Drumming

New Artwork: Pamlico Sound

Jeromey Balderrama

it’s been a while since I’ve had a reason to play with some graphic design work, but I got an opportunity to do a little for a band I’m playing with tonight, The Pamlico Sound.  They’re doing their CD release show, and had the idea of giving away a song from their new CD. I designed this 4×5 postcard that we’ll be putting on the tables at the bar. I set up a quick script to collect email addresses for the mailing list in return for the file.  I’m sad to say that this is my first foray into responsive web design, but found it surprisingly easy.

PamlicoCard

I’m pretty satisfied with the art work, but definitely could use some improvement on my script. For something quick & dirty: it’ll do the job.  I’d definitely welcome any feedback (especially on the artwork).

Also if you happen to find yourself in Boulder on Saturday (Feb 23), come out to the Lazy Dog and check us out! We’ll be playing around 11pm.

Band Name Finalists [Your Opinion Needed]

Jeromey Balderrama

As I’ve previously posted here, I’ve been involved in a new band called the Ken Stevens Trio, which was originally a supplement to Ken Stevens’ acoustic solo efforts. As the band has progressed and taken on a sound and identity of its own, it became apparent that we should allow this project to take on a new, separate name.  Over the last few weeks Ken and I have come up with a long list, which turned into a short list, and now we have a final list of 2-3 names.  Both are pretty different, and we feel drawn to both of them.  As we’re making these final deliberations, I wanted to turn to you, my friends to offer your feedback.

We have come down to three finalists: The names are Eden’s Favorite Apple, Ken & The Action Figures, and Hey Man Nice Bus.

Eden’s Favorite Apple

To me this name sits in the “this name has deeper meaning” camp, where the name itself can invoke a lot of different imagery.  Earlier when we solicited feedback for this name, one description really drew me: “I would expect a band with this name to push the envelope a bit, to be edgy yet grounded, to have depth.” I feel like that’s what our band is aspiring to be, and that this is a name we could definitely grow into.  While this name definitely conjures up a lot of different imagery, there is definitely a lot of religious connotation with this name, and it could give people the first impression that we are in the Christian music genre, or invoke imagery that people aren’t necessarily comfortable with.  At the same time, the vast array of imagery allows for a lot of great marketing opportunities.

Ken & The Action Figures

Where Eden. lies in the “deeper meaning” camp, this name and Hey Man Nice Bus sit in the opposite side of the spectrum.  This name invokes a much more specific image. This name good pretty favorable feedback amongst our friends, with most of them saying that they found this name intriguing.  The memorable point of feedback we got was “This name implies that if you’re going to check out this band, you’re going to have a good time.”  There is also a vast array of marketing opportunities as well.  The fact that our singer is named Ken gives this added benefit.  A downside to this name is that it doesn’t really offer a deep meaning, and may be a barrier to be taken seriously as a band – after all would you say to your friend, “This song really spoke to me, the one by Ken & The Action Figures”.  Somehow that has a hard time being constructed into a serious sentence.

Hey Man Nice Bus

This name is in the same vein as “Ken & The Action Figures” where the connotation is much less serious.  The feedback we got, while limited (as this name was a late-comer), was also very positive.  This name has a personal tie to our singer Ken, as he owned a VW bus and heard that line for quite a while.  This name could also bring about a fun logo, and some great imager as well. The possible downside is that it could carry a “hippie” stigma – one that may be reserved for more of a “jam band” than we are.

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So those are our three finalists.  I’d really appreciate your thoughts on this.  Which name attracts you the most amongst these three?  Is there anything about any of the names that bothers you?  Is there something else we should consider in naming our band?  If hearing our music would help, give us a listen.  Please feel free to comment below, or contact me on Twitter, Facebook or Gmail.  I’d really appreciate your thoughts, even if you just want to support a specific name.  Thanks again for your feedback!

The day (Greenfoot) Music Died

Jeromey Balderrama

PromoPic02a

So to add to my NaBloWriMo failure, I ended up missing yesterday’s post as I spent the evening with my Greenfoot friends, having our last rehearsal.  After we decided last month to put an end to the project, we wanted to gather one last time and do some basic recording and play some of our songs for one last time.  Last night was a lot of fun, and hopefully I’ll be able to share those recordings soon.

I wanted to share some videos that Greenfoot has posted throughout the years, the first being one that we took after about 6 months after I joined the band:

After Julien joined the band, we started playing out again in the spring of 2008, and had the opportunity to have some more video taken at Smokin’ Joe’s in early 2009:

Over the years we played some really interesting places. One that comes to mind is getting up at 4am so that we could play at the Colfax Marathon, right on the street.

Over this summer we got to be the featured band at some farmers markets, which was a pretty fun experience as well:

Looking back, it was a really fun project and I’m really grateful to all of my friends who got our emails, came out to our shows and enjoyed our music! Now with the chapter on Greenfoot closed, I’m excited for what’s to come.

Learning New Songs Through Notes

Jeromey Balderrama

Over the last few days I’ve had my head down over my drum set, learning new song for Ken Stevens’ band. To expedite our timeline for being able to play out, we’re supplementing the originals with covers.  Part of the reason I’m so excited for this project is that it’s pushing my musical boundaries, but it also means learning some songs that I’m not familiar with.  To help, I’m mapping out each song into a 4×3 notebook.

While I could go out and either print out drum tabs or listen to the music or transcribe the songs into sheet music, but that would be a lot of work and could make me reliant on the sheets, especially when I’m playing in a genre that isn’t as accepting of music stands.  Instead, I’ve gone ahead and created a “cliff-notes” version of each song, writing some highlights.

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Some things that I start off with some basic: What is the meter? 4/4, 6/8? What’s the tempo (In BPM, or may just a note a general feel)? Do I go with sticks or should I use brushes or the Rutes?

Next I move onto the structure of the song. What do the drums do during the intro (or is the intro drum-less)? How many repetitions are there in each part of the song? Is there a point where I drop out?  What are the dynamics? Is there anything else special to take note?

The intention is to be able to read through these notes right before I play this song, and in combination with concentration and muscle-memory, be able to work my way through the song.  Obviously with practice I should be able to commit these original and cover songs to memory, but this is a good way to cheat my way through an evening of music.

What other ways do you use to get through songs? For my friends who are not drummers, does a method like this work for you?  Do you have any other tips on how to learn new music in a relatively short period of time?