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.