Recently I purchased a Yamaha Pocketrak stereo audio recorder, and I am quite impressed with the sound quality. It makes CD quality recordings using standard 16 bit, 44.1 sampling rate. It also makes mp3s at what ever bitrate you want - 32, 64, 96, 128, etc. The unit is smaller than my TV remote, and has a nice pair of onboard mics positioned in an x-y setup. The unit only cost $180! 15 years ago I paid several thousand for gear that records no better than this tiny thing.

Try this experiment. Next time you can't get something, or you're sort of getting it. Stop and come back to it in 10 or 15 minutes. In my practicing I usually get it right the first time. Maybe after that I'll start screwing it up, but I think my brain has had time to process the information and store it? Am I nuts? And then I come back and all is cool. After I do that a few times, I have the tune or lick or whatever down.

Something like that.

Get funky with your bad self.

Ok Voyeurs, I posted part of my practice mp3. I'll turn the recorder on and just mess around with an idea and then listen back. So mistakes and imperfections, here's what I do, maybe it will get some of you guys doing some of this.

Dana titled his blog with a date and I dig that. That means we can just title the blogs with the dates and talk about whatever! So great idea Dana.

Man I just made a John Adams radio station. You guys know him? I think he took the minimalist thing to a place that I really dig. I'm really into the music that that station plays.

Here's a link to the Pandora Station:
http://www.pandora.com/?sc=sh251068476568477366

Guys,

As we were talking about (and hearing) some accordion, I came across this... wow!!

Enjoy,

- M

This is my dad playing at 80 years old on 6/19/2010 in Oklahoma City.
I'm posting this because dad was the first president of the Percussive Arts Society and still loves all things percussion, percussive arts education, and how things have grown. He is extremely happy that I am playing vibes now.

He just retired as a community choir director and has not played drums in decades. But he was having a ball. They are playing "All of you" .

So yeah, a really really great gig last night. It's a large part to do with this site and our discussions and seeing what everybody is up to.

Here's an article with comments on our website talking about how to view the site on Roku.

Thanks to tpvibes for writing the program!

http://www.vibesworkshop.com/blog/vibesworkshop-roku-creating-your-subs…

Cop This Groove! Go ahead cop it. I dare you!

Last night I played a jazz jam session at La Rose Club in Germantown, with my friend and drummer Rob Henderson. He has created a recurring seesion at La Rose that's been going on for several months now, blending the new and upcoming players, with us oldheads! I had the pleasure of playing with, and listening to some of the finest playing I've ever heard from several young pups (as my dad would call them), several under the age of 20, all of whom I'm old enough to be their father, maybe even grandfather!