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Still waiting...


Also, just started back into drums this weekend. Totally suck, but not as bad as I figured I would. But still pretty bad. It's been well over a decade since I've played and even then I was still pretty bad. I'm having fun again though which is a damn rare thing anymore.
It may take a few days. Still on beats, and, well, lots of gesticulating. Trying not to noise out, but it appears to be my default. I need a moment to get over that.



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Wow. I forgot how much I enjoy drums! I got the kit setup this past weekend and spent time trying to get settled into all. Now that I'm sort of over my timidness, I'm finding that I can actually keep a basic beat and very low-level fills. I'm shocked! I work 8-10 hours for the job on average, but I've managed to get at least an hour in each evening which is surprising considering my history of starting things and VERY quickly dropping them to the side. Just look at my movie list that I started back in January and abandoned in February. lol. *cries*

So yeah! I'm feeling excited about music again and that's a good feeling. Usually my music adventures start and end with bouts of depression for inspiration. I noodle around on the guitar, hum a melody, improvise some lyrics and record it to my phone to be archived and forgotten until my next heartache. That's a horrible way to create, I'm afraid, as I've associated creation with misery. As a result, I seem to only be able to write in seasons or when life factors start to weigh down pretty heavily. I do not like that dependence. Strange dynamic.

Goofing on drums again has introduced another, older, level of inspiration. I'm chasing technique and minor theory again which takes me back to my high school/college years reading sheet music and practicing sections over and over and over. That's something I deliberately gave up on guitar to avoid theory completely. Sitting behind a kit has thrown doubt into the face of my philosophies and that is good.

Currently I've been learning "The Vampyre of Time and Memory" by QotSA. I can NOT handle the fills to save my life, but I've been so excited that I ordered sheet music for it for the first time since Soundgarden's Superunknown. I've never read drum sheet music so that is a challenge, to say the least. Staff C = Snare? wtf!? But the challenge is exciting me and that's something I've not felt in some time that hasn't been directly linked to depression or painful life events. It's strange to have spent 20+ years under a shadow, thinking I am bound to the whims of mood for anything creative to grow from, to now realize that maybe I was wrong? Climbing the mathematical logic wall and stepping over to finally let go, settling into a groove is simultaneously maddeningly complicated and spiritually cathartic.

Again, my skills absolutely suck. But I do like to romanticize. Hopefully my text translates far more than my playing. At the moment...
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That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
BUMP! I finally found this thread lol. UGH.

Picking up where I left off, I did eventually learn the drum part to QotSA's The Vampyre of Time and Memory last year. Then I just kind stopped. For months. There were reasons at least. I've picked back up though, mid May'ish? I've started recording and have a rough working comp now of the drums, piano, bass, and vocals. Trying to learn the guitar bits now. I don't think I've stopped for more than a day or two since starting, so that's encouraging. I mean, I rarely finish anything as noted earlier in the thread. Yeah, I'm not done yet but things look promising so far considering I've passed the point where I normally bail out or get distracted by other shiny things. It looks like I need another few weekends and I might actually have a demo quality cover.

So far so good.

YAY!



BUMP! ... Picking up where I left off, I did eventually learn the drum part to QotSA's The Vampyre of Time and Memory last year. Then I just kind stopped. For months. There were reasons at least. I've picked back up though, mid May'ish? I've started recording and have a rough working comp now of the drums, piano, bass, and vocals. Trying to learn the guitar bits now. I don't think I've stopped for more than a day or two since starting, so that's encouraging. I mean, I rarely finish anything as noted earlier in the thread. Yeah, I'm not done yet but things look promising so far considering I've passed the point where I normally bail out or get distracted by other shiny things. It looks like I need another few weekends and I might actually have a demo quality cover.

So far so good.

YAY!
I enjoyed reading about your efforts and the excitement with practicing, composing and recording.

I played percussion professionally for many years, and I do miss it, but not enough to actually set up all the equipment and starting to work out again. I do have an electric piano which I doodle around on, and have written a few songs-- none of which I'm satisfied with. But truthfully the urge isn't there enough to sustain an effort to actually get anything accomplished. I enjoy playing pool more!..

Keep up the good work, my friend!

~Doc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Tripp



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
I enjoyed reading about your efforts and the excitement with practicing, composing and recording.

I played percussion professionally for many years, and I do miss it, but not enough to actually set up all the equipment and starting to work out again. I do have an electric piano which I doodle around on, and have written a few songs-- none of which I'm satisfied with. But truthfully the urge isn't there enough to sustain an effort to actually get anything accomplished. I enjoy playing pool more!..

Keep up the good work, my friend!

~Doc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Tripp
Pretending to ignore for the moment my post comment until confirmation

Thank you for the reply. Means a lot actually. And I can totally relate to sustained motivation. It comes in waves for me. 2-3 months it's music, then 2-3 for writing, followed by another random 2-3 for whatever else pops up. I seriously lack discipline. I hate that. I get so obsessively into something----for a moment. Then I'm kind of exhausted of it all until the urge hits again. I've found at least half the time it's out of spite! Weird motivator, that, but I guess whatever turns the ignition.

Man, I'd love to hear/read stories of your life and experiences, and even some doodles if you got anything posted somewhere!



...
Man, I'd love to hear/read stories of your life and experiences, and even some doodles if you got anything posted somewhere!
There's a ton of stuff online, for good or for bad.. YouTube has lots of clips with Zappa, Beefheart, and even my senior recital at the Cincinnati Conservatory from 1966!

E.g. here's a link to part 1 of a 15 part interview by Prism Films on Zappa/Mothers:





I am trying not to gush here, but I just llllllooooovvvveeeeddddd this set of interviews. Thank you @ynwtf for asking and thank you @GulfportDoc for answering..I watched every single video on you tube ( yes I know they're all from one interview session ) and I was absolutely fascinated by it all.


Well Doc I feel I know you now. ( btw I won't go into detail but you remind me of someone I knew a number of years ago, Same genteel and articulate way of speaking, and same understated playful manner. He was a handsome devil too ) . So I felt right at home listening to you.

Some highlights of these conversations for me included:

- I liked hearing that what you loved most in playing in Frank's band was when you had the freedom to just solo off the top of your head- going to wherever the Muse led you. I do soundly believe that freedom is the ultimate goal of and( the universe's) gift to an artist - in any medium. Or to paraphrase you- just taking an idea to its end.

- I've known a fair number of musicians in my time and I have to concur that , even at a small potatoes local level, the 'manager' of these talented people always seems to be having a hand in the cookie jar. It's a cliche to be sure, but like a used car salesman, an agent/manager like Herb, despite however skillfully he paved the way for the Mothers, earned his bad rep . And I agree that many people of talent are 'vulnerable' to these predatory businessmen b/c of being focused on the joy of the art.

I' m glad you were ' only in it for the music' though- it's a joy that no amount of money can buy.

-And I love how you always had respect, appreciation and admiration for the ' greats ' you have worked with and/or met- whether it's Beverly Sills ( who you've mentioned in an earlier post ) or the great Duke Ellington. Whew - what a story about Duke, puts chills to your spine. I hope in later years he reaped more of the rewards he so justly deserved.

- And I' m impressed that you've met and played with so many people I've been a fan of - and purchased their music - in particular Lowell George who I didn't even remember being in Frank's band. ( I loved the song Willin' when I first heard it by Little Feat , and I still do)


This is terrific stuff Doc and I wonder, if you don't mind, if you can point us to one or two ' songs' or pieces on YouTube that you're proud of, and we can hear your drum solo., or other percussion. Could be Frank or the Captain. Or for that matter, a link to the Cincinnati orchestra.



...
This is terrific stuff Doc and I wonder, if you don't mind, if you can point us to one or two ' songs' or pieces on YouTube that you're proud of, and we can hear your drum solo., or other percussion. Could be Frank or the Captain. Or for that matter, a link to the Cincinnati orchestra.
Thank you very much for the nice compliments. The feeling is mutual, I'm sure.

There's quite a bit of stuff out there on which I'm playing. Here's a little piece we played frequently on stage called The Little House I Used To Live In, from the Burnt Weenie Sandwich album from either '69 or '70. There's a beautiful piano introduction by Ian Underwood. Then, at about 2'15" the main piece starts. There's some pretty nice drumming, which eventually folds into a little duet with Frank and I. I think this was cut in, as Frank did very often on his recordings. He petered out fairly soon on this particular cut. Sometimes we'd play that portion for several minutes on stage. The excellent violin playing was by Sugar Cane Harris:


If you'd like to go way back, here's a link to my senior percussion recital from 1966:
Track 1 has marimba renditions of two Paganini caprices. There were several flubs. It was live, and I was a little amped..

Track 2
is of K. Stockhausen's Zyklus for solo percussionist. The performance is a little too slow, but interesting.

Track 3:
is a rendition of Saint Saens' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, played on marimba with piano accompaniment. The piece was written for piano and orchestra, oftentimes played as an encore.

If you're still awake after all that, then there is quite a bit of other stuff from Zappa/MOI, Beefheart, Mallard, Al Stewart, etc. Using my proper name might bring up some stuff.

Cheers,
~Art



Hi @GulfportDoc, I wanted to say a few words about the music you generously posted here. Sorry to get back so late, but I wanted to have a stretch of quiet time to just sit and listen - finally found enough time tonight to listen thoroughly to the first piece.

Well I'd say your percussion was truly the centerpiece of The Little House I Used To Live In. And it was more then just the backbone of the piece- the duel or duet between drums and guitar
( unique, to my ears anyway) led to interplay of drums and (superb) piano and then ( unexpectedly to my ears) drums and violin. Different instruments also stepped in and mingled and supplemented the music- very creative . But your 'voice, ' so to speak, was the only one always speaking- even near the end where you played marimba instead of drums. Heady stuff -there was a point about 10 minutes in where I just felt the spirit of Coltrane. So I understand why you had so much fun in this band, and that it was an engaging challenge to be a part of.

I' ll be back again to comment on the other pieces ( if you can still stand it ) which I've only listened to cursorily so far.

But I have a couple of quick comments before I go . First , are you familiar with the Wipeout song by The Ventures ( I recently posterd it on my ill titled thread which SHOULDA read Songs From Woodstock .) I only mention it b/c they had
two ( energetic ) drummers - Not as sophisticated as this opus, but I wonder if you heard it.

Also, I really like the title of this piece - wonder if Frank meant it to be evocative of a place he lived in, or a universal theme. Or perhaps, like Dylan - some titles Frank created had a meaning that may have had relevance to a feeling or idea or thought of the musician; but is now - like the copy of my phone bill that I just laid down somewhere round here; barely a minute ago, yes somewhere on this very desk and in this very room- forever lost.



Thanks for your nice comments. You're very intuitive.

No, I'd never heard The Ventures version of the Surfaris 1963 "Wipe Out". I looked at it on YouTube. Using two drummers made it more interesting to the public as sort of a "battle of the drummers". Other than that, it wasn't remarkable.

The type of drum solo was rather set in stone by the Surfaris drummer, Ron Wilson, from the original single. He basically played all 16th notes (4 notes to the beat in 4/4 meter), and that endured via imitation by drummers from scores of bands who covered the instrumental. That practice is similar to the way many drummers imitated Gene Krupa's original style at the beginning of his drum solo from the Benny Goodman version of "Sing, Sing, Sing".

With MOI we covered "Wipe Out" occasionally, always tongue in cheek. I recall one performance of it at a Shaefer Music Festival in Central Park, NYC. Frank called it up, and off we went. I played chiefly a standard type Rock 'n Roll solo, but I clowned it up with woodblocks, bicycle horns, and other accessories as well. I recall it, because it got a standing O..

I never asked Frank which house he had in mind for "Little House...". My guess is that he recalled his meager residence in Cucamonga, CA, where he had his early Studio Z in the earlier '60s. Yeah, that piece was always lots of fun to play.

~Doc



كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
I used to be a virtuoso guitarist, then I turned into a classical composer, now I'm just a composer of literally anything my subconsciousness feels like writing. Went to University to do contemporary classical for a few years but then had a change of interests (not the music, but things with life in general).
Currently I haven't practiced in years but my archives of complete compositions (fully notated), varying from classical music to jazz, to rock to pop to metal to prog metal to folk to etc etc.
Over the years I could have formed like 50 completely different sounding bands, had symphonies and piano concertos performed. Ah my shame

But I do indeed very much have a large musical wardrobe.
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Still kicking and it hurts.



I used to be a virtuoso guitarist, then I turned into a classical composer, now I'm just a composer of literally anything my subconsciousness feels like writing. Went to University to do contemporary classical for a few years but then had a change of interests (not the music, but things with life in general).
Currently I haven't practiced in years but my archives of complete compositions (fully notated), varying from classical music to jazz, to rock to pop to metal to prog metal to folk to etc etc.
Over the years I could have formed like 50 completely different sounding bands, had symphonies and piano concertos performed. Ah my shame

But I do indeed very much have a large musical wardrobe.
Good to see you posting, Dr. J. Did you mainly play acoustic guitar, or electric? Which university did you attend? That's great that you were a prolific composer. Do you have a website?

Cheers,
~Doc



Ami-Scythe's Avatar
A bucket of anxiety
I sing a bit, if that counts. I used to play piano, but I wasn't an expert or anything. Though, I did do an original song long ago in probably the worst form of Japanese that somehow ended up on foreign websites and it probably still getting downloaded.
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