Pan tunes 5

Pan tunes 5 is ready! I finally finished it over the break! the list of songs are as follows:
Sly Mongoose, Ride like the wind, sea jam, sugar boom boom, copacobana, come monday, corcovado, morning dance, just the two of us, watch what happens, funny valentine, this masqurade, caravan, weve got tonight, heres that rainy day, stand by me, i just called to say i love you, african marching song, and i love her, dock of the bay.

a small departure from the normal "island tunes" i grant you...but pretty good selection.
if you want one..i have a special offer going...$20 plus shipiing of $5 gets the book AND the newly rerecorded 10 easy fun songs book. the 10 easy fun songs are now recorded in music minus one style so you can use it on gigs if you want.

send me an e mail at brad@tropicalshores.net to order.

first Merry Christmas to all readers. I am truly blessed to have all that i have, deserving none.

next, i am a slug. i have not done very much on the book 5 project. I have plans to finish by jan 1 though. i have done some recording and writing but not as much as i wanted to.

Finally, I will try to be more deligent in posting stuff, I have just been distracted by concerts and other performances. It is very motivational (hint, hint) for me to have suggestions of topics that readers need help with or would at least like to discuss.

I hope you are all having the Christmas that you imagined it would be. It's kinda like the saying..."Lord, please help me to be the man my dog thinks i am"...

Home Stretch

It is the home stretch of the 1st half of the teaching year. Christmas time brings concerts, stress, and relief all in the same month. I have half of my concerts and performances over with but still have some to do.

In the break time, i hope to finish pan tunes 5, write a couple of steel drum band arrangements, and finish a concert band piece for one of my elementery bands.
AND i hope to tie down all the family members for a couple of days to record our newest CD. it has been 8 years since we recorded the previous 2 cds and it is just time. I have a new set of guitars pans for linda, mine is fresh from the tuner and my daughter will be home for break....now to think up some incentives for a less than enthusiastic band. hmmm.

I am trying to get out and golf today at carey park. it is always a treat to play at a golf course that has greens, not just sand greens. i played 3 times this week and it is december, so that is not bad. can't wait to get better clubs and play more often when it gets warmer. i have seen lots of imporvement in my game recently and i am keen to try it out today.

but it is extremely windy today. we'll see.

Edit: (3 hours after golf game). new math formula... windy+nervous/slice-bogie=new record high score for me. i DID pick up some tips about chipping and other skills. i will just keep practicing. the wind was around 30 mph with gust above 40. fun huh.

Sidetracked

got side tracked by a project that i have been putting off for a few years. in the book "10 easy fun songs", which is a collection of very easy "learning" tunes i wrote several years ago, the playalong tracks are only recorded once. Normally, i record all tracks 2 times....once with the melody being audible and once without. i had been meaning to rerecord all 10 tunes to make them play along friendly..

so i just finished that project and am back on the "pan tunes 5" train. got 6 songs left to finish. but they are the more difficult to record and write for pan. like "just the two of us". the chord changes are fairly difficult for me to record. anyway, i am making progress. part of the hold up is to decide which key is best for each song. for instance, "and i love her" by the beatles, is in the key of E major...hardly compatible with the average pan player.. so i rewrote it in the key of F, which is much beetter for steel drums.

Pan tunes 5

Well, I have started to make the final approach on Pan Tunes 5...I have the songs selected, I have recorded 8 of them and am determined to be done by Christmas. I have selected a more popish group of songs including some Bob Seger, Christopher Cross and other non carribbean people. The songs still work well though i think. I guess we will see.

Thanksgiving has come and gone. I was my usual lazy, turkey guzzleing, mash potato gulping, football watching, pie slurping, roll popping, dressing gorging self and managed to blow 2 days.
Feels good to sit around once in a while, but it gets harder and harder to motivate myself back on track.

december is a big month with concerts and things coming due.

Finally

Well Thanksgiving break is upon me and it does feel good. The school steel drum band did great last night after months of hard work.

I did get a chance to film a video that talks about the issue of starting a steel drum band and playing a song from a lead sheet. It was shot with members of the high school steel drum band (and my son on bass guitar). We did the song "Never on Sunday". If it helps you, I am pleased.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving.

OK maybe later

Well, didnt get video made...hard to get all four band members together on a friday night. maybe saturday.

The Christmas Parade is tommorrow in Hutchinson...seems like it gets earlier every year. I have chosen not to play on the municipal band float because we always sit there for 30 minutes in 20 degree weather and freeze while scads of other people and floats go before us. I am protesting this treatment of the band...but in reality, the parade for the drum section is one long cadence. we play cadences between songs, then play the songs. It is about a 30 minute drumathon and it is quite painful by the end.

Got a big band gig tommorrow night. I play jazz keyboard with this band which is run by some of hutch's best musicians. It is a fun gig, but you have to wear a tux..and you only make $50.
my normal fee for even considering wearing a tux is $100, but it is for a charitable cause.

Got my pan back from CA. it is very nice, thanks to tuner David Berry. check his sight..sometime www.smartypansmusic.com

Keep those comments and suggestions coming, it is fun.

New Video about Starting a band

I have had a request to do a video on starting a steel drum band...in this case, a quartet or so. I will try to film it today or tommorrow. It will deal with the issues of literature, instrumentation, equipment and such. I hope that it will help someone. Although i am not an expert, I can share what has worked for me and my situation.

Also have some new songs for downloading coming soon...a couple of easy tunes from my 10 easy fun book.

sea jam

Got a new tune on downloads today called "Sea Jam"... it is in C major ( or Sea Major..he he)
and has a couple choruses of soloing opportunity on it. you can go to www.tropicalshores.net/downloads sometime after today and download it.

New tunes coming soon

I am working today, (Sunday), on some new recording of some songs i have been working on..I have played these tunes for a while, but never recorded them for use by anyone else.

Golf season is seeming to be coming to a close, so I may get busy and get some more music done and some more videos recorded. Again, if you have ideas for videos, please tll me and I will do my best to record something if I can help.

downloading

I just put up the "oh come all ye/angels we have heard on high" file. all downloadable music will be found at www.tropicalshores.net/downloads
help yourself.

I am currently working on Hotel California...

sorry about the video concerning blues scales...it appears that it is not available..im checking on it. but i am a rookie in the internet

Music, Music and more Music

I have been on a writing spree lately. I have been writing "trash can" music for "stomp type" groups for various friends. I find it hard not to repeat musical ideas...esp when writing in a short span of time.

Speaking of music, i just finished a medley of "oh come all ye faithful/angels we have heard on high" for steel drum band. I will have it ready for downloading this weekend.

I am now focused on writing more Christmas carols because i have had many requests. Also for Hotel California...that one will take a while though.

New Pans

I recently bought some new guitar pans for Linda, My wife, from Dave Berry at smartypansmusic.com the drums are very very nice and will blend with my ellie lead beautifully. speaking of the ellie pan, known as "my baby" to my high school students, it recently took a tumble when some students knocked it over.

i know that i should not have it at school. but i use it with my high school steel drum band and i just get lazy and don't always put it away. anyway i sent it away to dave berry who, in my humble opinion, is one of the most gifted tuner/builders out there. he is also one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

i have a video on the blues scale that a friend wanted me to post. maybe it will help some people. If anyonewants to suggest a video that would help address an issue, please leave a comment. I will do what i can.

Played golf and kept score....112. Not my finest effort unfortunately, but i rarely get to play on greens as my normal course has sand green only. Beautiful day though, 78 on Nov 1. Not bad.

Anyway, here is the link to the recently finished kokom.
tropicalshores.net/downloads/kokomo2

It is a zip file and has pdf files for parts.
I am also posting a new video on tropicalshores.net involving the blues scale.

Hope you are all safe and well.

Fall

Fall is here, time has blown by me like a bitter Kansas blizzard. Much has happened recently.
the High School band received superior ratings at the marching contest. We marched our last home game tonight.

Recently i finished Kokomo and a couple of Christmas tunes for steel drum band.

I hope to post the tunes as soon as possible. I am also filming a "blues scale" lesson soon on tropicalshores.net

Another beautiful weekend

Going to perform at teh Mount Hoe festival today ...6 miles away. Family and High School steel drum band both performing.

Tommorrow I am going to the chiefs game in KC because the KSU band is performing so I can see Jaimie and I have never been to a chiefs game. The foe is Denver so it should be a rowdy game.

Pretty much finished the kokomo arrangment so I will hook up a link soon.

Golf game stable. haven't played since tuesday because i have been busy. need more golf balls anyway.

Milestones

No, not the jazz tune...it is my 48th birthday today. Getting to spend time with the family at brunch this morning followed by a game of golf with a good friend at a local course. I have seen improvements in my game...i can now drive the ball fairly straight and about 195 yds on a good whack. My irons are starting to work better also as well as my wedges. I found that watching pros on tv can really help my game bcecause I can visualize my arms trying to swing like they do, seems to help my game anyway.

I have had a busy week of running concession stands, football game performances and other little jobs so i haven't been able to post. I have done a little more on kokomo but haven't posted yet oviously.

I do a little currency trading known as "forex" trading to thos e who do it. It is sort of like day trading with money exchanges. Very interesting and treacherous...have to go slow. I have been doing it for a year now, and have yet to make much money at it. It take s a lot of study of what moves the markets, mostly knowing the elliot wave theory helps also (which i do not fully understand). Just more background on my daily life for anyone who is reading.

State Fair Action

We are laying the state fair for the 19th consecutive time. Today on the main stage at 10 am. Jaimie is home to play with us which is fun.

Still working on Kokomo. Got most of it done, but still have to deal with the solo section.

lots of rain this week...
b

Jeans, rain and football

Today is the first day i put a jacket and jeans on because it was a bit nippy. Rained and drizzled all day cancelling our state fair performance today. I did have time to get a good bit of work done on the kokomo arrangement i started on yesterday.

Lots of football to watch today. I really enjoy watching college football to an extent. Looking forward to going to a Chiefs game in a couple weeks. Grew up being a chiefs fan but never went to a game. It turns out that the KSU band is marching at the chiefs game also.

Will post Kokomo chart (unfinished) soon.

I am also within a month of releasing Pan Tunes V, but need to record a couple more songs.
If you read this blog and want a discount on an early copy, let me know at brad@tropicalshores.net You will get pan tunes V for $20 plus shipping ( a 20% savings)

Kokomo

I have decided to start a Kokomo arrangment as it is a widely requested tune for steel drum bands. I will put periodic posts up with links to the score so people may view it.

First cool day of fall happened yesterday, it was only about 59 degrees all day. Seems very cool but I know in 3 months we will all yearn for this kind of a day.

Marching was really nice though because there was a breeze and the kids were working hard in the cool air.

Labor day

Went to the KSU game over the weekend and saw the band march....pretty impressive for 2 weeks of work. The band played Spain and Get it On, but the arrangements seemed a bit muttled, hard to hear the melody.

Anyway, Jaimie came home for the weekend to visit a friend. Nice to have her around.

Trying to nail down the drum feature for the HS band. It is Mr Roboto with several drum breaks worked into it. Pretty challenging for the drum line.

New Music

Finally finished the score to Alpha Bossa. Let me stress again that this is written for a very beggining steel drum band. the link is this
http://www.tropicalshores.net/downloads/steeldrumcentral/alphabossa_score.pdf (this link will not be updated for a while, keep checking back)
free dowload, but only the score, parts will come later.

Still working on some warm ups, but i am bogging down with my marching band show, had to rewrite the drum feature and block the drill in. If that's not bad enough...I spent way to many hours watching the Olympics. Liked the closing ceremonies, but it's too bad that the Chinese dont treat their own people like they treated the Olympic spectators. Sorry, didn't mean to bloviate.

Hitting the middle of the fairway is better than hitting it 300 yds sometimes

I did okay in the first golf tournament. I played with 2 other experienced player in a scramble, where you always play the best ball. Although i hit several "duds", i was pleasantly surprised to see that 3 times, my ball was the best ball because theirs went out of bounds or something. I also sunk a putt for birdie, beginners luck im sure, since ive never putted before...Still i felt like I made some contributions that offset my obvious embarassment. Our team placed first, albeit by a tiebreaker, so each of us got a $50 gift card to carraballas italian resteraunt. Not bad for my first competition, just happy i was playing with those excellent golfers, i learned a lot.

Trying to finish "Alph Bossa" today and will post links to downlaod it if I do get it done. This tune is for very basic beginners...like 4-6th graders. Or even middle schoolers. I am still trying to put together a book of Christmas tunes (full arrangements). However with marching band in full bloom, I find myself charting shows instead of arranging tunes. I did finish "Jingle Bells" and will post soon as a free "gimme" tune. If you like it, please click on one of the google ads. (even the golf ones).

Still looking for any comments or questions. If you want send a golf tip to me (the pitching wedge is where i need some real help), please do.

Moment of truth is at hand

Tommorrow is my first golf tournament....heck it's my first time on a real golf course. I have been playing at the local course which doesn't even have real putting greens. The tournament is a benefit for a local church and is for a good cause, which is nice because I will need a miracle to save me from looking like a total tard. More on that after.

Busy week in the high school band scene, learning drill and music. It has relatively cool (85 degrees)...not complaining for august. One of the three pieces are done and marchable. good group of kids, one of the best Ive taught in 22 years.

One the still drum front, we have had several gigs lately ranging from programs to 3 hours pool parties. The Kansas State Fair is coming up in a couple of weeks and we play several days during the week.

Really need to finish some of the steel drum musical projects that i started but i have had many orders lately and I just have to make those a priority. Maybe this weekend after the golf tournament?

be well.

Even the rabbits laugh

The HS marching band is learning the opening part of the show quickly...it is a very solid group of kids, one of the best ive had in 25 years of teaching. The steel drum band at the High School is also very good at learning new stuff. There are mostly 2-3 vets in the class with 2 beginners in the group. Our first gig of the year is at Mount Hope fall fest (6 miles away) and we MAY play some songs from last year.

Still working on some new tunes and exercise but i have to admit, i have been on the golf course everyday this week for a round of 9 holes. There are sand greens so no putting yet...in fact, i do not own a putter or a sand wedge yet. It is interesting to me that the dozens of rabbits seem to take no notice of me when i hit the golf ball. They already seem to know that they are in no danger as long as they remain on the fairway. I am making progress but it is slow and frustrating.

It has been a few weeks since i started the blog...wondering if anyone reads besides the couple who have told me. How about a comment....any golf tips? Recipes for rabbit stew?
I will try to post more music stuff, just busy with uniform checkout and other mundane tasks now.

Hope you are all well....Florida: Keep your heads down!!

Regrouping

I need time to regroup. Gotta finish the marching show opener, finish some warm ups and a new piece for a customer. By the way, a friend of mine from florida is wishing to sell a lead and a set of double guitars...chromed i think. They are gill pans and are very nice, having only been used a couple of years. If you are interested, please comment or let me know.

Played a the wichita marriot last night. 2 1/2 hour gig by the pool.. it was not hot but kind of humid. very pleasant.

Practice makes perfect

I have been learning golf for a month under the guidance of my daughter;s boyfriend..(who is quite good). He and i are playing at a local private golf course in a couple weeks. I HAVE to learn how to hit the ball better ..can't get it to go straight. or up...or anything very consistently.
could be in for a very embarassing day.

Started steel drum band today in the High School class. 12 kids, 10 are vets. should be a good year and we should be able to play some hard stuff. It is not an audition group, just kids who sign up. Last year we played at the Kansas Music educator convention and also at disneyworld.

I guess we have a guest pet at our house recently. A medium garter snake fell in the window well and can't get out. We can see him from inside the house...sort of like a snake house at a zoo, only with an element of reality.

still working on the warm ups and the new tunes for steel drum band. If you have any suggestions, please comment. I will do what i can. when i can.

If you think that the USA will win teh basketball gold (mens), click on the google ad.

Brutal

First Day of school, very brutal. Had final band camp and parent meeting last night. Kids did well, it was the biggest parent meeting i've ever had...good sign.

I have decided to write an arrangment of "black magic woman" because i think it would be a great steel drum band song. If you think so too, do click on one of the google ads on this page to show support.

Still working on teh other arrangments, maybe posting later today.

Another School Year Facing Me

Another school year starts tommorrow. The marching show is not even charted yet. I have 2 of the 3 tunes playable but not the percussion feature. Got a lot to do before tommorrow.

Still Working on warm ups and the ew tune (alpha bossa) in the mean time. Hopefully i can use them for my school steel drum bands.

A wet hamburger is more important than a wet bass guitar

Have you ever played a gig where they set you up outside in an obvious rainy situation...and you knew it was foolish? This happened at the gig last night in Wichita. we were set up outside but "under cover"..well the rain came and the wind blew the rain up on us. Then we moved inside DURING our scheduled break which is never popular with the troops as it is our rest time. Of course, by the time we get relocated, it is time to play and also we should have eaten by this point. Makes me wish i had put "extra fee for each move" on the contract so that we would have at least been compensated for the extra effort. The worst part is that the traffic was circling around the food table which was, you guessed it, right in our moving path. I think they were scared that their burgers would get damp. People just didn't understand that we were attempting to move expenseive WET equipment right where they were grazing. Then we took a lot of time to maticulously dry off every micron of our stuff.
I know you have been there so this story (and other like it) is for you, brothers in gigdom.

On a brighter note, I have a customer in FL that has a very young elementary band situation and would like warm ups for them. I will post some samples when i get it done today. Gotta help Jaimie load up to go back to college today. This is probably ( and , I guess hopefully) the last time she will ever live at home with us as a "kid". Not being mean, I only mean that i hope she will be successful and not NEED to live with us here at the Tropical Ranch. Im sure she will, but i will miss her like crazy.

Edit: here are some links to some pdf files, one is to the unfinished warmups and the other to a new unfinished tune called "Alpha bossa" (for elementary or middle school steel drum bands)

http://www.tropicalshores.net/downloads/steeldrumcentral/alphabossa_score.pdf

http://www.tropicalshores.net/downloads/steeldrumcentral/warmups.pdf

help yourself

jaimies tune

Here is jaimie's tune. she is a music major at KSU in manhattan. this is only page one. just wanted you to get the idea. if you want it e mail me at brad@tropicalshores.net

no charge

also below is the link to view the whole score of "enchilada". My son and i are working on how to get fully downloadable files for free music. bear with us please.

http://www.tropicalshores.net/downloads/steeldrumcentral/enchilada.pdf

New ideas

I had a customer ask if there are warmups for steel drum bands and it got me thinking about writing some scales and chordal etudes. I never thought about it before, but the steeldrum band is just like a regular band and it seems logical that they could benefit from scale practices and such.

I have a four hour gig tonight in Wichita. Ouch. dont usually play 4 hour gigs anymore but we had nothing else scheduled so i took it cause the $ was decent. But it is raingin and is supposed to rain heavy tonight.

I have a new chart written by Jaimie (oldest daughter). It is written for Pan and piano and has a classical flavor to it. Will post.

Hot August Day

First day of band camp yesterday...it really sets the idea of starting school for real in your mind. Kids did a great job of learning the two pieces for the show that i have so far. Need to rewrite drum parts.

On teh pan front, I have started a new arrangement of Brazil, hoping to finish it by Augusts end.
But August is a busy month for me, preparing for my real job of teaching band.

Seriously

I really have get down to business with a lot of music projects. Finishing cadences and drum features for clients, finishing my own marching show....recording some songs. Just need to sit down and get it done.

I have working on putting together a collection of tunes for a christmas book (full arrangments). but so far i only have 4 done. I need 10. A lot of people ask for this book. Any suggestions on songs?

Also have been working on a collection of "classical pan" solos scored for lead pan and piano. Have 1 done and 9 to go. Jaimie has finished the first one, and it is very nice. Will post soon.

The Goodland gig was very nice. Nice and cool with the weather dipping to 65 after a rain storm.

To the ends of the earth edit

here is the pic of the score to whole enchilada

To the ends of the earth

Gotta gig in Goodland KS tonight. Playing at the Northwest County Free Fair. This being my home town, I always enjoyed playing here, just don't like the drive (4hours). Starting working on "The Whole Enchilada" today, a song which i wrote at the Fort Hays Band camp for the steel drum class. Will post a pdf of the score if i figure out how to.

Very warm gig at the south hutch mennonite church last night, our home church. It was a block party and seemed very successful with many new faces showing up. 105 degrees when we arrived but cooled to 85 when we left.

www.tropicalshores.net

First Contact

Aug. 3rd

This is my first day with the new blog. I hope that this blog can be an interactive meeting place for steel drum enthusiast of all kinds. (hobby players, pros, schools, etc.) I encourage people to introduce themselves, share ideas and ask questions.

Today our family band, Tropical Shores, performs for our church block party which should be fun except it will be about 100 degrees. It is a good chance for our church family to see us play.