Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Outside My Comfort Zone (Again)


Only five days to go. The prospect of some formal education is incredibly exciting! Daunting too. I mean to have the Gary Burton as my Professor (you know, the legendary dude who did all the groovy vibes stuff with Chick Corea and has won zillions of Grammys and things) is about as cool as it gets.

Now let's check the check list:

• Flute re-padded and in good working order √

• Back-up plastic flute ready √

• Guitar(s) (for reference) tuned and ready √

• Keyboard (again for reference) functional √

• Audacity recording program working (and I think I know how to use it) √

• iPad app with all known scales and chords √

• Metronome(s) ready √

• Talented friends at hand who are real musicians and I can call if I need to cheat help √

• Sunglasses √ (this is jazz, remember  -if you can't play it at least try to look cool!)

• Familiarity with 50s/60s jazz patois √  e.g. "Check out the cat with the groovy horn, man, he's far out"

• Theoretical knowledge √  (I can lurch through major and minor [harmonic and melodic], chromatic, minor pentatonic, blues and bebop scales, arpeggios; I know what the modes are and can count most time signatures).

• Ability.....the critical issue is can I improvise any better than when I was 21 and didn't know any of this theory stuff?  Doubtful!

I'll keep you posted...!

7 comments:

Gilly said...

Sounds either amazing or deeply terrifying

Mad Dog said...

Chuck, you will note the key word is "try' (to look cool). The process is more important than the end result...

Mad Dog said...

Gilly, My sentiments exactly. Either way I hope I can survive a five week, part-time, course.

Kokopelli said...

G'day Mad Dog.
Clicked through from your Coursera intro.

Shouldn't that be..."Mad dogs & Irishmen"

Anyway we're in this for better ..or better...right!

Survival of the Fatest...land of the free and all that!
Ciao
Jimu
See you on da forums
Unfortunatley I'm not a robot....hence this reply.

Mad Dog said...

Hi Jimu, Thanks for dropping by. Yes it could be Mad Dogs and Irishmen -it's just that I never heard Noel Coward sing that version! Yes it will be survival of the fittest; I'm just hoping to muddle my way through somehow. See you on the forums...

Mad Dog said...

Jimu: I've just left some comments on your Movin On blog...

Anonymous said...

John, I came here from your post in coursera. I am also from Seattle (but in Houston the last 5 years). I was the music librarian at Seattle Public Library. Now I'm at a 2 yr. college. I'll be rooting for you in the course! Have a blast!!!
John Brower congueroseattle at the hot place for mail