Our good friend Grady Kelneck came down on Monday for a few days and was kind enough to grace the studio with his songs and guitar and accordion. I have to add some drums and lap steel, but when the songs are mixed (and with his permission), I'll post them somewhere nearby for you to enjoy.
My rec basketball team, indie team five (we need a name), was supposed to have our first two games on wednesday, but they were cancelled -- but my team's so rad that 6 of us stuck around and rocked some 3 on 3 half-court for long enough to destroy my legs and my ego. These guys and gals can play ball -- no joke. I was working my tail off to not totally embarrass myself -- I managed to make a couple of fade-aways here and there, but overall, I was quite outclassed. Good times.
Take care,
Jay.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
fade-away
I have a band. It doesn't always seem like that. But I really do.
I'm starting shooting some hoops in a rec league -- which is actually my first organized basketball situation since grade 8. I've played hundreds and hundreds of street ball games, and I've shot about a million practice fade-aways -- and just for the record, it's the best shot, the only shot. If you watch and old bulls games, when Jordan ran into 4 or 5 defenders, 14-22 feet from the net, he would just jump backwards, wait for the arms to rise and fall, and then use his arms to muscle the ball up on a perfect arc and into the basket. And you know what? 10 years later with the Wizards, when he was 40, that move still worked -- he didn't jump as far back, but it didn't matter, you can't block a well timed fade-away.
Uh. . . But maybe you don't care as much about basketball as I do. . .
Too bad. . .
We watched the documentary The Heart of the Game, which follows a high school varsity basketball coach for 7 years, and it was the first time I saw basketball footage and could picture myself somewhere other than on the team (might've helped that it was a girls team), and I started thinking about being involved with coaching. Now, I know my way around a streetball game, but I don't know a lot about being a good team player ("duh" says anyone who's ever played with me), so I'm going to start by trying to be a team player in a rec league, and I've started reading up on the x's and o's, and then maybe I'll try and volunteer for a local team.
Yes, the band, I'll get it going. No, really.
Take care,
Jay.
I'm starting shooting some hoops in a rec league -- which is actually my first organized basketball situation since grade 8. I've played hundreds and hundreds of street ball games, and I've shot about a million practice fade-aways -- and just for the record, it's the best shot, the only shot. If you watch and old bulls games, when Jordan ran into 4 or 5 defenders, 14-22 feet from the net, he would just jump backwards, wait for the arms to rise and fall, and then use his arms to muscle the ball up on a perfect arc and into the basket. And you know what? 10 years later with the Wizards, when he was 40, that move still worked -- he didn't jump as far back, but it didn't matter, you can't block a well timed fade-away.
Uh. . . But maybe you don't care as much about basketball as I do. . .
Too bad. . .
We watched the documentary The Heart of the Game, which follows a high school varsity basketball coach for 7 years, and it was the first time I saw basketball footage and could picture myself somewhere other than on the team (might've helped that it was a girls team), and I started thinking about being involved with coaching. Now, I know my way around a streetball game, but I don't know a lot about being a good team player ("duh" says anyone who's ever played with me), so I'm going to start by trying to be a team player in a rec league, and I've started reading up on the x's and o's, and then maybe I'll try and volunteer for a local team.
Yes, the band, I'll get it going. No, really.
Take care,
Jay.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
School
I sent out an Email to all current/prospective barn flyz, hopefully we'll get back a response that breathes life into the band.
I'm sitting at work -- the drums have been moved to the big studio with the window, so it's a much nicer place to come and hang-out for a few hours. My kids are all coming back from summer vacation, and I think almost all of them are continueing from last year, which is pretty nice -- either they enjoy it, or they couldn't talk their parents out of it. Drums are hard, because it's such a huge investment in time and space and money, and it puts a lot of pressure on the kids to get really good fast. I quit guitar lessons when I was 9, I remember pleading with my parents to let me quit, becuse it was sucking all the fun out of music. It's a fine line between pushing and turning-off.
I was talking with Grady Kelneck (ex-parkas) last night, about coming to K-town to do some recording, and I really want to try and put together some kind of show so he can play accordion with the band -- it probably won't come together, but it's a good mindframe.
Good luck to everyone back at school, and the University kids starting next week, and Tara, who I think is in her 24th year of education. . . Wow. . . Nice job keeping up the family average kid!
Sometimes I think about going back, and finishing either of my 2 almost-done post-secondary projects, or doing Humber College's post-grad writing workshop. . . Maybe some day.
Take care,
Jay
I'm sitting at work -- the drums have been moved to the big studio with the window, so it's a much nicer place to come and hang-out for a few hours. My kids are all coming back from summer vacation, and I think almost all of them are continueing from last year, which is pretty nice -- either they enjoy it, or they couldn't talk their parents out of it. Drums are hard, because it's such a huge investment in time and space and money, and it puts a lot of pressure on the kids to get really good fast. I quit guitar lessons when I was 9, I remember pleading with my parents to let me quit, becuse it was sucking all the fun out of music. It's a fine line between pushing and turning-off.
I was talking with Grady Kelneck (ex-parkas) last night, about coming to K-town to do some recording, and I really want to try and put together some kind of show so he can play accordion with the band -- it probably won't come together, but it's a good mindframe.
Good luck to everyone back at school, and the University kids starting next week, and Tara, who I think is in her 24th year of education. . . Wow. . . Nice job keeping up the family average kid!
Sometimes I think about going back, and finishing either of my 2 almost-done post-secondary projects, or doing Humber College's post-grad writing workshop. . . Maybe some day.
Take care,
Jay
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