New Endings, Old Beginnings

2 June 2009, 00:02 | ,

I’m leaving my position with the the Moose after the playoffs. This is something I was considering as long ago as last year. The position just required too many hours. I’m not able to take classes, or do as much freelance as I would like.

Since I’ve given my notice, I’ve started to get more into old projects and hobbies I used to have before college. Most of these interests cross over to each other, so hopefully this will blossom into some new and exciting venue in my life. Or I’ll end up with too many hobbies. Like I have right now.

Piano
Like most people, I took piano lessons as a kid. Like most kids, I gave it up because I hated having to practice all the time. Now, like most adults, I wish I hadn’t. Recently, I have been getting better at reading music, practicing my scales and chords with my axiom 61. Learning this stuff as an adult is almost better, as I approach it with a seriousness and discipline that I just wouldn’t have when I was six. It’s also fun again, as I’m not heckled to go and practice.

I have found a really neat software for learning popular songs. It’s called “Synthesia“http://www.synthesiagame.com/
It’s like guitar hero for piano, but with more educational value. It’s runs from midi files, and I picked up the $20 educational version a couple weeks ago that displays the music notation. There is a piano educational site that uses the program for all its tutorials. and has been very helpful. I’m planning out what pieces I want to learn, with increasing levels of difficulty. Maybe someday I will play the face off of this little girl.

Electronics
Electronics class in Junior High was a fun time for me. I really liked building the schematics that our teacher would give us, and starting fires with steel wool and a 9v battery. I could never figure out soldering though. Now, I plan to revisit this interest in the forum of DIY kits from various sites on the internet. My first attempt is a BYOC Guitar Pedal, specifically the SHREDDER.
The thing has been rebuilt twice now, and it still doesn’t work. I’ll post about it once I can get it to work.

My second project will be the TagTool. This is something I took an immediate interest in building, as I already have a wacom tablet. The parts have been ordered from various sites on the internet, and I early await their arrival.

The Sound Lab Mini Synth is the most challenging of all the electronics projects I want to build over the summer. Tonnes of parts, lots of wires, custom case. This will be the grand finale to the summer diy stuff.

Education
Before college, I used to take random classes all the time, from archery lessons to origami clubs. One I’m particularly excited about this summer is a experimental film workshop that the Winnipeg Film Group is putting on. I’ve never worked with film before, and I’m excited to try.
The most important class I’ll be taking this summer is Math In Art at the University of Manitoba, which will be the first course on my way to a Honors Bachelors degree in Fine Arts. I do want a degree, and I don’t think I will ever go back to school full time, so there is no time like the present to start working towards that goal.

Band Visuals
Alright, here is the most complicated task for this summer. I know a few local bands, and I’ve just quit my job making visuals for live sporting events. I think this is the time to make the step from sports to entertainment. I want to try and do visuals for a concert. There are many obstacles with this, but I think it’s attainable. This will be really awesome, if I can pull it off, and will also provide great demo reel material for doing this for something bigger.

I hope to write about all of these projects soon.

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