This is my first diary entry in nearly 2 weeks. I’ve been busy adjusting to my new work schedule, and then watching the Tour de France in the evenings. However, I really do need to decide if I want to work harder at keeping this site updated regularly, or else change the design a bit.

Koyabu-Board player Yoshiharu was in Hiroshima this weekend, and we met for the first time on Saturday evening while he busked in the square in front of Hiroshima Station. Then, on Sunday night he came to the World Music Event at Barco and performed a set of about 5 songs. Not only is Yoshiharu very talented, he is an incredibly nice person, and several of my friends told me how happy they were that I had invited him to come and play. As a Stick player, I also appreciated the fact that when introducing his instrument to people on the street on Saturday night and again at Barco on Sunday night, he was always careful to mention that the Koyabu-Board design and playing method were based on the original designs and techniques created by Emmett Chapman more than 30 years ago. After the Barco event ended at about 1:30am on Sunday night (Monday morning), Yoshiharu left Hiroshima for his drive to Fukuoka, the next stop on his 5-week tour of Western Japan.

I think I’ve decided to cut back on my performance schedule a bit. One reason is simply that I had too much going on, and I really need to set aside more time for practicing and creating. (I need to look back on my calendar, but I believe I’ve performed at least once every weekend for nearly the past 3 months.) However, another reason is that I’ve been performing mostly at festivals and events where there is only about 20 to 30 minutes of stage time available per act. Although that can be fun from time to time and lets me hang out with friends and meet a lot of new people, I think I’m ready to start selecting my gigs a bit more carefully (rather than simply saying yes to any request that comes along) and try to focus on performances that will be a bit more valuable to me in my growth as a musician.

Happy Bastille Day!

I haven’t updated my diary in several days, simply because I’ve had little to say. And then suddenly a lot has happened in the past 30 minutes. It seems that the “unit” that Jamie, Maggie, Kit, and I have formed over the last several months (called “JaMaRaKi” or “JaRaMaKi” etc. from the first syllables of our names; we never could remember the “correct” order) will be coming to an end, at least in its current incarnation. Jamie needs to take a break, because he’s simply involved with too many events/projects and something had to give before he broke something. Following his announcement to the rest of us, I decided it was time for me to step away from the group as well. I’ve been thinking for some time that I want/need to get back to solo playing, in order to figure out what The Stick is (i.e., not a replacement for a bass guitar) as well as get back to creating new music. It’s been a difficult decision to come to, simply because we are all friends who enjoy making music and having so much fun together. We have some committments remaining over the next few months where we will play together again. And, I look forward to jamming with them at the Barco events, or any other time we happen to run into each other. Hopefully Maggie and Kit will keep the unit going with other musicians.

Saturday’s Amnesty International event in Alice’s Garden was incredibly hot. Somebody said the high temperature was 35 degrees. And yet, we had a great crowd from nearly the beginning at 12pm all the way until the end just a little past 8pm. As always, Jamie did the work of at least 3 people, moving gear, mixing sound, and generally making sure everything ran smoothly and on time. The result was a huge success that (hopefully) demonstrated to the “powers that be” that (1) this is a great outdoor venue that could be used more effectively for monthly concerts, (2) there is plenty of local talent capable of attracting and holding the attention of an audience/shoppers passing by, and (3) people enjoy outdoor concerts in the middle of the shopping district, even if it means sitting for hours through blistering summer heat.

I will be one of several acts playing at a private party this Saturday, as well as at Feedback on the 17th. See the Schedule section for more info.

About two weeks ago I changed the signal routing of my gear. I now run the bass side of my Stick directly into the preamp of my SWR SM-400S amplifier, then through the effects chain, and to the Expand In section of the Rane SP 13 preamp where it is combined into a mono signal with the melody. This mono signal is then sent to the power amp side of the SM-400S. I think I get a tighter, punchier low end this way than with my previous routing, when I completely bypassed the SM-400S preamp in favor of the SP 13 preamp.

P.S.: Excellent choice, Mr. Kerry.