It’s clear that there is much to be gained by devoting our full attention to our work. Is there a downside to iron-clad focus? What about the distractions? Continue Reading…
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Living with Tinnitus
For many years, even though my hearing is good, I have suffered with Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. For me, it is a true “ringing” in that it focuses on a small range of frequencies in the 4khz range, a bit like a police whistle. For people without this affliction, it seems like a minor annoyance, but for those of us who live with it, it can be a terrible life-altering struggle to live with this noise. How can we deal with this? Continue Reading…
The Dangers of Being in a Hurry
Recently, one of my pastimes has brought to mind a question: What is to be gained mentally and artistically by having time limits? Does rushing to the finish line make us stronger, more efficient, or most importantly, wiser? Continue Reading…
You Don’t Need Magic to Succeed
There are thousands of books and videos on how “positive thinking” can create success, or how “visualizing” your goals will make them come true. Is there a “secret” to this? If you just believe hard enough, will the universe re-arrange itself to make you happy? Let’s explore some misconceptions about “winning.” Continue Reading…
The 3 Forces in Art: Part I
I should say, “The three forces that, when in balance, make what I think of as art,” but it is a title, that’s a bit cumbersome. In this series, we will explore these forces, and how we can utilize them to create work that “works.”
It does seem odd that many things come in threes: the three spatial dimensions we experience in our universe, the three legs needed to make something stable, the strength of a triangle, and even the three skills needed for practice. So it is with art and its subset, music.
Force One: Exploration
Origami: How “Folding” Makes Melody
Most elements of art exist somewhere in a continuum between order and chaos. Both of these extremes lead to a feeling of meaninglessness in the work. A completely predictable pattern seems mindless and automatic, and complete randomness seems incomprehensible and without information. Continue Reading…
A Brief Discussion of Leaders vs. Bullies
In our journeys as artists, we will interact with both bullies and true leaders. We will also have the opportunity to play these roles ourselves. What is the difference between the two? How can we move forward with our goals while motivating and inspiring others rather than pushing them around? Here are some suggestions:
A Remark You Made: Words that Shaped Our Lives
Ever notice there will occasionally be something someone has said that resonates for you? It could have been a critical remark, a compliment, or even a cruel put-down. It also may have been a general observation that “hit home” in a way that you remember for the rest of your life. Or perhaps you read or saw something that sent your mind on a new journey. If we open ourselves to “collecting” these nuggets, we can learn and grow. I have left most of them anonymous in order to avoid any hint of “name dropping.” This isn’t really about me anyway! 
How Self-Labeling Holds us Back
Happy New Year!
In the spirit of resolutions and goals, let’s discuss how we can move forward this year (and beyond.)
In general, we find it irritating when others put a label on us; we rightly want to break free from the restrictions of such things. Yet, we are more than happy to constantly put labels on ourselves, and to staunchly defend those self-determined limitations. Let’s look at some common ones, both in our music and in our overall existence.
These often begin with “I’m a person who…” and become gospel to us. Below, let’s identify some of these, translate them into what they really mean, and look at ways to challenge them.
Happy Holidays!
Here is a bunch of Christmas music for your holiday enjoyment! We did these recordings from ’94-99 just for fun. Alesis ADAT tape machines! Tracks 1,3, 7 and 8 were recorded on Fostex 1/2 inch analog 16 track. (you may notice some slight hiss) Hope you enjoy!
The musicians:
Randy Hoexter: arrangements, keyboards, BG vocals
Chip Lunsford: Drums
Joe Reda: Bass (1,3,7,8)
Bryan Lopes: Saxophone (1,3,7,8)
Alfreda Gerald: Vocals
Angie Driscoll: Vocals (5)
Carl Culpepper: Guitar (5)
