M - Miles

Miles (Davis): person

When I was in 9th grade my dad gave me a cassette tape of part of "The Miles Davis Radio Project" to listen to. I had been playing the Trumpet (or Cornet) since 7th grade. I listened to it obsessively, beginning with the very significant "Red Wing Debate Tournament Weekend" (which may have been 10th grade). The tape was mostly of 80s Miles, including "New Blues" and "Tutu", both of which rocked my socks off.

That following summer I read his Autobiography (and other biographies) and started my CD collection in earnest. I can remember the exact moment I first listenened to "In A Silent Way" (after returning from a very nice weekend at my friend Laura's cabin in Brainerd), which is my favorite single recorded piece of music of all time. I remember listening to Wayne Shorter's crazy sax run about 13 minutes in to it over and over during the particularly difficult "Concordia Debate Tournament of 11th Grade". I wrote an A+ paper analyzing it for Jazz History in college (the only A+ I've ever gotten)

I now easily have more Miles Davis albums than any other artist. I love every period of Miles. I'd be an Electric Miles apologist, except I don't feel there's anything to apologize for.

I have a sweet t-shirt of Miles looking through his trumpet. I had Grad Pictures taken to match.

I don't agree with all of his personal life choices (like the drug habits, or the way he treated the women in his life), but his music is just too Effing amazing to let those opinions color the his musical legacy.

SEE ALSO: debate, graduation, quotation, In A Silent Way, trumpet

G - Guitar, Electric

Guitar, Electric: thing

I have two electric guitars. One is a Fender Telecaster 50th Anniversary 1969 Thinline reissue (semi-hollow body, mahogany, maple neck and fretboard... and the pickguard is starting to warp). I bought it after high school with graduation money. It plays nicely and it sounds good, and is really loud when unplugged.

The other electric I have is a half-size guitar that looks like a Strat that got hit with a shrink ray. It was put together my my friend's dad. They let me borrow it when I went to Wales so I'd have something to play (through my PigNose). I've nicknamed it "The Hatchet" because it's too little to properly be called an "Axe"

S - South Africa

South Africa: place

I used to know a lot about South Africa's history and music. Okay, maybe not a lot, but a decent amount. I became interested in South African history during the very first class I took in college (Survey of Southern African History) which I decided to take because I had recently re-discovered Paul Simon's "Graceland" album. I ended up taking more classes in college and writing my Senior Seminar research paper on protest implications of music in South Africa. I've forgotten a lot of what I used to know, as I didn't pursue it much after graduation, but recently I've decided to relearn what I can.

I have never been to South Africa. Since it's in Africa one probably needs many shots to travel there.


SEE ALSO: Graceland, college, guitar

B - Banjo

Banjo: thing, instrument

My friend Jeremy got a banjo when we were in High School. That made him cooler than he already was. Once he got older and had some children, he let me borrow it for awhile. Then I got my own Banjo for my birthday. I don't really know how to play it like a Banjo. I fake it with some guitar finger-picking patterns that I know, and that sounds cool enough most of the time. I've tried to teach myself actual Banjo rolls, but it's frustrating and humbling. I'll never be Bela Fleck, either.

Banjos make pretty much any kind of music better if used well.

Charles Schulz once wrote in a "Peanuts" strip that every child should be issued a Dog and a Banjo at birth. It might make the world a better place.

"Frog and Banjo" is a great Mike Doughty song.

SEE ALSO: Fingers, Norway, Fat Boys, Peanuts

U - Ukulele

Ukulele: thing, instrument

A few years ago I bought two Ukuleles, a soprano and a tenor, with some Birthday money. They weren't very expensive. I like them because they're simple to play if you know how to play guitar, epecially since they have only 4 strings (and I have four non-thumb fingers on each hand).

My more talented brother also got a nicer ukulele and I made him be in a ukulele duo with me as we traveled halfway across the country.

It's really, really easy to play the Super Mario Invincibility Theme on a uke. I like to pretend that it's okay to run around and knock people over as long as you're playing it.

Ukuleles have been finding their way into popular culture more and more lately, and I'd like to preserve my credibility by saying that I bought my ukes before I realized this (not that it would have stopped me).

SEE ALSO: Gas stations, Video Games, Fingers

F - Fmaj7

Fmaj7: thing, guitar chord

F major 7 is probably my favorite overall chord. I like Major 7 chords in general, but F is the best for a variety of reasons. It spells a word (FACE). It's fun to play on the guitar (13321x). It sounds nice with Am7 (Which is also a nice chord).

B - Band Room

Band Room: place

During my senior year of high school I spent 4 of 7 periods per day in the Band Room. Wind Ensemble (period 1, trumpet, then horn), Concert Band (per 2, horn), Study Hall (per 4, which overlapped the two other band periods), and Jazz Band (per 7).

SEE ALSO: French Horn, Study Hall, Spam,

F - French Horn

French Horn: thing

I played trumpet for most of my Middle/High School years. In my senior year, I decided that I wanted to learn French Horn. I signed up for Concert Band and borrowed a Horn from the school.

French Horn is hard, what with the hand in the bell and the thumb key and the conical-bore mouthpiece. There's even a book about it called Devil to Play. There are almost as many French Horn jokes as there are Viola jokes. (ex. "Q: How do you make a ______ sound like a French Horn? A: stick your hand in the bell and play wrong notes.). I wasn't very good at it, but it was a lot of fun. The dumb substitute orchestra teacher (part of being a horn meant having to play in orchestra) openly ridiculed us once.

Halfway through the year, Torm asked if I could switch to Horn in Wind Ensemble. I thought about it for a little bit and then decided that I could bail on the trumpet section, because percentage-wise, the French Horn section was the coolest in band (Pound for Pound the trombones were coolest). French Horn morning sectionals usually involved breakfast. It also meant a much larger instrument cubby.

French horns sound really cool when played really loudly, or when they get to make the whooping noises.

I haven't played the horn since I graduated.