Yeah I bought a small Behringer one yesterday.

Dig it. You'll get to it when it's time.

And polly, you hit the nail on the head. It's not that we can stop, but it's good to redirect your efforts when you hit a slump. Now if we can just make up our minds about austin vs. l.a.

Shiv, do you have any friends who play? You can learn alot just by having geek friends show you stuff to practice.

True dat. So you're thinking you should move to one of the big music centres? To me Chicago is a music centre as well---Thrill Jockey and what not---but I guess it's relative.

Hah, technically I left one of the "music centres"---i.e. Montreal. But in terms of Canada, Toronto is as well. I'm not sure that it would make a difference in my case as I am probably just going to write stuff on my own. It does help to be around other musicians though. It's really nice for me that one of my roomies is a musician as well (and old friend). I dunno.

So you're trying to decide between LA & Austin? No NYC?

No NYC... I've gigged there too, and it just feels like a bigger Chicago with alot of the same great qualities and sad problems.

The fact of the matter is that no matter what I do, playing bass is what I do best. I mean, i can write the occasional song and it's o.k., and I can play drums and guitar better than alot of people, but my bass playing is where i live so to speak. All i want is to make as much as I make teaching but playing music, and without doing wedding bands or cover bands or bullshit like that. The studio scene in chicago is small and tight, especially the jingle market. The original music scene has alot of talent but i feel like it's getting overlooked. L.A., maybe I can get in the studio scene, or get hired out as a side man to an artist with tour support. A-TX has a much better original music scene and the cost of living is totally affordable, the original music scene gets some attention, and players sometimes end up getting picked up for touring work (case in point, charlie sexton with bob dylan).

So those are the thoughts floating through the head...

Hey Phil, I was just just looking up some info on a guy I grew up with who is a studio drummer and found THIS website for a group I guess he works with now.

Pretty interesting. Here's the myspace page

Plenty of good studio work in the ATL big man. Just sayin'.

It is the Black Hollywood ya know?

So i'm guessing siggi is your friend?

I don't have any problems with ATL I had fun there a couple times. Can't hurt to run it past deena.

I'm at a loss for what to do, but I think staying in Chicago wouldn't accomplish anything, so i guess that that's some kind of start.

Yeah, LA is definitely the best place to get session and side-man work. For sure. Sure your sitar-playing coudl eventually come in handy too.

I wouldn't call it playing just yet...

yeah, ive known the dude since kindergarten, but we're not really in contact much anymore. I actually ran into him at a funeral a couple weeks ago and that was the first time I'd seen him in a couple of years. Good guy, great fucking drummer and of course an obnoxious conceited a-hole...

Anyway, you were talking about your various choices for where to go and what to do so I decided to google Sig and see if I could find something since I know he does a lot of shit with the hiphop/R&B scene in the ATL.

Well if any of those hip hoppers need a C sharp Major scale on the sitar, I've got that shit down.

But I think my left leg is crippled for life.

Yeah my friend whose band I saw last night actually plays keyboards/organ but I think he's going on tour for awhile. A couple of my roommates play instruments and most of my friends do too.

Then hang out with them ALOT.

haha

Phil, how about a pic of the bass? (I know what a hofner is/looks like, but still....I wanna see yers)