Smoke Signals - Original

 This song started as a poem that I wrote a couple days after moving back to Chicago this past August and I thought it was about time that I record it for posting on Trombonisms. This morning, I sat down and recorded it using a Sony Condenser mic and Audacity. Enjoy!

       

   
   
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Nicole Reynolds "Here Right Now" Cover

Chicago has been treating me well, possibly a little too well, which is part of why it's been a long time since I last posted anything on Trombonisms. The cover I've recorded here was written and recorded by Nicole Reynolds. It's from her 2007 album, This Arduous Alchemy, which was only her second full-length album. She's an awesome, queer singer/songwriter and I hope all of you will give her a good listen. I love playing this song and the lyrics are really sweet, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! For more info about Nicole Reynolds, you can visit her website here, which has bio info, recordings, and a few pics of her.

      

   
   
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Early Warning - Original

First of all, I am moving back to Chicago! My relationship with Caitlin is over and I must move on and get back to my life in the Windy City. I've actually been sitting on this recording for at least a month now, if not longer. OK, so, this is an original. First one recorded, and I'm really happy to finally be posting this song. I wrote this when my (new) ex asked me to write a song for her. This is the result of that request.

After I wrote the song, it ended up evolving a lot, and I found the process to be very educational as I'm learning to flex my brand new song-writing skills. One part of that process was realizing what elements were missing in the song, and finding ways to fill in the gaps. After I recorded myself singing with the guitar, I decided on a whim to record myself playing trombone along with that track. I recorded myself twice, listened to both trombone tracks over the original, then listened to all three tracks together.

The result is not meant to be musically perfect...I know there are some messy parts, some missed notes and general disorganization. This reflects something about what the song is about for me. I hope you enjoy!

       

   
   
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Leonard Cohen "Halleluja" - cover

This cover is one especially for my good friend Emie. Way back in my freshman year at Northwestern University, she and I became friends through a tale of...well, mostly of coming out to her, quickly falling for her and then her breaking my heart...then a while later, us becoming good friends again.

Other than helping me come out, she also helped me discover some amazing music by some of my (now) favorite artists. One song in particular has been significant to me for years now. It's been covered SO many times, that I will not attempt to mention each rendition. The song is Hallelujah, written by Leonard Cohen, a Canadian singer-songwriter who has been releasing albums since the 60's. (I have to admit that I haven't made a point of listening to his recordings. Having read up on him a bit, I feel obligated to listen.)

The version Emie introduced me to was recorded by Rufus Wainwright. Having heard a few others, I still like his version the best. I'd love to give more information about his version, but I'm going to leave some details for a post update.

Anyway, I wanted to make sure I get this cover up before Emie leaves the country as a little going away gift.

Emie: I hope you have an amazing trip. I think doing this is totally ballsy, and I really admire you for making such a proactive move instead of resigning to easier options here in the US. You're a great friend and I'm going to miss you a lot. I look forward to when you're back around.


       

   
   
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Mountain Goats "Pale Green Things" - Cover

The song "Pale Green Things" is also one that I've been playing and singing for a long time. I've always liked playing it close to the way it was originally recorded by Mountain Goats on The Sunset Tree. Playing it took on new meaning for me not too long ago when Caitlin's Dad, Bill, passed away. Caitlin and I have been living with her parents in Las Cruces, New Mexico since December. I think it was some time in mid January that Bill was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and was put on home hospice care. His mobility went down by a lot, and so we would go hang out with him in the master bedroom, talking and watching Man Vs. Wild, Mythbusters and the like. Although I didn't get to know him long before he passed away, I have some great memories with him. He was a fantastic man, a great friend to me, and a wonderful father to Caitlin and her siblings.
The day he died, we were gathered in his room, staying with him in his last hours. At one point, I left the room to make food for everyone, made a phone call to my Mom to tell her what was happening, and sat down to play Pale Green Things. As I was playing, I thought I could hear crying in the other room, and I knew that Bill must have died. The song will always remind me of that moment.       

   
   
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Mountain Goats "Love Love Love" - Cover

I feel like I've been a slacker with this blog, so I'm posting a double-whammy today. Also, I've been writing a couple songs and working on a few musical projects involving trombone and hope to post these sometime very soon.

The Mountain Goats is a band I was first introduced to a few years ago by my good friend Mike. Much of their recordings have a very raw quality--both in the minimal production value and the style of the performance. John Darnielle's (lead singer/songwriter) style of singing is not for everyone, but there is a personal, authentic quality to it that is often hard to come by. His lyrics tend to be really interesting, vivid, personal and downright poetic.


The song "Love Love Love" is one that I've been playing and singing for a long time now. This song comes off of the Mountain Goats album The Sunset Tree (2005), which is my favorite album of theirs. The original is very slow in tempo, and very quietly sung. I think that for those reasons, it can easily be seen as sleepy. Although I do appreciate the original version, I like to play it at a faster tempo to bring some life into it.

       

   
   
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The Knife "Na Na Na" - Cover

       

    
  
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Ahh, The Knife. Where to start. I have been having a love affair with The Knife, and Karen Dreijer's solo project, Fever Ray, for over a year now. Caitlin introduced me to this eerie, electronic music, and I have been in musical awe ever since. The Knife consists of two members, Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson, a brother-sister duo from Sweden (I have been noticing a very positive trend of art coming from Sweden...).

A short warning: this is not music for the light-hearted. This stuff is weird, sometimes bordering on, sometimes seeping in creepy, and it's very experimental. If you want to give The Knife or Fever Ray a try, start with some earlier music, like their debut album The Knife (2001), or Deep Cuts (2003). In particular, try listening to the songs "Heartbeats" or "Pass This On".

When I first listened to The Knife, I have to admit that I was a bit turned off by it. It was just so different from music I had previously listened to (I was never really one to go for synth over traditional instruments). Outside of listening to lots and lots of Radiohead, I had never been interested in having electronic elements in music. The Knife stretched the boundaries of my musical experience, which is part of why I like them SO much. I don't know how many people out there relate to this, but when I'm initially turned off by music, I challenge myself to give it at least a few good listens before I dismiss it. So I listened again and again, and soon enough, I couldn't stop listening to The Knife.

A few months ago, I had the great opportunity to see Karin Dreijer Andersson perform music from Fever Ray at the Metro in Chicago. This show was simply awe-inspiring. Andersson is not one to give shout-outs to the crowd or speak in between songs; she is performing from the moment she steps on stage to the moment she leaves. To get a sense for the props on stage, lighting design and the costumes worn by all members of the band (including Karin), check out the Triangle Walks video on the official Fever Ray website.

So, today, I finally decided to try to take one of these synthed-out songs and cover it on guitar and voice. The original of the song covered here, "Na Na Na", is one of the more low-key songs on the album, Silent Shout (2006). The original opens with a lone repeated phrase on (almost positively electronic) steel drum, and is quickly joined by Karin's electronically altered voice (Karin's use of a pitch shifter and octave filter for her vocals is the norm). The song progresses with an added vocal layer, a bass line, synth "strings", and a "shaker" keeping steady beat with the eighth notes. The effect is (as usual) eerie, and when this short, 2 minute 30 second song is over, I am left wanting more.

There is a review of Silent Shout and a 7-minute clip from The Knife's Charles Darwin inspired "electro-opera" titled Tomorrow, In A Year at pitchfork.com.

So, have a listen to my cover, and if you are not familiar with The Knife or Fever Ray, give it a listen, too!

Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - Cover

       

   
   
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Everyone in the house flew to Miami today for a memorial service, so I have had the whole place to myself for the past few hours. What does this mean?...Perfect time to record some more songs!

The cover I've posted here of the Fleet Foxes song, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, is inspired by something Caitlin said a few weeks ago. She told me that I only knew how to play "sad" songs. Although I knew that this was (as is normal for her) an exaggeration, I thought about it, and realized that some of my favorite songs do, at the very least, sound sad. So, for the last couple of weeks, I've been taking some of my favorite sad songs, and have attempted to make them at least sound happy (depressing lyrics aside).

I was first introduced to Fleet Foxes when I saw them live at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2008. I was completely taken by the somber, folky songs and the beautiful vocal harmony from this all-male quintet.

The original version of Tiger Mountain Peasant Song can be found on the Fleet Foxes debut studio album, Fleet Foxes. It is stripped down compared to most of their songs, with only an acoustic guitar and the lead singer, Robert Pecknold's voice. It is in 6/8 time, and chords are plucked, rather than strummed, throughout. I first learned to play it this way, but now that I have altered the tempo, time signature, and the overall style, I think my version does fit me, and my voice, better.

There is a review of the album from 2008 on the Pitchfork website, where you can listen to great music for free (including Fleet Foxes), find out about all sorts of great music, and read many many album reviews. There are also Wikipedia articles about both Fleet Foxes the band, and Fleet Foxes the album.

So, have a listen, and if you want to, let me know what you think!

Aeroplane Over the Sea - Cover

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Original song by Neutral Milk Hotel on the album "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea". When I got my guitar, this was the first song I learned to play, so I thought it'd be appropriate as the first audio to post on this blog. This is a one-take recording I did yesterday using my headphones in the microphone jack. I'll probably do another recording today, so there will be more up soon.

Enjoy!

My Musical Past

(San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra trombone section. Me, in the middle. I think this is in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam)

Before I continue with this blog, I want to tell you the story of how I arrived here, today, as a musician.

I grew up in a house where everyone, my 4 siblings and I, all had to take weekly piano lessons. We weren't forced to practice, but we HAD to go to that piano lesson. Somehow, not making us practice usually meant that we were all fighting over the 1 piano in the house every day. I grew up in a devout LDS (Mormon) household, so I also went to church every Sunday, singing hymns often throughout the 3 hours of church.

When I reached 5th grade at my elementary school, we were given the option of playing in the band and learning a wind instrument. I'm still not sure why, but I was taken by the trombone (may have been the crush I had on my friend Kyle, who also played trombone).

My Mom sternly said that "the deal is you can play trombone as long as it doesn't cut into your piano playing time." I stuck with it, playing more and more when I got to middle school. I dabbled with the french horn, and, of course, the Euphonium (Holst Suite No. 2 in F, anyone?). I took some private lessons, and got more serious. I loved playing all kinds of music on trombone, in all sorts of ensembles.

By my sophmore year in high school, even after having endured more than a year of required participation in the school marching band, I was still in love with playing the trombone. By then, my piano playing had started to suffer greatly, but my Mom seemed to have forgotten the "deal" we made.

I participated in local California Band Association chamber/solo festivals and played in as many of my school ensembles as I could. My good friend and fellow trombonist, Nick, recommended that I start taking private lessons again, this time with a private instructor he had found. Tom had graduated from Eastman School of Music, and was a freelance trombonist in the San Francisco Bay Area, often subbing for San Francisco Symphony performances.

Tom took all my excitement for trombone and music, and taught me skills to make playing less frustrating for me, and listening in more enjoyable for others. He pushed me to audition for the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, and to start thinking about going to school for music.

I auditioned for SFSYO, got in, and had the most amazing ensemble experience I've had for the last two years I was in high school. I auditioned at various music schools, and chose to attend Northwestern University. When I went to Northwestern, I was so excited.

Then, the s**** hit the fan.

A lot of personal issues I had with time management, low self-esteem, and generally taking responsibility, came out in full force after I started my time as a music performance major at NU. On top of this, about halfway through the quarter, my teacher, Michael Mulcahy (2nd trombonist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra) had me do an embouchure change. I was suddenly back to square one, playing whole notes while staring at myself in the mirror, and it just didn't seem worth it anymore. I was down in the dumps in all of the areas of my life, and committing to being a musician was just not something I felt was right for me.

I stayed at NU, eventually becoming a religious studies major, and had an ok time doing humanities academics. As I entered my senior year, I had yet another crisis, realizing that I couldn't think of one thing I'd really like to do with my chosen major. I withdrew from my classes and soon after bought myself a cheap acoustic guitar and started teaching myself how to play.

I started to explore contemporary bands more, sometimes learning their music, and going to their shows. For all of 2009, I worked at the Northwestern University Library, in the Digital Collections Department, where I'd often help musicians create DVDs of their performances. I learned how to convert media into various digital formats, basics of audio editing and archival standards.

My girlfriend, Caitlin and I wanted a change--both of us had been in Chicago for a few years and wanted to move on. So, we moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, where her parents live. After the move, we went on a road trip, and I made sure to pick up my trombone from my parents house in Provo, Utah.

I started practicing again, and it's been exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time. It's been about 4 months since I started to play again.  I'm hooked, and I just need to find some ensembles to participate in. I'm seriously considering going back to school for Music Performance, and have until next winter to prepare, apply and audition.

So, there you go. I know, this was probably more detail than seems necessary, but I think that as this blog develops, it will provide a context to understand why I want to discuss the various topics I'll bring to Trombonisms.

A New Start

I wanted to be a professional musician, I knew it...and then I quit. I was in my second quarter in the Northwestern University trombone department, and I didn't want to do it anymore. I think some combination of the stress of leaving home for the first time, a (for the first quarter) crippling embouchure change, an identity crisis, and feeling like a small fish in a big pond made me feel like being a musician was not for me.

Then, I spent 5 full years away from the trombone--I actually played about 5 times in those long 5 years. I missed it so much, and never found anything else I cared about quite so much as making music. So, I started practicing again after I moved from Chicago to Las Cruces, New Mexico.

My challenge is a great one: how to break into the music scene in a city where there isn't much of a "scene" of any kind...

Part of my issue is, also, that I have had terrible experiences with performance anxiety in my past life as a musician. It's something I think I can get over, with a healthy dose of confidence-boosting preparation and a healthy dose of helpful feedback.

That's where you come in. I need help. I need people from all kinds of backgrounds and with all kinds of knowledge, experience, and good-old-fashioned encouragement to listen in and talk back. On a regular basis, I'm going to record myself and post these recordings here. Content may range from a lip flexibility exercise on trombone (hopefully not too many of those...I understand that they aren't the pinnacle of entertainment) to a song I'll sing and accompany myself with guitar.

I want to be clear--I don't want this to be a one-way street. I plan to post plenty of information, resources and thoughts that may be interesting and ideally, even helpful. I don't want this to be a space merely for feeding my narcissistic tendencies. In my next post, I want to give you a little background about my life as a musician so there's some more context to my thoughts on this blog.