Devouring Global Resources?

“Happy Birthday”

Out of tune, un-practiced, well appreciated.

YeeHaw!

Yep.. it’s a beard.

The Word is Here

June 1st I debuted my banjo talents in front of the Stanford Graduate School of Business (estimates of 500+ people) in a standing room only environment. My frist run at a public performance. I have to say I can do a lot of things in public without batting an eye, but this Really pushed my limit.. phew.

To begin, turn it back one week to May 25th when I received an email. It asked for a banjo player to do a song. Not much else. So I accepted and learned what terms I’d accepted. I would be playing a recent pop song featuring a banjo playing at about a million miles an hour with three other people on a stage for .. some people. Oh, and by the way, “we play in one week.”  More so, we didn’t have the sheet music, so figure that out too.

Now I’m not too clever when it comes to writing music, but after some YouTube lessons and I exercising my ears about 40-dozen times, I did my best to work-up a short score for my 5-string duties. After three days, I had the TAB down and could begin practice. In celebration of my achievements, I went on vacation for the memorial day weekend.

Returning Tuesday, with one day left, I set my fingerst to work, in the dark practice of a solo musician playing to an invisible band, as they exercised sixty miles away. Those living within earshot became quite tired of this new annoyance in their life.

Wednesday morning, with a little more than 12-hours to go, I drove to Palo Alto and worked in about forty-five minutes of band time before they had to return to their coursework and I to my leisure. It was the only rehearsal we would have before playing nearly ten and a half hours later at 9:20 PM. With the others off to class I reflected on my whirlwind of a week and the serene calm I must understand in order to perform. I came out of my trance and walked onto the stage, presenting the best we could do for a sloppy drunk crowd. Aside from a few kinks and the stiffness of a frist performance, the show turned out just ‘fine.’ (fortunately, my mic was turned down and mistakes went without much notice – I assume.)

Now I’ve got the performance bug.. hahaha.. Enjoy the show.

This is the banjo lead for Mumford & Son’s “The Cave.”

Pardon my errors & Enjoy!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (33.6MB)

Friday was suppose to be good.. comfortable.. it was sunny, clear, I could see the crisp skyline of Oakland and The City. The Golden Gate Bridge posed perfectly as the framing to the Pacific. I was computing, seriously computing. Sitting on the deck, legs up, shades on, computing furiously getting THIS site back into working order and Nelly Furtado was playing on my stereo – that’s when you know things are going well, “Hey Man” is going full speed and nothing can stop you. It was Friday and I didn’t even know. Until it all stopped.

I suppose I didn’t expect it to occur as it did, which is why I felt so supprised. Like a pre-teen, who didn’t know any better, took the car for a spin and was waving as they rolled by the house. Here I was, three stories away and my ladies just come rolling by. “Heeey-yaaa Jooohnnnn.” … “Heeeey-yaa. Check us ouuuuttt.” And then around the block again. Except, “NO.”

Basically, my ladies swarmed about a week after a very scientific and methodical split took place, so no, they were not allowed their driving privlidges. But they took them anyway.. .. youth.

So after a few phone calls to requisite beekeeping partners, I posted to the Yahoo group, recieved a generous amount of insight and suggestion and help and did as any reasonable ACBA member would do and ‘took care of it.” But rather than articulate that in more broken sentences with “quotations” and vernacular one-offs – I figure I’d try my hand at the 5-minute swarm capture film. – so, enjoy.

Thanks to those who called me and walked me through the process on my frist swarm catch, Victoria, Kevin, Bob, and Much thanks to Patrick Connally and his partner for driving up and helping us out with this negotiaton, really, couldn’t have done it without you two.

Enjoy the video (YouTube) or (johnmizell.com – coming soon)