Why my hip-hop posse would include Johnny 5

Johnny 5 The founder of the Flobots, Johnny 5 builds a repertoire of songs that have a voice communicated through masked patriotism for a nation we do not know. I don’t do lyrics, so I’d need someone to help put together some potent rap-styled slander. Zack de la Rocha A current collaborating member, Zack de… Continue reading Why my hip-hop posse would include Johnny 5

Lost and Found: 1 Grecian ‘Stache

All of you will surely recognize the man on the left.  His biblical image comes at you in all of its hair and puffy-shirtness like a thunder clap.  Yanni stands as the hairiest, women-loving man I know [of]…though Hugh Jackman must be at the top of this game too!  And on his right is the… Continue reading Lost and Found: 1 Grecian ‘Stache

A Drum Circle Arrangement of “Galang”

I’m imagining some possible scenarios where I could lead a drum circle into a sort of performance.  Most facilitated drum circles enter into spontaneous or random rhythms and are then led to compose the music.  I would really like to lead people (sometimes naively) into known songs.  There’s an extra sense of excitement when you… Continue reading A Drum Circle Arrangement of “Galang”

Zune 30 Pandemic

Oh, good grief! I awoke this morning to find my Zune in a less than pleasing way. I was concerned that the number of times I’ve dropped the device had finally caught up with me and I was paying the ultimate price. However, I decided to check out what was being said online about this… Continue reading Zune 30 Pandemic

Beating the Goat at Midnight

I call it Thunderhead, though I have yet to unleash upon it to confirm its namesake. It was midnight this Sunday morning when I finally got to beat the old goat skin into the night air. I played some variations on Saidi and Masmoudi to get a feel for the resonance and response on this new drum.

A Comment on the Weather

I got a Christmas card from the nice folks at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) – the Climate Witness division. You may recall the article I wrote for them concerning the pitiful state of Lake Lanier (speaking of which, the scientific review of my story is now available). The card reminded me of… Continue reading A Comment on the Weather

What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?

Frequency is probably a term more commonly associated with 80’s synth-pop artists and electrical sound engineers. However, it’s not to be underestimated or underutilized as a viable word in other situations. I worked with one of the more difficult teaching challenges in my experience yesterday at my drum circle. A gentleman joined us with a… Continue reading What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?

Threadless (Critique): Everybody Loves Eye Scream

This design has been sitting around on a couple of drawing pads for a while now. I finally got it finished up to a point that it’s ready for some critique. I think I may still be an image off from original goal of one submission per month. However, I still have several ideas to… Continue reading Threadless (Critique): Everybody Loves Eye Scream

A Baby Changes Everything

Remarkably, the biggest change at the Gradin household is simply in our perception. There are all sorts of things that change when a new child is born into your family. Your free time dries up, your bank account empties, you become more selfless. But when you already have an older child, the thing we noticed… Continue reading A Baby Changes Everything

Sorscha Valkyrie

The latest member of our family made her gooey entrance around noon today. She cleans up well, however. Balthazar is so happy to be a big brother, and Sorscha’s mother and I are, of course, completely in love with the new girl. She’s such a beautiful, healthy girl; I couldn’t ask for anything more. Mommy… Continue reading Sorscha Valkyrie