Reality Rocks!

Virtual musicianship doesn’t work for me. I mean, if you’re gonna spend the time to learn how to play a game controller shaped like a guitar, why not spend the time with an ACTUAL guitar? Don’t get me wrong. I love multiplayer goodness like any other true gamer. Guitar Hero and Rock Band have their place in hierarchy of engaging, close quarters community play. I’m not addressing the hours of fun to be had playing with or against fellow gamers. I’m just talking about the hours themselves; hours of button mashing trying to get better at the game. There has got to be a way to incorporate actual instrument instruction into this concept – we’re too close to lose this opportunity!

Enter ‘Guitar Rising’ by GameTank, Inc.. Finally, a game company has secretly infiltrated my brain to develop something that works as a rhythm based game AND a learning source. I’ve been thinking about this since before Guitar Hero first came out and I am quite psyched that someone has been able to forge a product like this. It seems to have the same sort of fret ‘note roll’ viewpoint. This is a big deal.

As a seasoned and fairly hardcore gamer as well as a seasoned and fairly hardcore musician, this obviously appeals to both my sense of competition and my sense of performance. On the gaming side, I’ve spent countless of hours (not to mention dollars on the software and hardware) perfecting platform jumping sequences, sniper shot accuracy, rapping with Parappa, slicing through demon hordes – all exciting, immersive and engaging. Heart rate increase, adrenaline, frustration, brain on hyper drive, twitch motor skills – it’s all there. Gaming is exciting and that’s why I love it.

On the musical side, I’ve spent countless hours/months/years learning instruments, techniques and technology, trudging trough book upon book of notation and instruction. For the most part, it’s quite dull. The exciting part of music creation comes when you perfect some sequence of muscle memory or your technique becomes as fluid as the material requires of you. And don’t even get me started about playing live – that is one of the most exhilarating feelings possible in this life, IMO. The learning part though is a lot of hard work and repetition with minor but crucial rewards along the way.

At the end of the day, you are closer to actual greatness; closer to becoming the next Lenny Kravitz instead of Lenny Couldabeen. A real talent and skill set that could translate to a real career, impress a prospective soul mate (won’t get too many real dates saying you’re a Guitar Hero with a fake guitar) and actually be a more productive person in general.

To most peeps under the age of 20 though, there’s just not enough blowing sh## up. ‘C’mon – I have to read books to learn how to play an instrument? WTF?!’

Initially, there probably still won’t be enough blowing sh## up for some, and copious amounts of interactive visual ‘eye-candy’ should definitely be on the agenda for modules or add-ons in the near future. That being said, ‘Guitar Rising’ is finally the piece that bridges the 2 together – the adrenaline incentive of gaming and actual, usable, marketable skills. Although there are also connections between gaming and the medical fields, as well as other simulation training systems, this is one of the first links from gaming to an ‘attainable’ career-path that I can think of. This is just the beginning, and this specific product has yet to be released, but it paves the way for that kick ass future where we game to live. I’m SO on board!

To quote Mr. Kravitz (one of my true guitar heroes) “Are you gonna go my way?”

explode($transformer)

“More than meets the eye!” - hmmm, did I just violate a copyright right there? Maybe if I took out the quotes…anyhoo…

Why do we adapt and continue to rebirth from day to day, year to year? Some say it’s because we need to progress to survive. I think that’s true, but I also believe that we need to transform to believe in ourselves. I mean, if we are resistant to change than how can we measure our accomplishments and growth? There are so many social networks on the web; ways to connect and grow together. It’s an awesome time to be alive and connected to the global-digital-conscience (or globodigico, copyright 2008 me). Still, our society marches on merging and separating like single celled blobs in search of each other. So what’s to become of down-time?

Rest: the final frontier (omg there I go again - please don’t sue me Mr. Shatner* and crew). I can’t get enough of it but I don’t really want it either. Between learning new stuff, playing with my son, playing with my wife (umm…co-op halo honey? not a chance >.<), and trying to squeeze the meaning and fun from every other minute of my day, rest has become a low priority; some last resort fix only to be summoned when the last drop of energy leaves my body. It’s a temporary, forced shutdown.

I think I need to re-evaluate that. At some point. Not this weekend.

I like to keep evolving and it takes all of my energy in every day to do so. I still don’t feel like I’m accomplishing enough with any speed. There is more deftness in my activity - just never seem to make firm enough marks on the world around me. I’m setting out to change that too. In the meantime, I’ll be seeking ways to evolve my inner ‘emotion-engine’ (that one was so blatant…3 for 3 wOot!) while learning to tune into my physicality and evolving my ‘rest engine’. In the end, I just want this human machine to make it as long as it can – viva mech-me!

(* side note: the William Shatner/Ben Folds “Has Been” album is one of the most life/thought-transforming and enjoyable audio works I have EVER experienced. I’m not kidding.)

joy machine

Life is amazing. I have a 2-year-old (almost 3) son and coming home to him lifts my spirits beyond what I could have ever imagined. Most of the day I’m in the trenches of design and code, and the drive home is really a decompression chamber for all the technical-brain-lock. When I get home and see his happy little face (or fussy-fuss depending on which side of his toddler bed he woke up on after naptime), nothing else matters.

He’s learning his numbers and alphabet, and essentially all I’m doing is learning more complex versions of the same. It’s actually pretty funny. Web development is a lot of language+logic+creativity, and I’m sure he gets just as excited when he can recognize the letter J as I do when I learn a new programming concept or design method. It psyches me up to think about that.

Both my wife and I have been anticipating this coming election with palpable excitement. We’ve felt the economic and occupational instabilities, while making choices that will ultimately keep our little man healthy and happy. We’ve seen the ravages of unchecked, unwieldy power in the White House tear apart not only our own country, but other nations in our global community. Hopefully, this war machine presidency is finally at an end. The death tolls in Iraq are ridiculous. Too many people suffering from poverty and injustice let alone the killing factor. Past, present, future – we are permanently marred. There is a lot of darkness in our world.

Then there’s my little boy. I am so thankful to be able to come home to him every day. So many parents have lost that ability through war or poverty, or some other horrible family severing event. If love covers a multitude of sins, even those of such epic proportions as our country has committed, than we have hope. Reaching into our souls and pockets in this country to help this world reach it’s potential in hope and love should be our purpose. Culturally, we have succeeded and are still succeeding in so many ways. Now is the time to sew our glorious allowances with responsibility to make this world a better place - forever.

We need to end our predatory, destructive behaviors and get back to the basics. Get back to where we belong; to love, peace and creativity. And learning like a 2 year old.

Cities in dust

This has been done to death. I am aware of that. The crux of this message, and the reason for the post is that I don’t want to go to the dark side - I really don’t.

Let me preface by telling you that I am a musician, artist and graphic designer/web developer. I stand to succeed or fail based on talent, perception and distribution.

I have never downloaded one song, one software package, one movie or anything else that I have not purchased or obtained legally. Even though I am VERY well versed in technology to the extent that I could have started doing this many (many!) years ago, I have chosen to wait and see how the media companies handle it (RIAA and MPAA). They have NOT responded well at all (RIAA in particular) and I will not suffer those fools for much longer. They have failed at an alarming rate.

Essentially, for the music industry, it comes down to this : The artists need to get the lion’s share of the profits. The distribution channel and the record company (if there is one involved – at this point anyone with a laptop and a digital audio interface can make music indistinguishable from the ‘machine’) should each get equal parts of what remains. Oh and one more thing – the prices will change dramatically or piracy will increase.

RIAA, you are bleeding out. Take the help we are offering you or prepare your Last Will and Testament, because your next stop is the morgue.

The MPAA has a bit more time – but they need to learn the lessons that the RIAA did not. This is how their ‘suits’ will survive, albeit in an altered state than the previous comfort that had been afforded to them. Research, execute the necessary changes, adapt and deliver. Don’t screw it up.

It’s ok to make mistakes along the way to repair. Just keep in mind - blatant disregard for the new organic revolution of public distribution and user defined experience is a mortal wound from which you may not recover. Just check with your friend the RIAA, but get to them fast. The last rites have been read, and they will not survive for long.

Next on the revolution hitlist? ‘Professional’ sports. Overrated, over-doped (thus the overrated) and over-priced. Welcome to your overhaul, athletic-mega-corps!