Starting the Second Step of the Thousand Mile Journey

 So the first step is said to be the hardest. 

What about the second step?

Taking the second step is actually more difficult than the first. Take the case of musicians who had blockbuster debut albums. Most of the time the second album doesn't fare as well as the first. The reasons are obvious - there is already a comparison, the desire to do better than the first, the pressure to strike while the iron is hot, etc, all contribute to make the succeeding step inferior to the first.

Same goes with exercise. The first time you hit the threadmill, you are quite pleased by the results. You decide to do it again the next day, and presto! you can't perform as well as yesterday, because your muscles are aching...

So what does this post have to do with the previous post on being a musician who aims to create Progressive Rock Christian music? 

After having assembled the initial instruments, the plans for creating music hit a snag, mainly because there was almost no time to practice on the instruments. So for the next three months, the instruments remained inside their boxes, except for those two or three instances where i practiced the keyboard and guitar, just to check if the fingers were still as fast as I thought they should be. 

The good thing is that my eldest son had the same objective as mine, ahhh, almost.

My son purchased an electronic drum set, a bass guitar, and a pre-amp that links the instruments to his laptop. 

So here we are, all things are now in place, but he prefers to perform by himself, recording the music in his laptop, and editing it thru his laptop. While my objective was to perform everything live then recording it.

O well....

The Journey of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step - Lau Tzu

So in my previous post, I stated that I have this knack on songwriting, and that I intended to pursue it in the near future. I also hinted on my plans to buy a keyboard so that I can compose music and write songs.

Some three weeks ago, I happened to pass by a music instrument store with a huge sign saying "50% off on all Items", which really stirred my interest. 

So my wife and I endured the long queue (entrance to the store was limited due to COVID-19 protocols), patiently waiting for our turn to enter, and looking wistfully at the customers who left the store carrying items which I wished I had. Anyway our turn came.

It was both a disappointment and a blessing. Disappointment in the sense that those things I wanted were no longer available, but a blessing because there were other things that they missed.

Somebody beat me to the Yamaha PSR-EW410, but I got my hands on the last stock of Yamaha PSR-E443. Even if not as powerful as the EW410, and definitely below par of the Roland BK-5, it was not bad deal really since it is a great beginner keyboard, and at 50% discount, it was only P12,000. That left me with enough money to look of other bargains, which were really a steal.

I got a Yamaha acoustic guitar with pickups, a Peavy stratocaster sunburst design, 2 electric guitar amplifiers, two Peavy microphones, and microphone stands, keyboard stand, guitar stands, and other accessories. The combined cost was less than my budget for the BK-5. End result, the blessings far outweighed the disappointment.

An electric bass would have completed the package, but the last stocks were worth P110,000 each, way too expensive for a budding musician like me.

So I am now re-acquainting myself with playing keyboards and guitar, while complaining of slow fingers that haven't played an instrument for years. Meanwhile, my wife enthusiastically immersed herself in playing - of all songs - "Happy Birthday" on the keyboard.

The first steps, considered as one of the most exciting phases of a journey, are also the hardest. So now that I've taken that hard first step, let's see how it goes.

July 29, 2020.

I just rediscovered (again!!!) that I have a blog.

A long lost blog.

And since I rediscovered it, and mused over my various ramblings about my dogs, politics, the weather, etc, I think it's about time I use this to do something else creative.

More that 40 years ago, I discovered I had a knack for writing music. In fact, I composed 13 albums in a span of 6 years, ranging from the amateurish "The Initial Offering", when I was 16 years old, to the last one I did (I forgot the name) which was my attempt to go progressive rock. 

I also dabbled in Christian music, become keyboardist of a band in our Church. We released two albums - the first one contained two of my most memorable songs but which were relegated to the dustbins after a fallout with the church, the last one a collaboration with the other members. By the way, after I left the band, it disbanded a few months later due to lack of creativity and petty issues between the remaining members.

So I have decided to go for the best of both worlds so to speak. Since I am quite hooked with Progressive Rock (my favorite groups are Rush, Pink Floyd and Supertramp, and also love the music of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and lately Rick Wakeman - yes! the legendary Rick Wakeman), and I'd rather write about the realities of faith, love and God's salvation (yes, I'll write Christian music), I think I will pioneer the genre Progressive Christian music. 

I intend to purchase a Korg PA300 or a Roland BK3 to go with my dependable 20 year old Stratocaster.

Watch out guys!!!

And They Just Keep Coming Back

Just when I thought I'd never set foot again in this place.
I'm going back to Baguio.

How are you now?

GO YOUR WAY

I stumbled upon this latest album of Sixpence None The Richer called "Lost in Transition" and it simply blew me away.

One song that I think relates very personally is this song.

GO YOUR WAY

If you go your way all the time
You will go your way
I’ll go mine

When summer comes I can be free
And we’ll figure what we’re supposed to be
And we’ll meet again when all the leaves are changing…

(Wait)
I get mixed up
(Love)
I get it wrong
(I’ll)
I find my way
(be)
When I get lost
(wait)
I loved you then
I love you still now
Don’t think that I’ve forgotten how

But going my way made it clear
There is no way without you near
We are together when we’re free
We can figure out how it’s supposed to be
We can figure out what we’re supposed to be…love

(Wait)
I get mixed up
(Love)
I get it wrong
(I’ll)
I find my way
(be)
When I get lost
(Wait)
I loved you then
I Love you still now
Don’t think that I’ve forgotten how

If you go your way all the time
You will go your way I’ll go mine 

 Memories just keep coming back.      

Heroes - The David Bowie song

Heroes 

CHORUS:
 I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing, will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day.

And you, you can be mean

And I, I'll drink all the time

Cause we're lovers, and that is a fact

Yes, we're lovers, and that is that

Though nothing, will keep us together

We could steal time, just for one day

We can be heroes, forever and ever

What'd you say?

I, I wish I could swin

Like dolphins, like dolphins can swim

Though nothing, nothing will keep us together

We can beat them, forever and ever

Oh we can be heroes, just for one day

[Chorus]






I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the wall (by the wall)
And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads)
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall)
And the shame , was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, forever and ever
Then we could be heroes, just for one day.


We can be heroes
We can be heroes
We can be heroes
Just for one day
We can be heroes

[Break]


We're nothing, and nothing will help us
Maybe we're lying, then you better not stay
But we could be safer, just for one day
oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-ohh, just for one day.

What makes this song that special to deserve a post in my blog?

 It is a story about two lovers who weren't meant for each other. Yet despite the odds, they managed to see each other ("standing by the wall").

David Bowie wrote this song about two lovers separated by the Berlin Wall.

Sounds so familiar, although for us, the Berlin Wall is purely figurative.

Gone is the Last of the Old Guard

Brownjack (2001-June 14, 2014)

I couldn't cry anymore, even if I wanted to. I have long accepted the fact that Brownjack would sooner or later join Blackjack and Hersheys in Doggie Heaven, but not like this.

Brownjack is your typical Askal - medium built, straight ears, thick light brown fur, a curly tail, and alert eyes. Together with Blackjack, he stood guard over our property for 13 years. While Blackjack was playful and always wanted to get my attention, Brownjack would rather stay on the background.  Blackjack loved pan-de-sal and sweets (like Hersheys), Brownjack preferred to eat rice, meat or fish. Blackjack somehow managed to stay free of fleas. Brownjack was a flea magnet.

A lot of people had bad intentions for Brownjack. Because he was chubby, several tambays on our neighborhood wanted to make him pulutan. There were several attempts to poison him, but to no avail. Brownjack would eat only the food we gave him - he ignore the food given by strangers. He would only eat the food on his plate. He refused to eat the food if it was served on another plate.

So it was a cause for worry when he refused to eat four days ago. But he still drank his water. A case of indigestion, I thought. But this Saturday morning I was already alarmed. Brownjack lay on his kennel, breathing laboriously and too weak to move. I gave him a dose of antibiotics (SMP) and forced fed him with dextrose. After about an hour Brownjack seemed to recover. His eyes regained its sparkle, and he managed to rise to his feet to drink water again.

I returned to his kennel at 3:00pm to find him dead - his body still warm. Cause of death? I don't know.

I called Obet (our neighbor who is quite famous as the community dog gravedigger) to once more dig another grave. Brownjack has finally joined Blackjack and Hersheys in Doggie Heaven.

Our yard now has two empty kennels. Our remaining dog Smarties A.K.A. Butotoy remains inside the house. I don't know if I will raise another dog - I still haven't gotten over the loss of Blackjack and Hersheys. Maybe in a few months. Maybe never.

Goodbye Brownjack. Like Blackjack and Hersheys, you made our lives bright. I will miss the hours spent bathing you (because I had to remove all your fleas), the nighttime strolls, the times I stroked your back and your head cuddling my lap, seeing you sit alert and running whenever I called your name.

This morning, Miami lost the NBA title to San Antonio - despite the presence of their Big Three. Our family has also lost its Big Three in a span of three months. But we fervently believe that with each loss comes a greater gain.

Goodbye Brownjack. We love you.