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MUSIC BLOG - 2011
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Copyright 2011 Christina M. Guerrero
12/16/11
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Happy to report that I've been too busy practicing to post much. Plus, the rest of life keeps me busy too.
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Don't you hate when your local music store goes out of business and you have to go back to stealing guitar picks again? Happens to me once in a while. I do have quite a few picks right now, but they eventually bend and break, especially when I'm playing "Pride And Joy."
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Not too confident about learning "Rock This Town" by Stray Cats, but I'm working on it. I can't play that fast yet. I could probably play a soft jazz version of it.
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Having fun learning "Sleep Walk." Lovely song.
10/3/11
Discovered a beautiful traditional Russian song: "Moscow Nights." A great supplement to "Stranger In Moscow."
09/04/11
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Recently -- and finally -- had a decent guitar practice session after several weeks of mediocre attempts to play well.
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For quite a while there were only a few songs that I could tolerate listening to:
"Angel" by Massive Attack - which gave me an idea for a short story. Awesome video on Youtube.
"Angel" by Sarah McLachlan - something I generally try not to listen to because it's quite depressing. Also on Youtube in many forms. I thought about this while going through some tough times. The line about "finding comfort" stayed with me, and gave me more hope than anything or anyone else did. I saw it on Youtube as the background music to a Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part Two montage. Some things in life get wrapped up in ironic and strange ways: this video, the song, and the tough times, will remain inseparable in my memories.
"Stranger In Moscow" by Michael Jackson - Got stuck in my head during the tough times, mostly because all I wanted to do was escape the unpleasantness and go to Russia and walk around Moscow in the wintertime. I stole my daughter's iPod, accessed the song and listened to it, hoping to get rid of the ear-worm, but it remained stuck in my head.
08/31/11
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Like a lot of people these days, I'm going through challenging times. There are days when music seems trivial, or no comfort at all.
07/26/11
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I could probably play decent rhythm guitar, on an independent contractor basis, for bands in the area, and also play the few songs I know well as needed. Time to do more research on how to get that done. It's not exactly what I had in mind when I decided to be a musician, but it would be a great way to network and get experience.
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Will probably get a different acoustic guitar. I wasn't really thinking about comfort or a good fit when I bought the current guitar a few years ago; just went in and got one. I need something smaller, with better access to the frets near the sound hole.
06/28/11
Wasn’t feeling well for a while. Practiced regularly anyway, which almost always makes me feel better.
04/21/11
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I'm ready for a new guitar. I'm starting to hear how guitarists' instruments differ from one another, and want their sounds. Reading the "how-to" sections in the magazines with great interest. Not quite ready to get the extra heavy strings that SRV used for his tone. I like my fingertips unbloodied and attached to my hands, thank you very much.
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When I thought that I might not be able to pursue music, I thought about becoming a doctor and specializing in either psychiatry or forensic pathology. During that time I read a lot about autopsies. One story explained in detail how a body was examined, and how the left-hand fingertips were found to have calluses. The pathologist concluded the individual was a guitar player. It’s hard not to think about that story when I see my own calluses.
03/15/11
Eventually, you stop worrying about how you sound, and you play without fear, not worrying what the neighbors think; not worrying about anybody who might be walking around outside when the window is opened, who might think you're not that good; not worrying about much except becoming a better musician. And you do become better, but it takes plenty of practice.
02/08/11
Concert update: In the fall of 2010: Gregg Rolie Band.
Haven't been to an epic concert in a while. Looks like Alter Bridge will be around sometime soon; may go to that one.
01/10/11
I haven't posted in a long time, since last October actually, because of a busy schedule. That is, for all 1-1/2 of you who are still reading this silly blog.
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And yeah, I know. It's been about five years since I started the blog so why haven't I improved enough to perform at professional gigs? Same reason: busy schedule. I don't just practice guitar daily; I have to take care of other things too. It would be great to speed things up a bit, but I'm not in too much of a hurry.
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Several years after its debut, I've discovered another brilliant song: "Touch My Body" performed by Mariah Carey, and written by her and a few other people whose names I don't have at the moment.
It's definitely a suggestive song, yet it's also slow and sweet. I think it's brilliant because the music sounds like a definition of the title: like two people enjoying each others' company. I'm always curious how songwriters and composers match their lyrics with music, so I've been studying this song with interest.
It'd be a fun song to play late at night in a club, after everyone has had a few drinks and has started to mellow out, or perhaps as an interlude during a blues or soft rock concert, when everyone needs a break from all the fast songs. I've been imagining an instrumental version of the song, with more bass, the barest hint of drums, and keyboards and guitar providing the melody.
I generally don't listen to soft rhythm & blues/pop songs like that, and find them interesting enough to learn, but found this song to be exceptional. Also, as an aspiring musician, I realized it was time to learn about the accomplishments of Mariah Carey, who is one of the most successful recording artists in the world, so I started with that song.