Just a summer update

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
Now that the school year is over here, I've got some time to recharge. In fact, it's nice that the drums have been quiet for the last couple of weeks and the usual maintenance is taking place. Heads are getting replaced, and even on my zep kit, I'm going to install that second pair of the curved spurs just to see if it actually adds to the stability of the drum.

My Zendrum has also been quiet, and I'm getting ready to re-initialize it and re-program it. I even got a bass drum trigger for it so I can utilize my foot with it, so I'm kinda' excited to see how that works out instead of only having my fingers to play it. The Slingerland kit still stands at the ready for a quick gig, but I don't have anything on my calendar planned at all through the end of July. I've done my Mouse gig a couple of times since school let out so it was nice to be actually faceless for once ;)

I started teaching for the summer with our kids in the summer program - and I have the daunting task of teaching notes and rhythms to basically musically illiterate show choir kids. I think they're excited because I'm actually teaching them some drumming stuff with sticks on the floor (we have 90 students this summer, so it's big, but not half as intense as we are during the school year).

In fact, everything is so relaxed around here, I've had time to sit around and play this tenor ukulele I've had. I even bought one of those pickups for it that I have to install so I can amplify my horrid uke playing - but I'm diggin' it. Being from Hawaii, I thought I'd tackle some of those traditional Hawaiian songs that every uke player would've learned when they were kids - but I spent most of my life detaching from whatever my family was and now that I'm older, I'm going the other way. I think mom's happy about that ;)

So I'm in relaxation and maintenance mode, and for once I'm really enjoying it. I'm still working of course, but sometimes the art stuff I do needs a break. I even requested doing the mouse gig less - if you can believe that. The last year (since September anyway) has seen big life changes and just stupid busy working conditions. I'm not burned out but a bit of a respite isn't a bad thing.

How 'bout all of you? Any vacations planned or relaxing being done? For some reason this summer, I think it's really important. I've even gone so far as to invite a majority of my family over for a barbecue over the holiday weekend - these last eight months re-connecting with immediate family has become really important to me. I got a Maui vacation planned for later in the year and I'll probably surprise the wife with a few days in Vegas just to get further away. After reading so many threads here of people blowing their brains out working on stuff and getting through the frustrations of playing, maybe a real break is in order for everybody, eh?
 
You do sound happy!

I'm hoping to get my drumming really and truly off the ground this summer: a keyboard/singer friend and I are meeting a potential bandmate (bass player) today.

My big non-drummy news is that we're going to Singapore at the end of July because Mini-Madge is starting university there and our excuse is that we want to spend a week or so to help her settle in :)
 
Get ready for this (you may want to sit down)- but in some parts of the world it's actually.......WINTER!!!!!
 
My big non-drummy news is that we're going to Singapore at the end of July because Mini-Madge is starting university there and our excuse is that we want to spend a week or so to help her settle in :)

Geez, that's a heck of a long way to go to drink cider and throw up behind the sofa....
 
Well, I'm kinda new here so I'm sure nobody really cares, but.........I'm going to spend a lot of the summer at the beach house since the 3 bands I'm in aren't that busy for the summer.
 
Get ready for this (you may want to sit down)- but in some parts of the world it's actually.......WINTER!!!!!

There's always one awkward one, isn't there!
 
Wasn't the Brady Bunch episode where they go to Hawaii the best? Alice the housekeeper in a grass skirt, the mysterious "tiki", a guest appearance by Don Ho...

Back to work. Lucky you Bo. Have fun.
 
Well now that the dreaded first gig is out of the way...I'm revamping as far as my drumming goes. I'm sticking with the band if they want to do more gigs but am also looking for more like-minded musicians. Something that more suits my own musical tastes as well....so I'm excited about that. Also the drum teacher has me working on some great new fills (showed me a Vinnie Colaiuta fill last night that could prove to be pretty fun), and I'm ready to just get back to working some basics. I'm amped to have fun and keep improving as my summer goal.

As for non-drum stuff, a group of college friends and I are getting together in Tennessee late next month so I'm really excited for that. Haven't seen some of them in 20 years or so! If weather holds, the man and I may ride our motorcycles down on the 400 mile trip.

Not much else so far, I just want it to stop raining so I can actually get out and enjoy the summer!
 
School's out for my college, too. We only run a couple of classes in my program in the summer, and it's pretty low-stress. Some hiring, some curriculum writing, finally getting the landscaping done, and oh yes, my summer gig.

Hope you all have a fun summer (or winter, for you poor inverted folk).
 
Recorded a demo a few weeks ago and it is still in the mixinig/mastering process.
Also working with an independant singer/songwriter on his demo that will be ready for the studio next month. Hopefully my summer will be full of gigs and practices, also looking forward to some of the summer concerts and festivals this year.

All in all should be a busy, musical summer. Cant wait!
 
I'm on summer vacation until mid-August when classes start again. Honestly I'm ready to go back. Been on vacation for like a month and it is getting boring. I get to be the stay at home dad, so I clean, feed the dogs, clean, let the dogs out, clean, correct the child's behavior, clean, do the laundry, and oh yeah, CLEAN!

When I'm not at home you can find me in the woods hiking or at the gun range.
 
Chartered a boat for a week wiht the family to cruise Long Island sound. So busy I havent really played but it will slow in a few weeks and it will all come to screeching halt when the week on the boat starts. Me, wife, kids, ocean, vodka.

Looking forward to jumping back into lessons next fall with both feet.
 
Summer? Bah!

Jammed in my garage last weekend and it was so cold I had to wear a multitude of warm coverings so that I could barely move my arms to hit the drums.

Perhaps that was why I - as another of those all-too-common-around-here old new drummers - played better than I recall playing before.

Make that two awkward ones Magenta!
 
The wife and I are taking our dog, Larry Sinclair Zigfeld, to Jekyll Island for about a week and a half.

We've booked the "Lanai room" at the Oceanside Inn. It has a jacuzzi, a refrigerator, and a bunch of other stuff. It's a suite kind of deal.

We sent off for a state-of-the-art beach umbrella. It's serious! We've got foldable beach chairs. We've got some nice beach kit.

I'll smoke a pork butt a day before we go, so we can have lots of good barbecue to take with us.
 
Summer? What summer? It's always summer in Malaysia hahah :)

Well I'm pretty busy with studying, my exams are always around the corner or so they say. Been practicing more on the pad as I feel I haven't been practicing on the pad that much. Though I feel somedays are quite monotonous.
 
Wow, summer. Working mostly, doing alot of stuff that has needed doing around the house. Later on this year we have Cruise to the Carribean scheduled.
 
Summer? What summer? It's always summer in Malaysia hahah :)

Well I'm pretty busy with studying, my exams are always around the corner or so they say. Been practicing more on the pad as I feel I haven't been practicing on the pad that much. Though I feel somedays are quite monotonous.

Being familiar with Hawaii, I think I'd go batty if I actually lived there. No seasons on that rock, either! But it is a nice place to visit ;)

One day I will venture further west to your part of the world.
 
This thread is depressing me :( No vacation booked, just busy as hell and no end in sight. band is taking a gigging break during August though, but plenty happening in July.

Sorry Andy. Well, if you're not busy in August, I'm heading into Las Vegas for five days. A friend of mine said there's a huge Star Trek convention going on at one of the hotels. I thought I'd bring the cameras and shoot some of the geeks - talk about stepping outside the box - never went to one of these things before and it actually sounds like a good 'people watching' event. You should fly over and we'll hang with the Trekkies ;)

I guess we could cruise the town and watch alot of the working musicians too. If we must.
 
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