For all you musicians out there … go ahead … I dare ya!
Keep on Jammin’
Finally jamming with CounterPoint
The Toronto (GTA) based progressive rock band called CounterPoint, is looking for a guitar player. I am a guitar player who is finally looking to join a band. After some 20 odd years of plying my wares, helping out fellow artists to expand their playing techniques or doing studio work I’ve decided that this is the band that I wish to be a part of … if they like my playing!
This post is about what was going through my mind before, leading up to, and during the first and only jam session that I had with the band … so far? (P.S. I thought it was already posted a while ago, technical problems here folks!)
In the very beginning, Rick Kazmirchuk, the extremely talented keyboardist of the band, told me what songs they wanted to play at this jamming session. I had told him about myself, what styles of guitar playing that I liked and played, what I had been up to over the years of playing/not playing and where I was musically up to that point.
I had not owned an amp for many years, my guitar foot pedals were feeling unwanted and neglected plus I hadn’t had the intonation done on any of my guitars in years to boot! So after our many talks and e-mails on this subject, I started to figure out how to play these tunes. I tried to play them in such a way that it would bring a nice full rounded sound to them.
Once the day of our jam session arrived, I walked into the studio and chatted with the guys who were there. Chris the bass player had not shown up at that point in time. So I then went over to the guitar amp, the amp came with the studio rental and started to hook things up. The device I use to practice at home with and sometimes in a studio setting, a Ibanez Rock and Play RP200 was of course, not working (Murphy’s Law strikes again).
So I now have this amp that I had no detailed working knowledge of, but as good luck would have it, I brought along my old trusty DigiTech Multi Chorus Pedal and it worked great … until the damn batteries ran out. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to open the damn thing up and replace the !@#$%^& batteries! Why didn’t I buy the adapter with this thing?!
The jam that night started off great, but I was a little nervous at first to be honest with you. 1/4 of the way through the very first song I suddenly began to feel more relaxed! It just felt right to me. Not that I am or was intimidated by their musical abilities, but as I’ve said before it’s been a long time since I have wanted to play in any band, and these guys fit the billing to a “T”!
After performing the assigned songs for that evening we kind of sat back, talked a bit and relaxed. Then came the free jamming part of the evening. This of course was a natural direction to follow due to my limited knowledge of their regular set. BTW, 100% of their repertoire is exactly the style in which I want to play, and I know that I can excel at it, if given the time!!!
Just a major bit of information here for you about my guitar playing thought process …
I just love to go over songs in great depth while playing with bands, even it we are just goofing around. I’m not one for jamming, or should I say playing endless progressions over and over while soloing around just for the sake of it. I just don’t really get that much out of it, truth be told.
In certain circumstances, it’s quite an asset to be able to try out different/new approaches to certain sections of a particular song, in an attempt to enhance a songs overall structure and feel. I do understand in this instance, that this is a quick way for the guys to get an overall feel for the depth of my playing abilities and what I can bring to the band, but for me I am a more methodical or structured type of musician. Or maybe it’s because I suck at it? Only time will tell. Come on, I’m pouring my soul out here to you, my good readership!
Now don’t get me wrong here, if there is some sort of technical problem going on in the background while playing live, I can solo around until it is finally resolved, quite easily. To me, this comes from a deep understanding of the song’s COMPLETE structure down to the minute details. Knowing how to play a progression in any song inside out, backwards and forwards or inverted if you will, allows me to shine! That is just how I am as a musician, plain and simple.
CounterPoint is the type of band that would allow me some latitude to express myself musically and perform at a level that I can scale to more lofty heights! They are a bunch of guys who share the same love and enthusiasm in progressive rock music, that I do. I’m just not sure if they saw this or have the time to wait … fair enough!
Over the last several years I have been applying my skills to play live, solo that is, and helping countless guitarist bring their skill set to a higher level. Teaching people to raise their own bar of abilities, to expand HOW they play a song, is my ultimate reward. I never really charge people for this, it’s just for the love of music!
So after the jam, we went our separate ways and here I am today, alive to tell the tale … and hopefully more to come!
Keep on Jammin’ CounterPoint
Songs reflect your true personality
Listening to certain types of songs may just tell you more about your own, or even someone else’s, personality than you think! Take the music test, it’s easy and painless. Plus, the worst thing that you can do is learn something about yourself or people in general.
Throughout the years, I have often wondered if there is any correlation between music and the listener. Personal preferences define people to a point, but they’re only accidentals, they are not the essence of an individual.
When I was young, I enjoyed many styles of music. I tended to listen to the ones that older people was interested in. Maybe I was musically mature for my age. The best bands that I enjoyed playing with were always the older and more seasoned players. Then, when I played with guys my own age, I just played with them to keep myself busy. No disrespect intended, but it wasn’t all that much of a challenge to me at that point.
My life was as a young kid growing up in Brantford was normal. My parents stayed together. They didn’t drink or fight and our neighbourhood was like Mr Rogers. I lead a very solid, middle class existence.
When I was exposed to some certain styles of music that was very foreign to me during those informative years, I sometimes thought that it reflected directly upon those people. I imagined that this kind of music was part of who and what they were. Like for instance, if people listened to Punk Rock, then they must be prone to violence and anarchy! Country music reflected a drunk who lost his dog and so forth. I know, what a weird way for a kid to think.
Now after skimming through an article called maybe this song is about you, I now feel that, hey maybe I was on to something there as a young child!
So see what type of personality that you are in this test and tell us if you think the result are accurate … to some degree!
Keep on Jammin’
Vintage Morley Power Wah Fuzz Volume Pedal
The Vintage Morley Power Wah Fuzz Volume Pedal, is a must to have for the old school guitar player in you! It’s classic, very functional and is damn well indestructible to boot.
This is a pedal from the past that was near and dear to my heart. It was my go to pedal for anything RUSH like!
As in the post on my other site, it was the secret behind my rendition of La Villa Strangiato, from Hemispheres, 1978 album. It was by far my heaviest pedal, backed up by the video, and it always was the one that caught everyone’s eye. If you ever see this pedal in a pawn shop for a cheap price, pick it up for your favorite guitarist in your life and you’ll have a friend for life, trust me!
The video above was very educational to me and I just thought that I’d share it with you.
Keep on Jammin’
The Veteran on Canada’s Ten Dollar Bill
This post is about a courageous man who fought in a war, many years removed from our present peaceful time, and what someone did to recognize his service to his country.
Being known as a peaceful nation, today we do not place our soldiers in their rightful elevated status in society. We tend to just take them for granted. However, by this simple little acknowledgment of one man’s dedication to the war effort, this attitude may just be a tiny step in the correct direction!
If you look at the back right-hand side of a Canadian $10 bill (see above), you will see an old veteran standing at attention near the Ottawa War Memorial. His name is Robert Metcalfe and he died last month [circa December, 2007] at the age of 90.
That Metcalfe managed to live to that age is rather remarkable, given what happened in the Second World War. Born in England, he was one of the 400,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force sent to the mainland of Europe where they found themselves facing the new German warfare technique – the Blitzkrieg. He was treating a wounded comrade when he was hit in the legs by shrapnel.
En route to hospital, the ambulance in which Metcalfe was riding came under fire from a German tank, which then miraculously ceased fire. He was evacuated from Dunkirk on HMS Grenade, two of whose sister ships in the same convoy were sunk.
When he recovered, Metcalfe was sent to Allied campaigns in North Africa and Italy. En route, his ship was chased by the German battleship, Bismarck. In North Africa, he served under General Montgomery against the Desert Fox, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel.
Sent into the Italian campaign, Metcalfe met his future wife, a lieutenant and physiotherapist in a Canadian hospital. They were married in the morning by the mayor of the Italian town, and again in the afternoon by a British padre. After the war, they settled in Chatham, Ontario, where he went into politics and became the warden (chairman) of the county. On his retirement, he and his wife moved to Ottawa, where, at the age of 80, he wrote a book about his experiences.
One day – out of the blue – Metcalfe received a call from a government official asking him to go downtown for a photo op. He wasn’t told what the photo was for or why they chose him. “He had no idea he would be on the bill,” his daughter said.
And now you know the story of the old veteran on the $10 bill.
This quote came from the story of Robert Metcalfe and I hope it put a little smile on your face, even for just a single minute in your life!
Robert Metcalfe and the many others out there, we salute you!
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