Make Mine Martin

Posted on July 9, 2020 by mfna

On the headstock of every guitar is the legend — the logo — “C F Martin & Co. Est. 1833.”

Considered by many (most?) in the music world as the premier acoustic guitar maker, the name Martin alone speaks volumes when mentioned in music conversations. Has there been a superstar guitar player singer-songwriter who hasn’t played a Martin?

The company has been an innovator in the manufacturing of guitars. Its use of woods, bracing, and shapes have defined the industry. The “dreadnought” was a Martin creation, and its most iconic guitar is probably the D-18. A used D-18 can sell for thousands of dollars!

Now, I’m going to admit I’m a bit of a “gear slut.” When I was younger, having a name brand guitar was a grand desire of mine. I lusted after the Gibsons, the Fenders, and yes, the Martins.

The past ten years have been good to me. After my divorce, with no alimony to pay, I found myself making good money, and so I found I could afford to buy my dream guitars.

And so I did. I had played acoustic for so long that I went into adding electric guitars to my collection. I bought a Taylor acoustic, learning that Taylor had become a major force in the business even though it’s a new (1974) company.

But it wasn’t until just a month and a half ago (May, 2020) that I obtained my first Martin. I had been playing my KLŌS travel guitar exhaustively — because of its size and indestructibility, mostly — and liked the idea of “parlor” size guitar, and I spied a “Little Martin” with built in electronics (pickup). The price was right, and so I purchased a LX1RE.

It’s a fine little guitar — I don’t think it plays as well as my KLŌS, but the sound is fuller.

Then, I spotted Musician’s Friend’s Stupid Deal of the Day, offering a Martin OMC 15ME Streetmaster in Weathered Red, and went crazy. I bought it. And here it is!

Martin OMC 15ME Streetmaster (Weathered Red)

The cutaway makes it possible to play further up the neck, and it has electronics built-in as well. The wood is mahogany, which supposedly gives it “warmer” tones. I’m still letting it acclimate, but my first impression is that it shines as a strumming guitar, but maybe not so much as a finger-picker. Given that I’m a lousy finger-picker, I don’t see this as a problem.

And now… There’s a short scale Fender Telecaster I’m eyeballing…

Does Everything Have To Live In The Menu Bar?

Posted on June 27, 2020 by mfna

Using the term “Menu Bar” should be a dead giveaway that this post is Mac-oriented.

I don’t want this to appear to be a whiny complaint, so I’m going to try to make it “constructive criticism” mixed with a call for ideas.

First, a brief history: After Apple introduced Mac OS X (“ten,” not “X” and now known as macOS), a major upgrade from the “Classic” Mac OS9, many new features began finding their way into the operating system. One of those features is officially called “Menu Extras.” According to Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, the left side of a Mac’s menu is occupied by “traditional” icons (Apple, File, Edit, View, etc.) and the right side is where these menu extras go. Apple has its own set, but developers have been busy at work.

Looking through the MacUpdate web site, where I check every day for new and updated Mac software, it’s become more and more obvious that a lot of utility programs present themself to the user via a menu extra — usually an icon the sits in the menu bar.

I confess, I like the handy availability of these items. I like seeing the time, weather, memory usage, network connectivity and a variety of “quick-look” items I would otherwise have to open an app or utility to view. I also like the ability, no matter what I’m doing, to click and view my calendar, do an Internet search, check my clipboard items, configure a Bluetooth device, activate AirPlay, and a number of common activities without having to put aside work I’m doing.

The problem is — and I’ll admit to being part of it — is that my menu bar is getting crowded. I purchased a very helpful utility called BarTender 3, that lets me toggle the visibility of my choice, but even that only masks the issue. At this writing, I have 15 visible and 16 “hidden” items. That’s 31 items that have taken roost in my menu bar!

Now, I wonder. My creative mind isn’t what I’m known for, and it certainly isn’t paying the bills, but here’s a suggestion for any developers who might be reading this and looking for a new project: How about a single menu extra that when clicked, reveals all the others, and lets one click on a selected item? Parallels Toolbox paves the way for this, but it only offers the tools Parallels includes.

There are a number of useful utilities included, and I may begin replacing my single-purpose utilities with it. A new feature, shown in the image above, is “Hide Menu Icons.” Parallels Toolbox has the ability to identity an action I’m taking and can suggest using one of its features. For example, when I am giving a training, I use a Mac to display my presentation on a large screen TV, and Parallels Toolbox automatically offers to use Presentation Mode (muting alerts, popups, etc.).

In a way, I’m currently playing a juggling act using Bartender. Its own menu extra is used to toggle between “visible” and “hidden.” It has some other options I won’t go into here, but it’s one of those programs I feel is worth every penny I spent on it. Another one is TotalSpaces2. But that’s another topic, for another day.

Enough With The “Virtue Signaling” Already

Posted on June 12, 2020 by mfna

The latest trend to sweep the online world is the craze known as “virtue signaling.” No one by now has likely been untouched by this madness. It seems to be more infectious than COVID-19. And because it is transmitted online, no one is immune unless they “self-quarantine” by pulling the plug.

According to Urban Dictionary, virtue signaling is defined as “To take a conspicuous but essentially useless action ostensibly to support a good cause but actually to show off how much more moral you are than everybody else.” Exactly.

Recent events have spiked the generation of these expressions of moral outrage. It seems that every CEO, company president, spokesperson or media relations representative now feels it necessary to publicly proclaim their position of dancing with angels.

Two examples, both occurring on the same day, underscore the point. The first is the Twitter post by Reverb, an online marketplace for musical gear, akin to an eBay for musicians. Reverb has been very visible on their web site with their holier-than-thou attitude. When Michael Fuller, founder and president of Fulltone guitar and bass effects (pedals) posted online his reaction to news of rioting and looting, Reverb reacted by issuing a public statement proclaiming they were “suspending” sales of Fulltone products on their site, and would be donating proceeds from current sales to some nebulous “racial justice organization.” Huh?

This is virtue signaling as its “finest.” Note the wording. Reverb doesn’t say “canceling,” “terminating” or using otherwise strong language to distance themself from Fulltone. Rather, the use of the word “suspend” suggests they will resume their original practice at a later date. They also don’t specify to which organization they will be donating their selling fees? Fuzzy, much? Sheesh.

Second, is the email sent out by Sarah Friar, CEO of Nextdoor.com. Nextdoor is a social media site meant to focus on neighborhoods nearby one’s home. It offers announcements, for sale items, services, advice and community news. Ms. Friar had to join the virtue signaling crowd by sending her blog post to all registered subscribers. Her message begins, “Let me say it unequivocally: Racism has no place on Nextdoor.” Uh, does racism have a place anywhere?

I don’t believe that at my age, I’m overly naive. Over the years, however, I’ve also learned that “feelings aren’t facts.” My career working with data, combined with life experiences, tend to make me look unemotionally at facts, trying not to let emotional baggage influence investigation. A correlative saying goes, “You can have your own opinion, but you can’t have your own facts.” There is a tendency these days for “scientific investigators” to disregard facts that don’t support a prior conclusion. That isn’t science, it’s ideology.

It’s one thing for a company to promote its “clean” technology, recyclable products, “fair trade” practices, and so on. But virtue signaling just seems to me a form of chest-beating and false braggadocio.

Dee-lightful

Posted on May 27, 2020 by mfna

It’s kind of funny to say that one has a friend he has never met in person, but a friend nevertheless.

My first foray into the world of the Internet was the original “Music For A New Age” (MFNA) — this site (in its original form). The worldwide-web was new and promised to change the way technology was viewed and used. It fulfilled that promise. As someone in the field of technology, I was fascinated and wanted to learn how this new technology worked. It was easy! So, I hand-coded the site (HTML is just text with embedded “tags” that describe how the finish page should be rendered by the viewer: the browser).

At first, it was all about storing links I used frequently. Today, we use “bookmarks” to accomplish this, but I liked pulling up a page with clickable links that would take me anywhere I wanted to go. I had recently become a fan of what was then (and to some extent, still) called “new age” music. I found artist sites, publishers, streaming audio, and a wide variety of related content. I put them all into my site’s pages. I even started writing reviews.

My intention was not for it to become a review site, but since the ‘Net was still young, my site actually found itself on the new “Google” first page. As a result, it attracted the attention of a number of musicians, artists and like-minded fans. Before long, I began to get requests to review albums. As a result, I began to receive review copies, pre-release copies, and commercial copies of CDs. Some were even signed by the artist. Grammy award-winners such as Paul Winter and pioneers of the genre such as Constance Denby sent me their music.

While I was thrilled to be sought out by recognized artists, what really struck me was the quality of the music being produced by “unknowns.” To this day, I think I have a better understanding of the complex and mysterious workings of the recording industry. There are truly outstanding musicians out there who for reasons still hidden, do not get a shake from the big name producers.

Dino (“Dee”) Pacifici is one of those unheralded artists. A multi-instrumentalist, Dee has been self-producing his own CDs since the 1990s. He would send me copies of each release, sometimes even test pressings, never asking for anything in return. His music was tremendous, so I wrote reviews never knowing if anyone was reading them.

Despite his awesome talent, Dee was not a full-time professional musician. So, some time around 2004, he stopped producing albums. By this time, he and I had become “Internet friends.” I would send him Christmas cards, and we became Facebook friends.

Recently, I was listening to the weekly broadcast of Night Tides, a program airing live over the radio and Internet on Sunday nights, and the announcer mentioned new music from Dino Pacifici. I did the proverbial double-take, and fired off a message to him. He replied and said he’d returned to composing and had released some new music, called A Collection of Shadows.

True to his nature, he offered a Yum code (I had to learn this was how one downloads music from Bandcamp, which is one way music is marketed these days). I have thus downloaded his pieces (they may be heard on the site without requiring a code) an am once again enjoying some terrific music from a terrific talent, and a terrific human being.

Autobiographies

Posted on May 7, 2020 by mfna

I’ve heard it said that “history is written by the winners.” I think there’s a lot of truth in that, and it’s one of the reasons I tend to shy away from reading autobiographies. After all, doesn’t everyone want to paint the most positive picture of themself possible?

My father wrote his autobiography.

He was a bit vain, and felt that he had something to leave to posterity. Apparently this view was not shared by publishers, so he self-published it via Vantage Press, a vanity publisher that closed its doors in 2012.

Yet, I did find his book interesting. Of course, I’m an “interested” party, so I’m not unbiased, but oddly enough, I learned things about my father from his book that I never knew growing up and while he was alive (he passed in 2005). Yes, there were the self-congratulatory opinions and deflections of character defects (he takes no responsibility for his divorce from my mother, for example), but when seen from the perspective of an eye on history, there were some real gems about how power and diplomacy work.

So it was with this caution in mind that I picked up the autobiography of one of the world’s greatest guitar players, Eric Clapton.

Like so many others, Clapton is always on my list of favorite guitarists. A few years ago, I even bought a Fender Artist Series Stratocaster Eric Clapton model.

My musical tastes diverged from my earlier blues-rock leanings in the 1990s, so I lost track of Clapton’s career for a while. It wasn’t until my daughter gave me his “From the Cradle” (she knows me better than I know myself at times) that I even had a Clapton recording on CD!

Yet, when I saw that he had written an autobiography, and since the coronavirus has had us all self-imprisoning, I decided to read it.

More surprisingly than anything else to me, is the amount of humility that the book encompasses. Clapton reveals his insecurities, his flaws and does not spend a lot of time on a pedestal. His fans have done that for years, but even though he admits he played the “virtuoso” role at times, and succumbed to the excesses of the star lifestyle, he is generous with his praise for others, often relegating them to the pedestal, instead. He reveals that journaling was part of his life, and it’s apparent with his recall of names – not just of band members, but managers, roadies, barkeepers, neighbors, business associates, and women (lots of women, which I found a bit surprising given his sexual insecurity as a youth) that he wrote a lot of the details and names in his journal.

There is a definite tone change later in the book. I suspect some of his early writing took place before he entered recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. He speaks frequently and eloquently about his recovery, and it’s a driving force in the creation of the Crossroads Centre in Antigua that he funded and built. Many of his actions (performances, guitar auctions, appearances) are now the basis for supporting this recovery center.

I’m not sure where Clapton has colored his story. There is a lot of bad behavior described, and he’s quite open about his character failings, which seems to me surprising, given that autobiographies are often the mechanism by which one attempts to justify oneself. So, this autobiography is more like a journey to redemption for one of the world’s great guitar talents. And, if the autobiography is to believed, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

Headstock of My E.C. Stratocaster with Signature

Re-skinning the Site

Posted on May 6, 2020 by mfna

I’m reminded of a saying I use frequently when discussing IT (the common abbreviation for Information Technology — a label that has evolved over time): “If it ain’t broke, break it! Then fix it!”

Although I frequently use it while finger-pointing, I confess that I’m guilty of the same thing from time to time. This is such a time.

For years — since I turned this site into a WordPress blog site, in fact — I have used the same WordPress theme. I didn’t customize it other than use my own header image, and it’s worked pretty well for me (given that I don’t promote the site, and so only get the occasional drive-by reader). Now that people are housebound due to the Coronavirus lockdown, new projects start taking shape. I’ve acted on a few.

One example is that I completely cleaned up and reorganized my guitar and photo “studio.” Putting guitar hangers on the wall has stalled, since I’m researching the best solution. I also bought and assembled a bookcase that I’ve put into my living room, giving me some much needed storage space for guitar and computer gadgets.

Back to the topic at hand: Looking at the site, it began to seem to me to be in need of a visual overhaul. There are so many great WordPress themes to choose from, I started exploring. This is a more emotionally wrenching experience than I would have thought, because not every theme works well with my idea of layout, content, posting style and so on. WordPress has a “live preview” capability, but even that doesn’t always render a final verdict. Activating and publishing a new theme has been my solution. So far.

I’m not convinced that the current them is the final product, yet. But this form of experimentation is good for whiling away some time. And right now, that in itself, is a good thing.

Guitar Pro 7.5

Posted on April 28, 2020 by mfna

As I wrote in my last post, I’ve been spending a lot of time learning Duke Ellington’s hit song, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.” Not only do I find this song timely, in the age of COVID-19, but I like the tune itself. I’m finding it has launched me into another phase of my learning to play/playing guitar.

When I took lessons last year, I realized that there were fundamentals of playing that I had either neglected or ignored. Now, trying to master this latest piece, I’m finding that my past playing has been sloppy. By that, I mean that when playing chords, I looked at the entire width of the guitar neck — all six strings. Oh sure, I knew that some chords required me to mute a string or two, but my right hand didn’t care even though my left hand was forming the shape. My teacher and this song have made me realize that sometimes only two, three or four strings are played to generate the desired sound.

Yup, my jazz guitar, a 1957 Gibson ES-225

Now, I’m online looking for additional songs I of this type I can add to my practice routine. “This type” tends to lean toward jazz standards, and one I’ve looked at is another Duke Ellington piece, his signature song, “Take The A Train.” More complex than the first, but it’s a catchy and recognizable (to me, at least) song, so while I may defer trying to learn it, I’ve at least bookmarked it.

One of the sites I’ve used for finding chord arrangements (and more now than before, tablature), is Ultimate Guitar. I’ve collected a variety of mostly pop and rock arrangements from there, generated and submitted by users. The site also offers downloadable Guitar Pro files. What is Guitar Pro, I wondered?

It turns out a French software company, Arobas Music, is the author of Guitar Pro. The latest release as of this writing is version 7.5. Several online reviews (one is here, which offers a 10% affiliate discount as well) are claiming this latest version is head and shoulders the best software available to write, listen to, and learn stringed instruments. The company offers a 30 day free trial, so I downloaded it (Mac and Windows versions are available), and I’m exploring it now. My tendency is to pull out my wallet and immediately plunk down the dollars ($69.95 US), but I’m at least going to wait until I’ve tried it for a week or so before doing so. But already it seems likely I’ll be adding this to my software library!

There’s an added enticement to buying this software now: FREE access to mySongBook until May 31. A quick site scan shows there are some awesome guitar tabs there, and they all have Guitar Pro downloads! This may be the greatest side-effect of the Coronavirus lockdown!

Easter Greetings

Posted on April 12, 2020 by mfna

He is risen. He is risen, indeed.

In my church, this is how we greet each other on Easter Sunday. Today is the most unusual Easter, since everyone is self-quarantining due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Easter services will be held still however, thanks to the advances in technology. Online is better than nothing, but it still doesn’t replace the experience of face-to-face gathering. Which brings me to the purpose of this post.

Having given my Easter greeting, I find I am still sitting at home, sheltering in place, and today is just like the day before it, and the day before that. I actually put “Saturday” on my to-do list to remind me what day of the week it was yesterday! Thus, it was a bit of synchronicity that I received an email. And acted on it.

Back story: Almost nine years to the day, I subscribed to a web site, JazzGuitar.be, a site for and by jazz guitarists. I have downloaded lessons and songs, and I receive periodic emails, but I’ve rarely followed through on any of the information I’ve received. That all changed a couple of days ago.

I received an email with a lesson on Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” a song I have a passing familiarity with. I looked at the music sheet and tabs, and thought, I think I could actually play that!

Arranged by Dirk Laukens, of jazzguitar.be

When I was first learning guitar (self-taught), tab — or tablature — did not exist. Or, at least it wasn’t formalized, so I had to either learn from chord charts or by reading scores (sheet music). But I saw this piece and said to myself, “I can read — and play — this tab!”

Which is what I’ve been doing. Between yard work and routine chores, I have found that having a guitar on my sofa makes it easy to pick it up whenever the mood strikes. And the mood has struck often these days! In two days, I have gotten to the point where I can play the main portion of the song all the way through, without mistakes!

Jazz guitar. Just before I broke my elbow at my daughter’s fourth birthday party, I was studying and practicing jazz guitar using Mickey Baker’s “Complete Course In Jazz Guitar” (volumes I and II).

Mickey Baker’s Complete Course in Jazz Guitar

But the injury caused me to stop playing, and for a long period of time, never touched a guitar. When I finally picked it up again, I felt like I had to go back to my “roots” and start playing the songs I’d taught myself at the beginning.

The circle has been completed. I’m now back to where I was when I was “guitar interrupted.” In fact, I’m further along now, thanks to lessons I took, and the availability of online resources that didn’t exist back in my early days.

So, now not only can join in Easter services with my church online, I can also learn and participate in playing guitar with people online I’ve never met, and can only share my experiences in a virtual space. “Social distancing” may not be the most fun in the world, but thanks to technology, it doesn’t have to mean isolation!

Staying Sane @ Home

Posted on April 2, 2020 by mfna

The Coronavirus, COVID-19 as it’s now called, has put the world into a never-before seen situation. All around the globe people are being told to stay indoors, as this new strain of virus makes its way among us. Since it’s new, no immunities or vaccines are known to combat it, so the dire predictions of mass fatalities continue to grab the headlines.

From what I understand, “coronavirus” is a name for a group of respiratory diseases that can affect birds, mammals and humans. The “common cold” is a mild form. SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 are more lethal forms.

That the world has been shut down is remarkable. That it is/was necessary is debatable. At least to me. All the talk is about “flattening the curve,” which suggests a more drawn out infectious time frame, but fewer casualties as a result.

I’m not in the position to debate. Like most people, I think, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So, I’ve resigned myself to staying in my home for the most part. Going outside only for exercise, a quick grocery shopping trip, or a walk to the mailbox. But you know what, that’s pretty much what my life was like before this quarantine. Except for the working at home, that is.

So, how do I get by day after day without going completely bonkers? First, I turn on my Apple TV (fourth generation) that is connected to my 55-inch TV and fire up the EarthCamTV app. This is a fabulous app I’ve used frequently in the past, but now it’s on my screen daily! As the name suggests, it’s a site/app that displays live webcam feeds from around the world. The scene changes every few minutes, and is a virtual “window to the world.” What I find most amazing these days are the scenes of locations that are usually teeming with people that are now desolate. The Las Vegas Strip, New York’s Times Square, L.A.’s Hollywood & Vine. Eerie. But fascinating!

Check it out: https://www.earthcamtv.com/

While I’m watching the world go by, I’m usually listening to, or playing music. I enjoy the four-hour radio program Night Tides, which is broadcast live every Sunday night, but is available for streaming immediately after until the next program. I’m also a subscriber to Ambient.Zone, a podcast that is created by a Dutch expat living in Cyprus. I’ve listened to TC’s podcasts for nearly 15 years — good stuff! Available also on Mixcloud and where podcasts are found.

Since I have a lot of time at home due to not having to commute, I’m always able to take a minute, pick up my guitar and spend a few minutes playing. I’m learning a bunch of new old songs (or old songs new to me), and I can’t begin to describe the joy I feel when a new song comes together under my fingers!

I have some guitars to choose from, and each one inspires me in a different way.

Maybe the next project I’ll undertake, since I’m spending so much time at home, is cleaning up the “studio” so it doesn’t look like a disaster area!

Love In The Time of Coronavirus

Posted on March 28, 2020 by mfna

It had to happen. Everyone else is talking about COVID-19, as the novel coronavirus has been designated. So I might as well join the crowd.

First, I’m writing because this slate has been blank for a while, and it needed updating. Second, because I went on vacation, which meant that I was supposed to self-quarantine upon my return. Which is what I’ve been doing. For the most part.

So, to rewind a bit…

Every first Saturday in March is the annual Salvador Dalí Museum dinner. I’ve written about it before, so no point in re-hashing that part. Since I was making the trip, I booked a Caribbean cruise to extend my vacation time, and thus, off I sailed. Two of the ports of call I’d visited before, so I had no desire to go on any excursions there. Two others were new to me: Mahogany Bay (Roatán) and Belize. I booked a visit to the Mayan ruins in Xunantunich in Belize.

Belize is the former British Honduras, and as such the official language is English. Given that all of the neighboring countries are Spanish-speaking, the majority of Belizeans speak Spanish. The signs are all in English, however. The ruins at Xunantunich (the “X” is pronounced “SH”) are spectacular! I was glad I made the trip. Getting there meant driving the full width of the country (about 68 miles!), since the ruins are near the Guatemalan border.

Two days out from Tampa I learned that due to the spread of the Coronavirus (I still don’t know if it’s supposed to be capitalized or not), the major cruise lines had suspended operations for 30-60 days. I had no doubt I was going to be allowed to disembark, and as I did, it was strange to note there were no passengers waiting to come on board for the next sailing!

The flight home — on a full flight! — gave me no reason to think things had changed, but once I arrived home and went to the grocery store to re-provision, that’s when I noticed the empty shelves! Since I’d been overseas, the CDC recommendation was to self-quarantine for 14 days. I had no problem with that, because I had planned to spend the next two weeks at home conducting online training, so it was a nice synchronicity.

Here I sit, on the eve of my fourteenth day. I have taken the opportunity of being home to spend more time playing guitar and adding songs to my repertoire. While on the cruise (I took my KLŌS travel guitar), I started going back to my “roots” and learning or re-learning songs from one of my favorite bands of the 1960s: Love.

Love was kind of a hipster band. They had only one minor Top 40 hit (which I believe made it to #37), they refused to tour, and their leader, Arthur Lee, was quite idiosyncratic. But I loved the music they made, and their third and final album, “Forever Changes” has been ranked as number 40 on Rolling Stone magazine’s The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Thus, there is rhyme to my reason. Or method to my madness, if you will. The title of this post is a play on “Love in the Time of Cholera,” a 1985 book by Nobel Prize-winning author, Gabriel García Márquez

Running FROM Office

everyone is entitled to my opinion

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