To teach or not to teach.
Friday, January 2, 2009

That's the big question. When I left the world of retail and decided to devote all of time to music, almost everyone ask me if I planned to do any teaching. And my response was the same; that I was not born or blessed with patience. Yeah, I know patience is a factor, I really admire people who do it and do it well. But it's more than that.
I think really good teachers do it out of a heart felt desire to educate. It's not (or shouldn't be) about the money. But unfortunately there are some folks out there that do it just for that reason. I guess I shouldn't discredit them, especially if they are good teachers. I just think it should be more than that.
I even had some folks suggest using a couple students as their own personal "roadie." Now, as much as I get tired of schlepping gear around, especially the older I get, it still seems unfair. But I have talked to a couple of these "roadies" and they really don't seem to mind it. They've told me that they've learn as much, if not more, about the logistics of performing more than they could have in a room with their teacher. Okay.
The other positive reason I've heard for teaching is that it makes you, the teacher, a better musician. Each time you de-construct something for your student, you are constantly re-examining how you approach the music.
I guess the main reason why I don't teach is my own lack of self confidence. This is not the case for me when I'm either performing on stage or at a recording session. But I don't know how I do the things I do. To me, it all just happens. I have no idea how to past this on to anyone else. I don't think the little bit of formal training I've had qualifies me to be a teacher. Some people tell me my experience is enough, but I can't accept that. Anyhow, at some point, maybe I'll get over it. The personal roadie thing sounds very tempting!

Posted by Ed T Butler at 11:19 AM 0 comments

The Music Loft, Durham, 1982-2008
Friday, October 17, 2008

Well, this past August, around the 22nd, The Music Loft closed it's doors to the public for good. That's very, very sad. Not because another independent musical instrument retailer had to go out of business, or that they were the first discount music store in the area. No. For me, it's personnel. I moved to North Carolina in 1982, the same year The Music Loft officially opened in Durham. And in September of 1984, I started working there.
When I left Baltimore for New York, my goal was to pursue a career in music; preferably as an audio engineer. I had no idea (or desire) to work in retail. But when things didn't go my way, I ended up in Chapel Hill in a job I really hated. After I quit, that's when Jay Miller, the original owner & founder of the Loft took me in. And I stayed there for 22 years. And in those 22 years I learned and grew as a musician. The Loft was like the old time general store in small town America where people came not just to buy their strings & things, but to meet other musicians or just hang out and sit around and "chew the fat." I met many, many of the musicians and friends there that I still play with today. The opportunities were limitless. I was encouraged to play and tour as much as I could because it gave a certain credence that the store was run by professional musicians. I can't begin to tell you how much I learned there except to say that my time there was extremely valuable. It will be missed. By me and all of the surrounding musical universe.

Posted by Ed T Butler at 11:46 AM 1 comments

What my Blog is for.
Saturday, July 26, 2008

My initial thought about using this blog space was for any news that concerned me and my musical universe; announcements for new Cd's either I or one of the bands I'm in may release, cool new projects I'm working on, you know, stuff like that.  And I was going to put up another site for other stuff I may want to say.  You see, I'm not that familiar with the world of blogging, so this was all new to me.  I also thought that my website was for getting gigs, like a resume' or a curriculum vitae.  That there was no room for anything too personal, intimate, or controversial.   I've now changed my mine.  From now on, anything I want to say, regardless how some folks may take it, I'm going to use this space.  Why the change?  Well, for one thing, this is who I am.  If you were to meet me in the real world, and we sat down to just talk, I would hope that we could do just that, and talk about anything;  without fear of alienation or hurting someones feelings.  And I'm sure there are people who won't agree with some or a lot of the things I may say or believe in. That's okay.  Diversity is  a good thing.  So, in the upcoming weeks and months, come on back and we'll talk about anything from novels and comics, TV and movies, race and politics, or anything that I damn well feel like!   

Posted by Ed T Butler at 11:13 AM 1 comments

Twas The Night Before
Saturday, March 22, 2008

This past holiday season, Jim Crew, Bernie Petteway, and myself (we call ourselves The PCB Trio) released our first self produced CD Called "Twas The Night Before..." (We actually started this project in May of 07. To record, mix, master, create the graphics, and then send it all out for duplication to get back before the Christmas season, you have to start early. And still we didn't get the finished product until after Thanksgiving!) We included a couple of traditional holiday tunes like, "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," and modern pieces like Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here." We treated these tunes in our own style; purposely trying not to sound like the plethora of existing holiday CD's. From a modified second line shuffle on "Jingle Bells," a bluesy rendition of "Silent Night" or an airy and sweeping treatment of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." We had a lot of fun doing this, but it does seem odd when you find yourself whistling or humming Christmas tunes in the middle of the summer. Anyhow, it can be purchased from CDBaby (www.cdbaby.com/cd/jcbpeb). and iTunes. Check it out and enjoy.

Posted by Ed T Butler at 1:47 PM 0 comments

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