The world was sent reeling March 25th, with the death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. He had become a seminal part of Dave Grohl’s self-declared rock and roll machine. At age 50, it was a shock to see a man so vibrant and on top of his game lose to what appears to have been a substance battle.
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That one just popped into my head as I’ve just finished posting this week’s podcast. I’m now 36 podcasts in, 36 conversations, 36 artist voices, 1,100 downloads, 29 followers and over 3,000 “listens”. People from all over the world including Australia, Europe, UAE, South America, the U.S. and Canada have been tuning in. The purpose was to check in with local artists. As a neophyte podcaster, I had no expectations. Ten downloads made me happy to know someone was listening. Even though I’m still small potatoes, it’s like the little engine that could….it keeps growing by leaps and bounds. Still a guppy in the ocean of podcasts; but folks ARE listening and the music is being shared.
Continue readingSeptember…..the beginning of my favourite time of year. There’s something so crisp and refreshing…..a newness spring doesn’t possess. New jobs, new schools, new grades, new homes, new lives…..September to me has always meant “beginning”. Maybe because it’s the month of my birth, or maybe it’s all the fall colours and brightness of the air, but I always feel inspired and invigorated in the comfortable cool months of fall. Of course, all things pumpkin spice doesn’t hurt either!
Continue reading…..and the cymbal saga continues. Here’s an interesting little tidbit. Ever heard of the bock-a-da-bock? Me either. Say it really fast though and it begins to sound familiar. Now Google it and there’s a whole history behind this fascinating little number…..introducing the hand cymbal commonly known as the Bock-A-Da-Bock.
Originally designed by Billy Gladstone, one of the most significant and finest percussionists of his time, Gladstone was continually inventing, building and perfecting instruments. “Gladstone’s ‘Device for Operating Cymbals’ comprised a pair of spring-loaded scissor tongs bearing two small, heavy cymbals facing each other; when the player squeezed the tongs, the cymbals closed together. A range of interesting sounds were made possible as the player held the device in one hand, opening and closing the cymbals whilst striking them with a stick held in their other hand. Its creator having received a patent, the ‘Ludwig Gladstone Cymbal’ appeared in the drum company’s 1927 catalogue.” (Drums in the Twenties)
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Heads up folks, DBAWIS will be going on summer hiatus beginning next week until September 7. So after today (Wednesday) I won’t be landing in your inbox or appearing on my FB timeline again until September 11. Hmmmmm…..come to think of it, I may resurrect a few oldies but goodies on my timeline, just to keep you on your toes. So with that, let this post begin….
What an EPIC weekend!! The weather, except for a couple of 15-minute downpours on Friday, was gorgeous nicely covering all three H’s…..hot, hazy and humid. So humid I felt like a piece of flypaper…..everything was sticking to me. A dive into the lake was sorely tempting. On the flip side, with no more rain in the forecast, people, little ones and big ones, were out in droves. In fact, it was another record-breaking year for the Mariposa Folk Foundation.
It’s time to make some hard decisions. There are far too many “projects” surrounding and overwhelming me, all requiring rather large investments of time and money. So…..I must focus on two or three and let the others drift a bit. I love what I do, being able to mix my passions of music, photography and writing and the people make it all worthwhile. But now it’s time to buckle down and actually put all the pieces together. Like many bands and musicians will attest to, “exposure” doesn’t pay the bills or buy the groceries. This weekly diatribe (or my writing in general) is not going anywhere and certainly neither is the photography. Along with the music it’s how I’ve met so many of you and how I connect what’s happening in the music community with those who read this column (and vice versa). But now is the time for some changes.
Let me start by stating I am not a “political” person. I follow what’s going on the world to keep myself current but I don’t read nor do I decipher every minutiae that is written about “he who shall not be shamed” or anyone else for that matter. However, the latest in a very long string of accusations of sexual misconduct/harassment, particularly here in Ontario, well…..I’ve about had enough. I posted this in Facebook a few days ago and, generally, the respondents agree with me. What follows in a slightly edited version.
“For the first time in years, eons even, I sat down to read something other a computer screen (except for Tom Wilson’s book Beautiful Scars). This time it was the newspaper. The National Post actually. For some mysterious reason it keeps appearing on my front porch at least six out of seven days a week. But I digress…… Continue reading
Curled up on the upstairs couch this morning, enjoying my little Christmas tree with the snow gently falling outside the window, once again leafing through Lisa MacIntosh’s book Music Makers: Stories of The Great Hall. I’m discovering pictures of people I have also photographed during my treks through the Toronto club and concert scene. Faces I recognize but didn’t necessarily know their names or even who they were. (I keep hearing the voice of my friend Sam Taylor in the back of my head….”you know him, you shot him at the Kelly Jay benefit….ya, you know her/him too from (insert show/club/etc. here)…”
Have a safe and happy Canada Day…I love you all. And yes…this IS the Greatest Country in the World…even if some of us don’t know it.
Portions of this column originally appeared in FYIMusic, Cashbox Canada, and DBAWIS.
Bullseye Records of Canada
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 