Monday, December 20, 2010

$10,000 Dr. Seuss Scholarship for HS Seniors!!!!( SPREAD THE WORD!)

http://www.seussville.com/OTPScholarship/



Click the link above to be taken to the application sheet at the top center of the page. This is a huge opportunity for those that are serious about having fun and learning more!If you need a little inspiration, here are the words from Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You'll Go":
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on y our way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't
Because, sometimes they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike,
And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
You're off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

The above text was copyrighted in 1990 

 

The complete book which has great pictures to accompany the text is published by Random House and can be purchase at any bookstore. Cost: approx. $10-$15

I whole-heartedly suggest you buy this book as a gift to yourself or to anyone that you know will graduating soon from something.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Old Metallica Book for New Metallica Fans!

The book to your left was once an iconic source of information about a band i lived and breathed. I still have the book, given to me by my cousin Sherry. I was thinking about how easy it was to memorize the information and stories in it. But more importantly, i'm asking myself the question why? In short, the answer for me, is that I was extremely passionate about this band. It's a lot easier when you're passionate about what you love and do than it is to be passionate about something you're not totally sure about.


If it's all just information? What makes memorizing chord diagrams different from Metallica's life and career choices? Why couldn't I see the simplicity in that fact growing up back then? I was obsessed! haha! 


My father George saw that obsession and for a few weeks banned me from listening to them. After I waited by the radio for hours after school got out, hoping and listening for "Fade to Black" or "Enter Sandman", in secret - i understood what his point was. I still went on to listen to some pretty heavy obscure music but all the while, I knew what kind of music the musician inside me wanted to write in the future. 


Yes, right now - my original songs could be heavier, but for now in the songwriting process, I need the lyrics and message to be clearer than the amount of distortion that I layer over clean toned guitar riffs/melodies.


So back to my history of listening and loving Metallica. When you hear a band that has such a diverse yet settled sound, it's easy to understand how they've been so influential in the change that Hard Rock and Heavy Metal have played in the progress of popular music


The "rock ballad" was coined in the 1980s and this band was no exception to adding to what that did. Hits like "Unforgiven" and "Nothing Else Matters" upon hitting the radio airwaves have forged a highlighted path for other artists to write softer rock songs. These particular songs have a more gentle quality, yet they've been widely accepted by devoted toughened Metallica fans and unaccustomed casual listeners of awesomeness.


ALL IN ALL: This book is VERY, interesting and lets the reader understand about the seemingly unimportant "dude-type" decision that Kirk Hammett and Cliff Burton shared the night before he died on their tour bus. One got the top bunk and the other got the bottom. It could have been "bye-bye" to the former Exodus lead guitarist just as easily. And that fact is simply sad but true. No pun intended.     
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Thursday, December 16, 2010

2 FREE Sixpense None the Richer SONGS!

Christmas is close. And while some are bah-humbugging around , others are seeing how many lights it takes to blow the breaker, then taking a string off for safety's sake. This is for both of them. :)

The red CD cover to your left has 2 songs from a classical guitarist named,  Stevan Pasero that i know any guitar-lover would appreciate. Keep in mind that all those notes and riffs are from ONE GUITAR! Isn't that amazing that one person can master an instrument so far as to make a recording sound like 2 and sometimes 3 guitarists playing at the same time?!

The 3 middle songs are still equally beautiful and are composed on piano. In my opinion, they're very dynamic, moving pieces and the fact that it's a Christmas CD is even better. It's sometimes tough to find a decent X-mas album that doesn't have a lot of "filler" material on it. The bottom line is - it's quality performances from top-notch artists.


ALL IN ALL?:

Make sure to send your friends my blog link! (http://www.troyandhisguitar.com/)


AND!: Below are two singles from a major artist! I've never seen a holiday sampler that has a band like Sixpence None the Richer on it.   



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Thursday, December 9, 2010

26 STEPS in 2010 (Yes, There's Still Time; There's Always "Time"!)

26 “steps” toward success - in 2010!
The fact is - if you’re reading this, I don’t have to convince you to chase your dreams; you’re already doing that by being “here” – at my website AND at this place in your life. Congrats by the way. You deserve it. The world doesn’t think you do but we both know that the world can be a selfish place sometimes. Which is why we have to be just that much more diligent than it is at trying to get us down or detract us from our goals. Welcome!

T.I.M.E. = taking imagination, moving energy!
Take time to let yourself do nothing, then - daydream with focus. Feel the energy from the thoughts that you create. I that moment, you ARE creating and the "writer's block" is GONE!




Influence yourself! – choose people and fill your life with things (tangible and non-tangible) that uplift you and are in line with your purpose. At anytime of the day, of any of the 52 weeks within a given year.
Choose Your Environmental influences – these begin to shape our personality at birth, and it continues to develop throughout our lifetime.
Find your stepping stones. Write down a list of broad goals for yourself. Search within each goal for a more specific way to approach it. Now finally, select a medium level goal that can serve and a mid-point/checkpoint for you to reassess after achieving partial measurable success at each singular goal listed.
Yeah, you’ll have a bunch of “items” on your goals to-do list but make sure that you read between the goals as well. For instance, see if anyone else is doing what you want to do. Find someone or something to model yourself after. There’s no harm in doing this. I’m sure that Bill Gates definitely has role models and mentors, even at his level of wealth. We’re not really talking about rich and poor here. This is strictly about seeking out stones to use for travel toward your goals and overall success. Someone who is willing to help you by becoming a mentor or role model to you, will understand the role they play for you and ultimately aid you just that much more. Remember that they’ve gone before you and are an active member in their field’s success.
Focus on your intentions for your musical goals - Write 30 goals a day. They don’t have to be polished and sealed with a notarized seal of authenticity, but they need to be yours and they need to motivate you. These goals are causing your mind to be strengthened. The end state is to see your goals as though they were already a part of your reality - to see them in all the colors of your personal style & genre. Do what you do, don’t let the negative feedback cripple you, causing you to lose focus or have a significant setback. You can even use positive criticism to gain more success!
Diligently forge a path to Mastery in your field (for you goals). Once you have "WHAT YOU DO", down…create multiple streams of income. Keep your “DAY JOB” or if you don’t have a job, dang it, get one; you can’t expect to gain anything if you don’t have any leverage with some extra money set aside "after all the “bills” are paid."
FINALLY, TRUST YOURSELF. THE TRUEST PART OF YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS THAT YOU FEEL THE MOST FREE OPERATING/LIVING FROM. THAT, IS THE PLACE WHERE YOUR DREAMS WILL BECOME REAL. AS REAL AS YOU'RE A MAN OR WOMAN.

THAT IS ALL. :O)

IGNORE EVERYBODY (from www.gapingvoid.com)

IGNORE EVERYBODY.

So you want to be more crea­tive, in art, in busi­ness, wha­te­ver. Here are some tips that have wor­ked for me over the years.]
1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be yours.
3. Put the hours in.

4. If your biz plan depends on you sud­denly being “dis­co­ve­red” by some big shot, your plan will pro­bably fail.

5. You are res­pon­si­ble for your own expe­rience.

6. Ever­yone is born crea­tive; ever­yone is given a box of cra­yons in kin­der­gar­ten.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Com­pa­nies that squelch crea­ti­vity can no lon­ger com­pete with com­pa­nies that cham­pion crea­ti­vity.

9. Every­body has their own pri­vate Mount Eve­rest they were put on this earth to climb.

10. The more talen­ted some­body is, the less they need the props.

11. Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds alto­gether.

12. If you accept the pain, it can­not hurt you.

13. Never com­pare your inside with some­body else’s outside.

14. Dying young is ove­rra­ted.

15. The most impor­tant thing a crea­tive per­son can learn pro­fes­sio­nally is where to draw the red line that sepa­ra­tes what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

16. The world is chan­ging.

17. Merit can be bought. Pas­sion can’t.

18. Avoid the Water­coo­ler Gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irre­le­vant.

21. Selling out is har­der than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for your­self.

23. Worr­ying about “Com­mer­cial vs. Artis­tic” is a com­plete waste of time.

24. Don’t worry about fin­ding ins­pi­ra­tion. It comes even­tually.

25. You have to find your own sch­tick.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get appro­val is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Wha­te­ver choice you make, The Devil gets his due even­tually.

30. The har­dest part of being crea­tive is get­ting used to it.

31. Remain fru­gal.

32. Allow your work to age with you.

33. Being Poor Sucks.

34. Beware of tur­ning hob­bies into jobs.

35. Savor obs­cu­rity while it lasts.

36. Start blog­ging.

37. Mea­ning Sca­les, Peo­ple Don’t.

37. When your dreams become rea­lity, they are no lon­ger your dreams.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Berklee College of Music, HERE I COME!!!!!

Sometimes in life, you just gotta do something that scares you out of your mind. Like play music. I'm in the process to getting Tuition Assistance to further my education; I'll be studying at Berkeley School of Music for a few semesters online. I know, I'll LOVE this. Here is Berklee College of Music's awesomely inspiring mission statement via their website:





Mission and Philosophy


Photo by Phil Farnsworth


The mission of Berklee College of Music is to educate, train, and develop students to excel in music as a career.
Developing the musicianship of all our students is the foundation of our curriculum. We believe that the lessons and qualities derived from that work—the self-discipline needed for excellence, the empathy required of music making and the openness and inquisitiveness essential to creativity—are critical to achievement in any pursuit, musical or otherwise; and that music is a powerful catalyst for personal growth, which is central to any collegiate experience.
Founded on jazz and popular music rooted in the African cultural diaspora, our comprehensive curriculum is distinctly contemporary in its content and approach, and embraces the principal musical movements of our time. Through a course of scholarly and practical learning experiences integrating performance and writing, our curriculum covers the variety of influential styles, relevant technologies, and career opportunities open to today's music professional.

Objectives
  • To define and refine the individual talents of our students by providing a broad range of major programs offered by a distinguished faculty, and to prepare them for careers in music that reflect the diversity of expression and opportunities that define music today.

  • To enable our students to employ their musical education in a global society by providing a coherent liberal arts curriculum that informs their thinking about issues that have shaped our time.

  • To encourage our students to appreciate and apply music's enormous force for the enrichment of society and intercultural understanding.

  • To cultivate a supportive learning environment by actively promoting a climate of respect for personal and cultural differences, and by offering a range of services and activities to support the needs of the student musicians who come to us from around the world.

  • To maintain the vitality of our college community by encouraging and supporting continuing professional development for all of its members.

  • To provide an environment in which all know that they are full and valued members of the community.

  • To value ethical behavior in all aspects of personal and professional life by establishing a community that values integrity in all relationships.

  • To retain our leadership position in music education and to ensure that our curriculum remains relevant by pledging to value academic freedom and innovation.

Philosophy
Berklee was founded on two revolutionary ideas: that musicianship could be taught through the music of the time; and that our students need practical, professional skills for successful, sustainable music careers. While our bedrock philosophy has not changed, the music around us has and requires that we evolve with it.
For over half a century, we've demonstrated our commitment to this approach by wholeheartedly embracing change. We update our curriculum and technology to make them more relevant, and attract diverse students who reflect the multiplicity of influences in today's music. We prepare our students for a lifetime of professional and personal growth through the study of the arts, sciences, and humanities. And we are developing new initiatives to reach and influence an ever-widening audience.

More than a college, Berklee has become the world's singular learning lab for the music of today—and tomorrow. We are a microcosm of the music world, reflecting the interplay between music and culture; an environment where aspiring music professionals learn how to integrate new ideas, adapt to changing musical genres, and showcase their distinctive skills in an evolving community. We are at the center of a widening network of industry professionals who use their openness, virtuosity, and versatility to take music in surprising new directions.

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TAPPING SECRETS MADE EASY.

Incredible tapping and legato techniques displayed. If you need a straight-forward informational way of understanding what players like Eddie Van Halen do, then This is your man! ENJOY.


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