Ghost Train RadioMind Full
Posted on June 5, 2021
A double entendre on mind filled and mind full. This song seemed to write itself in about 3 hours in my tiny desk studio.
Danger Days
Posted on May 6, 2021
It funny, but I’m so used to lockdown – its like I don’t want to come out of my “safe cocoon” – even three weeks after my second shot. I will venture out and go to the gym again soon. That’s my strong defense mechanism and natural yearning for survival.
For the last three weeks, I’ve lived a horror at work. It feels “dangerous”, which is a really odd feeling to have. Like a nightmare where you feel you need to escape.
Puppet Theatre Test Shots
Posted on April 26, 2021
Today I turned on my LED photo lights for the first time. I just used my simple and silly phone for a bunch of test shots. Turns out, the side light from outside is really nice on the puppet stage and Proscenium.
All I need now is one little maroon drape and curtain / bunting around the stage.
I also did finish the park bench. It’s glued and drying as I write this.
Phrenology
Posted on April 24, 2021
While Phrenology was a fad and pseudoscience – it is kinda cool and fun anyway. The old illustrations re very cool indeed.
Today’s song includes a “happy accident”. I didn’t care to just play a blues guitar part, so I started just “scratching” on the strings before the bridge-piece. It sure sounded cool – and I kept it as a “sort of” guitar part.
I did finish the raised stage and stage curtain uprights and rod. Tomorrow I will build a park bench – just because it can be used for many, many scenes.
Dress Rehearsal
Posted on April 23, 2021
I built the stage deck today out of two pieces of an old Ikea butcher block table top. I’ve used that table top for quite a few things – synthesizer stand, drum box easel and now the stage.
I also have the curtain rod done. The upright parts are the last of some 1/2 inch iron pipe I had laying around and a piece of aluminum from an old ham radio antenna.
I even started building a park bench where up to two puppets can sit at any one time.
I just love building these miniatures. The thought process of thinking in scale is way more fun that I had ever imagined.
Garden Art
Posted on April 11, 2021
One of things I do is rebuild rock walls and steps and other garden “hard scaping”. Sure, I plant and water and trim plants – but I like the garden “architecture” part of the deal – where the hardscape then hints at where you should plant stuff.
Because we have started having rolling blackouts in the fall – during high wind and fire season, I have solar garden lights out front and on my deck. When the lights go out – we aren’t in the dark.
Puppet Theatre Set Design
Posted on April 5, 2021
Once I have the 8 puppet controllers built, which will be by end of this week, I can start on building scenery and props.
After that I can score music and start filming. I’m not sure if I will try stop motion, live action or a combination of both. I think before I decide, ill do a bunch of stills that explore lighting and whatnot.
As you can see, puppet theatre is an excuse for me to bridge my photography and music hobbies.
Something Lurks There
Posted on April 1, 2021
This started out a lot darker – but I’m not a dark goth person, so I had to work hard to make something of what started out as a gloomy fuzzed out bass line (actually quite a few parts – most of which I threw out).
Lat week I wrote a song that I also did not like at first – but a week later, and many listens, I like it now. Lets see if this weird song makes that grade.
Play the Lap Steel Like a Fretless Bass
Posted on March 20, 2021
Lately I’ve learned to play several instruments in ways that are not typical. For example – the Lap Steel sounds a lot like a fretless bass, and a mandolin sounds like a piano.
Play the lap steel
Like a fretless bass
Re-inventing new sound scapes
New ideas to chase
Play the violin
Like a lap steel
Make new sounds
Make it surreal
Play the mandolin
Like a piano
Hammered Dulcimer
Perhaps an Oboe?
The Freedom of Getting Older
Posted on March 13, 2021
When I was young I had to spend a lot of time investing in my career, then young family. I also had my own one man consulting business.
In my 20’s, when just out of college, I’d say for 10 years being cool or hip was important. That was a very silly waste of time. That meant I had no time to actually do anything personal of any long lasting value (besides work).
Now, as I am quite a bit older, my career is doing fine and I’m the expert I always strived to be. I can do things so much quicker than when I struggled in my 20’s and 30’s. Experience, and dare I say wisdom are golden in life.
But the best thing personally is that I don’t care what anyone thinks about me, my music, my art, or any aspect of my self.
This has been unbelievably freeing. I don’t finish songs. I write just enough to bring a demo tape to an imaginary band. I sometimes don’t finish art projects or writing lyrics or poems. There are so many unfinished projects that never make it to this blog – they are buried deep in my many notebooks.
My virtual world is not online. Its offline. Its in my home recording studio just a tad bigger than a dining room table. Its in my art dungeon basement. Its on my backyard saw horse work bench. Last week a big beautiful brown butterfly with white rimming its wings landed on my work bench, and it hung out with me for quite a few minutes. I said nice things to it and thanked its visit. It was truly magical, and you’ll never, ever get that from the internet.
I’m having way more fun than I did in my yoot. Chalk one up for The Old Guy.
Ghost Train Radio 