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Guest Post – John Mead Teaches the Guitar Solo from Dead Flowers by The Rolling Stones

Leave a Comment / All Offerings, Essays, Guest Journal Entries, Guitar, Instruments, Literary Arts, Mental | Physical | Spiritual, Musical Arts, Process, Self-Guided Lessons, Uncategorized /

“This is a great solo to start on—it’s simple, clear, and articulate; it will teach you how to hear clear phrases and how to hear bends (which make up a significant part of the solo). It will teach you a couple of fairly sophisticated ideas while being very simple and satisfying to play.” John Mead We’ve been working on Dead Flowers in some recent Guitar Crew meetups and recently a student asked “Do you know how to play the guitar solo?” I thought, I don’t but I know EXACTLY who does. Check out this killer lesson from one of my very closest friends, and a truly gifted educator, John Mead. Sure missing hanging out with this guy! Download the pdf. You’ll notice that John makes the point that, “THERE IS NO SUCH THING as a ‘pentatonic major scale.’ Now, if you know me and my teaching, you’ll know that soloing with the major pentatonic scale is a core skill of  my introductory improvising lessons. Ha!But, I totally get where he’s coming from and there’s a lot of truth to it. If you’ve had those introductory lessons from my, I highly recommend digging into this lesson to put some of those concepts into practice and to take you’re playing to a new space.   John is an incredible teacher, player and music philospher. Give him a shout if you’re looking to turn up your guitar playing. John’s there to help you make that happen. Contact John

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“How do you do THAT!?!?!?” Learn a Song By Ear: An Approach (Free Self-Guided Lesson)

Leave a Comment / All Offerings, Goals and Education, Guitar, Instruments, Mental | Physical | Spiritual, Musical Arts, Process, Self-Guided Lessons, Uncategorized /

When I was first taking guitar lessons my teacher told me to bring in a cassette of any song that I wanted to play. I was so blown away when he’d hear it, having never heard it before, and by the end of the lesson have written down how to PLAY THE SONG. How did he do that?!?!?!?!?!? He taught me some stuff, but he definitely never taught me how figure how songs for myself. In the years sense, I’ve gleaned a lot about how people learn by ear. And, being on the other side of the teacher/student dynamic I often hear my student bewilderment as to how I can play by ear. And, I found that while many hear me be able to do it, they didn’t have a grasp of WHAT I was doing. At first the task seems quite daunting but once it’s broken down into a few manageable steps, it’s really not so difficult. It does take time and effort, but I am fully convinced that it doesn’t take any special talents or innate abilities. This is a self-lead lesson where I present very short videos that describe the exact process I use to learn a song by ear.   Give it a try and listen to how it goes. Drop me a note to let me know how you do, and if you have any questions or concerns. Enjoy! Learn a Song by Ear by Jason McInnes

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Grae McCullough with Lynda Miller holding up their book

Grace McCullough Reads for Bosque Press ABQ inPrint #7

Leave a Comment / All Offerings, Chicago, Essays, Literary Arts, Uncategorized, Visual Arts /

It was standing room only at Books on the Bosque yesterday for the launch of Bosque Press‘ ABQ inPrint #7. Grace was one of about 15 writers who read part or all of their piece which is published in this years’ edition. She wrote about meeting famed Chicago muralist Hector Duerte. The piece which she speaks about, Corazón Remendado (Stitched Heart), can be seen here. Thank you to everyone at Bosque Press and Books on the Bosque for creating such a welcoming, inspiring event.

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“Let’s start something loud! Can you hear it?” – Cherishing the Music We Made with It’s a Girl

Leave a Comment / All Offerings, Chicago, Essays, Jason's Journal Entries, Musical Arts, Process, Songwriting /

. . . standing backstage at our album release show and hearing the sold-out crowd stomping and chanting,

“It’s a Gril! It’s a Girl! It’s a Girl!”

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Practicing Greyscales cover

Revisiting My “Practicing Greyscales” Sketchbook

Leave a Comment / All Offerings, Goals and Education, Jason's Journal Entries, Literary Arts, Mental | Physical | Spiritual, Visual Arts /

I stepped up to the paper and realized, almost immediately, that I did not have control of the necessary skills to complete the piece as I wanted. I could understand the process intellectually, but it wasn’t going to come out of my pen without more practice.

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Still frame from the interview

Jonas Friddle Discusses the Music and Memories behind his New Album, Jug Band Happy Hour (Interview)

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“It’s funny to think of myself as a person who is old enough to reflect on some good times.”  Jonas Friddle Jonas Friddle joins Getting to Know Trees to talk with Jason about how the good times of the past inspired his new collection of songs, Jug Band Happy Hour. Visit jonasfriddle.com to pick up the recording and to learn about his album release show, Feb. 5, 2023 at Space in Evanston.

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The bulldog Toro sleeps while Maria sings and plays guitar.

Can I Sing You to Sleep? – Maria McCullough Shares a Sweet Moment with a Dear Companion

Leave a Comment / All Offerings, Guest Journal Entries, Literary Arts, Mental | Physical | Spiritual, Musical Arts, Songwriting /

The sweet moments in this video took place on June 5, 2021. Toro was one of my dearest companions and rest teachers. Can I sing you to Sleep? was inspired by and written in a workshop guided by Octavia Raheem. Amongst all the layers in the world that might have you feel and do otherwise… May you feel loved. May you find rest. May you experience moments of ease. May you sing. Maria McCullough (she/they) loves to share and explore with others through music, movement, laughter, love and rest. Maria is grateful to be living on Tiwa Land/Tewa land in so-called Albuquerque, NM and is at the beginning of a relationship-building journey with the land and beings here.You can contact Maria and learn more about her offerings here.

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Present Time! – new piece by Elijah Kim

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One of my music students, Elijah, has offered some music inspired by this time of giving and receiving. Present Time! is Elijah’s musical take on the excitement of opening Christmas presents. Enjoy! Elijah is in the 7th grade, and has been playing guitar for 4 years. He likes seals and loves to go ziplining. He has been writing songs with his guitar for 3 years and has been composing with standard notation for one month.

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Title card for "A Soft Place to Land" by Kevin Burrows.

Landing Softly

1 Comment / All Offerings, Jason's Journal Entries, Literary Arts, New Mexico, Places /

It’s been three years since I left my home of the previous 25 years and drove this Uhaul trailer into the great unknown. During that time, as I laid my head down on my pillow, I heard the roaring wind and crashing waves on the Lake Superior coast and the sand-filled gales and coyotes howl in the foothills of the Chihuahuan Desert. The winds of change have been heaving me along the highway for a long time. Now, it’s time to settle back down. A few weeks ago I was packing up another Uhaul to make a move which I know would bring me to a lull in the vigorous wind gusts. My friend, Kevin Burrows, wrote a short piece on social media which summed up exactly how I am feeling, as the winds die down and I settle into my new home. I am honored that he agreed to allow me to share it with you. Where have you been blown from? Where did you get blown to? Did you find a soft place to land?

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Listening Wide-Eyed: Limited-Sight Contour Drawings of Musical Instruments for Sale

Leave a Comment / 'Ukulele, All Offerings, Banjo, Commerce, Goals and Education, Guitar, Harmonica, Instruments, Mental | Physical | Spiritual, Musical Arts, Process, Visual Arts /

Today, I am honored and humbled to offer for sale pieces from my Listening Wide-Eyed: Limited-Sight Contour Drawings of Musical Instruments series. Between now and early July 10, 2022 you can purchase a piece of one-of-a-kind artwork made specifically for you or a loved one. Jump to the order form. The Listening Wide-Eyed series is an outgrowth of my visual art, musical and mindfulness practices. Each one-of-a-kind piece from Listening Wide-Eyed is created through a limited-sight process, where I make a drawing on a sheet of bristol board without taking my eyes off the subject. I don’t look at the board until I am done drawing. Within the messiness, the structural knowledge and spiritual essence of each instruments expands.  Each drawing is a made-to-order, one-of-a-kind piece of visual art. They are created with wax pencil and bristol board. Each purchaser is invited to customize their piece, in regards to which instrument, the use of color and matting. There are also options specific to gifting one of these drawings to a loved one. This process started as a way to strengthen my visual record abilities. As my practice bloomed, this limited goal fell away and the drawing practice engendered more connections between the parts and the whole of both the instruments and myself. How do we move? Where are we sturdy? Where are we delicate? How do those and other qualities affect our presentation to and relationships with others?  Considering these questions allowed me to hold and play each instrument in a more open, inviting way.  We see and hear ourselves, and others, every day. I hope having these drawings in our living space, practice room, or at a family dining table prompt us to notice moments when we are making assumptions about what we know about both ourselves and others. I hope that they can act as a guide to remain open, curious and to foster connections in musical spaces and all other relationships. This round of sales does end on July 10, 2022. Order form for Listening Wide-Eyed: Limited-Sight Contour Drawings of Musical Instruments

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