Although I’ve been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil, my main creative focus was music until just a few years ago. I think I’ve said before how I’m afriad of losing my love for making music. Partially because I’m afriad of losing a part of my identity I think, and partially because deep down I still love playing. I put art on the back burner for years while pursuing music, and now that I’ve done a creative 180, music is simmering in the back of my mind.
I’ve really been missing playing lately though, and for the first time in over a year I restrung my guitar. I played for a bit and had to stop because, and I’m ashamed to say it, I’ve lost the callouses on my fingertips. So I’m just pickin’ a little every day while waiting for them to come back.
I think that one other reasons I stopped playing the guitar as much is because I have a really cheap one. The distance from the string to the fretboard is enormous. It’s like trying to play a fence. I keep telling myself I’ll get a better one. But the money for that never seems to quite come in. But then again, I’m so used to this one, that when I do get the chance to play one with some better action, it seems ridiculously easy. So maybe it’s a good thing.
I’ve also been meaning to go back and finish up learning some Joplin on the piano. My sight reading skills on music are horrible, but give me enough time and I can play just about anything I have the music to, and then can readily play from memory. The problem is my attention span. I have a bunch of half-learned songs in my head that have been there for years and have been too lazy to finish. I need to get make the time to finish them up before I’m 80 and regret never having done it.
What all instruments do you play, and what’s your vocal range?
Geof F. Morris
April 24th, 2005
my vocal range is from around a the A that’s just below the C that’s 2 octaves below middle C…to around the G or so above middle C.
As far as instruments I play piano, guitar, mandolin, saxophone, bass, and dabble with the drums and banjo.
Brian
April 24th, 2005
Wait-a-whozit … you hit an A well off the bottom of the bass clef? DUDE. I remember getting to an E down off the clef and thinking I was awesome, but you’re talking like a whole other octave. And I take it that you’re calling your high range sans falsetto?
I’m impressed by your instrumentation ability … I can’t play any instrument worth a damn.
Geof F. Morris
April 24th, 2005
yeah…that A. I’m something of a contrabass. which was embarassing when you’re in 7th grade in the church youth choir and just want to go unnoticed.
and I don’t have much falsetto…I dunno if it’s because I can get so low or what. But that G is me screaming full voice…I can hit it, but I doesn’t sound great. I think I can hit the C above that in my “falsetto”, but it doesn’t sound good.
The low notes come in handy with an a cappella group when my mic’s run through a sub… But that’s pretty much the only setting that it’s useful or fitting.
Brian
April 24th, 2005
My goodness! Wow.
I was always taught that those with low ranges typically could get high in falsetto. In falsetto, I can hit most second soprano lines [though it ain't real pretty]. That came in handy one day when my first sopranos in youth choir were complaining about a high note. When your male director can hit it, you usually shut up and hit it.
[The boys never looked at me the same, though. I think they were afraid that I'd hurt them or something.]
Geof F. Morris
April 24th, 2005
hm…I guess I’m atypical then. I used to wish I had a “normal” range…but I’m pretty happy with where I am at this point.
(there’s nothing like the feeling of shaking a room when you hit a low B through a sub-woofer)
Brian
April 24th, 2005
I bet! No wonder you love Rockapella … you can do all the bassist’s low notes.
Hey, we could have a .net quartet if we could find us a first and a lead tenor …
Geof F. Morris
April 24th, 2005
So next time Im in town I expect a Brian concert.
alisa
April 24th, 2005
no pressure.
Brian
April 24th, 2005
i want to be in the quartet! i’m not sure what my real workable range is, though. also, i’m not a very disciplined singer…so maybe i could be a 5th member of the quartet and just sing along with whatever part seemed like the most fun at the moment…
or i could just go to your concerts.
and i love shopping for guitars, so if you start getting serious, let me know.
do you have a midi-connected keyboard for recording?
chalee
April 24th, 2005
Charles, you could screen the groupies.
Geof F. Morris
April 24th, 2005
Can I run sound?
Wow Brian… sounds like the artsy side of your brain is fine tuned… I can play the… er… uhmm… radio? And I can’t sing to at all (although I can empty a room pretty quick).
Eric
April 25th, 2005
Oh no way no pressure! Hey I beat ya Jace would love to play with you too.
I’ll get my camera.
alisa
April 25th, 2005
The artsy side of my brain makes me sucky at math.
Charles: I’ll give ya a call when I go shopping for my next one
Alisa: please don’t beat me.
Brian
April 25th, 2005
I’ve always been told that mathematics and music are alike.
They must be lying to me.
Geof F. Morris
April 25th, 2005
yeah, I think I’m the exception.
Brian
April 25th, 2005
i bet janice joplin is rolling over in her grave hearing you play “piece of my heart” on piano.
Mr. Blazer
April 28th, 2005
Here’s an equation for you, Mr. Math.
Joplin + Piano = Scott
Brian
April 28th, 2005
joplin + guitar - humor = brian is a grumpy pants
Mr Blazer
April 29th, 2005
Mike: 1
Brian: 0
Geof F. Morris
April 29th, 2005
this is golf.
lowest score wins.
losers
Brian
April 29th, 2005
Just keep thinking that, Brian.
Geof F. Morris
April 29th, 2005