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What it Means to Rock
Last March I was in Eugene, OR for a show that included a morning outreach program – which meant that kids came to the theatre on field trips from several schools and I did a 45-minute show and Q & A. During the Q & A one kid asked, “What does it mean to...
A Hug from the Maestro
Rock Harp Diaries (On Tour with Steve Vai’s “Story of Light” tour) Wed. Aug. 8, 2012 In Day 2 of the final week of rehearsals with Steve Vai for his upcoming “Story of Light” tour my goals for the day were: GOAL #1: To convince Steve to let me play “The Animal” on...
Day 1 – Rehearsals
Rock Harp Diaries (On Tour with Steve Vai’s “Story of Light” tour) Tue. Aug. 7. 2012 Day 1 – Rehearsals It’s the first day of final rehearsals for Steve Vai’s “Story of Light” tour. Our first set of rehearsals was last June, and since then I’ve been at home...
I am the Ghost in the Machine
As I prepare for touring as the electric harpist in Steve Vai’s “Story of Light” tour, I’m in a time machine. One minute I’m back at U.C. Berkeley, throwing myself on the floor during a practice session and sobbing “Why do I always have to work twice...
*The Story of Light* Tour
For those who haven’t been following my “Rock Harp Diaries,” I’ve joined a rock band with the legendary guitarist Steve Vai’s album for his “Story of Light” album tour in Fall of 2012. There are 5 musicians in the band,...
Where the heck are we???
Two things stick with me from Mark Twain’s “Diary of Adam and Eve”: that God created death to cure Adam’s existential depression and that Eve’s job was to name the animals. One of the biggest challenges in my rehearsals with Steve Vai is not knowing the names of the...
Field of Musical Landmines
Rehearsal started late today, which gave me a chance to work on some of my parts in the hotel. I still only have playable parts for a few of the tunes, but the list is growing. The way this works, Steve’s figuring out what I’ll play as we go along, I try to...
Building a Box Out of Fog
Monday June 4, 2012 It’s 10:30 pm. I just got back from rehearsal. Today we practiced Vai’s “I Would Love To” and “Ultra Zone.” In the 10-plus hours I was in the practice hall, there were 2 moments — two things — I was...
A B3 Boost & Father of Kiss
Rock Harp Diaries … Sunday, June 4, 2012 10AM -I emailed Larry Luddecke last night for an emergency Skype Hammond B3 lesson for one of the tunes I’m playing on tour with Steve Vai. I can play keyboard – but know nothing about various...
