First, the big news. We're slated to keep playing at Anthony's Soul Cafe the first two Thursdays in October. We've found a home at Anthony's — not only do we genuinely enjoy playing there, but the food is that good…
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Building songs one line at a time
Last week I wrote a new song - 3 Doors Down. It is a fun upbeat tune. I performed it at Dr. Halls Santa Fe Has Talent and recorded it on Garage Band. I also made it the song of…
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Welcome to the Family, AF 55
Today I got a new guitar.
For me, there's a bond I have with my guitars. Guitars have an energy. And when I feel that energy, I want to play more — it's not really a choice, it just happens.
…
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Becoming a Front Man for a Band
Who would have ever guessed that I would become the front man for a band?
Certainly not me.
In fact, if you had told me a few years ago that I would be standing on a stage, singing my own…
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More Cowbell? Well... More Harmonica
We're not using any cowbell, so maybe more of that would be good too. But if you've caught one of our recent gigs, or tuned into the latest New Song Sunday, you may have noticed something else creeping back into…
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What Makes Live Music So Special
It is not Just the music.
Typically, yes — the music is good. But it's rarely as polished as the record. Notes get missed. Verses get jumbled. The timing isn't always perfect. The mix might be off. The acoustics of…
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Great night at Kaktus Brewery
Despite the rain, we had a small, but enthusiastic crowd at Kaktus Brewery. It was a fun gig and we look forward to playing there again.
The last few days have seen significant rain and we literally had to dry…
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Chasing the Sound
As the band starts to really get our sound down, I'm faced with a question: what technology do I use?
We've been using OnSong to keep our music organized on our iPads. It's not perfect, but we've made it work.
…
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Be careful of "perfection"
The band did our Monday evening gig at Anthony's yesterday. I would have to admit, it was not our best performance. It wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination but I set a pretty high bar. I want it…
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Everyone likes music
Over the past couple of months, people from all over the world have logged on to MikeChastainemusic.com. In August the most hits came from Sweden. Today I see that I got hits from Germany. People from all over the country…
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