Last transmission from the second Millennium

As I watch the sunrise lighting up the mountains West of Santa Fe I am thinking about a busy year now behind us. I am looking forward to 2001. I have many plans and ideas for the new year and am giddy with excitement about turning them into realities……

From a conversation w a friend last week about the many changes in music:
It used to be very expensive to record ones music. Musicians had to be incredibly dedicated to save up or somehow find the money to record a single or an album or had to tour for years until they were “discovered” by a record company. That in itself limited the amount of music that was available. Now every high school student willing to work for a summer can afford to buy recording equipment that will sound as good or better than what professional studio used thirty years ago. What this means is that there is an amazing amount of music released every week, not just by the major labels, but also by tiny independent companies. How do we find out about some of the really good, but more obscure music that is being released among this incredible flood of albums? Certainly not from radio, which could be such a great medium to showcase new artists. Certainly not from MTV, unless you are willing to watch 24/7 to catch a glimpse of something new. Searching through file after file on MP3?

R U ready 4 the real beginning of the millenium on 01.01.2001?

Funny Web Site: www.thesmokinggun.com/

Current Input

“Music gives order to life. Without it, Life would be hopeless.”
Isaac Stern

Current input……….
Reading:
“One Taste” by Ken Wilber

Listening:
Bossa Mondo (compilation CD on the Wave Music label)
Tanto Tempo by Bebel Gilberto
Eric Schermerhorn (pre-release CD)

Watching:
Gladiator
Ghostdog

Funniest web site:
www.dumblaws.com/
(Example: You are not permitted to wear cowboy boots unless you own at least two cows – in Blythe, CA.)

Flamenco Nails

Nice reviews of our “christmas + santa fe” CD on www.cnn.com and in USA Today last week!

The release date for the “Little Wing” album is May 15th, 2001.

Flamenco Nails!
About 11 years ago I started hardening the nails of my right hand by putting krazy glue on them. This creates a warmer guitar tone and enables the nails to withstand the punishment of Flamenco rasguados and strumming. A few years later I heard about adding baking soda to the crazy glue which hardens and creates a thicker nail. The danger of doing this is that the combination of krazy glue and baking soda creates heat – if one uses too much at a time it is possible to burn a hole in the nail. About four years ago I started using acrylic which doesn’t look as awful as the baking soda. I finish the acrylic with a little krazy glue to create to a very smooth surface. Lately I have started to mix krazy glue with acrylic on the nail. It takes a little longer to harden and dry, but seems to work just as well and doesn’t stink as terrible as the acrylic solution.

Start of Carnival Season

In the city of Cologne in Germany, where I was born, the carnival season starts on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 minutes after 11 am. Of course it doesn’t really get going until the week before Ash Wednesday in February when there are big parties and parades. Between November 11th and February people get together at fund raisers and vote for the three men who will represent the traditional carnival triumvirate – the prince, the farmer and the virgin…..and yes, the virgin is a man in woman’s clothing.

The public carnival season starts in the Morning of the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, when the women of Cologne meet by the thousands in front of the city hall and are officially given the key to the city by the mayor. On that day women roam the streets, singing, and partying. They sometimes wield scissors and cut off passing men’s ties. Cologne is famous for its carnival and it’s quite an experience.

12/01 @ 647

Food 4 thought……

Less is more – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Less is bore – Robert Venturi
Having an idea is something that cannot be learned anywhere – Richard Sapper.