Wednesday, May 7

Post 1159, Day 127 of 2014
- 1,223 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

How important is live music performance to me as musician?

Very. Much more important than rehearsal. More important than practice.

As an ensemble player by choice (I hate playing alone, or to recordings, both of which I only do to learn arrangements or test parts), any time I'm playing in a group is a good time for me.

Playing in an ensemble stimulates me to expand my awareness to other musicians. I get energized when things are coming together, and quickly go into that no-thought zone that brings me so much joy in playing. (Note: That link in no-thought zone goes to an interview with Sonny Rollins called, 'You Can't Think And Play At The Same Time').

That is enough at any given point in time.

But there is one thing better. With an audience, awareness expands beyond the musicians and encompasses the performance environment. It is a kind of hyper-awareness. And there is a defiite energy that happens with an audience that is absent without.

More joy.

i am Fool had a great rehearsal last night, but at one point, in their enthusiasm over the new songs, it was suggested that it would be so great if we could just spend a lot of time in the studio, making and recording all the new material we have.

Oh, no. I understand their enthusiasm, but don't share it. I support making recordings to a degree - I believe J.'s songs should be recorded, they're good and deserve to be accessible beyond our very limited audience, and it supports the band's constant and unsuccessful striving for a larger audience. I also like the idea that the songs are a more-or-less permanent record of what the band sounded like (in the studio, at least).

But as an end in itself, my feelings are at odds with my other band-mates. I enjoy the time I spend in the studio, but all I get to do is record the bass lines I have refined in performance. Then, my role is finished. The rest of the time, as vocals are laid down, overdubs done, etc., I am left out. That's fine with me, except for the part about not playing.

Which means that during most of the time when i am Fool is recording, if I am present, it is preventing me from doing what I joined the band to do in the first place. If I am not present (true after my tracks are done), I have to get my playing in without i am Fool.

Which I regard as less than desirable.

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 Food and Diet Section

2014 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         205.2 lbs

Previous Weight:        204.0 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      + 1.2 lbs

Diet Comment

And, despite a fully-compliant day yesterday, weight gain. **sigh**.

Food Log 

Breakfast
A Quest Bar.

Lunch

Tuna salad on baby kale, spinach, chard and cole slaw mix.

Snack
A Quest Bar.

Dinner
At Eskapes Lounge: Thanksgiving soup (turkey bisque) with garlic bread; then, blackened salmon on a BLT salad (the 'L' in this case was baby spinach). For dessert, some kind of cake that tasted a bit like vanilla fudge ice cream, but better. And it was cake.

Snack
Pepperoni and cheese.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  40 oz.   Water: 112+ oz.  A glass of Merlot.

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