Here's a long one. This is a sort of newsletter I email to friends about what I'm doing. I put this here for curious strangers.

Feb. “Friday the 13th,” ‘09

Hello all.
Another attempt to keep those interested involved, and those uninvolved interested.

Highlanders steelband did advance through the preliminary rounds. So they are done competing. Though they hope to come out and play for Jouvert. That’s the official opening of Carnival, at 3am Monday. A lot of steelbands get on floats (modified truck beds) and roam the streets playing. Highlanders might play Sting’s “Fragile.” Those of you in my community band will know what I’m talking about.

Phase II came in 1st place in the Panorama Semi Finals. That’s both good and bad. Some say that we work harder when we’re not in first place; and that we might get complacent if we are. We’ll see. Boogsie Sharpe (he’s the composer, arranger and leader of Phase II) came back today (Saturday) to work the band and to try some new parts. Ray Holman (also a top composer and arranger) has also been drilling us.

Some words about Phase II. As I said in the last letter they’ve won the Panorama National Competition 3 times in the last 4 years. The band competes with 120 players. We play an 8 minute (it used to be 10) arrangement of a tune that is required to meet a number of musical criteria; key changes, theme development, etc. However the most notable thing is the style; the type of music, the way it is played, the intensity and energy in the performance. Here’s something I wrote to myself about playing in this band:

There’s just NOTHING like it! When that band gets cookin’ it just takes you by the gut and there’s no stoppin’ it! I’ve never really been one to take my anger and bad feelings out in my music. Not like this at least. I’ve always been a little too cerebral I guess. But here you play as hard as you can, and then some. You pound the crap out of your pan. And getting the “crap” out is exactly right. This is very primal (I usually hate that word) in that it goes right to your gut, your soul. Not your spiritual soul so much as the core of your being. It’s more than just physical. It gets down underneath all the layers of craziness (crap) that we keep covering ourselves with. There’s no halfway, no beating around the bush, no holding back, take no prisoners!

And yet it’s not just loud and fast; it’s very creative music, full of imagery and lyricism. Some bands/arrangers here do the loud, fast exciting music, but to my hearing, they don’t have the depth that this band/arranger has. That’s why I come here!

Weather
I know most of you, especially those of you in the cold north, won’t have much sympathy, but the weather hasn’t been very cooperative. I’ve mentioned before, it rains most days here. It’s not supposed to. It’s the dry season. But things are weird. It limits what I can do. I don’t have a car and have to get around by walking or finding a taxi. It’s wet and it’s hot. Before I came here I was thinking, “Boy, I could use some heat right now.” Now I’m thinking, “Boy, I could use some cold right now.” You have to appreciate what you’ve got!