...named Tom over at the Danada Borders. He was practising outside by the store; it sounded great, so I walked over & said hi. We were exchanging tecniques and background stories, it was a lot of fun.
Tom, if you stop by the blog, welcome. It might be fun to practise together sometime.
Dan
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
About "Blues Cruise By The Dashboard Lights" Sax Track...
This track is strictly the un-accompanied instrument, and I think it's one of the prettiest I've done yet. The only embellishment is a bit of echo effect. ( 0.3 second delay with 0.25 second decay) The track was created using Audacity 1.3 Beta. I also kept a copy that is echo-free. I did use the Audacity noise-removal tool to clean the hiss out of the track. The photo is actually the dashboard gauges of my 2007 Dodge Dakota pickup truck at night. I've always loved the soft blue glow of the dashboard in this vehicle, it's one of my favorite things about it.
Thank you for listening!
Dan
Thank you for listening!
Dan
Blues Cruise By The Dashboard Lights...
Blues Cruise By The Dashboard Lights...
Tenor Sax solo for poem (3-minutes, 19-seconds MP3)
I'm rolling down the highway in my mind,
Even at zero,
Put the Satellite on channel seventy-four,
BB's Bluesville station,
Let that harp wail,
The night is graced by Aurora Borealis,
Twinkling stars and old memories.
The guitar leads me down memory lane,
An old friend or two I'd not mind a minute with,
A gal I wish I could catch up with just to see,
How did life turn out, Tree?
I hear the saxophone down low under it all,
At the root of the world,
Maybe low C,
And I get lost in time as street lights roll by.
The windows are down and summer glorious,
I turn up the volume as I roll into the city,
Blues City,
Chicago,
Big Windy,
All the better to push my reed.
So long Sister Blue,
The stars are winking,
It'll all be alright,
I'm cruisin' the Blues tonight.
AquarianM
By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 08/06/2010
Tenor Sax solo for poem (3-minutes, 19-seconds MP3)
I'm rolling down the highway in my mind,
Even at zero,
Put the Satellite on channel seventy-four,
BB's Bluesville station,
Let that harp wail,
The night is graced by Aurora Borealis,
Twinkling stars and old memories.
The guitar leads me down memory lane,
An old friend or two I'd not mind a minute with,
A gal I wish I could catch up with just to see,
How did life turn out, Tree?
I hear the saxophone down low under it all,
At the root of the world,
Maybe low C,
And I get lost in time as street lights roll by.
The windows are down and summer glorious,
I turn up the volume as I roll into the city,
Blues City,
Chicago,
Big Windy,
All the better to push my reed.
So long Sister Blue,
The stars are winking,
It'll all be alright,
I'm cruisin' the Blues tonight.
AquarianM
By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 08/06/2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Blue Earth Blues Sax
Blue Earth...
This is a spoken-word-to-music creation of mine in celebration of Earth, Love, spirit, and Human potential. It has an other-worldly sound quality to it, but I've gotten a good bit better with the sax, and it's pretty smooth here. I'd suggest reading the lyrics, then closing your eyes to listen. It's a bit meditational, too. I call the genre "New Age Blues."
The below file is the MP3 audio version. I performed the saxophone, harmonica, percussion, and vocals, and wrote the lyrics. The song was mixed and edited using Audacity 1.3 Beta. (Free download at: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
http://www.archive.org/download/BlueEarthBluesSax/Blue_Earth.mp3
Written lyrics are below:
Blue Earth...
The Heart of the world,
Can be heard in the rush,
Of ocean waves,
In the rustling spirit,
Of wind in the tree leaves and grass.
The heart of the world can be seen,
In the softness of your lover's eyes,
In the flight of a bird,
Across lightly-clouded skies,
Past the snow of a mountain peak.
The heart of the world can be felt,
In the beat of your lover's heart,
Where you lay your head,
In the smile of your child's discovery,
Of the colors of butterflies,
Atop waving dandelion heads.
This gift - our lives Mother,
This joy and dance and race,
We hold her in the palms of our hands,
Tenderly or rough our touch,
The choice is no longer ignorant.
The heart of the world beats,
In every step we take,
Every act we make,
The slightest thing we do,
Like ants that could fell a tree.
The heart of the world is our crossroad,
Every one of us walks into a future,
Something we endlessly paint,
Brushes coarse and fine,
We're the foundation to the next layer.
When the spirit of love,
Matches and mates with the sense,
Of common sense survival,
Then the future is won,
Conflict dissolves,
We have what we need.
We have this world,
We have each other,
We have each creature,
Sustaining both,
We love it all,
And it all loves us,
In its timeless fashion.
Our heart is with the world,
And the world is then with us,
Opening the Universe's heart,
All the potential we could ever need,
As far as any eye we create,
Could ever lovingly see.
AquarianM
By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 07/31/2010
This is a spoken-word-to-music creation of mine in celebration of Earth, Love, spirit, and Human potential. It has an other-worldly sound quality to it, but I've gotten a good bit better with the sax, and it's pretty smooth here. I'd suggest reading the lyrics, then closing your eyes to listen. It's a bit meditational, too. I call the genre "New Age Blues."
The below file is the MP3 audio version. I performed the saxophone, harmonica, percussion, and vocals, and wrote the lyrics. The song was mixed and edited using Audacity 1.3 Beta. (Free download at: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
http://www.archive.org/download/BlueEarthBluesSax/Blue_Earth.mp3
Written lyrics are below:
Blue Earth...
The Heart of the world,
Can be heard in the rush,
Of ocean waves,
In the rustling spirit,
Of wind in the tree leaves and grass.
The heart of the world can be seen,
In the softness of your lover's eyes,
In the flight of a bird,
Across lightly-clouded skies,
Past the snow of a mountain peak.
The heart of the world can be felt,
In the beat of your lover's heart,
Where you lay your head,
In the smile of your child's discovery,
Of the colors of butterflies,
Atop waving dandelion heads.
This gift - our lives Mother,
This joy and dance and race,
We hold her in the palms of our hands,
Tenderly or rough our touch,
The choice is no longer ignorant.
The heart of the world beats,
In every step we take,
Every act we make,
The slightest thing we do,
Like ants that could fell a tree.
The heart of the world is our crossroad,
Every one of us walks into a future,
Something we endlessly paint,
Brushes coarse and fine,
We're the foundation to the next layer.
When the spirit of love,
Matches and mates with the sense,
Of common sense survival,
Then the future is won,
Conflict dissolves,
We have what we need.
We have this world,
We have each other,
We have each creature,
Sustaining both,
We love it all,
And it all loves us,
In its timeless fashion.
Our heart is with the world,
And the world is then with us,
Opening the Universe's heart,
All the potential we could ever need,
As far as any eye we create,
Could ever lovingly see.
AquarianM
By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 07/31/2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
A Note On Learning Musical Instruments...
This is a brief excerpt of a conversation on this subject that can be found here:
http://mysticmuse.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Chat&thread=1267&page=1
Well, the sax is a lovely beast. If you're playing an instrument, it gives you a personal knowledge of the way it takes time and repetition to gain mastery.
With the saxophone, it's difficult to play if the ambient air temperature gets too cold, because it's metal and the instrument gets cold, stiffening your fingers up. This is vastly important, because there is no volume control on a saxophone. That means you can't do repetitive practice indoors if other people are around - such as condo and apartment buildings - without bugging your neighbors. I tend to practice outside a lot, at parks and such.
All these facts make it very difficult to get in practice time during the winter. I go weeks sometimes in the cold months without being able to play, so that first day it goes above 60 degrees F, it is a treasure.
Playing the sax also requires fine control of the reed. How much pressure you put on it. When to let your tongue touch it. You can bend or stop notes and shift octaves higher or lower by the way you control the reed. You can also get a raspy vibrato effect by rattling your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind the reed, like when rolling your R's in speaking Spanish.
Of course, fingering the keys is just as critical. How abrupt you are moving from key to key, how fast you raise and lower the keys, all of it matters.
Once you learn to blend the mastery of the reed with the mastery of the keys, you can finally make the instrument your second voice - and then seriously consider being able to play music in proper time. Then comes expanding your range by practicing endless varieties of transitions and timing from note to note to note.
It's a growth-by-inches process and both daunting and wonderful.
I've also started learning guitar for times when I feel like I'm stuck in a rut with the sax. It also gives me another option in winter. I have a really nice Fender Stratocaster that's got a red body, white pick guard, and rosewood neck. It plays beautifully. Coincidentally, it requires blending two skills to play as well. The left and right hands must be doing two very, very different tasks that must be perfectly blended together to create the finished work. Being electric, you can also modify the sound in many, many ways.
Finally, I've learned that no matter the instrument, finesse is every bit as important as strength - and you can only gain the finesse through practice after you first build up the strength.
The key is to put in time daily. Even 15-20 minutes a day will help.
http://mysticmuse.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Chat&thread=1267&page=1
Well, the sax is a lovely beast. If you're playing an instrument, it gives you a personal knowledge of the way it takes time and repetition to gain mastery.
With the saxophone, it's difficult to play if the ambient air temperature gets too cold, because it's metal and the instrument gets cold, stiffening your fingers up. This is vastly important, because there is no volume control on a saxophone. That means you can't do repetitive practice indoors if other people are around - such as condo and apartment buildings - without bugging your neighbors. I tend to practice outside a lot, at parks and such.
All these facts make it very difficult to get in practice time during the winter. I go weeks sometimes in the cold months without being able to play, so that first day it goes above 60 degrees F, it is a treasure.
Playing the sax also requires fine control of the reed. How much pressure you put on it. When to let your tongue touch it. You can bend or stop notes and shift octaves higher or lower by the way you control the reed. You can also get a raspy vibrato effect by rattling your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind the reed, like when rolling your R's in speaking Spanish.
Of course, fingering the keys is just as critical. How abrupt you are moving from key to key, how fast you raise and lower the keys, all of it matters.
Once you learn to blend the mastery of the reed with the mastery of the keys, you can finally make the instrument your second voice - and then seriously consider being able to play music in proper time. Then comes expanding your range by practicing endless varieties of transitions and timing from note to note to note.
It's a growth-by-inches process and both daunting and wonderful.
I've also started learning guitar for times when I feel like I'm stuck in a rut with the sax. It also gives me another option in winter. I have a really nice Fender Stratocaster that's got a red body, white pick guard, and rosewood neck. It plays beautifully. Coincidentally, it requires blending two skills to play as well. The left and right hands must be doing two very, very different tasks that must be perfectly blended together to create the finished work. Being electric, you can also modify the sound in many, many ways.
Finally, I've learned that no matter the instrument, finesse is every bit as important as strength - and you can only gain the finesse through practice after you first build up the strength.
The key is to put in time daily. Even 15-20 minutes a day will help.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Where to purchase my album Earthlife, or individual songs
| Dan Stafford, Earthlife | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Age Blues tenor saxophone |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Go to the purchase page | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Night Fire Circle
http://www.archive.org/download/NightFireCircle2/Night_Fire_Circle.mp3
Bello, live percussion, digital effects. Haunting.
Thank you for listening!
Dan
Bello, live percussion, digital effects. Haunting.
Thank you for listening!
Dan
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Night Bird...
http://www.archive.org/download/NightBird_670/10-15-09-Night-Bird-001.mp3
A little bit of evening practice fun with Bello.
Thank You for listening.
Dan
A little bit of evening practice fun with Bello.
Thank You for listening.
Dan
Saturday, October 10, 2009
10-09-2009 Practice Session 01
A little practice with Bello. I can hear myself making minor incremental improvements. I'm still looking for a breakthrough in style, though.
http://www.archive.org/download/DanStafford10-09-2009PracticeSession/10-09-2009-001_Practice-session_DS.mp3
Thank You for listening,
Dan
http://www.archive.org/download/DanStafford10-09-2009PracticeSession/10-09-2009-001_Practice-session_DS.mp3
Thank You for listening,
Dan
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
I had Bello out at the park the last couple of evenings...
...and I played righteous as the Sun was going low in the sky.
I'm starting to get a better feel for smaller and more fluid movements of the keys, and believe it or not, finer-yet control of the reed. I learned a new vocal effect that puts an emotional, trembling warble in my sax's voice.
It's getting pretty chilly out in the evenings now, though. It won't be long until I'm stuck indoors.
Being indoors presents serious challenges now. I'm living in a high-rise condo buildin; last winter I was in a house. There's a third person now too. On top of it all, my hours have changed at work.
Also, my pocket recorder died. I'll have to figure out how to record with my phone.
Anyway, it's bed-time.
Thank You for reading & listening.
Dan
I'm starting to get a better feel for smaller and more fluid movements of the keys, and believe it or not, finer-yet control of the reed. I learned a new vocal effect that puts an emotional, trembling warble in my sax's voice.
It's getting pretty chilly out in the evenings now, though. It won't be long until I'm stuck indoors.
Being indoors presents serious challenges now. I'm living in a high-rise condo buildin; last winter I was in a house. There's a third person now too. On top of it all, my hours have changed at work.
Also, my pocket recorder died. I'll have to figure out how to record with my phone.
Anyway, it's bed-time.
Thank You for reading & listening.
Dan
Sunday, September 13, 2009
High Summer On Herrick Lake...
The sky is a cloudless seventy five and sweet.
The breezes soft as a baby's kiss,
The grasses dance slow,
Slow and sultry and tall.
People are all around and reverent,
Walking dogs,
Rowing boats and canoes,
Fishing,
Throwing frisbees,
Lying in dappled shade holding hands.
The leather and wood I carry is essential,
Almost as old as I am,
Somewhat battered and serviceable,
Beauty inside waiting.
I find an old picnic table in the shade,
Down at the far end of the lake,
I can scent the green and mirror water,
Dragon flies dancing over sparkling rowboat wakes.
Everything is green and light,
Faint hints of Summer's yellow end barely showing.
I pull the golden brass from its case,
And through me Bello sings.
Clear as water and bright,
The notes drift out over the lake,
Easy and mellow,
The reed sings to all its cousins,
"I am alive!"
I bring the notes down low and rumbling,
A deference to Thunder that's left us all this grceful peace,
Then push for the ragged edge of harmonics,
As close to chords as a saxophone gets.
Young children stare in delighted surprise and wonder,
Parents smile and walk slower.
People smile in passing,
I play and play,
One of the last bright Sundays of Summer languidly passing by.
If this is not church and worship and thank-you to God,
I am lost and deaf and blind,
No more so than sources of dispute.
I roll gently through the deep and soft notes of my ending song,
Disassemble,
Close the case,
Walk back to the yellow truck.
A fine cigar and chair are waiting,
Coffee and the songs of frogs and cicadas.
September is sweet,
At peace,
A piece of forever.
AquarianM
By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 09/13/2009
The breezes soft as a baby's kiss,
The grasses dance slow,
Slow and sultry and tall.
People are all around and reverent,
Walking dogs,
Rowing boats and canoes,
Fishing,
Throwing frisbees,
Lying in dappled shade holding hands.
The leather and wood I carry is essential,
Almost as old as I am,
Somewhat battered and serviceable,
Beauty inside waiting.
I find an old picnic table in the shade,
Down at the far end of the lake,
I can scent the green and mirror water,
Dragon flies dancing over sparkling rowboat wakes.
Everything is green and light,
Faint hints of Summer's yellow end barely showing.
I pull the golden brass from its case,
And through me Bello sings.
Clear as water and bright,
The notes drift out over the lake,
Easy and mellow,
The reed sings to all its cousins,
"I am alive!"
I bring the notes down low and rumbling,
A deference to Thunder that's left us all this grceful peace,
Then push for the ragged edge of harmonics,
As close to chords as a saxophone gets.
Young children stare in delighted surprise and wonder,
Parents smile and walk slower.
People smile in passing,
I play and play,
One of the last bright Sundays of Summer languidly passing by.
If this is not church and worship and thank-you to God,
I am lost and deaf and blind,
No more so than sources of dispute.
I roll gently through the deep and soft notes of my ending song,
Disassemble,
Close the case,
Walk back to the yellow truck.
A fine cigar and chair are waiting,
Coffee and the songs of frogs and cicadas.
September is sweet,
At peace,
A piece of forever.
AquarianM
By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 09/13/2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Condo Living & Work Schedule Change...
...Are kicking my butt on sax practice. Once a week isn't cutting it, too much loss of facial muscle tone. I'm going to have to work on this.
The guitar practice is going much easier, almost every day. It's easy not to disturb anyone with an electric and an amp sporting a headphone jack. I had to get an extension cable for the walkman headpones and a 1/8th to 1/4" jack adapter, but it works.
I guess you have to call that "postus interruptus." I was inspired to write all of you a note after reading Premier Guitar for an hour, but Honey was suddenly done with the bookstore.
At any rate, I'm going to go give Rosie a ring and practice that mofo F-chord. Tomorrow, I'm taking Bello outside. It's supposed to be beautiful all weekend.
Speaking of which, have a lovely weekend yourselves, and thank you for reading and listening.
Dan
The guitar practice is going much easier, almost every day. It's easy not to disturb anyone with an electric and an amp sporting a headphone jack. I had to get an extension cable for the walkman headpones and a 1/8th to 1/4" jack adapter, but it works.
I guess you have to call that "postus interruptus." I was inspired to write all of you a note after reading Premier Guitar for an hour, but Honey was suddenly done with the bookstore.
At any rate, I'm going to go give Rosie a ring and practice that mofo F-chord. Tomorrow, I'm taking Bello outside. It's supposed to be beautiful all weekend.
Speaking of which, have a lovely weekend yourselves, and thank you for reading and listening.
Dan
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Yeah, I bought a guitar...
I seem to keep finding myself getting in a rut with the sax after a week or two, and having a few days' break from it seems to help me break through.
So here's the deal - I play Bello for awhile, then give Rosie a ring, and back & forth it goes. I've always loved sax and guitar, so these two will fill me up and fill me out as a musician. At least that's what I believe.
Thanks for reading and listening.
Dan
So here's the deal - I play Bello for awhile, then give Rosie a ring, and back & forth it goes. I've always loved sax and guitar, so these two will fill me up and fill me out as a musician. At least that's what I believe.
Thanks for reading and listening.
Dan
Gonna Give Rosie A Ring...
Gonna Give Rosie A Ring... | |||
| Posts: 3047 (08/29/09 07:40:25) Moderator |  Gonna Give Rosie A Ring... Ah, Sweet mornin' glowing bright and true, Gonna give Rosie a ring, Sweet-playing thang, Gonna give Rosie a ring. If the day comes when I'm feelin' down n' blue, Gonna give Rosie a ring, All six strings, Give Rosie a ring. Playin' true in the morning, Strummin' happy by evenin', Even if I can barely sing, Just gonna give Rosie a ring. Someday I'll play so fine, Happy up on cloud nine, All because I gave Rosie a ring, Sweet-playin' thang, Just gonna give Rosie a ring. And when Heaven calls, Won't need no harp in the Angel halls, No, Just gonna give - give Rosie a ring, Lord, let me give Rosie a ring. Aahaaaa, Yeah, Give Rosie a ring. AquarianM By: Daniel A. Stafford (C) 08/29/2009 Words are the mind's bridge - it's connection to all the universe. Love is the heart's bridge - it's connection to all other souls. Loving words can work miracles. All of my currently available poetry Chapbooks are for sale at: www.lulu.com/Daniel-Stafford | ||
Candy Apple Strat...
Candy Apple Strat... | |||
| Posts: 3041 (08/27/09 22:13:58) Moderator |  Candy Apple Strat... Twang! I can feel a little heat off the amp, It's like a Christmas bulb in my eyes, Pretty and hot. I've waited for years and later finally came, I can hear it screaming sweet in my head, Waiting for release. Slow steady work finally located Rome, Now for the years to build it, Not starting a day too late. I can feel all my legends buzzing under my skin, If I can play anything they invented I'll be thrilled, Finding joy in a burst of song. Glory days don't have to pass you by. AquarianM By: Daniel A. Stafford (C) 08/28/2009 Author's Note: I bought a Mexican-made used Fender Stratocaster on eBay, the guitar you see pictured here. She's in mint condition and plays like a dream. Candy Apple Red with a rosewood fretboard. I'm thinking to call her Rosie. I have a lot of learning to do - I'm also wanting to learn to repair guitars on the side. No, I have not given up the sax - but at times I get in a rut with it and have to put it down for a few days. I've wanted one of these for 20 years - so now I can alternate between the two. Words are the mind's bridge - it's connection to all the universe. Love is the heart's bridge - it's connection to all other souls. Loving words can work miracles. All of my currently available poetry Chapbooks are for sale at: www.lulu.com/Daniel-Stafford Blessings, peace, and prosperity to All.  | ||
Friday, August 7, 2009
Duck Walk
An interesting concept that just popped into my head. It took me a bit to figure out the fingering. The second sax is, of course, me overdubbed as a second recording track.
I call it "Duck Walk" because of the bass track.
Thank you for listening!
Dan
http://www.archive.org/download/DuckWalk_547/Duck-Walk.mp3
I call it "Duck Walk" because of the bass track.
Thank you for listening!
Dan
http://www.archive.org/download/DuckWalk_547/Duck-Walk.mp3
Thursday, August 6, 2009
08-07-2009 DS Practice Session
I'm mostly back on my feet, the broken ankle slowly getting better. I've moved in the last month, so that's eaten up time like crazy, but life is about to settle down quite a bit.
I think this is smoother than most of what I've posted before, and I'm liking it. I feel like I'm making slow but steady progress every time I pick up the sax these days, and it feels good to spend more time with Bello.
I hope you enjoy, and thank you as always for listening.
Dan
http://www.archive.org/download/08-07-2009DsPracticeSession/08-07-2009-DS-Practice-Session.mp3
I think this is smoother than most of what I've posted before, and I'm liking it. I feel like I'm making slow but steady progress every time I pick up the sax these days, and it feels good to spend more time with Bello.
I hope you enjoy, and thank you as always for listening.
Dan
http://www.archive.org/download/08-07-2009DsPracticeSession/08-07-2009-DS-Practice-Session.mp3
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Summer Confield Zen Sax
Finally, a decent practice session, and something nice and meditative comes out of it. Enjoy a little sax, sun, and wind. This one is 17 minutes + and mellow.
Summer Cornfield Zen
Thank you for listening!
Dan
Summer Cornfield Zen
Thank you for listening!
Dan
Monday, May 11, 2009
Been practicing a bit...
I can stan un-fettered now and hold the horn, so I'm working my way back into shape. FINALLY. It'll probably take me a couple of weeks to build the facial muscles back up to endurance and knock the rust off. I'm planning on picking back up the collaboration with Scott the keyboard guy in June.
I'm not walking without a walker yet, and I'm still wearing a boot for three more weeks, but this broken ankle debacle is winding down.
Dan
I'm not walking without a walker yet, and I'm still wearing a boot for three more weeks, but this broken ankle debacle is winding down.
Dan
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Broke my ankle a week & 1/2 ago
My ankle surgery was this past Tuesday. From what they told me it was badly broken, but the repair went well. I'll have 8 weeks in a cast & months of PT.
Sayonara,
Dan
Sayonara,
Dan
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