Setting the Dates!

Today I went to see Mrs. Brown at White Oak to discuss the time and days I would come in to play. So far we have agreed to me playing for 30 minutes after school for two Fridays in January and 3 Fridays in February. I plan to work on my final time line with writing down the exact dates and times as well as how many songs I will play. I have also made some more friends whose names are Johnathan and Edith. Johnathan is a former WWII veteran who had some great stories. He told me about D day and how he and his friends stormed the beach while bullets were flying every where. He also told me how important service to your country is so important. Edith on the other hand was a stay at home mom, but she did play a mean game of chess. I was lucky enough to play a quick game with her, which was intense. Here strategies were phenomenal and when I cornered her king I thought I had here. In the end she took my last piece out with her rook. Then surrounded my King I finally surrendered. She made me feel better finally revealing she was a state champion at chess. At the end of the day I was so happy to meet some incredible people.

Tis the Season to be Jolly!

As the seasons change the dates of my performances draw closer. In the past two months I have worked tediously at my research paper and have finally succeeded in the completion of it. Although I have had this paper take up the majority of my time I have still practiced my songs rigorously. I have also visited White Oak quite a bit meeting a lot of interesting residents whose personalities jump right off the page. I plan to visit them this Friday as well as plan out the exact days I will come in and perform. I also plan to work on a new song by the zodiacs and add that to my play list. I hope that all my readers have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

The Auto- Biography of a Brave man in a Salon

When I went to White Oak last Friday I was not really expecting much. I envisioned it as little room with all the senior women crammed in there doing their nails and spraying toxic chemicals in their. I was right about the toxic chemicals I should have worn a gas mask nonetheless I still went. This time I actually played my guitar for these lovely women as they got their nails done. At first I started with some soft background music and then slowly progressed to a faster pace. Then they requested me to play some Hispanic oriented music unfortunately I had to improvise. I had a great time playing for these interesting women and when one of them said I should write a auto -biography on being the only brave man to enter a Salon. I never laughed so much in my life. They should start a tv show Grandparents say the darnest things!

Smile for the Camera!

It has been a concern from my followers that I am not adding exciting photos to spice my blogs up. Well I have gone back in each of my blogs and added some meaningful pictures to capture the reader more. This is not the only news I have though unfortunately I had to cancel playing at the Hospice House because the board feels I will have a better experience at the nursing home since they do not have a terminal illness. Another reason being the board feels I will be closer and have a better outcome if I keep coming back to play at the same place. Another reason why I have decided not to play at the Hospice House is because I do not think that the patients would be aware of me even playing. Also the family might want to visit with them and I do not want to get in the way of that.

Bingo!

Bingo! thats the name of the game in White Oak. This week I spent sometime quality time playing probably one of the oldest board games in history. I also met some cool people first Mid, short for Mildred. She greeted me with a warm smile and a friendly handshake. Although hard of hearing she is not the least bit boring. For example when she plays it is like a war. Every card that is announced she pays extra attention to so she can win. Also there was a man named Carl who would yell whoopee, in a sarcastic manner. Then I met this man in a wheel chair who had no idea what was going on so I ended up helping him the most. At first I thought he couldn't speak,but I was wrong. Once I elevated my volume we had a very interesting conversation about his wife. Apparently she is notorious for her beauty at White Oak. All in all I had a lot of fun and cannot wait to see them again!

UHHHHHH FREAK OUT!

When I first heard about this Research I was freaking out. Now the terror is only half as bad, but I am still a little nervous. My original thesis was Musical therapy is a useful tool in the retirement community due to the fact it reduces depression, helps with recalling memory, and increases hand eye coordination skills. Now I must change it to Musical therapy should be used more in nursing homes because it has been proven in other aspects to help with memory recall, reduce depression, and handai coordination skills. The main problem I am having right now is setting up meetings with the director of White Oak; since I have to drive at least 15 minutes to arrive there. I also need to make more of a effort to contact Mrs. Ward at the Hospice House, so I can get all of the necessary requirements to play there. Another problem I am having trouble with is organizing my homework,Senior Project, and free time to complete everything as well as relax. The main problem is that drive to Hospice House takes at least 30 minutes from Oakbrook. Then after I arrive there I spend at least an hour discussing different dates arranging and replanning my schedule which takes at least an hour. Finally I get home and it is already 6 o' clock and I spend at least 3 to 4 hours doing my homework. After this is all done I finally sleep,but I need to practice my guitar. I am not complaining about the project itself, but if you are just giving us abstracts to keep us busy. We are already swamped.

It's a Long Way to the Top if You want to Rock n Roll!

When I first heard this song by the great band AC DC I only heard the music. Later on when I matured in my knowledge in the music industry and personal experience I finally had a epiphany. It is a Long way to the top if you want to Rock n Roll! It is said that at least one teenager/ young adult plays in a band at least once in their lifetime. The hard part is not only organizing practices it is also a challenge to create your own sound. I would like to think of each different band as a brand what makes them more unique than the others. Some great unique that I personally feel sets the bar are the Ramones and Lincoln Park. It does not matter how hard you try nobody will be able to copy Joey Ramone's voice. Also Lincoln Park combines a perfect combination of New Age Metal screaming as well as some sick techno and turn table beats, plus the lead guitarist is the best rapper ever! I also think that everybody who says everything has been done and why bother; whoever believes that will never make it. Whenever I here this I think of Howard Schultz the underdog from Brooklyn, who had to sell his own blood for college tuission. Now this man is fronting a multi million dollar company whose product has even been used in tv shows as well as movies. This proves that you do not need to be born into a rich family or have all the right equipment I mean the misfits did not have any high quality recording equipment. The moral of this story is all you need is optimism and hard work and you can do anything, if your willing to take risks.