Everyone Keeping MLTBuzz Luv Groovy?!

[Jung Roe]

Hi Jacki

Going for those short private walks sound like the best way to cope with being cooped up these days. Fortunately it’s spring and hopefully the weather has been nice out your way for those pleasant walks.
For myself, I was impacted by a re-organization at my company just before the pandemic began, so I’m off on an indefinite vacation these days, until the stay at home restrictions lift whenever that happens and I can begin looking for new work. It’s actually been a nice break and time off for me, and I don’t miss having to go into work with all that is happening with the virus. I’ve taken the opportunity to take up my piano lessons (MLT inspired), with the aid of Youtube piano lessons these days that I’ve been wanting to do for ages. Other than that I’m enjoying the MLT Music and Club, journaling with my fountain pens, or exercising. Sometimes I catch an occasional silly youtube video like this one for chuckles.

https://youtu.be/Tu3HN-MmJc4

Stay safe and happy Jacki et all!  🙂

 

[Howard]

Well you’re not alone in the out of work department Jung. I imagine the unemployment situation is going to get much worse before improving. Some businesses are lucky though. Anything to do with health care, policing and security are doing well, along with politicians and most public servants I guess, and the big supermarkets are doing okay too.

Not so good for the restaurant/cafe business although most are managing to get by on skeleton staff with takeaway and delivery services. Anyone involved in the travel and tourism industry is in trouble. Hotels, holiday resorts, airlines, boat cruisers etcetera.

Times would also be tough for musicians who depend on concerts, local live venues and tours for a living. We are very fortunate the MLT have a business model that allows them to survive and probably thrive in times like these.

Can I ask what type of work you were involved in, not marketing by any chance?

[David Herrick]

Hey, guys.

I’m working from home, which requires re-inventing my job.  I’m a teacher, and you really lose your sense of purpose just “creating content” without seeing your students’ reaction to the material in real time.

I’ve been going for a long walk every day in both the morning and the evening, which has helped keep me from turning into a blimp from junk food.

I’m also practicing on my ukulele.  I used to do that only when I was alone in the house, but that seldom happens now, so I’ve learned to play very quietly.  At this point I can play six MLT songs and eight Beatles songs, plus I’ve composed one of my own.

I’ve become addicted to a YouTube channel called Temponaut Timelapse, which mostly shows sped-up footage of various foods rotting.  It sounds gross, but after a while you become very clinical about it and try to predict the timing of the discoloration, shriveling, mold growth, etc.  Plus at the end they usually reverse the footage so you can watch the thing become edible again.

Jung, I love that leaf-diving dog!  I wonder how she figured out that that would be a fun thing to do.

Hang in there, everyone!  When this is over we’ll party like cicadas.

 

 

[Jung Roe]

Hi Howard.  I worked in telecommunications industry as a Technical Sales engineer, ie involved in the sale of all the infrastructure the internet and private networks rely on.  With the world seemingly going more online and working from home, it’s probably a good industry to be in for the future.  It’s just right now I suspect no one wants to meet in person to do interviews until the restrictions lift, which look to be several more weeks or months at this point.  And then the economy will take time to bounce back before companies start hiring again.  I’m setting my expectations for a possibly long vacation.  🙂

I agree, MLT have done their homework well understanding where the music industry is going from a while back and positioned themselves well with their online presence.  Seeing all those recent Hamburg VLOG videos, I couldn’t help but draw some similarities with how MLT with their 100 show Cavern Club residency and touring with Steve Harley all enabled them to hone their musicianship skills into a “finely tuned machine” and have become the incredible tight and polished musicians they are today like the Beatles did with their 10,000 hours of playing in Hamburg.  The awesome music they are creating today attests to their brilliance as musicians they’ve become.

[Jung Roe]

Hi David, that is great about your Ukelele playing, and wow, you’ve even composed your own song.   Hope we can hear it one day.  🙂   My older brother is a high school teacher, teaching in Los Angeles and I am sure he can relate to what you said about losing the sense of purpose just creating content and not interacting in real time with students.  That video was so funny seeing that dog dive into the leaves and disappearing.  I suspect the dog’s owner jumping into the pile of leaves had something to do with the dog discovering it too.  The Temponaut Timelapse sounds interesting.  Will have to check it out.

[David Herrick]

If I ever get inspired to write some lyrics, I’d be happy to share my song.  The melody actually came to me in a dream, and after fitting some chords to it I realized that it was strongly influenced by “Still a Friend of Mine”.  I made some changes and additions to render the resemblance a little less obvious, but you can still hear it.

 

[Jacki Hopper]

Thankyou Jung/Howard/David, for your updates, much appreciated, and Jung, hoping once this all has moved on in Virus Dept, you may find work again, that’s to your liking/qualifications….and awesome you have taken up those piano lessons, as you’ve been setting aside to do… One day… The time has come…. Lol…

Howard– You’re commentary is accurate and what it is like here…. A musician/friend that I’m a fan of for years, has started to do a daily Live Chat session with fans/friends on  his Instagram and has musician friends come on and chats with them and sings a little as well on his show. .. One friend who was in the chat but was live shy… Julian Lennon…. Lol… My musician friend was saying just how the virus has indeed greatly impacted the livelihood, especially when relying on tours, etc for to make a living, and said perhaps online live streaming coconcerts as to what has already taken place maybe the new norm for future concert concepts.

David:  I know being a teacher right now is challenging, as with students whether at  elementary/intermediate/high school/college-university…. All now do class stuff online… But in way, it’s good to have that online option/technology means nowadays to do so… Imagine if this virus occurred 25-40 yrs ago…. We’ve wouldn’t have had the resources to keep up with the education requirements needed to  stimulate the learning and allowing to not fall behind…

As for your ukulele learning/playing self teaching going, I’m impressed at your current progress you’ve mentioned and for tackling your own composition…. While I cannot play music hardly, I could attempt to lyrically write a song to a made up tune in my head… I’d have to sing the tune while writing lyrics, and then video myself doing it so I’d have song recorded to know how it sounded and what wrote/sang as a keepsake…. Lol

 

Again, Thankyou again for the replies, so far, keep them coming, it makes my day go by a tad groovier☮️

[David Herrick]

That’s a good point, Jacki, about how fortunate we are to have an on-line option.  When I was in seventh grade we had a massive blizzard and the city had very little snow-moving equipment to deal with it, so school was cancelled for an entire month!  Afterward they lengthened the school day and the school year, but they didn’t come close to making up all the time, and there was no other way to do it.

I’ve been seriously thinking about sending you a recording of my song and allowing you to work your lyrical magic on it.  Then I’ll probably turn around and write a parody of it!

 

[Jacki Hopper]

Hey David… By all means, please do, that is send me the recording, I’d love to take on this creative challenge to tackle… And I can bet your parody of it would be just as effective Creatively… I take it you have my email Addy already?!

[David Herrick]

I don’t know that I do have your e-mail, Jacki, but this is not something I can work on at the moment.  School will be keeping me busy for the next month, and then I finally have to learn the process of digital recording.  Right now the best I could do would be to put it on an audio cassette!

 

[Jacki Hopper]

Hi David… You could send it whenever you get around, no hurry, but I will accept that lyrical challenge, I’m up for it from you…. Do you do Facebook /Twitter or Instagram that I could send you a private msg with my mail /email info… I’m on all those social media but Facebook Msgr  is best to get me at.

[David Herrick]

I’m afraid that this site is the only place other than e-mail where I communicate on-line, Jacki.  But we can cross that bridge when we come to it.

 

[Jacki Hopper]

Hi again David… That’s fine, works for me, we’ll exchange emails, closer to time…. I ‘m looking forward to tackling this…. Thankyou for opportunity for me to attempt /try/tackle/Conquer this quest with you as partner in creative  musical crime….. Lol??

[David Herrick]

Cool!  And after that maybe we can get it recorded for real.  I wonder if anyone in this club knows how to play the guitar…

 

[Howard]

Brilliant David! I’m looking forward to that parody of your own song. Why don’t you post your lyrics via this Forum thread. I’m sure MLT Club members would like to see them too.