A Little Pied Cormorant

I've spent the weekend watching this bird

It has been swooping the pond....stalking the goldfish, as I have stalked its stalking.  I googled birds of Australia and found a wonderful website and forum for finding out what's what on this side of bird world and found out that this big bird is called a Little Pied Cormorant.  It was not happy with the camera, but I have lots of pictures of it.  And a movie, too.  This has been my entertainment for the weekend, and it has been good for me.

The Australian birds website is:  Birds in Backyards (Click here to visit that website.)  And the forum that is attached to the website can be accessed by clicking here.

Adrian Kosky and Shotgun Shack -- Promo Video

I've been working on a  new iMovie.  It's for Adrian's band, Shotgun Shack.  I would appreciate some feedback on this one, as it is a serious show!




There's an email button on the lower left of my blog, if anyone would like to send feedback.  Thank you!

Recent Road Trip near Daylesford

On a recent road trip I saw this cool house/vehicle:

After driving by it the first time, on the second look Adrian and I stopped to knock on the owner's door and asked for a closer look.  It's a pretty amazing piece of work.  The porch on the back folds out on the side to allow more space for the grill.  There's a private bed space above the truck cab, a fold down dining table, a kitchen sink, with cabinet space and lots of electrical features.  Quite the road trip find!  

Mountain Dulcimers, Road Trips, and Magazines

I found out last week that an article I wrote about my road trips in Australia will be published in the July issue of  The Wanderer.  I'm REALLY excited about this new place to share news of music via my mountain dulcimer musings!

Click here for more info about The Wanderer magazine.

Midnight Special, Mountain Dulcimer & Guitar Duet, Lyonville, Victoria, Australia

Here's another Radio Springs Hotel recording.  This one is from January 16, 2010.  Adrian Kosky playing a Gibson guitar, and I am playing a Simerman mountain Dulcimer.  I like to re-listen to these recordings!  Glad to share them, too.  Thank you!

Midnight Special, Dulcimer & Guitar Duet, January 16, 2010, Adrian Kosky and Carla Maxwell, Victoria, Australia

Proper Citation for Songs

Lately I've been posting so much of my own music that I temporarily forgot a most important part about sharing information!  In my previous post I shared a performance of the song, "Bad Moon Rising" and the song, "I Walk the Line," but I failed to recognize the writers of those songs......and I hereby profusely apologize regarding the improper posting!

My intent was simply to share an experience from my past.....the only way I know how to best share something.....and that is to get some kind of copy of it out in the universe via the big WWW.  So I freely popped up a recording of my past performance of the song, "Bad Moon Rising" and a recording of the song, "I Walk the Line," both of which I recorded with my personal and handy-dandy-digital recorder....but I left out this bit:  "Click here for information about the song, 'Bad Moon Rising,' a song by Creedance Clearwater Revival, 1969, written by John Fogerty.  Also, the song "I Walk the Line" was written, recorded, and made legendary by Johnny Cash.  Click here to read more about Johnny Cash's hit, "I Walk The Line."

S o r r y!!

Dulcimer & Guitar Duet at the Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville, Victoria

Here are a few recordings from yesterday's mountain dulcimer/guitar performance by Adrian Kosky and me during the Mother's Day lunch hour at the Radio Springs Hotel & Pub in Lyonville, Victoria, Australia.  As always....unrehearsed, unplanned, unrestrained.......never know what background sounds might be included in these recordings.....and I never know how long we might be rolling in various vibes!


Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms, May 9, 2010 (with live babies in the background!)
Bad Moon Rising, May 9, 2010 (with live babies in the background!)
Tamp it Up Solid, May 9, 2010
I Walk the Line, May 9, 2010
Man of Constant Sorrow, May 9, 2010
Forked Deer, May 9, 2010

My Piano Improvisation on Video

I did a bit of my piano practice/improvisation aka "marching" and filmed it today.  It took a few tries to get comfortable with the camera angle and its presence.  Then I decided to use today's music in an iMovie and added it to one of my "works in progress."

This is my own form of music therapy.  I play what feels right at the time...making up the music as I go.  Sometimes the music stays in my head for a day or two after I play it.  I guess I am embedding the chords and rhythms in my mind as I reflect and listen to what I have already played.  I guess that's why I hear familiar structure in this unstructured playing that I do.  My piano skills are very limited, as I am teaching myself....and no matter what I might sit down to play, it always seems like I return to the "marching" sounds.

I find it interesting to watch my own music making.  Today is the first time I have filmed myself playing the piano.  I'm not happy with the position of my arms nor the tension I saw in my hands, but now that I am aware of these things....maybe I can relax a bit more when I play and correct the problems.

The Top of the Piano is NOT a Good Place for a Digital Recorder

Found that out during my last piano improvisation practice session......and I won't place the recorder on top of the piano next time.....and there WILL be a next time, because I enjoy learning this way!

During my last improvisation-on-the-piano-practice, I focused on slowing my march down.....really trying not to march at all.....but I ALWAYS go back to the marching in my mind.  BLAST that band practice!!  Ha!  Just kidding, as I love the memory of marching with my high school band and am thankful that 30+ years later the beat lives on in my mind!!

Here are my recent recordings:

Piano Improvisation, April 21, 2010, Recording #1

Piano Improvisation, April 21, 2010, Recording #2

Piano Improvisation, April 21, 2010, Recording #3

Piano Improvisation, April 21, 2010, Recording #4

Piano Improvisation, April 21, 2010, Recording #5

Piano Improvisation, April 21, 2010, Recording #6

Piano Improvisation, April 21, 2010, Recording #7

Table Hill Performing at the Radio Springs Hotel

Adrian Kosky and I play as a duo we call "Table Hill," most weekends, these days.  We strum and twang up on a variety of instruments, including baritone and standard dulcimers, a strum stick, a banjo dulcimer that the luthier, Bob Magowan, named a "jocimer," and guitar.  It's always a learning experience for me as I play music.....whether I am actually wanting a learning experience or not......and I'm always thankful for the chance to play music for the folks at the Radio Springs Hotel.

Lately I've been taking my handy-dandy-digital recorder with me to these weekend gigs and trying to capture the essence of my learning experiences.  I'm not always happy about what I learn.....but I'm always happy that I can learn and move forward......leaving behind bits that bother me and taking with me nuggets of a positive nature.....to, hopefully, become a better person and a more musical musician.

Here's a sound clip from last Sunday's live/raw performance in Lyonville:

Table Hill Performing at the Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville

My Own Music Therapy with a Magowan Mountain Dulcimer

Nothing new is happening today, so I am reviewing mountain dulcimer sounds from my past.

In September 2008, I played around with micro cube special effects knobs while playing random, improvisational, sounds with my dulcimer.....because I needed to hear and do something new.  Here are several recordings from that living room session....including, in the first sample, the sounds of picking up my pick to resume playing after I dropped it, dropping it a second time to pretend like I meant to musically do that!

2008 September Sound Sample 1

2008 September Sound Sample 2

2008 September Sound Sample 3

2008 September Sound Sample 4

Playing/Improvisation with a Piano

I played a dulcimer most of the afternoon today in Daylesford, and I recorded a few of my tunes as I played by the pond at Tasma House Music and Arts Retreat.  I thought I might share those simple sounds via my blog, but....once again....I have been easily sidetracked by my own thoughts.....and I'm sharing some piano improvisation, instead.

Playing with Picasa Web Albums

Today I am practicing picture uploading on Picasa.  Here's a little bit of a slideshow that shows a recent press release/promo photo shoot that Dominic O'Brien was conducting at Tasma House Music and Arts Retreat for an upcoming article in the "Prime" section of Melbourne's newspaper, The Age.  As it is plain to see, the musical vibe was quite lovely.

Tasma House Music and Arts Retreat, photos of press shoot by Dominic O'Brien

[edited to change slideshow to embedded photo album]

An Easter Koala!

I've just returned from a visit to Shoreham Beach with a camera full of koala pictures!  It was a beautiful Easter blessing to hear the rhythm of ocean waves whilst photographing a koala in a eucalyptus tree!  Amazing.....awesome, actually!

After photographing this little guy about 10 feet over my head, I was lucky enough to see ANOTHER koala near the ocean.....but that one was VERY high and far away.....pictures not as good.  This pic I am pleased to share!  I love these kinds of surprises that life can bring.  I thank God for them.

Fun Sounds Out Loud at the Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville, Victoria

Here are two more sounds clips from my fun with the folks at the Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville, Victoria, Australia.  This is live performance, unrehearsed, unplanned, un-set-listed, unprocessed, unpredictable....even on tunes like "This Old Man"......never know who might sing along or bounce with us.  Adrian Kosky on guitar and Me on the dulcimer.

This Old Man

Cindy

AND....at the end of evening, Ken picked up a dulcimer and did some fine strumming!