tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84179126264368746362024-03-06T22:57:01.757-05:00Journeys of a CellistThe Journeys and observations of a very non-traditional cellist.Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-43953756669489293752014-05-05T23:55:00.002-04:002014-05-05T23:55:32.324-04:00Back In Business!!It's been a while, but I've gotten back in the swing of things with writing & performing & all that sort of stuff ...<br />
<br />
Been working on some electronic music here: <a href="https://cellomike.bandcamp.com/album/electronic-explorations-luna">https://cellomike.bandcamp.com/album/electronic-explorations-luna</a><br />
<br />
And I'm gonna be performing at <a href="http://steampunkworldsfair.com/">Steampunk World's Fair</a> ... so I'm thinking I might record another lightning speed album leading up to that...<br />
<br />
Have had a few other performances lately, and am excited to be slowly jumping back into the steampunk circuit - and hopefully opening lots of doors in the process!!Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-47057548221213819282014-02-26T09:28:00.003-05:002014-02-26T09:28:44.588-05:00The last 6 months & the future of my musicThe last 6 months or so have been pretty Weird!<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />There's been a lot of just trying to hold on for the sake of holding on. <br />
I
moved to Philly in the fall & things ended up not really working
out there, and I quit the bands & projects I was in, with the intent
of putting music on the backburner for a bit while I got my life
together. <br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
"Quitting" music didn't quite
pan out either (You never know *where* life's gonna take you) ... I got
back to New York & needed to make money & get by - started out
with busking & got some freelance work - and hey, if someone's gonna
pay you to do something you're good at - Work is Work <br />
Then I
fell into (read: applied & got competitively selected for) a Work
Training Program in ITS Cabling (if you want to know what this is,
google Infrastructure or Backbone Cabling). It was a 6 week, 175 hour
course - 8:30-4:30 M-F with 3 hours of homework every night. Suddenly
my only option for survival was Busking (and any other odd job I could
find). Once upon a time, a dear Cellist friend told me "Busking is
bullshit for reliability" ... Gods, those words proved to be So True.
Now there's Job Placement & seeking, and ultimately this will allow
me to support my creative desires instead of being crippled by them.<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
The
last 6 months have been this weird place of burnout & financial
desperation, and hope & perseverance, and wanting to create
something musical & beautiful, but not really having any creative
desires. I've also become increasingly conscious of wanting to do work
at Good Quality - the recordings I've made in the past were all done
lightning fast in 24 hours or less, and not really properly
recorded/captured - not great quality. Additionally I've never pressed
CDs, and I'm still waiting for Ghosts of Greyhame mastering to finish
(it's out of my hands). But anyway, the point is, I'm trying not to be
the metaphorical Kid with Raggedy Torn Clothes on the block anymore -
which has meant that I've had to put time, energy & money into other
things, so that at the end of the day I *can* put out good quality Art
and I can create something meaningful & something that I can be
proud of.<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
In ways I'm proud of everything I've done so far, and in ways I've become less ambitious, and in ways I have more to go.<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
I
do look forward to creating some more art & exploring the places
that I meant to go when I first started out on this cello journey... I
don't know when exactly it will happen, but I know it will, and I look
forward to that happening.<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
I'm really blessed that so many people have stuck around and cared,
and as I'm embarking on this tour (as a Roadie, not as a Musician), I
look forward to the future, and to knowing that at some point again,
I'll have some beauty to share with you all.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank You All<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
PS - I'll be blogging about Tour over here: http://awakemyeyes.tumblr.com - so feel free to follow along if you'd like!<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
PPS - I was lucky enough to play Cello for a track on the new Frenchy
& The Punk album - If you haven’t already heard them, go check it
out!! The track is called “Mulina, Mulina”Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-61675369095520016162013-06-30T15:33:00.001-04:002013-06-30T19:09:53.625-04:00Tales From the Road #9 - Nova Soctia, Ludo & North Carolina<p>So, continuing the Road Saga, a few weeks ago the Eli August band played up in Nova Scotia ... 15+ hours of driving each way, for one of the specialest gigs I've ever played!!  2nd time I've ever been to Canada (the first time was with Edensong in Quebec City)... </p>
<p>We were headed up to Sherbrooke ("Oh the year was 1778, How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now..." quickly became the anthem of the trip), but detoured in Halifax along the way.  Halifax it turned out was mostly a boring city (with interesting people).  We stopped by Prospect Point Park, which was really wonderful... particularly when we got to the (Rock) Beach section of it & I was able to just wander off for a bit... otherwise, we hit a pub where the music was far too loud & I've sworn off Strongbull (In addition to Magners) - Angry Orchard & Woodchuck are really my go to ciders.  This added a bunch of hours to our trip, and the last hour or so was spent on a never-ending windy road... </p>
<p>The Time Traveler's Reunion was in a period village - in the middle of nowhere, on the water.  It was blissful.  Everybody at the event was quite friendly, and we played in a church for a "Radio Broadcast", and at a picnic.  It's a bit challenging to describe the whole thing really, but wandering around a whole village in beautiful weather & getting to see old tool shops & woodworking & pottery making & all was really amazing.  The other performers on the radio broadcast were a young punk accordion/banjoist, a gentleman strip-teaser, and a skit.  I ended up helping out with sound a bit/saved the gentleman's set by having an extra 1/8th to 1/4 cable, so he could hook his laptop into the system.  In some ways, Canada was less foreign than I expected, but different/nicer.  I've had it confirmed by Canadians that I sound like I'm from Canada... also, Drunken Cards Against Humanity with bandmates is fun!!!</p>
<p>In between Canada & North Carolina, the was Ludo's Broken Bride at Ars Nova (in New York)... 2 rehearsals, and then tech/show in the same day... it all came together really pretty well... Rob & Alex of The Rose West joined me in the band, as well as Josh from And the Traveller... I got to meet half of Ludo, which was really exciting!  They were very cool/nice!!  Easily one of the specialist gigs I've done...</p>
<p>Now I'm on my way back from Contemporal... North Carolina was interesting... nice & warm!!  People were friendly & unique & a bit more affectionate/expressive than up in New York.  I got to meet Nerdvana & hear a bit of The Gin Rebellion as well as Extraordinary Contraptions... we also went and played at a place called Davenport nearby.  I also had the chance to reconnect with a former teacher of mine, which was absolutely splended.  Continuing the theme of my bow curse, I broke the new bow I had just ordered off of Ebay (which turned out to be good, since it was a *really crappy* bow and would have been useless by the end of the weekend anyway)... I also shredded through another bow (which I had stopped using after World Steam Expo last year) during our second set (which the sound guy just didn't show up to...) & had to go buy one from Sam Ash.  After Friday's set, a fan asked me for the broken bow & I signed it... totally unexpected, but really cool... also, a few other people told me that we'd been the highlight of their weekend.  </p>
<p>Definitely next time we go to Canada & NC, we'll have to make mini-tours out of the trips...</p>
<p>My next Tales From the Road is gonna be about playing ON A BOAT!!</p>
<p>See ya on the road!!</p>
Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-11840610988914780122013-05-22T11:54:00.000-04:002013-06-30T15:01:41.272-04:00Tales From the Road #8 - Steampunk World's Fair, Twisted World, Gettysburg & Watch City Recap<p>Writer's Note: Somehow I never published this... pretend it's May</p>
<p>I just returned from Steampunk World's Fair ... a weekend of the most epicness & positivity in a long while...</p>
<p>There were 3 highlights for me:</p>
<p>1.  The Eli August Secret Show friday night was one of the most beautiful moments I've ever experienced at a convention... the band was really on, the crowd was AMAZING, and the whole vibe was just so beautiful... a moment to treasure</p>
<p>2.  The Two Bastards set was incredibly fun!!  Though I started off a little rough, when things picked up, it really got going... lots of people afterwards were like "I had no idea you sang"</p>
<p>3.  I BROKE MY BOW!!!  - Every Eli August Set, I try to add a new element of craziness ... sometimes it's singing along, or jumping around & head banging like a mad man... this weekend it was cymbal crashing with my wood bow... predictably, it Broke during the first song of our last set... I had to run back & get my replacement bow (which also has a major crack in the frog)... gonna order an Incredibow soon...<br><br></p>
<p>Otherwise, SPWF was a great balance between intensely busy & still being able to enjoy the event... I shared a merch table with The Rose West & Psyche Corp, and as table neighbors, we variably had Ego Likeness, Platform One & Frenchy & the Punk... can't ask for better folks!!<br></p>
<p>The Rose West sets had some technical difficulties... Aaron's pod crapped out at the beginning of our first set, and I had to cover a bunch of his riffs... Rob's guitar broke a string almost immediately afterwards... I gave up on keyboards, given the context...  our second set, the on stage power went out & I held down the mechanic, since my amp was battery powered...<br></p>
<p>Writer's Note: I clearly meant to write more, but it's been lost to time...<br></p>
Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-60254493009385690782013-03-22T01:42:00.000-04:002013-03-22T01:59:37.054-04:00Bach In the Subways Day - Year 3So today was the 3rd <a href="http://www.bachinthesubways.com/">Bach in the Subways Day</a> - in celebration of Bach's Birthday!!<br />
<br />
It was quite an experience...<br />
<br />
Last year, the highlight for me was hanging out w/ <a href="http://ericedberg.wordpress.com/">Eric Edberg</a>, my cello friend, and getting to see some of the other performers... including a really progressive jazz Bass player who basically improvised on impressions of Bach (which actually inspired my performances this year)<br />
<br />
I'm not sure how much my Bach has really improved much since then (except that I can play faster now, so I can have more fun w/ tempo fluctuations... and my intonation is better) .. but like last year, I left feeling like there was value in Bach that I'd forgotten & that perhaps I should go practice Bach some more...<br />
<br />
This year I retreated even further underground to the NQR Platform at Union Sq. (last year, I was on the main level) ... and I decided to do things a bit differently this year... I strapped the cello on to myself (still have some kinks to work out with that...) and incorporated my loop station & improvised a little bit... so I had fun telling people "I don't usually strap a cello to myself, and I don't usually play classical music" ... I also had fun telling the people from the NY Post about how Bach was definitely an influence on Cliff Burton/in some of early Metallica's work (with Call of Cthulu being a great example)... That didn't make it to the article they wrote up - <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bach_underground_tS6cQEfkRLWPJXFe25LpnO">http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bach_underground_tS6cQEfkRLWPJXFe25LpnO</a><br />
<br />
Lately I've been thinking about my attitude towards classical music... I've developed a somewhat antagonistic attitude towards the classical community (and subconsciously to some of the music), but now I'm starting to approach (what I hope is) a more mature way of looking at things, where I'd like to find (or create) the bridges between what I do & what they do, and encourage more people to cross those, and build their own, and just as importantly, encourage myself to grow from what the other side of the bridge has to offer. ... this desire comes from three things: 1. Reading an interview with <a href="http://www.allthingsstrings.com/News/Interviews-Profiles/Lindsey-Stirling-Flights-of-Fantasy">Lindsey Stirling in Strings Magazine</a>. 2. Reading Speaker For the Dead, in which Pipo admonishes Novinha that you aren't defined by the communities that you're not a part of, but instead by the communities you are a part of (paraphrasing) ... a lesson I've been beginning to learn over the last few years... I do everything the hard way! :p 3. A feeling that I've had (which came up in conversation with my buddies from <a href="http://www.youbredraptors.com/">You Bred Raptors</a>) that there really aren't a lot of resources out there for Rock string players (the way there's say Bass Player Magazine, or Modern Drummer, etc., etc.) ... there's basically just <a href="http://www.allthingsstrings.com/">Strings Magazine</a> & the <a href="http://newdirectionscello.org/">New Directions Cello Site</a> (and fb group), and maybe a few other things scattered here & there... I want to help change that... but I can't do it if I'm JUST off in my own world, doing my music thing<br />
<br />
I didn't get a chance to see the other musicians this year, unfortunately, because I had to go teach afterwards ... but hopefully next year I'll be able to catch things a bit more<br />
<br />
<br />Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-73251312147297348872013-03-12T03:33:00.001-04:002013-03-12T03:33:13.426-04:00Self-Consciousness In MusicI was watching this Joni Mitchell video earlier, and it struck me that basically everything I've watched from the 70s has this sort of free-spiritedness/freedom or even innocence if you will ... it's very un-self-conscious ... I think in the 80s, that got replaced with being unappologetic ... and now we are in the era of hyper-self consciousness over music and video...<br />
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<br />
<br />
I was also watching this Steven Wilson Interview earlier, and he was commenting on how with modern pop music, not only is musicianship downplayed (for the sake of highlighting the vocal line), but the parts that are there have been squeaked and edited to perfection... and perfection is boring...<br />
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<br />
I think he's very spot on...<br />
<br />
I've also been thinking about Amanda Palmer lately, between the TED Talk & just listening to her music a bit more... it's still not really my thing, but I'm starting to understand more what people like about her... I think one of the aspects is that she's incredibly unappologetic or frank in her live performances... it's also interesting to see how she talks about everything in her blog, and it's clear how it's all relevant...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I was also listening to Simple Gifts performed by Yo-Yo Ma & Alison Kraus ... if there's one area of music that is incredibly conscious of *everything* all the time, it's classical music ... I think that's reflected in their version ... but I think the words of Simple Gifts relate to the point I'm getting out of the other 2 videos:<br />
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<br />
<br />
<dd>'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free</dd>
<dd>'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,</dd>
<dd>And when we find ourselves in the place just right,</dd><dd>'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
</dd>
<dd><br /></dd><dd>When true simplicity is gain'd,</dd><dd>To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
</dd>
<dd>To turn, turn will be our delight,</dd><dd>Till by turning, turning we come 'round right</dd><dd><br /></dd><dd><br /></dd><dd><br /></dd><dd style="text-align: left;"><br /></dd><dd style="text-align: left;">I'm going to strive for that same sense of freedom and lack of self-consciousness in my performing .... just "Hi, I'm here, doin' my thing... be here with me :) " sort of attitude</dd>Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-8223020373016226902013-03-10T15:33:00.000-04:002013-03-10T15:50:03.289-04:00Tales From The Road #7 - Upstate with The Rose West & and Back Home with Eli AugustSo last weekend brought me upstate with The Rose West ... it was a really great weekend ... We journeyed up to the band's in Glens Falls to play at The Hudson River Music Hall. Hudson River Music Hall is a very awesome venue run by musicians & artists for musicians & artists and was by far the loveliest place to play at. <br />
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We got to the venue pretty early (for once), which was really nice, b/c we had time to properly set up (and it was here that things first began to go awry for me) ... during setup it turned out that my 1/4 to 1/8th cable for my cello was crapping out & that I needed a 2nd one for my keyboards ... so we sent a friend to get some cables at the local music store... only it turned the local music store was closed, and he had to stop by Radio Shack & get some very low-quality 1/8th inch cables and then adaptors... yikes!! Those were so short that I had to actually strap my tuning pedal *to my cello* (it would then later come off when I rocked out too much during The Mechanic)... on top of that, the Keyboards kept disappearing, and the organ pedal was getting all this noise & mucking everything up... add to that the fact that we had worked out the keyboard rig, vocal harmonies & decided I was gonna play accordion on Feria Cinerum 2 days before... it was a recipe for chaos... I trooped through it though, and the rest of the band played awesomely & the crowd was great</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing Accordion on stage for the first time in my life</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That moment when your cello life says "Let's be crazy" & you say "Yeah, let's do this!"</td></tr>
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For me, the highlight of the night was seeing Anthime Miller ... A cellist singer-songwriter ... he did a lot of badass covers, and some originals. It was a really inspiring set!! I've seen and heard tons of cellists over the years ... very few play as if they are deeply in love with their instrument ... this guy played with heart & style & with the technique of a true bad ass ... I felt like I had simultaneously met a kindred spirit & found someone whose greatness I could aspire to (I even got to try his ancient cello later in the evening ... what a *beautiful* instrument)...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anthime Miller - Bad Ass Cellist & the highlight of my night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUh5EqtfFr1D0gwv61mMcXqj2qqj98TGPCoN4n7SHH8-Cd6khZoZplW0_HZ1p3k1ZNuctl3pS7r884nxAn2gi93hp6qCQVQSP0Z3yJ5NVkRgCnb_sMdle9pRzDY7Q8VC_gmFYRmqtIC2V/s1600/2013-03-04+02.12.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUh5EqtfFr1D0gwv61mMcXqj2qqj98TGPCoN4n7SHH8-Cd6khZoZplW0_HZ1p3k1ZNuctl3pS7r884nxAn2gi93hp6qCQVQSP0Z3yJ5NVkRgCnb_sMdle9pRzDY7Q8VC_gmFYRmqtIC2V/s320/2013-03-04+02.12.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cello Robare... just doesn't have the same ring to it...</td></tr>
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The rest of the weekend involved great conversation & food, and hanging out in the woods by Alex's Folks ... we shot rifles, which was an interesting experience for me (having never held a gun in my life before) ... not something I think I'm likely to fall in love with, but definitely glad to have tried...<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
So that was last weekend ... this weekend I came back home and played with Eli August for the CD Release... we were originally supposed to play in Massachussetts the night, however the show was cancelled due to hazardous weather, so Alas, it was just New York ...<br />
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NYC more than made up for it... Brooklyn Fireproof was where it was at!! We had a really strong turnout & everyone was dancing, clapping, singing or cheering along ... the band was tight, everyone was having fun ... Baroque & Hungry opened & were amazing fun as usual... I started some clapping mayhem during their set (assisted by Robare) ... I started some clapping mayhem during our set (again assisted by Robare) ... B&H joined us for a song during our set, with great affect ... So many of the Steampunk Family came out ... proceeds went to the NY 19th Century Society's educational programming (who helped sponsor the event) ... Through my Ninja Cam, I learned that I can play a set drunk & without monitors & still play well (Important things to know)... all in all, a really fun & *amazing* night<br />
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Some pics from the show (taken by a friend):<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAzOROFP2xqJzaBvSNc2EwRALJjmLKB0ULeBDIXe2ZRdPonSz9dTx8FZBHzPQjpd4PxXwlX610ypHqK-qRzMaVYoH8Dbo00eBJvHzA7I-ADa2fvdR7Sprd1yz22VIATCSPHTXRJ08naJy/s1600/578226_10200506361328960_494127646_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAzOROFP2xqJzaBvSNc2EwRALJjmLKB0ULeBDIXe2ZRdPonSz9dTx8FZBHzPQjpd4PxXwlX610ypHqK-qRzMaVYoH8Dbo00eBJvHzA7I-ADa2fvdR7Sprd1yz22VIATCSPHTXRJ08naJy/s320/578226_10200506361328960_494127646_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baroque & Hungry joined us for the Behemoth version of Eli August & The Abandoned Buildings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSeJa73o-9pyyeWPasuLBV9STcHZDHt_yWQpbQH9R5bCuqaaaK-rGbkTQpGF8E7kZ4oQW8mDzOP50bPF4UQXz10m3DF2C2OBt9OENq8qEdQEKZ_38nCwgJyjNTxCPOAsVQ8D9THqkY110/s1600/575953_10200506361208957_1978702275_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSeJa73o-9pyyeWPasuLBV9STcHZDHt_yWQpbQH9R5bCuqaaaK-rGbkTQpGF8E7kZ4oQW8mDzOP50bPF4UQXz10m3DF2C2OBt9OENq8qEdQEKZ_38nCwgJyjNTxCPOAsVQ8D9THqkY110/s320/575953_10200506361208957_1978702275_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't tell, but I was making a <3 symbol w/ my hands...</td></tr>
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Here's some photos from the rehearsal that preceded the show:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I missed Alex in this one... he was probably drinking anyway...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdJc9K_5rq7WWYf2zYZyV9UFDXZ-FykTPqx0QIn2ZUZkwp289-HvR-9xb2mn4jy6qMSW0c1BF63TpGCx9RRga8YqxEJk9NNVDeopsG-UR0LpSvUZDk0xJjbjMjjAJe5zGcTJJJR43do4t/s1600/2013-03-09+17.23.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdJc9K_5rq7WWYf2zYZyV9UFDXZ-FykTPqx0QIn2ZUZkwp289-HvR-9xb2mn4jy6qMSW0c1BF63TpGCx9RRga8YqxEJk9NNVDeopsG-UR0LpSvUZDk0xJjbjMjjAJe5zGcTJJJR43do4t/s320/2013-03-09+17.23.51.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robare playing accordion while Mell writes out lyrics for Eli</td></tr>
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Catch ya on the road!!<br />
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Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-10061365313824345992013-02-18T01:08:00.000-05:002013-02-18T10:54:18.203-05:00Tales From The Road #6 - Wicked FaireI am now home from my second Wicked Faire (first one I was officially performing at). The weekend of most EPICNESS ... It kicked my ass & I kicked it's ass right back!!<br />
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Had a ton of fun the entire weekend & played 12 sets in 3 days on 2 cellos, plus jammed with people, plus sat in w/ This Way to The Egress on a tune ...<br />
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Last year was my first Wicked, and it was one of the most amazing weekends of my life ... there were many highlights, but The one that still stands a year later was catching Ego Likeness while being very bouncy & drunk & having that moment of realization "This is Home, These are my People" (Last Wicked Faire was also the first time I started playing with Eli August)<br />
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This Wicked Faire was very much the same ... except, in addition to that, I was officially performing in 4 acts - (The Wandering Cellist, Eli August, Psyche Corp, The Rose West), so everything was just non-stop, from the moment I got there Friday (I didn't even have my first actual break until the middle of saturday!!)<br />
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I was really enthused by everyone who turned out for my sets - the Lobby show was a perfect way to introduce myself to the con and filled with all the usual geekiness, the Mirabelle Stage featured my full band setup & was well into the drinking hours ... at one point the cello cut out & I did an acappella version of Game of Thrones... Sunday mornings set was probably my favorite... I actually played cello sitting down & when I showed up to play there was suddenly a whole band of people on various instruments Mandolin, Dounbeck, Violin & Clarinet to accompany me... I also had my energy & voice back by this point, and sang some powerful renditions of Scarborough Faire, Moorlough Shore & Rains of Castamere ... it was really inspiring and the reaction I got from everyone was great<br />
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The sets with Eli were great too... They just had an amazing energy of fun, and our sound was great live ... huge crowds too ... so far the reaction to the new CD is *very* positive!! Then there were the Psyche Corp. and The Rose West sets & those all went awesomely... Rose West featured the electric cello (and I had to keep switching pegs b/c of a broken peg all weekend)<br />
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Muses Well was nice enough to host my wares!!<br />
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Saturday night I did actually get to watch a few people ... got to dance to Platform One & This Way to the Egress before playing my set... there were moments during Saturday where I was asking myself how I was going to make it through the rest of the performances (b/c 12 performances is *very* demanding ... especially the way I play/jump around like a madman during band sets) ... lots of alcohol & 2nd, 3rd & 4th winds were in order...<br />
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All in all, it was a weekend of amazingess (and I recorded an EP 2 days before!!)... Now it is time to decompress...Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-51754866856469840362013-02-03T19:59:00.001-05:002013-02-04T00:42:43.903-05:00Tales From The Road #5 - Arisia, Dorian's Parlor & TempleCon Recap3 weekends, 3 different events!! That's the way I love to roll!!<br />
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It starts with <a href="http://2013.arisia.com/">Arisia</a> - the Sci Fi/Fantasy and all things geeky & intellectual convention. I had 2 shows with Psyche Corporation, and then had time to spend the rest of the con attending all the wonderful panels and jamming with people. The programming at this panel is really beyond exceptional. Lots of great entertainment, ranging from a Circus Group & bands to filking & panels on Poly, BDSM, Gender/Sexuality & the the intersection of any of those things within sci-fi, anime, comics, etc., etc. The other interesting aspect was going to a con, which wasn't particularly oriented around Steampunk and also didn't contain a whole lot of people I know before hand. The highlight of it for me was getting to jam with Levi Ali. At one point, the Con Chair asked me for my info & suggested I apply to perform next year... Can't beat that!!<br />
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Next up was <a href="http://www.doriansparlor.com/">Dorian's Parlor</a>. I was Ninja Gigging it here (A term I use when I'm not officially listed on the bill) & was out in the hall making noise all night. It was a really fun way to do it & oddly similar to busking ... I got to take breaks when I wanted, and interact with people & tailor what I was playing to random passerbys ... I also got to debut my versions of "The Misty Mountains Theme" and "Rains of Castamere" ... The only downside was I missed most of the other acts... it was a really energetic and filled Dorian's ... here are some photos:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBogSLWb7rnh8BWhT-h-UaiQkzAUqEHrzGUAoBs58fQyEWzvZwQd6azVXoPQB-U_Qc9JUeLbY5y56UAOlhKojJkbbEk29ziYsOeB96RW9bqmBR3MYeB2I7uGlc9KufLo5rAzzxxSLDGJji/s1600/321472_506221742750437_1790840977_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBogSLWb7rnh8BWhT-h-UaiQkzAUqEHrzGUAoBs58fQyEWzvZwQd6azVXoPQB-U_Qc9JUeLbY5y56UAOlhKojJkbbEk29ziYsOeB96RW9bqmBR3MYeB2I7uGlc9KufLo5rAzzxxSLDGJji/s320/321472_506221742750437_1790840977_n.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAuAMAX8bJHhsDWBGvJyvlqHGRYNcSet5dw5aZbpMoCejF3eTuUYSYV6ej3oa22vlkJ7LdrVD7Gypy-k9msQ4uAL2MK82tCB60zvj2lqj7Nuq5b-tS3i7HNgujY2VKvQ0hUZqS_FT_pvGV/s1600/529048_506221776083767_1807602218_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAuAMAX8bJHhsDWBGvJyvlqHGRYNcSet5dw5aZbpMoCejF3eTuUYSYV6ej3oa22vlkJ7LdrVD7Gypy-k9msQ4uAL2MK82tCB60zvj2lqj7Nuq5b-tS3i7HNgujY2VKvQ0hUZqS_FT_pvGV/s320/529048_506221776083767_1807602218_n.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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And so this past weekend was <a href="http://www.templecon.org/">TempleCon</a> with <a href="http://psychecorporation.com/">Psyche Corporation</a>. TempleCon was also quite fun ... though I missed out on all the gaming and most of the panels this year ... sad to say (It did not help that there were no printed schedules, except on Bulletin Boards with the *tiniest* print)... Our set Friday night was... interesting... there were some very major technical problems with the sound, due to monitor wiring ... It was the worst on-stage sound situation I've ever had in the entire time I was playing, but we trucked on, rocked out & gave it our all & still got to sign a cd or two afterwards :) The rest of the con was fun, involving some impromptu cello/accordion busking with Magpie of <a href="http://www.steampunkmagazine.com/">Steampunk Magazine</a>/<a href="http://www.combustionbooks.org/">Combustion Books</a>, and some hanging out with <a href="http://www.markpdonnelly.com/">Professor Mark Donnelly</a>. I also played for the Tea Party, which Prof. Donnelly gave some history (on tea) for, as well as <a href="http://www.leannareneehieber.com/">Leanna Renee Hieber</a> (on fans and flirting), which was really a treat.<br />
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All in all, it was a good con, and a great 3 weekends!!<br />
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Now I get a break, and then <a href="http://wickedfaire.com/">Wicked Faire</a>!! Can't wait!!Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-33534537007536035042012-11-14T00:46:00.001-05:002012-11-14T00:46:40.831-05:00New Shifting Exercise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Was watching this beautiful video earlier & practicing this piece (which I taught myself from the video a while ago):</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/N8KIUXxz7Ys?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Anyway, between that & playing Prayer all the time, I was thinking that my upper register on the A string really sucks ... so I thought I'd do some practicing, which meant a combination of scales and arpeggios (which I found infinitely more challenging & useful) ...<br />
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"Scales" are basically practicing 2nds ... usually with alternating fingers<br />
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Shifting 2nds is fairly easy for me ... now shifting 3rds, and shifting 4ths a bit harder ...<br />
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Right now I was working on same finger shifting (ie 1-1 then 2/3/4) ... eventually, working on different finger shifting will be a thing ...<br />
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My favorite way to practice arpeggios is diatonically ... C Eb G D F Ab Eb G Bb etc. taking time on each one to make sure I've gotten the shift<br />
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The challenge for me is getting a full sound out of the cello without excess tension & getting tired (and of course, accuracy of pitch, along with directness of shift) ... not sure I succeeded<br />
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One thing I did a decent job of though is shifting by feeling, rather than by sight ... I find this much more boring/challenging than watching ... but also, ultimately more useful...<br />
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Music is the sound between the notes...Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-63607219657682031972012-11-13T02:29:00.002-05:002012-11-13T02:29:58.391-05:00Tales From The Road #4 - NERFA RecapThis past weekend was a weekend FULL of awesomeness I have not experienced in a *long* time.<br />
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I was up at a folk convention called NERFA, with Eli August & The Abandoned Buildings.<br />
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It was like being a little kid in a room full of toys ...<br />
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Full of musicians jamming everywhere, showcases, cool people, DJs, promoters, great panels, great vendors ... it was just non-stop talking, jamming, etc.<br />
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I ran into some folks I knew from the NY scene - Allison Tartalia, Anna Dagmar, Carolann Solabello, and Laura Joy (who I met *years* ago at a random gig in Yonkers ... the same gig where I first met the guys from The Rose West who were then called Tryptic) ... I also ran into the folks from BOBTOWN, who I had met just a week ago & got to meet Madalyn Sklar of GoGirlsMusic ... Rob of EA & Rob of ilyAIMY had a bonding moment over Coheed & Cambria<br />
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I was playing mostly with Eli August, but also joined Allison Tartalia for an instrumental set, after she came down with laryngitis<br />
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There were also a ton of cellists up their with their respective bands ... think there were 10 of us in total!! (I did not meet everyone this year, but there is talk of a Collective Cello Jam/Showcase next year!! I *can't wait* for that!!)<br />
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Didn't take too many pictures at this (Mell of The Abandoned Buildings took some more...) but here's a few:<br />
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The Army of Basses!!</div>
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Sleeping Mell</div>
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Full band shot taken by ilyAIMY</div>
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The sign outside one of the showcases...</div>
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Playing some music in the Lobby</div>
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Late night Cello Jam - featuring Kristen Jones of ilyAIMY, and Katie Chambers of Victoria Vox</div>
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A moment of humor</div>
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Robare playing some guitar</div>
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General Thoughts/Reflections:</div>
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LOTS of people from Philly & NYC area</div>
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Met a few folks from Nova Scotia</div>
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HARP!! (though we didn't get to Jam)</div>
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NO SLEEP</div>
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I LOVE JAMMING</div>
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The Sound in the Main showcase room was *amazing* ... the setup actually had depth to it & was *so clear*</div>
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Panels were rather cool</div>
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EPIC</div>
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I need to learn more fiddle tunes</div>
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We stayed at a Dude Ranch</div>
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Cool or interesting Bands:</div>
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ilyAIMY</div>
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BOBTOWN</div>
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Rick Drost</div>
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Deni Bonet</div>
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Rorie Kelly</div>
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(Many More...)</div>
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Bands with Cello<br />
Eli August & The Abandoned Buildings<br />
Miles to Dayton<br />
Putnam Heights<br />
Victoria Vox<br />
ilyAIMY<br />
(There's more too...)Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-54379240521581842732012-11-02T00:13:00.000-04:002012-11-02T00:13:13.509-04:00Writing MusicI was rewatching "A Year & A Half In the Life of Metallica" last night ...<br />
<br />
It's so interesting watching things multiple times ... particularly now
that I've had the experience of playing frequent gigs & writing
songs & have a bit more maturity and self-awareness to go along with
it. I can watch the vids. with more understanding and less
romanticisation (while still getting the inspiration from them) ...
anyway, at one point Kirk & Lars & Jason are talking about the
songwriting process & explaining riff tapes ... you know, when
you're on tour you record riffs at 3 in the morning or whenever on
whatever instrument ... (which we now do to cell phones half the
time)... It got me thinking about my own writing process...<br />
<br />
I tend to write acoustically a lot (usually more as a default than on
purpose), and I sort of expect a song to just come out on the spot &
be amazing a lot of the time... I end up rejecting a lot of ideas, a
lot of riffs ... a lot of things that sound "whatever" acoustic sound
worlds different & more exciting when you plug in and put some gain
on, or fuck with the sound a little bit. This sort of judgemental
approach in early stage writing is really not a good thing ... guess how
many songs I've written like this ... wait for it? None.<br />
<br />
What does work though is when I just jam & record & loop and get
excited & don't necessarily expect perfection, but instead follow
things where they go ... even then I get stuck at times, but that's how
it's got to work ... you just flow first, and then you can be all
cerebral and analytical after (at least that's how it goes for me) ... <br />
<br />
On top of that, I tend to write best when I'm practicing 3 hours a day
& watching vids & listening to cool music & messing around
on different instruments ... in short, having fun (through working).<br />
<br />
It's good to keep this all in mind ... On a not so positive note ... My
hard drive just died, and I've probably lost everything I've written for
the last year or two (most of it anyway) ... back to the chopping
board!Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-71319357232574070422012-10-29T21:16:00.000-04:002012-10-29T21:16:40.866-04:00FUCK the Internet Radio Fairness Act<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
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(Copied from my Tumblr)</div>
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Just read about the Internet Radio Fairness Act, um, allow me to say, FUCK NO!!</div>
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<a href="http://internetradiofairness.com/legislation/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #4ea3d0; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">http://internetradiofairness.com/legislation/</a> - this is from the people who are supporting it (you can also read the Summary & Text of the proposed legislation there)</div>
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These are the people supporting it:http://internetradiofairness.com/about-us/</div>
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VERY NOTABLE is the inclusion of Pandora</div>
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According to these folks, the IRFA will:</div>
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Give consumers more choices and more robust products for listening to the music they love;</div>
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<img alt="" src="http://dev.internetradiofairness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/bulletpoint1.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" />Enable artists to earn increasingly more money as Internet radio grows and to better connect with their fans to market their music, merchandise and tours;</div>
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<img alt="" src="http://dev.internetradiofairness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/bulletpoint1.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" />Create a sustainable digital marketplace that makes it possible for entrepreneurs to start new services and invest in new, innovative ways to deliver music to the public, and;</div>
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<img alt="" src="http://dev.internetradiofairness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/bulletpoint1.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" />Drive higher revenues for the record labels themselves.</div>
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point 1 - Give consumers more choices and more robust products?? Consumers have never had so much choice about where/how to get their music … you can listen to almost any music for free at will at any time you want … consumer choice is NOT a problem in the music industry right now</div>
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point 2 - Internet Radio is not a bad thing, but more of it is not going to be some magical panacea where artists connect with their fans better. It will eventually reach a point of diminishing returns (this second sentence is my opinion)</div>
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point 3 - There is more and more Internet Radio everyday … could their profits be higher? Yes! Would this be a good thing for them & possibly artists too? Yes! Is the inability to create new tech startups a problem in the music industry right now? NO</div>
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point 4 - That depends on which version of the bill we’re talking about … Also, it bears the same problems of: Does that money get used in ways that are fair & beneficial to Artists. Also, what about Independent Artists?</div>
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This article is worth reading, and aligns well with my feelings on the Bills: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/243769-musicians-lose-out-in-internet-radio-fairness-act</div>
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“Westergren is absolutely correct that it’s unfair that Pandora pays artists while AM/FM radio doesn’t; but that disparity doesn’t mean that everyone should pay artists less. And Westergren’s claim that Pandora cannot afford to pay artists fairly doesn’t add up either. The company just completed a wildly profitable IPO, has an explosive user base, maintains one of the world’s most-recognizable music brands, and remains the industry leader.</div>
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<br />Moreover, paying royalties to musicians isn’t stopping new Internet companies from entering the market, as Westergren argues. The Internet radio market has grown 33 percent over the past five years. Westergren suggests that artists would actually earn more if Internet radio stations paid them less, because there would be more Internet radio stations. To me, it sounds more like a clever way for Pandora to make billions in profits by cheating artists out of their fair share of the internet radio revenue pie. Excuse me for being cynical about that kind of thing – it’s a tough business”</div>
Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-28264648750857460802012-10-29T10:56:00.001-04:002012-10-29T10:59:48.294-04:00Tales From The Road #3 - What do a Turkish Cafe, A Fantasy Ball & A Cemetery Have In Common?<br />
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I decided this past weekend would be a good one to do some touring. So I grabbed Robare of The Rose West & headed off to Philadelphia to go play at Cafe Fulya. We left New York around 5 & got to Philly just in time to start playing. The show ended up being a small, intimate performance full of geeky and improvisational music, as well as some Rose West tunes & even an Eli August cover (that I really hope someone caught on video!!). Of course, there was also good wine and *amazing* food. I particularly love the Baklava there!! This was the first time Rob & I have played as a duo & we decided it worked fairly well & that we should do more! Favorite moments for me were getting to play a melancholic improvisatory version of Hava Nagilah, and having a passer-by listen to the music from outside and later tell me that my music had relieved her headache!!</div>
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After the Fulya show, we drove down to Baltimore to stay with Eli. Rob & I spent the day doing some light rehearsal and then heading over to Ellicot city to browse the shops (ostensibly to pick up a mask for the gig later)… We found this one place that was just full of everything Fantastical and amazing … the sort of place you could spend hours in & still not be done … full of pirates and fairies and masks and action figures and tapestries and all sorts of things … I picked up a Frog Wizard and Bootstrap Bill to add to my slowly growing collection of these things. There was also an *amazing* Antique Mall that was so big we didn't even explore the whole thing!! We also ran into Brennan (one of the Abandoned Buildings members) at the music store he works at! (completely by accident)</div>
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(The Cluttered, but slowly-growing collection of Action Figures)</div>
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After the fun shopping was over, we got in a little more rehearsal and headed to the MS Fantasy Ball - one very awesome event. To start with, any event with an Open Bar & Free Food is off to a really good start. On top of that, friendly people and good music. The night started off with Spider Lilies, Followed by Red This Ever. Then it was Psyche Corp's turn. There were some sound issues (not on our part), but we did the best of it & rocked out & that was that. Red This Ever saved me by lending me some cables when I discovered that mine had been misplaced (I found them later). Both they & the folks from Spider Lilies were awesome. The event was finished up by Danny Blu, who put on a good performance as always. The MS in front of the Fantasy Ball stands for Multiple Sclerosis - the entire event was a benefit!!</div>
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On to sunday, we'd been hearing about this Hurricane all weekend, and we weren't sure if the Cemetery Potluck was going to happen. It did in fact still happen - NO HURRICANE STOPS THIS CELLIST!! - and Rob & I brought Eli along to play some tunes. It was QUITE cold, which made playing a little bit challenging - no matter ... I appropriately ended "A World of Drones" with Chopin's Funeral March (a melody that's been prominently in my head since the day I discovered Metallica's S&M), and we alternated between my solo playing, dueling with rob & playing some of Eli's tunes. I have to confess, I didn't pull out my Black No. 1 cover, or my new song based on Ruby Gloom (they just weren't ready yet) If you're in the DC area - the Cemetery Potluck is definitely worth checking out (happens once a year, around Halloween).</div>
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Dr. Who Medley from the Cemetery Potluck</div>
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Feria Cinerum by 2/5s of The Rose West at the Cemetery Potluck</div>
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From there, it was hanging out, eaten' pizza & sharing good music on the (rather peaceful) car ride home.</div>
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For those who don't know - Eli & band (The Abandoned Buildings) are fundraising for our first FULL BAND ALBUM: <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/eli-and-abandoned-buildings">https://www.indiegogo.com/eli-and-abandoned-buildings</a></div>
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Also, I've got a new video up: <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FqrWB1O16l8" width="420"></iframe></div>
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See you on the road!!</div>
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Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-84379995549082449712012-10-25T11:35:00.000-04:002012-10-25T11:35:04.516-04:00Tales From The Subway #1It's been months, but I've finally started playing in the subways again. it feels really nice to get back to it. It's amazing how much time of day & location really influence the experience. My overall favorite spot to play so far has been Union Square - I feel like there's always a great mix of people there who get into the music.<br />
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It's been a bit slower getting back into it, but also, very refreshing ... It's very interesting for me to see how I've developed different music over the last year or two, and how I've something I did a year or two ago & added a new twist to it... it's also interesting to see how everything get's faster & faster the longer I play it (sometimes that's good ... sometimes not so much) ... a lot of the time my compositional ideas come from playing in the subway too (I'd say most of them really...)<br />
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Take this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExR8dWkb6pc&feature=plcp - I do all the same stuff, but now I have the loop station drone under it & I add a middle eastern sounding section influenced by Gladiator to it<br />
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The truly great thing about the subway though is the people you run into - the old friends, the kids, the people whose day you made, the people who dance as you walk by, the whackos, everyone...<br />
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I hope to be sharing some of *those* stories in the near future!Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-13515940442172028352012-08-15T17:47:00.001-04:002012-08-16T11:20:40.186-04:00Practicing & Scale Methods<div><p>Was practicing some scale method stuff earlier (Galamian & Yompolsky) and a few things came up:</p>
<p>1.  Not slurring scale practice - many exercises introduce scales and patterns slurring as many notes as possible.  This is initially a good thing, and great for developing long/legato bow control & beautiful tone...</p>
<p>However, it's also crippling if one doesn't practice things with separate bows & bowing patterns. </p>
<p>As a rule, I am working on nothing slurred anymore.  This is important for metal specifically, and other styles.</p>
<p>2.  Minimal movement - as always, it's essential to find the most efficient way to physically do something... this means the least excess motion... eventually, this becomes natural/direct.  It also means minimal excess tension.  When shifting, keep weight down/keep connected to the cello.</p>
<p>3.  Don't look down!!  I first really encountered this idea while watching a Steven Isserlis masterclass... when you look, you are not listening, and not learning how things feel & you are trapping your face in your cello, which is terrible for audience communication</p>
<p>I wish there was a method oriented around "progressive/alternative styles"... galamian & yompolsky are definitely great though</p>
</div>Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-36943876825442558432012-08-10T04:50:00.001-04:002012-08-10T04:50:06.506-04:00Setting Goals AgainThis year has been fucking weird. <br />
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I touched on it a little bit in my last blog ... but basically it is this. I have never felt more off-track & like I'm wasting my time & talents & not being the best I can. At the same time, I've never performed so much & never received so much "Wow, you're really amazing" recognition from so many different people ... I've performed in so many different settings, I've performed in many other states, I've become part of so many awesome things.<br />
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Yet at the same time, I haven't finished my album yet (though working at it), and I've spent a lot of time not practicing & not learning & not developing myself more. I've spent a lot of time unmotivated & depressed.<br />
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But I'm moving back into an exciting position. It resulted from being in the very uncomfortable position of not having my shit ready for recording with one of the bands I'm in. This led to some intense talks, and I saw myself repeating patterns that really just were terrible. Because of this, I finally came to terms with this gradual downward spiral & have refocused, and am slowly building myself back into the cellist & person I want to be.<br />
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This has started with practicing 2-5 hours 2-3 times a week. It's extended into also reading/watching interviews & documentaries & exploring music I haven't listened to much, instead of listening to the same "crutch" music. It's also gone along with exercise. <br />
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I feel like playing cello is mastering one small thing after another ... it is destroying weaknesses & carving away so that one's true creative voice can come through.<br />
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I think songwriting is the same, and that's always been a challenge for me. I want things to work so instantly and easily ... I think it's one of the reasons I like improv. so much ... yet, the truth is you really have to work hard at carving - even with improv. <br />
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The other truth is that I'm very aimless a lot of the time. But this gets so much better when I practice. When I combine that random, spontaneity with discipline, everything becomes a bit more real.<br />
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Right now, one of the things I'm really working on is shifting - doing so quickly & accurately ... the upper positions are something I really need to tackle & my electric cello sound is something I need to do *a lot* of work with. I also think I need to work more on the career side of things (both as a freelancer & as a creative artist) & I think there is really a key in Open Mics. I really really need to play all the time - it will do me good, and the more people I'm exposed to, the better off things will go. I also really need to return to playing in the Subways ... I've been avoiding it for a while.<br />
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Anyway, this is my headspace for the time being...<br />
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<br />Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-12010954467165661072012-06-16T14:03:00.001-04:002012-06-16T14:03:17.156-04:00<div><p>I don't know where I belong, or where do I go from here</p>
<p>Actually, I do know where I belong - I belong right here, doing what I'm doing.</p>
<p>Things gave changed a lot over the last year or so.  I think the biggest difference is that so many of my emotional and psychological needs are met now.  This applies to cello as well, the underlying layer of "this needs to be ok, and then everything else will work" is there.  </p>
<p>This in part caused me to blog a lot less (the other things that caused me to blog a lot less were having an active professional life, an active social life, spending a lot of time on facebook/twitter/okcupid, needing to be careful about what I wrote in public).  I think really though, the biggest factor is that the cello stopped being a big mystery to me.  I know how to play it, I can do it fairly well and meaningfully.  If something does not go well these days, it's not because there's some fundamental aspect of playing that's holding me back, it's simply because I didn't practice enough.</p>
<p>As a person I've grown tremendously more secure and am becoming more empowered.  It's as if I spent years planting seeds, and finally the crops bloom, and I took in some time to eat and be wholesome.</p>
<p>Now it is time to plant seeds again.  A commencement speech I watched recently mentioned that we confuse accolades with achievement, and the honest truth is I've done this a lot in the last year, and I've settled for less than my best.  We have a word for this - coasting.  I know that true success is only going to come from always growing and always learning and always accepting that I can do better.  I'm ready to start that again.</p>
<p>So the question is in what manner do I go forward.  This is where most people would go back to school, or get a teacher.  I'm convinced this is not my path.  Part of the development I need to do is crafting my unique sound and compositional style further - carving away the excess.  I've had an improvisatory relationship to technical development for a long time, and I think there is immense benefit in this approach.  There are limits too, but all the techniques and guides of the past are open to me in the form of sheet music, so I can fuse the two.</p>
<p>I also need to invest a significant amount of time into developing better leadership/organizational skills and responsibilities.  I think this is an area I've held myself back in a lot, and I think I could have gone so much further than where I am now.  I also think I need to reach out to others more.  This is something I have stopped doing & I think it will be essential in continuing to be able to do this as a profession.</p>
<p>I have very good luck/serendipity/etc., but I can't rely on that. </p>
</div>Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-46955165436267331952012-05-22T12:02:00.002-04:002012-10-29T11:01:11.749-04:00Tales From The Road #2 - Here I am ... On the Road Again... (Steampunk World's Fair 2012 Report)So my life lately has been taken over by Steampunk ... this is a very good thing!<br />
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Recently that has meant:<br />
Dorian's Parlor<br />
Watch City<br />
Steampunk World's Fair<br />
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Dorian's Parlor: I am the house musician. There is general awesomeness.<br />
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Watch City: A cool outdoor event with a strong historical aspect to it, as well as cool vendors, musicians & panels! Some things could have been organized better, but all in all, a very cool event.<br />
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Steampunk World's Fair: What an experience!!<br />
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I'd been looking forward to World's Fair for a long time ... and especially so since Wicked Winter Renessaince Faire (Wicked Faire), which was basically comparable to a religious experience for me (the culmination of which was seeing Ego Likeness)<br />
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Steampunk World's Fair was wicked and more ... there were many moments of epicness. I had sets with Eli August and Psyche Corporation, and saturday night, I got to participate in the most epic parking lot jam with Painless Parker, This Way to the Egress, Magpie Kiljoy (of Steampunk Magazine), other members of Eli's band. and of course Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band, who we met across the parking lot in Showdown Style.<br />
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I largely missed the panels I wanted to go to (though I did get to catch one of Mark Donelly's panels on archery) ... particularly I'd been hoping to catch Victorian Sexuality, and Steampunk Emma Goldman, and Jaymee Goh's panels... only so much time in the day though!<br />
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Anyway, here are some cool photos from the epicness. Please note: None of these photos were taken by me - they were all publicly posted on FB.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the 2nd Psyche Corp. Set</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pound Your Bones Onto the Table..." The beginning of the epic parking lot jam</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bass Lady - Britney Frompovich, who I discovered by accident when she was playing beautiful music in a vendor's room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shhh, it's a secret</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamming with Levi Ali (on percussion) .. out of site are the dancers from The Cavalcade of Fancy Ladies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTCAORFK1DXJkNDXEqAYfzaS-muctTRbR0OE9Tyty6cHHbgveUxyMajGAAgg6ERm5B5mwLAQU2zEkI7nggFYHTNEVBrrd3VtgI9YaW-3_xOd6rtzfxK4g6NrMUi4O7MOxFoPOFnZl50aB/s1600/EcelloBugEyesPsycheSWF12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTCAORFK1DXJkNDXEqAYfzaS-muctTRbR0OE9Tyty6cHHbgveUxyMajGAAgg6ERm5B5mwLAQU2zEkI7nggFYHTNEVBrrd3VtgI9YaW-3_xOd6rtzfxK4g6NrMUi4O7MOxFoPOFnZl50aB/s320/EcelloBugEyesPsycheSWF12.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the first Psyche Corp set ... not so sure the goggles are my look, but damn do I *love* blue lighting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxzX2hWuTBRwjajjx65HtqtXG9PYbJYJ_Y58ZaYeqVQUNeiJtuJLll_LQYrNMVz2QTgyMYkJ9b51XXAMlQRh1DmOktfuKM-rGxlqd9Davg2DNJdcs3685hBZoYN4D7ulsMz1frliMSd9r/s1600/EliOpenDoorReh2SWF12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxzX2hWuTBRwjajjx65HtqtXG9PYbJYJ_Y58ZaYeqVQUNeiJtuJLll_LQYrNMVz2QTgyMYkJ9b51XXAMlQRh1DmOktfuKM-rGxlqd9Davg2DNJdcs3685hBZoYN4D7ulsMz1frliMSd9r/s320/EliOpenDoorReh2SWF12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open door rehearsal for Eli August and the Abandoned Buildings ... first time we'd all met each other!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgV9KxV4nswo759UBm5qT4WcELVbVC8hKszfkO0RnXAxp_KuQtEiGdcqhjqARPM-rY_p57mQVrGD3JyK93cO4rER_rex7bNqNQsMLFK2uNljTODPXWU7czEqQ_fm-1BBa8QHXbZrjSxzc/s1600/EliOpenDoorRehSWF12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgV9KxV4nswo759UBm5qT4WcELVbVC8hKszfkO0RnXAxp_KuQtEiGdcqhjqARPM-rY_p57mQVrGD3JyK93cO4rER_rex7bNqNQsMLFK2uNljTODPXWU7czEqQ_fm-1BBa8QHXbZrjSxzc/s320/EliOpenDoorRehSWF12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More rehearsing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eli August in action ... also Robare Pruyn-Bush on Clarinet, and Elliot Peeples on Floor Tom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqylKsRXhNhL2wEm5F_R1WY-Y_Fd-oGxTveHpG7p0nlBZxWcNJ799ZYMBFRLmS2fRBcbeO3_2YiBdhUm6OxQ_vTd7tqDNmCnyXtJIPJHNNMoqoWyvK9wTbeuV1P3fWNQu9EKhEh9Eh14I2/s1600/MikeDarnellSWF12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqylKsRXhNhL2wEm5F_R1WY-Y_Fd-oGxTveHpG7p0nlBZxWcNJ799ZYMBFRLmS2fRBcbeO3_2YiBdhUm6OxQ_vTd7tqDNmCnyXtJIPJHNNMoqoWyvK9wTbeuV1P3fWNQu9EKhEh9Eh14I2/s320/MikeDarnellSWF12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Darnell - the bass player for Eli August</td></tr>
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<br />Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-86939970166325596082012-05-22T11:15:00.001-04:002012-05-22T11:15:13.505-04:00Moving ForwardFor the last year or so, I've sort of been struggling with what to do with this blog... When I first started out, it was intense, deep thinking about cello technique & playing, and talking about artists I really enjoyed seeing live ... and part of me misses that, and wants to include it more ... on the other hand, I've largely figured out the "how-to" of cello playing (even if I need to practice a lot more), and I've become a *lot* more active as a performer (specifically in the steampunk scene). One side effect of this is that most of the music I see these days is through that scene (or other people I'm performing with), and I don't want to necessarily be publicly critical about people I'm working with/around ... I've also been struggling with this Wandering Cellist identity, and the fact that I play in a billion groups & do solo stuff & how that all fits together ... And I've got active fb, twitter, emailing, 2nd blog, LJ, and social/intellectual/romantic components to life that take up lots of time ...<br />
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In short, I moved to NYC about a year ago, became involved in the steampunk scene & many other cool things, and didn't know what capacity to translate that too in a blog and/or on the web in general... so now I've realized the point is everything ... everything I do is united under The Wandering Cellist ... this blog will reflect that!<br />
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Onward...Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-72093181973380437452012-04-20T00:53:00.002-04:002012-04-20T01:02:36.761-04:00This Bothers MeSomeone posted this on facebook: http://www.fastcompany.com/1718250/keith-jarrett-save-your-soul-turn-off-your-gadget<br /><br />The only justification I can see for asking people not to take pictures (besides that some artists are apparently so temperamental that it deeply disturbs them) is that taking pictures interferes with the experience process ... which I think in some ways is a good point...<br /><br />On the other hand, what I really don't understand:<br />1. Why is information technology always The Enemy (I mean look at all of us learning languages, and using them as practice tools, and making videos & creating new things constantly with them)<br />2. Why are classical musicians so bent on controlling audience experience and behavior (aside from acoustic considerations)<br /><br />Is there an argument for specialization over generalization - hell yes! Does this need to villify information technology? no!<br /><br />I think it's great to question & challenge IT, I just really wish it would be done in a more balanced & mature way<br /><br /><br />I don't think that people having their own limits/structure on use of IT is a bad thing (quite the opposite), but everytime I heard about something like this from classical musicians, I just feel like they're being big babies, and it just adds to the list of reasons I don't consider myself a classical musician (even though I sometimes play classical music professionally)<br /><br />(Isn't it ironic that the author's point is being further made through a blog?)<br /><br /><br />Hopefully in the near future I'll write about cello and teaching & performing & stuff ... I've been super busy performing & getting away from performing over the last few months ... it's a good thing :)Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-67508466489890075732012-02-09T10:51:00.007-05:002012-02-09T11:30:40.862-05:00Experiences at the Cello Madness Congress NYC Pt.12 nights of the last 2 weeks were really special for me. Cello Joe hosted an event known as the Cello Madness Congress in NYC. First in Brooklyn, then in Manhattan.<br /><br />Basically, the way I describe it to people is: "take all the cellists who do really weird stuff in New York & put them all in a room together for 4 hours" ... and that's basically what it was ... but so much more.<br /><br />Brooklyn:<br /><br /><br />The Brooklyn event was held in a loft apartment with a nice open space. I think about 13 cellists showed up & maybe 20-30 people or so to watch us. There were snacks & beer & it was an awesome night. I was the first cellist there (besides Joe) & one by one, people wandered in, we introduced ourselves to each other, chatted it up with the audience, figured out how to arrange the room, etc.<br /><br />Eventually, we got started & began with a group twist on the C scale. Each person started at a different part of the scale (Root, 3rd or 5th) .. it made for a very cool sound. After that, we did a bit of group improv & the rest of the night, alternated group improvisation games with solo sets. The solo sets were really amazing & eye opening in a lot of ways. It was great to see such a high level of playing, as well as such a variety of different kinds of original music. Here's a glimpse of who did what:<br /><br /><span class="text_exposed_show">CelloJoe (Joey Chang) - beatboxing cellist</span><br /><span class="text_exposed_show"><a href="http://cellojoe.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow">http://CelloJoe.com/</a><br /><br />Valerie Kuehne - cross-polinating sundry genres<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/valeriekuehne" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow"><span>http://www.myspace.com/</span><wbr>valeriekuehne</a></span><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /><br />Cosmo D (Greg He</span><span class="text_exposed_show">ffernan) - electro cello techno loop genius<br /><a href="http://cosmod.net/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow">http://cosmod.net/</a><br /><br />Michael Lunapeina - the wandering cellist - rock/metal<br /><a href="http://cellomike.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow">http://cellomike.com/</a><br /><br />Elizabeth Glushko - electronics and looping.<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/egcello" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow"><span>http://www.myspace.com/</span><wbr>egcello</a><br /><br />Nick Jozwiak - fascinating composer, throat sings while he plays<br /><span> soundcloud.com/</span><wbr>nicholas-jozwiak<br /><br />Jacob Cohen - melodic improv inspired by hip hop<br /><a href="http://soundcloud.com/jacob-cello" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow"><span>http://soundcloud.com/</span><wbr>jacob-cello</a></span><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /><br />Meaghan Burke - songstress<br /><a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/meaghanburke" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow"><span>http://</span><wbr><span>www.reverbnation.com/</span><wbr>meaghanburke</a></span><br /><br /><br />There was also a guest appearance by <span class="text_exposed_show"><span>Quetzacoatl via the form of a Giant Puppet & courtesy of http://GiantPuppetsSaveTheWorld.com<br /><br />I sadly didn't get any video, but here are some pictures (Taken by Sean Hagerty)...<br /><br />Stay tuned for part 2!<br /></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShlTV97V4VxkuG5TEVMZgEY3oHzQhNdMN3qG8pzbTFybHjfSCkzzjXrZapZHmzdSO7xhgt5bZduHGl0AGFxICJfjawSd6hnkZqCt2WmJ8qRYomxp045Qn8vLvVsuEjI1vKHy5xGUwA6Xh/s1600/cellomadness1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShlTV97V4VxkuG5TEVMZgEY3oHzQhNdMN3qG8pzbTFybHjfSCkzzjXrZapZHmzdSO7xhgt5bZduHGl0AGFxICJfjawSd6hnkZqCt2WmJ8qRYomxp045Qn8vLvVsuEjI1vKHy5xGUwA6Xh/s320/cellomadness1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707168630065153442" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I8rTVGYpaLL0RZRsL9M5HIFXbEo76U6b3WgNLYxhF73bGkaj8z1T4xUA2ReNoaJie7p7UHrdlStavA8SfDvKhH7Yw3Kxi7L9ICufT7O4AtWLlRDHgzf35bqpWHkqBn7LiJeKkI_3-fqI/s1600/cellomadness2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I8rTVGYpaLL0RZRsL9M5HIFXbEo76U6b3WgNLYxhF73bGkaj8z1T4xUA2ReNoaJie7p7UHrdlStavA8SfDvKhH7Yw3Kxi7L9ICufT7O4AtWLlRDHgzf35bqpWHkqBn7LiJeKkI_3-fqI/s320/cellomadness2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707168766814744946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LQ7EIWbiRy8P51C8Xh1DjAHl-parSr2y0ESs-wiFyoGaGtjsWyCXUKKFahDs3bygh3TfX-9oRHaQa6vnLIfc2n2yHEUaLMxKPwzgSQ1arzoN0O_96ZzO4tIrP_jsKV6YrLffTx0zkeG8/s1600/cellomadness3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LQ7EIWbiRy8P51C8Xh1DjAHl-parSr2y0ESs-wiFyoGaGtjsWyCXUKKFahDs3bygh3TfX-9oRHaQa6vnLIfc2n2yHEUaLMxKPwzgSQ1arzoN0O_96ZzO4tIrP_jsKV6YrLffTx0zkeG8/s320/cellomadness3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707168771765618450" border="0" /></a>Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-64439754935419131272012-01-18T21:16:00.004-05:002012-01-19T14:03:33.860-05:00How to Fit Myself Into A BoxI hate the Bio/Resume that I have right now ... I feel like it doesn't represent me/the me I want to be... but I also don't know how to write Me ... I'm messy and confusing... and I don't really fit into the traditional or non-traditional box...<br /><br />I/I'm:<br />Classically Trained (but much less than classical people)<br />Play in Community Orchestras (but not a lot)<br />Have done a crapton of musical theatre<br />Improvise & write music like a songwriter<br />Play in the Subways<br />Play in as many as 4 or 5 rock bands that are somewhat successful that most people have never heard of & are not a part of any mainstream music genres<br />Have little to no interest in being more "in the box" or going to grad school or taking lessons, because I want to make my own path creating music that I really love that is deeply meaningful to me.<br />Play a live set that involves half covers & half original music<br />Do everything from playing weddings to pits to religious services to rock bands to (very occasional) classical gigs to recording sessions<br />I started cello at age 16 (but does that matter?)<br />I write cool music in GarageBand on keyboard & sort of just have no clue what to do with it...<br /><br />I guess really what I'm torn between is I want to represent myself as the Cellist/Songwriter, but most of my work is in the teaching & freelance musician world & I feel like it's talking to two different sets of people with completely different interests ... It's another stupid tug of war inside...<br /><br />This post has given me some ideas...<br /><br />Edit: I've now got a different bio up .. I don't think it's done yet ... I realized part of the problem is that I'm trying to serve 2 different masters with this bio ... I need a Me bio & a teaching bio & a resume ... 1 down, 2 to go...Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-35539751121302148692012-01-09T12:26:00.003-05:002012-10-29T10:57:50.254-04:00Tales From The Road #1 - Playing at the Bean Runner CafeLast night I played for the 12th Artist Appreciation Show at Bean Runner Cafe. It was a really cool experience!!<br />
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I live in Brooklyn/NYC & absolutely love it! Because of that, one of my favorite things is getting out of NYC. No matter where I've gone, every time I get out of NYC, people seem a bit happier & more wholesome, less stressed and jaded. It's really encouraging.<br />
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Peekskill was no exception. What a charming little town (at least the part I got to explore was). Everyone's friendly & there's lots of book stores & cafes & antique stores & all in a small area. My favorite part of it was exploring Bruised Apple Books - a very awesome used books store! I picked up a copy of The Complete Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne & of "Gig" - a book with firsthand accounts of jobs across the entire spectrum of America.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUC30n_ny3ar2thhs9OVREJO2t3iIWMtEZRyDpYCfPcnvsTkKt9y6eZaGrDT7VQm0kspTuqy4xahyphenhyphentevlJskMh9pf0wjKQrFHuqKU8tpK8u_gn_psrCosD_6w_01Yi_GQKqz-LgQ8rrC-/s1600/bruisedapple.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695686285761670018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUC30n_ny3ar2thhs9OVREJO2t3iIWMtEZRyDpYCfPcnvsTkKt9y6eZaGrDT7VQm0kspTuqy4xahyphenhyphentevlJskMh9pf0wjKQrFHuqKU8tpK8u_gn_psrCosD_6w_01Yi_GQKqz-LgQ8rrC-/s320/bruisedapple.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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Anyway, on to Bean Runner ... Bean Runner is a nice cafe ... a little fancy, but not in an off-putting way (just in an everything looks pleasing sort of way) with nice staff. I had the pleasure of performing to a full Cafe of people who were there for & actively paying attention to the music. I also had the pleasure of playing with other artists who were original & whose art was very awesome in their own way.<br />
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In NYC this sort of thing doesn't happen a lot ... music almost always feels like a secondary focus, even when people come to shows ... there is little sense of community, or artists supporting each other, of people sticking around for other bands' sets because they actively are pleased to do so. I think it's a result of oversaturation & stressful, busy lives.<br />
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Whatever it is, it's always beautiful to get away from that.<br />
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For me the most beautiful moment was unexpectedly joining motivational spoken word artist Christ Is during his set. Playing the melody from Tool's Parabol, along with my own "beats" behind his spoken art that dealt with some of the grittier, harder aspects of life while still being uplifting was really truly inspirational & powerful.<br />
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It's amazing what happens when you put two things together that you wouldn't normally expect to go together. Words & Music compliment each other in a really deep way.Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8417912626436874636.post-67776500402455877462011-08-28T03:43:00.004-04:002012-01-09T13:59:41.148-05:00An Update From the StudioSo I've been in the studio for a little over a week now ... Finished tracking for 6 and a half songs & eaten way too much pizza.<br /><br />I'd orignally been intending to do some more updating, include some cool photos & vid. & all that, but honestly, I've had my hands completely full with trying to record everything as quickly and thoroughly as possible.<br /><br />We lost our first day to technical issues, which was a real drag & I've had a few days where I've had to go back into NYC for gigs (including for the Steampunk Anachronism, which was tremendous fun & awesome), but otherwise, I've basically been recording from wake to sleep most days.<br /><br />There have been some fun moments, some tense moments, some stupid moments (lots of stupid moments) & lots of exhausted moments ... I've learned about how I can better prepare for next time I go in the studio (the obvious way is learning all parts before hand, but also having a map/notes of how many times things repeat, where they line up w/ each other, etc, helps too).<br /><br />I've had periods where I've been flying solo, but mostly Sean Harty has been engineering this ... it's a tremendous help having an engineer ... it's just too much to manage recording & engineering (not to mention, having someone with an instantaneous knowledge of mics & setup & all that is tremendously helpful) ... I've learned a bit more on the engineering side from doing this.<br /><br />I've encountered lots of weird things like loops not quite lining up, like having to put my cello out of tune to make open strings work with a pre-recorded part, like there are certain 1/4 inch cables you don't put into a DI...<br /><br />Mid-way through recording, we discovered that Sean actually had the original Garage Band files from when I wrote the album (which I lost due to partial Hard Drive failure) ... that has been both exciting and tremendously helpful ... moral of the story - always back things up ...<br /><br />Anyway, so that's where I'm at ... really looking forward to getting to editing & mixing (and not working against a clock)<br /><br />It's probably gonna be a bit before I write again ...Mike Lunapienahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13018886553504991666noreply@blogger.com0