Music on the brain...

So I was driving home from my band rehearsal tonight thinking about quite a few things. I thought about why I only minored in music instead of majored, about how much I admire the musicians I know who are playing/teaching professionally now, and about how continuing to play music continues to feed me as an artist.

When I was playing in college, I always wanted to "hear" better...more specifically, when I was playing jazz/improvising. It blows me away that when I listen to a composition, I can be engulfed in the melody (and this is probably my problem), and then when it comes to any solos, it's like they start speaking a foreign language. I was always SO frustrated that I felt SO confident as a musician, but was never able to communicate in the language of improvisation. I'm not sure what my hang up was...perhaps I could never "let go" enough, or maybe I didn't put in enough hours listening - and I have to admit, that is one thing that I felt my public school education completely lacked. All through middle and high school, we would listen to a piece once or twice, and then play a ton, but it wasn't really ear training. I am MAD that my teachers didn't give assigned listening homework...it could have helped it many ways. Finally, in college, we would listen to a piece and then be expected to listen to it some more. I felt, and feel, that listening repeatedly to a piece as you are learning it ingrains it within you.

I love the connection I still feel with the music I play. I know that the music I know best is the music I have played or choreographed/danced to. I have gotten inside it, and it has gotten inside me. I am sad for young people who don't have this sort of connection with music. (I don't care if it is the pop music from their iPod or the classical music they learn on violin). I think, though, that it is one thing to listen to music, and quite another to experience it on deeper levels. To this day, when the soloists start up on the jazz channel, I have to admit, I sorta tune out, but I still wish I could speak that language.

I found a pretty cool piece tonight called Shirley's Blues from an album by trumpeter Kenyon Harrold. I like it a lot. Whether jazz, hip-hop, R&B, classical, world or pop, I like music that makes my mind wander to artistic places, music that makes me recall why I love music so much, and music that makes me want to be a better player. I am so glad I continue to play trumpet as an adult and that I still have music on my brain.

Photo-a-Day - Week 3

Okay, so this week's photos are not very inspired...I got busy and found myself snapping a lot of randomness with my iPhone. I never said I was perfect...it's all about the process  =)

Photo-a-Day - Week 2

This week, I found myself interested in textures. I also had a shoot for 92131 magazine with the firefighters from the Scripps Ranch Station...great people! The shot of the dollar on 1-11-11 is my wish for prosperity in this new year. Enjoy.

Photo-a-Day - Week 1

Okay, so this is nothing new...photographers have been doing this "picture a day" thing for a while now, but I thought I would give it a shot. Not all of these are portfolio work. The point, for me, is to think about the images that present themselves to me every single day and perhaps start to get a better sense of how I view the world. They might be iPhone shots, images shot for clients, or even images from the hipstamatic ap on my iPhone. I will attempt to publish every week...

An awesome gift!

So now that the office flood (or leak, really) is getting taken care of and the carpet is being cleaned tomorrow, I can think about moving back into my workspace. In the meantime, my makeshift office has done well and I have gotten a chance to play with my fabulous Christmas gift - thank you, Santa Art! - a medium-size Wacom Intuos4 tablet!!!

Okay, why is this so cool? Well, I am a lefty, but ever since we got our first computer when I was about 7 or 8, I have been "mousing" with my right hand. This worked for me because I am pretty ambidextrous anyway and point-and-click is not really detail work anyway...plus I play trumpet with my right hand, type, did gymnastics on the right side, switch hit in softball, etc. etc...BUT! As I started to use Photoshop and other image-editing applications, I thought, wouldn't it be nice if I could mouse with my right hand and draw and edit with my left? Gosh, I wish I had one of those tablets that you "write" on to do your edits.


I got to try an Intuos tablet at a workshop I attended and decided that this would be a great addition to my editing arsenal, and my loving husband agreed. IT IS AWESOME!!! I don't know how I went so long without it. I think that once I get even more used to it, and with some additional Photoshop work and practice, I will want to put more of a "fine art" spin on some of my pieces. Certainly for painting, drawing, and detail work this thing is going to help me immensely.

I still have photographer friends who could never see the appeal, and even my brother who is a graphic designer doesn't see the point and doesn't plan on converting anytime soon, but for me, the lefty, it's a whole new world, and I love it!! More to come as my skills develop...mwah ha ha!!!  ;-)

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone. Of course it is a time for reflections and fresh starts, and this blog is no exception. I have resolved to blog more often, take on at least two mini personal photography projects this year, and do at least one thing (be it big or small) toward bettering my business each day. On the personal front, I had a great run yesterday and have been doing well with the workouts, and now I need to start packing more lunches and stop living off of protein bars...we'll see how that goes...we'll see how it all goes, really...after all, resolutions require action and tending. Me, I'm taking it about a month at a time...right now, I just hope to be feeling the same drive by Valentine's day.

Onward and forward...here we go! May the new year richly bless you and yours.

Peace.