Lolcatz

my lolcat

thx anne for the idea! be sure to give me a vote, yo.

Daily Vid #'s 5 6 and 7

Hey. So it's been a couple of busy days, hence the lack of posting. So, I will post the missed vids in one BIG post. Hope you enjoy! =)


#5... an awesome trombone jazz solo by Nils Landgren. It involves some pretty amazing multiphonic playing. And other stuff... watch and see.


#6... a theremin. I want one. As far as I know it involves disturbing the electrical field around a device and it makes sound accordingly.


#7... an amusing amv (animated music video) using in-game graphics from Blizzard's World of Warcraft.

Daily Vid #4

As a trombonist, it is my goal to be able to play like as such. I can't yet.

(btw, I attended Derek Zoolander's Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to do Other Stuff Good Too)

Daily Vid #3

Well, the next few posts I have planned are music based. I thought that I'd start with a nice little Ukulele piece. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". This guy KNOWS his instrument.

Daily Vid #2

Another cute one.

Daily Vid #1

Not sure how long this will last, but I was inspired by my brother's blog and decided to start a daily youtube video. Several of my friends and I tend to watch a lot of youtube videos together, and send the new ones that we find back and forth to each other. Granted many of the good videos we find are of animals being cute, there are a good number of vids that are not. Installments 1 and 2 for sure are going to be cute animal videos, but hopefully for those that aren't as into the cute and cuddly stuff I will have some other types posted. Here's number one. Two otters holding hands.

Leader of the Pack

A few months ago, my sister Anne and I were in the local grocery store, when we were helped by a physically remarkable cashier. I didn't say anything while at the counter, but as soon as we were done and on our way to the parking lot, I leaned over and whispered to Anne and got her immediate response.

“Quick! Name one physical feature of our cashier!”

“Eyebrows!”

“Yeah! Mine too. What was your second feature you noticed?”

“She was skinny.”

“Aw, mine was her blond hair.”

We have played this game several other times. The idea is that you get a look at someone, and say the most striking physical feature to you, and see how much you line up with other people. “Purple mu-mu! Beard! Bald!” Just an interesting game of observing.

Another similar game that one of my friends helped me make up is the “Leader of the Pack” as we called it. What one does, is when seeing a group of people, usually 4-7 in size, you look for the relationship dynamics. The following is a list of characteristics that I have picked up observing people and being part of these same groups. Granted there may be some overlap of personas or even your own disagreement with my classifications.

1) The Alpha Wolf. The leader of the group that all of the members look up to and follow their ideas. This person is usually the joining friend among the other members, the one that brought them all together. When walking, typically close to front center, though there may be other members in front of them. The Alpha wolf is also typically the spokesperson for the group, deciding what the group thinks on an issue.

2) The Beta Wolf. This is the second in command. When the Alpha Wolf doesn't want to make a decision, or is absent from the group at that time, the Beta Wolf will fill that leadership role. Usually closer to the front than back, but not as forward as Alpha.

3) The Silent Leader. The silent leader is one that doesn't quite fit the roll as the Alpha Wolf, as they are not as charismatic. They will often be slightly apart from the group in the fore part of the pack, guiding the groups progress along their course. Turn here, go around that log to the left, all minor decisions that need to be initiated by some person.

4) The Follower. The Follower is just that; one who follows. They are a member of the pack that goes along with the flow, wherever they are led, even if it isn't a place they'd normally go. Usually on the sides or rear of the group.

5) The Independent. The independent is harder to spot than the other characteristics. This is a person that appears like a follower, going with the flow of the group, but able to separate from the group with ease. This person can mesh with almost any group of people, with a flexible personality that doesn't overstep the bounds that the Alpha and Beta wolves set up.

6) The Jester. The Jester is usually the one you notice first from a distance. They are loud and telling jokes or stories. They are the amiable people that everyone likes. They are usually found in the middle of the group, where all members can easily hear.

These are just some of the main ones that I've noticed. Feel free to expand on the ideas, add your own, or tell where you think you fall. I think that I personally am a mix between the Silent Leader and the Follower, depending on the situation for whichever has more dominance.

...Woah!

So the wonders of the body never cease to amaze me. Here, a Japanese man has figured out the art of drinking REALLY fast. Really.



Wow.

5, 6, 7, 8... AMAZE!

These videos seem to show the pinnacle of human muscle control and balance... in dance of course. Makes me wish i had been born with the drive and means to really be a dancer.




Wow. Just wow.

Word O'

Word o' the Day.... Loud.

This morning for marching band, instead of meeting as a trombone section at 7 for sectionals, we met as a brass section at 7 for sectionals. We got a lesson in being loud. My favorite description of how to be loud enough (mind you its just approximate wording)... "Yeah. Touch your bell... it's a directional instrument. You can focus it. If you all play loud enough and focus your sound at one person's forehead, their head should explode." We all play. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

If Loud = Marching Band and Marching Band = Fun, then Loud = Fun.

Possibilities

This afternoon I had my weekly lesson with my trombone professor. The past week I got very little time to practice, and he of course noticed. So we began discussing my schedule, and it came up that I should probably back the schedule off a little next semester. I had already been planning to do this. 18 credit hours with a music major is pretty crazy for me.

Also in the discussion, the idea of changing majors came up. I was wondering about a film music degree... if there was anything in that realm offered. The closest he suggested was a Bachelor of Arts with a film minor. Pretty cool idea. One of the job field that he mentioned that was growing was that of music for video games. As video games can now start having real sound tracks, musicians are needed to write and perform those sound tracks. That would be so much fun for me.

Another idea that was brought up, was me switching to a bass trombone instead of my tenor. The studio of around 20 trombonists has under 5 designated bass trombonists. That'd put me in a good position for later ensembles, providing my skill in the lower register is up to snuff. I am intrigued.

Nothing is decided, I'm not gonna decide today... just something to think about.

The Blog, the Trom-blog

Hello all! Joe here, and I'm finally starting a blog! I have no idea how much I'm going to be posting on it, but hopefully enough to keep you all interested! I figured that now that I am in college, being on line in a reachable manner to the public would be a good thing. Yup... here we go!