Tom Jackson's Live Music Method

Buy the book from On Stage Success

I started out by attended one of Tom's speaking engagements and was really impressed at the impact of the makeovers of the bands who were present. While there is nothing quite like seeing this, his new book is a wonderful reference for all the material.

His material includes so many things that, once you hear and see them, your reaction is: "Well, that is obvious" except that you'd never think of them yourself. The result is that thay are easy to internalize and apply, albeit with practice to make them your own.

At the session I attended, I got talking to a booking agent at the mixer. He was there not to learn performance but to learn to see what would make people effective in the venues he was booking for. That he found the session highly instructive is telling and a clear message to performers who fail to hone their technical performance skills and  their show's performance aspects.

Subsequently I've enjoyed the DVD set.

The book includes the material presented in Tom's speaking engagements and the DVDs in a thorough way that lets one reflect on the material. It is a great reference.

My New Book

I just finished my book about the Eigenharp.

With the advent of the Workbench tool in Eigenlabs version 2 software there is now a great way to explore the setups that configure the instrument visually.

While workbench is primarily a tool for creating setups, it can also provide deep insights into any existing setup.

One of the challenges for people who might be interested in an Eigenharp is that they are difficult to find in a retail setting and, even if you do, there is typically no knowledgable person to walk you through what the instrument is capable of.

My hope is that this free book will help in that regard.

You can find it here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/exploring-the-eigenharp/id529569334?ls=1

Playing to the Moon

Playing to the Moon, a photo by mikemilton on Flickr.

I'm a early riser and have taken to playing my Eigenharp in the dark.

This morning was cold so I lit a fire, moved the chair and as I was sitting noticed this reflection of the instrument in the window against the moonset

Harmos Guitar on the Rocks

Harmos Guitar on the Rocks, a photo by mikemilton on Flickr.

I've been looking for one of these for quite a while and missed out on a sale of a 7-string version.

Patience pays, I guess, and this Americana 6 string has a new home.

It has an amazing ability to sustain and an interesting character to the sound (the resonant frequency of the guitar is quite high).

Thanks for the picks, Dave!

Dave got me a whole bag of these great picks. It took a month to arrive but, with the maple leaf it is perfect for today, Canada Day!

Variability to Randomness

John Morley via Twitter: Comment from someone about DIY electronic instrument: "You never know what it is going to do"

I thought it was an interesting quote. I strongly believe in some degree of purpose in the instruments I use. I like to know what I am doing

Many traditional instruments have a degree of unavoidable variability in being played. Great players manage and even use this but it never disappears. Consider, for example, reed instruments, fretless string instruments and so forth. But it is not that the instrument is variable, it is that the interaction, the playing, is variable

In contrast, many electronic instruments are highly predictable and precise. Consider how round-robin application of multiple samples is often used to simulate the variability of the traditional instrument on a device that can be played in a completely repeatable way (many can *only* be repeatable)

There is one (well, probably more) key difference however. The player is part of the variability on the traditional instrument - the variability is nuance not randomness.

I believe that this leads to a profound tactile involvement between the player and the instrument that leads to expressiveness that is otherwise unattainable.

This point emerges from the discussion in the video to the right as well.

Summer Studio

Also known as the porch at the log cabin




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Location:ParQuin Lane,Gooderham,Canada