March marks 10 & 3
March 07 marks my 10th year living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'll admit it - I'm spoiled.
I can't imagine living anywhere else. It's a genuinely amazing place to live. Hard to believe it's been 10 years. I'm very fortunate. Ok - nuff gushing.
March 07 also marks the 3 year anniversary since I got back into music.
In February 2004 I had my little epiphany over a pizza with my wife Valerie. I would get back into music. By mid March 2004 I began my first ever formal "bass lessons" with Michael Wilcox.
I also placed my order for the MTD 535 bass which I currently play. It arrived in late July 2004. I figured with a nice high end bass in the works I'd be less compelled to give up when the going got tough. Seemed to work. ,-)
At the time I remember thinking I'd give myself 4 years to see if I could make any kind of statement with music & the bass.
Next weekend I begin the recording process which will hopefully result in my first official music release.
I've never recorded a CD before - I haven't recorded as a musician in a studio since the late 80s. I never composed complete pieces before. Everything about this project is totally new to me. I find the ignorance both exhilarating and frustrating.
It's not easy being "new" at something as an adult. I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing but adults are supposed to have all the answers - already paid dues and done all the basic learning. Adults are supposed to be masters.
Anyway - I think that's old school. That's "Organization Man" thinking.
Increasingly people start brand new careers - taking on new skills and turning hobbies into passions. The music thing is a pretty serious hobby for me and I've been very fortunate to have some really great experiences with it over the past three years.
In a way - putting these musical ideas down on tape and releasing them in a formal way feels like completing the journey I've been on since March 04 - the journey to make some kind of statement.
Of course - I expect another journey will begin as this one ends.
So anyway - my plan is to blog a little more about the recording process as it unfolds over the next month or so both here and on my myspace site @ myspace.com/jeffschmidtbassist
Heads up.
