"I'm a believer" got new life when Smashmouth put it in the movie "Shrek".
The kids just seem to love that song....even by the Monkees, or the author, Neil Diamond. His version really rocks too.
I'd stay away from learning ANY wind instrument if you don't have at least an hour a day to practice. It takes years and years to develope the muscles in the lip, and even longer to get them to do their thing in sync with your fingers !
As an adult student, I'd really recommend that yopu spend the time on the instrument you play the most - learning something new will put you back as a Freshman, and that's a tough transition for some to make.
The main reason I don't play much sax anymore is because I DON'T have that extra time to maintain my chops. It's embarassing to have the notes in your head, but your hands and lips won't cooperate!!!! Winds take time, and dedication - it won't come easy, or fast...so if you really want to learn sax - better make a schedule of time just for "you & the horn". You'll need it.

Uncle Dave,

Up here in "Gods Country", there are quite a few stations that can be heard but only one with choices like you mention.... one of WRTI's remote links. I can get it clearly at times up here as it has a remote transmitter just over the border in Pensylvania. WRTI is by far the best station for hearing anything out of the noramal playlists that I can get, but at times the signal isn't all that good. A lot of typical " sounds the same no matter where you go" type stations also come in from Scranton. There just aren't enough "WRTI's" to go around though.

My daughter is a typical 17 year old. She likes the modern music and culture that she is exposed to, as most kids do. A lot of her activity time is devoted to learning and playing piano and flute. No " does it all for you Music Machines " for her. That's by her choice though, not because of any pressure from me. All I ever told her was how I learned to play. Then I left it up to her. She is busier than ever which means less time for us. Still, one of the things that gives me the most joy is that she wants to be around me and she likes to listen to my music. Better still, she truly enjoys the arts museums and other cultural events that we have attended. If I don't make enough of that available, she'll be quick to let me hear about it. I couldn't be more grateful or feel more lucky or blessed. I know that it's part luck but also in large part our commitment to try to bring these things into her life while at the same time trying not to make them boring for her.


Danb .. Try as I may, I haven't really been able to play more than one instrument at a really good level in 35 + years of trying. I play some guitar and have dabbled with some wind instruments, but I certainly wouldn't try to bring those skills ( or lack thereof ) to a live stage, although I can and will do a bit on the harmonica. Not that I've totally mastered keyboards either. God help me the day I think I have.. The lucky thing for me is that my primary instrument ( keyboards ) allows me to emulate pretty nicely some of the instruments that I only wish I could play well. That's one of the things about today's world that I'd never want to trade away. I wanted to be a guitarist first and foremost but I chose keyboards primarily because an organ was what we had in the house to play when I was growing up. In that way, it's kind of dumb luck that I ended up playing keys whent a lot of midi and modern music machinery happens to be centered around keys. Back then, I never dreamed of some of the stuff that is possible today. Ok so I can't play a blazing guitar solo ala an Alvin Lee or a Zappa on a real guitar, but it's still a lot of fun for me when I can emulate it pretty closely on my keys.

AJ


[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 03-11-2002).]

Dave,
The wx5 has several ways to go, easy sax, sax with alt. fingerings, sax with a whole slew of tricks (my fav.), claranet, and flute.

The only thing I liked about the bari was the brain rattle, and the power. My favorite will always be the tenor. I will agree that there will probably never be anything that will replace the real thing, but the wx5 comes pretty close.

I'm gonna agree with you about the time that has to be spent on a sax. It is truly a love affair. The same goes for the wind midi. I have mine set up so close to the real thing sometimes I forget that I'm not playing a sax. They do , however, make a breath controller for keyboards. I don't know anyone that uses one, so I can't recomend.

Anyway time to go blow my brains out.

Funny thing about sax's. Most players I know prefer Tenor too, and that's the only one I ever use in a band, but growing up as a woodwind doubler - I never could get my brain around the Tenor! I wanted to, but the sound was never there. I was the lead Alto in many jazz ensembles through HS & College, but the Tenor & I just never clicked. Coming from a background of guitar & bass, it was only natural that the lower winds enticed me, so I really concentrated on Bari, Bass Clarinet, and even Contralto Clarinet!

My teachers were all Philly Union honchos, and it was an easy career choice for me (early on) to follow their direction. Unfortunately ........ when I finished school, the clarinet world was not as "fertile" with opportunity as the top 40 world, so I struck out on the bass in a 5 pc band playing disco top 40 tunes all around the Tri-State area. The Hustle was one of the first big disco dances, so it was very natural for me to play the flute solo live on that one, and the keyboard man did the bass with his left hand (hmmmm, I thought ?) That was the FIRST hint I received that I might end up as a solo artist one day ....... that, and the fact that I was always butting heads with female singers.

Ahhhh, female singers - now THERE'S a topic for another day.

( In all fairness, This is NOT a sexual dig ..... it's just a painfully consistent pattern of behavior that I've noticed through the years. In fact, one of the most commonly misunderstood acronyms came about from this rare breed of woman, and is often confused with an anatomical area ... but I assure you, most "chick singers" just
Can't
Understand
Normal
Thinking !!! ) It's NOT a sexist thing at all !


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(Ladies .... you know this was all a big setup for a reeeeealy bad joke, right ? )

I have tried using that VL synthesis thing that Yamaha has for wind controlling, but I am just not all that proficient with it I'm afraid. Maybe getting the timing of it and setting it right is a skill unto itself that I haven't mastered. I do emulate guitar and sax solos pretty well I think without it, but I always strive to improve a sound. Unfortunately, when I used the VL synthesis the sound was not improved, but not because there is anyrthing wrong with the program..

AJ

Yes, the 60s and 70s were great. Yes, I agree, today's music is crud by comparison. BUT, contruary to popular opinion I think this is the most exciting time EVER for being into music and a great time to be a musician. Why? Cos, for the first time ever, there are technologies available which give the common dude on the street the tools and opportunity to produce a hit record in his own bedroom and distribute his music on a global scale.

So far there are already a few who have made it this way. Look at David Grey for example! His album White Ladder was literally made in his bedroom with a computer and some cheap synth gear and now he's sold millions upon millions of albums all over the world.

I believe we are at the beginning of a new era of empowerment for the common musician. I am very excited about the idea of people from all walks of life, rich and poor, being able to in effect sign themselves to their own homemade record labels.

I am very positive about the future.

T. Equalizer

[This message has been edited by Equalizer (edited 03-12-2002).]

Somewhere inside there is a part of me that wants to say .. It's sooooo wrong.. I worked my %&^ off to make my chops what they are and aren't today. But, in another way that would be rather contradictory too. Times DO change and I do use the tools available to do a pretty fair emulation of a flute or a sax via my keyboards. I'd have no business trying to play the real thing anywhere but in my basement where noone else would have to be subjected to it.

I also like that thje possibility exists that maybe, just maybe, good musicians / songwriters trying to put something out there that people can enjoy can now escape the death grip of the traditional process of making a CD and having to try to get a record company deal. I loved the music of the 60s and 70s, but I don't wanna go back to that era. Back then so often I heard how the music of that era sucked too compared to what was around before it. ( Old School is right on the money.. a good bit of it did )

Record sales have fallen recently. Maybe a lot of that coincides with the economy being a little less fertile than it had been for quite a while, but maybe also people are finally seeking alternative ways to get to music that they are not being offered via traditional mediums.

AJ

I don't think its about being a good musician or piano player, its about how you control particles in an invironment to make acoustic sound, doing something someones never done before. Yeah, having the skills is a bonus, but your knowledge of sound scaping is also a must.
But in my opinion, and im only 21, The 70s have definitly produced some of my favorite songs to listen to.

I think there was a period there when everything went for sh*t musically, but then rebounded. That's not to say everything today is terrific. I still wouldn't cross the street to watch a rap "artist" for free, the boy bands (bands???)don't do it for me, don't get me started on the Britany's, and the Nelly's. The 70's, yeah I'd have to say the musicianship was well above todays mark, but again, I can't saddle every band with that critique.
I had the unbelievable experience of catching Dire Straits in concert...now that was an unbelievable experience. Not only the musicianship but whoever was running sound deserves some kind of award. The sound was dynamically incredible.
Just my thots....

I love some of the 60's and 70's music,some of it I loath as much as I do the over sampled,rapped over,generaly redundant crap that charts every time.I was frowned upon when I started on this musical journey,classical guitar was considered for p*&^*&sies and fags.My dear ol' dad has an unbelievable collection of music,from Joan Biaz,to Bob Dylan,to Steve Ray Vaghn.In the eighties I followed that dream of being a heavy metal guitar god,funny thing though,the set always included Cream,Jefferson Airplane,Hindryx.I spent hour upon hour on licks and chops,I could burn the fretts off my trusty Les Paul,and in the end,I rarely have to play like that.Now I spend my time in the basics,and learning how to use the damn midi you keyboardest make look and sound so easy.One day I'll catch up with the rest of you,about the same time as you leave me behind.