The wrap-up, 2022 Edition-how was your year?

[skipclone 1]

Merry Christmas!
I usually post this a little earlier. I've been kind of MIA around here lately....
who applauded? I will find you...
Well anyway-I usually like to get the bad news out of the way first. 
In January I got covid. I was out of work for a week-and coughing my head off for

a month and a half. I was sure I was going to damage my singing voice.

I was supposed to get assistance so I could stay indoors and keep quarantine. 

It either never arrived or was insufficient. 

I usually carry two wallets. In August, the one with all my important cards went missing.
One of them was my bank cash card. I couldn't access my funds for two weeks. 

Among other things, that meant I couldn't pay rent. The case was sent to a collection company. I was

threatened with eviction.
I have parted ways with no less than five different people on social media, one of them I had literally just met. 

It took one one chat to say, that-s it-see ya. Another is a fellow performer, we've done both live and video together.

I got unfriended, unfollowed.    

I suppose the good news is mostly about the future. Our third independent film is in the last stages of post-production.
I've been told I'm the star-whatever. It's taken us four years to get to this point, I just want to see what it looks like.
I have started to put together vol. 3 of my very own event, we are shooting for March 2023. Everyone I contacted wants to perform,

we're looking at like four hours of performances. 

This morning I called to wish my brother Merry Christmas. We were talking about health, and I brought up my martial arts

training. He told me something I did not know. I think I mentioned before that, one of my uncles plays big band jazz in Minneapolis.   
His wife has been a Tai Chi instructor for like, 40 years. She has had some big-name students, including some guy named Pat Metheny.
It's little surprises like that which keep me waking up in the morning.
How was 2022? one thing for sure-if you're around to read this, it could have been worse. 
|Cheers and happy holidays.

[Caevan O’Shite]

5 hours ago, skipclone 1 said:

I've been kind of MIA around here lately....
who applauded? I will find you...

It was me, but I was applauding your reappearance; and besides, you've had a standing invitation to swing by any time that you're in New York...


I had some employment and income issues through 2021 and 2022, but that seems to be very, very much improved upon with a job I started a month and a half ago; they really seem to genuinely appreciate and respect me! Before long, not far into the coming year, I'll be able to pick up again on that long delayed Tele-styled axe build- that'll be great!

Elizabeth and I are doing well overall; this will be our tenth year together coming up- can you believe it?!
 

[KuruPrionz]

2022 has been a year of adapting, learning and pondering.

 

Mid-January, a contractor replacing a damaged ceiling on the 3rd floor of our stack and over one unit to the east, broke a fire suppression sprinkler. 

Water damage to my condo is nearly but not quite finished. Insurance will cover it but I needed another place to live - no floor, no kitchen cabinets, all appliances shoved into the bathroom and the water turned off. 

 

A wonderful friend, the wife of a musician who I played with in a band for six years said I could stay in her vacant house, which is in a great neighborhood. I don't think anybody expected my condo repairs to take a year but we are at 11 months plus right now. I couldn't ask for a better accommodation and plan on having her issue an invoice for "rent" from my insurance company when I get to move back home. 

 

Meanwhile, my car died. It could have been repaired but it's an ugly 88 Oldsmobile that needs all the rubber weather stripping around all the windows replaced and could use the right rear fender with the big rust hole replaced, which is all beside the fact that 6 times on 2 different days the engine shut off while driving at 35mph and all the red lights on the dash came on. Fortunately I wasn't going up or down a hill, I managed to wrestle the car off to the side of the road all 6 times and then I stopped driving it. Research indicated a fuel system problem, when I called an auto repair business based on a recommendation they were 2 months out. I called around, EVERYBODY was 2 months out. I considered trying to change the fuel filter myself since I was quoted $160 but I was also told that rusty fuel lines would run the bill up and it didn't mean that I wouldn't need a new fuel pump, or the gas tank flushed and cleaned or the fuel injectors replaced. So, I donated the car to charity - which is one way to get to towed off for free. 

 

Our bus system is really quite good and there are stops near both this place and my condo and buses going just about anywhere in town. Being 67, I qualify for the $15 for unlimited rides for 31 days pass which at least is much less expensive than driving a car. The buses don't run very late so that keeps me out of the live music scene for the most part. 

 

Speaking of live music, with the current state of caution exacerbated by the "triple-demic" tables are set farther apart than they used to be and that means fewer customers in the venues, which means less $$$ for musicians. So I've been working on a solo act, just guitar and vocals. I've got well over 2 hours of songs I can perform and did one afternoon show in November at a great venue a short walk from here. I'm thinking solo or duo and maybe with backing tracks will be the best way forward. Meanwhile, in early December I was "pick-up" guitarist for a local Motown band - I played with them for 2 years back in 2008 or so. They had a 45 minute gig at an event, the mayor was there and somebody babbled 15 minutes into our 60 minute set so we only played for 45 minutes. $120 welcome money for an easy gig but they are an 8 piece band and I don't see them getting gigs often. 

 

The good news is I did bring a smaller, simpler recording setup over here and having used that quite a bit I'm not really missing having more gear. So I can sell some stuff when I move back home and maybe I'll be able to get an OK car. 

 

Wishing everybody a joyful and prosperous 2023!!!!

[desertbluesman]

22 was a very good. year for us. We had some wrinkles but we smoothed them out.

 

Stay Healthy and may you all prosper, and remain healthy throughout 2023 and beyond.

[Sharkman]

Depending on how you want to look at it, this was either a really great year or a really lousy year for me.  Nothing bad happened to me in 2022.  I didn't get sick or injured, I didn't get shot at, and while business wasn't great, it was good enough.  On the good side, I got my Yamaha Wave Runner in July, and I had loads of fun riding that all the way up to the second week of November.  It's now winterized, shrinkwrapped, and sitting in my backyard until April.  Other than that, it was a pretty dull and uneventful year for me.

[surfergirl]

All in all it's been a very good year. I love my new Job and it actually started Nov of last year, but my first full year. I've learned at lot and the pay raise last month was nice. If there has been a downside, one of our friends is moving to Fullerton to go to optician school and is taking our lead guitarist with her. We are essentially disbanding, although we may do an occasional thing, as a trio, for friends only. We know this coming and we're best friends before music and that will never change. I'm really excited about 2013.

Oops meant 2023. 

 

[KuruPrionz]

12 minutes ago, surfergirl said:

 I'm really excited about 2013.

I think you mean 2023? 😇

[surfergirl]

Oops🤭

[Caevan O’Shite]

2 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

Meanwhile, my car died. It could have been repaired but it's an ugly 88 Oldsmobile that needs all the rubber weather stripping around all the windows replaced and could use the right rear fender with the big rust hole replaced, which is all beside the fact that 6 times on 2 different days the engine shut off while driving at 35mph and all the red lights on the dash came on.

I have similar old Oldsmobile oldsmemories... I have fond memories of the Buick that replaced it, though!

 

2 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

I've been working on a solo act, just guitar and vocals. I've got well over 2 hours of songs I can perform and did one afternoon show in November at a great venue a short walk from here. I'm thinking solo or duo and maybe with backing tracks will be the best way forward. Meanwhile, in early December I was "pick-up" guitarist for a local Motown band - I played with them for 2 years back in 2008 or so. They had a 45 minute gig at an event, the mayor was there... $120 welcome money for an easy gig...

 
Overall, that's great! Glad to hear it!
 

 

15 hours ago, skipclone 1 said:

Cheers and happy holidays.

 

 

2 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

Wishing everybody a joyful and prosperous 2023!!!!

 

56 minutes ago, desertbluesman said:

Stay Healthy and may you all prosper, and remain healthy throughout 2023 and beyond.

Indeed! Thank you all, and likewise!

 

46 minutes ago, surfergirl said:

All in all it's been a very good year. I love my new Job and it actually started Nov of last year

That's great! I love my new job, too- mine started in November of this year, but I have a feeling it's going to prove to be stable and long running.

 

 

48 minutes ago, surfergirl said:

I'm really excited about 2013.

 

29 minutes ago, KuruPrionz said:

I think you mean 2023? 😇

Well, I for one am still excited about 2013! @Caevs GrrrlElizabeth... 

[Larryz]

Glad you're back in town Skip and I've been practicing my Sun Style Tai Chi every morning and every night.  I'm looking forward to Caevan's Telecaster project getting back up and running soon.  So far everyone (SG, DBM, Kuru, Sharkman, et al) are sounding like there have been a few setbacks this year but having a positive outlook for the new year! 

 

I feel I have been blessed with avoiding Covid and the Flu, etc.  Lots of my friends have got covid and so far, they have all been getting over it.  It's been a good year so far (knock on wood), and I too am looking forward to the new year.  I hope everyone has a wonderful time during the holidays with friends and family.  Try to stay warm out there!!!

 

[Winston Psmith]

I wanted to be sure I'd really made it out of 2022 before responding. After all, one never knows, do one?

 

I've said this elsewhere, but I feel like I've been following Yellowbeard's treasure map - "Stagger, stagger, crawl . . ." - without any certainty that there's really any treasure waiting to be found at the end?

 

We've had no major setbacks this year, but not much to show for it, either. I've had a lot of work since Thanksgiving, but nearly all of it went into car or home repairs, like the kitchen faucet that turned into a fountain. The soundtrack of our lives, of late, resembles Devo's original motto: "The Sound Of Things Falling Apart."

 

Novparolo got to perform for a couple of our favorite annual events, which also meant we got to see a bunch of EM friends we hadn't seen in quite a while. (The last in-person Electronica Fest was November 2019.) Somehow, we've also managed to keep recording and producing Music throughout this whole weird time.

 

My current album project, Unstable Elements, is nearly done, then I have two more partially complete album projects to get back to. I've started going through all the User Memory banks in my Synths and MFX, moving Patch Banks around, deleting failed experiments, that sort of thing. No idea how long it'll take?

 

I'm also hoping to pick up a new, or different Instrument this year, maybe the Violin? I got an interesting piece of advice from a Musician friend who's played the Violin for decades, which was to get one with a PU (of course), run it through a Distortion pedal and a Delay, and just saw away at it, until I start finding where the notes live on the fingerboard. I'm not sure how enjoyable that would be for anyone listening, but I like the idea.

 

Beyond that, I can't honestly say that I'm looking forward to 2023. I don't really believe in the whole "New Year, New You" idea, but even so . . .

 

Early this morning, the sky was streaked with warm, pink clouds, the last stragglers from last night's rain. Right now, the sun is lighting up the ornaments on my little Charlie Brown tree, while my wife and dogs sleep in. The air is warm, if a little damp, but it's drying out nicely. There is nowhere I have to be, and nothing I have to do, at least for today, but even in Winter, the garden needs tending, and there is always Music, so I'll find something.

 

Happy New Year, all!

 

[Caevan O’Shite]

2 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

I got an interesting piece of advice from a Musician friend who's played the Violin for decades, which was to get one with a PU (of course), run it through a Distortion pedal and a Delay, and just saw away at it, until I start finding where the notes live on the fingerboard. I'm not sure how enjoyable that would be for anyone listening, but I like the idea.

Headphones! For example, Electric Violin > Messner or Warhorn > Sovereign > Iron Bell > Strymon Iridium or UA Dream > any modulation, delay, or reverb that you like > headphone amp > some good full-sized circumaural headphones.

Sure, you might be starting with an acoustic violin with an added pickup, and thus some folks in earshot might hear that; but, it won't be like hearing you sawing away in exploration through a distortion pedal and an amp and speakers, right? And, it'd sound cool and be a lot of fun!    
 

 

2 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

Novparolo got to perform for a couple of our favorite annual events, which also meant we got to see a bunch of EM friends we hadn't seen in quite a while. (The last in-person Electronica Fest was November 2019.) Somehow, we've also managed to keep recording and producing Music throughout this whole weird time.

 

My current album project, Unstable Elements, is nearly done, then I have two more partially complete album projects to get back to. I've started going through all the User Memory banks in my Synths and MFX, moving Patch Banks around, deleting failed experiments, that sort of thing.

     
 

[Larryz]

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!! 😎👍

[Caevan O’Shite]

2 hours ago, Larryz said:

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!! 😎👍