Things are going groovy here in Arkansas music-land. Another one of my crazy ideas is about to be turned into my new album, I'm getting an iPad Air, and starting my own company "How To Be Found" for SEO.
To this end, I'm also writing a short manual/book called "The Search For How To Be Found" a phrase I came up with a few years ago. There's also going to be a Social Media piece of the company, book name for which is yet to be determined.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Thursday, November 8, 2012
so, what's new?
Wow, I did not realize I had been away from this for so long..
Since the last post, I have essentially recorded nearly enough material for three new titles!
Observatory Jazz Quartet
EJ Jones, bass
Tom Massey, piano
Caitlen Campbell, vocals
Randy Brush, drums
This group has been together for nearly two years now, and we have been performing regularly around the Batesville, Arkansas area. We rehearse downstairs in an actual observatory owned by the bass plaayer, EJ (Doctor Jones) and have had a wonderful time. We recently recorded I think 5 songs at an amazing studio in Eureka Springs, built and operated by a former producer of bands like Molly Hatchett, and others.
Joe McNertney
My old (young) friend Joe from Iowa came downto visit for a week, and we recorded 23 minutes of mainly improvisational-based preecussion music. It's being mastered by another dear musician friend in Iowa, Eric Rohn and should be ready soon.
Drum Stories
My former student Ethan Lindblom, an extraordinary young man and percussionist performed and recorded as a duo and sometimes trio with our fried, Nancy Love. We have six in the can, and would like to add a few more before attempting a release.
Personal
I expanded my eccentric tuned percussion collection to include a Milltone Steel Tongue Drum, which was used in several of the above, and perhaps my most favorite original "For Sandi" which I wrote for an ailing friend.
Kim, my wife has also been an extraordinary Director of Campus Life at Lyon College here in Batsville, and as always a strong supporter of my eccentric AND commercial musical projects.
ReverbNation Site - All recordings online
Since the last post, I have essentially recorded nearly enough material for three new titles!
Observatory Jazz Quartet
EJ Jones, bass
Tom Massey, piano
Caitlen Campbell, vocals
Randy Brush, drums
This group has been together for nearly two years now, and we have been performing regularly around the Batesville, Arkansas area. We rehearse downstairs in an actual observatory owned by the bass plaayer, EJ (Doctor Jones) and have had a wonderful time. We recently recorded I think 5 songs at an amazing studio in Eureka Springs, built and operated by a former producer of bands like Molly Hatchett, and others.
Joe McNertney
My old (young) friend Joe from Iowa came downto visit for a week, and we recorded 23 minutes of mainly improvisational-based preecussion music. It's being mastered by another dear musician friend in Iowa, Eric Rohn and should be ready soon.
Drum Stories
My former student Ethan Lindblom, an extraordinary young man and percussionist performed and recorded as a duo and sometimes trio with our fried, Nancy Love. We have six in the can, and would like to add a few more before attempting a release.
Personal
I expanded my eccentric tuned percussion collection to include a Milltone Steel Tongue Drum, which was used in several of the above, and perhaps my most favorite original "For Sandi" which I wrote for an ailing friend.
Kim, my wife has also been an extraordinary Director of Campus Life at Lyon College here in Batsville, and as always a strong supporter of my eccentric AND commercial musical projects.
ReverbNation Site - All recordings online
Monday, September 13, 2010
It's been a while
Man! It has been a while since I posted anything...sorry. Been composing some, including a song for a sick friend called "For Sandi", kind of a healing tune, from the heart nonetheless. This whole meditative, soft, subtle thing is a whole new direction for me.
I miss playing drumset, a whole lot! The whole idea when Kim and I got to Lyon College here in Batesville, was that I had been told there were a bunch of percussionists just dying to learn and study kit and world-percussion. The problem is the college itself doesn't have ANYTHING in the way of percussion for them to practice on, even if I had a line around the block of students wanting to learn...problem #1
problem #2 = my #@!$ing leg, and mobility issues, so I can't get around to the magnet schools, middle schools, or high schools to get flyers up to even advertise...plus, even putting together a solo act is almost impossible because our place is so small, I can't set-up properly to see how I could facilitate performing solo.
problem #3 = no places to play...people to play with busy currently with football season. I have an exceptional young man as a student who is perfect for a percussion performing group, and a couple of Lyon college students, but none of their schedules are permitting rehearsal time to put said group together.
problem #4 = if I can't get a group to play with, I can't perform with Lyon College ensembles since there aren't any, and there's only one guy in town that plays jazz, maybe two...and he is the director of the marching band that plays at the HS football games, which Kim and I discovered are a HUGE deal here, so he has no time until November....so nowhere to get my name around as the "go-to guy" in terms of being da man on drums and percussion.
The only good news really, is that Kim is kicking ass in her new job, and my own compositions have taken a more reflective turn...album sales are picking up a little, but my medical bills are making it necessary to figure out a way to bring in more money, but I can't even get a part-time job, as can't even stand up for more than about 10 minutes at a time because of leg.
There's a remote shot of the college hiring me as a percussion consultant, but because I have no degree, it would have to be via my pedigree with AF Band and Drummer's Collective teacher. The irony is, they are desperately in need of me, because they have no equipment to speak of, and no one in the music department really knows anything about percussion. I offered to help for free even, but hiring me is the only way that can go apparently.
Blogs are for ranting and that's what this is, so sorry it's so negative. Hopefully the next post will be full of positive stories, and wonderful anecdotes that make all this seem like a dream, but for now...this is how it is.
Randini
I miss playing drumset, a whole lot! The whole idea when Kim and I got to Lyon College here in Batesville, was that I had been told there were a bunch of percussionists just dying to learn and study kit and world-percussion. The problem is the college itself doesn't have ANYTHING in the way of percussion for them to practice on, even if I had a line around the block of students wanting to learn...problem #1
problem #2 = my #@!$ing leg, and mobility issues, so I can't get around to the magnet schools, middle schools, or high schools to get flyers up to even advertise...plus, even putting together a solo act is almost impossible because our place is so small, I can't set-up properly to see how I could facilitate performing solo.
problem #3 = no places to play...people to play with busy currently with football season. I have an exceptional young man as a student who is perfect for a percussion performing group, and a couple of Lyon college students, but none of their schedules are permitting rehearsal time to put said group together.
problem #4 = if I can't get a group to play with, I can't perform with Lyon College ensembles since there aren't any, and there's only one guy in town that plays jazz, maybe two...and he is the director of the marching band that plays at the HS football games, which Kim and I discovered are a HUGE deal here, so he has no time until November....so nowhere to get my name around as the "go-to guy" in terms of being da man on drums and percussion.
The only good news really, is that Kim is kicking ass in her new job, and my own compositions have taken a more reflective turn...album sales are picking up a little, but my medical bills are making it necessary to figure out a way to bring in more money, but I can't even get a part-time job, as can't even stand up for more than about 10 minutes at a time because of leg.
There's a remote shot of the college hiring me as a percussion consultant, but because I have no degree, it would have to be via my pedigree with AF Band and Drummer's Collective teacher. The irony is, they are desperately in need of me, because they have no equipment to speak of, and no one in the music department really knows anything about percussion. I offered to help for free even, but hiring me is the only way that can go apparently.
Blogs are for ranting and that's what this is, so sorry it's so negative. Hopefully the next post will be full of positive stories, and wonderful anecdotes that make all this seem like a dream, but for now...this is how it is.
Randini
Sunday, August 29, 2010
New Percussion Group, First Rehearsal
Well, despite a recent onslaught of new medical woes, I finally managed to get 4 folks here together to start rehearsing a new percussion group! Ethan Lindblom (one of my students) Nancy Love, and Alex Moeller came by and we set up a eclectic bunch of instruments in my extremely small space and played/conversed for about an hour and a half. (Alex's girlfriend Jamie came as well, and was immediately handed a couple of rattle sound-effects)
All good things! We played and jammed, talked about space, clarity and conversations and are trying to work out a regular rehearsal schedule.
THE Spike was cool being in the living room with us until the first rimshot, and then headed for the bedroom to find comfort and companionship with his sister, and my ever patient and amazing wife Kim.
I have some writing to do to give the songs I have in mind some structure and cohesion, and then I will hopefully have us playing at the Lyon College campus center sometime in September.
Physical Therapy for my leg starts tomorrow, so let's hope that helps with my mobility issues!
All good things! We played and jammed, talked about space, clarity and conversations and are trying to work out a regular rehearsal schedule.
THE Spike was cool being in the living room with us until the first rimshot, and then headed for the bedroom to find comfort and companionship with his sister, and my ever patient and amazing wife Kim.
I have some writing to do to give the songs I have in mind some structure and cohesion, and then I will hopefully have us playing at the Lyon College campus center sometime in September.
Physical Therapy for my leg starts tomorrow, so let's hope that helps with my mobility issues!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Cajon I get to know you better?
So....despite how badly the cajon Mark Dorr had me try in percussion ensemble sucked, I'm getting one anyway. One of my student's in Arkansas's dad made him a cajon, and it sounded better that the one I played at Grinnell.
I first looked at a new one coming out from LP the "Kevin Riccard" cajon (somebody I've never heard of that plays on American Idol)...but they wouldn't be in stock until the middle of August...and I hate waiting...
So, I looked further and found a "Fat Congas String Cajon" which actually has two different striking surfaces...one with the snare wires thingie, and one that's wood only. The thing is, by sitting correctly you can utilize both surfaces at once.
So my friend Cathy, of www.anydrum.com, who I highly recommend called the Fat Congas folk and I have one coming as of today. Even better, they are an american company, and haven't outsourced all their business to Thailand, like LP...(sorry LP, it's true)
Also...not sure if you can put web addresses in one of these blog dealies, but you should check out my site at ReverbNation http://www.reverbnation.com/randybrush and listen to "Steel Tongue Requiem #1"...featuring a new drum I found, a steel tongue drum.
That's all for now, Kim's doing staff training and me and Spike and Samantha are restless.
Miss you Grinnell... :/
I first looked at a new one coming out from LP the "Kevin Riccard" cajon (somebody I've never heard of that plays on American Idol)...but they wouldn't be in stock until the middle of August...and I hate waiting...
So, I looked further and found a "Fat Congas String Cajon" which actually has two different striking surfaces...one with the snare wires thingie, and one that's wood only. The thing is, by sitting correctly you can utilize both surfaces at once.
So my friend Cathy, of www.anydrum.com, who I highly recommend called the Fat Congas folk and I have one coming as of today. Even better, they are an american company, and haven't outsourced all their business to Thailand, like LP...(sorry LP, it's true)
Also...not sure if you can put web addresses in one of these blog dealies, but you should check out my site at ReverbNation http://www.reverbnation.com/randybrush and listen to "Steel Tongue Requiem #1"...featuring a new drum I found, a steel tongue drum.
That's all for now, Kim's doing staff training and me and Spike and Samantha are restless.
Miss you Grinnell... :/
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I Self-Promoted!
It is worth noting that on this date I actually self-promoted the album "Spike's World Of Percussion" to approximately 3,424 people, 311 of those probably twice...
I am wracked with guilt :/
But I hope some of them buy the album!!!
Higgins: since you're the only person following this not me, Spike, or Kim. You have to pass the word at Grinnell. especially to the DRUMMERS!!!
lol
I am wracked with guilt :/
But I hope some of them buy the album!!!
Higgins: since you're the only person following this not me, Spike, or Kim. You have to pass the word at Grinnell. especially to the DRUMMERS!!!
lol
Sunday, August 1, 2010
All rightie then!
Cool...the whole fan page deal is working out on Facebook...and my guilt is diminishing.
I have people asking me down here when my performing ensemble or solo performances will be ready, so that's good news...this is when it would be good to have physical copies of the album, but all the "do it yourself" kits don't seem right for it...may have to get over that though.
Maybe I'll just bring Spike with me to the shows!
Hopefully, the cajon I ordered a month ago will be off back-order soon and that will get here...
In all seriousness, I may be actually founding an alternative music scene down here. I'm not trying to be an arrogant jerk, but unless it changes dramatically when school starts up...it's all Southern Rock and country....nothing like Grinnell's open scene...
I would be happy to be proven wrong if anyone has evidence to the contrary!
I have people asking me down here when my performing ensemble or solo performances will be ready, so that's good news...this is when it would be good to have physical copies of the album, but all the "do it yourself" kits don't seem right for it...may have to get over that though.
Maybe I'll just bring Spike with me to the shows!
Hopefully, the cajon I ordered a month ago will be off back-order soon and that will get here...
In all seriousness, I may be actually founding an alternative music scene down here. I'm not trying to be an arrogant jerk, but unless it changes dramatically when school starts up...it's all Southern Rock and country....nothing like Grinnell's open scene...
I would be happy to be proven wrong if anyone has evidence to the contrary!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)