Coming into summer has a way of turning my thought process around. Winter is about conservation. Energy, heat, time... everything seems fleeting in the colder months.
Working on the negative side of the ledger is always frustrating to me. I've never been particularly inclined to put my energy into saving money, for example, when the same energy might be spent earning it. And so, as the oppressive dark lifts into longer days, warmer evenings, and brighter mornings, a subtle shift in mindset is the push-off into my best months.
This summer is going to mean something. I have an awareness right now that's been absent for a while. I'm doing my best work... hearing things like I haven't before. I have a sense that the ceiling is climbing. Karen is going to be coming into a new stretch as well, which will change things in our home.
This is life, right? We live, we juggle. It's utterly unwieldy, and stunningly simple in one glance. One day's matrix of goals, plans, and ideas, boils down into another day's simple question: "what do you want to be?"
I want to create excellent work that is something to listen to. I want to be a master on the BBQ. I want to drink a fine scotch, and know the difference. I want to be able to articulate my thoughts, and understand theirs. I want to walk fast, but experience slow. To make the most of every hour of every day, and then to be able to remember what they looked like later on.
Like taking a photo with both eyes open.
JB
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Olympic Wrapup
The beauty of sports is that sometimes you get an ending that simply can't be written.
The best screenplay, with the best actors and the best director, couldn't have come up with a more fitting ending to what turned out to be an incredible 2 weeks. When you have the world's best competing on the biggest stage, and the biggest guy scores the biggest goal.. well... you can't really do better than that, right? I'm trying to be aware of these moments as they happen. Our parents had the summit series... The Henderson goal. The Crosby goal... the Golden Goal... that was big.
These games were an interesting experience. As a viewer, I loved them. I love what these types of events represent, and I do believe that this was a pretty special, "once in a lifetime" type of experience. There were so many incredible moments. Montgomery's walk into Whistler has to be one of the great joys I've had as a viewer. This wasn't hype and drama. There were no media-day scrums, or Superbowl scenario breakdowns... this was a guy walking into town in an impromptu celebration... cheered as a conquering hero for a gold he had won just minutes prior.
Clara Hughes' bronze winning run in the 5000m was another that stands out to me. The look on her face when she saw the clock... that wasn't "I won!" It was, "I did my best. I did what I came here to do." That does something to my own thought process...
When you try to create great moments, they rarely seem to work. Our attempts at creating heart during these games usually fell with a dull thud. They always do, right? Gathering all of our medalists around the piano for an emotional rendition of the National Anthem, Landsberg at the helm, had to be one of the single most awkward and hard to watch moments in television history. No... the great moments happened on their own. Montgomery grabbed that now-infamous pitcher and chugged in a moment of glory, no mind for who was watching, or what it might look like on TV.
It's a scenario that played itself out in the closing ceremony. For all the pomp and volume of Avril Lavigne, it was Neil Young who owned the show. Just a guitar and a good song. It seems like great moments always happen on their own, and in the midst of simplicity.
I'm learning that great TV is like great live sound. If you're aware of it, you're doing it wrong. A well mixed live gig is the one where nobody notices the mix at all. There were some truly astounding bits of work during these games. Camera's in the right place at the right time to catch that wink before hitting the ice, a smile, a scream... defining images. Cuthbert's call of the "Golden Goal" is right up there with "Henderson Scores!!!". Out of breath, unprepared for the sheer immediacy of the moment.. how quickly everything came together in the goal that turned the entire country into a giant party. I love it.
On the work side of things... well... I'm never satisfied, am I? I'm tired, I'll say that. I don't notice when I'm overloading. I enjoy my work, and I'm passionate about the quality of our end product. It wasn't that it was overly busy. It was long. I wish I was always on the bleeding edge, barely able to keep up with everything around me. That isn't usually the case in this environment. A fair amount of time is allotted to standby. Being in the building and on call means that, when you're needed, you're ready. All told, it will have been about a month's worth of work without a weekend or a break. What wears you down isn't the amount of time you spend at work, but the amount of time you spend not going for a run, or playing guitar, or eating pancakes on a Saturday morning with kar. I can't wait for next weekend.
I very much wanted to be in Vancouver, but it just wasn't a possibility this time. It's against my nature to be ok with that. It's a healthy jealousy to listen and watch from the outside, here in Toronto. If you don't want to be there, at the heart of the action, then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with. At the same time, I'm really proud of the work I did, both on the music package for this games, and on the lion's share of voicework heard across all of our networks.
The view from the inside has been a great learning experience. I'm looking forward to London, 2012!
For now, it's time to take a night or two to be home, get some groceries, get the car fixed, and do a few of the things we haven't had a chance to do over the past few weeks. I've got another two sets of tracks to mix for Bartel Audio, and then I'll be back on the horse, working on digging up gigs for the coming months.
Don't forget to file your tax returns, folks.
Life's good, isn't it?
JB
Friday, February 19, 2010
Who We Want To Be:
I just finished watching a devastating interview with Melissa Hollingsworth... tripping into tears, trying to atone with words for what she felt was a letdown for her family, her country...
I think we're confused as to who we are as a country. We want to be both things.
We've heard it repeatedly over the past few days. Canadians are polite. We're friendly. We're upset when people don't hold the door because we know we'd hold it for them. We hate crossing the border because we'd sooner assume that somebody is good than that they're bad.
My speculation, though, is that in sports, the guys who win, more often than not, are the guys who you hated playing against in rec league because they took everything way too seriously. They're the guys who got all sweaty and aggressive when everybody was just trying to have fun. The guys who threw their weight around even though nobody was wearing pads.
I was watching the Snowboard Cross event with some buddies at work. We were yelling at the TV mid-race as the two American guys were throwing elbows and shoving our guy out towards the edge of the course... it's so inherently unlike us to approve of that type of activity, right? Fight fair. Fight clean. "C'mon man...!" is what we say.
So do we want to be known as, "Canada... reserved, humble, polite"? Seemingly.. because, let's be honest.. we do not want to be known the way much of the world knows the Americans. And we swell with pride during the Opening Ceremony poem, "We Are More". "Damn right!" we all say..
Or do we want to be known as, "Canada... owns the podium"? Win at all costs, utter brash confidence, mercilessly competitive, ultimately victorious. Well...
My take is this:
I love good stories. I'm not particularly competitive. In fact... really not much at all anymore. In the end, I don't really believe that sports, as a singular event, mean anything. They're the least of all things... with the power to excite, and inspire, and, as such, to become so much greater than their original, base-level value. I've found that I don't have a ton of interest in expectations. Melissa Hollingsworth was expected to win gold. She didn't. Somebody else did, and I suspect that the other girl has an amazing story.
This whole "Own The Podium" excercise has done its job. The proverbial "bums" are "in the seats". People are watching. The show is rolling, and the advertisers are buying.
Every win means something great for somebody. When a Korean wins a gold, they're guarenteed a government issued salary, for life. For life!! I love those great moments where everything falls into place. I enjoy the ones that go our way. As one of my bosses said when he walked into the room immediately following the Canadian "Crosby Show" shootout win, "now THAT's GOOD TV!!" Sure was... a huge moment. Fun to be a part of.
If, at the end, Canada was to be known for something, I'd prefer it wasn't that we were great at winter sports.
These games have been a blast to watch. Great moments left, right, and centre. Athletes reaching the absolute pinnacle.. sometimes ours, sometimes not. It's how it should be.
Here's to a great second week!
... but we better friggen win Hockey!
JB
I think we're confused as to who we are as a country. We want to be both things.
We've heard it repeatedly over the past few days. Canadians are polite. We're friendly. We're upset when people don't hold the door because we know we'd hold it for them. We hate crossing the border because we'd sooner assume that somebody is good than that they're bad.
My speculation, though, is that in sports, the guys who win, more often than not, are the guys who you hated playing against in rec league because they took everything way too seriously. They're the guys who got all sweaty and aggressive when everybody was just trying to have fun. The guys who threw their weight around even though nobody was wearing pads.
I was watching the Snowboard Cross event with some buddies at work. We were yelling at the TV mid-race as the two American guys were throwing elbows and shoving our guy out towards the edge of the course... it's so inherently unlike us to approve of that type of activity, right? Fight fair. Fight clean. "C'mon man...!" is what we say.
So do we want to be known as, "Canada... reserved, humble, polite"? Seemingly.. because, let's be honest.. we do not want to be known the way much of the world knows the Americans. And we swell with pride during the Opening Ceremony poem, "We Are More". "Damn right!" we all say..
Or do we want to be known as, "Canada... owns the podium"? Win at all costs, utter brash confidence, mercilessly competitive, ultimately victorious. Well...
My take is this:
I love good stories. I'm not particularly competitive. In fact... really not much at all anymore. In the end, I don't really believe that sports, as a singular event, mean anything. They're the least of all things... with the power to excite, and inspire, and, as such, to become so much greater than their original, base-level value. I've found that I don't have a ton of interest in expectations. Melissa Hollingsworth was expected to win gold. She didn't. Somebody else did, and I suspect that the other girl has an amazing story.
This whole "Own The Podium" excercise has done its job. The proverbial "bums" are "in the seats". People are watching. The show is rolling, and the advertisers are buying.
Every win means something great for somebody. When a Korean wins a gold, they're guarenteed a government issued salary, for life. For life!! I love those great moments where everything falls into place. I enjoy the ones that go our way. As one of my bosses said when he walked into the room immediately following the Canadian "Crosby Show" shootout win, "now THAT's GOOD TV!!" Sure was... a huge moment. Fun to be a part of.
If, at the end, Canada was to be known for something, I'd prefer it wasn't that we were great at winter sports.
These games have been a blast to watch. Great moments left, right, and centre. Athletes reaching the absolute pinnacle.. sometimes ours, sometimes not. It's how it should be.
Here's to a great second week!
... but we better friggen win Hockey!
JB
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Enough
I'm intrigued by the concept of 'enough'. It's something I've been hearing a lot about lately.. I suppose in the things I've been reading, the messages I've been hearing, etc.
Human nature will inherently handle the task of self-preservation. Looking out for number one isn't so much a decision as it is an instinct. When you're in danger, you defend yourself. When you're hungry, you find food. But that pendulum has swung far past centre in our society. It's a basic business concept that we maximize our profits. In any given scenario, the engrained ideology is to figure out what would be considered 'over the line', and then land just below it.
The challenge, then, is to decipher what will scare a potential client away, in terms of a dollar amount, and then to charge just below it. To forever exist in that zone in which your clients are willing to pony up not because they're necessarily comfortable with your terms, but because you're good at what you do, and therefore worth the financial pain. As your skillset, your reputation, your general scale of business increases, the line moves accordingly.
The question that plagues me is a moral one. To what end do we push this ideology? The simple, christianese understanding is that "if I have all the money, then I can decide what's done with it..." the assumption being that my making more money, and thus distributing said money in an appropriate, other-centered fashion, is the best of all options.
Is it possible to exist in this society, and in a business environment, specifically, with an overarching idea of how much is enough? Can a guy realign his focus so as to decide how much he wants to live on, and how much he needs, and then allow those decisions to dictate the way in which he conducts his business?
The devil's advocate asks, "What about responsibility? You have an opportunity to increase your value, and thus, your influence. Aren't you putting a ceiling on your potential, and, thus, your usefulness?"
Maybe, yes.
But drawing an immediate line between wealth and influence is also a misnomer. Money allows us to do things. Money accomplishes aid, and relief, and charity. But the need for charity, for aid, often exists as a result of unequal distribution of wealth. To continually pursue increased financial gains in an effort to allow oneself to aid those who may have otherwise benefited from a less self-centered approach in the first place... that's a vicious circle.
As an ideal, what does a world look like where we know our needs, and we're cognizant of how much is "enough"?
The devil's advocate also asks, "What about wisdom? When you fall on hard times, twenty years of living with 'enough' isn't going to help you. What about security?" But then, that just comes back to the idea of "enough". Security and startling wealth often toy dangerously with synonymity on this side of the world. Our "security" has no relevance in light of a larger world view.
Understanding "enough" could be a game-changer.
JB
Human nature will inherently handle the task of self-preservation. Looking out for number one isn't so much a decision as it is an instinct. When you're in danger, you defend yourself. When you're hungry, you find food. But that pendulum has swung far past centre in our society. It's a basic business concept that we maximize our profits. In any given scenario, the engrained ideology is to figure out what would be considered 'over the line', and then land just below it.
The challenge, then, is to decipher what will scare a potential client away, in terms of a dollar amount, and then to charge just below it. To forever exist in that zone in which your clients are willing to pony up not because they're necessarily comfortable with your terms, but because you're good at what you do, and therefore worth the financial pain. As your skillset, your reputation, your general scale of business increases, the line moves accordingly.
The question that plagues me is a moral one. To what end do we push this ideology? The simple, christianese understanding is that "if I have all the money, then I can decide what's done with it..." the assumption being that my making more money, and thus distributing said money in an appropriate, other-centered fashion, is the best of all options.
Is it possible to exist in this society, and in a business environment, specifically, with an overarching idea of how much is enough? Can a guy realign his focus so as to decide how much he wants to live on, and how much he needs, and then allow those decisions to dictate the way in which he conducts his business?
The devil's advocate asks, "What about responsibility? You have an opportunity to increase your value, and thus, your influence. Aren't you putting a ceiling on your potential, and, thus, your usefulness?"
Maybe, yes.
But drawing an immediate line between wealth and influence is also a misnomer. Money allows us to do things. Money accomplishes aid, and relief, and charity. But the need for charity, for aid, often exists as a result of unequal distribution of wealth. To continually pursue increased financial gains in an effort to allow oneself to aid those who may have otherwise benefited from a less self-centered approach in the first place... that's a vicious circle.
As an ideal, what does a world look like where we know our needs, and we're cognizant of how much is "enough"?
The devil's advocate also asks, "What about wisdom? When you fall on hard times, twenty years of living with 'enough' isn't going to help you. What about security?" But then, that just comes back to the idea of "enough". Security and startling wealth often toy dangerously with synonymity on this side of the world. Our "security" has no relevance in light of a larger world view.
Understanding "enough" could be a game-changer.
JB
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The Silver Sold(i)er
I always end up writing this stuff at night. I should almost certainly be in bed. I'm coming off a week in which I worked as many hours as I ever have, spent one night remembering how awful it is to have the flu, and ended up shucking it just in time to catch a cold.
But I'm all full up right now. Full up? That's not a thing.
Like I said.. big work week. We delivered the complete package of music for CTV's Olympic coverage. Delivered in the theoretical sense, as hard copies weren't necessarily exchanged, and finished versions are not even entirely printed yet. My part in this project was, to me, somewhat unexpected, and entirely fantastic. I joined the group later than I would have liked.. which is to say that I wasn't there when the stuff was recorded (in Montreal, with the Montreal Symphony). I suppose I was the odd cook voted out of that particular kitchen. With a project like this, however, the amount of work is truly immense. Let's say, for example, that 8 main themes are written by the composer and recorded by the orchestra. Each of those 8 themes is then broken down into any number of versions (let's say 25 each) of different lengths (.30sec, .20sec, .5sec) that will be used for any number of broadcast scenarios (into commercials, out of commercials, into sport transitions, into throws to a live standup, etc.) Each of those 25 x 8 versions then need to be conformed, edited, and mixed, and then printed, in both English, and French. And Instrumental.
I managed to get on board doing all of the conforming and printing, mastering, etc.. basically the legwork that needed to be done so the head engineers could spend their days in heavy editorial and mixing.
Huzzah!
So, it's been a big week. The finished work sounds great. All credit to Mike and Josh for that. I'm proud to have had my part in the project. It'll be great to watch the games and hear the stuff front and center. I'm excited for you guys to hear it!
I hold to the fact that these olympics are gonna be fantastic. Really huge.
Then, all the gear for Bartel Audio Recording's new rig showed up on friday. Or at least most of it. And like any hot-blooded enthusiast, I desire nothing more than to tear it all open and smell it. And, you know, hook it up and use it.
But there's a lot to be done before that can happen!! Namely, cables to build. So, today was a great day of listening to christmas tunes, drinking coffee, and hunching over multipins (DB25) and XLRs. Made a ton of headway, which feels great. Though, I do have recurring nightmares that I've wired about 30 mic cables and five 8-channel DB25 to XLR snakes in the wrong layout. ONE is ground, TWO is hot, THREE is not. Getting close to being ready to hit record. Sortof.
So that's where we stand. Almost there on about every front. Almost healthy, Almost ready to make records, Almost home for the holidays (wednesday night home-boys), Almost ready to go to bed...
Life is really good. We're full, in every way. I think we've tapped into something in the past few months with regards to maxing out our time in this city. We love it. We were out for sushi tonight at our favorite spot. Date night. We couldn't get over how much we love that place. It's become our routine. There's a lot of that these days. Seems wide open.
Gonna be great to be home for a week, talk lots, eat lots, catch up lots. I enjoy it more every year. It means more, and it's real..more.
Here's to everybody's holiday... Make it great!
JB
But I'm all full up right now. Full up? That's not a thing.
Like I said.. big work week. We delivered the complete package of music for CTV's Olympic coverage. Delivered in the theoretical sense, as hard copies weren't necessarily exchanged, and finished versions are not even entirely printed yet. My part in this project was, to me, somewhat unexpected, and entirely fantastic. I joined the group later than I would have liked.. which is to say that I wasn't there when the stuff was recorded (in Montreal, with the Montreal Symphony). I suppose I was the odd cook voted out of that particular kitchen. With a project like this, however, the amount of work is truly immense. Let's say, for example, that 8 main themes are written by the composer and recorded by the orchestra. Each of those 8 themes is then broken down into any number of versions (let's say 25 each) of different lengths (.30sec, .20sec, .5sec) that will be used for any number of broadcast scenarios (into commercials, out of commercials, into sport transitions, into throws to a live standup, etc.) Each of those 25 x 8 versions then need to be conformed, edited, and mixed, and then printed, in both English, and French. And Instrumental.
I managed to get on board doing all of the conforming and printing, mastering, etc.. basically the legwork that needed to be done so the head engineers could spend their days in heavy editorial and mixing.
Huzzah!
So, it's been a big week. The finished work sounds great. All credit to Mike and Josh for that. I'm proud to have had my part in the project. It'll be great to watch the games and hear the stuff front and center. I'm excited for you guys to hear it!
I hold to the fact that these olympics are gonna be fantastic. Really huge.
Then, all the gear for Bartel Audio Recording's new rig showed up on friday. Or at least most of it. And like any hot-blooded enthusiast, I desire nothing more than to tear it all open and smell it. And, you know, hook it up and use it.
But there's a lot to be done before that can happen!! Namely, cables to build. So, today was a great day of listening to christmas tunes, drinking coffee, and hunching over multipins (DB25) and XLRs. Made a ton of headway, which feels great. Though, I do have recurring nightmares that I've wired about 30 mic cables and five 8-channel DB25 to XLR snakes in the wrong layout. ONE is ground, TWO is hot, THREE is not. Getting close to being ready to hit record. Sortof.
So that's where we stand. Almost there on about every front. Almost healthy, Almost ready to make records, Almost home for the holidays (wednesday night home-boys), Almost ready to go to bed...
Life is really good. We're full, in every way. I think we've tapped into something in the past few months with regards to maxing out our time in this city. We love it. We were out for sushi tonight at our favorite spot. Date night. We couldn't get over how much we love that place. It's become our routine. There's a lot of that these days. Seems wide open.
Gonna be great to be home for a week, talk lots, eat lots, catch up lots. I enjoy it more every year. It means more, and it's real..more.
Here's to everybody's holiday... Make it great!
JB
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Keys
A few days ago we added another bit of kit to our apartment!
We're really pumped about it. Music is a huge part of our lives. I love that I married a girl who feels it like I do. Kar's got an innate sense of music that's hard to describe.
We try to make a conscious effort to have music as a central focus in the house. It's energy-giving! The difference a great background playlist makes when a bunch of people are hanging out in a room together is fantastic. I want to have one of those homes where music is a constant. I want people to feel like they can pick up a guitar and throw down a tune, or hop on the bench and make some noise. Music doesn't need to be confined to CDs in the car, or iPods on the subway, or bands in the bar.
I've spent more time lately hanging out in the musical crowd around here. It's a really cool group to hang out with.. you learn alot. I imagine it's not unlike spending time with actors. They're aware of the moment. Anything's possible. Rehearsals are less about achieving the predetermined set of goals, and more about experiencing something creative. Performances aren't about achieving, or succeeding.. they're about expressing.. existing in a moment. I LOVE that!! I think it's a hugely valuable thing to have that in your life.. those are muscles that need exercising.
So anyway, Kar's been playing like crazy. Piano has a way of filling space. It isn't aggressive.. it isn't "loud". It's just full. Beautiful. I spent last night sitting on the couch making mic cables while Kar worked out lines from an Elton John tune. I love it. I'm fully content in those moments. Music does that. I'm aware, and happy.
Continuing on the music front, I'll be home this weekend for the pub night/house concert at my parents' place. Gonna be great! See you there mmmmk? I promise to play at least one song left-handed :)
JB
Friday, November 20, 2009
Life Update
Lots getting done in every area of life except for blogging. Which is.. acceptable, no?
Here's a quick rundown:
This past Saturday we did a show at the Drake Hotel on the west end. A truly fantastic night. For a long time I've wanted to be one of those guys... I'd go to shows with buddies when I lived out west. Some jazz combo at Earls, or in the Bassment. And I always loved it, but at the same time felt this pang of... blurgness... that I wasn't up there playing. Crawl. Then walk. I feel like Saturday was about finally walking. My set was to a somewhat empty room. Who cares. Friends were there. Up from Leamington, or in from various parts of the city. Maybe 30 people. I had a blast. Playing with Paul has been a lot of fun, and this was certainly my first true test. I'm new to this art of playing in an uncontrolled environment. Church gigs... house concerts... controllable. I do my own sound, my own setup.. it's on my own clock. This is a new challenge. Just get up and play, and be good, and make if fall into place. I think we did alright..
After that solo set I was back on to back up Lauren Malyon. If you haven't heard her stuff yet, you owe it to her and you. www.myspace.com/laurenmalyon. I felt like she really nailed it... great set, great energy. We had a blast. I love playing with that band.. so much talent.
After that, Paul's other band blew the doors off everything. www.myspace.com/therestlessage. Soooo good. And then a band I just met that night, Who's Army, closed. Great set. Very U2 was the buzz... major pro.
I love that night. Tons of great music, and so many friends. I couldn't walk through the room without high fiving a bunch of buddies, giving somebody a hug, and yelling back at somebody who shouted 'hey!'. Such a great energy!
______
Immediately after that show, Steve and I drove home through the night to catch a morning flight to Orlando with Dad. Quoi? STS-129. Shuttle Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Centre, and we were there. We always do a yearly trip.. us guys. Usually it's an F1 race. This year it didn't happen.. Montreal GP was cancelled. So we'd been poking around for another idea. Steve and Dad being engineers, this was the perfect thing.
This is something you need to see. I can't aptly describe it. It is entirely inspiring and beautiful. The height of human achievement.. a moment in which you realize the potential of people working together at maximum capacity in order to achieve something extraordinary. I think all 3 of us were stunned with the moment, in spite of feeling, just prior, as though we had a good handle on what we were about to see.
At the moment of ignition, you're very aware of the fact that this missile.. this controlled bomb is carrying 5 human beings, and that they represent us. Which is to say... in that moment they aren't American, or Russian, or Japanese... one of the astronauts was describing his experience during a previous launch, and he said that the first time he looked down on earth from orbit, he was immediately, and unexpectedly, struck by the notion that there were no visible borders. He couldn't see the lines diving USA from Mexico or Canada.... there were no distinctions. Just humanity. Singular, and undivided. Incredible.
______
Lastly, I've been busy with work. CTV is still strong. I'm starting a second project. Bartel Audio Recording. Fully mobile, fully pro. I'm really excited about the way everything is coming together. Over the past month I've been planning, organizing, and, more recently, building my rig. I plan on being up and running come the new year. For more info, go to www.bartelaudio.ca
Can't wait to pursue more music-based work.
I love the diversity of life these days. Part TV, part live music, part studio music... lots to be excited about.
I know this post seemed very business-like. Sorry... life's full right now. The majority of my current thoughts are on planning, scheduling, and doing. Philosophy will have to wait a bit.
In the meantime, up and to the right. This is fun.
JB
Here's a quick rundown:
This past Saturday we did a show at the Drake Hotel on the west end. A truly fantastic night. For a long time I've wanted to be one of those guys... I'd go to shows with buddies when I lived out west. Some jazz combo at Earls, or in the Bassment. And I always loved it, but at the same time felt this pang of... blurgness... that I wasn't up there playing. Crawl. Then walk. I feel like Saturday was about finally walking. My set was to a somewhat empty room. Who cares. Friends were there. Up from Leamington, or in from various parts of the city. Maybe 30 people. I had a blast. Playing with Paul has been a lot of fun, and this was certainly my first true test. I'm new to this art of playing in an uncontrolled environment. Church gigs... house concerts... controllable. I do my own sound, my own setup.. it's on my own clock. This is a new challenge. Just get up and play, and be good, and make if fall into place. I think we did alright..
After that solo set I was back on to back up Lauren Malyon. If you haven't heard her stuff yet, you owe it to her and you. www.myspace.com/laurenmalyon. I felt like she really nailed it... great set, great energy. We had a blast. I love playing with that band.. so much talent.
After that, Paul's other band blew the doors off everything. www.myspace.com/therestlessage. Soooo good. And then a band I just met that night, Who's Army, closed. Great set. Very U2 was the buzz... major pro.
I love that night. Tons of great music, and so many friends. I couldn't walk through the room without high fiving a bunch of buddies, giving somebody a hug, and yelling back at somebody who shouted 'hey!'. Such a great energy!
______
Immediately after that show, Steve and I drove home through the night to catch a morning flight to Orlando with Dad. Quoi? STS-129. Shuttle Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Centre, and we were there. We always do a yearly trip.. us guys. Usually it's an F1 race. This year it didn't happen.. Montreal GP was cancelled. So we'd been poking around for another idea. Steve and Dad being engineers, this was the perfect thing.
This is something you need to see. I can't aptly describe it. It is entirely inspiring and beautiful. The height of human achievement.. a moment in which you realize the potential of people working together at maximum capacity in order to achieve something extraordinary. I think all 3 of us were stunned with the moment, in spite of feeling, just prior, as though we had a good handle on what we were about to see.
At the moment of ignition, you're very aware of the fact that this missile.. this controlled bomb is carrying 5 human beings, and that they represent us. Which is to say... in that moment they aren't American, or Russian, or Japanese... one of the astronauts was describing his experience during a previous launch, and he said that the first time he looked down on earth from orbit, he was immediately, and unexpectedly, struck by the notion that there were no visible borders. He couldn't see the lines diving USA from Mexico or Canada.... there were no distinctions. Just humanity. Singular, and undivided. Incredible.
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Lastly, I've been busy with work. CTV is still strong. I'm starting a second project. Bartel Audio Recording. Fully mobile, fully pro. I'm really excited about the way everything is coming together. Over the past month I've been planning, organizing, and, more recently, building my rig. I plan on being up and running come the new year. For more info, go to www.bartelaudio.ca
Can't wait to pursue more music-based work.
I love the diversity of life these days. Part TV, part live music, part studio music... lots to be excited about.
I know this post seemed very business-like. Sorry... life's full right now. The majority of my current thoughts are on planning, scheduling, and doing. Philosophy will have to wait a bit.
In the meantime, up and to the right. This is fun.
JB
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