Update Update

[Donn]

Well, possibly doubling back on the notion of piano instruction in school - how many piano players do you think started with a teacher, vs. accordion players? Maybe something like 90%, vs 50% or fewer? That's where it starts.

But I don't doubt the accordion's left hand Stradella "bass" system has a lot to do with it. Might even help that you can't see it. At any rate it's a simple, logical accompaniment instrument that comes along with the piano keyboard on the other side, so it's very supportive for someone who is trying to work out a satisfactory intro level performance skill on his own, or cope with a jam type situation.

It's too bad the accordian gets such a bad rap these days. At least Cajun and Zydecoe are keeping an interest in accordian alive.

I think it might be better than that. Not that I really have my finger on the pulse of any kind of music, but my impression of Cajun and Zydeco is more people my age, but many young people are getting a lot of Eastern European influence, and that's about real accordions, not the push/pull diatonics that Cajun music uses. People my age may still remember Lawrence Welk, but maybe younger people think Gogol Bordello.

[bort]

I went to a 4th of July parade today for the first time in about 11 years!

[Three Valves]

Fascinating stuff...

Wikki;

King Cotton is a military march composed in 1895[1] by John Philip Sousa, for the Cotton States and International Exposition (1895).

The expression "King Cotton" in general refers to the historically high importance of cotton as a cash crop in the southern United States.

[Three Valves]

Amazon is deliberately delaying my "free" shipping in order to convert me to a "Prime" member.

Bastards!!

[windshieldbug]

relieving stress today...

...starting off with a stack of middle school bariturds that seem to have been used as bowling balls...

I have always used them as pins.

The shape of a French horn seems to make it roll better...

[bort]

I'm buying something tuba-related that many of you will think is silly. I'm not going to post about it until I try it for a while and fully form an opinion about it, but at some point I will post about it. That is all!

[opus37]

Played the solo with band "The Mighty Deep" on my 1895 J.W. Pepper Helicon. It went reasonably well. A little hard to hear because of the band shell situation. I had a lot of interest in the horn after the performance. We did use the occasion of National Unusual Horn Day (July 31st) as an excuse to showcase several unusual horns such as my helicon, an alto horn, a Db piccolo, a double bell euphonium, a 1901 shepherd's crook cornet and we even had a bagpipe play.

[arpthark]

I'm buying something tuba-related that many of you will think is silly. I'm not going to post about it until I try it for a while and fully form an opinion about it, but at some point I will post about it. That is all!

Beer? Let us know how you like it.

[Three Valves]

Beer isn't silly.

Must be something else...

[bort]

What is this "beer" you speak of? I simply must try it sometime.

[Dan Schultz]

Why does Microsoft continue to provide us with such a crummy web browser? I bought a new Toshiba with Windows 10 on it last Fall and finally started using it in February. Thought I would give MS-Internet Explorer a chance because they are the experts. Right?

Well... after struggling with slow, crashing programs I went back to Mozilla Firefox. Most of the problems vanished.

GRRRR. I STILL hate Mircrosoft!

You have been updated.

[Heavy_Metal]

Need to use the proper spelling- "Micro$oft".

[arpthark]

first gig, this evening, with "new toy".
Generally uncharacteristically of bloke, it actually is new.

Such suspense, Joe. What is it?

[bort]

Today we board a train bound for Talkeetna, AM from Denali, AM. And you won't.

I'll-ask-ya about it later.

In the morning, apparently.

[bort]

On the way home today, I drove up to an intersection to find that a serious car accident had happened less than a minute before. The injured people were already out of the vehicles and on the grass, and a few other people had already stepped in to help. I pulled over and ran to the scene, I helped calm one of the people and keep her from moving around until the paramedics came (about 5 minutes). Seemed like mostly head injuries, the lady I was helping had a pretty good gash on her chin and seemed a bit out of it. the guy next to me had a bloody gash on his head and was responsive but laying still. The third person was too far away and too emotional for me to tell, but others were attending to her.

Overall, hard to tell how serious the injuries were, but glad that help arrived so quickly, and no one was killed at the scene. The cars were completely wrecked, and although it was bad, it might have been even worse.

This comes less than a week after a rollover accident in my neighborhood, where someone got T boned and their Jeep flipped over. Oh, and I also got rear ended last week stopping (instead of accelerating) at a yellow light.

Scary stuff, you never know what you will run into. Be careful out there, folks.

[Dubby]

I discovered I need a new pair of work/winter boots today. Hoping to find a good pair before winter starts up here.

[Big Francis]

Out of boredom (and a lack of witty inspiration), I've started naming my fantasy football teams after Spinal Tap albums.

[opus37]

Out of boredom (and a lack of witty inspiration), I've started naming my fantasy football teams after Spinal Tap albums.

You obviously need a distraction. Go to the Oystein Baadsvik concert on October 16th. He'll inspire you to play your tuba more.

[Big Francis]

You obviously need a distraction. Go to the Oystein Baadsvik concert on October 16th. He'll inspire you to play your tuba more.

That was my plan until the Twin Ports Wind Orchestra schedule came out. We're doing a joint concert with the Minnesota Symphonic Winds up here that day.

[opus37]

Your concert is at 3. You can rush out after the concert and get to Oystein's concert at 7. I know a sax player planning on doing just that.