tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69477331295207841002024-02-20T00:21:57.661+08:00Underneath The MaskFinding beauty in darkness beyond the mere absence of light.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger303125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-10604390591146287562016-11-29T04:02:00.000+08:002016-12-04T03:57:21.147+08:00Alone Amongst the CrowdWhiskey in one hand<br />
Cigarette in the other<br />
<br />
Bass booms<br />
Resonating into the abyss<br />
<br />
Recollecting my thoughts<br />
Disconnecting from the world<br />
<br />
In this solitude<br />
I find both peace and chaos<br />
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Take another sip<br />
Take another puff<br />
<br />
Survey the scene<br />
Not a friend in sight<br />
<br />
Feigning happiness<br />
Put on a performance<br />
<br />
Smile when asked how you are<br />
Smile again when they leave<br />
<br />
Whiskey in one hand<br />
Cigarette in the other<br />
<br />
My words can lie<br />
My eyes can't lie<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-17910495067235478022016-02-02T05:18:00.000+08:002016-02-02T05:35:53.947+08:00Reflections Part 1: New HomeHere lies some thoughts about my life the past year of 2015 just to catch up with everything I failed to set in stone in this blog.<br />
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I will tackle a few areas of my life that I feel are of note. This will most likely be a number of blog posts. This particular one is about my new apartment.<br />
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I have been living in my old studio apartment in Makati for years. And I literally mean years. I forgot how long it's been. But I'm guessing I've stayed there for close to a decade. Maybe even longer. I should have moved out sooner. But I always had some limbo excuse in my life that was always convenient enough for me to put off looking to move to a new place.<br />
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Those excuses were either the inability to find a better place to rent, inability to find a rent-to-own apartment, or plainly not having enough funds to buy a new place outright and handle the monthly and annual payments.<br />
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I would search for possible options sparingly and those spurts of efforts only really lasts a few days at a time. I, then, slump back into the limbo that I was both nervous and yet comfortable living in.<br />
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I also let my old place deteriorate. I didn't really mind how messy it got. So cleaning was largely an optional activity until something bad happens where I have no choice but to clean (i.e. bathroom sink sprung a leak and flooded my apartment.). I didn't care. It was only me in my place. And all the dirt, grime, and accumulating stuff only bothered me and no one else. My apartment turned into some cave and I was literally turning into some burara caveman.<br />
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That was one of a number of "ruts" that I slipped into. And didn't care to get myself out of for years. I don't think I'm an un-hygenic person. But you would definitely think so if you saw the state of my old apartment. Only my closest of friends know. And they're mostly guys. So they didn't care either.<br />
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It was a fortunate coincidence last year that my older sister, who lives in the States with her family, was having trouble paying the monthly and annual payments of her apartment in Ortigas. Although she and her husband were both working, the cost of living in the US, plus two kids, and shouldering the living expenses of our parents, put a strain on her ability to handle any other costs outside of all those family considerations. They were doing fine. But certainly nowhere near comfortable in terms of financials. The market was a little flooded with new condo buildings around the metro as well. So selling the place was also quite a challenge.<br />
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My younger sister pitched the idea of me taking over all those payments and have a separate discussion with my older sister in order to pay for whatever total amount that she has already been paid out. Essentially, I would eventually own my older sister's apartment.<br />
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It's a pretty convenient deal for me at that. I don't have to provide a large downpayment since my older sister paid that out already. She and I don't have to go through brokers and pay at least 10-20% of the condo price as brokers' fees. All I have to do is ensure that I'm good with all the monthly and annual payments. All those costs are close to what I already pay out in terms of rent, utilities, and association dues at my old place. It was a win-win scenario for me. And I was lucky to even have such an opportunity. Plus this would significantly help out my sister and ultimately my parents financially.<br />
<br />
Since I've been living at my old place for years, the amount of stuff I've accumulated over those years became glaringly evident when it came to packing all my stuff. Admittedly, I did little or no pre-packing. I was fortunate that my younger sister arranged for packers/movers for me where they literally packed everything they could see in my old place. For such a small studio apartment, I was surprised that the balikbayan boxes the packing amounted to was close to 20 boxes.<br />
<br />
Although my new place is much bigger than my old one, 17-20 balikbayan sized boxes plus furniture made my new place rather cramped at least on the first floor. Unpacking has been a frustrating ordeal for me. It made me realize how much of a pack-rat I really was. I spent the next few weeks to months slowly unpacking.<br />
<br />
Recent surgery stalled my unpacking efforts. Perhaps I used my recent minor surgery as an excuse to not deal with unpacking. My wound has healed considerably. So I resumed unpacking. Between the time I first moved in and now, I've gone from 17-20 boxes down now to just 3. I've thrown out a lot of clothes and other things that I no longer wear or use.<br />
<br />
Close to fully unpacked. Yet the last three box seem just as frustrating as the initial 17+ boxes. So I will slowly keep going until all of it is unpacked. Hopefully, I'll be able to sort through where everything goes once everything is out of balikbayan boxes. If not, looks like I need to throw out even more stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEMbSGC9VAagthoVzdZPsYh-lYy1wWiDOv8_NnvT-5IgAEnRtNdCaEfBvO8Txt9dmk7qvEB7jWalniZ38K8XLKjg9YB4v45WiaMm2DDZ-EcjZrMUqRHXTr7J5wABK9qakDdNaoq2DBn4/s1600/IMG_0182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEMbSGC9VAagthoVzdZPsYh-lYy1wWiDOv8_NnvT-5IgAEnRtNdCaEfBvO8Txt9dmk7qvEB7jWalniZ38K8XLKjg9YB4v45WiaMm2DDZ-EcjZrMUqRHXTr7J5wABK9qakDdNaoq2DBn4/s320/IMG_0182.JPG" width="320" /></a>My new place and moving in a new town signifies a fresh start for me. Friends who have known me for years have been concerned that I stayed in my old place for so long. I admittedly have been stagnant for years in my old place. I just burn money month after month paying rent. That money goes nowhere. With my new place, what I pay out monthly and annually goes towards owning my place. So my money doesn't just burn into thin air. I am paving my future now.<br />
<br />
And this is a very well-timed move considering the New Year. At least I got the move completed prior to the holidays. I poured a considerable amount of money into my new place. I had the walls repainted. I had decent kitchen cabinets, counter, rangehood, etc. installed. I even spent to buy and install water heaters for my kitchen and bathroom sinks. With all the unpacking, there is obviously still a lot that needs to be done. But at the very least, the move is done. And I can now work towards making my new apartment a home for myself in the coming weeks/months.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-31475252275939915962015-05-06T20:30:00.001+08:002015-09-16T13:20:30.207+08:00SunDownMuse "Like Knives" Album LaunchIt's been quite a few months since my band, SunDownMuse, launched their 2nd album at Route 196. This was back in September 13 of last year.<br />
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We picked Route 196 as the venue because the owners and staff have always treated us well when we run productions there. Even when we don't finish a particular night until the sun rises.<br />
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Last minute preparations were a tad stressful that night primarily due to the rain. I personally had to scour nearby computer shops and internet cafes because the video that showcases all our sponsors for the launch couldn't play at Route 196's DVD player. Even thought I finally was able to burn the video file onto a DVD, it still didn't work. I took that on because I could see our band leader, Briggs, getting increasingly stressed out about last minute preps. I was the one who hardly contributed much time and effort for the event. So I took that and even volunteered to play host/MC for the night (The person who was supposed to MC bailed last minute.)<br />
<br />
I don't remember much else from that night other than the fact that we really enjoyed all the other bands that we invited to play. They were the Purplechickens, Fuseboxx, and the Jerks. Each of their sets were just as enjoyable as the next. One disappointment was that Enzo and crew (Severo) bailed on us last minute.<br />
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We were exceptionally giving to the other bands we invited to play at our launch. Aside from feeding and getting them drunk on Jack Daniel's, we gave them each band a size-able gift basket. The Jerks don't drink so much these days. But they loved the gift basket. It's something that most bands don't expect from event organizers I suppose. Thanks to Carol for dreaming up and making that idea happen.<br />
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The place filled up decently well especially considering that it was raining. Most people refrain from going out when it rains. So it was a pleasant surprise that the place had quite a crowd despite the inclement weather.<br />
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Below are videos of our set during our launch that night, as well as a few videos from the sets of the other bands we invited to play.<br />
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Oddly enough, I haven't gotten around to editing and uploading some videos from the Purplechickens' set. I'll get around to it some time I suppose.<br />
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It was a heavy boozing night. I did get interested in one particular girl that night whom I thought could be someone special in my life. But that didn't quite work out. That night was fun nonetheless even right up to just me and two other people still drinking while the Route 196 staff were cleaning up all around us until 5:00AM in the morning.<br />
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Even though we launched our 2nd album a good number of months ago, our album "Like Knives" is still currently available on iTunes. You can stream it through Spotify. We have physical CD and USB versions of the album as well. Just send us a message on our band fan page (just search for "SunDownMuse") or come up to us and ask during one of our gigs.<br />
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After the album launch, our drummer at the time eventually quit the band due to being extremely busy with twins and his family construction business. So the band went on a hiatus for about 7 or so months. We just recently started gigging again with Fritz "Dr. Stix" Barth as our drummer. So more on that and upcoming gigs soon.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-18365084295830417052014-12-30T03:02:00.001+08:002015-09-16T13:47:06.646+08:00Handpan Diary #10 - Farewell (December 21, 2014, Bali Steel Pan)I wrote this handpan piece for my Uncle Philip who recently died about 2 months ago. He was one of the only few relatives that I actually identified with. One of the last times my Uncle and I spoke, he asked about my handpans and said he would like to watch me play at one of my solo gigs. He never got the chance to. So with a heavy heart, I wrote this composition for him. I will go visit him at his grave soon and play it for him.<br />
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Writing this piece is also helping me deal with other things in my personal life since I may have to say goodbye to another person who is very dear my heart. So in a way, my Uncle is still helping me with my life even after his death.<br />
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I hope you're in a good place, Uncle Philip. And thank you for everything.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-19775945993418385982014-11-21T05:24:00.000+08:002014-11-21T06:16:42.453+08:00All Alone With YouI've been watching this Japanese anime called Psycho-Pass lately. I ended up not only liking the anime. But also loving the ending theme songs of the series. Both ending theme songs are from an artist called Egoist. I remember this artist from their theme song in another anime called Guilty Crown.<br />
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As always when my head is in a dark place, music always somehow carries me through. So I will share one of the two ending theme songs that really hit me. I found and downloaded most of the band's music just a while ago. I keep listening to this particular song over and over for some reason. Call me a hopeless romantic, or someone who needs to take his skirt off and end this sap fest. But this is me.<br />
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I can enjoy music unconventionally. I can enjoy how a song sounds and appreciate the lyrical meaning behind the song even if I don't understand the language it's in. Here's the lyric video with English subtitles from the anime, as well as the Egoist music video of the entire song. I've put both the English translation and original Japanese lyrics below the video. So you can read along while listening to the song. The English translation is a tad crude. But I got the gist of what the song is trying to say.<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>All Alone With You (English Translation)</b><br />
<b>Vocals: EGOIST</b><br />
<b>Lyrics: Ryo</b><br />
<b>Composition: Ryo</b><br />
<b>Arrangement: Ryo</b><br />
<br />
There’s no way<br />
that I can love someone<br />
But I want someone to love me<br />
Even if yesterday stayed unchanged forever<br />
We couldn’t go anywhere<br />
You and me<br />
<br />
Dear God, where did you go? Hey<br />
But there’s no answer; it’s always like this<br />
Are you still here?<br />
<br />
You’ll never walk alone<br />
I’ll go with you<br />
Bearing<br />
any sin you’ve got<br />
I’ll walk<br />
down the uncharted path<br />
All alone with you<br />
<br />
Come over here<br />
Touch me and kiss me<br />
You may<br />
mess me up even more, okay?<br />
If everyone is going to die<br />
and be forgotten someday<br />
Then I’ll only believe in what’s certain now<br />
<br />
Dear God, those who are pretentious say<br />
that people are strong<br />
But that’s a lie<br />
Do you agree?<br />
<br />
I will stay with you<br />
Hug me<br />
with your hands<br />
and with all your heart<br />
Don’t be scared<br />
I’m all better now<br />
<br />
Even if your hands<br />
ended up getting dirtied<br />
I’d still want you<br />
to love me<br />
<br />
You’ll never walk alone<br />
I’ll go with you<br />
Bearing<br />
any sin you’ve got<br />
I’ll walk<br />
down the uncharted path<br />
with you<br />
<br />
I will stay with you<br />
Hug me<br />
with your hands<br />
and with all your heart<br />
Because I desire<br />
any and everything that you have<br />
All alone with you<br />
<br />
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<b>All Alone With You (Japanese)</b><br />
<b>Vocals: EGOIST</b><br />
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Dareka o aisuru koto nante<br />
Dekiru wake naku tte<br />
Dakedo dareka ni aisaretakute<br />
Kawaranai kinou ga zutto tsuzuita to shite mo<br />
Doko ni mo ike ya shinain da<br />
Watashi to kimi<br />
<br />
Kami-sama doko e itte shimatta no nee<br />
Henji wa nakute itsu datte sou da yo<br />
Are you still here?<br />
<br />
You’ll never walk alone<br />
Anata to yuku<br />
Donna tsumi mo<br />
Seotte ageru<br />
Michi naki michi o<br />
Aruiteku no<br />
Anata to futari de<br />
<br />
Kocchi ni kite<br />
Watashi ni furete kisu o shite<br />
Motto mechakucha ni<br />
Shitatte iin da yo?<br />
Itsuka dare mo ga shinjatte<br />
Wasurerareteku nara<br />
Ima tashika na mono dake o shinjiru wa<br />
<br />
Kami-sama kidori no hito ga iu no<br />
Nee hito wa tsuyoi tte<br />
Sonna no uso da yo<br />
Do you agree?<br />
<br />
I will stay with you<br />
Anata no te de<br />
Dakishimete yo<br />
Omoikkiri<br />
Kowagaranaide<br />
Mou daijoubu watashi nara<br />
<br />
Sono te ga yogorete<br />
Shimatta to shite mo<br />
Aishite hoshii<br />
Watashi no koto<br />
<br />
You’ll never walk alone<br />
Anata to yuku<br />
Donna tsumi mo<br />
Seotte ageru<br />
Michi naki michi o<br />
Aruiteku no<br />
Anata to<br />
<br />
I will stay with you<br />
Anata no te de<br />
Dakishimete yo<br />
Omoikkiri<br />
Nozomenai mono wa<br />
Nani mo nai kara<br />
Anata to futari de<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-6858354529960707142014-11-02T22:49:00.002+08:002015-09-16T13:48:19.921+08:00Jack Versus the Crab Album Launch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Long overdue blog post about one of my bands' album launches. I was originally going to blog about SunDownMuse's album launch. But remembered that I haven't casted into the proverbial stone any details about Jack Versus the Crab's album launch last year. So I better do it now, before it complete escapes my memory into the blur of all the gigs since last year.<br />
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Our album launch was held in a place called Purgatory. The place actually was called Peligro eons ago. And was resurrected as Purgatory. The place is much bigger than when it opened as Peligro back in the day. When we scoped the place out a few weeks back, I was actually wondering how we can manage to fill up the place come our album launch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkVa-y3NZO6TVZW78pCqO2I1_gL7NYXdfnMhztQ551HNbNAqzmBsMaC4xfzhPplWSOtrEI0Wf920aTtQgDOSzl1gUIWnZcp9kBdXLXUDX4fznf071bgulT0L2EX2o22yQKKLydbX3Yc4/s1600/IMG_2120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkVa-y3NZO6TVZW78pCqO2I1_gL7NYXdfnMhztQ551HNbNAqzmBsMaC4xfzhPplWSOtrEI0Wf920aTtQgDOSzl1gUIWnZcp9kBdXLXUDX4fznf071bgulT0L2EX2o22yQKKLydbX3Yc4/s1600/IMG_2120.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Our call time as decreed by our fearless band leader, Waxie, was 4:00PM on the day of the launch. I thought that was way too early. But Waxie had all these elaborate plans for the launch. So who am I to question his schedule choices.<br />
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When I got there, there were a few band members already there. We checked out all the gear onstage. And ran a few rather painful sound checks. There was bad feedback coming from the mics for some reason. Perhaps it was the placement of the speakers or perhaps the monitors themselves. We eventually got it sorted out. But it meant that some mics had to be lowered in volume. And thus the entire band had to tone down a little. I realized then that a 4:00PM call time to sound check was definitely a good idea.<br />
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<i>I don't own any of the pictures that I will embed on this post henceforth.</i><br />
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Waxie had us his sister and Dad take photos of us around the venue. Impromptu photoshoot it seems. They got us to go to this or that corner of the venue making weird poses and stuff. I was just glad that I didn't have to wear make-up (I horridly had to wear make-up for a photoshoot when Jack Daniel's was still sponsoring the band. Que horror.)<br />
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After all that, we went out to eat dinner and reconvened in the small part of Purgatory that seemed to be the VIP area. As expected with this band, we can't help but start drinking when we hang out together. So as early as 7:00PM. The beers started coming. Take note, the launch itself starts at 9:00PM. Typical Filipino behavior usually means people won't start coming in until around 10:00PM onwards. So we were drinking straight until people started arriving.<br />
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Waxie apparently arranged for press to interview us. So they all gathered around us in the VIP area, asking us questions about the band's backstory, from the meaning behind the band name to musical influences and experience of each of the members. A few of press people were pleasantly surprised to find out that our drummer is Fritz Barth (Dr. Stix). One of them even came out and asked Fritz directly, "You mean Dr. Stix of Spy and Pinikpikan?" When Fritz said yes to the question, all of the press people immediately wrote it down in their notes. That was amusing.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>At this point of the night, the venue was surprisingly jam packed. We were surprised that we manage to invite that many people to go. I'm pretty sure I had nothing to do with it. As I only invited a few people, most except three actually showed up. LOL<br />
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The place was bustling with activity even before we played our set. Waxie had arranged for artists to do live painting. And he also arranged for DJ to play sets before and after our set. Crazy busy party that night.<br />
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When it was time for us to play our set, I can safely say that most of us were extremely trashed. We could function just fine, I could that if I drank more, that I'd probably not be able to play even a single song. So we played our asses off as best we could. The drinker crowd asked for an encore and we gladly obliged. Although, I think we should've opted not to play an encore song because by then the band was already tired from playing. So we kinda flubbed the last song a bit.<br />
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Below are the resulting videos of our from my video camera from that night. I'll embed the first video in the playlist I setup in my YouTube channel.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8PQjSxrkUSQ?list=PLQL1IPiXVWiCg-vkgoITFdu6h_kVAT1Up" width="420"></iframe><br />
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I particularly liked my solo during our jam song, "The Song I Never Finished". My solo somehow fell into place with my bandmates reading when to come back in perfectly. It was equally nice to hear the crowd react to my solo.
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ULrjC9wkSqY" width="420"></iframe><br />
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The rest of the night was a blur. It's been quite some time since the launch, that I have no recollection on what happened after we played our set. Hell, I don't even remember how I manage to get home with all my gear intact. I think we changed venue and had a post album launch celebration. But I'd have to confirm that with my bandmates, if they even remember. LOL<br />
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So there it is. I finally blogged about my band's album launch. The only regret I have about the launch is the fact that I wasn't part of the recording for the album. All the tracks for the album were already recorded prior to me joining the band. Neither was JR, our lead guitarist, and Rodney, our bassist. So part of me, to be honest, wasn't emotionally invested in the album. But I was (and still) glad to be part of this amazing ride called Jack Versus the Crab.<br />
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If anybody is interested in buying Jack Versus the Crab's first album, just show up to any of my gigs. I usually bring a few copies of my bands' album with me in my gig bag. Band bias aside, Waxie is a good songwriter. And the album is definitely the result of a lot of time and effort put in by Waxie and the past and present band members involved in the project.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-44782885687238414362014-10-19T22:30:00.001+08:002014-10-21T02:28:10.359+08:00New Handpan Composition: In Her Travel ShoesMy latest handpan composition that I played in between sets with my band, Jack Versus The Crab. I was meaning to make a video of me playing the piece at home. But this came out decent. I do need to play it a little tighter next time.<br />
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The piece was inspired by a girl that I know. She was brave to take a solo trip to Vietnam for vacation. She would tell me about the places she's headed to and all the tasty dishes she's tried. She would run into glitches in her plans. But would somehow find solutions for them.<br />
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So I thought about how it would feel to breathe in the air over there. How it would feel like to see all the places she went to. And to taste all that sumptuous food. Hence the title of this handpan composition.<br />
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I initially zoom cropped this video while I was editing it. But I decided not to in the end. The little girl dancing around while I was playing was too cute to cut out.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/h84WOU1Or84" width="460"></iframe><br />
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I also pasted the first part of this post on the YouTube video's description. But I'll continue my thoughts here in the blog. Hopefully you weren't too distracted with the baby walking around everywhere, that you actually noticed my playing. Haha<br />
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I feel pretty good about the piece. There's this kick ass Australian handpan player named Adrian Portia that I've come to befriend on Facebook. I always admired the speed and precision of his playing. And of course as all other handpan players that know him, we all want to learn his techniques. It so happens one of those techniques I already knew; right handed triplets. All I had to do was to play 3 different notes instead of just 2 notes, with one note repeated twice. Varying the 3 notes like you would with chords and tadaaaa, then came out the starting and ending parts of the piece.<br />
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I'm not a learned musician as I always say in this blog. But it feels good to know that I can still slightly improve even with what little I know.<br />
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All of my handpan compositions so far were about what I was going through or what I was feeling. So this marks the first time that I wrote a piece about someone else. I'd like to thank the girl I mentioned someday. It got me out of my creative rut. And even though there are still things weighing heavily on me, she sure made it a little lighter to carry. If I don't get to thank her, I'll just smile to myself and be glad that for a while, she helped me peck a hole in this thick shell of mine.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-61094248015022316462014-08-10T22:45:00.000+08:002014-10-20T00:11:17.319+08:00Handpan Diary #9 - Trials and Tribulations (Chromatic Spacedrum, August 10, 2014)I was in a creative drought for quite a while. I had gigs every weekend for the last two months. Work has been bogging me down. But I still hang in there. So I have very little free time these days. All that prevented me from completing a composition I was working on with one my Bali Steel handpans. I was slipping into a rut. So I decided to write something for my Chromatic Spacedrum instead. Fortunately, I got a point where I think it's finished.<br />
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This particular piece of mine represents all the curve balls that I get thrown at at work. Between dealing with inflexibility, egos, and too many would be kings in one castle, it always feels like water filling up to the brim each day. This drowning feeling that is difficult to shake off. As always, I turn to my handpans to calm down and sort things out in my head. And my handpans have saved me once again.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dZ1y9bfOAVo" width="460"></iframe>
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-28513445282612213222014-06-10T05:04:00.001+08:002014-06-10T05:06:37.169+08:00Gig Galore in June: PreludeI obviously haven't been blogging for quite some time now. Given some recent mishaps and disappointments at work, I'm starting to think about blogging again as an outlet. So for now, I'll give a prelude to some of the things I'll be blogging about.<br />
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I've been feeling largely depressed and uninspired the past month or so. It could partly be about the failure in the pursuit of genuine romance. It could also be partly about my work preventing me from joining my bands at gigs on weeknights. There aren't any real problems in my life aside from some paranoia about trivial things or my general lack of life direction. Regardless of the actual reasons, the net result is a limbo-esque restlessness that I can't quite put my finger on.<br />
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Perhaps it's God grace or the universe giving me a break. This month marks the first time in a long while that I got booked to gig every weekend. I get to gig with all my bands some time this month, participate in a band video shoot/live recording, and do a few solo handpan gigs to boot. Below is my gig schedule for the month of June. Some gig dates have passed already. I was planning on posting this prior to June. But never seem to get around to it.<br />
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<b>June 7, 2014</b> - Percussion for SunDownMuse, Last Home, Ortigas Home Depot<br />
<b>June 8, 2014</b> - Jack Versus the Crab Live Recording/Video Shoot, Blue Light Studios<br />
<b>June 8, 2014</b> - Percussion for Turtle Club (Guys from White Beach, Puerto Galera), Irie Sunday, B-Side Makati<br />
<b>June 14, 2014</b> - Solo Handpan Set, Handuraw Sikatuna<br />
<b>June 21, 2014</b> - Percussion for SunDownMuse, Fête de la Musique, Mod Stage, Society Lounge, Atrium Makati<br />
<b>June 21, 2014</b> - Percussion for Jack Versus the Crab, Fête de la Musique, Main Stage, Intramuros<br />
<b>June 28, 2014</b> - Solo Handpan Set, Tago Jazz Cafe<br />
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There's a possibility that the set time for my two bands at Fête de la Musique might be overlapping. So I may very well be only playing with one band. But all in all, this is such a musical month. Amongst all the unshakeable woes at work, at least I can find solace in music and bathe in its sweet embrace.<br />
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I'll be blogging about each of these musical activities as the month progresses. Even just to get it all on record in my blog. So I can remember it for the rest of my life.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-21931128818114647312014-01-19T23:18:00.002+08:002014-03-30T04:02:36.681+08:00Handpan Diary #8: A New Beginning (Chromatic Spacedrum)This is the first ever composition using the newest addition to my handpan family, 13 Note Chromatic Spacedrum. This new year, there are a lot of changes and new things that entered my life. I started my new job at a advertising/marketing production company. Gigging will be a lot less frequent given my newness to the job and the work shift I have to put in. My funds have been drained from months of unemployment. So I have yet to see the light of day with my finances (I don't get a paycheck until the end of the month). All this frightens me to a certain extent primarily because I'm a creature of habit. All my past routines and supposed constants from last year have been broken apart. Now I'm trying to rebuild a new way of life. We shall see how this year pans out.<br />
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Pardon the length of the this particular composition. I wanted to write something that sounded a little like a music box. As well as something that I can play over and over again that lightens any weight I would feel in my heart.<br />
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Given that I have more than one kind of handpan now. I have renamed my handpan video series to Handpan Diary instead of Bali Steel Pan Diary. My next composition will hopefully integrate both my Spacedrum and one of my Bali Steel handpans.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qgl33e1kyjc" width="420"></iframe><br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-85507801602393944462014-01-12T22:07:00.001+08:002014-01-16T12:10:46.897+08:00My Book of Tyrael and 13 Note Chromatic Spacedrum have Arrived!<br />
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Last Friday, I met up with my friend Kenny for lunch. So he can hand over to me my copy of
the Book of Tyrael. The book is technically the sequel to the Book of Cain that Kenny previously bought for me. Both books
were hardbound and nicely printed. My interest in these books is how they depict Diablo lore (Diablo 1/2/3 are Action RPG
games developed by Blizzard Games for those of you who don't know.).<br />
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When I got home after lunch, I saw a customs notice in my mailbox. It was a notice that indicated that my 13 Note Chromatic Spacedrum handpan has arrived and was ready for pick-up. I was supposed to leave for work soon after lunch. But I decided to
speed off to the post office first to pick up my Spacedrum. I usually came
in early for work with over an hour to spare. Normally, I would burn
that time enjoying a cup of coffee at the nearby Starbucks or CBTL. But
I decided to forego the coffee ritual that day.<br />
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Upon arriving at the
post office, I was surprised that they cleaned the place up a bit. The
inside walls were all repainted. There is generally less junk in the
area. The process of claiming my new handpan was the same as the last
two times. But I was afraid how much the customs tax would be. The
maker of this latest handpan specifically indicated the amount I paid
for the handpan. So I expected customs would levy a hefty tax on it.
The resulting tax amount was indeed hefty. But not as hefty as I
expected. So I gladly paid for tax amount and post office fee. I got into a
cab and lugged my Spacedrum back home.<br />
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As soon as I put the box containing my Spacedrum down in my apartment, I instinctively headed out the door to head for work. But I stopped midway through my door, looked back at the large box. In a split second, I decided to spare a few minutes to open the box and at least take a gander at my new toy.<br />
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I opened the box and saw that my Spacedrum came with a blue carrying bag. The site where I purchased the handpan from indicated a grey/brown colored bag. So I was pleasantly surprised that the bag was actually a nicer looking blue color. I unzipped the bag and pulled the handpan out. The handpan was smaller than what I had imagined. It seems much larger when I watch videos of people playing with the same particular handpan. There was a rubber ring covering the edges. I assume the ring is to dampen the notes when played. The finish was what I expected; a smooth brownish copper tinge all over. I did see some minor scratches which I assume was from the last minute tuning they did before they sent the handpan to me. Overall, it was a very pretty handpan. I sat my Spacedrum on my bed and headed to work. I knew if I started playing it, that I would get sucked in and actually be late for work. So I left for the office, went through my work day, and quickly headed back home to my Spacedrum.<br />
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I tried all the notes one by one and notice that Spacedrums definitely resonate differently from Bali Steel handpans. My Spacedrum has damper sounding notes. But I still thought the notes would ring nicely nonetheless. I played around with it for a while and quickly realized that this was indeed a full chromatic scale that I expected; 13 notes from C4 to C5. My two Bali Steel handpans were each a specific key and scale. So hitting any string of notes will always relate to each other. With a full chromatic scale, you can no longer just randomly hit notes. I knew that I would need to learn actual scales in order to play my Spacedrum well. I did manage to create the beginnings of a possible composition without learning any scales yet. But I need to play around with it more before I can complete the composition. I will try to record a video of me playing that composition when it's finished.<br />
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I have a few things to post about from my experiences last year (i.e. My band Jack Versus the Crab's album launch, my recent Cluster Headaches, etc.). But I felt I needed to blog about my the latest addition to my handpan family first. My family is now three strong. One more handpan, and I could give them a name each from the Ninja Turtles. LOL. I don't have the funds to buy another handpan so soon. I need to ease into my new job and start earning paychecks before anything else. But I would like to have another handpan someday. Here's hoping my 4th handpan would be a Pantheon Steel Halo. I'm waiting on their lottery for this year, to get a chance to buy one.<br />
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Of course, I have to post a family photo. Below the picture is a list of all my handpans in descending order of when I got them. I have indicated which one is which on the photo as well.<br />
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Bali Steel Pan (Minor Pentatonic) [Lower Left]<br />
Bali Steel Pan (D-Minor) [Upper Left]<br />
Spacedrum (13 Note Chromatic) [Right]<br />
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My handpan journey continues with a new addition to my handpan arsenal. The start of this year is definitely a time of many firsts and new things in life (i.e. new job, less gigging with bands due to work shift, trying to reach financial stability, etc.). There will be a period of adjustment to say the least. I admit it does frighten me a little. The compositions I create will reflect all these changes adjustments in my life. Hopefully, that musical curiosity will dampen the slight fear and make this year exciting.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-69311320539326811082013-12-12T17:11:00.001+08:002013-12-12T20:30:22.318+08:00My Radial Nerve Palsy Experience Part 3This the last post regarding my life experiences while I was slowly recovering from my Radial Nerve Palsy hand injury. I'm just getting this all down in my blog. So I can move on to the topics in my backlog of things to blog about this past year.<br />
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<b>My iPhone and iPad was my new gaming platform. (Shadow Cities and The Walking Dead)</b><br />
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Like I mentioned in my previous blog posts, my iPad was one of the only things I could actually interact decently with as an interface to both my PC and iOS apps. It was just much easier to poke and drag on a touchscreen than toil with a mouse/keyboard or console controller. I looked for iOS games beyond just the plethora of dinky casual games that I could play on my iPad. I found two games that saved my sanity and kept me entertained.<br />
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The first one is called Shadow Cities. It's a geo-location based augmented reality action RPG. Basically, you pick one of two mage factions, and engage in building structures, destroying spirit beings, leveling up, learning new action skills, slaying enemy mages, etc. There was some semblance of a skill build in the game to boot. Casting spells was easy to manage one-handed. You essentially draw the shape corresponding to the specific spell. So you can imagine my amusement when I found out that I can interact and play this game easily. I picked the Architect side out of the two factions available primarily because the other faction was the top choice of the two and seemed like the good guys. I thought I picked the evil faction. But there's hardly any difference between the two other than picking a side and picking green or yellow/orange as a color. This was an iPhone game and had no iPad version. It ran decently enough on iPad. So when I was out, I would play the game on my iPhone. When I was at home, I'd fire the game up on my iPad instead.<br />
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The game's world took place in a virtual replica of your actual geographical location. Since I live in Makati, my home base in the game was in Makati. I found it amusing that my Mage could astral project (essentially warp) to other friend mages around the world. So from the comfort of my own home, I have travelled to the US, France, Japan, South Africa, etc. All the street names and locations were all Google maps accurate. I also found it amusing that my mage's starting location when I log into the game, would be relative to where I am in real life. So if I was in Mall of Asia, for example, my mage would start in the Mall of Asia area in the game when I log in.<br />
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The game even had raids. The game had normal spirits (esentially mobs) of different house/types and sizes (amount of HP). The raids came in the form of these huge spider looking spirits that required at least 20-30 mages to kill. The spiders were essentially the largest form of those spirits and were regarded as bosses in the game. There was no way you could down a spider on your own. So you really had to make friends with other players of your faction. When a spider gets taken down, a random 1 or 2 mages that participated gets a spider token. When you earn enough tokens, you get to unlock spider sigils to change the look of your mage in ingame chat. Not a big deal cosmetic wise at all. But it was valued by all players in the game. The rest of the mages that were not awarded spider tokens get experience for the spider kill.<br />
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The game also facilitates wars between mages of the two factions. Enemy mages that are located near you can prove troublesome as they can start attacking you and your structures on their own or en-masse with 50++ enemy mages. So you have to call for help with your comrade mages when a war in an area erupts. Killing enemy mages was quite satisfying to say the least.<br />
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Even when my hand already recovered, I continued to play the game until my mage reached max level (Level 22). I invested so much time in the game, that I felt I needed to keep playing until I hit the endgame. It felt good to hit max level just like how it would feel like in any MMO or action RPG that I've played.<br />
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The game was waning in terms of revenue for the developer for quite some time before I started playing the game. I was sad to learn that the developer made the decision to close the game down. The game closed down back September of this year based from the comments of the Facebook fan page.<br />
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I'll get into the Walking Dead game on iOS after the jump.<br />
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The second game was The Walking Dead game. This was developed by a company called Telltale Games; largely known for how well they interweave storytelling into their projects. You play a character that is relatively unknown to the existing comic/TV series storyline. But somehow Telltale was able to retain the flavor of the series and made the game stand on its own. I was sucked into all 5 episodes of this game. Before I even played a minute of it, I already bought all 5 episodes all at once to take advantage of the bundle discount.<br />
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I used to like reading Choose-Your-Own-Adventure novels when I was a kid primarily because they were short and allowed me to actually make decisions on where the story would go. The Walking Dead game was made in a similar fashion. The art style was amazing. The game controls were intuitive and was truly made for a touchscreen interface. The game did come out on both Xbox360 and PS3. But I really think the game was best played on a touchscreen.<br />
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I didn't do anything for Christmas and New Year back then. I did have plans for some debauchery on New Year's Eve. But those plans were foiled last minute. It left me not wanting to make any last minute plans to compensate. Somehow my continued hand injury prevented me from being in a celebratory mood to begin with. Ironically, the very thing I was doing when the clock hit 12:00MN was playing the Walking Dead game on my iPad.<br />
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I did stop playing for a while to view the fireworks right outside my window. But I admit that my only company to usher in the new year was my iPad and that wonderful game.<br />
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Below are some screenshots of the results of my choices and adventures in the five episodes of that season. It might not make much sense to all of who haven't played the game. But I'm posting the screenshots in here as a record for myself.<br />
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I know that there are interim episodes after that first season of that game, as well as a second season. I will definitely get around to those some time. The climactic finish of the Walking Dead game season 1 left me with a heavy heart. But I applaud Telltale Games with how they put that game together. They really left me emotionally invested in the characters I was playing and interacting with.<br />
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<b>My iPad gave me hope of music-related things to come.</b><br />
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Given, that I couldn't play any of my instruments, I decided to look for iOS apps that would allow me to make music even if it's just for my personal amusement. I already got it in my head that I won't be performing music any time soon. I even had notions that I will never be able to get back to music. Personal amusement was the only compensatory way to enjoy music.<br />
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I found a number of apps that mimicked real instruments. But none could really capture playing those instruments in real life fairly well. Apps that emulated playing a guitar were the worst of them since you can't exactly fit all the frets of a guitar in one screen let alone allow for proper fingering on the frets, strumming, or finger plucking. Drum apps were the easiest because they've been done before as physical electronic instruments. Sadly, there were no decent apps that emulated hand percussion well. All the ones I found were dinky and plainly just served as sound byte banks with touchscreen triggers. Piano/keyboard apps worked well. But I didn't really have a lot of knowledge playing a piano or keyboard in real life to actually enjoy those kinds of apps. There were those non-traditional music apps that provide either an artistic or practical interface that just made it easy for you to put music together. I see it as a form of cheating, mind you. But given my inability to play real instruments, who was I to really complain about it.<br />
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And then there were the handpan apps. I found a few apps that allowed me to virtually play a handpan on my iPad. Of course, it was nowhere near the same thing, and the scales available on those apps were not similar to the scales of my handpans. But at least, I was able to make music even if it's just to lighten my heavy heart.<br />
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That ends my blot post series on my experiences with Radial Nerve Palsy. Those 4-5 months were tough. But I'm just glad I got through it. As depressed as I was during that time, at least I found ways to live and keep myself happy. And in the end, that is what matters whenever something bad happens in my life. Just try to make do with what you have and what you can do within the limits of your capabilities.<br />
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Involuntary Devil Horns.</div>
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Rock on!</div>
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-50020193876309685602013-12-09T04:23:00.000+08:002013-12-09T04:31:39.017+08:00My Radial Nerve Palsy Experience Part 2Continuing from my first post regarding my Radial Nerve Palsy hand injury last year. This post will tackle my initial reaction and difficulties given the lack of motor control of my right hand.<br />
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<b>All of a sudden, everything I did at home was extremely difficult.</b><br />
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Like the title above states, everything that I needed or wanted to do at home was extremely difficult. I was right handed. So you can imagine how hard it was for me to try to do even the simplest of tasks without the use of my right hand. Using a mouse and keyboard on my PC all of a sudden proved for be a challenge. I couldn't press down on the mouse buttons with my right hand, let alone move the mouse to navigate the mouse cursor onscreen. I tried to train myself to use the mouse with my left hand. I initially was only typing at a very sluggish pace with my left hand.<br />
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Washing the dishes was close to impossible. My initial attempts to wash the dishes resulted in dropping quite a few plates and glasses. Good thing my plates were plastic. But my glasses unfortunately weren't. Dropping a fork on my foot was funny. Dropping a knife on my foot wasn't as amusing.<br />
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Dressing up was a long frustrating process. I would often get stuck with a shirt halfway over my head. Putting on pants with one hand was a struggle in its own right.<br />
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Don't even ask about cooking at home. That was just plainly impossible and I burned myself a few times by just trying to fry. I also stopped attempting to cook altogether just to avoid having to toil with washing the dishes after.<br />
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<b>Gaming was dead.</b><br />
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I am both a PC and video game console gamer. And given my hand injury, I essentially couldn't play any game on a PC or console. My inability to use a keyboard/mouse with my right hand screamed I couldn't play any games that required quick actions. There was no way to use a PS3 controller one-handed either. I couldn't use games as a means of escape to deal with life anymore. And that was very saddening for me.<br />
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<b>Gigs were dead. Music became less of a source of happiness.</b><br />
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I am a percussionist in several bands in the local scene. Full use of both your hands is important regardless of what instrument you play. It was sad to explain my condition to all my bandmates. Missing gigs was heart breaking. My bandmates would invite me to watch the gigs even though I couldn't join them onstage. But most of the time, I opted not to watch because it would just make me even more sad than I already was. I did watch one of my bands' gigs once (Jack Versus the Crab). But when my bandmates started playing onstage, my eyes started tearing. I couldn't really bare to go through that again.<br />
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The weeks prior to my right hand getting injured, I was gearing up to have my first solo handpan gig. I wrote a few handpan compositions by then and have been practicing. But unfortunately, even that had to be shelved. So my debut as the first and only handpan player for the Philippines wasn't going to happen any time soon. I wanted to be the first. And given that I had no idea if and when my right hand was going to recover. I started to see that dream of mine slipping away.<br />
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I would play my congas, bongos, or even my handpans when I was down. The inability to do so during my hand injury period was especially heart-breaking. There were countless situations where I attempted to use my right hand, only to fail miserably. At times, even wounded or bruised myself in the attempt. Many nights were spent crying myself to sleep. I realize that my reaction is essentially like a whining baby. I knew that there are many people in the world that have a permanent disability and have learnt to live around it. I was knew at being disabled (albeit temporary disability). My apologies to anyone who feels insulted with my rather immature reaction back then.<br />
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However, I did try to find ways to work around the difficulties. Most centered around forcing myself to use to my left hand more. It felt akward. But it's not like I had a choice. I researched on the net how to do simple things like how to put on a shirt or wash the dishes one-handed. But the most prominent and useful tool I used was my iPad.<br />
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<b>My iPad saved me at work.</b><br />
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At the time, I was the Director of Operations for a company called RenditionDigital. After taking some time off and realizing that I wasn't going to recovery from my injury any time soon, I had go back to work. I was lucky that I had a managerial job. Even though I couldn't use my laptop to work, I used my iPad to work instead. I managed to do all my work emails through my iPad. My right hand was usually in a brace. And it was easier to poke at a touchscreen with both hands compared to typing on a keyboard. It proved quite a challenge to work on Excel spreadsheets on my iPad. But I managed somehow. I would have to pull out my laptop at times anyway when editing spreadsheets proved far too difficult on my iPad. But generally, I was able to do my work just fine.<br />
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My physical therapy sessions we're scheduled in the morning and I would walk to the office from Makati Med right after. So there was at least an equilibrium reached between my medical needs and work.<br />
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<b>My iPad saved me at home.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu2pS6f9ljDm70uYkkBO6JkIRgtf6EUqmsXbW0VHEcUvyuDkE0St7NOQqfIPcko-Glw9xtzrDO7Aj9akTmqk08xwFlH-oMA_eQqhM1BdBbcWM34XoEGLcdFW8DnmjLxee0N0aGWKskJs/s1600/IMG_0644.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu2pS6f9ljDm70uYkkBO6JkIRgtf6EUqmsXbW0VHEcUvyuDkE0St7NOQqfIPcko-Glw9xtzrDO7Aj9akTmqk08xwFlH-oMA_eQqhM1BdBbcWM34XoEGLcdFW8DnmjLxee0N0aGWKskJs/s400/IMG_0644.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I started looking for apps that would help me still use my PC a little easier than toiling with my mouse and keyboard with my left hand. I found an app on the AppStore called WifiRemoteHD. This allowed me to control my PC from my iPad. Essentially giving my PC touchscreen functionality. The app was not all that pretty by any standard. But it did was it was suppose to do. And I was happy with that. It even had remote controls for certain media players like VLC. So I could at least watch anime, TV series, or movies that I've downloaded without having to get up and use my mouse.<br />
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There were iOS app equivalents of all the SNS sites I frequent. So at least I could check Facebook or post a tweet from my iPad, no problem. Slow. But at least I could. I also had all the same apps on my iPhone as well. So I was able to function decently enough just wielding my iPhone and iPad.<br />
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Gaming and music eventually also remained as a sources of happiness because of my iPad as well. I will get into that on the next blog post.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-21996395904026158952013-12-05T17:05:00.000+08:002013-12-05T17:07:03.325+08:00Bali Steel Pan Diary #7: Dawn on the HorizonI posted this back in November on my YouTube channel.<br />
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I've been in a creative drought the past few months due to suddenly getting retrenched from my previous company. This marked the first time in my career that I have been unemployed. So my apologies, if any of you feel that I have over-reacted to it. It was a new life experience for me and a major eye-opener. This is one of the few handpan compositions that I did manage to write. I wrote this one as a way for me to carry my heavy heart and paranoia through to a new chapter in my life. I recently just signed on with a new company and will start work there next month.<br />
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Given all the tragic death and destruction that Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) has brought to my fellow countrymen in the Visayas region. I picked this particular composition to share with all of you. The first time I ever played this particular composition was last Thursday at a benefit gig for typhoon victims at the Keg, Fort Strip. I made a personal video of this composition in dedication of the strength and resilience of all the Filipinos affected by the typhoon.<br />
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The handpan that I am using is a Bali Steel Pan Minor Pentatonic - (F) Bb C# Eb F G# Bb C# Eb.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MrEQGoXlXg0" width="460"></iframe><br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-23331400662824601992013-12-03T13:44:00.001+08:002013-12-03T13:55:02.449+08:00My Radial Nerve Palsy Experience Part 1It's been a year since my hand injury. And unfortunately I'm plagued with yet another medical condition. But before I get into my current health situation, I want to put into writing some of my experiences with my hand injury last year.<br />
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The clinical term for my hand injury is "Radial Nerve Palsy" or "Wrist Drop". It's apparently also amusingly called "Saturday Night Palsy" and "Lover's Palsy". The former being the most apt description of what happened that resulted in my hand injury. Below is a link to the condition's definition in Wikipedia.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrist_drop">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrist_drop</a><br />
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I came home after a night of heavy drinking and debauchery with some friends on a Saturday night/Sunday morning. I got home real late. The sun was probably going to appear in about an hour from then. When I woke up it was Sunday afternoon.<br />
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My right hand was rather numb and I couldn't move it, let alone use it. I was still largely hungover. So I figured I must've slept on my right hand and constricted blood flow. So I went back to sleep for a few more hours thinking that once the blood flow resumed that my hand would be fine. When I woke up from my nap, I still couldn't move my right hand. I started to worry. I took a shower and got dressed. I then headed to the emergency room of Makati Med. The medical personnel the left me waiting for about an hour or so. When they finally got around to me, they brought me to a section of the ER and made me wait even longer. I have never been all that impressed with Makati Med. But it was the closest hospital from my place. So I didn't really HV a choice. After being examined by several personnel and had x-rays taken of my right hand and arm, the 3-4 hour hospital experience resulted in identifying what was wrong with me. Radial Nerve Palsy.<br />
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How it actually happened was a bit hazy to me. But over the days and weeks, I realized that I was on my PC when I got home drunk. I stayed there for quite a while and fell asleep on my PC chair with my right arm slung over the back rest of the chair. Since I was heavily intoxicated, I didn't feel the strain it was putting on my arm for hours. This therefore caused the nerves on the upper section of my right arm to be compressed. This essentially cut most, if not all motor control of my right hand and wrist.<br />
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This began what was to be a 4-5 month ordeal of essentially having a gimp right hand. I consulted a number of doctors only to be referred to another doctor (Makati Med at its finest). I took numerous tests involving electrocuting my arm and neck, shoving me inside a MRI machine while injecting painful dye into my blood stream, etc. Eventually a Neurologist recommended that I undergo occupational therapy. For the purposes of this post, I'll just refer to it as physical therapy or PT since they're quite similar. This was the breakthrough recommendation towards my recovery. But sadly, this only came about after over a month of getting bounced around between doctors in Makati Med and given what was really only vitamin B complex as prescription medicine.<br />
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I had physical therapy 3 times a week for 3-4 months. I hated the annoyingly tedious way to file for HMO claims. My company's HMO was a new player in the HMO industry. I figured they would give me a hard time with my medical claims. And in the end, I still have to pay for a good portion of it myself. So I decided to suck it up and pay for all my medical expense myself. I consider myself fortunate to be able to earn money that can pay for all my medical costs. I don't think many can afford to spend as much money as I did for my hand injury recovery.<br />
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I will insert a little music related trivia about Radial Nerve Palsy. Dave Mustaine of a metal band called Megadeth apparently came down with Radial Nerve Palsy over a year prior to my injury. What from what I read, he passed out drunk on a bench with his arm slung over the back rest. So he sustained his hand injury in a similar fashion as I did. He was told by doctors that he may never fully recover. But being a high profile musician, he refused to accept it. Over the course of 4 months, he consulted several doctors from different fields. He underwent many treatments simultaneously, from physical therapy to acupuncture. I was encouraged with my situation when I read about Dave Mustaine's experience. But at the same time, Dave Mustaine is a rich man. I couldn't pour nowhere near as much time and money as he did into his recovery. Okay, going back to my own situation.<br />
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Physical therapy felt demeaning at first. The therapy sessions consisted largely of doing these simple motor control games with blocks, pins, etc. I felt like a pre-schooler doing them. But I knew it was necessary if I ever hope to recover motor control of my right hand. One of the few non-childlike activities was to electrocute my hand to force hand muscles to move. Most, if not all, of the other patients there were all elderly. The other patients found me amusing because I was much younger than them. They were all wondering why I was there. I was a bit embarrassed to admit that my injury was a result of heavy drinking, especially when the other patients were there due to car accidents or strokes. They seemed to grow quite fond of me and found it amusing to tease me with one of the female therapists that was attending to my case.<br />
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I showed virtually no recovery progress for a month. Even the therapists working on my case were worried that I wasn't even showing signs of slight recovery. Back then, I knew that this would be a long and arduous recovery process. And a part of me was already thinking that I may never recovery at all.<br />
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I started to feel hopeful when the therapist was telling me to stop wearing my wrist brace. This was on the 4th month of my injury. I felt uneasy at first when I remove my wrist brace. I wore that wrist brace all the time, even when I'm sleeping. I suppose I got so reliant on the wrist brace to support my hand. I eventually was able to play bongos and congas. Albeit, my right hand would feel fatigue very easily.<br />
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I eventually did recover from my hand injury. Again, it was a 4-5 month arduous process. Admittedly my right hand's motor control isn't quite the same compared to how it was prior to the injury. But I'm just glad to be able to use my right hand again.<br />
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So that was my long and overly verbose post about the medical side of my Radial Nerve Palsy experience. What I wanted to blog about is what was happening to me during those 4-5 months aside from the medical aspects. And how I managed to cope with my temporary disability. That will be on my next posts.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-70712864206035798042013-11-30T21:54:00.000+08:002013-11-30T22:00:04.400+08:00Chris Cornell and Chester BenningtonI realize these performances happened some time ago. But I've only recently stumbled across them on YouTube. It was a pleasant surprise to find Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave) and Chester Bennington (Linkin Park, Dead by Sunrise) perform in each other's concerts. I suppose they became good friends at some point. Pardon my naiveness for only realizing this recently. Below are two videos where these two performed at each other's shows.<br />
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Admittedly, I'm a fan of Linkin Park, particularly their first album stuff. Not such a huge fan of Mike Shinoda's rapping. But it isn't bad either. Chester's vocals, however, is something else. And I like the heavy riffs in their songs.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/F_v1SLIt01Q" width="460"></iframe><br />
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I'm guessing this is Chris Cornell's solo concert tour prior to Soundgarden getting back together. The song is from an old band of his back in the early grunge era called Temple of the Dog. Temple of the Dog had members of both Pearl Jam and Soundgarden in it before those two bands even released albums. Kind of a super band of sorts.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lNEG5qaflnU" width="460"></iframe><br />
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I've been neglecting this blog for quite some time now. This short blog post will suffice for now. I will make an effort to give this blog some love in the coming days/weeks. I'm already in the process of writing a rather lengthy one.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-6362784080162271672013-07-31T22:21:00.001+08:002013-07-31T22:23:56.058+08:00PANArt GubalI got my "Hang Sound Sculpture" book from PANArt the other day. Apparently even a book has to be picked up at the post office and checked by customs when it's sent through regular mail. I bought the book because I've been so curious about PANArt's new steel resonance medium called the Gubal. It's supposed to be the next level of evolution from their Free Integral Hang.<br />
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I haven't read much into the book yet. But so far it's just a story telling of their journey towards the Hang and eventually to the Gubal, rather than specific instructions about how to create similar steel instruments. That's perfectly fine for me since I have no idea how to fashion steel in any shape or form, much less produce something that resonates notes. I'd like to go to the beach one of these days and spend an entire afternoon just reading the book. I actually don't even read much. But the idea of just reading a book about PANArt's journey at a slow pace amongst the water and sand seems very appealing to me at the moment.<br />
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The book comes with an audio samples CD of what the Gubal sounds like. I've listened to it and the Gubal does sound fantastic. Ironically, I bought the book so I can read and listen to the Gubal since there was no information online about it. Days before I got my book, PANArt releases a video of them playing the Gubal. It was quite a facepalm moment. But I think the book would serve as good reading anyway. They uploaded the video to Vimeo. But someone uploaded it to YouTube as well. The YouTube video is below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NnyjGGwMluU" width="460"></iframe>
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The first news about the Gubal was a blog post by one of the participants of the Hang's 20th year anniversary celebration. As far as I know, the Hang has only been in existence for 10+ years. But I suppose PANArt counts the years towards the development of the Hang in those 20 years. The blog post was about a small celebration held by PANArt for the few people who have supported them through the years. The blog post describes the Gubal as having a rounder bottom that you can spin like a top. And the sound hole moved from the bottom half of the shell to the top half, replacing the central ding. I could see what it would look like in my imagination. When I watched the video, I got a kick out of the fact that the Gubal is exactly how my mind pictured it to be.<br />
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There is no news so far on how PANArt will distribute the Gubal and if they will be continuing to produce the Free Intergral Hang. I sent PANArt a letter a few years back requesting for a Hang. I got rejected because I presented myself as a musician in the letter. I was saddened by it. Once I get news of PANArt opening a crack to their door to let people of the world attempt to get a Hang or a Gubal, I will make sure to be one of the first to send in my request letter.<br />
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Here's to hoping for a chance to play a Hang or a Gubal. This sounds clichet. But being able to do so would make my life complete, and would open me up to further steel resonance self-expression.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-66448238238633575712013-06-28T00:18:00.000+08:002013-06-28T00:36:02.463+08:00Bali Steel Pan Diary #6: Restless ObscurityI normally just treat each home recorded handpan video I upload to YouTube like a blog post. But this time I decided to mirror it here. So don't be surprised if the video's description on YouTube is the same as this blog post.<br />
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I wrote this particular composition as an outlet for the state of limbo that my head has been in lately. That feeling where you don't really know what you feel. I'm restless about something unknown. Although, there is absolutely nothing plaguing me in my life. I am lucky in my current life situation; luckier than most. And again there is nothing going wrong at the moment. But why do I feel like there's something missing.<br />
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The handpan I used here is a Bali Steel Pan handpan. The sound model is a Minor Pentatonic: (F) Bb C# Eb F G# Bb C# Eb<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wkH0fYAMRmM" width="460"></iframe><br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-63361929384820007432013-06-18T22:58:00.000+08:002013-06-18T23:00:49.200+08:00Bali Steel Handpan Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was actually a response to a fellow member of a handpan community forum. He was excited yet apprehensive about acquiring a handpan from Bali Steel. Other forum members responded with their feedback about this particular handpan variant. But I felt I needed to give a longer review for the guy to consider. Here is my forum post response.<br />
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<i>I have two Bali Steel handpans (Minor Pentatonic and D Minor). And I love them both. I do have some gripes.<br />
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Size - It's one of the larger handpans out there. So playing it on your lap while sitting on a chair feels a little unstable, like it might fall off. But this could just be because I'm not a very big person to begin with. Hehehe. Each Bali Steel handpan isn't exact in their dimensions. The maker says they're all the same size. But I've noticed that my D Minor is flatter compared to my Minor Pentatonic. Not a big deal really. But there is a slight difference.<br />
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Central Ding is Fragile - Stuff like ding-bending isn't advisable to do on a Bali Steel handpan. The ding has been known to detune itself if you do any ding-bending on it. I've seen 1-2 videos on YouTube where Bali Steel owners showed how their ding has detuned. The ding is sturdy enough, in my opinion. But I certainly won't try ding-bending.<br />
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Tuning - Tuning seems correct on both my Bali Steels. I've checked them against several electronic and analog tuners. Although, there's always at least one note on each handpan that "warbles". The note is correct. But there's an oscillating sound that is more prominent when you strike those particular notes simultaneously with others.<br />
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Those three things are about the only thing I can say about my Bali Steel handpans. I am very happy with both. Some of the bigger selling posts of Bali Steel handpans are as follows:<br />
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Handpan Texture Finish - I love the "teflon"-like finish. The coating doesn't require you to maintain the handpans compared to other handpans where they encourage you to regularly oil and wipe down their handpans at least once a month. The downside of the finish is it will scratch off if you're not careful. So I suggest you have a custom bag made to avoid unnecessary bumps or scratches.<br />
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Geographical Location of Maker - I live in Manila, Philippines. I probably have even lesser access to Hangs and handpans than most of you. Aside from all the long wait lists and expensive purchase costs, the additional shipping and customs fees make it harder for me to obtain handpans. Bali Steel is probably the closest to me geographically. They are such a joy to deal with (Thank you Chris!). They are very responsive to inquiries and requests when you email them.<br />
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Intrinsic Asian Tone - Regardless of what scale you choose from Bali Steel, their handpans intrinsically have an Asian feel to the tone of the notes. I picked Minor Pentatonic and D Minor specifically because those are Western scales that I can integrate into my bands. But my Bali Steels still sound uniquely Asian to people. I think this is coming from the fact that Bali Steel was primarily a Gamelan/Ganza maker. And their experience in working with steel from that translated into the sound of their handpans.<br />
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Hope this helps make you feel better about your Bali Steel purchase. Do tells us all about your adventures with yours. I would love to hear them.</i><br />
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END OF LINE... Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-8333762616644532212013-06-11T17:23:00.002+08:002013-06-14T17:54:34.699+08:00May 2013 = Concert MonthThe month of May was filled with good acts coming to Manila to do concerts. Given how rarely good bands come to the Philippine these days, I didn't want to miss out on all the good music. In one month, I watched<b> Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators</b>, <b>Aerosmith</b>, and <b>Jason Mraz</b> (full band setup). It was an expensive month to say the least because good seats for most of those concerts came at a premium.<br />
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Below are a few pictures and videos I took from each of the concerts. I uploaded more videos from the concerts more than what I've embedded on this post. Just look through my YouTube channel for more videos from those concerts.<br />
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Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators</div>
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(SMART Araneta Coliseum) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnCqxVqKZ3PvtsKeCvc7EeunuYFMm5Y8_UeIS25iG8FGEwKfzUJnPtZCJd619ohO0gD4UWfT3EC37-M1YE_FIG9lljqJS9hCTBew5J1_e8jIlILGJT2lsDj8grZKPvY_ZrdK5nZe8JMc/s1600/Slash+Live+in+Manila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnCqxVqKZ3PvtsKeCvc7EeunuYFMm5Y8_UeIS25iG8FGEwKfzUJnPtZCJd619ohO0gD4UWfT3EC37-M1YE_FIG9lljqJS9hCTBew5J1_e8jIlILGJT2lsDj8grZKPvY_ZrdK5nZe8JMc/s400/Slash+Live+in+Manila.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Slash - Sweet Child O' Mine<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KmK72Yb26xM" width="460"></iframe>
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Slash - Welcome to the Jungle<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/esKQrksYuss" width="460"></iframe>
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I actually think the bassist was a better vocalist than Myles Kennedy. He had all the glam clichet moves down pat. Right down to the short grunt he made at the end of Welcome to the Jungle. Amusingly entertaining.<br />
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Slash - Paradise City<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kB25RPlcMg0" width="460"></iframe>
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Generally, I would still rather watch these Guns 'n Roses songs with the original line-up. But it seems whatever it is between Axl and Slash is irreparable. Still fun to watch Slash do exactly the same guitar parts for songs that I love for years. And his band seemed very tight.<br />
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Aerosmith</div>
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(Mall of Asia Arena)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KD10_u7Tk09opJufCSOhkYDwvsdblHT-Qip3_ZqvBB3yFGRv-EQ8xEtAN5lqVlXLOYDRRQJQoCbxS_5prxT_8dnLQp-r18Ltr-g_h_rAbMDtb8CnOZDMaO5UzSIZEZN4AlZO_W6oElE/s1600/Aerosmith+Live+in+Manila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KD10_u7Tk09opJufCSOhkYDwvsdblHT-Qip3_ZqvBB3yFGRv-EQ8xEtAN5lqVlXLOYDRRQJQoCbxS_5prxT_8dnLQp-r18Ltr-g_h_rAbMDtb8CnOZDMaO5UzSIZEZN4AlZO_W6oElE/s400/Aerosmith+Live+in+Manila.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Aerosmith - Livin' on the Edge<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Fg_PSc5rWa8" width="460"></iframe>
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Aerosmith - Dude Looks Like a Lady<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YjHLmaQD2Dg" width="460"></iframe>
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Aerosmith - Dream On<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9SNr5QXcWVw" width="460"></iframe>
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Standing up on a grand piano in front of thousands. Only rockstars can pull that off.<br />
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Aerosmith - Bass Solo + Sweet Emotion + Outro<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Flu0vatEOGA" width="460"></iframe>
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Aerosmith just plainly rocks hard despite all the years that they've been playing. This was by far the best show out of the three. Steve Tyler made full use of the large T-shaped stage and tried to engage the crowd by going near each seat section.<br />
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Jason Mraz [Full Band]</div>
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(SMART Araneta Coliseum)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAlw_wqxMY7UCiGai3oRefU_225IFlDZYWR4QSaChaTzIs9hfn9ghQsv-qcg_RDszuaqKmyDxTZPT-_14ZCoNSSUo3achWF7xaAeB0un2_pdTZ7E86WPdULgjs3DHcbRfBe-QE5FewIo/s1600/Jason+Mraz+Live+in+Manila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAlw_wqxMY7UCiGai3oRefU_225IFlDZYWR4QSaChaTzIs9hfn9ghQsv-qcg_RDszuaqKmyDxTZPT-_14ZCoNSSUo3achWF7xaAeB0un2_pdTZ7E86WPdULgjs3DHcbRfBe-QE5FewIo/s400/Jason+Mraz+Live+in+Manila.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jason Mraz - You Fckn Did It<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ybIWKpNbFIQ" width="460"></iframe>
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I actually liked this song. Especially now that Mona is doing percs for Mraz. She excudes a more pleasant and magnetic vibe compared to Toca (not to take anything away from Toca, of course).<br />
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Jason Mraz - I'm Yours + Three Little Birds<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HPVratWYxQ8" width="460"></iframe>
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Funny how a number of people around couldn't even recognize the Bob Marley excerpt that Mraz inserted in the middle of his last song. I suppose it's really just my age creeping up to me.<br />
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It was only in Jason Mraz's concerts do I hear what hundreds of pairs of panties dropping simultaneously sounds like. It's that screeching shout of pure glee that signifies multiple fallopian tubes flapping at the same time. Oh come on girls. Don't pretend you don't want to get in his pants. I honestly think pervy fanboying applies to women too.<br />
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My only regret last month is that I opted not to go watch the Deftone concert. I already missed them last year. And I decided to pass on their concert last month. I felt I should give my wallet a break. And I had no friends who wanted to come watch with me. Perhaps next year they will be back.<br />
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Musical month all in all. The costs were heavy. But I wanted to take advantage of the opportunities otherwise I'd throw those artists in a very long bucket list of artists I want to see live. I also had a gig or two sprinkled across the month of May. But that will be a different blog post entirely.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-33106798696214105992013-06-04T23:43:00.000+08:002013-06-04T23:43:06.830+08:00RupusLobby security guard buzzes my intercom.<br />
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Guard: Ser rupus.<br />
Me: What?<br />
Guard: Rupus ser.<br />
Me: Oh, Rufo's....<br />
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-_-<br />
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OTL<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-668754629215934852013-05-07T21:33:00.000+08:002013-05-07T21:34:47.440+08:00The Best in YouI never really got around to blogging about this particular gig last year. I will probably chronicle the events of that day/night in detail in a separate post later on. I'll just put in a short description here for now.<br />
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I brought one of my bands, Jack Versus The Crab, to play at my sister Jo's wedding last year. Paid a lump sum of money to bring in the sound system and lights for even Vince's side of the family to partake in with their own music. I played my heart out that night in front of family that have never seen me play before (especially at 10:10 in the video below). This was one of those rare moments where you bring out the best in you. And you share it with the few people you truly love. I felt appreciated. I felt loved. I felt alive. I was happy.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gXolbzplkyw" width="460"></iframe>
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-58774235933270617482013-05-02T16:18:00.001+08:002013-05-02T16:23:33.164+08:00My Handpan Videos Featured in Hardcase Technologies YouTube Channel<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLIbKSX6lcKLCx1mDsAJItZAaSraHl9o0Cdd-bagD23aRC2qjz6q_Dz8FJiQabREt7rAIm5-ZcM0xBLmI_HhByPKejOYvb9XM-sWy1NkRr7GqKLGBq3-sVhJh7ZL4EbfUm3bUiRszG3w/s1600/hardcase+technologies+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLIbKSX6lcKLCx1mDsAJItZAaSraHl9o0Cdd-bagD23aRC2qjz6q_Dz8FJiQabREt7rAIm5-ZcM0xBLmI_HhByPKejOYvb9XM-sWy1NkRr7GqKLGBq3-sVhJh7ZL4EbfUm3bUiRszG3w/s400/hardcase+technologies+01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I came across a YouTube channel by Hardcase Technologies. They specialize in making hard cases for musical instruments particularly for handpans and DJ equipment. Their handpan polybag case is amazing actually. It's the first ever bag/case I've seen that is actually sturdy enough for airplane travel. I may consider getting one or two for my Bali Steel hanpans some day.<br />
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While I was looking through their YouTube channel, I noticed that they made playlists for each of the different handpan types; from PanArt Hang to even my particular handpans, Bali Steel. I was surprised and flattered to see that two of my handpan videos were in their Bali Steel playlist. Below are screenshots showing that my handpan videos made their way into the Hardcase Technologies YouTube channel. I included the link to specific playlist as well.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgBs9gZisVaG8V-p1Vek67XTj86rSMFnG">http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgBs9gZisVaG8V-p1Vek67XTj86rSMFnG</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZThkUsshEi-v3kRvMNHsLpMyjbIhnF9jzQPbbLsv3YZkwLH8Ag5-6I5QCnmGlj9YK-kaBTxGPen1cam5T6pfwWlc1rc8dy8VAh7zDp_9ZInLwGaUKPFimcUo8pCLSC-4rjqf9nf2f7I/s1600/hardcase+technologies+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZThkUsshEi-v3kRvMNHsLpMyjbIhnF9jzQPbbLsv3YZkwLH8Ag5-6I5QCnmGlj9YK-kaBTxGPen1cam5T6pfwWlc1rc8dy8VAh7zDp_9ZInLwGaUKPFimcUo8pCLSC-4rjqf9nf2f7I/s400/hardcase+technologies+02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUxuNtC05kBL_50IEPQqvpiv1DRZxw0y4DLt5C3X550Zvey9CtU5nScNbLfBE9eUCEkHFiI1ZCS0xDKGEB7FtPuvokGG2eZr0JTh1UUsCQ8unQG0w-9_80kBIQyB31iC1vlQY_gScEWg/s1600/hardcase+technologies+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUxuNtC05kBL_50IEPQqvpiv1DRZxw0y4DLt5C3X550Zvey9CtU5nScNbLfBE9eUCEkHFiI1ZCS0xDKGEB7FtPuvokGG2eZr0JTh1UUsCQ8unQG0w-9_80kBIQyB31iC1vlQY_gScEWg/s400/hardcase+technologies+03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Obviously, I'm no ensorsers of their products. Nor am I even qualified in terms of skill and popularity to be one. It was just pleasant to find out that yet another person felt some of my handpan videos were a good example of what Bali Steel handpans sound like. I embedded the two handpan videos here that Hardcase Technologies put in their channel.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nv5FoaDSiDw" width="460"></iframe>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Nj03S5tiB14" width="460"></iframe>
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<i>/ear to ear smile</i><br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-7634877754293055152013-04-13T22:26:00.001+08:002013-04-15T01:18:42.621+08:00Spacedrum Handpan OrderOn a whim, I decided to order a 13 note Spacedrum handpan online. It's much pricier than my Bali Steel handpans. But since I didn't win the Batch 3 lottery for a Pantheon Steel Halo, I figured Spacedrum was the way to go.<br />
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I've been a little frustrated at the fact that both my Bali Steel handpans combined didn't cover all notes in a chromatic scale. So if I wanted to play a song that I like, most of the time I couldn't. I'd be missing some notes that won't allow me to at least play the root notes of the chords of a song. Most handpans have 8-9 notes with a central ding (like my Bali Steel handpans). Each handpan has a different key and scale. This particular Spacedrum handpan I ordered covers a full chromatic scale from C4 to C5. So it has all the notes I would need.<br />
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Below are pictures of the Spacedrum I ordered. (Pictures were taken from the Spacedrum maker's website.) I included videos from others who already have this particular handpan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtXWwcjnXNkxjNI9CcdueRywuuOjZdHWLlsWWvB1ShqIog4JgHg6oPyavb7mW9_h4xLolvMCMTPXHsMpULjqQ_uslb7RVoVACU75JkGwCZbDTce6L_vAHj_HHddfPAfxM7O9WDLVFu_0/s1600/schema-13notes-GB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtXWwcjnXNkxjNI9CcdueRywuuOjZdHWLlsWWvB1ShqIog4JgHg6oPyavb7mW9_h4xLolvMCMTPXHsMpULjqQ_uslb7RVoVACU75JkGwCZbDTce6L_vAHj_HHddfPAfxM7O9WDLVFu_0/s1600/schema-13notes-GB.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIiCayyfDZGgBpqQGCK2tmD-e3ninkyQTwMNC83ia503c38Tb_Rs7OdhCSZNiw5q-2a2jdHyDHCejKronBnyh-9szf_AJje-L78Vo_gD4MyP9hfuqNKzHwcIKs5ikMtTpqy-foBrhxOis/s1600/ChromatiqueV3dessus.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIiCayyfDZGgBpqQGCK2tmD-e3ninkyQTwMNC83ia503c38Tb_Rs7OdhCSZNiw5q-2a2jdHyDHCejKronBnyh-9szf_AJje-L78Vo_gD4MyP9hfuqNKzHwcIKs5ikMtTpqy-foBrhxOis/s1600/ChromatiqueV3dessus.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuxJtnoGzKzXIkQoS72t_s6HJn3v467HelQDWA6BLFfzchFkqD-rPYHxetNhp67jH4UrcaODwVZEKMxs4kwa8iizLlekxvQGChF9on8rLY_RRbEWmi6xbbeXUTInI5dbITEM3ZMoEu8g/s1600/spacedrum-evolution-13-notes-chromatic-bag-60-cm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuxJtnoGzKzXIkQoS72t_s6HJn3v467HelQDWA6BLFfzchFkqD-rPYHxetNhp67jH4UrcaODwVZEKMxs4kwa8iizLlekxvQGChF9on8rLY_RRbEWmi6xbbeXUTInI5dbITEM3ZMoEu8g/s1600/spacedrum-evolution-13-notes-chromatic-bag-60-cm.jpg" /></a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BanuyGXRCpA" width="460"></iframe>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xncguTYssbs" width="460"></iframe>
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The site says they have a 6-8 month wait list. But at least I know I will get the handpan for sure. I can't wait to get my hands on it. You will be mine. Oh yezzzz, you will be mine.<br />
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6947733129520784100.post-7116371053279089022013-04-01T15:54:00.000+08:002013-04-01T15:54:03.893+08:00Handpan Composition Reaches RussiaI was just looking through analytics data of one of my handpan videos. And I was surprised to find out that someone embedded my video on a Russian handpan site. Apparently, some guy who re-sells Bali Steel handpans used my video as an example of what those particular handpans sound like. Below are the URLs and screenshots of one of the pages where my video was used.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hangmagic.ru/clubs/5_bali-steel-pan-48-000-rublei.html">http://www.hangmagic.ru/clubs/5_bali-steel-pan-48-000-rublei.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hangmagic.ru/forum/thread100.html">http://www.hangmagic.ru/forum/thread100.html</a><br />
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I don't claim to be a skilled handpan player. I am also not a popular handpan player on the net (as shown by the minuscule view count of the video). But I suppose having some random person use my video to sell Bali Steel handpans in Russia is a compliment nonetheless. There are tons of Bali Steel handpan videos on YouTube. And for this guy to find his way to my video seems close to impossible. You also have to wonder how available the Russian handpan Spb is over in Russia if acquiring a Bali Steel handpan is a viable option.<br />
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If you're curious about the actual video in question, here is the video below. I wrote the composition a few weeks after my physical medicine doctor graduated me from physical therapy of my right hand (Radial Nerve Palsy for 4+ months). So the video below signifies my return to music.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bMYv--u0bIs" width="460"></iframe>
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END OF LINE...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0