The Hunter....

- W.C. Russell....

The impulse is instinctual, brings both focus and finesse.....

The fear itself is rational, impetus with intellect.....

The blood sings deep within my soul: dark rhythms, forgotten tongues…....

My bones ringing gold carillon, sounding, resonate as one.....

My eyes upon the new day’s sun, still low and rising in the East.....

The skies wan, pale, reflect the snow, both cold and equally pristine.....

The morning star and moon still shine; the pine and birch whisper my name.....

I stand alone; this world is mine and I have come home once again.....

I was debating whether or not to blog about this because there has certainly been an unprecedented amount of online discussions about President Obama and, really, what could I possibly add? I finally decided to write a little something here upon the heels of reading my friend Jane’s (FARCHILD) blog about the inauguration, neither because I disagree with it (I don’t) nor as an unnecessary endorsement of it (she hardly needs my validation) but rather because it helped me focus upon thoughts I already had percolating around the relatively limited confines of my skull. This will probably call for some patience on your part as I intend to provide some personal backdrop. Ready?

For as long as I can remember I have looked up to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and been inspired by my understanding of his philosophies. His teachings have always struck me as the epitome of what this country is supposed to stand for; “judged for the content of their character” indeed! I have stood at the Lincoln Memorial in unabashed tears reflecting upon the greatness of his words and deeds as we know them. I believe in the ideals expressed in our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. (I would however suggest that all men are NOT created equal, by the way; belief in that strikes me as the slavery of the lowest common denominator. A misguided belief in that aphorism is a paean to an abysmally colorless mediocrity. In (my conception of) a perfect world it would read “All human beings are equal under the law.”)

We Americans have been weaned on the lofty ideals expressed by our founding fathers for so long that we take them for granted; we lose sight of the resonance as it fades to rhetoric … patriotism as a fashion trend, disgusting. I personally find the wrapping of oneself in the American flag, either blindly impassioned or calculatingly, and the jaded and condescending posturing of the “progressive” intelligentsia to be equally abhorrent. As I have written before, I am American and proud to be one. I just try to be an American with open eyes.

I did not vote for Barack Obama. I had no qualms when he was elected though. I never gnashed my metaphorical teeth nor rolled in the allegorical ashes of my grief; he was rightfully elected and therefore my president, plain and simple. Don’t misunderstand me, I think history will yet vindicate President Bush on a number of issues while yet (rightfully) reviling him for some serious shortcomings. Nonetheless, I sat down to watch President Obama’s inauguration and discovered something: As I listened to his Inaugural speech, I grew to realize that I wanted desperately to believe in him. His speech was eloquently measured yet impassioned. As he spoke I found myself beginning to think Here is greatness; here is hope. Please let him be sincere; please let him be strong enough to cast off the shackles of party politics and rise above the rhetoric. I think I am a convert to his vision; I am not too proud to admit it. Please allow me to quote part of it here, only three paragraphs of the many that I found inspiring:

“We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.” (Editor’s note: I’d like you to honestly weigh that against “These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America ... These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.  America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.”  Who said it? President George Bush in an address to the Nation on the evening of September 11th, 2001.  Do you know who reminded me about it? My friend Dave Kruger. He’s Canadian, by the way … they walk among us, blending in. It’s insidious; there could be one right next to you and you not know it.)

…and, later:

“For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus … and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” (You can read the entire text of the speech at numerous sites, including http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/index.html)

I also will say here and now, coming to the part that will probably disturb you a little, that I was also struck by the casual racism in nearly everyone else’s remarks that day … the other speakers at the Inauguration and the commentators. I’ve noticed it before but never in such stark contrast to the nearly perfect language of President Obama that day. Such irony on the heels of Dr King’s day, wouldn’t you agree? You didn’t notice? I’m not going to bother pointing it out but it’s there. Seek and you will find, trust me. Maybe I’m hypersensitive to it because of my past role as an Equal Opportunity Leader in the US Army; I would often sit through an observance of MLK Day only to hear some outright racist remarks coming from an Afro-American speaker directed at his or her Afro-American audience, where I was definitely in the minority as part of the 3 or 4 Whites there … I can say “White” as part of the accepted etiquette, right? Even though I could just as easily claim Swedish-American or Czech-American … I just shouldn’t say “Black”, right?  I’ve relayed this story before, but I once jokingly told a Haitian friend of mine that we should have a “White History Month” and he told me in all sincerity that it didn’t apply because I “had no culture”. I didn’t realize how sick I was of all this until I vehemently told him “How can you say ‘no culture’? My ancestors were Vikings!” 

I just now noticed this; how providential! Read this http://theroot.com/views/end-black-history-month?page=0>1=38002. An extract: “When Barack Obama took the oath of office to become the 44th president of the United States on Jan. 20, he did so as the beneficiary of the broadest, most sweeping black vote in American history. Since 1976, February has been officially designated as Black History Month, but the inauguration of the nation's first black president underscored just how much the climate that produced Woodson’s noble idea had changed. Some say the need for Black History Month has ended altogether … But this year’s Black History Month will be different, taking place as it does against a backdrop of unprecedented change in the national leadership. As the events of the last month have convincingly shown, there’s no separating the current fortunes and histories of 37 million African Americans from the rest of the America. 

When black American history intertwines so completely with American history in general, what’s the rationale for separating them? … His election doesn’t diminish or undercut the importance of black history as an index to the future; it does (however) make the reflexive reverence of Black History Month seem like what it’s fast becoming: an observance with an existence that reinforces a sense of apartness, of separation, that Obama’s election directly contradicts.” I could not have said it better.

You know, I had a point when this began but it’s devolved into a more random set of thoughts, almost dissembling, than I’d intended. Trying to rein it in a little, I think what I mean at the bottom of it everything is I have hope now that President Obama can help set this Nation once again on the path of greatness so long as we as a country follow his lead rather than expecting him to walk the road in our stead. I hope he serves as a bright beacon for us … and by extension the world … to follow rather a scapegoat for our collective failings as a people down the road; it is ultimately our responsibility, not his. I believe I shall post this as-is, warts and all, and let the chips fall as they may. The pun was unintentional but I won’t apologize for it.

Sincere regards,

- Chip

My wife Renée isn’t feeling too well so I’ve ensconced her warmly in the bed after having her try some Zicam (I’ve heard a lot of good things about it) while I myself sit here drinking coffee and listening to a very cool tune (“Touching the Void”) by my friends 23 Degrees to Vertical … Gregg sent me a preview and I was sitting here listening to it with an eye (ear?) towards what useful I might be able to say about it. Then I remembered a strange passing thought from this morning, completely unrelated, and so I decided to blog. Just because I can…

I walked into the bedroom sometime later in the morning to see if Renée was interested in some breakfast and she was watching VH1’s Top Twenty Video Countdown (something I myself used to keep up with when I was gigging steadily). Anyway, they were recapping the first nineteen before getting to the *gasp!* top video and one of those nineteen was Britney Spears’ “Womanizer”. I remember thinking that I always thought Britney was marginally talented at best but I had to admit to myself that I found the new tune to be catchy and the video to be visually arresting, let’s face it. Especially after all the train wrecks of the past several years I have to say that I tipped my metaphorical hat to her; she’s parlayed her talents and resources into something fairly enjoyable and apparently commercially viable. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very far from what I normally choose as an audiovisual experience but let’s call a spade a spade, this is relatively cool, even the lyrics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZSLIq6YiRY

So … um … yeah … I wouldn’t have given it another thought but then the number one video came on and it’s Beyoncé. I love Beyoncé, always have. She’s always struck me as great performer with a great voice, far more talented than ninety-nine percent of what’s out there; I even liked her acting roles (granted, they didn’t seem much of a stretch…) but I found the tune and the video “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” to be supremely annoying, both lyrically and musically. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVEGfH4s5g

What’s going on here? In the words of Will Ferrell as Mugatu in Zoolander: “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.”

All of that being said, I’m going back to listen to some real, substantial music now…

- Chip QNP

My wife, daughter, and I are all fans of Kamelot. Kamelot's music is operatic in the true sense of the term as far as sweeping stories and orchestrations (sans clichéd tales of dancing unicorns and bloodied warrior elves, thankfully). We finally had an opportunity to see them perform on October 16th in Springfield, VA … the stars never aligned before in terms of our location and personal funds … and that opportunity fit nicely with a joint CD-release show by Brave and Todesbonden on the 18th in neighboring Vienna. I've been a fan of Brave since I first encountered them on MySpace a couple years ago; Scott and Michelle are friends of mine via MySpace and I'd approached Michelle about singing on some of my music. Brave was going to perform for the first time in a while (Michelle became a mother earlier this year) and I wanted to be part of it. So, although a four-hour trip, we decided we were going to Washington to see Kamelot on Thursday and Brave on Saturday. We figured we could catch up with some of Renée's friends in the local area and get some sightseeing in around the capital. I also planned to spend some time recording new music since my friend/producer/musical editor Brian was in the immediate area as well. Road Trip!

We arrived at the Red Roof Inn in Springfield shortly after 6:00 and checked-in, dropping off our baggage; we had plenty of time because the doors didn't open until 6:30, we already had our tickets, and the club (Jaxx) was only three miles or so down the road. Well it turns out we had more time than that because Kamelot's bus had broken down and nobody got in until late but that wasn't the weird part: Jaxx is basically in a strip mall and neighbors an Afghani kebab place (among other establishments) so the parking lot was full of both concertgoers in their de rigueur rock and roll outfits and restaurant customers in traditional garb. We parked at a neighboring 7-11 and walked over.

The concert featured two local acts followed by Edguy and Kamelot. The first of the local bands featured a guitar slinger with an awesome set of pipes, Matt Aub (who I later contacted about singing on some of tracks), and Edguy were really energetic and entertaining. Kamelot rocked pretty hard and I'm very glad I went. You can't tell from the pictures but we were in a really good spot and could see everything very clearly. Here's one:

We ended the evening eating a 2:00AM dinner at a Greek restaurant nearby.

We spent the next day sightseeing around Washington after eating lunch there at the Hard Rock Café , including spending the better part of the afternoon at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and the later walking to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. I could've easily spent days at the Smithsonian, fascinating! I barely scratched the surface. A brief aside: I was standing inside the Smithsonian somewhere around the dawn-of-man type of displays when a woman rushed past me with her young son in tow, obviously trying to usher him away from the area, saying to him … and I am not making this up … "Remember, we don't even believe in evolution." How illustrative that such ignorance is being inculcated into the next generation … and in what is probably the most ironic location imaginable, to my way of thinking. I'll refrain from further comment here. In sharp contrast to that, let me just say that I found that standing in front of the imposing Lincoln Memorial and silently reflecting upon his words to be possibly the most purely reverent moment I have ever experienced outside of witnessing my daughter's birth. I freely admit that I was moved to tears.

Later that evening we visited with one of Renée's high school friends by the name of Kristy. Kristy, in true superhero fashion, leads a quiet life as a college English teacher while maintaining a secret-identity double life as a renaissance fair contortionist on a seasonal basis … I'm not making this up either. She was entertaining and hospitable and I enjoyed meeting her.

We spent some time on Saturday eating lunch with another college friend of Renée's, Scott. He was kind enough to chauffer us around to the mall and take us to lunch … at an Afghani kebab place, yes, but NOT the one I mentioned earlier. Afghani and Persian places abound in the area, by the way. It was filling and delicious. We returned to the hotel afterward and prepared for the Brave/Todesbonden CD release party at the Jammin' Java in Vienna.

It took some finding because the map never indicated that East Maple Avenue changed to West Maple Avenue but we eventually found it without too much confusion. We walked in and I finally met Scott Loose ("Brave's Scott, not the aforementioned "Scott") and his sister Michelle in person and they introduced me to the rest of Brave, very cool people one and all. Scott and I talked for a while and then he went to prepare for the show. Renée, Catie, and I sat down at a table and ordered food; I had an excellent roast beef sandwich and Renée had a mozzarella salad that she claims was also very good. I had a double shot of Johnny Walker Black Label with my dinner; I don't remember what the meals and drinks specifically cost but it was very reasonable and uniformly good. I would definitely visit Jammin' Java again next time I'm in the area.

Todesbonden rocked and I was thoroughly impressed with their show and the musicianship they displayed throughout. I especially liked the way they seamlessly incorporated pre-recorded samples of orchestrated instruments, auxiliary percussion, and vocal harmonies into their show. The resultant sound was huge and resonant and provided for a depth of musical experience, losing very little in the translation of the CD/mp3 experience to a live environment.

Brave was similarly impressive. I could repeat almost verbatim what I had just written about Todesbonden's superlative performance but that wouldn't do them justice; Brave's sound was nearly perfect and their performance nearly flawless … and I only add the modifier of "nearly" as a sort of disclaimer; I didn't notice a single "clam" (wrong note) or miscue. I really enjoyed the show. Please bear in mind that Brave is the 17th band I watched perform this year when I say that I enjoyed them most of all. Granted, the show was more intimate and that fact also greatly contributed to my enjoyment but let me say that they definitely held their own in comparison of all the acts I've seen this year, even the "major" ones. It was especially nice of Michelle to dedicate "Sooner or Later" to my family and I; I deeply appreciate the shout-out. (You've had a chance to hear "Sooner or Later" if you've followed my bulletins I've posted from my music page. Watch for it again if you haven't yet heard it.)

Renée shot this picture of Scott Loose and I after the show:

…and Scott in turn took this shot of Michelle, my daughter Catie, and I (down-angle from the stage):

I spent three or four hours on Sunday recording supporting guitar tracks for "Navigation". (You will all be hearing more about it soon enough so I'll spare you any further mention of it here and now.) We then drove home after that.

I will be returning to the area in (probably) February to try and complete recording of "Harlequin Domino" and "Precipice" with Michelle and "Buffalo Head" with Matt. I really enjoyed the trip; I touched upon history, I met some wonderful people, and I experienced some incredible music. I am even more thankful that I got to do this with my wife Renée and my daughter Catie. I look forward to going back.

Warm regards,

Chip QNP

I have been traveling for the past week or so. My 38 year old brother William passed away last Tuesday from an apparent cardiac arrest and I drove home to be with my family in Western New York at this very stressful and distracting time in our lives. Renée and I arrived back home here in Virginia Beach safely around 1AM and life returns to a semblance of normalcy. I appreciate the sympathy and condolences that are sure to follow this announcement but please know that they are unnecessary; I am at peace with my brother's memory. He was a bear in spirit and when he loved, he loved unreservedly. By the same token, Heaven help you if you threatened his family. He is sorely missed by all of us.

The ceremony was very nice and went smoothly but was dwarfed to my mind by the Autumnal beauty of the Appalachian foothills at this time of year, the sight of which I have always associated with "home" and now and forever with my brother. I know my mother was comforted by our presence. It was especially nice that my youngest brother was able to return from Afghanistan in time for the service. If you choose to offer prayers, please offer them in support of my mother's strength and for the safety of her children abroad as my brother Mike returns to that land and my brother Curt will again follow in a few months.

The show must indeed go on. Bill would accept nothing less.

Warmest regards,

- Chip QNP

Have you ever said something to someone else while speaking extemporaneously and suddenly stopped to ponder the implications of what you'd just said? My daughter had said something to me about how she's worried about the economy and for reasons unknown to myself I said, without thinking, "The economy is largely a theoretical construct anyway. I wouldn't worry about it too much; the country will be fine."

I'm not an economist; I don't claim to be. I've taken a single course in macroeconomics decades ago and I don't really remember much at all so the argument is either a) I don't have a clue about what I'm saying or b) I might be free of a lot of the constraints imposed by a formal education in this regard. Either way, I DO know that it's all about collective perceptions.

A dollar is worth whatever we agree that it's worth. A gallon of gas is worth whatever we agree that it's worth as evidenced by the amount of those dollars that we're able and willing to exchange for it. Our labor is worth whatever rate of dollar exchange our respective employers give us. Therefore a gallon of gas comes to represent our time. Gas prices are a ratchet; every tremor in our cultural fabric causes the price to rise but it never quite goes back down by the same amount. I'm sure there are graphs available. They rise in anticipation of a shift in supply and demand (say there's a hurricane coming). They do so again because of the actual arrival of that shift in supply and demand (say the hurricane came ashore). On a long enough time line they never quite go back down to the original level, certainly not when adjusted for inflation (another theoretical construct) Really, what's going on here?

The war on terrorism is supposedly costing the US billions in a never-ending stream of wasted money but look where the money actually goes. Does it evaporate, gone forever in the oxidation of bomb components and metallic fragments? I would say no, most of it goes right back into funding the machine, recycled back into the system. It's like electricity; people think that electrons travels down a wire like water through a hose but it's really more like the waves on the ocean than the ocean itself. So it is with money in my perception.

I really don't know where I'm going with this but I feel like I'm on the verge of finally understanding something and so I wanted to gather my thoughts in writing. I might never add another word to this. I would like, however, to hear your thoughts on the subject if you have any; teach me here.

Warm regards, - Chip

20 September, 2008 – It's basically 7:00 A.M. as I begin this, a brief update of all things that might or might not interest my friends and MySpace contacts. I'll wait until later in the week to post this, just in case I think of more to add. I intend to post as a bulletin from my music page and as a blog at my personal page.

First, an update of all things Quicksilver Night:

I've just gone over the 1K mark in "friends" (funny, I don't feel any different).

I am still waiting for the arrival and inclusion of Jeremy Barnes' guitar tracks for the collaborative instrumental "Navigation". I am looking forward to this with great anticipation.

I am going to be in the Washington D.C area on Thursday October 16^th to see Kamelot in concert (YES!) and plan to stick around for the Brave/Todesbonden dual CD release party that Saturday. In the intervening period, I'd like to walk around the Capitol a bit (I've never been there … sad, I know) and see some of the sights while I have a chance.

If all goes well I will also record my guitar tracks for "Navigation", "Harlequin Domino", and "Precipice" while I'm up there. The latter two songs will be completed later this year will hopefully feature vocals by Brave's Michelle Loose.

In an odd twist, but both Michelle and Jeremy became parents this year. It is Michelle's first child and Jeremy's third.  Come to think of it, Brian Archer (my friend/producer/engineer/editor in all this) and his wife Andrea (the voice of "Presque Vu" et al) are also expecting this year. I swear this wasn't planned so if I've hit you up for collaboration please don't feel like you have to rush out and buy a pregnancy test. :-)

Secondly, some personal news:

 I have submitted my retirement packet, it's been approved, and I will be officially retired from the US Army on 31 July 2009. I am in the process of tweaking my résumé and I intend to become a civilian in the employ of the Army. I suppose then that this particular acorn isn't going to fall far from the tree. We're remaining in the area; I've come to like it here and my wife Renée is a native.

It's official; it seems that my daughter Genny is going to have a boy. She and her husband are going to name him Joseph Warren after his grandfathers (I think I still have to fully come to terms with becoming a grandparent) and so the familial tradition continues. Her husband Charles just left for basic training a few days ago.

I will be attending Old Dominion University next semester to work on completing a bachelor's degree in Music Education. I am in the midst of what can only be called negotiations over my transfer credits from three other colleges and the real-world music experience I've gained as a U.S. Army musician. It's looking good and I'm hopeful about the direction my life seems to be headed.

Sincere regards, Chip QNP

As more of a mental exercise than anything, I've begun toying with some video ideas for "We Are Also the Dreamt" … so what follows is something of a screenplay.

Here's my ReverbNation "widget" … "We Are Also the Dreamt" is the second song on it. Please click on "play" and skip forward to it (unless you just feel like listening to "Presque Vu" … in which case go ahead, I'll wait. I'm just typing anyway.)

*****

Churchyard … grainy, washed-out colors … we see a man on the walkway to the church, head on. He's neither old nor a youth, in monk's clothing. He looks directly at us as he walks, singing "Binding us once and for all time…"

As he walks past the church's groundskeeper who is leaning upon a shovel as he looks off into the distance. The groundskeeper man takes up the melody, echoing, as the "monk" continues walking past, with the view still centered upon him, singing "Bearing the marks…" As he does this he passes a young lady in mourning clothes while she kneels tending to some flowers. She looks up, singing "Have we given so much more than we bargained for?" The camera angle shifts to inside the church where an older woman kneels in front of the candle she'd just lit, as her voice joins the echoing canon. He walks past her towards the belfry, singing "Always winding through shadows torn calling…" The view shifts back outside to where we see the young lady and the groundskeeper each singing, neither aware of the other, she "Clothed in compromise…" and he singing of "crowns of thorn…" The bell strikes six times beginning upon her "…distant chimes…"

Suddenly in a bright, sterile "clean room" … banks of computers, people in masks and gloves … an omniscient voiceover sings: "Silicon soul and nerves of steel…" The view shifts to banks of servers then to a montage of images of people in front of monitors in the homes and offices, surfing the 'net: pornography sites, conspiracy theory sites, religious sites, news sites, IM's … then the view shifts to the outside world, people hurrying along sidewalks in business clothing, hailing cabs and buying newspapers, all the while talking on cell phones and ignoring the man sitting on a blanket on the sidewalk with a sign that reads "Homeless Please Help", simply not seeing the mugger running off as his victim's cries for help go unnoticed, drug dealers, prostitutes… along those lines. "Voicemail, camera-phone … so connected yet all alone…"

I think the choruses should be simple, live-action band performance … you know, musicians playing together … not a new concept… "Can you recall a time that you felt at peace…?"

The second verses' visuals could include: children staring vacuously at the television ("Parent by proxy…") … screen shots of infomercials, etc. I'd like to see some televangelist on the screen at "Network to save your soul…"

Then with "Corporate claims to sovereignty…" the scenery shifts to a montage of oil rigs, auto factories, Wall Street, etc. I envision a camera's eye view through the sight of a smart bomb with "Starlight green, amber waves of grain…" and video of a military convoy through the desert with "Reset, send them back…"

Then the band performs the chorus. "Can you recall…" The band continues through the ending refrain "We are music makers…" As the voice adds "We all stumble…" the view gradually recedes in perspective, drawing further and further away: the room, the building and streets from above, the coastline, the hemisphere, the Earth, the Solar system, the galaxy … winking out upon the song's final chord.

*****

…like that'll ever happen. Still, for what it's worth, that's my vision. Thanks for visiting.

Kind regards,

- Chip QNP

What have I been up to? Hmm…

Writing new music … I'm constantly writing new music. I'm almost done with my most recent offering, a texturally interesting piece who's claim to fame (for you tech-heads out there) is a bridge section in alternating bars of 7/16 and 2/4 … but that's incidental to the tune which is powerfully melodic. (You can visit the blog "Technique vs Musicality" at my personal page if you like. See below.)

There are some collaborative efforts in the works, stuff I've already written. I'm aiming to have recording of the instrumental "Navigation" with Jeremy Barnes completed, mastered, and available by August 1st and will probably be physically in the studio with both Michelle (Brave) and Cory (Shredimaster) sometime in August/September to record "Buffalo Head", "Precipice" and "Exeunt". "Legerdemain" with Armand Melnbardis will follow depending on scheduling.

I work for a living (I don't live in MySpace). I am a US Army Soldier whose Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) is "Guitar Player" … yes, I'm serious. I was assigned to the Army School of Music in November of 2007. It is an element of the Navy School of Music … it's strange to be working for the Navy in that sense. I'm around Sailors and Marines a lot … but I digress…

My job here though is doctrinal; we review … and rewrite as necessary … doctrine that affects US Army Bands. Our most current manual (the aptly-titled "US Army Bands") is hugely out of date so we're actually in the process of completely rewriting it from the ground up. In all fairness the Army has completely revamped the way it does business in the past five years and the doctrine is only beginning to catch up. I have been facilitating a symposium of fifteen of some of the most experienced people in our field, a group of warrant officers and senior NCO's with combined military service exceeding three centuries among them, as we have begun tearing through our current doctrine. Perhaps the best analogy would be the Council of Trent in the 1500's.

It's been a lot like herding cats … motivated and engaged cats with the best of intentions … but cats nonetheless.

I've been blogging. Two that might be of interest to both artists and audience are:

Technique vs Musicality

Synergy and Criticism

My son Jon is coming to visit in June and then we have to take him back down to Alabama in July. We'll spend a few days there and then stop by Kentucky to visit with some good friends on the way back up (yes, several hours out of the way). I'm submitting my retirement paperwork upon my return for July 31st 2009 to roughly coincide with my daughter's high school graduation next year. Thus will begin yet another chapter of this ephemeral life of mine...

I've been listening to a lot of music (surprise!). Over the past few months I've run across some absolutely wonderful artists and people out here in the ether. You've probably seen some of my reviews and bulletins; if not, please watch for them.

… and please, watch/listen/repost if you've had a chance to experience their work and feel it worthy of a few moments of your time. I won't list anybody here for fear of appearing exclusionary. I do want to add however that I've got Richard Alan's "Yesterday's Wine" and Tima Montemayor's "Until Now" sitting here in the shrink wrap (as of yesterday), both awaiting the chance to monopolize my ears when I get some quality "me" time this weekend.

This is my badge, made for me by one of my dearest MySpace friends, Jan. See?

Want this badge?

Please feel free to place it on your page somewhere if you're so inclined. I'll likely reciprocate ... just ask!

…and I joined both fuzz and ReverbNation. My ReverbNation "widget" follows:

So I joined ReverbNation and all I got was this lousy widget.  :-)

Presque Vu – Lyrics

We Are Also the Dreamt – Lyrics

What else have I been up to? Let me think…

Cooking … I'm actually making some chicken curry as I type this. I've had a lot of recent success with my culinary endeavors (as evidenced by my expanding waistline) and I just plain enjoy it … the cooking, not the waistline. :-) I finally nailed beef stroganoff last month and quite possibly made the best lasagna of my life too. I'm picking up a smoker and a hell of a good brisket recipe from a friend this weekend. Mmm…

Covers … I've been playing with a group of gentlemen at the School of Music and they're all ringers. The bassist and the other guitar player are instructors for those instruments at the SOM. Nice! Our first outing will be a recital in August to test the waters, so to speak, and we've been rehearsing an eclectic bunch of tunes. Right now we're going to play Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir", Breaking Benjamin's "Blow Me Away", Velvet Revolver's "Slither", and Puddle of Mudd's "Maybe I'm the One" at the recital … complete with background video for all of them. I wonder how that'll go over on the heels of the woodwind quintet or brass ensemble that plays before we do. It should be fun. Then we'll take our little sideshow to town and make a few dollars here and there.

…and my share will go back into financing my original tunes. *sigh* :-)

Well this is certainly long enough, a good stopping point.

Regards,

- Chip QNP

I had the opportunity to go watch an afternoon performance of "The Black Watch" on May 29th at the Norfolk Scope. It is a play about, in essence, about a group of men that served with The Black Watch focusing around their time in Iraq in 2004. For details of this please see the video below.

Although done from the perspective of a group of Scottish marines, the performance struck a deeply resonant chord within me, especially both in the portrayal of the grinding boredom coupled with the sense that it all could so easily turn suddenly deadly in an instant and also in the sense of the "What are we doing here?"

Near the end, one of them said "I fought for me mates" and that just about covers it all.

I was standing with my First Sergeant (we were in uniform) talking about the play afterward and we were approached by an older woman nearly incoherent with tears, stammering out her thanks to "all of us". I did the only thing I could think of; I hugged her and told her that it would be alright.

There's a section in the middle of the play where the character speaks of the history of the Black Watch and, as he continues to talk uninterrupted, his fellows constantly change around bits of his uniform to reflect the period to which he was referring. The continuity in the face of change is amazing and serves to give a sense of tradition.

So much is intuitive and inexplicable … go watch this play if you have an opportunity.

Kind regards,

- Chip QNP

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Watch_%28play%29)

Black Watch is a play written by Gregory Burke and directed by John Tiffany for the National Theatre of Scotland, about soldiers in the Black Watch regiment of the British Army serving on Operation TELIC in Iraq during 2004, prior to the amalgamation into the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Black Watch was first performed during the Edinburgh Festival on Saturday, August 5th 2006 at the University of Edinburgh Officer Training Corps' Drill hall. Hailed as a cultural landmark of the 21st century, performing to full houses, standing ovations and unanimous critical acclaim…