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First publication of my photos begins...I am excited to hear that one of my photos will be included on the cover of the General Information catalog at UT Austin! It hasn't been decided which yet, but I took a couple o'great shots while on campus a couple months ago, and a few of the photos are under consideration. I'll be sure to let you know as soon as I find out which. Then you can own a copy, by ordering the GIC catalog. hehe...
Posted by Marc Gunn on Friday, May 30, 2003 |
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Three Kitties Skating on Thin IceOkay, I had to tell ya'll about the kitties. Last I mentioned, Torre and Jasper were getting along great. But Tiziano was the problem child. Hissing at Jasper, initially b/c Jasper hissed at him, but eventually, he turned into a little Napolean complex kitty.
Well, the plan was to leave Tiziano locked up and let Torre and Jasper play together like good kitties when I got home in the evening.
A couple nights ago, there was a slight change of plan. Jasper pushed open the door to the bedroom to get to TnT's food. I only noticed the door was open, so I shut him in the back with Tiziano. I didn't find him until about 30 minutes later when I was getting ready for bed. I hadn't heard any hissing between Tiziano and Jasper, so I decided to let Jasper sleep in the bedroom for a change. Mistake? Maybe...
The biggest mistake was Jasper waking up at his normal 3am time slot, meowing and playing with the blinds. Out he went, and asleep I went. The next morning though the door was opened again and Jasper was eating TnT's food.
Yesterday, I didn't let him sleep in the bedroom, so no 3am wake-up meows. But I went out of the bedroom to go to the kitchen, shut the door behind me with Jasper waiting at the door.
When I went back, there were two other kitties coming out, b/c again, I hadn't closed the door tight enough. So Jasper got in. I decided to keep the kitties separated nonetheless, but obviously, Jasper wasn't listening.
I got home to the funniest sight. Three beautiful Tabby Kitties jumping up at my entrance to hide. Paper towels shredded on the floor, Torre's new toy torn to pieces. And the kitties seemingly getting along okay.
Seems they're doing fairly well together all things considered. Tiziano still has hissy fits near Jasper, but for the most-part they stay away from each other. Torre is just tearing through the house. Psycho-kitty, quest'que c'est. So looks like they're at least adjusted and not planning on killing each other. Woohoo!
Posted by Marc Gunn on Friday, May 23, 2003 |
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Pride before the fall? I hope not.I'm feeling very proud today. Why? Because I'm making changes for the better.
I'm really pleased with our latest CD, but at the same time, I feel that in order for us to progress to the next level, the next thing we need to work on is the music. I've always been horrible at practicing. I remember my parents fighting with me constantly to play the piano, till finally we just both kinda gave up. Guitar was the same.
Yet, I've had a desire...a passion to play music and perform. The main reason we've gone as far as we did is that our first year was spent practicing at lunch time at UT...in front of an audience.
Many still remember the running joke...me forgetting the lyrics...again! I've gotten MUCH better, but I still don't practice as much as I should. Not to mention, I've abandoned some of the really creative stuff.
On Monday evening, I jammed with a friend. She had played an autoharp a wee bit and should me a song she had worked out.
What a great rhythm? It was then I remembered when I started playing the autoharp, I was the more creative than I ever have been. Now I get stuck in the same patterns. Sure they work, but some songs, I just can't get into, like "Black Velvet Band". I'm just not hearing anything spectacular when I play that song. So maybe it's time to create a new rhythm and strum pattern that is unique and remarkable? Maybe so.
In any case, I feel like I'm taking steps forward to a better place. My weakness...reliance.My other big weakness has been a reliance on Andrew. Every now and then, I find I have to convince Andrew to do something that he may not want to do. Sometimes, I score big and it's a big hit. But sometimes, it's a flop. We're moving in bigger and better directions, but I'm still a guerrilla marketer. I like to focus on the specifics, the small scale to build my success. And I don't need to rely on anyone. That's just a piece of my own dependency.
Thus, I very happy that I'm booking my own solo performances. It encourages me to practice more, to experiment more, to grow more. I've been working on some reels to play on the autoharp. Andrew does the leads of The Bards, so I've not had the inclination to really work my arse off to learn some. "Moria" is one of the songs I'm most proud of on Memories of Middle Earth, and that's only because I wrote the initial melody on the autoharp and picked it so you can hear it!
Now, I want to become a better picker on the autoharp. I'd like to know that if I Wanted to compete in an autoharp competition, I know I would do fairly well. Right now, I don't feel I would.
Sure I'm a pretty decent autoharpist, but I admit it, a lot of my skill is making me look flash, or accentuating parts of the song, not necessarily picking melodies. But I want it all!
And I'm on that journey. Yes, our summer performances are going fairly slow. Andrew is doing a fantastic job at booking regularly, but right now, he's scoring gigs for the fall. So summer is fairly free. And I'm happy about that. I can take advantage of this free time to become a better musician and to take the next step in my musical career that will secure my independence as a professional musician. In preparation for Cafe MundiMeanwhile, I'm getting ready for a fun show at Cafe Mundi. Yesterday, I went through a bunch of songs that I'd like to play. Came up with about forty...Not including a LOT of my original songs. Just a wonderful bunch of songs that I love and that have inspired me through the years.
Style? Yes.
Or rather, no. There's nothing specific. Some are original songs. Some are Celtic folk songs. Some are American Folk songs. Some are contemporary songs that I adore. I think the second step after I finish picking all the songs is to weed through the list and maybe pick out an assortment.
I don't know what it was, but one thing of Ed Miller inspired me. Ed is a brilliant ethnomusicologist with a focus on Scottish folk songs. But I noticed that he doesn't seem to limit himself to the songs on his CDs...and vice versa.
I heard him singing songs from his latest CD a year in advance of his CD release. But when I ran into Ed and Brian McNeill while they were recording, I got the impression that some of the songs weren't even picked yet. Mostly, but not all.
Then at one of his gigs, he worked through a set list that seemed largely new. Yeah, he tells the same stories now and again, but it was neat to see the set list from his vast repetoire of songs.
This kinda inspired me to do some research. Instead of working with the same ol'bard songs, it said to me, let's do some research and pick a nice mix of songs that people could enjoy...from my past present and future.
So that's what I'm doing. This isn't gonna be an all-request hour. It's gonna be an all MY request hour, as I play songs that I love and would like to share with you. Mind you, if you have any requests, feel free to drop me an email and tell me. But there's no guarantees I'll play 'em. It'll depend if they will fit in the grand scheme of my performance. Yes, for the first time in seven years or so, I'll have a set list...and hopefully, you'll enjoy it.
Well that's all the news from the feet of Collini Berici, so take care and I'll talk to ye soon.
Posted by Marc Gunn on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 |
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Random RantsI just finished watching Cinema Paradiso. Ah, how I love that movie. I remember when I first saw it during an Italian movie night at UT, many years ago. I was in tears at the end. I feel kinda emotionally dead right now. So there were no tears, but there were some fond reminiscences.
I think I’m still not spending enough time da solo. I need more. With my calendar, I plan out every day, but I still don’t take enough time for me.
Take tonight, for instance. I sat down, didn’t feel like working on the computer. So I thought about reading, but fatigue seem to catch up with me rather quickly. So I figured I’d just watch a movie. But take Cinema Paradiso to inspire me. Now I’m sleepy, but wanting to write…or sleep…
It’s been a stressful week. Work has been ever abundant. I was at work today, as an example. Then I come home to some psycho kitties. The kits are all running around the house in the evening. Jasper spends it hissing, Torre play fighting, and Tiziano egging Jasper on, with hisses and claw swipes.
Then of course, there’s times like right now, I put TnT into the back bedroom and Torre meows and meows, the most dreadful meows. Very need kitty. But still very sweet too. He’s taken a break, while no doubt, Tiziano is play fighting him.
My place is a wreck too. Needs a major going over…oh, there goes Torre again. Seems that quite often my mind and the cleanliness of my apartment go hand in hand. I wonder how many others are like that. If the apartment’s a disaster, expect my mind to be too. Well, I’ll be cleaning up tomorrow.
Earlier this evening, I went to meet and chat with Donnelle MacKaskle. She hosts Celtic Storm, a weekly Celtic radio program on 91.7 KOOP here in Austin. Had a nice time. Lots of Celtic community gossip and whatnot. One of my many hypocrisies, I’m not big on gossip, but now and then, I seem to spend too much time with it.
But it’s always great talking with Donnelle. She has the magic touch when it comes to putting on Celtic events in Austin. Saw some pictures from her Celtic Christmas event last December. Over 750 people showed up at the church where the event was held. And the church only holds 600 people. Pretty spiffy.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to get my mind organized for our CD release. I’ve had a tentative “yes” for holding a CD release at the Cactus Café in July. Still waiting for the final date. Also, trying to figure out HOW to promote it. I setup some new forums on my website that I hope will help with sparking some promotion. Déjù vuYeah, another moment, like that. It happens quite a bit with me. I just wish I could write this stuff down BEFORE it happens the second time. Ah well.
The weather here in Austin has been beautiful (no this isn’t a written move to small talk). And it’s always at this time of year that I start to feel anxious. Like I want to go out and meet people and do things, but it’s always the same old thing. Where? What? With whom?
I don’t consider myself the most social of creatures. If it was for my music, I’d probably be at home and depressed all the time. That was college after all. Well, not really, but I remember quite often, it would be a Friday or Saturday night, and I’d be wanting to go out and DO Something. But what? So I might wander places, to the Texas Union or around the dorms. But ye know, I never found anything.
Maybe it’s just one of those late night fantasies where you feel you should be out partying late. Or maybe it’s something else. But I never found those fantasies fulfilled, so I’d end up doing what I did tonight, watching a movie, and thinking.
But then some of that is good when directed in a positive manner. You just got know how to focus that energy, but when I’m tired, no can do.
This is another reason I booked the gig on the 30th. It gives me another chance to get out and do something. Part of the prob of course is just lack of money right now. Got a few more months of tight-wading it, and then mayhaps I can look into going out and being a party animal, but for now, I’m just gonna find my entertainment in as many free ways I can come up with.
What can I say, I’m Scottish. J
But my mind is filled with romantic imagery that I don’t take advantage of enough. Like writing poetry more in a café. It’s really not that difficult to do in Austin. So why not do it more. Give up those snacks I’ve been getting at work, and voila, there’s the dough.
Then it’s just a matter of making the time to get the heck out of the house. It’s so easy to get stuck in here and repeat my same old ways. Course there’s so much I’d like to do on the computer, that it’s no wonder. I can always find something to do to distract me from the creative process.
Well, it failed tonight! Even this wee bit of ranting has a degree of creativity. More will come later. But for now, it’s late and time for bed. Time to dream about clouds, warm sun, and kitties…oh wait the kitties will be all over me during the night, so how about kisses? Like at the end of Cinema Paradiso. Now that’s a beautiful, magical, and imaginative way to end a film. Il Fine.
Posted by Marc Gunn on Sunday, May 18, 2003 |
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Napoleon Complex...in CatsLast night, after a great practice with Andrew, I decided to introduce the kitties to Jasper without cage or door or anything in between...with interesting results.
Jasper has been staying with me the past few days and is finally starting to lighten up. First day or so, he just hissed constantly as he found his former territory covered with the scent of TnT. But slowly, he's calmed down. For a while, he'd hiss every time he heard the kitties in the back room. I finally figured out where the term "hissy fit" came from. Oy!
So last night, I decided I would introduce the kitties to Jasper. I decided to start with Torre. In the past, my little "hunter" has been fairly friendly to Jasper. Meaning, he hasn't hissed back. So I carried Torre into the living room where Jasper was napping. As soon as Jasper saw Torre, he began hissing. But he wasn't attacking like I was expecting.
So I set Jasper down on the couch. No attacking, just lots of hissing. Wow! Soon Torre began to explore the new scents that were covering his former territory, and Jasper hissed.
So while I waited with Torre, I asked Andrew to let in Tiziano from the back bedroom since all was going so well. He did. Tiziano came forth. That's when I noticed his little Napoleon Complex. Tiziano hissed back at Jasper.
Well, the hissing was all fairly harmless, but it seemed to agitate Tiziano quite a bit. It was almost a magical moment, as if the hissing cast a spell on Tiziano that turned him into a little fighter. Tiziano attacked Torre. Torre seemed a bit bewildered, but stayed on his guard. Now that I think about it, I guess Tiziano was trying to show Jasper that he was a tough cat or something.
So TnT started sniffing and exploring while Jasper growled and hissed. Jasper left the couch and started advancing slowly in an effort to offer a wee feeling of aggression. He stopped, growled and hissed behind by big leather chair, and it looked like there would not be any problems after all. But then Tiziano got bolder.
Tiziano was still feeling aggressive. So he got close to Jasper and hissed. Then the kitty screeches erupted and paws swiped at each other. I let out a loud "Tss!" which is my way of saying, "Stop being bad kitties!" to TnT. Tiziano backed away, but was hissing his cute little hiss all the while.
After another confrontation like that a few minutes later, I decided to put TnT in the back room to calm down and played with them a wee bit. I think tonight I'll let them out again one at a time. I think Torre and Jasper will get along fine, but I'm not sure what to do about Tiziano. He's gonna be a difficult one with that bloody Napoleon Complex of his. Ah well, it was an interesting experience all around.
Posted by Marc Gunn on Thursday, May 15, 2003 |
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Live from Cafe Mundi...Marc Gunn...SoloIn 1998, I recorded an album, Geography. It was an okay album, nice production, but my autoharp and vocals were a wee bit dismal in my opinion. So a few months later, I recorded October Sessions, a four-song EP to book gigs. Didn't happen. I was soon forced to get a job at UT, started playing music out on the South Mall and having some much needed practice. A few months later, Andrew and I formed the Brobdingnagian Bards.
But let's take a step back a wee bit. After Geography, I really wanted to put together another full-length solo album. October Sessions just wasn't it. But when The Bards started up, it was put on the back burner. Then another Bard album and another. Well after a while, the back burner went up in flames it seemed.
Then in 2001, I got a Tascam 4-Track recorder and recorded "Buttercup's Lament". It was to be the start of my solo album, but once again, it got pushed to the back. Meanwhile, the Brobdingnagian Bards were growing ever more popular, but a thought has been on my mind for a while, what about me?
I've mentioned before that I'm co-dependent. My ex- was the victim of my dependency. The Bards are another victim. Mind you, my co-dependency isn't always negatively realized. In fact, it's helped us to climb to the top of the charts, methinks. But I haven't done as much looking out for me.
So after finally relaxing and stepping back to let Andrew do the booking, I found it wasn't enough. Yes, I now have time to focus on promoting, but focus on me? Well, I'm practicing more now. Had a great time late last night playing some old and new songs. But I wanted to do something else. So I decided to start mixing my solo album, and now I've even booked a solo show at Cafe Mundi. Bard Marc Gunn @ Cafe MundiFriday, May 30
Cafe Mundi @ 8-9pm
1704 East 5th Street
Austin, TX
512.236.8634
No, this isn't the demise of the Brobdingnagian Bards. We're doing wonderfully. In fact, Memories of Middle Earth will be hitting stores soon. But this is a chance for me to see "my quality".
I like challenges. I like having visible goals to work towards. And now I have one that's all about me. Mind you, I'm not gonna spend a helluva lotta time promoting this event. I'm gonna count on you to tell your friends. The Bards still come first for my promotional skills, but I need this opportunity to get out and try some other stuff. Not just Celtic folk. I have a lot of musical loves and so I'm gonna try some of them out on the world... I'll even put together a SET LIST! ;)
Wow, how exciting! (hehe)
Since it seems my Yahoo Calendar is not available to the world, you can stay in touch with me through my MP3.com calendar. I hope you'll tell all your friends and come out to enjoy the show. Slainte!
PS. If you want to just keep up with my solo updates, you can sign up for MP3.com's Notify Me service.
Posted by Marc Gunn on Tuesday, May 06, 2003 |
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Well
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Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers
