friends and family. You have no right to my bitterness, children.

They also asked for my best advice, which I gave by quoting Dandy Warhols frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor: “If it’s good, it’s fun, if it’s bad, it’s funny” which isn’t really advice per se but it kind of sums up the only healthy way to view indie band life. At one point I mentioned the hip-hop, to which some girl said “yeah, but do you do REAL hip-hop or ‘I’m gonna get some’ hip hop?” which struck me as pretty savvy for a 17 year old. So I rapped a little for the children from the Runaway disc and that was my time with them. I am now a sage to the next generation of rock stars.

Saturday was worship practice, Settlers and Prince Caspian. Head over to the hlog in the next couple of days, I’ll probably review the movie there.

Sunday I played worship in the morning and then drove feverishly to Burlington to make the Sound of Music festival. I was playing with My 2 Sense, who I’d only had one rehearsal with previously. There’s nothing like playing a festival (in a major city, sorry Madoc) to make you feel like a rock star: dudes opening doors for me, dudes, getting me water, dudes carrying my gear, Mike “Pinball” Clemons speaking before we went on. It was a decent set, too. M2S is comprised mainly of Russ Denison, who used to lead worship at WMB; Duane Boles, who currently leads worship at WMB, and a guy I always love playing with, Kevin Ramessar. Besides being the most talented guy I know (seriously, no hyperbole) he’s also a lot of fun and is really easy to vibe off of during shows. I’ve been lucky to play with him twice in the last couple of months (this show and a conference) and would love to keep doing it.

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IN OTHER NEWS!

Uh…so, what up? Nothing really new to report. I deliberately backed off of more shows in June so I probably won’t have anything to report until July. So more reviews, yes? And perhaps musings about the awful music industry? Toomy lee and Pam Anderson are apparently living together again – maybe I could write something on that? TOPICAL!

See you Tuesday.