I live in Louisiana and if I have a gig coming up I’m not going to call my New York friends and be like, “Hey guys, I have a gig next week in New Orleans! Wanna come?” You know why I wouldn’t do that? Cause they would stare at the phone and wonder why I’m …
My Big Oopsie on Tour Advice: Don’t Mess With Liability
Recently I made a post about some things you can do to prepare your house and personal property before you go out on tour. One of the things I said I did was change my vehicle insurance so that I’m not paying out the ass for a car that’s just going to be sitting at …
Randy Coven: Farewell to one of my biggest influences
Today I found out that one of my biggest influences on the bass has passed away: Randy Coven. His music played a major role in my development as a bass player and he helped shape my approach to the role of bass in a band setting.
Conversations With Musicians I Hate
Over the years I’ve run into several types of musicians. Basically, you can lump them into two categories: musicians I’d work with again and musicians I hope get hit by a car. Here are some of the real musicians I’ve encountered in my life and what makes them intolerable to be around.
My Favorite Instructional Videos
I got into instructional videos much later on into my musical training. I’m talking about twenty years into it. See, the way I started out was taking private lessons; I then supplemented these private lessons by going through all the lessons in magazines like “Guitar For the Practicing Musician” and “Bass Player.” I had a …
The Joy of In-Ear Monitors –
and how to run your own
Ahhhhh, the joy of using in-ear monitors. How I have grown to truly love life with my set. I honestly can’t imagine a life now without them. Once you start using in-ear monitors, and get over that initial hump of getting used to them, there’s simply no going back. The advantages they bring can dramatically …
My Cirque Du Soleil Audition:
Part 2
now that you’ve got the audition, here’s how you screw it all up… Well, I got my official Cirque Du Soleil invitation and now all I have to do is schedule the appointment time. I figured I’d better schedule a late audition because I have trouble sleeping. I knew that I would have trouble sleeping …
My Cirque Du Soleil Audition
Part 1
I don’t know what it takes for an acrobat to get an invitation for a Cirque Du Soleil audition, but for me, a musician, it was quite a process. I’m sometimes asked about exactly what I did to get an invite, how I prepared myself, and how the audition actually went. Well, let me take …
Cea Serin: The names that came before; The names that could’ve been
When it comes to Cea Serin, the question I get asked the most is “what does the name mean.” I’ve answered this question many times: sometimes I’ve given a serious answer; sometimes I’ve made up an answer for my own amusement. But very few people know about the many names that were almost chosen before …
The First Thing You Should Do When Buying a New Instrument
Are you addicted to buying new instruments? I know I am (at times). I’m always looking for that perfect instrument that can cover every need: the right amount of strings, the right string spacing, the right placement of the volume knob, other knobs out of the way, the neck pickup isn’t too close, etc. But, …