Steve Ball

Back from Graduation

Recent Recap: I'm just in from a quick trip back east to celebrate multiple graduations.   I am jet-lagging and disoriented.  Back just in time to celebrate Sofie's ten-month birthday.  

After being offline for a few days, there are many pending personal communications needing follow-up including a nice mail and musical inquiry from old Prometheus band-mate Blake Angelos.  And some web business with TravisM, a warm hello from Herni with a great picture of Betti and his girls, a gig notice from Lee, a Microsoft inquiry from Buzz, and an update from Duncan.  

More catching up on all of this after I focus on the foreground excitements of being home with these two Smooties.

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Airport Update: I managed to notate the Airport Exercise (while flying!) and have a plan for sharing the notation with those interested later this week.

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Fresh Eyes: the more I look at it, the more I like it.  I do think it's good. < After a few days away,...> it remains consistent.  I wish you were here to see it. 

 
Future Community, left side shot

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New: Future Community

At times, it is necessary to throw away all that has been done and start from scratch.  In this case, I have now been through five iterations of this large red painting called 'Future Community' -- five separate canvases, five complete attempts, each getting slightly better, and each slightly flawed, but less than the previous.  

And this past week and weekend, I finally got it right:

I agree with my old Crafty friend, Douglas Baldwin's comments below -- these large 3' x 3' painstaking paintings have something that their smaller, flat renderings do not. 

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Upcoming Weekend Project (while traveling): notation for the basic form of the Airport Exercise.    Seems appropriate since I'll be spending time in multiple airports.   I'll begin small with just the basic part.

If someone ambitious feels compelled, I'd love to eventually do (or receive) notation for the new Tony Levin part as well.

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In other news:

Duncan received his funding to make The Boy from the Sun into an animated film -- he's now busy preparing our project plan for Jon Anderson.  I hope Jon recovers quickly from his recent illness. 

With travel happening over the next couple of weeks, we have only a short time to prepare for our upcoming P&G Roadshow gig on the 31st of this month. 

Much going on, as usual, in many domains and on many levels.

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Airport Exercise: Bass Tracking Completed

Highlight of the Day: Airport Exercise bass tracking from T-Lev is done and now there are three great raw tracks and a rough mix to choose among.   Tony did a quick mix himself -- and I'm listening to this track as I type this. 

Wow -- really nice, and classic Tony with spicy melodic flare-ups in just the right places.  Feels like another small piece of destiny gently clicking into place.   This sounds so cheesy to say, but it feels real: how could this not be the bass part for this piece?  

The final details of Sketch Box are now coming together.

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Saturday Recap: guitar calisthenics and sitting for four on Saturday morning.  A very satisfying Nine Lives energized the majority of our calisthenics.  Some excellent listening going on.  

David LaVallee's ongoing work with comedy improvisation has a direct parallel and application with our guitar work.   The primary obvious overlap has to do with the support required to prepare a group for improvisation.   And there is much more.   I'm really enjoying this phase of this work with these peeps.  Satisfying work underway. 

Afternoon and Evening: preparing the house for a Crazy Crawler.  Sofie is now a massively mobile munchkin.  Much must change to adapt this space to the Smootie mobile muncher.   Goodbye bedframe.  Goodbye outlets.  Goodbye DVDs and X-Box games on low shelves.  Goodbye unnecessary electrical connections.  Goodbye shoes in the house.   Hello crib. And Hello to the cutest crawler ever.

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Friday Night Recap: I played a solo show at the Hallway Gallery in Bellevue.  A beautiful up-scale space, beautiful sculptures and paintings surrounding some excellent guests brought the evening to life.   Musically, some nice atmospheres completed the grace of the space for over two hours. 

Then: home where a private Zune Team Concert billed as the Pancake Supper (House Concert) was going on in the Opal Creative Space under the thoughtful and musical management of pals Brian Ledford and Johnny Bregar.   

A full evening with an excellent appetizer and nutritious entrée.

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Photo of the Day

Sofie and Dad on the Porch

 
Close Up of two happy campers

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