Music.

Jazz band has been going great. I'm playing both my 4 string and my electric upright, for different songs. Besides this, I'm playing bass for pep band (read: basketball games). And we've finally gotten around to playing death metal, so my 6-string is being used as well. Also, I'm in wind ensemble playing bari sax.


To top it off, we're re-colonizing Kappa Kappa Psi here at WFU. National Band Service Fraternity.

Music
Is part of my
Life.

EUB

Jazz band shall be the most interesting and fun class this semester. I'm playing my electric upright bass, so we'll see how that goes. We have another bass player, but I'm sticking with only my EUB. I feel it's more jazzy than a regular electric bass.

I might also be playing sax for a song or two, depending on what happens.

Dante, Demitri, Pedro

From what I've heard, people either like naming their instruments or they feel it brings them bad luck. I don't believe in superstitions (I am Catholic), but I do tend to name my instruments, based on different criteria. Even if that criteria is just random thought patterns in my head.

: s

D is for Down with the Sickness

Drowning deep in my sea of loathing
Broken your servant I kneel
It seems what's left of my human side
Is slowly changing in me

Looking at my own reflection
When suddenly it changes
Violently it changes (oh no)
There is no turning back now
You've woken up the demon in me

Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Open up your hate, and let it flow into me
You mother get up
You *****r get up
Madness is the gift, that has been given to me

I can see inside you, the sickness is rising
Don't try to deny what you feel
It seems that all that was good has died
And is decaying in me

It seems you're having some trouble
In dealing with these changes
Living with these changes (oh no)
The world is a scary place
Now that you've woken up the demon in me

(And when I dream)
No mommy, don't do it again
Don't do it again
I'll be a good boy
I'll be a good boy, I promise
No mommy don't hit me
Why did you have to hit me like that
Why did you have to be such a *****
Why don't you,
Why don't you **** off and die
Why can't you just **** off and die
Why can't you just leave here and die
Never stick your hand in my face again *****
**** YOU
I don't need this s***
You stupid sadistic abusive******g w****
How would you have to see how it feels mommy
Here it comes, get ready to die



So, obviously, I had to censor this one. This is a classic by Disturbed, a nu-metal band. I like this song a lot, but it is in C# standard...(it can be played in drop D if needed). Either way, it is a fun song to play.

Disturbed often has violent and repressed lyrics, and this is no exception. If you've ever heard them, you should know what to expect. The gutteral and melodic sounds coupled with the interesting riffs really make this song catchy (if you like metal.) Personally, I do.

C is for Circle of Cysquatch

Elephant spirits
Tower of ivory
Story of ancient deities
Seizure of the fleece
Protector of its place
Fly through dreamscapes
Of valleys gullies and spires
Herd across suicidal slopes
Changeless moonshines
Circle cyclops image
A race of one-eyed beings
All feared and shunned
Rakshasa demon
Seizure of the fleece
Protector of its place
Eyes all around you
Enter the labyrinth
Visions of the hunted
Beware the birchmen
Incisors thought to be
Skulls of us
Our release


So this is Mastodon's song off of their Blood Mountain album. I choose this one (as opposed to Colony of Birchmen) because I like it a tad more. Also, it's not in guitar hero/rock band which is a plus.

The vocals for this song are interesting. They aren't full on screams and growls, but they are still very much metal. About halfway through, "Eyes all around you", the vocals switch to a voice box like sound. I can't really describe it other than oscilloscope.

I really like Mastodon. They are a good metal band. Other than the fact the bassist plays in D standard, which requires me to drop all 4 strings down a full step. Oh well. If I get a 5 or 6 string, I won't have to do that anymore. : D

So....

I haven't posted in about 4 months. A lot has happened. Over the course of a semester, I've come to love WFU. It's a great place, minus the workload. In fact, tonight is nice. Very nice in fact that I don't have homework. Sadly, my armies were left home, cast aside in favor of what is going on now.

But onto the good news. It is my second semester now. I have gotten used to what I am expected to do and how to maintain my grades. College is good.

Friend-wise, I lack the strong friendships I have at home. But then again, I've known these people for less than a year; my friends from home have known me since 2nd grade.

Enough of these musings, I must move forward with this "blog." I have yet to speak of any musical achievements since I last posted, of which there have been many. First and foremost, I now own 4 basses. I have a Yamaha passive 4-string (see previous post...somewhere...), but it was not doing much for me in terms of sounding good. My pride and joy has to be my active 4-string Ibanez SR530 (Dante). He has always sounded good and is primarily my metal and rock bass, but I needed some changes of pace.
Birthday came. Along with my EUB. EUB, of course, being an Electric Upright Bass. Think orchestral double bass. Now take off everything except the fingerboard, bridge, and strings. Make the entire neck an active pickup. That's my EUB. Mostly jazz and smoother music.
Christmas. Ibanez acoustic bass. Sounds phenominal and very melodic.

I should post some pictures...eventually.
Other news:
Bands.
For now, I am in an as of yet unnamed metal band here at WFU. It's nothing serious, just 5 guys (vox, drums, me, guitar[s]).
Mercenary Suns. My friends back home are a trio of musicians. All of us are multi-instrumentalists, thanks to WHS band. Hopefully we can get a gig over Summer break.

That's about it for now, but I hope to get some painting done over Spring break which is in 3 weeks.

Oh, check out MS. http://www.myspace.com/mercenarysuns
We only have one track up right now, and it's synthetic because we need better recording gear.

When I grow up, I want to be...

Here's my other passion. Music. This is a Yamaha RBX270 Bass Guitar. It was decently priced, great build, fun to play, and has very few drawbacks [it buzzes...]. I finally have posted it despite this being a 40k blog, I wanted to just show what else I do besides my addicting hobby. ; D



Music-wise, I listen to Rock, some metal, a lot of Rap/R&B, and alternative. Here is the song I'm currently trying to learn: John the Fisherman