Don't be fooled

into thinking I'm going to blog about drumming because I haven't done any of that in TWO weeks.


Some things have been going on with trying to get into school, and man problems, and work, so I felt like Wednesday would have been a huge waste of Harry's time. I wrote him an email letting him know I was going to bail because A) I didn't feel like drumming and B) I didn't practice AT ALL since the last time we met, but he wrote me back saying he would be there and if I showed then we could just chill.



So last Wednesday's "drum lesson" consisted of me sitting in his kitchen for an hour and half eating soup and convincing him that having his wisdom teeth pulled and his tonsils out wouldn't be so bad.

So it's Wednesday again, and I STILL haven't practiced, and I just cancelled on him. Honestly, I can't even face the guy. And you know why? Because he's not going to judge me. He's going to sit there, messing with his hair or his face or his iphone and he's going to tell me that I "seem to have a lot of good stuff going on" and I just can't handle the niceness today. I'll take this week, and next week (that was pre-cancelled because of something he had to do) and I'll really take into consideration all of the crap I'm dealing with. So when I see him again in two weeks or so, and he tells me I'm "progressing a lot faster" than he ever did, I won't feel like maybe it's a total lie.

On a more sunshine and rainbows note, I'm heading to the homestead this weekend and I couldn't be happier. Time with the fam ALWAYS reminds me who I'm good at being. I'll try to take lots of good pictures of the nieces for posting next blog, and hopefully have a fun story or two. Until then......

Of Squigglies and Fractions

"I just like to be around people who want to know stuff, because I want to know stuff, too."

~Harry

Well thank God for that. Because I still suck at drumming. I feel pretty embarrassed by my pace in this whole thing, even though Harry says I'm doing just fine. Yesterday's lesson was particularly humiliating because it involved learning how to read music ( a little bit) and this entailed going over fractions. Anyone who knows me knows that math is my Achile's Heal. It is simply one of those concepts I don't grasp, like politics or why anyone likes twizzlers.

So he taught me (via a dry erase board, oh how I love the smell of dry erase markers) how to distinguish the difference in notes when reading music for the drums.

These are the ones I have to concern myself with the most:

Especially the 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16 notes. That measure with the 1/8 notes on the hi-hat, and the 1/4 notes on the bass and snare-that's that basic drum groove I've been working on forever. that's technically how it looks.

Then there's things that looks like this:

that note is called a "triplet." It represents fitting three 1/8 notes into the timing of two. Harry says these are really common in drumming, so it's pretty crucial I learn to recognize and play them.

It doesn't end at triplets, but apparently things like quintuplets and septuplets are rare in most things. Which is awesome, because I'm not sure I could play that fast.

So now I'm equipped to be able to look a piece of sheet music for a particular song and somewhat know how to pick it apart, which is cool.

So my homework for this week (self assigned) is to try to pick apart something simple from this book that I bought with all kinds of different drum grooves in it, and also to work on my timing of fitting beats where they are supposed to go. As Harry says, "It's a perfect science" so I'll let you know how that works out.

Until then........

I sure do wish some things happened differently then they do a lot of the time

Let's talk about grad school.

So, here I am, trying to voluntarily put myself back through the ringer of coursework at UAB, AND begging to pay them to do it for me.

But can I get anyone to talk to me about how I go about doing this? No. Particularly Samara Massey, who I am totally not afraid to call out on this blog (mainly because only 3 or so people read it). I have emailed her several times and the only time I got response was when I copied someone else in the department on the email. Thanks a pad-load, Samara. You're really making me want to go to UAB for my continuing education.

I have gotten an advising sheet. I have sent in my unofficial transcripts. I have taken that God-forsaken MAT and I have started my application for the program, however, I do not want to apply yet until I know whether or not my MAT score is good enough, and if I can't get a damn advisor, then I have no way of knowing if I need to take it over again.

I definitely called the department chair today and left her a voicemail explaining how Samara and I were "not having any luck communicating" and that I NEEDED to speak to someone, anyone, about my MAT score and my chances of getting accepted for the summer term. I'm willing to give you my SUMMER, UAB. my motherflippin' SUMMER. the greatest time of the year, and you're shooting it down. to be a teacher no less. In alabama, the most God-awful state to choose to teach because our education system is ridiculous.

Now that I'm done ranting, I have to figure out what I'm going to practice tonight so that when Harry inevitably asks me what I've been working on tomorrow, I won't have to ninja his mind into forgetting he asked me that like I always do.

Want to see what happiness looks like?

Well, what my happiness looks like is this:

That would be the Yamaha electronic drum kit that I now OWN. It is all mine, and I love it. Harry came over last night to "help" me set it up, and by "help" I mean he did the whole thing himself. I may have plugged in a few wires he simply couldn't reach.

ANYwho, it's awesome, and he said it was a great set. Since I'm not working off a loaner, I can now continue my drumming no matter where I go in life.

We didn't learn anything new, but that doesn't matter because it was a great session anyway. Since I've been so slow to learn new things, I decided to focus some energy on my drum inspiration. My first step to do this was to get some books on different drummers and their styles. I bought a few on amazon, and I began my musical education.

Here's a few of the drummers I learned and loved:

Keith Moon, drummer for "The Who"

This kid was ca-razy. He was often accused of sounding "sloppy" but it was really just very intricate. He's probably my favorite because he was ridiculous and had an apetite for destruction

Mike Portnoy, drummer for Dream Theater

This is one of Harry's favorites. I don't know much about him, but I've seen a video or two. and look at his kit. day-um.

Carter Beuford, drummer for Dave Matthews Band

This is Harry's hero. From what I've read, he's a big fan of using "Ghost strokes" which are really cool sounding.

Tony Williams, drummer for Miles Davis

Apparently this guy could do things that defied physics. His hands would be doing a steady movement but the sound would be something they surely couldn't be doing.

Animal, drummer for "The Muppets"

Allegedly his drumming style was a tribute to Keith Moon, but I added him because he's funny.

So I will continue my drummageducation with research and practice. And I now feel comfortable enough to start exploring how to do some things on my own, so I'll hopefully have some things to show Harry next week when we meet.

Now I actually have to get some work done...

Matchbox 20 is Nobody's "favorite" band

No truer words have ever been spoken.

Let's face it-we all judge people based on something. If you say you don't judge, you're a Lying McLyster because you do, and you have, and you will again.

So I let a lot of things slide when it comes to the company I keep, mostly because I find what most people see as flaws as major selling points in a relationship a lot of the time. The one thing I judge harshly on, however, is musical taste. It's not always a deal breaker, but it can definitely change the way I view someone.

Now everyone has a bit of an eclectic taste for different things. While I'm pretty proud of the 553 songs that I have entered into my ipod since it coming into my life a few short months ago, I do have Wham on there, for God's sake. I'm not talking about the one or two songs you like by Britney Spears (yep, she's on there too. Frequently.) I'm talking about all-time-favorite-entire-album-went-to-the-concert bands.

Some popular favorites that don't weird me out but aren't necessarily my picks:

1)DMB
2)Led Zeppelin
3)Widespread Panic
4)Metallica
5)The Beatles
6)Hell, I would even take Britney Spears.

But no where in that shortened (but realistically infinite) list do you see a band like "Matchbox 20."

Matchbox 20 is a band, that, like Third Eye Blind or Three Doors Down is good for a 3-4 song base, if that. So when I recently came across someone who's 2nd favorite band was listed as Matchbox 20, I gotta tell you, my stomach flipped a little. and I felt the judgement. I felt it BIG TIME. I had this conversation with Harry (it wasn't him, his tastes are impeccibly in tune with my own) and he made the very statement that titles this blog. You all know Harry's a sweetheart, and I hate to rat him out like that, but come on. I wouldn't even count that as a judgemental statement so much as I would a pure fact.

Anyway, it got me wondering what other fun facts this kid is going to bust out during the tenure of our friendship, and how much it will change the way I view it. Next thing you know he'll be telling me he doesn't eat hamburgers and owns a pet cat. (not that I know anyone like that ; )

In it to Win it

So I got to see my dear, sweet Harry yesterday.



I love drum lesson wednesdays, but sometimes they stress me out. I'm learning so slowly, and I feel like I waste his time sometimes. We got a little bit done yesterday, though. We worked on intregrating my crash symbol into "the groove" and I was introduced to a little friend called The Metronome.



I still suck at this, but to get good was never really the point, now was it? Yeah sure I would love to be good, but really I just wanted something I could really get into. We talked a bit about that, too. The goal for Harry is teach me fun things, and my goal is to come home every day, look at my drum kit and want to hug it and tell it I love it.



So I'm looking to get inspired. I can't love something I know nothing about, so I'm going to do what I do best and research the hell out of the drums. I need to find someone who plays that makes me want to play, and I really think if I put some effort into my music education, I can appreciate it a lot more.

"Seems like you've been missing a lot of blogging lately." I wouldn't say I've been "missing" it

So much has happened, I think my blog would explode if I tried to fit it all in, so I'll give some of the shorterned version:

1) My christmas was great, thanks. I got a planner and money to fix my broken laptop. ah, to be an adult.

2)New Year's eve was great too. I had a really good time with friends, and it was a much better start than last year.

3)I'm kind of seeing someone. No, it's not Harry, and I wish you would quit accusing me of being in love with him.

4)I have about 1,000,000,000 new year's resolutions and I don't expect to keep more than about 5

5) I got my hair cut. I've been told I look like a completely different person, which I don't know if that's good or bad, but I like it.

6) I have acquired my very own electronic drum kit. I haven't seen it yet, but I don't even care what it looks like for the money I got it for. It's functional and from a friend so I know it's not going to be too bad.

I hope none of that came off as harsh sounding, but I'm just trying to spare you a really, really really long blog post about my life.

I resume lessons tomorrow so I'm sure I'll write up a storm Thursday...until then...