What is everyone doing today to start off 2014?

Deane

I am happy to report that I have begun to record a new song (after more than five years from the last one) and I cannot emphasize enough what this means to me.

I have a New Years Luncheon Gig today 130-230 !

Have a double today, single tomorrow, and the snow is supposed to hit here heavy on Friday. Next week, three doctors appointments, one for possible knee surgery, the next at the pulmonary doctor, and finally the cardiologist. Then all Hell cuts loose with wall to wall jobs for the rest of the year. I did, however, schedule a couple weeks off in the middle of summer for a short sailing trip to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, and another couple weeks in December to drive down to Marathon Key, Florida to warm up and get a good tan before winter hits full blast up here. Just another typical year for an old man.

Gary

aside from the doctor stuff .... go for it gary its your passion as is mine, share it with the world plenty of time to rest in the grave!!

Wow! That is good news. I can emphasize with you to some degree as I went through a slump some time ago but it was only for several months, and not years!

In my case, that first recorded tune kick started me to do quite a few more, and I only stopped when I was in the process of moving into my new apartment and everything had to be taken apart and reassembled.

Now I'm ready to do some more recording, and I am trying to keep it more in the "fun" aspect rather than super serious, at least for the first few tunes.

So. my friend, I am very glad to hear you've initiated the process.

Will this be an instrumental song or one with vocals?

Is it your own composition or your own interpretation/arrangement of an existing song?

In any case, kudos to you for getting back into your music, and perhaps you will share some here with us on SZ?

Ian

Best of Luck Andrea, I've got little Gig next week but I'm spending most of my time these days recording.

The new years resolution is to improve my playing, piano mainly, the G70 is helping a lot with this. Great action and good piano as I'm sure you know. May post some instrumental stuff if it comes together.

All the best

Col

Andrea ... Lydia and I are SOOOO happy for you ... We cannot wait to add another 'Dreamer' song to our iPOD ...

Gary ... keep pluggin' man ... the world needs us 'old codgers' out there ...

Ian,

I am sure that you can understand what I went through because I remember -not long time ago- you telling us of a health problem of yours, one that took several months and two interventions to be solved.
In my case the problem kept me away from the music for more than two years because I was literally unable to press the keys and one of the reasons I bought the Casio was that I needed a weighed keyboard to re-educate my fingers.
Aside from that, I went through a phase of total emptiness or lack of energy and, even if I sat at the keyboard, the music refused to flow from inside out and after a while I just stopped trying.
So, the very fact that I am now making the effort required to play a song over and over and then record it means that I am slowly coming back to my old life.
Since I don't sing it will be an instrumental song and since I suck as a composer it will be an arrangement of an existing song, but right now I can't tell more because it's meant to be a surprise...
and of course I will share it with you all, because it was the very idea of sharing that set this process in motion.
I hope that, like happens for avalanches, once you make the initial effort the rest will come more easily, almost by itself, and more songs will follow.

Col,
I really have to thank you for the help you gave me with the soundcards and the monitors.
The idea of sharing what music I can have left inside with people like you, Ian or Tony was a powerful motivation.
Playing for oneself is one thing, but playing for someone you've come to like is something else: it's really a primordial force, one that cannot be described with words.
Thank you

Tony....you.....you.....you.....you are good! No.....you are really good!



But right now I can't tell you more...

I am glad to hear you're fighting your way back. Being sick really kills any enthusiasm.

I had a bowel abscess (non-cancerous) the size of an orange caused by acute diverticulitis, which perforated, causing peritonitis.
I had to have over a foot of my bowel removed, by emergency surgery, had a colostomy for several months, and then another major surgery to re-attach bowel and get rid of the colostomy.

The Doc told me that if I hadn't gone to the hospital when I did, I would have been dead in less than an hour...as it was, it took three blood transfusions and a load of antibiotics to sort me out. One thing I had in my favor was that because of my involvement in martial arts for many years, and being a non-drinker, non-smoker, I was able to survive what would have either killed me, or left me with permanent kidney and liver damage. Last checkup was excellent, with everything okay.

All in all, my ordeal was over about two and a half years, and having such a close call with death certainly changed my attitude towards life. Now I live for each day, and do not sweat the small stuff anymore. My music has become a far more important, but I also keep the "fun" factor firmly in place. In other words, I don't take myself too seriously anymore.

I am looking forward to hearing your music. I think it's great to have music being shared here.

Ian

PS...I'm working on a Boz Scaggs' tune called "Look What You've Done To Me" featured in the movie Urban Cowboy. Just finished the style this morning.

Ooooooh - GREAT song. I love Boz... So funky and jazzy, but stays within the pop likeability!

Can't wait hear the song Andrea. And also the Boz song!

Hi Ian, Andrea

You both have my deepest sympathy, I really do know what you went through. I've had bowel cancer twice, first time bowel blocked an emergency op to remove a section of bowel and fit a colostomy, second one 18mths later (Christmas Eve), colon removed and an ileostomy fitted, now as they say in supermarkets over here, a bag for life. All this started just after my wife and I retired talk about luck.

I am reliably informed by my surgeon that only 5% of people with bowel cancer get it twice, ah well, if a jobs worth doing

But as I am often heard to say "A bag is better than a box".

They can't keep a old Muso down keep on rocking Guy's.

All the very best

Col

Andrea, I'm confident that anything you post will be a winner.

All the best,

Gary

Wow, some of you guys have been in a tough spot healthwise. I'm glad that you've all had successful outcomes. Can't start losing people on here - too much good music to lose.

Rock on, guys!