Digital art, created using paths and selections in Photoshop.Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Summertime
AAhhh Summertime... a time of unrivaled beauty. But for a Leo, summertime can be dangerously lazy. Leos can be fiercely motivated and creative. But they can also be ... well.... um... not so much.
You see, I am job hunting, it's month two and counting. I have stayed fairly motivated, applying for at least one job a day. Some positions are really cool... probably too cool to be true. Some are jobs I know I am too qualified for, the kind of jobs where you wake up, wash down your pride with a glass of OJ, go to work, and try not to go postal. Nothing has happened yet. I've had some good leads, but call me a cynic, the ones you really want seldom happen.
This summer has been a bit of a paradox for me. I am doing everything I can to get hired, but I feel like I'm doing nothing at all. Unfortunately, I am one of those creative people who thinks everything should be in order before you can be creative. Well, obviously, things are never completely in order and they never will be, and if you wait for everything to be perfect, you'd better not hold your breath. The take home lesson? Get creative now.
One thing I enjoy doing with my free time is playing with is jazz... Jazz standards to be specific. Simply get out your "Real Book"... A real book (a clever pun of the classic 'fake book') is a collection of musical scores of popular jazz tunes... and start banging away at a jazz standard. It helps if you are already familiar with the song and have a good recording to listen to while you learn. The question is, which tune to play. Well it IS summertime... how about Gershwin's tune, Summertime?
Summertime is the name of an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. It is a well known, and often played standard... and it embodies the sluggish humid feel of summertime itself. Take a look at the lyrics and you'll see why I am finding this song particularly comforting, given my situation.
You see, I am job hunting, it's month two and counting. I have stayed fairly motivated, applying for at least one job a day. Some positions are really cool... probably too cool to be true. Some are jobs I know I am too qualified for, the kind of jobs where you wake up, wash down your pride with a glass of OJ, go to work, and try not to go postal. Nothing has happened yet. I've had some good leads, but call me a cynic, the ones you really want seldom happen.
This summer has been a bit of a paradox for me. I am doing everything I can to get hired, but I feel like I'm doing nothing at all. Unfortunately, I am one of those creative people who thinks everything should be in order before you can be creative. Well, obviously, things are never completely in order and they never will be, and if you wait for everything to be perfect, you'd better not hold your breath. The take home lesson? Get creative now.
One thing I enjoy doing with my free time is playing with is jazz... Jazz standards to be specific. Simply get out your "Real Book"... A real book (a clever pun of the classic 'fake book') is a collection of musical scores of popular jazz tunes... and start banging away at a jazz standard. It helps if you are already familiar with the song and have a good recording to listen to while you learn. The question is, which tune to play. Well it IS summertime... how about Gershwin's tune, Summertime?
Summertime is the name of an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. It is a well known, and often played standard... and it embodies the sluggish humid feel of summertime itself. Take a look at the lyrics and you'll see why I am finding this song particularly comforting, given my situation.
"Summertime an' the livin' is easy, Fish are jumpin' an' the cotton is high. Oh, yo'daddy'$ rich, an' yo'ma is good-lookin'... So hush, little baby, don' you cry.
One of these mornin's you goin' to rise up singin', then you'll spread yo' wings an' you'll take the sky. But till that mornin' there's nothin' can harm you... With Daddy an' Mammy standin' by."
Here's what the lead sheet looks like...
This song has been played so many times over the past 70 years, here are some modern interpretations of Gershwin's Summertime.
Master Flautist Herbie Mann's rendition...
Even Peter Gabriel has done this tune...
And the classic from Woodstock... Janis does Summertime...
Lou Rawls does Summertime...
Master Flautist Herbie Mann's rendition...
Even Peter Gabriel has done this tune...
And the classic from Woodstock... Janis does Summertime...
Wish me luck.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
De La Soul
Jazz, R+B, and Soul meet Hip-Hop with a positive message. This stuff is the real deal.
It's Like That from The Grind Date
AOI Bionix is the second installment of the three disc Art Official Intelligence series. De La and Tommy boy records severed ties before the third installment was released. De La has continued to release quality material since the split. The Grind Date and Mission Impossible are both amazing. De La also did a release this year for Nike, Are You In?
Simply Havin' from Bionix
Copa Cabanga from AOI:Mosaic Thump, the first AOI release
3 is The Magic Number from the classic 80's album Three Feet High and Rising. A junior high favorite of mine.
Much More from The Grind Date... Warning, this chorus is infectious.
No No
It's Like That from The Grind Date
AOI Bionix is the second installment of the three disc Art Official Intelligence series. De La and Tommy boy records severed ties before the third installment was released. De La has continued to release quality material since the split. The Grind Date and Mission Impossible are both amazing. De La also did a release this year for Nike, Are You In?
Simply Havin' from Bionix
Copa Cabanga from AOI:Mosaic Thump, the first AOI release
3 is The Magic Number from the classic 80's album Three Feet High and Rising. A junior high favorite of mine.
Much More from The Grind Date... Warning, this chorus is infectious.
No No
Monday, June 1, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
By The Way...
I know it's been a bit of a blog blackout for the last few months, but I will be finally graduating soon and I will be looking for new ways to waste time... so there'll be plenty of posting soon enough.
I have spent about half of the last 48 hours at Wise library and still about a week to go.
Wise Library
It feels strange to be getting my degree after fifteen years of floundering from school to job and back... countless times it seems like. It's kind of sad actually, I've finally got the hang of it and it's time to graduate. Oh well, there are always more degrees out there for the earning.
The English department at WVU offers a MA in Professional Writing and Editing, which I am interested in.
Colson Hall is home to the PWE program at WVU
I have spent about half of the last 48 hours at Wise library and still about a week to go.
Wise LibraryIt feels strange to be getting my degree after fifteen years of floundering from school to job and back... countless times it seems like. It's kind of sad actually, I've finally got the hang of it and it's time to graduate. Oh well, there are always more degrees out there for the earning.
The English department at WVU offers a MA in Professional Writing and Editing, which I am interested in.
Colson Hall is home to the PWE program at WVUAnother interesting program is the Integrated Marketing Communication Degree. It's an online degree, which could be a little strange for me but it could be nice.
Why am I blogging about this right now when I should be toiling with papers, portfolios, and html files? I'm not sure. I'll see you in a week or so... I will have wrapped up the 15 year plan by then.
Why am I blogging about this right now when I should be toiling with papers, portfolios, and html files? I'm not sure. I'll see you in a week or so... I will have wrapped up the 15 year plan by then.
Bummer...
Well, it looks like Immem has disabled the embedding of full length songs. So all the awesome mixes I posted are useless now. Bummer. So until I find another way to post audio I'll have to rely on Youtube.
This really sucks because the people at youtube are a bunch of intellectual property wimps. If there's any chance of copyright infringement or if your 12 year old cousin Suzy asks them to, they'll pull a video.
If anyone has ideas on how to post audio, please let me know at until then youtube here we come...
UPDATE! -only some songs and artists have disabled full length tracks. Full length versions of all my playlists are at http://www.imeem.com/mitchumm
Here's a new video from Andy Milonakis about Twitter.
Update 2: Divshare seems to be the best option for posting media, so I will be using Divshare in future posts.
This really sucks because the people at youtube are a bunch of intellectual property wimps. If there's any chance of copyright infringement or if your 12 year old cousin Suzy asks them to, they'll pull a video.
If anyone has ideas on how to post audio, please let me know at
UPDATE! -only some songs and artists have disabled full length tracks. Full length versions of all my playlists are at http://www.imeem.com/mitchumm
Here's a new video from Andy Milonakis about Twitter.
Update 2: Divshare seems to be the best option for posting media, so I will be using Divshare in future posts.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Dukey Mix
To the few people who actually check out my blog... Thanks. I've been so busy with my last semester at school and this blog has become a platform for me to post music and videos that are useful and interesting to me. Soon I'll free up some brain space and begin writing more interesting posts.
I have been on an intense George Duke kick and have been totally immersed in his music for weeks now. I've mentioned him in past posts and eventually I will give a proper introduction to those who are not familiar with him. This mix includes selections from various stages of his amazing career.
Dukey Blog Mix
I have been on an intense George Duke kick and have been totally immersed in his music for weeks now. I've mentioned him in past posts and eventually I will give a proper introduction to those who are not familiar with him. This mix includes selections from various stages of his amazing career.
Dukey Blog Mix
Learn more at
www.georgeduke.com
www.georgeduke.com
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Jose Gonzalez
Before you go any further, take a listen to this track...
Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez
The first time I heard Jose Gonzalez I had a strange feeling. It was a feeling I'd had once, years ago, when I first heard another favorite artist of mine, Michael Hedges. My intention is not to draw a comparison between the two, both musicians are truly unique. But they share a quality that is uncommon in any artistic medium. They share the ability to move the listener in a certain way. The music has heart, and it touches the listener's heart as well.
The music is not flashy or technically that impressive, it's serene if anything. But it is exciting in a way. It's exciting to hear fresh music that stands out, not for its virtuosity, but for its humble spirit.
The music is not flashy or technically that impressive, it's serene if anything. But it is exciting in a way. It's exciting to hear fresh music that stands out, not for its virtuosity, but for its humble spirit.
Jose Gonzalez is 29 years old and was born in Sweden. He released his first album in 2003. He has gained international notoriety for his unique style and is popular among many different circles from indie to folk.
This video has some cool animation...
This video has some cool animation...
Check out his website at jose-gonzalez.com
Saturday, January 10, 2009
=ESPRESSO=
There's nothing like a steaming hot shot of espresso.An espresso aficionado is not your average coffee drinker. Almost everyone drinks coffee. But most coffee drinkers could not endure the bold explosion of flavor in a shot of espresso. Espresso attracts a more adventurous soul. One who drinks espresso is one who's taste buds are not easily charmed, one who likes a little extra spring in their step. It is more than just the flavors in a shot that makes a good shot of espresso such a sublime experience. Its rich creamy texture, its thick crema top, the complexity of its aroma all are part of the experience. Take in a shot of espresso and observe its effects. The eyes widen, brighten a bit. The heart rate quickens. You're ready for anything.
This is what a shot of espresso should look like
Unfortunately espresso is not always good. Getting espresso just right takes more than just flipping a switch. Bad espresso is a waste of time and money, and just plain makes me sad. Good espresso is a product of a good bean, good equipment and a skilled barista.
This is what a shot of espresso should look likeLet's start with the bean. When we think of espresso beans we picture a very dark roast with a shiny coating of surface oil. This is the type of bean traditionally used for espresso. Actually espresso can be made from any coffee bean. Some World Barista Championship winning brews have come from medium roast beans.
Espresso BeansCrema is the thick creamy layer of foam that occurs when a shot of espresso is pulled. Crema is made up of oils, proteins and sugars, and exudes a major part of the espresso aroma. Crema is absolutely essential to making a decent shot of espresso. If a barista hands you a shot with no crema, hand it back... it's not a good shot of espresso.
CremaThis is The Ideale, the first successfully marketed espresso/cappuccino machine. Designed around 1905 for use in restaurants and cafes around the world. It spawned the popularity of fashionable and sophisticated espresso and cappuccino beverages.
The IdealeThe design of the espresso machine has evolved over the years. Modern espresso machines are computerized and designed to give consistently high quality servings of espresso.
A Modern Espresso Machine
The variations of espresso drinks are many. The most popular include: the Cappuccino (1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 foam), the Caffè Latte (espresso topped with steamed milk and a thin layer of foam), and the Caffè Macchiato (an inverted latte with the espresso on top).
A Cappuccino
Espresso is a way of life, but be warned, once you've acquired a taste for this magnificent beverage there's no turning back. Regular drip coffee just won't do anymore.
A CappuccinoEspresso is a way of life, but be warned, once you've acquired a taste for this magnificent beverage there's no turning back. Regular drip coffee just won't do anymore.
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