Beer project is still going strong. A lot of the updates remain on facebook, but as i'm sitting here, i've realized within one summer i'm brewed up approximately 94 liters / 25 gallons of beer.
batch #1 - Neighbours recipe (cool old dude started me on it)
Why would I make a low alcohol brew? I'm fairly lightweight when it comes to drinking, and i actually just really REALLY like the taste of beer. I figure a low alcohol brew can let me enjoy my creations without feeling dragged all the time.
There's an incredible satisfaction to beer brewing, much like when a person has their moment of culinary/musical/creative genius, that just makes you feel good. When you can share it with you buddies and they swear off commercial beer or even start little breweries of their own.. You know you've made a difference.
Lately, i've become less and less driven to make music.. not sure why.. it just seems to be happening. Likely dude to the fact that not many people in my area are able to jam, as well as the fact i find it difficult to find anyone I enjoy working with musically. Its tough to maintain focus without another person pushing you forward with their own ideas and fuelling yours.
So what to do now???
As a side project to music, I've taken to brewing beer. It seemed like the next logical step since the two go hand in hand so well. Both easily shared with friends, both equally enjoyable at anytime.
I've already made and had my friends enjoy my first batch, the second batch has just been bottled, and soon to be enjoyed by friends again.
In the year 2000 i found myself a fledgling high school graduate of an now defunct Collegiate located in thunder bay ontario.
Although in my last semester I had graduated with honours, (nothing special for a public school anyway) without a path; plans; or money for post secondary.. my life had been laid to obscurity in the service industry as a kitchen slave.
The journey began washing dishes for minimum wage (then $6.85 CAD/hr) and throughout the years, new cities, new kitchens, matured work ethics and confidence, I'm now finally truly ready to bury my head in the books and start a true career in the field of Mechanical Engineering.
Although i'll still have to work in kitchens to earn my keep and tuition, I'm very excited in taking new steps for the betterment of my future family.
and hopefully still have time to play some drums and guitar.
I'm currently on a compilation CD available via Full moon records. now while i'd normally be happy with this, for whatever reasons they figured, the producers the recordings went to before being headed to full moon records decided they'd change the mix up in BOTH of my songs.
both songs on this CD turned out into an audio abortion of sound..
"into shadow" was reduced into a bath of bass farts as well and one guitar being lost completely in the mix and also mixed down into mono.. (wtf??)
and more or less the same with "These children walk alone" in MONO with one guitar being completely lost.. and everything mixed completely out of proportion..
i don't know why this could have happened, but now i'm stuck with 50 cd's that i'm too embarrassed to sell because it doesn't represent my work AT ALL as a musician or a 'producer'
ALSO, there's at least another 500 copies of these compliations that people are going to buy, listen to, and go.. "wow this guy sucks".
its heartbreaking to see my work so misconstrued..
It is tomorrow that tickets go on sale for Judas Priest in my city (victoria) Hoping to snag a couple of tickets for my wife and I to finally be able to see the band that got me into guitar!
lately i've been drifting a bit further from metal. maybe i'm getting older and more mellow. but recently i've been out for different challenges. classical seems interesting but still not quite my style. the search goes on but i've found some very interesting styles to keep me entertained.
my next challenge has been to keep on my drumming but whilst living in apartment, its difficult to do when the building is kinda crappy and gets rattled easily by even the smallest things.
I do got an electric kit which keeps the actual noise down, but its the foot pedal that gets em. too much 'duga duga duga duga" for them. XD
anyway, my new project is to construct new electronic drum shells that will be dampened enough to absorb the vibration and allow me to practice without being reduced to "tapping"
i think a new shock absorbing platform will be a good start as well.
Master Volume, Defeatable Presence and Resonance Controls
Solid Plywood Cabinet Construction
Aluminum chassis
Next is a bass amp, the SWR workingpro 12
i just sold my half stack and looking to get something smaller. 200 watts and i've recently discovered the awesomeness of the 12" speaker.
and finally, a new guitar..
no its not a metal juggarnaut shred machine.. I recently decided that i should learn classical guitar. after making this purchase, i will then seek professional instruction in classical guitar.
this isn't the picture of the exact classical i wanted.. but its pretty tough to tfind the one i was looking for.. which was a yamaha cutaway with a solid spruce top.
all of this clocks in over $2400 after taxes. but, the amps are something that'll last and can probably let my kid (when i have one) inherit, and classical is something i've been interested ever since i was 4. so.. it'll be worth the wait.
Although most of us are grown up and have a semi responsible head on our shoulders.. it takes very little to get caught up in the moment and do things we regret.
I'll leave these things to your own imagination, BUT,
I thought i'd just leave a quick reminder for those who are celebrating tonite, to enjoy themselves resonsibly, and if you're drinking, call up a cab if you have to get home, spend the nite where you are, or just be that sober guy/girl that'll remember all the embarassing things your drunken friends will be doing.
in summary!
Don't drink and drive, and enjoy yourself responsibly!
