I’ve also watched rent-to-own where the deals get better as September approaches. I will never own an expensive piece of property again. Fools I say, especially those who fantasize a home represents retirement security are already making more mistakes than I ever did.Get a load of that singer advertising on Craigslist. What a golfball. He’s 62 and writes somebody said he could sing. States he is a “tener to baratone” who can do a “barbershop cortected”. Would like to try out for America’s Got Talent, if “you know anyone that can help me”. Says he checks his e-mail in the library twice a week. Ex-military, as was predicted a moment ago.
It always gets me how grossly similar the ads are in the music list, both offers and requests, year after year. The same junk and that same “Rock,funk,blues,latin,reggae,etc” bass player from Hollywood has been available since 2006. (There is an exceedingly similar ad running in Tennessee.) And rock bands? Same over-40 rock bands of stocky househusbands who missed the boat. I check for country bassist ads. The market is pretty dry though it is not customary for country bands to advertise for a bassist.
The reasons for no [country bass] ads is easy. First, most musicians do not want to play country bass because it has a reputation for being simple. If it is, you aren’t doing it right. Bass players also tend to be less nomadic with fewer delusions. But if you ever see an ad for a country bassist, you’ll notice how they desperately need him. You know, to me when I hear a bassist faking rock and roll, it sounds very similar to a bassist faking country roots and fifths. Like a lot of people, I associate simple country bass lines as being “too redneck”.
More heat means more progress and it’s 94 out there (105 on the heat index). It’s only 84 degrees in Rangoon. I’m slowly deciphering the directions for the Boss recorder and learning techniques that apply to the bigger studio production picture. Remember, I am NOT pushing buttons on the machine, I am reading manuals, watching videos, taking on-line tutorials, and writing copious notes. I do not believe the average musician, as opposed to a studio technician, would ever put in so much effort. But I have little choice.
I’ve also found these devices have more than one way to skin a cat. When faced with that, I prefer any automatic function, what some might call a wizard. Since I never went to recording school, functions, especially electronic functions, make more sense to me. I’ve likely already lost any hope of working with a trained sound engineer.
In fact, I exclusively use auto settings for punching, which is to record over a bad section very precisely. I recorded four songs to develop a system that works for me and already I’ve filled the memory card. The background lyric thing from y’day worked so well I went through every one of the vocal FX settings until I found one that sounds like distant harmony and I may have a winner on that. Hey, if it works for McCartney.
Next and last, bingo was surprisingly active for pre-rent week, with a lively crowd. And enough extra to set me up for the weekend, always a nice feeling. But no celebrating yet, I’m still faced with a quandary. That situation where I could do something rash now and get by, but if I wait just a little longer, I’ll get more. But how often can one continue to wait in life? And in this case, more would actually turn out to be more than I can use. A tough decision. Believe you me.
Attend a rock or blues concert
Borrow money
Date a woman without sex
Live in the same house over three years
Drive across America
