Writing Session 6-20-11

Here's first footage of one of Kevin and I's writing sessions.

This was a really fun song with all the different grooves we experimented with. This video only gives a taste of the song but it has some really interesting parts to it. We even threw in some time changes to really mix it up. I'll keep you updated as the song nears completion :)

Theres Nothing Like A Hammond

So one day I was with a friend of mine at his shop. His father has collected numerous items over many years and stored them in my friends shop. As we're walking through looking at all this stuff, I notice this organ sitting all by itself in a corner. After closer inspection I find out its a Hammond L-111 organ. It had been stored there for five years. I couldn't believe it! Even though I knew I couldn't even play it, for some reason I had to have it.

So I asked if they would be willing to sell it and what do you know they made me a deal I couldn't refuse. I get the organ home, plug it up, and this thing plays like brand new! All the tubes were glowing, speakers worked great, and all keys, levers, and switches work. The one and only thing I found wrong was the volume pedal. It's got some dirt in it so its "scratchy" when you operate it, but nothing that can't be fixed. I've cleaned off the five years of dust, dirt, and whatnot, and it looks brand spanking new.

So to keep it running good I'll get it oiled up and clean some more parts to it. I've also decided to get some wire covering and cover all the wires for more protection. Now the only thing left to do is learn to play it!

                                                       BEFORE CLEANING

                                                            AFTER

Zildjian A Custom

I just recently purchased a set of Zildjian A Custom cymbals. I'll have to say this purchase was well worth the money spent. I bought them from Musicians Friend which made me a little nervous considering most drummers like to "test" out the cymbals before they buy them. The whole set of these cymbals sound amazing coming right out of the box and are beautiful ( I almost didn't want to hit them). The 14" hi-hats have a nice "chic" sound to them and ring nicely when opened. The 20" ride has got a great bell on it that cuts through everything, and the cymbal itself has a tone that could be used with any genre of music. Along with the package came two crash cymbals, 16" and 18", that are loud! Just huge crash sounds! They also have good soft tones when playing softer music. This whole set of cymbals just makes my kit sound like I wanted it to. I couldn't be happier with the cymbals. So if your in the market for some cymbals, check out the A Customs.

Android

I have to write a short blog about this incredible device. Right now I am typing this blog on my HTC Desire and never have to get on my laptop. I haven't used many Android phones but I will say if your in the market for one, definitely give HTC a try. These phones can do so many things, it amazes me. If you always have a busy schedule and constantly need to be online to check various sites, this phone is well worth the money.

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Mikes Lessons dot com

For anyone out there wanting to learn drums I highly suggest checking out this page... Mikes Lessons  Mike Johnston, in my opinion, is one the most talented drummers alive. Sure there are lots of great drummers, but this guy is different. He is so talented in many different genres and areas of music. His teaching style is soooo easy to learn from. For twenty dollars a month, you can join in on twelve lessons (sometimes more). Four beginner lessons, four intermediate, and four advanced lessons. The lessons are live in High Definition with multiple camera angles, and also a chat room which enables you to ask Mike questions. All lessons are archived for a few weeks so that you can watch them if you happen to miss a lesson. I know I've missed a few because he is on the west coast so the lessons start on the east coast three hours later. You can download MP3's and PDF's of the lessons as well. So if your a drummer or want to get into drumming, definitely stop by Mikes Lessons and check it out!

Almost Ready!

Well most of my recording equipment has arrived... but of course the power supply for my mixer hasn't shipped yet and I can't do anything without it (ha ha). But all chords have arrived and ready to go. Im very excited to start recording these drums. I think it will make the whole process of writing music much easier actually playing drums rather than mapping them out on a recording program. In the meantime I hope everyone has enjoyed my new picture for jakepegg.com. It was very tedious work but I believe it turned out very well. Much better than I was expecting I must say. How I got lucky enough to get the awesome sun rays over the drums will always be a mystery to me. But I couldn't be any happier with they way it turned out. So keep checking back and I'll be giving updates on the drums.

Coming Soon

So in the next few weeks I should receive a package from Amazon. I have purchased some drum microphones and ordered all the cables from amazon. They have a great program that I will blog about once I receive my package. Anyways I'm going to start recording my drums and posting the recordings here..... hopefully. I'll also get some songs wrote and post them. During the process of setting them up and doing the actual recording I'll take lots of pictures and write about the steps for anyone that is interested in recording drums or percussion in general. Stay tuned!