A World Of Music

Greetings all! It’s been an interesting period of time, with all that’s going on. I wish i could say i’ve gotten much done, but i haven’t. Although that’s not completely true, i have been working allot actually, just more on the academic side then the artist side of things.

I’m very fortunate to be sharing an office with an individual who plays a very special and wonderful instrument called The Kora, which is a 21 string harp from Mali. Dr. Ryan Skinner is currently teaching the world music class at AUC, and as an Ethnomusicologist, has much to offer in terms of musical perspectives.

Ryan can be seen playing the Kora in this video taken in our office last week:

http://www.youtube.com/v/LiFI5p8S0zc

He’s also written a wonderful childrens book called Sidikiba's Kora Lesson

And here’s his official website: www.ryanskinner.org

Stay tuned, since there are definite possibilities of the pairing of the Duduk & Kora in the near future….

Failure To Adjust – Out Now!

Well Folks, My second solo album is finally out, after a long wait, what i consider my strongest & best work to date is out and available to buy at all good online music distributors.

To see the list of available places to purchase my album go here: http://www.dreamfullofzen.net/Music.html

The album is available on Itunes, Napster, Limewire, Amazon and will be available soon on Emusic & the Nokia music store.

3 Songs have been posted up on my Myspace page, including the title track “Failure To Adjust”, The mystical sounding “mirage & lastly the haunting and evocative “The Number 5”.

To visit my Myspace page, go here: http://www.myspace.com/Dreamfullofzen

I’m couldn’t be happier with how the album turned out, and I am sure it will be well recieved by my current fanbase, and hopefully broaden out and get the attention of some new listeners, Since “Silent Echoes” was a free website album, and didn’t get the exposure that F.T.A will get. And the INFINITY soundtrack wasn’t really an album as it was just a body of work i did and decided to make available online, and had practically no guitar on it whatsoever.

For more details about the album visit the F.T.A page on my site: http://www.dreamfullofzen.net/FTA.html

The Fall 2009 semester has started at A.U.C, and i have an interesting semester ahead & much work to do to keep my students on their toes, and there is talks of a guitar festival, so chances are there will be a performance by myself in November. As always more information will be posted in the not too distant future….

Till then, Be good….

DFZ

Coming Soong - Failure To Adjust

After a long wait it’s finally here, My second solo album is finally ready!!! The much anticipated Failure To adjust is the result of the last two years of my life… the old… the new… and more. I’ve been writing a whole bunch of different material, but late last year i focused more on putting together material for the concept of my second solo album.

The material is much more cohesive and stronger then my previous efforts, which showcased my abilities more then my sensibilities as a musician. The 10 songs on the album feature my signature sound of atmospheric and emotionally charged soundscapes, but the guitar is much more subdued and playing a more soulful role this time, complimenting the music, instead of taking it over. The focus this time was to really make the songwriting as strong as possible, meaning more melodies, less clutter, less over the top guitar playing and more soul.

Of the 10 tracks, 2 feature the Armenian Duduk, a double reed flute like instrument which i got late April and have been learning to play. Overall I’m very happy with how F.T.A has turned out, the production is much better then anything I’ve done, and i feel that it came much more naturally, and i wasn’t forced.

I’ve been busy putting the final touches on the album together, along with updating all my web stuff (blog, website, Facebook, MySpace, etc etc yada yada yada), but fortunately this will all come to an end by this month. The website will be up again on the 26th, and the album should be out by the end of the month on the usual online distributors.

Soon I’ll be adding tracks to my MySpace page, so stay tuned in!

Peace ‘n much love!

DFZ

Summer Update

Well… It’s been awhile since i posted on here… i guess i should keep this thing more updated.. but in all honesty… the 4 of you that read this surely have better things to do?? I kid of course…..

I’ve been keeping myself busy, with a mixture of normal things that most people do…

That said i’ve mostly been focusing on my album, which is coming along quite nicely and is nearing completion. The process has been a very liberating one… the previous album really took allot of work from me, learning what can and cannot be done with a digital only confined setup like mine. That said i seem to have found balance in practicality and quality, and i’m very pleased with the overall production output.

The picture is of my Duduk, which after 2 months now of playing it, i really love… There are two pieces on the album that feature the instrument, and i have to say that it fits perfectly with what i do. I only hope i can keep advancing on the instrument and compose music which is worthy of it’s beauty…

On the personal front, i’ve been having health issues, mostly with my right hand wrist & arm/shoulder. I’ve had problems with them in the past (due to an RSI related injury), but this time it’s actually abit worse. It’s a mixture of things that caused it, mostly using too much of my netbook i think for online activities & working out too much and generally overdoing it… It’s gotten better but it’s definitely affected my guitar playing.. something which i hope will not be permanent, and am thankful that it came towards the end of the tracking for my new album…

Health wise i’ve definately noticed some things not right, not sure whether it’s a nutrition thing, or something else, but my nerves and overall wellbeing are not where they should be… That said that usually happens to me around summertime anyways, so i’ll see how that goes.

On a brighter note my friends Rami & Raquy will be hitting Cairo again, Rami should be here next week, and Raquy around the middle of August, so it’ll be good to chill with them again and change the pace of things.

Well, i post again soon, with some more info and some snippets of the new album.

Bugger Off.

End of the Semester!

Hey Folks,

Where have i been all month? Well.... I've been busy!

The semester is finally over, and i was practically living at AUC this last few weeks making sure what needed to be done got done, so it would be a smooth finish.

Over the last few weeks i've gotten better at the Duduk... although i can see it truly is one of those simple instruments that takes years to get good at. I can improvise around and make it seem i'm better then i am, but i think playing set pieces and playing in certain keys other than A will take allot of work. I need to get another Duduk actually since the one i have is not as high quality as i thought, and get some reeds too, to play them in and have them age as i practice and get better.

On another non-music related note: (and i can't believe i'm typing this) I am seeing someone! Indeed, DFZ has a girlfriend apparently... Even more interesting... she's a student. Now... hold your horses... she's not a student of mine.... so calm down... and more importantly this was a mutual thing, no chasing after anyone here... we just met and clicked. I'd seen her around campus but didn't cross my mind at all (since i am not one for dating or getting involved with students), but this is definately an exception.

Her name's Mary, and we have so much in common it's not even funny.... seriously, it's quite strange to meet someone like that... Call it luck... Call it Fate.... Call it Absolutely Nothing! Either way it's been interesting after so many years to be involved with someone. It almost feels like it hasn't been that long.. but deep down i know it has, and i have to admit to feeling somewhat like a fish out of water at times....

That said, it's been an enjoyable month, and it's interesting to see things get better for a change, instead of getting worse.

Now that i'm done with Uni for the summer, i can focus on my music and get the album(s) done. I'm looking to focus on F.T.A since it doesn't need too much work i think, and i reckon by july i can have it finished, and then in August i can work on other bits n pieces... I'll have to see how it goes.

I feel like there is something else i should be mentioning here, but i cannot for the life of me remember what it is....

I guess i'll save it for the next blog post!

adios,

DFZ

Duduk Fever

Well, i got my Duduk Last week, and it's been a week now, of trying it out...

I love it!

Having noodled abit with Clarinet before, i wasn't foreign to the instrument and how it works... but i was suprised at just how sensitive it is....

I was able to get notes, albet they were totally flat... till i moved the reed tuner back abit... ahh there we go! in tune!

I have an A duduk, master built from the UK, and it's beautiful. Now playing the Duduk requires strong breath and control. I have the breath part fairly okay actually, and was able to get to play some basic scale stuff immediately (which suprised me since i could barely do that on clarinet after weeks and weeks). The hard part is learning to take the breath from the stomach and completely, and controlling that and the playing with it.

Also the embochure for the instrument is easier then clarinet.. and harder at the same time. You can puff your cheeks out (actually you have to with duduk!) and you don't have much of the reed in your mouth. What's tricky is though that you can manipulate the pitch of the reed slightly, so if you're not careful you might be sharp..... although going sharp to correct and vice versa is a common middle eastern sound and works well if you know what you're doing...

I mostly worked on getting the notes to sound "sweet" no air noise and excessive blowing.. and learning to relax and exhale the air evenly to control the dynamics... and to go from soft to loud... and to go from soft to loud and apply Vibrato!.. which is an awesome thing you can do on Duduk..

Even more awesome is the bending of the notes using half holing.. which i am still working on, since you need to blow harder to maintain the volume of the note when half holing, and have to work on the touch of it, to get the notes in tune...

so... with the mouth, reed, breath stuff, finger techniques, and applying the music theory and improvisation stuff i know to this instrument... well... i have my work cut out for me...

I'd love to spend hours practicing on it.. but as a beginner i realise i have to be sensible, because as i noticed yesterday, i need to develop the muscles in my cheeks and around the lips... since they got tired really quick and i could not maintain a proper embochure and my lips and technique went completely wrong...

Main thing is daily practice... and to work on having pieces to play... As tempting as it is to buy dvds and lessons.... I want to figure this thing out on my own... i say on my own but that's not true, watching other musicians on youtube, and the free pdfs on various sites have been extremely useful.... i just want to learn to play my own stuff and when i get better, then work on playing some middle eastern standards... the priorety for me is to use the Duduk in my own music... not to become a traditional musician..

I'm going to write a basic piece and hopefully record it, and when i do i'll post a vid on youtube too....

Till then.

DFZ

Guitar Idol Finals - Vote!

Hey all,
quick note: please vote for my old friend Chris Geden, who's made it into the final heat of the GI2009.

http://www.guitaridol.tv/online_final/entry/total_guitar_backing_demo

Thanks.

DFZ

And so it begins again

I hope you all had a good spring break... Mine was exactly what i needed: some peace and quiet, solitude, afew good movies, lots of beer and lime, and music.....

I've been noodling with the zentar... i dunno.. something is not right... there's very little sustain.. which i am guessing is due to the shoddy neck... And as much as i want to delve into fretless land... i cannot justify buying a fretless axe at this point. More then most likely i am going to get an Oud next month or so and mess around with that & the maqams till i can get my hands on a fretless axe... Also i have the fretless bass which i can noodle around on till i get the Oud... so it's all good.

Actually, i'm pretty psyched: Tommorow i should have my Duduk! I bought one from a respectable place in the UK that sells really well made ones, so i'm looking forward to learning a new instrument and having something new to work on. My New CME keyboard controller will be here too... thank god.. no more programming music with a mouse..... can finally play the parts and work on them like a real musician......

Now, i said i'd elaborate more on my new project. Now i think i jumped the gun abit... after 5 days of working on the music i realised afew important things:

• i don't have a good singing voice for lead vocals. Background vocals sure, choiral ooo and ahh stuff fine.... but the lead voice in a song.... nope.
• i have to accept the fact that this album is going to get mixed receptions, and there's nothing i can do about that
• that i really need to write the melody first and the harmony second, not vice versa....

the last one has given me allot of grief since i'm trying to come up with decent melodies, and allot of the pieces have some weird harmonic movements which means allot of weird melodies, which i like... but ultimately it means the music is more somber and soft, as opposed to rock guitar stuff... like my previous album.

The album is mostly written, it's just a case of tracking the guitars & mixing... which i plan to have done within the next 2 months. It's all mostly laid back stuff, no rocking or up tempo pieces, very dark & atmospheric... which i think is a fitting follow up to S.E..... I'm working on finishing the "singles" of the album first, so i can post a few previews & eventually put the singles up on my myspace to help promote the album.

it'll be about 12-14 songs long, and be much better produced then the last album, thanks to having better equipment on hand, and having learned more about the limitations of what can be done in the digital domain.

Oh, and it's called Failure To Adjust....

There we go....

There's the Karmic Balance...

It's the spring break... so i haven't been to work since last thursday... 8 1/2 days of just Rest & Relaxation and noodling around with some backlogged stuff.....

Alas, to my good fortune... my cousin is in Sharm, and my aunt and uncle left for Ain Sohkna today, and won't be back till wednesday....

Good! because they were driving me insane.... My family are some of the most irritating people i've come across... they blah blah about the same old shite over and over and over... till you almost want to tell them to shut the hell up! Anyways... No headaches for the next 5 days...

This is actually excellent timing, since i've been wanting to work on my album full-time with the free time.. but haven't been able to (what with all the stupid needy bullshit of theirs...), add to the fact that they're noisy, and have no sense of an individuals privacy....

The main issue i have is that some of the tracks on the album have vocals... and as tempting as it is to treck around and book studio time... it's a waste of money... I don't have a particularly jaw dropping voice to require a decent sounding (or dead sounding) space to record it. I doubt i could even produce enough volume to cause the mic to pick up much room sound in the first place.....

My voice is mostly upper level, in that it mostly resonates in the nasal & throat area... which is okay for a soft spoken quiet guy... but for singing it sounds dreadful.... thin & lifeless.....

I can work in some of the chest and lower cavity... but i'm not that great at that (although i've improved from all the teaching and voice projection i've had to do). Only problem when i do use the lower part... my range drops immensely (since i have no real control over the air flow like a real trained vocalist would) and i end up sounding like a very bad George Michael Clone..... not the kind of voice i'm going for.....

Also some of the pieces are not in the most vocal friendly of keys... so i need to decide wether i want to push my falsetto abilities, or just settle for lower register. I'm going for the Jeff Buckley sweet sound voice... which is not an easy task... and blending lower register and higher falsetto stuff seamless really is a task for a REAL vocalist.... But i'm enjoying trying to sing again, after 10 years of not doing so. I'd hire a vocalist, but i really don't want to go through the hassle... finding someone who has good pitch... is easy to work with... won't drive me insane.. won't get pissy about credits... won't insist on being included in the songwriting...etc etc....

Fortunately there aren't that many vocal pieces (i'm glad i decided to do a mix of vocals and instrumentals... i'd originally planned an all vocal album.... that would have been a huge flop...), and for the most part i think with more practice and persistence, in the next 5 days i'll get the results i want. Luckily i have good equipment (using a Rodes NT-1) and was super lucky to sort out the noise issue with my Mackie Onyx (the sattelite unit creates a horrible high pitch hum when the phantom power is engaged), so i can track cleanly and get a good sound... well... from the equipment side of things.... Just need to work on the voice.....

I'll post more about the album after these next five days and fill you guys in more about it. I'm gunning to release it in June (Initial Release will be on Itunes & Mp3 distributors, and later a CD to follow). This time i'm definately releasing it on a physical format.. since i'd like to be able to physically hold my work, and hand people a copy to them, instead of giving them a link on a piece of paper or whatnot...

Call me nostalgic......

Karmicly Speaking....

Just what the fuck is going on?

I really don't get it. Generally speaking i've always had it where if good luck or fortune comes my way... Equally bad luck or fortune soon follows.

The swing this time has been waaaaaaay out of proportion though.... and quite frankly... it sucks.

I hate it when nothing goes right... Ultimately i'm not and have never been a quitter... but damn... This time it's too much. Blow by blow.... one thing after the other.... can't seem to catch a break.

Anyways, not going into the b.s, I've been focusing working on the new album, and looking around at production jobs... something which i have slacked at and consequently, have more or less zero work in that department now as a result of that. Is it me? or the industry has gone belly up? It never used to be THIS hard to land a decent paying job scoring or doing production work.... i guess it doesn't help that every other bus boy around is a friggen composer with a digital home studio setup.....

Admittedly it is my fault too: i simply don't network or sell myself much (ie.whoring), and as such my name has fallen from the face of the earth because of that. Problem is that here in Cairo it's impossible to get my name out and about state side since you really do have to be there to get around and get the proverbial foot through the door. Someone suggested that i try my hand at work here..... ultimately that's not going to happen......... i don't see anyone paying me $30,000 to do a film score here.... so that's a waste of time.... And the last scoring job here i did, i ended up not getting any money, or anything from it... aside from a soundtrack of music which is completely all over the shop.

I've had a few ideas zip in and out of my head, which i'm going to give allot of thought over in the next few weeks. One was to start a Label, Another was a real bonafide production company... things which will ultimately grow as businesses which eventually won't need much from me but will make good money. The label is an interesting one because as i see it, there aren't any labels here in Cairo for young & up coming talent, whom are able to get the music produced to a high standard, and then get it selling internationally, like on Itunes and whatnot... and i could do that.

Ultimately it'd be allot of work, and i don't know what the success rate of something like that would be. It's definately something worth mulling over though. I'd have to start attending more gigs around Cairo and see what the talent is like these days.....

I've been noodling on the zentar abit more... i've had to tweak around more with the tuning... since the G string tuned to G was way too high timbre wise (and playing wise was way too tense). I dropped it down a fourth (or if you look at it the other way a 5th!) to D... sounds better and i can play abit more microtonal on it now. I just ripped the Maqams made easy CD (with the new external cd burner i bought for my netbook!) & will start working on getting those under my fingers and in my ears. I'm toying allot with the idea of an Oud to be honest. As much as i love the idea of the zentar... the steel strings and general design just don't work in the sense of getting the right timbre and tonality... it might be just me not being used to playing out of tune on a guitar (after years and years of working on being in tune!) or maybe it's just the feel of the instrument.

My minds all over the place at the moment... I'm going to finish my coffee and go back to work on my album.

For now.... well.... Bugger off!

Why?

Why does the last day of the week have to end on such a shite note?

The highlights of the day included

• Finding out that there was no details about payment for the gig. So i'll have to wait after the spring break.. and that's assuming i actually get payed.....
• Two students not showing up for their lessons
• Going to see a play, walking to the bus area.. to be told there are no R2 buses after 9pm, arguing with the supervisor, then calling the main manager of the fucking bus company and telling using my "british charm" to get the sons of bitches to get me back home... back home at 11:pm... and was at work at 9am..........loooooooooooooong assed day to say the least.

I'm beat... and not the good kind either...... The quiz results from the MUSC-180 class were abysmal at best... at the moment atleast 50% of the class is looking at an F to D grade. Only a handful of students are doing well. At this point i can't say i care anymore... Just want to get through this semester without taking a swing at someone.......

It's 1 in the morning, i'm listening to armenian duduk music, trying to figure out what to do with myself in the next few days. More then most likely, i'll do nothing.....

On a brighter note my Duduk arrived yesterday back home... so at some point within this month hopefully i'll have it here and work on learning to play it. I just hope i can... Aside from the guitar, i've never been all that with learning or playing instruments...... Kinda ironic really..... I even bought a clarinet a few years back..... i can play guitar to a high level, but couldn't really grasp clarinet.. although in my defence the instrument struck me as incredibly boring and dull.....

Just have to wait and see i guess... like with most things in life.....

Done and Dusted

Well, it's finally out of the way...

Tonight i stepped onto the elusive Ewart Hall stage & did my thing. Granted it was over backing tracks.... and there was a handful of people at best in a room which holds around 1000 or more, but atleast it's out of the way, and i didn't majorly fuck up in anyway.

I wish i could say i was excited about it, but i wasn't... even as i sit here now.. i feel somewhat numb... which is weird. I'm used to having that wired feeling when on stage and walking off it... tonight i didn't feel that..... at all.

Ultimately it wasn't a real gig.. and more importantly it was not the kind of gig i would do.... people sitting down.. classical hall.... ridiculously low volume (i could barely hear myself in the beginning!). That said i appreciated the fact that although only a handful, atleast people came. For the most part i didn't recognise most of the people in the beginning, apart from my friends and technically neighbours Bill & Nell Evenhouse, but afew more people came in bringing the total not higher then 20 i'd say.. actually it was probably closer to around the 15 mark... The later additions being students from my MUSC-180 class and the MUSC-280 guitar sessions.

There was one fellow whom seemed genuinely moved by the music, mostly "Echoes Of Rain", and was very enthusiastic. Generally when i see that and hear the response, i realise that i am close to achieving what it is that i've been building towards as a musician, and as a composer. Sure i could run up and down the neck all day long.. but not only does it bore the crap out of me.. i imagine it bores the listener too... I'm looking to move people.. and i think i'm getting better at being able to do so....

Ultimately though the same questions always arise about my career and the future of it.. which i have to humbly admit to not really pursuing or pushing and whatnot.... I don't know whether it's complaicency, stupidity, laziness, or just the fact that i've accepted that in this day and age, a career of fame, fortune, the spotlight and whatnot.........just isn't me.

Ironically i think all that time i spent "roughing" it has made an honest to god humble man out of me.. which for the most part is good... but at the same time... i'm entirely sure it's practical... let alone makes any sense for a guy my age.... And more importantly, if i have no goals or aims in terms of achieving things, then why bother in the first place?

well i know the answer to the last part... like it or not, it's who i am and it's not something i could stop without doing serious psychological damage. And making money out of it really isn't who i am either in the sense of becoming a commercial whore.

I think i need to rethink things abit... make one of those 5 year plans everyone always raves on about....

yeah......that's really going to happen.... more then most likely i'm going to watch a movie, doze off, and then go to work tommorow....well... today.... in about 5 or so hours......

Slowly Losing My Patience....

Today was a shit day to say the least... mostly thanks to AUC.

I had a "rehearsal" today, at Ewart Hall, to go and soundcheck and try my rig out there...

Now... Generally speaking, when an electric guitar player is going to rehearse, he usually needs one main thing: Personal Amplification. A P.A & usually the front of house of the venue to try it out.

So i turn up at 4pm, right on time (which is a miracle considering the monsterous amount of traffic today....), and there is no one there, and finally when someone does come, he asks me how many chairs & music stands i want.... Erm... well........you see, i play electric guitar.. so i don't need a chair... that's why i have a strap.... and well... guitar players are lousy note readers.. so i don't really need a music stand... what i do need are a pair of monitors, some line ins, DI boxes, and a beer....

Needless to say i didn't ask for the beer... but when i was informed that the sound engineer had left and wouldn't be back till 8pm... i wish i had one, so i could smash the bottle over someones head......

A phone call to the Music Co-Ordinator.... Well... put it this way.... someone fucked up.... according to her, it was the audio guys fault, since he didn't read his email because his internet connection was screwy.... When the sound guy turned up (about an hour later), he told me that he had no internet problems and that there was no email and was not informed about me (the event says Dave Tawfik and friends... fails to mention that i am a fucking electric guitar player...).

Quite frankly i am inclined to believe the sound guy, considering all the other hiccups that have occured this semester.... But i have to say.... I am furious.... AUC seems incapable of dealing with non classical musicians in a dignified manner.... and quite frankly i'm getting sick and tired of it.

I was literally getting up to leave when the sound guy showed up, and had i left, i would have been on the phone cancelling this stupid masterclass right off the cuff. I'm still not happy with the whole thing... i have work till 5pm, will get the bus which will probably get me there around 7pm, and have this damn thing to do at 8pm.... and have to deal with the sound on the day, since he didn't have the F.O.H up loud enough, and the monitors sounded like crap and where phasing all over the shop....

I shouldn't complain and just get it over and done with, but i just can't believe how poorly organised & run things are.... I really don't like working with amateurs, and will bear in mind that if asked to do anything performance based at AUC, to Decline it without hesitation..... Period.

Masterclass on Wednesday

Greetings to the 3 of you that read this fecking thing.

I have a masterclass on wednesday, at Ewart Hall, 8pm. It's an oppertunity for those whom are interested to ask me questions about what i do, and to see me play semi-live (i say semi because i'll be playing over backing tracks of my material... so the only thing live is me... no band...).

Length of the masterclass will vary, depending on how many (read if any) people show up, and the questions asked and whatnot. I'll be performing some of my popular tunes, and afew which i have thus far not done live yet....

For those of you who have nothing better to do, i suggest you stop by.

In other news, i ordered a Duduk last night, so i look forward to getting it & learning how to play such a wonderfully expressive instrument.... Assuming i can that is... I've tried woodwind and failed (tried clarinet once... didn't take), so i'm hoping that i can get on with it. It falls into the double reed catagory so it's not easy in that regard, but the embouchure needed to play it seems significantly easier then the clarinet one (which is a pain in the ass...). I mostly didn't follow through with clarinet because it just wasn't expressive enough for me... i want to be able to slide and bend around and add varying widths of vibrato and pitch to a note ((much like i do on guitar), and as far as i know, that doesn't work on Clarinet.

I'm also toying with the idea of buying an Oud. I'm learning the Maqams, and although i'm looking to play them on fretless guitar... I have to confess that it does sound really different and that the sound of the Oud really is where those scales lie in terms of authenticity...

Finally.. after this masterclass is out of the way, i'll be resuming work on my album.
Now if you'll excuse me, i've pulled my right arm bicep from working out too much yesterday and need to strech it....

adios.

One Fine Month

Well, as i sit here and type this, i can't help but look back and relfect on the last few weeks, and how much i valued the times that occured.

Generally speaking the last 6 years of my life have been something of a blur, mostly because it's been fairly negative stuff, and i've just rolled with it... Very little good has taken place.. yet in the last 4 weeks, it almost kind of made up for that.

I got to spend time around people whom give me hope that things aren't as bad as they seem, and that even if you're not looking to be a part of something or surrounded by positive energy, you can't avoid it (which is a good thing). I probably did more in the way of activities and socialising in the last 4 weeks then i have in the last two years.... Crazy to think what exactly i've been doing to pass the time and do that thing which most people do; live....

Raquy & her friends (from left to right: Lara, Adama, Raquy & Natalia) are just the nicest bunch of people a person could meet. Seriously, i've only known Raquy for a short amount of time, yet she & her friends have treated me better and welcomed me more then people i've known for over a decade, and even family members....

Also getting to hang with Master Rami was a real blast... And being part of a social group again was an interesting experience, one that i haven't had in over 8 years.... Time really does fly on by....

The girls flew out last night, and i have to say that it's going to take some time adjusting back to to my normal routine, of work... and well...... just work and being at home.... On the positive side, i'll make use of the time to get back into shape and regain the weight i lost over the last 3 months (this always happens to me during january/february, due to obvious reasons..) and to work and try to complete my upcoming album. I actually wrote a new piece after the girls left and i was sitting in the terminal waiting for my cousin to come out (he helped them with their excess weight issues for their luggage).

This experience has been what i needed i think... I've been in a real funk since December, and i wasn't sure what was going to happen or what to do.. since i felt myself slipping deeper and deeper... Spending time around Adama & Natalia was definately food for the soul, and i feel truly blessed that i had the chance to talk and be with them.

Ultimately i could go on all day about the experience and just how incredible these 4 women are... but i'm tired, and hardly anyone reads this fucking blog anyways....

I'll elaborate more when i'm in a more elo....eloqui.... fuck me.... i can't spell anymore (eloquiant?) I'll fucking elaborate when i can think of some cool shit to type.....

Intertwined and misaligned

Well, i just came back from Sinai on Sunday, bumed around on Monday, and did a half days worth of work today.....

It's been an interesting time for me, these last few weeks, extremely different from my normal routine. Unfortunately i feel a shift in my balance, and it's thrown me off somewhat about where my head is at.....

The time spent in Sinai was incredibly short, but in that small amount of time, just to disconnect and be at peace, or atleast try to be at peace... it was interesting. Being surrounded by good people has helped lift me up from the dirt that i was becoming accustomed to. Makes me wonder sometimes just how things work out for certain people.... and wether it's our own doing or not.

Ultimately i have so much crap i need to do but i can't find the focus to do it. I am supposed to be giving a concert on the 8th of april, but i'm toying with the idea of turning it into a masterclass, since there is absolutely no way in hell i'll be able to put together a full on program and get live musicians in on the music by then.

At some point i'll be resuming work on my album(s)... hopefully in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned for more info to come (probably this weekend).

Feeling the burn

Well, it's been an interesting few days... Albet thanks to the lack of proper sleep and rest, it all feels just like one big blur...

I've been busy, been mostly downtown, spent afew days in Alex, and being a boheimian extrodinaire. The "gang" from N.Y have been a blast to hang out with, albet i feel like i'm turning into the guest that won't leave..

We're all heading out to Sinai tommorow night for a few days, which is interesting because i've never been there before. Also, the gig last night was very cool.

I'll go into more details in my next post, when i'm able to think a coherent thought without it being clouded. As much as i hate insomnia.. i hate bad dreams even more....

Raquy Drum Show @ Ewart Hall 18th March

Hey All.
The Drum show is this wednesday. If you live in Cairo and are not too far away from Down Town, i suggest you check it out.

The show features pieces written by Raquy, performed by her group, demonstrating a command of the Dumbek (a.k.a the tabla) which is rarely seen in these parts.

The show is @ Ewart Memorial Hall, Sheikh Rahan ST, Just off Tahrir Square. Show starts at 8PM, and is FREE admission.

This isn't a normal tabla type performance, since the music features contemporary techniques, rhythms, and grooves & dynamics which are highly infectious and hypnotic.

Raquy won't be doing any shows till either the summer, or next year here in Cairo, so it's not something you want to miss out on.

All my students, from MUSC 280 and 180, you know that you are to attend this concert. No exceptions. See you all there! More details of what i've been up to in the last few days to come later when i have a moment. Adios!

One Fine Day...

Usually in a persons life, there are only a handful of defining moments that occur, which we relive in our minds... usually because we know of the profound effect it has had on us. For me i've only had a handful of these, and in all honesty most of them have been on the other side of the spectrum (ie. bad, painful, soul-breaking).

Tonight was one of the few that will always remain in my mind as a truly amazing evening which i'm sure will be the result of positive actions soon made by myself in the coming days.

I got to see a guitar player whom i've known of for a very long time, and admired and been inspired by many a time, but never imagined i'd get to see live... and of all places in Cairo Egpt.

I am of course talking about the virtuoso musician Stanley Jordan.

Stanley is one of these people that trancends mere lables. Calling Stanley a guitar player would be like calling a gunshot to the head a minor flesh wound... Stanley has transcended the concept of being a player.... he doesn't play the instrument... he is at One with the instrument.

Watching Stanley perform, you see the music flowing through and from himself... His soul is communicating with every ounce of movement and inflection.. He's not bound by the instrument, but freed by it.

Musically to call Stanley a jazz musician would be a gross misjudgement.... Stanley is just a musician, not bound by his instrument or his influences or the surrounding world of music... Stanley has found his sound, and it is simply music, pure, formless, and encompassing all the art forms which allow a musician to express and create something unique.

The workshop included pieces he is known for, and afew which i hadn't heard or seen before. For me, i think my euphoric state reached it's peak when Mr.Jordan walked over to the piano and proceeded to play the guitar and piano, at the same time. He did not do so for flamboyance.. he did so for the composition... to have the guitar and piano become one sound, one instrument if you will.......and that's exactly what i heard.. these beautiful dynamic phrases intertwining... it's almost as if the two instruments were alive and were living out a moment of clarity....

I've seen and met allot of astounding musicians... but Stanley hands down is something else entirely... only way i could describe it would be to say that he is the Paginnini (not sure i spelt that right!) of guitar. Paginnini Did things on the violin which made the audience assume he was the devil.. Now.. Stanley is way too nice of a guy for that... But what he did on the instrument today was truly just beyond what people do on guitar.

I've been playing for 11 years... my two handed abilities are not up to scratch... and i know that even if i did spend 8 hours a day practicing... i'd just get tendonistis... I couldn't fathom where to being to build such a full connection with the music & the instrument. And in all reality if by some miracle i manage to get atleast 1/10 of that ability... in all reality.. i'd just be mimicking instead of creating.. which i guess will be my excuse for not trying to achieve such a unique command of the instrument.

After the concert, after bumping into some friends, i went over to the blue nile, where i met raquy!! was great seeing her, and meeting her two friends, Natalia & Adamaa. I had a beer for dinner since my head was a mess... and after helping the ladies with their luggage, got my sorry ass back to heliopolis and typed this lond winded thread. It's 3am... i have work in afew hours... guess it's going to be another sleepless night. Actually i could try and get some sleep, but i know that's not going to happen. so intead of kidding myself, i might have some Baileys Irish Cream, listen to Jeff Buckleys Grace, and think soothing thoughts.....

Thanks Bill for coming with me tonight! And thanks to you Stanley, I'll remember this night with fond memories for as long as i am allowed to.

Rain, ill Again, Mundane,

Howdy. That's a shot of the library building at night, when it rained on Monday. I was on campus for a meeting, and turned out there was no 8:15 bus.. it was 8pm.. I'd missed it by about 3 minutes, and got caught in the rain, till the 9:15 bus....

In retrospect it was kinda cool to be out in the rain, considering just last week i'd performed "Echoes Of Rain" for the faculty showcase. I was pleased by how that went.. I'd never played it live infront of a silent audience, so i'm glad i managed to play it without screwing it up.....
On a duller note though, I'm fairly Ill.. and managed to break my voice on Tuesday, from a mix of having a cold/flu from being out in the rain, and for lecturing for like 5 hours. I had to take Wednesday off because i literally had no voice whatsoever... But i had to go in on Thursday.

Guitar classes i can reschedule or miss if i'm Ill, but actual classes i cannot miss without prior notice, and have to make them up. So i went in, and since it's a sight reading class i managed to get by. That's the beauty of the language of music, it doesn't need words. After having one of the students read out a note explaining the situation, I proceeded to clap out some basic quarter note and eighth note rhythms, which the students had to transcribe.

Aside from afew students, i was suprised to see just how bad it went. Allot of the students aren't studying enough, and when my voice returns, i'll be sure to make that point on tuesday.....

The worst part though was when i moved onto scales... i wrote out a scale and they had to tell me what major scale it was.... it seems none of them has bothered to memorise the Circle of Fifths & Fourths....... Very tedious trying to get students to learn stuff which makes their studies easier...

Unfortunately i can see as plain as day that a large percent of the people in that room took the course looking for an easy grade, and didn't expect the amount of work involved, or a professor with high standards, who's not a push over.... Infact i've made it quiet clear.... i don't care if a student wants to jerk off... bottom line though when i flunk em... don't come whining to me about it...........

I've been working on the zentar allot, but i'm not going to go into details till i actually get the bloody thing to work.

Also on a brighter note, Raquy Danziger, Middle Eastern Drumming Extrodinaire is coming from istanbul next week or so, so it'll be great to see her again and catch up. Later in the month Rami Is also coming, so it'll be good times for me this month. No more being a reclusive studio rat....

Just hope my health picks up... last 3 months have been a real bitch....

The new semester begins...

And i'm already not in the mood....
My infection has cleared up thankfully (was getting into serious/life threatening territory), and is in the healing stages... so hopefully there won't be any complications...

The new semester has commenced, earlier then last year.. last year it was the 4th, this year the 1st, which caught me abit off guard i must admit... Not that i particularly care...

I'm going to be taking it much more easier then i have, since i've seen how i'm rewarded for my efforts by the AUC administration.... This semester, a far more laid back, but take no prisoners attitude is in motion.

That said i do seem to have a good bunch of kids in both the sight reading class & the guitar tuition course. An interesting mix if you will... albet we'll have to see as the semester progresses to see wether they have what it takes to keep up with the programs that i teach, which are a mix of practical musicianship & more advanced stuff which requires the students to be taking their studies far more seriously then before. This semester i am being far more tough on this kinda thing, because i cannot be bothered to deal with slackers anymore.... waste of my fucking time... believe it or not i do actually have better things to do....

I'm currently mixing the new track i wrote especially for tommorow... yep... that's right....tommorow is the Faculty Showcase for the PVA faculty. Last year i was asked to participate in this one since it was well recieved.... this year i will be playing "Echoes of Rain" & the new piece with a Saxophonist by the name of Tamer Fahmy. It's been interesting since i've never written or played with sax...

I've spent allot of time on it actually since originally it sounded like garbage, and i was not keen on performing bad music infront of my peers, whom are respected musicians and are putting together a very tight show apparently. Naturally if it were up to me, i would have ducked out.. since the rest of the faculty are mostly classical musicians performing classical music... so i really do feel out of place at these things... although at this point in my life i have no ego left that would make me actually care about something like that. I just don't like being the Odd-Ball so to speak.... Plus we have to wear a tie and jacket.........electric guitar + Tie & Jacket = Mega Dork!

Once again though, i'm not fussed since it's not a DFZ gig or anything... should be interesting none the less. I wasn't too worried about it since it was only for the board of trustees... but now it's open to the general public... not that i see anyone coming, but none the less that raises the stakes up abit... just a smidgen.... yeah... where's that ego when i need it?

I'm planning on writing more in the upcoming weeks, one for my follow up album (vocals this time...), two for this project which i've wanted to do for awhile... i'll be fusing electronic stuff with middle eastern type stuff... so.. now i have a sax guy (he likes to play oriental stuff), and an Qanun player (a damn good one at that....).... So i'll be writing like crazy, and building my fretless guitar and hopefully put a record together.

So, two records, this semester, a showcase, books to read, courses to teach, students to inspire, and a few pizzas and cheeseburgers to devour...........sigh............it's ALLLLLLLLL GOOOOD!

Health Issues / Friday Nights

Hello,

Sorry for not posting in awhile, but i've had health problems and issues... Nothing like having the flue and a nasty infection to start off the year....

I won't go into details about it, instead i'd like to mention Schon Kornfelds New album, which is a refreshing change to the sterile crap being pushed out there these days. The album has some A list names involved with making it a killer of an album.

Go check it out here http://www.fridaynightsmusic.com/

Liner Notes from the INFINITY Soundtrack

A production that took place in Cairo Egypt, which was dubbed "A multimedia experience in seven colours", which featured the music of Dreamfullofzen.

The soundtrack is an electic mix of eastern and western influence, fused with percussion, beats, synths, and a spiritual element which is the signature sound of Dreamfullofzen.

The music was created in a four month period and was a departure from the kind of work that DFZ would normally do, mixing world music with electronic elements and more restrained guitar work.

The song of life was a big challenge for DFZ, since having never done anything with arabic vocals or the sufist ideals and musical stylings, this was probably the hardest piece to conjure up in the entire project. The talented Samia Asaad featured on the track, supplying the beautiful and soulful spoken words on the song.

Dreamfullofzen would like to thank the following people for their hard work and efforts on the project: Salma Fodi, Dina Abdel Aziz, Maria Constanza Garrido, "mo" Fadl, and last but not least, Robert Beshara & his folks.

Insomnia, Lethargy, And Bleh...

Well, it's 7am... yep... yowser...yawn.

My sleep patterns have been all over the place, and my thought patterns have been just the same.

Trying to keep motivated, and get the work ball rolling but my mind seems to be unable to focus for some reason. I think perhaps i need to cut off the reclusive stint i've been on and hit the gym again.. healthy body, healthy mind.

Hopefully i'll get my shit together in the next few days and make the most out of the rest of January before i have to start work again in February.

End of January should be interesting (i entered a competition for Guitar Player Magazine, and submitted some music for a film... so fingers crossed).

January 9, 2009

amazing how 6 years go by, in the blink of an eye it seems, yet seldom much changes in its wake.

I've been trying to keep productive and busy to keep myself focused, but naturally that all comes down like a bunch of building blocks. The insomnia and weird trains of thought are starting to take their toll on me, add to that the lack of dietry balance, exercise, and general social normalcy, and i guess you end up with the state that i am currently in.

Crazy to see just how left of field my life has gone in that amount of time, and how things have progressed.

I've spent most of my time either catching up on my reading (currently reading Zen & the art of motorcycle maintenance), And trying to get some social interaction in whenever possible, but that's something i seem to be losing an insight into. Heck i can't even get people i know to talk to me on the ever growing facebook.. which is ridiculous to say the least.

It's fairly known that the life of an artist (a real one that is...) usually involves solitude, reclusive & detached periods.. but i didn't expect them to grow with age... well not to the proportion they have (considering i'm not all that old).

I find it difficult to be around someone and maintain conversation now without feeling the weight of the surroundings on me, aswell as an overblown sense of awareness which makes me even more uncomfortable. A small part of me thinks that maybe i'm slowly losing my grip on reality, and another part of me wonders just how tight that grip was in the first place...

As my mind weaves around various thought patterns, the one thought that does not escape the ducking and weaving is that of the future... the long and winding road ahead. My career as a musician started last year with the release of my debut album, since then it's gained favour amongst many. Now INFINITY is not a followup or a real DREAMFULLOFZEN album, just a soundtrack, which is my first commercial release. Now i'm currently working onto the follow up album (which if all goes as planned will be out later this year).

The main thought is a somewhat pessimistic thought: "Why Bother?" Naturally most people think like that, but in the jaded industry known as the music biz, one can only ponder about the point of trying to make a living in an industry which focuses on material based around imagery & lyrical content of a questionable nature. Songs focusing on sex and boys and partying and drugs and being a rockstar are what is being asked for.... and i have absolutely no desire to glorify those things or even be involved in making music for them.

And unfortunately, making a living in music production has dwindled down.. and landing contracts now... well... it's kinda reached Lotto status odds. I've tried afew new things to see and give them the benefit of the doubt... but i'm not hoping for much. Would be nice to be proven wrong though....

Naturally that won't stop me doing what i do.. I'm just thinking about the focus of what i do... would be nice to sleep without having to think about that kind of stuff.. For anyone contemplating music as a living... i sure hope you're willing to make ALLOT of sacrifices....