The Rockula Update 12/19/11 -or- A large number of small victories instead of one all encompasing triumph

The last few weeks have been productive
A few weeks ago, I decided to get off my ass and pull my drums out on the street in Deep Ellum
Laziness was one of the factors that kept me from doing it but the biggest one was fear of all the negative variables that were swirling in my head
Would the cops hassle me?
Would someone try to rob me or start a fight? (this is Ellum)
After getting out there and doing it, I saw that none of those fears were correct
Not only that, but I never would have thought that I could play drums for 5 to 6 hours
My recent drumming-stamina issues have been a huge issue and I succeeded in adapting my playing for the long haul
I have an idea where I want to take this and will address it in a sec

Speaking of drumming stamina issues, I have isolated two of the main causes of my problem
I can still play fast, powerful and dynamic but I can’t do it as soon as I sit down at a drumkit
I have always had a stretching routine but I have slacked off on my stamina drills
My 43 year old muscles need to warm up like an old engine before you put it in drive
The other issue is that I am starting to really feel the repurcussions of my un-treated ankle fracture from 2004
All of my joints are getting a little stiff and my wrists are sore a few days after getting back on the bike
I am hoping that is is just rust from a couple of months of inactivity (although the ankle is just gonna get worse)
However, Jendeen told me about glucosamine and advil and so far they have helped (although it is too early to judge the glucosamine)
I have to get back to the bike riding routine at night and force myself to do the stamina drills (as painfully boring as a decade of them have become)

The second aspect of street performance is that I have started thinking of PyroPlasticFlow in a street context
Obviously, the biggest issue is how to power the electronics
I have solved a large majority of issues with battery powered options
The laptop runs on a battery
I already own a guitar/bass processor and Kaoss pad that run on batteries
There are battery powered mixers and even portable PA combo amps with a 12 hour rechargable internal battery (and all under $200 each)
The SPDS is really the only essential piece that doesn’t run on batteries so I have to figure out something
The ultimate would be if I could power the video projector
I am very excited about this project and think I can build the setup and craft the music for street performance by spring
If I get more time on the street then I could possibly finance the rest of the setup

On the video side, I have been working a lot of gigs at the Fallout Lounge lately
It started with Voodoo Halloween then Bollywood and New York City for Gabriel
Christmas and New Years Eve have been added as well
The Video/DJ thing is developing nicely and is creating new avenues
I am just now starting to formulate how to correlate all of these things together
My biggest mistake was to group all of my talents together in one dense slab of hard to digest material
Now I understand that I need to show these people a samples of what I can do at a time instead of assaulting them with the sum total of my awesomeness
Yeah, that’s gotta be it
People don’t get me because I am too cool to comprehend…

Other musical projects have started to develop as well
I ran into Michael on several occasions and he told me that he wanted to do psychadelic music but in a modern context
Laura had talked to him first and told him about all of the multi-taking stuff I did
I listened to his music and it was the standard instrumental psychadelic instumental stuff
It was good and offered a lot of places for me to play drums like myself
The added benefit was that he wants me to apply the multi-tasking aspect as well
The SPDS will come into play as well as live mic sampling and effects
He agrees that the electronic drums he uses on ableton are enough for some parts and that I am free to step off the kit and multi-task
We have started a regular once a week rehearsal and plan to play live ASAP

Tiki Torture has been on the back burner but I have had a keyboard/bass player who shows interest as well as a guitarist just waiting for me to get off my ass and start it up
There is also a guitarist who rents at the studio that is interested in playing for PPF

I need to keep reminding myself to keep at this stuff
Things have failed so often in the past due to a combination of unreliable people and my own apathy that I have begun to question if I can regain a decent work ethic
Now is a pivotal point in my progress
I have a lot of opportunities in front of me
Very few of them are everything that I want all in one
I have to satisfy myself with a large number of small victories instead of one all encompasing triumph