Right When I Changed My Mind, I Changed It Again!

I changed my mind.  And then I changed it again.

I’m sure I’m not the only one that does this but this is a bit different to me and you know, it may change again.

There’s this ongoing problem with my Ovation guitar and the repair of it.  And I’m leaving for Europe in a few months for an open-end tour thru Europe and I wanted to bring it along with me.  I’ve thought possibly I could buy another guitar once I’m there (still may, I want to learn Flamenco style playing) and I’m sure I’ll do that.  But, what was I to do with the guitars I have here.  When I moved to Mexico for about two years I gave away almost all of my equipment.  I’m not in the mood to give these others away. And I really can’t take it all.



So, I decided to leave the Ovation behind and bring my Fender electric.

Then, I find out that my Ovation is back from its original repair but now has to be repaired from the original repair!!  It looked and felt so good to handle.

I’m in love….

Right When I Changed My Mind, I Changed It Again!

But, I still don’t have it.

I’m looking forward to Europe….playing there is much different from here in the U.S. or at least so I’ve read. They seem to be a much more appreciative, caring and giving audience.

Knowing the little I know of American music in Europe it’s imperative that I have a new CD.  Although……just thinking of this, perhaps I can find my Master of my first CD and have some more pressed and I can have two CD’s with me.  The first is not much to brag about except that ‘I’ did it.  It’s about 10 years old now too!!  WOW!



I’ve some considerably better material for this next CD and improved skills….it’s just that there has been one issue on equipment and software after another.  Most of those issues were born in Mexico and there wasn’t the resources available to overcome them.  I just had to have patience to get back to the States.

As for my recording….well this morning I gave up on waiting for my Ovation and just will go electric and see where that leads….it’s new for me and it’s different.  I’m also bending my ear towards a little of the electronic music aspect to it too.  The difference is the spice of life.

I’m feeling fortunate to find myself in this unique position.



Time to get some work done…Before I change my mind again.

But before I go here’s a couple sites to visit and thanks for doing so.  http://www.peaceloveandbeaches.com and http://www.60plusandfearless.com.  My daughter has a GoFundMe page, and I’d greatly appreciate if you’d take a moment to visit, help if possible and consider sharing the link.  Thanks! https://www.gofundme.com/single-momkids-with-car-debt.

Peace and love,

John

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My Ovation/Guitar Center Repair Saga Continues…..

This ongoing situation with my Ovation Guitar and Guitar Center takes a new turn every week it seems.

Briefly, the bridge had separated from the body of the guitar and fortunately for me this is under warranty because it’s a craftmanship issue.  Great!!  Ovation get the bridge to the Guitar Center in Baton Rouge about 3 weeks later (this all started Jan. 11th), and when the Guitar Center received it they let me know.  I was in Mexico at the time and figured once my 3 week stay was done they would call and I’d pay and have my guitar back!



It didn’t happen that way….  There was no contact, I wasn’t in too much of a rush so I decided to spend three weeks with our daughter in Baytown, Texas.  Once again, I never heard anything and I’m getting close to March.

I stop by the Guitar Center coming into town and the clerk sternly told me that if there was anything that I needed to know that I’d have received a call. Hmmmmm.  He graciously checks on it in the back and tells me that the part hadn’t come in but, the part had been in since the later part of January.  I didn’t argue.

Let’s fastforward a little bit.

The guitar tech contacts me to tell me there’s another problem with the guitar.  Once the bridge was attached, he notice with tension the top of the guitar around the bridge warped.  He wanted permission to send it to their store in in New Orleans which had the equipment to work the problem.  I said, “Okay.”

I hear nothing like for three to four weeks.  Then I get an email from the guitar tech in New Orleans.

You’re no gonna believe this…

Everything is looking good!  The bridge is secured he’s gonna do some testing on the tension and if everything is okay it gets shipped back on the 12th of April and expected in Baton Rouge on April 13th.  Super!!

I checked with the store manager in Baton Rouge on the 14th…..no guitar and he said he’d contact New Orleans store for me…

Hang in there I’m almost to the last status which was today when I got to actually ‘touch’ my guitar!



On the 17th of April I get an email from the guitar rep in New Orleans as follows:  “Here is the update on the guitar. It was sent out from our location on April 12th with an expected arrival on Friday, April 13th at the Baton Rouge store (TRK1ZE60W260357934999). It arrived back at the New Orleans location on Monday with no explanation as to why, I assume this was just a shipping error and it will go back out promptly.”  There’s more but that’s the abreviated version, but note the dates.



One of the things that The Guitar Center was complaining about to me is that they were calling me but no one ever answered.

So today, I figured that guitar HAS to be at the Baton Rouge store by NOW!!!  But, for some reason, a call from them doesn’t work.  I’m driving over there today.

The manager isn’t in……(I found out his wife was having a baby!) so I give the clerk a copy of my email and then it seems that confusion ensues.  The search is on!!!

Some Good has to come!!

HERE IT IS!!!!  My Ovation REPAIRED!!!  IN MY HANDS!!!  My heart just leapt!  As the tech was removing the guitar from the case (which they gave me…yeah!) I notice a HUGE HOLE in the back of the guitar!!  That’s right a HOLE!!!
This is a rare ovation that has an access panel that is removed to do the service work.  It’s GONE!!!  They can’t Find it!!!  There were no Ovation guitars with that same access in Baton Rouge or New Orleans!!!  Can you believe this!!!

So, now the search is on for that access panel in New Orleans…and Baton Rouge.  I didn’t take the guitar out of the store, I left it with the understanding they would find or replace the panel.

I’m sure the next update will be much shorter….I’m sure.



Hey!  Just want to give you an opportunity to visit 2 other sites http://www.peaceloveandbeaches.com and http://www.60plusandfearless.com.  And please take a moment to visit my daughter’s GoFundMe page, it’s for a good cause: https://www.gofundme.com/single-momkids-with-car-debt.  And thank you for your consideration.

Peace and love,

John

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Is This The Moment?????

Is this the moment???

Well, it may be! I’m feeling optimistic.

I should be getting my Ovation guitar back from The Guitar Center today.  And from what I understand, it is repaired buttttt there may still be some issues.  They didn’t answer me as to whether it would stay in tune.  Hmmmmm.

That company will use their email, but they tend to ignore the customer.  Get this, I’m told by a company rep that using email is too slow a means of communication.  I’m not getting that.  I prefer email over a phone call any day of the week. And here’s why: ‘documentation’.  On the phone unless I record the phone call (that’s called wiretapping) and I must get the other party’s permission and from my past experience, they won’t talk.  Regardless, a conversation on the phone can be lied about to protect one’s position. An email is a solid documentation of what has gone on.  You should see the documentation trail with Ovation, there’s no misunderstanding there.



This will probably be my only Ovation I’ll ever own….it’s not been a well performing instrument.  A tad disappointed here.

So, this may be the moment.

I love the texture that an acoustic guitar provides to a recording.  And I’ve learned and still learning how to use an instrument (any instrument) in the recording process.  There’s much more than just banging out a rhythm to it.



I’ve always used an electric guitar to do the layering and leads……and yet there’s more for me to experiment with.

It seems that finally the obstacles are being cleared and I have no ‘reason’ to not get back to work on my CD and finish that puppy before heading to Europe.

Lots to do though.

Is This The Moment?????

Oh!  I forgot!  There may be one more issue that hinders my recording….the recording software company sent me an email yesterday (by the way, this company responds most promptly to my emails) that there are some issues running the software with the latest OS upgrade from Apple.  We’ll see.  They are working on the issue, so I’m thinking they’ll have this taken care of shortly.

So, if my recording is held up once again, it won’t be for long and I’ll just put my time to use writing some more tunes.

We’ll see how this day turns out.



When you get a chance, check out my blog at http://www.peaceloveandbeaches.com, it’s where I spend a lot of my time having fun and documenting my life escapades.

Have a Great Day!

Peace and love,

John

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The Challenge Grew, Yep, It Did

It grew, the challenge of working on my music in Mexico and now…..it’s a challenge back in the states!

The last I reported was the problem with my Ovation guitar (that saga contines over the past almost 3 months now in the states) where the bridge had pulled up from the body (now I’m finding out that the surface of the guitar is warped).

Shortly after that while working on a song using a keyboard I purchased in the music department at a local store (local at the time was Mexico) the second A note down from middle C went out!!  Oh, just take it in for repair you may say, but it’s not as simple as driving to the nearest keyboard repair place or shipping it to a repair center. Things have a way of disappearing in Mexico.  Something shipped and arriving is haphazard and done rather irresponsibly.



So, I needed a work around. Midi didn’t work out as the key wasn’t reporting properly.  Then a stroke of luck happened!  My software program that I use for recording allowed me to lower my octaves so that an octive transposition took place! Now, I’m back in business.  So, start working the song from an octave postition and everything is going fine.

NEXT!!!

I’ve already got 4 new songs completed, 3 incomplete and 1 just getting underway.  They’re on my external drive that I used back in the states with my iMac.  Now, I’m excited and ready to do some work.  I plug in the external to access a particular song to continue work on and I can’t access the external hard drive…..ugh.

The Challenge Grew, Yep, It Did

I toyed with the external, do some research on youtube.com and come across a possible solution.  I drive 30 miles to an electronics store (they are not on every block there, they are ‘rare’ as a matter of fact) and they don’t have what I need.

Now I’ve got a few choices here; start the songs in progress all over, or work on something new.  BUT!!!!  But, I’ve got no external hard drive to save them to!  Now I could just save that to my internal hard drive on my MacBook Air and I started to do that, it just takes up so much hard drive space!

So, I just decided ‘no’, I’ll just learn some of the tricks of the software, access my backups on my iMac when I get back in the states.



Still on the table of options was to buy another guitar.  Getting a name brand guitar on the Caribbean coast of Mexico is rather slim.  So, not much effort went into that.

Fast forward to being back in the states, sitting at my iMac to access my backups for my completed and working songs and my iMac tells me that the files cannot be accessed, cannot be found, and files may be corrupted!  Ugh!!

Another idea is to bring my external hard drive to a reputable computer store and have the data accessed.  Here’s the story on that.  If the data can be accesseed, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be in the form it was produced. Hmph!  That’s really no good.



Needless to say, only a cursor attempt was made to to retrieve the data.

Now the ‘new’ challenge is to start over.  Whoopiii!

After listening to the mp3’s (no I can’t use mp3’s in this form to maintain a quality recording) of my songs I realized that there had been some things that I could do to improve the elements and production of my songs.  I’m happy now.  Now, I’ve just got to find the original handwritten copies of the songs with the chords on them…..I’m looking.



Challenges are everywhere and a good attitude makes things happen.

Back to the drawing board, or should I say the recording board.

Peace and love,

John

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The Challenge Is….. Accepted!!

The challenge is accepted!

Again!

Another one!



I’ve chosen not to get frustrated over this……my options aren’t much to choose from being here in Mexico.  So I have to make the very best of what’s available.

Two reasons I couldn’t bring everything I needed with me.  Reading thru the restrictions, I could only bring in two guitars and secondly I didn’t have the room to bring in various instruments and recording gear.

But, I want to do this, I need to do this and I have the songs to do this!!  Besides I’ve been too long on this and let too many things I could control get in my way.  These problems I can’t control.

What has happened with this is it’s left me with a narrow option for music and recording.  It’s current and techno!  This is my challenge.  Getting my music out of my head, and into my computer while maintaining an ‘organic’ feel.



All my equipment back home was 1/4 in jack inputs and outputs, balanced and in stereo.  I’m not afforded that luxury because I couldn’t bring my recording interface equipment with me.  I now have to interface with my computer via USB. So what I had to do was get a USB adapter for 1/4 inch input (going from 1/4 inch input to USB).  I got one!  No small accomplishment, things of such aren’t readily available here in Mexico.  So, I ordered thru Amazon.com and my daughter muled (meaning she was my courier) it to me.

The next problem was that although the guitar adapter advertised it was for PC/Mac, there’s no driver available for Mac. So, the adapter is useless.  But I’ve got an idea since I have a USB microphone!  I’m working this….BUT!!!!!

Things That I Want In Life

Here’s my latest problem that became the major derailment.

My Ovation guitar.  The bridge has lifted from the body of the guitar.  But, it’s a little more complicated than that.  You see it’s an artist rendered guitar with a lacquered top and the lacquered top has pulled off the front of the guitar with the bridge!  By the way, the bridge is the part of the guitar that the strings are anchored down to.

I didn’t see this right away.  I noticed that my guitar was out of tune…..not uncommon except this time all 6 strings were a half step out of tune.  And I found this awfully odd.  Usually not all the strings would be out of tune and especially a half step out of tune.



That’s when I looked a little closer and noticed the problem with the bridge.

I’ve contacted Ovation regarding the problem, but there’s no way I’m shipping this back to the U.S. and hoping to get it shipped back.  Nope, I’m gonna try and repair this myself. I’ve seen it done on YouTube.com so I figure I can do it.  I’m heading out shopping tomorrow and finding me some good wood glue and setting hardware.

This has to be the last setback.  I can’t figure out what else could possibly happen!



I’ve got the songs, I’ve got the equipment to do it…….so, I’ll give this a go!

Peace and love,

John

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Updating My CD Progress………..

It’s been a while. So, I’m updating my CD progress.

I gotta stay in touch!

Here we go……



Needless to say, I’m not finished.  I keep coming up with new ideas of arrangement and sounds, but I’m closing in on some.  I need to dedicate more restricted time to just working thru some of this stuff. And I know this sounds silly but since quitting my job and moving to Mexico I’ve tried not to organize and structure much of anything in my life. And it has helped on the creative side of life, it’s just working the creation that’s stymied.

Part of the recent problem of getting it done has been equipment but that should be taken care of and I’ll do a test on the equipment my daughter muled to me from the U.S. later on today.



Another thing.  I have two of my grandchildren here that I just ‘LOVE’ to spend time with because they are so much FUN!!!  But, besides that Keira is an excellent 10-year old vocalist.  She sang a cover of ‘No More Mondays’ at 6 years old.  We may re-record that one……she’s older and better.  While she’s here I want to work on an EP for her.  I’ve got ideas for songs, a few with some starter lyrics.  Then out of the blue my grandson, Max sings out a title!  Just out of the blue!  I grab a pen and my notebook and jotted that sucker down…..that is what I’m working on today.  I figure I can get about 80% of the lyric work done today and work on the music, then bang it out in about 3 days.  This is gonna be fun!

So, I’ve got her EP and my full CD on the plate right now.

Updating My CD Progress……..

Back to my CD.  I’ve got 5 solid rockers done, one ballad that’s finished just needs a bit arrangement change on the recording and I’ve an acoustic ballad floating around in the there somewhere.  So, I want 11 songs and that’s 7.  Not too bad.  Plus I’m gonna release 2 freebies, one will be on the CD the other won’t.

I’ve already have the workings on a follow-up CD, which I’m excited about.  Going back to some old rock-n-roll roots.  Gonna hit the listener with a lot of music and fast.

I’ll try and have something new here and clean out all the old demos within the next 2 to 3 weeks. I might even post the progress demos as I move along.  Although I’m not sure there’s much interest in the developmental progress.  We’ll see.



So there we have it….I’m rockin’ and rollin’, getting it done.  I had just written a blog from my travel site about encouraging myself and I mentioned about my first CD.  I call it, “Patting Myself On My Back”. You can read it at http://www.peaceloveandbeaches.com just scroll down the page, it’s about the 6th title.  It was one of those writings I needed for me.



See ya back here soon!

Peace and Love,

John

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It’s never been my style!  EDM.  Hell do you realize how long it took me to find out what that acronym stood for???

Electronic Dance Music!  (I hope I got that right!)

The new recording software is so broad in it’s scope of what it can do for a musician that it has me experimenting!  EDM!!  I woke up this morning with this sound in my head and these lyrics!  I didn’t expect this!!  It doesn’t fit in with my music style and it doesn’t fit in with the music for my CD!!

I think I’m looking at a 3rd CD with a new genre for me …….EDM!!

Just thinking thru the recording process seems awkward.  I’ve never used software like this before and I’ve never written music like this before and ‘oh yeah’……I’ve never played music like this before!!!!  Just goes to show you……my life is full of variety and nothing goes without being explored!

While I’m not sure how this will come out, how I’ll fit in, I’m sure it will be interesting and it will be GOOD!!  I realized moments ago that Yoko Ono at age 83 is rocking the EDM genre and the younger audience and artist are accepting to her!!!  I’ll give it a whirl!  I guess now I’m gonna have to learn some dance moves.  I need to go watch some videos I guess.  It’ll probably help me to lose weight.  That’s a good thing!

This Style Is New To Me!

I can’t discord this!! While I’ve never done this before and it’s really not of a big interest to me. It seems my creativity is taking me there.  And who am I to question my creativity!!!  You just don’t go against your creativity.  It’s like looking a gift horse in the mouth. (I never really quite understood that saying!)

The thought of not having to put my hands on an instrument to make music is counter intuitive.  Is it cheating?  It’s odd!  It doesn’t seem like I’m playing music, that I’m a musician if I just use software to compose and produce.  But!!!  This stuff is popular and it’s winning Grammy Awards!!

You know……I could be the next Taylor Swift. Only in sandals and cutoffs……I’ll go topless if it’ll help.

I often write about adventure on my Facebook page and my blogging website http://www.peaceloveandbeaches.com .  Adventure doesn’t have to be where you physically go…..I’m realizing now it can be where I creatively go.  And that’s what I shall do!

I’m a bit apprehensive…..but I’m gonna do this and it will be GOOD!!

So, today starts that adventure….none of that music will quickly be posted here.  I’ll be refining and redefining it thru the upcoming months.  I’ll drop a sample here and there.  Get an opinion or two.

See ya soon!

Peace and Love,

John

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Happy New Year!!!

I’ve not been here much…..my bad.  But I have been busy!!  I’ve been honing my blogging skills at http://www.peaceloveandbeaches.com     Along with learning a new music software program, writing some more tunes, exposing my creativity to some different vibes.

Moving to Mexico has just been a delight.  Challenges yes, but nothing that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying myself and my new adventures.  One problem is I didn’t bring everything I needed for my music.  According to the immigration rules I was limited on musical instruments that I was importing. It seems and I’m sure it’s from previous experience…..they are trying to stop American’s from bringing musical instruments in to Mexico for resale.  Hell, these people can’t afford those musical instruments!

So, that has been a bit of a set-back.  Most of the instruments I’ve found at the local (about 30 miles away) music store are the 2nd tier instruments from the major and not so major music instrument companies.  And frankly, those instruments are pricey compared to back in the states.

Some sites ship to Mexico….GREAT!  But they don’t ship just any instruments brands.  I guess it’s a NAFTA thing.  So, I can buy an instrument thru Musiciansfriend.com and have it shipped for more than that same instrument purchased here, even though the price may be less expensive.  What happens is…..the shipping cost more than in the states but it’s the ‘import fee’ assessed that’s the killer.

So, I’m having my audio interface shipped to me for less than I can buy one here!!!  Besides, mine is a much better piece of equipment than anything I can get here.  This I could have brought here with me if I had the room!!!  But room in the SUV was precious, too precious.

Back To What I Love, My Music

But, there’s other things I’m able to do with my mics, acoustic guitar, and keyboard (I bought that here…..that was inexpensive) to operate my software via midi.  Plus I like to play the keyboard.

Okay!!!  Enough rambling!!!

Trip on over to the ‘MusicPreview’ tab and Download a FREE Copy of ‘No More Mondays’!  From what I’m told it’s a very ‘easy and painless process’.

I’ll be back shortly……lots of experience, lots of music on the way.

I think I’ll start off sharing some clips from my first CD from several years back.  It’s not the best on certain issues, but I did it and i’m PROUD that I did it!

Here’s a cut….”Wasting Time”

https://soundcloud.com/john-gaudet/wasting-time

See ya soon!!!!

Peace, love, and rock-n-roll!!!

John

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I’ve been working on some music for my upcoming CD.

I’m having to make adjustments down here in Mexico.  Some things aren’t as convenient as I’m accustomed too.  I can’t just run to one of the many music stores….I’ve found there to be one in Quintana Roo!

I was supposedly limited to what equipment I could bring into Mexico.  From reading this restriction is because the government doesn’t want people bringing in instruments tax free and reselling them.  So, I had to leave behind a lot of gear.  At the border……they didn’t even check my inventory!! So now I’m having to reacquire necessary gear for recording.  Some of that gear isn’t available in Mexico and some of the U.S. companies can’t make that product available for shipping to Mexico.  Must be part of NAFTA.

I’m working on this……..

So, most of what I’m doing now is exploring ideas of writing and a new instrument here and there.  It’s interesting. Sort of like I’m biding my time.  Another thing is I’m moving in about a week, so I’ll have a new address.  But getting things mailed or shipped down here seem to be a bit iffy.  Time consuming, expensive, and quite possibly won’t show up.  I’ll be rolling the dice on this one.

I fortunately find myself in a laid back creative environment…..much to my liking.  Sometimes I think, ‘shouldn’t I be doing something?’!  Crazy to think I can live in such a way!  But, it’s my reality.  There’s so much to see and do here….this is the Riviera Maya…the Caribbean outpost of Mexico.  And it’s rather inexpensive to live here, not as inexpensive as living further inland, but it’s inexpensive.

I’ll have the basics of what I need shipped within the next 2 weeks. Then I’ll engage in the recording aspect while continuing to explore new and creative ideas.

I’m working on this………

What I want to do is after I’ve done my basic recordings is take about 2 weeks away in a jungle rental to record my vocals and whatever else comes about.  I’m sure some animal sounds would abound.  The idea of finding a bungalow deep in the jungle and recording there……just has me charmed.

Well that’s what’s happening here.  Back to work after a short siesta.  I love my siesta.

Peace and Love,

John

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It’s what I do. And I do it most all the time.  Of course there are some who say ‘I never listen to them’!  Not never, I’m just listening to other things.  I’m listening now to more and different music.  And I’m curious as to the effect it will have on what I write.

I’m on the Caribbean coast of Mexico!!  I’m not ‘trying’ to fit-in in the sense of forcing myself, but I’m trying to fit-in in a natural sort of way.  Being alive in the moment.  Open to what is happening and taking it in.

Yesterday, I was briefly at a beach in Tulum. Walking….make that trudging along in the sand I pass an outdoor bar at a nearby resort and other than the rows of bottles of liquor enchanting the passerby, me included. Were the authentic sounds of a Caribbean vibe.  This one just grabbed me…..while it had a familiarity about it, there was a distinctive variance.  It caught my attention.  Which, when I’m listening to the sounds around me and seeking out music isn’t hard to find.

I’m out there listening!!!

Realize, there’s such a difference in sound here!  It’s almost as if the sound is designed for a laid back lifestyle that can be transformed to a pulsating frenzy at commanded by a gyrating beat!  Syncopated to the synchronism of life.  I’m not sure if I said something of value, or correctly there, but it is fitting to the surroundings!!

Just to let you know….I’m having fun.

Puerto Morelos

I’ve made the acquaintances of local d.j.’s and resort managers…….introducing me to a new facet of the Caribe Lifestyle.  Can an old dog (me), learn new tricks. That is in play right now.

There’s no new tricks here……it’s music.  It has a beat. I can do this!

It seems to be all in the arrangement…….every song has an arrangement that skillfully (we hope) uses, the beat(s), melody, rhythms, lyrics (if they apply), and a taste of idiosyncrasies that make it unique.  Even to an old time rocker as in me.  Some may say to any who tread in this enchanting landscape that they are doing it wrong…..I beg to differ.  They have made it their own…..unique and authentically theirs.

I’m out there listening!!

I relish the newness, accept the challenge, and look forward to the outcome.

Thanks for tagging along with me……it’s like we’re doing this together!

Peace and Love,

John

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