The Podcast is coming.... THE PODCAST IS COMING!!!!

I've been working hard (at my real job) and working late (at my passion) to get the podcast and my new web site up and running. One of the things that have held me up is the promise of a new software package for my new PowerBook. iLife '06 integrates a iWeb (a web page creation tool) with GarageBand (a podcast creation tool) to create a seemless way to "BE" on the blogosphere, podesphere and internet all with the stroke of a key (or 300).

I originally order it on the 12th of Jan. The first delivery date of the 23rd came and went. So did the 27th. I was very pissed and made a not-so-pleasant call to Apple. Ok... so I'm expecting the usual "Gatesy" response of "So sorry... but tough shit". What do I get instead???? A very Appley response of "We're sorry... and we'll overnight (at our cost) the software". Now that is cool!

In any event, I immediately loaded the software and took a crack at creating a web presense for Six String Torture. It sucks and it is not complete, but it is a start.

I hope to be recording the first episode by the end of the week and posting it to iTunes. Please feel free to send me links of Acoustic Guitar related sites, products, music, news. Also, I love to be Tortured, so don't hesitate to heap on whatever criticisms you have of the whole thing.

Thanks for listening, reading. Enjoy. Alex.

So, you want to be a musician?

Ironically, I've never thought of myself as the creative type, but have always been considered extremely creative. It is all a matter of perspective I guess... but not really. I am a creative thinker when it comes to finding solutions to difficult problems. I'm a logical person and think much like a computer does; "If THIS than THAT, else THE OTHER THING". Although that is creative, it is only half along the continuum of creativity in my opinion.

What I've come to learn as I get more into music theory and learning how to read, and play music is that the term "artist" is truly the utmost degree of being creative. It is at the end of a continuum with brain dead being at the lowest end. To be able to visualize the auditory arrangement of sounds that creative a mood that emotionaly impacts another human is the ultimate in creative expression. I have a profound respect for musicians as I go through the motion of making believe that I can someday make music.

I hope you'll listen to my upcoming podcast (the low end of the continuum). I also hope you take the time to visit the Podsafe Music Network and listen to some of the greatest creative musical minds in the world. The purity of the music there is astounding, and the quality is better than most commercialized recordings that you can hear on your normal FM dial.

Here's a link to musical paradise. Podsafe Music Network

So, you still want to be a musician?

A Message on Advertising Effectiveness to Adam Curry

Enjoy my first GarageBand song while listening to a message to Adam Curry of the Daily Source Code.

Advertising Effectiveness and my Podcast

Santa Was Good To ME!

So as not to torture everyone with my guitar playing that has to live with me (the wife, the kids, the dog, etc.), Santa decided to bring me an awesome gift this past Christmas! I'm going to be getting real guitar lessons from a professional musician.

Starting sometime next month (ok... I gotta get my shiite together first) I will be starting weekly lessons at Musicians Workshop in Manalapan, NJ. Don, the instructor is apparently one of the top guitar teachers in the country, and a very cool dude as well. I will be recording most of my sessions with Don and playing portions of it on my upcoming podcast, Six String Torture.

Stay tuned for ear numbing fun!

Alex.

They call me a Switcher!?!?

Ok... I took the next step to becoming a musician. It's no secret to performers, that a lot of the real guts of the mixing, loops, etc, are done on computers (laptops primarily) during performances. Take a close look the next time you are at a club watching a local band. Chances are you will see a laptop somewhere around controlling the show. It's running programs like LogicPro, GarageBand, MegaSeg.... and I'm sure countless others.

One problem though... These programs are all Apple software!

I'm a long time MS-DOS/Windows PC user and the thought of using a Mac has never really occurred to me... Until I heard Adam Curry talk about his PowerBook G4 on The Daily Source Code podcast. That started me thinking. I want to do a podcast of all the best acoustic guitar music out there. I want to be able to make great music and record it on my own... So... Why not get a Mac?!?!

And that is exactly what I did two weeks ago. I'm still transferring data from my old laptop, but the transition has not only been painless, it has been delightful. My favorite app so far is GarageBand. I have created a few songs and have even recorded directly into the laptop from the amp connection in Rosie (my guitar). I hope to have a few songs posted shortly, and an announcement of when the Sixstring Torture Podcast will be available.

More on GarageBand to follow!