Still believing the children are our future!

There really is no better feeling for me than giving a child an instrument! It helps that the child is my younger step-daughter, Corey, and that she really appreciates it. She's an awesome kid, smart, quick study and sweet. Talented too! She plays violin, uke, sax and now a little bass. I'm enjoying playing the bass as well! Being primarily a guitarist, this thing is so easy to play.

This bass is the new Squier (by Fender) Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Special (short scale). It may be inexpensive but it plays and looks like way more than it cost! Right out of the box, perfect, well nearly. I'll still do a full set up, but it was set up well enough that we just tuned it up and started playing.

The only niggly things that I will have to correct are the back of the neck's skunk stripe needs a little sanding, the knobs weren't aligned and really, that's it! Even the strings are nice.

SO...Go Fender/Squier for making it easy to put a smile on a kids face (and mine too!). Go Corey for learning the bassline to Garbage Truck by Beck from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World so quickly! You rock!

Another Website Project: Kathy Cooper Studios

My piano teacher needed a new site, I needed lessons... MATCH! I'm enjoying working with her on both! She's learning how to post to her new blog and I'm learning how to play Kansas City Blues!

Bookmark kathycooperstudios.com and check back as we update regularly. Much to come in the future. AND If you need to hire Kathy to play at your event or know someone that wants lessons, I can't recommend her enough!

What I'm working on

I have a tendency to head in many directions at once. I can't help it. Call it ADD, call it extreme curiousity...

Whatever it is, occasionally I calm down enough to try to sit and learn just a few things at a time and not try to "eat the whole elephant". Taking a "bite at a time", I decided I needed to start learning a song on the piano that I love, that others enjoy hearing, one that I can conceivably play and sing at the same time (and sound good!). I decided Van Morrison's "Someone like you" was a good match.

It's coming along well. I've got the song's main motif down now. Now it's just a matter of learning the rest.

NO I'm not brave enough to share a video of my playing just yet, but I'm getting closer. For the time being, please enjoy the man himself playing this wonderful song:

I'm also working on Moondance by Van, as well as, Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now, Run To You, some Chris Isaak songs on guitar, some Elton John, as well as continuing to work on The Luckiest by Ben Folds, and attempting to learn some Kansas City rag style blues licks. Too much again, but I'm taking it slow this time... yeah, right!

G.A.S. Report — ACQUIRED: Roland Juno-G Workstation Keyboard

That’s right! I sold one Roland and rolled the money into another. This time, it's more than just a synth, it's a workstation with the Juno name. Albeit not like a real Juno (I loved my friend Buddy's Juno 106 back in the 80s), but has some similar sounds PLUS much more.

It's a 16 track midi sequencer, a 4 track audio song recorder, a sampler, an expandable synth that you can add waveforms and patches to, and even write your own using the USB connection and editor software on Mac/PC!

The keyboard lives up to my expectations, so far, although I would have liked to have had the wonderful keybed of the RS-9 I just sold on it, the keybed on this one lacks some Oompf! The sounds are fun, amazing and with the clarity and warmth I've always loved about Roland products.

This thing is complex though. It will take me the better part of a year to learn it!

“I believe the children are our are future, Teach them well and let them lead the way”

Nothing makes me happier than sharing the love of music with kids! I was so happy when I met my wife again after 22 years (we dated in high school) and her two girls, that she played guitar and Corey, the youngest, played violin. I felt good knowing I was involved with people who loved music. Rachel, the oldest, had an appreciation for music but just what she heard on the radio. I think she didn't know she could play something. So we encouraged her to pick an instrument. After a while we helped her make the decision, “how about drums?”

So a year after we bought an electronic kit and getting her started in lessons with the great Rocco Blake at Carolyn’s Keyboards (where at the time, Stacey, Corey & I all took guitar, uke and sax lessons) we decided it was time, if Rachel could prove to us she was ready, to get her a "real" set.

Her proof was getting more engaged with her lessons, requesting from Rocco to learn Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”& “Run to You” drum parts. Rocco found a set that was being sold by one of his customers, a gentleman that has been playing for many many years, that was in near perfect condition. A 6pc. Gretsch Catalina Birch kit with Evans heads, Zildjian cymbals and hi hats.

She loves them! She immediately got on them and rocked out on them! She seemed to come alive....

and that makes me happy for sharing my love of music. Even if I never get as good playing as I'd like, I know that Corey, with her saxophone in school band, picking up the bass occasionally now, and Rachel with the drums and whatever good times are ahead for them both playing, I hope they find happiness, too!