MONAMI set lists

Had a GREAT rehearsal last night, trying to get through all the pieces before our first gig. Only had a few breakdowns.

SET 1
Here For The Party - I need to listen to the guitar solo.
Heartache Tonight
Heartbreaker - broke down on the guitar/bass unison part
Runnin Down a Dream - felt like we went a little too slow.
Before He Cheats - Need to check the bridge; I think I'm missing a chord.
Need You Now
China Grove
Sunshine of Your Love
Hot Blooded - The words! I missed some words!
Long Train Runnin
Jet Airliner - Tough for me to play and sing backup on the chorus.
Gimme 3 Steps - This went REALLY well!
Glitter In the Air

SET 2
Who Knew
Sweet Emotion - have to listen to the "extended" version
Don’t Misunderstand Me
Carry On Wayward Son - almost got it!
Kerosene
White Room
Don’t Stop Believin’
Dream On - should play a few times to jog my memory
Relentless
You Give Love a Bad Name - timing! The 1st chorus is 10-1/2 measures long!
Layla
Workin For Weekend
Alright Now
Crossroads - AWESOME!

SET 3 - We didn't get to this set last night....
Goodbye to You
Sober
That Smell - we did play this song to end the night- very good.
Rhiannon
Everybody Wants U
Chicken Fried - haven't played this yet, but it doesn't sound too difficult
Right Here Waiting
Down On the Corner - same as Chicken Fried
Black Velvet
Swingin’ - what song is this?
After Midnight

MONAMI!

MONAMI is the name of the band I'm now practicing with, and will soon be performing with!

GIGS!

Gigs are coming up with Monami (a rock group), Kingdom Dixie (dixieland), and the only gig I've had every year for the past 10 or so, at an elementary school playing some classic tunes with 75 to 100 5th & 6th graders. And the playlist for the elementary school gig has been set:

1. Love Potion #9
2. Just a Song Before I Go
3. In My Life
4. Down on the Corner
5. Circle Game
6. I Want to Hold Your Hand
7. I Feel the Earth Move
8. Moon Shadow
9. Teach Your Children

It's a lot of fun playing with them. They do a bunch of solos, and often will add or leave our beats, making it extra challenging!

More rock group

So at this point we practiced and performed for a small audience these pieces:

China Grove Doobie Brothers
Don't Misunderstand Me Rosington Collins Band
Dream On Aerosmith
Jet Airliner Steve Miller Band
Rhiannon Fleetwood Mac
Need You Now Lady Antebellum
Who Knew? Pink
Sober Pink

And I couldn't BELIEVE we played The Beatles' Birthday with no rehearsal at all. It was good! There are a bunch of songs we can ALMOST play right now, too.

Rock Group

Wow, they sound great (see last post). Singer is incredible (and plays keyboards well), guitarist is very well-rounded and really knows his stuff and the drummer is VERY solid. I think they would have sounded good with any bassist. It looks like I'm the one, at least right now. The guitarist and drummer sing backup as well as some leads, and I'll need to work on that too, I'd say. Still need to work on learning the basslines to the songs, too. It's a lot of music! Very exciting - we practiced several tunes, and then ate some food. People started showing up and then we played for like 25 people! What a great night!

BASS PLAYING

I've practiced with a dixieland group several times since football ended now. It's a lot of fun reading through the music. In general it's just playing a two feel and keeping the tempo up. Tempo is a challenge when the drummer isn't there, because I have to fight with the tuba player. With the drummer, however, it's no problem. The clarinet, trumpet, and trombone players are great and so much fun to listen to.

Today I'll be practicing with a "rock" group for the first time, also. They plan on playing maybe once a month at functions only. They've all done the bar scene and don't want that again. It's interesting to learn this many songs in just a few days (I got the list late Tuesday night, and today is Friday)! I know I won't have everything memorized, or even correct, but hopefully I can do well enough to get the gig! Most of the songs are fun to play, too, which is good.

Here's what I'm trying to learn:
Song Artist
After Midnight Clapton
Alright Now Free
Careless Whisper Seether
China Grove Doobie Brothers
Depending on You Petty
Don't Misunderstand Me Rosington Collins Band
Don't Stop Believin' Journey
Dream On Aerosmith
Everybody Wants You Squire
Goodbye to You Patti Smythe
Heartache Tonight Eagles
Hold On
Hot Blooded Foreigner
I Won't Back Down Petty
I'm the Only One Etheridge
Jet Airliner Steve Miller Band
Layla Clapton
Long Train Runnin' Doobie Brothers
Movin' On Bad Company
My Girl Temptations
Need You Now Lady Antebellum
Paralyzer Finger 11
Rhiannon Fleetwood Mac
Runnin' Down a Dream Petty
Separate Ways Journey
Slow Hand
Sober Pink
Stand By Me King
Sunshine of Your Love Cream
Sweet Emotion Aerosmith
White Room Cream
Who Knew? Pink
Won't Back Down Petty

BEHOLD, the TURTLE

So I have a ridiculous number of pieces unfinished. I'm looking forward to being able to sit down and work on them. Football season is all-consuming. Even on evenings when I don't have a practice to run, I'm so exhausted that it's difficult to focus, so ideas don't flow and my patience runs short. This morning I've been looking through the backlog while waiting for students to arrive. I've come to the conclusion that I really need to put myself out there as soon as possible.

• FINISH compositions


• Post compositions, or at least parts, on my wiki.


• Contact band directors to see if they'll play them


• Contact orchestras / ensembles

Speaking of compositions, here's where I'm at:

Behold, the Turtle - full orchestra
"He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out." Great A-section with these big swells and full chords. Nice long notes in the melody. The harmony uses the same dotted qtr/8th rhythm that I always use.

68Idea - Basically string quartet right now.
Lots of different little sections, in changing time signatures. It just needs to be filled out and maybe each little section should be expanded.

Band Idea 4-27-10 - Full band
Nice chords & melody, with a nicely harmonized melody too. Percussion needs to be added, and then it needs a better B-section or something.

Diminishing Returns - Full Band (easy high school level or jr high probably)
Done, except for articulations, dynamics, creating parts. Writing the percussion part out better would be a good idea, too. Once again - dotted 1/4 & 1/8ths.

Easy March or March 2010 - Full Band (elementary level)
Create parts and maybe add more articulations.

Eminor - Rock piece
This is really done. I need to record it, somehow. Perhaps using Audacity & getting Chandler to play drums with me.

Jazzy Stuff - for elementary Jazz Ensemble
Also basically done. My groups are going to play it this year, hopefully.

March Maybe -Full band or orchestra
Nice idea but I don't know where to go with it.

new -Full band
This is really a great idea. A & B sections are there. I think it needs development, and perhaps the orchestration needs to be filled out.

Rock Piece 2010 -Rock group
Could be done, or a 3rd section could be added, and/or space for a solo. Needs to be recorded somehow, also.

Swing Tune -Jazz group, large or small
Middle section piano part needs to be added. This could be orchestrated for different sizes of groups, like a "stage band."

Syncopation Proclomation -Full band or brass ensemble
Great melody that needs to be developed and have more sections added.

Untitled Ostinato -Jazz/Rock group
This is really like my own style of writing, where I don't worry about the style or instruments, I just add what I want. Makes it tough to get others to perform it. This piece could be done, or the B-section could be modified - it's a little hokey.

Fishing for the Five-Fingered Funkosaur -Full band
This is an arrangement for band of a piece I wrote for rock band. After the intro, when the band kicks in, it's so full. But the piece needs a lot of work. The idea itself is very short, and needs to be arranged correctly, with more added but the fullness intact.

March Arrangement (Metal March) -Full band
Needs another section - LOTS of potential here.

Qtet + cl + fl -sextet
Needs a lot more work

Gm Jazzy -Jazz band
Very playable piece.

Sadness -String quartet or orchestra
Only the start of an idea from the summer of 2010. Long melody, needs development.

Strings & xylo -Quintet
Mostly finished, needs touch-ups.

Tender Melody -
Develop the A & B parts and it'll be done.

Tuplet Arrangement -
Really tricky piece that needs arranging and recapitulation.

Also, I need to start practicing instruments again. My basses are SO neglected. In the past six weeks I think I've played ukelele twice and guitar once. It's just unacceptable. I need to really play with others too.

• Practice bass, guitar, trombone, baritone


• Play with the dixieland band Wednesday nights


• Contact local musicians & let them know I'm ready