19 March 2011

Today was awesome because we super-jammed!

Katherine and Keelan are partners, whom I met at an open bluegrass jam at a café (I watched, they played.)

I met Mark on the beach as we "Walk[ed] a Mile in Her Shoes" for our mutual friend Anne.  He brought along Matt.

Bill and I go WAY back to the summer of Oh-Eight, to the sudsy beaches and sandy bars of Grand Bend, Ontario.  He lives about an hour and a half north from me on the island and came down for the weekend.

This is the first time I've ever tried to play with more than one other person and most of the people in the room just met, but here we are... trying to feel out a little tune and work our way through it...

For a few hours, we banged our way through an assortment of rock, folk, blues and bluegrass.  It was just... so... bloody... AWESOME!!!

I'm sure of it now more than ever.  One day, I'm going to be in a rock 'n roll band.



(What made your day awesome?  Tell me in the comments section below.  I'd love to hear about it!)

18 March 2011

Today was awesome because I made up music!

My ol' buddy Bill is in town for the weekend and he brought along his djembe.  After running through a few cover songs on guitar with Bill providing the beat I took a break.  Bill continued tapping, slapping and rolling on the top of his hand-carved drum.  I started to recognize a pattern and began inserting chords as he beat.  Wouldn't you know it, we all of the sudden had a little groove going.

I'm so new to this music game every day is like a new experience for me.  And today was the first time I really experienced "making it up as you go."  Pretty awesome.


(What made your day awesome?  Tell me in the comments section below.  I'd love to hear about it!)

07 March 2011

Today was awesome because our landlord replaced all the windows on our house.

Two weeks ago I moved into a really lovely character home in Victoria, British Columbia.  I'm subletting for two months while one of the occupants is traveling through Thailand.  My housemates are Darryl and Lacey.  They are both friendly, positive spirits and right from day one they've made me feel like this is my home too, even though I'm only here temporarily.

Darryl is a brilliant guitarist and lately he's been branching out to other instruments and genres of music.  In the basement, Darryl has set up a little Jam Room with a drum kit, synth, electric bass, and glockenspiel.  I've added a harmonica, some shakers and bells, and a ukulele.  We both have acoustic guitars.  Paradise.

We're only a ten-minute walk from downtown and twenty minutes to the sea.  Paradise.

ANYWAY... the old windows, although charming, were only single-paned and full of long, crooked cracks (the ones in my bedroom, especially).  The new windows are double-paned and have screens, so we can actually open our windows now during the day.  In the evening, it's clearly a couple of degrees warmer inside and I'll be able to sleep with one less blanket tonight.


Here are a few photos of this awesome house!:

My minimalist bedroom.

Living space, complete with fireplace and dog.

Basement chill room.

The Jam Room.

(What made your day awesome?  Tell me in the comments section below.  I'd love to hear about it!)