Love the Brothers, wish they toured the mainland more! Great harmonies.
Tag Archives: music
Lucky Guy!
When I first got into teaching I was so thankful just to have a few students. I still feel grateful to have families bring their kids to the studio week after week.
Then when you realize they care about you too…it makes you feel really good! I am always taken back when clients/students think of me and my family at the holidays. It is never expected but always appreciated! Thank you all for the cards and gifts over the holidays.
Here is to a musical 2013 on the guitar!!!
Top 10 Posts of 2012 on ’12 Notes & the Truth’
Thank you to everyone who visited the site this year. Since starting in March there have been just shy of 10,000 views.
Here are the top 10 blog posts by numbers of viewers in 2012.
1. American Idol Live! Tour, San Diego Concert Review -July 26, 2012
You can’t deny the power of this show. Love it or hate it, it has mass appeal! I was a devout hater for the first few years but have been won over by the talent of some of the kids!
2. Van Halen Week in San Diego – Concert Review
Van Halen, the reason I play guitar = the reason I am here 30 years later playing and writing about music. So glad to see their resurgence in 2012.
3. Scorpions & Tesla in San Diego, Your Concert Review
The Scorps were one of my favorites growing up. To this day one of the best concerts I ever saw in ’84, awesome to see them still at it and popular as ever.
4. A Musical Tribute to the 2012 Olympic Games in London
This post had a lot of global appeal as all countries are included. I thought it was pretty creative.
5. This Performance May be Why the Term ‘God Bless America’ is Used as a Curse Phrase
The cyber world is truly made up of puppy, kitty and cute kid videos…and unfortunately people like to see a good train wreck as well…which is what these poor singers gave during a World Series game in San Francisco.
6. Michael Schenker Said No to the Rolling Stones, Ozzy, Aerosmith…
I am truly grateful to see Michael Schenker is so popular over the globe. I have always been a fan(and feeling on an island) and glad to see this post has been so popular over the year.
7. Mick Jagger on SNL Season Finale May 19
The Rolling Stones just don;t go away. Another post that I have been surprised got so many hits throughout the year.
One of my favorite bands. The title sounds negative, but, I wrote this as a tribute to how good they are and wondering which early album did not hold up in AC/DC fans minds.
9. Van Halen Week in San Diego – 10 Facts You Might Not Know About Van Halen
Again awesome to see them have such a big year in 2012.
What a great title to get people to your blog, and I guess it worked. I was honored to play guitar for Rachel Sterling’s wedding over the summer.
Top 10 Countries to View ’12 Notes & The Truth!’ in 2012
Becoming a blogger this year has been a lot of fun. There were certainly some surprises for me along the way some include;
-That just under 10,000 viewers would visit, read & reply to this blog.
-How many cool people I have hooked up with to chat about music.
-That no matter what your opinion….someone will STRONGLY disagree. Although I had very few negative comments over the year they are venomous when they disagree…a small taste of what those in the public eye must endure daily…like actors, athletes and musicians. Actually my first negative comment oddly felt kind of good. That what I had to say touched a nerve with someone…like I was doing something right here. Although, personally, I would prefer an adult exchange of ideas. I never did censure any comments even those lame spam ones that get through.
-One of the most mind-blowing aspects is how many views I received outside of the U.S.
Here are the top 10 countries to visit 12 Notes & the Truth! since it was unveiled in March.
1. United States-Obviously
2. United Kingdom-Makes sense as the U.K. is English speaking and very much Western in music and culture
3. Canada-Ditto #2
4.Philippines-From watching my stats throughout the year it seemed to line up with my American Idol posts. I think Jessica Sanchez may have been a part of the attraction, as well. There was also a wedding photographer from the Philippines that traded links with my site.
5. Germany-I did write a couple Scorpions posts and am a huge Michael Schenker fan, both of whom are native sons to Germany. I never saw a direct correlation to my stats however.
6. Australia-Again ditto #2 & #3
7. India-A welcome surprise how high they ranked.
8. Brazil
9. Mexico-Not as much a surprise due to their proximity to San Diego even though they have a very different culture.
10. Netherlands
Ranking just outside of the top 10 were; Spain, France, Russia, Italy, Greece, New Zealand and South Korea.
Some countries that visited which surprised me were; United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Algeria, Lebanon, Maldives, Kenya. Not surprised that the folks there are interested in music and culture of America and the West. More surprised that their interests brought them to my humble blog.
Some of the global appeal I think relates to previously mentioned posts about Michael Schenker, Scorpions and American Idol. Others include my sports posts on baseball, the NFL and the Olympics and I would like to think just a general appeal to music lovers.
Here is to a great, prosperous and musical 2013!!!
A Merry Musical Holiday to Everyone!
Thank you to everyone who has stopped by the blog this year!
Thanks to all who follow the blog, Facebook and Twitter!
Thanks also to all my students, clients and colleagues for everything over the years!
It’s been great to chat with you all about one of my favorite things…MUSIC.
Here is to you!
Mike
A Jazz Musicians Christmas
“Playing nice and simple for the ol’ folks…
If they heard my b5′s and minor 9′s I’d be headin’ for the unemployment line…”
I heard this song the other day and had to post it. Musicians all have to play gigs at times where the music means more to the consumers than the musicians(beats digging ditches I always say!) This song a jazz musician lets out his hardships about playing Xmas music for the holidays and not being able to throw in his favorite jazz licks.
Pretty funny and maybe a new Xmas tune to many of you.
Enjoy!
Must See Music & Animation
Some of you may have heard of Animusic, but if you haven’t you’ve got to watch this!
Unlike many projects where music is written to fit the animation or vise versa, Animusic uses computer programs to drive the animation from the music.
As creative as the instrument in this video is, there are real life ‘versions’ that are similar like the 42 stringed guitar in the picture below.
Guitar, Wine & Relaxation…a Black Friday Alternative, A San Diego Guitarists Performance Blog
Once again, I had the pleasure of performing at Orfila Vineyards and Winery in Escondido. This time the day after Thanksgiving. I really didn’t know what kind of crowd to expect. Would everyone stay home? Be burned out? Turkey hangover? Shopping?
Well, the first sign it was going to be a nice crowd was there was no parking except the overflow. Walking up with my gear, it was packed. That always gets the musician juices flowing. But, it was also nice to see folks using their ‘Black Friday’ to relax. Even better they were supporting some locals over the big box chain stores. Including Orfila, myself and local jewelry maker Katy of KD Custom Jewelry, who’s always a pleasure to work with. Darn Good Food Truck was also there, but, I was so busy I never got a chance to go see what they were all about, sure they were ‘darn good’ though.
With the holiday season upon us, I only have one more scheduled public performance and you guessed it…I will be at Orfila on Dec. 2…3:00 to 5:30 PM. If you haven’t been to Orfila yet it is a must. There is truly something in this valley overlooking the vineyards that always makes for a great relaxing day. If you are planning any events or weddings definitely take a look here!
Some photos of the day!
New Trend in Wedding Videos
Looks like there is a new trend in wedding videos. Couples are expressing themselves through their favorite music instead of a traditional video of the day and their guests. Hmmm, one could argue they are just trying to go viral and get some attention, but it seems like a trend that is gaining popularity.
I think it would be a fun change to play a wedding where everything was a bit crazy and different. Although, these days most couples are not throwing their parents weddings and the ‘traditional’ is now less the norm. Most couples enjoy having music and events that are more reflective of who they are than traditional wedding marches, etc.
Let me know if I can help you with your wedding music!
Viral Royal Wedding Video
I am guessing this is not how the Royal Wedding actually went down. Amazing how much some of these actors look like the Royals. Enjoy!
If you need anything regarding your wedding music please contact me, Mike.
