Blog

Marie has been working on our online books and they are getting organized. You'll see above V-Books, that's where they are. The thing about the books part of the site is that it stays the same. The content doesn't flow like the rest of the site. So things should be in the same place all the time.

@Marie - anything to add?

Life at vanderPlas Baileo

Time to write in the blog again, tho there is not a whole lot to mention.
Life goes on as usual, yet we did change a couple of things here, both on the instruments as in the development.

I got a lot of positive remarks on the tilted bars of the carbonVibe, so I decided to also have the gigVibe available with this enormously comfortable layout. You now have the choice of either fixed flat bars or fixed tilted at an angle of 3 degrees. It is incredible how much that increases comfort.

Well, I didn't get much activity on my Ed Saindon playlists, but I've been really enjoying having them playing the background while I work. So I created a playlist of Tony's videos -- http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8693AD6521EF4387 -- 45 videos. Enjoy!

Tom P.

A friend of mine, who knows I am into vibes, sent this to me.

"Today, Studio 602 at Pencils.com is proud to introduce our first Blackwing Featured Musician and the inaugural episode of The Blackwing Sessions, a series that will showcase how using a Blackwing pencil inspires art and facilitates the creative process.

While I'm sitting out here in the Caribbean I'm checking the site and messing around with some of the lessons. I hope you guys can see what heavy stuff has gone up over the past couple weeks.

As a novice, rock / blues rhythm guitarist (who has always loved, and wished he could play jazz), I was searching around on YouTube, looking for 'Vince Guaraldi' in an attempt to play along with 'Christmas Time Is Here', my absolute favorite Holiday number.

I come across this mind numbing performance by this rockin' roll looking guy, who is really tearing it up, kicking it hard .. Playing all parts himself, including this awesome ongoing solo that rings right out. Truly rocking right out ... all on ... a Vibraphone!?!?! Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai all rolled into one.

Ok, so we studied chords and harmony. I sure hope some of you guys got some stuff out of all that. There was a ton to learn and study!

So I figured before we had back to tunes we should officially study the other side of all this and that's the line... the solo, the melody.

I still believe that for all of us, the line should be first thing. The most important thing.

Back home after a 3-hour trio gig (vibes, bass, drums). Man, I am exhausted!

Tom P.

Let's not forget Stephen Hambright and Marie (our queen). Without them we really would NOT have a vibe site like this!

Without Stephen Hambright it would have crashed and I would have left it dead! I don't know enough. Actually I know enough to be dangerous!

Without John Daly, Tjaco and Harvey Price, we would not have workshops.

Without Mike Pinto we'd have no store.

Without some of the pros who put up lessons on a regular basis you'd be only listening to my crap all year long!!

Hello everyone,