...the spice of life
I'm talking about variety, of course. It's what keeps things interesting.

I went to the open jazz jam at Daily Perks Coffee House on Wednesday night. The majority of the players were from Nazareth College. I was blown away by their talent. I fancied myself to be a pretty fair trombone player when I was in high school, but I couldn't hold a candle to these very talented young musicians. But I've gotten off my point: variety.

I've been feeling a little bored with my musical environment recently, and tonight I realized what the problem is. Pretty much everything I've been listening to and playing is guitar based. It was so refreshing to hear a trumpet and a trombone and a sax tonight. Don't get me wrong, I love performing the music I do, but a little variety keeps life interesting. I recommend taking a different path every now and again. You may just find that you've recharged your enthusiasm for life.

Habits
hab?it (h?b'ĭt)

1. A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.

2. An established disposition of the mind or character.



Funny thing about habits, often times we don't realize we've formed them. For a few weeks, I've been under doctor's orders to avoid singing while my throat heals up from some problems I've been having. I've been amazed at how many times I've found myself singing anyway. In the shower, in the car, even watching tv when a catchy commercial comes on. Medical issues aside, it's not a bad habit to have. It brings me a lot of joy and (I hope) other people enjoy listening to me when I perform.

Other habits can be far less desirable. Somewhere along the line, I started stopping at the convenience store every day for a can of Coke on my way to teach lessons. Again, under doctor's orders, that has stopped. I've taken to carrying a water bottle with me in the car. I'm not really thirsty, but you wouldn't believe how strong the impulse is to pull into the store every afternoon when I drive by.

I've got a friend who over the years developed a couple of very self-destructive habits. For a while, he managed to get them under control with a lot of hard work and support from those who care about him. Sadly, he's recently started slipping into his old ways. Other old habits like making excuses and justifying have surfaced to accompany the old ways. I pray that he realizes his support is still here, and he breaks those old habits for good.

Now Playing: ....but can he sing
You may know that I've been having a little trouble with my throat recently. I want to thank all of my friends who have expressed concern.



I went to see Dr. Michael Haden of the Center for Treatment of the Professional Voice. Very nice guy. He stuck a camera down my throat to take a look. Without going into too much detail, he found a few issues that I need to pay some attention to. Thankfully, none of them are serious enough to warrant anything drastic. I just need a little time to take care of myself and I'll be good as new. For a while at least, the gigs will be kind of sparse as I learn how much I can do.

A Little R&R
September was a very busy month for me as a musician. I had an above average number of gigs, for which I am thankful. However, somewhere along the line I managed to strain my vocal chords a bit. So on the advice of my doctor, I will be taking it easy for the next few weeks.

The up side of that is that at least for the time being, I have some free weekends. That allows me to spend some time listening to other musicians. I love "discovering" talent and helping people find new audiences. This weekend, my new friend Connie Deming will be playing Chocolate Bar. I can't wait for the folks out my way to discover what I found out a couple of months ago. The lady can SING!

The Sounds of Silence
Have you ever tried not speaking for an entire day? I bet you can't do it. Even if you're alone all day, you will probably utter something out loud at some point in the day.

About a week ago, in the middle of a song, my neck and throat started hurting. I went to the doctor, and he thinks I've strained a muscle. His orders were to rest it. That means no talking or singing unless absolutely necessary.

It's an interesting experiment. Not only do I find I say things out loud when I'm alone, I'm amazed at how the people around me, people who know I'm not supposed to be talking, keep asking me questions that require more than the nod or shake of the head.

Hopefully this situation will heal quickly. I've got a fairly busy week of gigs coming up.

A Mighty Wind
The pictures are stunning. First Katrina, now Rita. I really can't even begin to understand the power of these storms.

We in upstate New York are fond of complaining about the weather. The old joke is, if you don't like the weather here, just wait five minutes and it will change. Well after the month they've had on the gulf coast, I think I can deal with a little snow and cold this winter. God bless those folks down south who are dealing with these storms.

The Purpose of This Blog
I suppose this isn't going to be a true blog, so much as it is going to be where I'll store what I've written on the front page of my website. I change it from time to time, but I've received comments from people that they like what I wrote in any given week. Now you can looke here to see past thoughts. If you found this without actually seeing the website, you can go to http://westguitar.tripod.com to see my site.

A Little R&R
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Closing the Books on 2006
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A Nice Break
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