Djembe for worship. Guitar. Drums.

2010-05-08T10:27:00.002+08:00

djembe 401 - 4.03 Give Thanks

another New Old Song, don moen's give thanks. originally in 4/4, we changed the time signature to 6/8 (the rhythm of its melody as well) to give it a face lift. it's now a refreshing new song to sing! (we think) (:

once again, a big thank you to JR who helped with the guitar.

any qns pls email, i will try my best to answer. God bless!

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2010-04-06T17:40:00.007+08:00

djembe 401 - 4.02 Lord i lift Your name on high

welcome to djembe 401! it's been almost a year since the last djembe material, this time we will narrow in on New Old Songs (not a new idea, actually) with fortnightly videos starting with this. special thanks to my friend JR for taking the time to help strum.

it's a classic worship chorus done so many times over the years so we figured we'd put it through the reggae filter and make it into a new song. any questions regarding this instruction feel free to email me.

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2010-03-03T14:34:00.007+08:00

teaching percussion @ YISS

thanks to my long time church friend's recommendation,
i have my first percussion school assignment.

the NTs play by ear and feed off peer performance more than the more academic students. they take 10mins to sightread, but 10 seconds to mimic. they have very very short attention span, so it's a learning curve for me.

will be selecting 10 from 3 classes to perform for the school's ndp celebration, woot!

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2010-02-25T12:37:00.005+08:00

allow me, just for once, to introduce to you,

my daughter, Keara Kok.

7 weeks.

42 days old.

16 days old.

12 days old.

videos

at 6 wks

at 5 wks

12 days old

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2010-01-17T06:54:00.019+08:00

boon pin & marina, four seasons 16 jan

coincidentally, 2 ALD bands were playing beside each other unarranged. it's a first for me! and so, we rendezvous-ed (via the waiters' back alley) and talkoksingsongtakepicture.

and ALD's writeup by bevlyn.

gamsia ALD!

daniel, bevlyn, qiuyun, me, melvin, nig osman and james

qiuyan, bevlyn, me, fabian and melvin

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2010-01-04T12:11:00.020+08:00

Sam & Wei Wei, Marina Mandarin 3 jan 2010

alfred, august, sam, weiwei, renhui, pat, me

3 weddings and....a live band.

sam's my age, a professional tennis coach and a very humble groom. even after several rehearsals (and weddings actually...there was one in aussie and another elsewhere before this) he was still so afraid he would ganjiong out of tune for his 2nd march in song.

alfred and renhui = powerhouse la. when renhui belted out "a moment like this" she shook the ballroom of guests and made the crispy duck wait. personal fav is alfred's "what a wonderful world"...he's 90% louis armstrong, and even after hearing it a few times i'm still amazed at how he does it. he would enter the song as louis, turn the heads, slip into his own voice in the chorus, and go louis again at the end, every single time commanding a standing ovation.

august on keys, myself on djembe and guitar, alfred and renhui on vocals.

thanks pat! (and keith)

august rush. he was settling the songlist while we were chatting and having fun.

alfred's songbook is a laptop...pro leh

getting ready for their 1st march in

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2010-01-01T21:40:00.008+08:00

Marine Cove Countdown AFTERMATH

clarence, serene and james came in a different attire as what we discussed. "is this what you're wearing for later?" i asked, thrice. and all three times the reply was "oh, i'll change later. this one's for soundcheck. warm la."

even musicians are vain these days.

ANYWAY. of good food, company, music and an easy audience!
some videos for now. more to come!

clarence, serene, myself, james

live high (mraz cover, shuffle edition)

put your records on (corrine cover, funk edition)

the fear (cover, disco edition)

mercy (duffy cover, ganjiong edition)

sunday morning (maroon 5 cover, easy edition)

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2009-12-27T17:46:00.000+08:00

NEW YEAR COUNTDOWN

31. 12. 09

3 sets of popular tunes. personally i think it will be fun!

marine cove's the stretch where mac, long beach and the other restaurants are.

official event writeup:

MaybeFriday is Serene on Vocals, Clarence on Guitar, James on Bass/Keyboard and Shawn on Drums, a quartet of good mates who truly believe that good music and company comes in no expense of one's soul. Infectious and groovy, their timbre is made up of earnest renditions of old school and current pop numbers, which often leave many with the ‘earworm’.

Serene’s potent smoky vocals, Clarence’s lavish strings, James’ intense lines and ivories and Shawn’s in-the-pocket rhythm, some say it revitalizes no matter heard, seen or inhaled. Catch them live from 930pm at Marine Cove East Coast Park, on the last Thursday of the year.

Celebrate with a night of music and love with your friends and loved ones as we usher in the New Year!

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2009-12-23T19:58:00.001+08:00

APEC dinner, sentosa cappella.

bevlyn khoo on vocals, melvin wong on bass, james yeo on keys
and myself on drums.

and hillary clinton.

thanks S2S and dean!

L to R: james, bevlyn, melvin, me

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2009-12-20T02:32:00.007+08:00

19. 12. 09 andrew & michelle, shangri la

island ballroom. it's beautiful! an evening of favourite canto classics and pop. kewei and alfred on vocals, lim hui on violin, daniel on guitar, jordan on piano and myself on drums.

L to R: jordan and lim hui (standing), daniel, alfred, boy, girl, kewei and me (squatting)

18. 12. 09 Xmas party, Parbury rd

ken and daniel purnomo's gig, i did sound. well to do indonesian mummies and their expat / rich local hubbies. no pun intended. an intimate (but loud! we were partying to xmas carols) group of friends got together for what we do best; eat and fellowship. the children came up to sing, play (shakers, others danced by the pool) and accompanied us throughout the 2 sets. the hosts engaged a puppeteer, a facepainting artist and a santa too!

GOOD FOOD, GOOD MUSIC, GOOD ENTERTAINMENT, GOOD COMPANY.

i had good beer too.

no photos (aww) but i assure you it was 非常养眼！挖哈哈。

thanks daniel!

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2009-12-13T09:46:00.018+08:00

28.11.09 Meiting's wedding, CONRAD

an evening of bossa, swing and classics.
juliet on vocals, ruth ling on keys, wah yong on bass, daniel on guitar and myself on drums.

wahyong, ruth, meiting, groom, juliet, me, daniel

the only uhoh of the evening was the very noticeable hum from the foh (main house speakers) due to audio / lighting and power cables being built together, so couples who are intending to hold their dinner at conrad take note! you will need to remove the earth from the main power to X the problem.

anyway, it was joanna dong's gig but she couldn't make it. juliet is so smooth with the chinese pop and classics i got distracted every few bars. ruth makes it so easy for us (we didn't have to do much.) wahyong and daniel did their usual thing, along with the help of some beer and wine, we swung and pretty much enjoyed ourselves (the guests too, coz we opened the dance floor.)

the cutest part of the wedding is a video of pri sch students congratulating ms meiting (she's a teacher) in becoming mrs something (can't rem, sorry!)

i liked it that all of us are Christians, sat and talked over dinner about evangelism and daniel's recent outreach experience.

thanks juls!

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2009-12-10T16:17:00.016+08:00

AFTERMATH 11.12.09

iwee on classical guitar, ivan on soprano sax, myself on djembe.
3 songs per floor, repeat process from 4-7pm, great fun!

ok the silver vest and red santa beanie (or hat, whatever) wasn't as fun, but we jammed, rearranged the xmas carols and classics, solo-ed, went astray, got distracted, took short breaks, snacked and entertained the shoppers, 服务员s, children, floor managers, cleaners etc etc.

thanks iwee and alfe!

~

Christmas BUSKING!

Jazz Strollers
Be entertained with X'mas songs by our trio of jazz crooners!
Dates: 11 - 12 Dec 09
Time: 4 - 7pm
Dates: 18 - 19 Dec 09
Time: 8 - 11pm

i (djembe!) will be there with ivan (sax) and iwee (guitar) moving around tampines 1 tmr (11th) between 4-7pm.

say hi, make a dedication or two if you're there!

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2009-12-08T13:23:00.013+08:00

cheng du. 29 nov - 7 dec.

the city of punishing weather, promising Christ lovers and sinfood pleasures.

a trip to to inspire, impart and recover.

within an hr upon arrival, we were at the 麻辣 restaurant. i almost drank the oil thinking it was gravy. our hosts saved me. it was literally oil, spices and things that will kill you. mark loved it, i tolerated it. but we both enjoyed the fellowship, and the catching up (doris and alvin!) after a year.

chengdu is an easy place to get used to. no prejudice in their tone, no colour in their glasses. the cold however, is painful. i learnt that it's not about how much you put on, but what you put on that will keep the chill out from your bones. i also learned:

1. address 服务员 . 小姐 is derogatory
2. address the men as 师傅
3. it's 吃了没／吃了么. 吃饱了吗 means 吃饱没事干
4. taxi is 出租车

小李 (the one in the red vest, below) manages a high end guitar store in 音乐街. we talked, jammed and discussed about music and our favourite musicians. he bought us dinner, beer and wine and we bought a fishman amplifier and a guitar from him.

串烧！we LOVED the roadside bbq. it's all sorts of fat on sticks, marinated fattily and grilled to crispy fatty perfection...they even grill 馒头！ my mrs wants me to put on some meat but ALAS the weather burned off whatever fat i took in. i had oat cereal in the mornings to, erm, not feel so guilty.

beef curry fried rice! and other weird but good stuff

herbal chicken hotpot steamboat...a favourite!
fishman amp we bought from 小李

oat cereal...i actually quite enjoy it

their orchard rd...

thank you alvin and doris!

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2009-11-20T08:34:00.032+08:00

the NOV things.

08.11.09 DJEMBE class, COSBT

planning an intermediate course after LNY.
look at the number of djembes!

09.11.09 INDOCHINE. sub.

mr yeo took a break, so i filled in for him. since it was just guitar, djembe and voice, daniel and i went the 'less chord more groove' direction, and funked L-O-V-E the same way we did the last time. i ordered (suuuppperbbb) dessert (SPICY CHOCOLATE!) and da-baoed some home for the mrs! sorry, i'm a foodie.

11.11.09 APEC!

pink gown, pink ties. BOOMz. leeched the idea from jeff hamilton (diana krall's rio dvd) so it's not entirely ms ex sg's 'shoutz me' movement.

with bevyln khoo (voice), james yeo (keys) and melvin wong (bass), we played to the ASEAN world leaders and HILLARY CLINTON at capella sentosa (6 star)! she was 3 metres from me and i played to her....back. aherm. she probably didn't pay any attention to us la, but at least her hair enjoyed us (i think). thanks S2S and dean!

the dessert was of presidential class.
i had a dinner portion of them.

we documented (not the eating), but due to rules i can never understand i'm only allowed to type this (AWW!), no more. some pre show photos might be possible though!

13.11.09 LOVE THE WORLD gastro bar, SG FLYER. sub.

mr alfe kim lent his fri to SMU, so i filled in on the drums for him. with melvin (keys, voice) and ivan (sax), we did 3 sets of top 40s and classics, from 845-1130pm. was fun, and will be doing more sometime in dec.

20.11.09 WALA, with EIC. sub.

check out their website

during dinner melvin wong called to hijack my fri night, and my mrs pouted slightly when i went 'how many sets?'. i sent her home, drew arms and sped down to holland v. jack and rai arrived celebrating from another gig (probably a booze infested one, which explains the celebration) and were perky the entire night. a patron offered us a jug for a song request and when it arrived shortly after, the band of 4 couldn't finish it. after a lap and back to jack's hands, he malu-ly lamented 'basket we sure are damn losers, 1 jug of beer pass around still cannot finish!'

mr melvin blanjah-ed me some house favourites.
the beef cubes are so power i got high 2nd set onwards.

foodwhore. i know.

thanks melvin, jack and rai!

21.11.09 CHIJIMES, wenyao & fong yee.

come fly with me.

everything about chijimes was just so right for wenyao and fongyee. from the venue to the decor...they even handpicked the band members! the couple displayed great elegance very subtly, and the band was deeply attracted to further pleasure the guests; to complete the tasteful evening the couple had prepared for them.

it was a delicate evening of swing, and we swung like never before.

a little girl of 6 dedicated a piano piece to the couple and guests, and ian (our pianist) was watching intently, waiting to help her turn the page but just as the music arrived at the end of the last bar on the page she simply reached out, flipped it and returned to the keys right on the next beat, as if she had rehearsed it many times before!

wenyao lead fongyee in a slow dance (come fly with me) immediately after their 2nd march in. it's such a blessing to be able to play a lovers' tune to lovers, and watch them move and turn in affection for each other.

a lady came up to us before we left and asked for our namecard. she commented 'this is how a band should be! sound good, look good...all black hair and not some gold some orange...' HA!

after watching how wenyao and fongyee danced i remembered my own, two years ago, and went home, held my mrs for a while, before falling alseep.

wenyao and fongyee, may the Lord bless you abundantly in your lives and marriage!

L to R: me, ian (keys), wenyao, fongyee, juliet (voice), patrick (bass)

photos courtesy of TERRY from one eye click (thank you!)

and video (thanks, juls!)

Compliments from Fong Yee & Wenyao:

Hi Hsin Yeow,

We really enjoyed our Big Day!

The band was great and my guests love it very much.

Juliet gave a touching renditions to many of our favorite classics example “Fallen”. All the other band members were professional in their instrumental playing and synchronize perfectly with Juliet’s singing.

The music was simply magical. The band was professional and offered personal touch and magical colors to our wedding that night.

Thank you A little Dream, you have made our wedding night very very special and memorable!

Cheers,
Fong Yee & Wenyao

gamsia ALD!

~

and some overdue videos. enjoy.

can't take my eyes off you, with A Little Dream, rehearsal.

fallen, with A Little Dream, wedding fair.

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2009-11-02T08:13:00.025+08:00

Celine & Preman, one rochester, 1 nov.

LET DOWN, LET GO.
and get high.

groom belting out 'somebody...to love!", first dance

the band 1/2way thru some dance number i think, look at melvin's expression!
and i think someone made a mistake somewhere. i don't usually grin like that.

above photos courtesy of 39east photography
http://www.39eastimages.com/
more official photos (from 39east) and soon!

eager to move, ready to sway.

an intimate group of friends and relatives who boogied a full 90mins and asked for more! judy, our singer for the evening was snappy quick to suss out the guests' musical preferences and modified our songlist to hook the "gold people" while entertaining the party fellas. she also got a french guest to dedicate "with or without you" by U2 to the couple, with everyone singing along!

right after our second song "fallen" (a slow dance tune) the guests were ITCHING TO GYRATE, so we dived 4heads down into rhumba and disco with buble's sway, venus, summer rain, september, can't take my eyes, umbrella (everyone went ELLA ELLA EH EH EH), super star (then they went ey oh eyoh eyoh!)...

before our last number, judy thanked the couple for engaging ald. they shouted for encore, and she, once again, improved and said "alright, if you (preman) were to sing, i'll make it 2 last songs instead of one..." and the groom sang with all his heart and friends, "somebody to love" to his mrs, who ended the tune with the last sentence "somebody....to love....!"

the band didn't perform last night, we partied.

gamsia celine & preman, guests, aloysious (39east) and ALD!

L to R

adeline tan (keys), judy tan (vocals), celine, preman, me, melvin wong (bass)

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2009-10-31T12:01:00.006+08:00

justina & dae ro, raffles hotel, 30th oct

a night of swing, bossa and english classics.
adeline on keys, melvin on bass, jo on vocals, myself on drums.

official photos and writeup soon!

L to R: jo tan, melvin wong, justina, dae ro, myself

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2009-10-23T19:57:00.012+08:00

wedding, swissotel merchant court, 18th oct

L to R myself (drums), bevlyn (vocals), bride, groom, jixiang (guitars)

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2009-10-05T08:21:00.010+08:00

ivy & boon huat, st regis, 3 oct

L to R jon, myself, judy, ivy, boonhuat, feri

royalty affair.

that was what i thought when i stepped into the ballroom with my barang barang. from the ballroom fixtures to the wedding decor, this couple was determined to give their friends and relatives a memorable wedding celebration.

ivy is from hongkong, and so were a third of the guests. the wedding planner was smart to engage a cantonese proficient emcee (not to mention his angmoh and cheena also Astar type) who tickled the guests throughout the dinner with witty impromptus and experienced hosting.

the band had (we all agreed after) the best stage and sound (audience too, because the emcee kept introducing us at the beginning and the end of our sets) so far. a generous stage (we usually get XS ones and had to contort), an elaborate mixing board, a fantastic arsenal of mikes (i had my entire drumkit miked up!), a dedicated soundman...we even had mons and lights on our music stands! thanks colin!

judy was fabulous. she can really sing! we did mostly classic ballads like 'have i told you', 'the way you love me' and some cantopop. there was some swing and bossa (i felt so alive during those tunes...) and i always learn something new by playing with feri. he can really walk for a guitarist!

jon on sax, feri on guitar, judy on vocals, myself on drums.

official writeup, and more photos from a little dream soon.

gamsia ALD!

toasting

colin, soundman

emcee, feri transposing

the R photo was taken in the lift...

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2009-09-30T23:48:00.008+08:00

djembe class @ COSBT.

7 sessions, for contemporary Christian cell group & small group worship.
most of them ordered their djembes before the second lesson,
such a great encouragement for me to teach!

and wen is back (from berklee).
great drummer, sharing great tips.

courtesy of soft.com.sg, drum exchange.

brushes

jazz improv

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2009-09-27T22:15:00.008+08:00

joanne & kenneth, botanic gardens, 26th sept

at enchanting halia retaurant. oolala!
the couple even catered seafood pasta for our dinner!
good ambience makes the food tastier, and creates better fellowship.

we fixed the ballads and easy tunes into our first set while the guests attended to their stomachs. the buffet was outdoor but some of them sat in to listen to us (and enjoy the air conditioning, of course) and jerome (our male voice) further pleasured their dinner with his creamy canto pop voice.

the couple and their guests are oleskool party people...after food and alcohol they went footloose! bananarama's love in the first degree, wo yi jian ni jiu xiao (i smile everytime i see you), can't take my eyes off you...from disco to chachacha, from tune to tune, from dance to dance. we were adventurous, attempting pop, rock, disco, bossa, jazz, reggae and latin in a single wedding! i think we served our purpose, totally value for money.

jixiang on guitar, ivan on sax, myself on drums, huibing and jerome on vocals.

gamsia ALD!

L to R myself, jerome, jixiang, huibing, joanne, kenneth, ivan

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2009-09-21T22:38:00.014+08:00

bugis / indie showcase photos

bugis with bevlyn khoo.

matthew on keys, johnathan on sax, jixiang on guitar and myself on drums.

photos courtesy of kang yang.

L to R matthew, bevlyn, myself, jixiang, jon lim

it's a curved soprano sax, according to jon.
and i thought it was a decor piece!

CHINESE INDIE SHOWCASE @ mica building, with YE DUNHONG.

that's everyone. L to R: razzleplay, easy band (us), lizz and matthew.

HERE'S the writeup / interview by pulse.sg :)

thank you, jinhua!

shermon (violin), tienyao (guitar), myself (drums), dunhong (voice),
wah yong (bass) and erick (keys).

my student brought his entire family to peng chang. gamsia!

kopi before show.

big bird!

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2009-09-18T22:35:00.002+08:00

grand copthorne wedding photographers' dinner, ALD showcase.

ALD took the chance to showcase new voices. was great playing (jamming, actually, aherm) with ivan, matthew and jon lim (who's not in the photo).

L to R matthew, hsin yeow, elanor, bevlyn, christiana, tanya, rudi, myself, ivan

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2009-09-16T22:31:00.009+08:00

GIGS this weekend.

the mercy aid concert, in support of mercy relief's typhoon morakot humanitarian efforts.
it's free of charge, so head down bugis junction this sat afternoon if you can, and support!

i will be playing for local singer songwriter bevlyn khoo, 4pm @ the fountain area.

will be playing with YET dunhong and a group of local indie chinese rock pop artistes this sun 20 sept, 3-5pm @ mica building (the old firestation opp funan IT mall). tickets are at $12 each, pls beep me or visit the facebook link to get them.

here's the straits times LIFE! writeup (i had to teach, so couldn't make it for the photoshoot...)

friends, if you're coming down, remember to say hi!

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2009-09-10T19:16:00.003+08:00

wedding fair @ hilton.

good musicians, good sound, good jam. no music to read, no practice, no discussion. just count in and create. it's really the moment when you actualize what is in your head, and find that every one else is with you, that music happens.

and you enjoy it.

i had a tiring friday, but the jam powered up my sat!

photos courtesy of bevlyn

Venue: Grand Ballroom, Hilton Hotel

Singers: Sofyan, Audrey, Bevlyn, Hsin Yeow, Shi Li, Adi

Band: Jon Ang, Melvin Wong, Shawn

Performance time: 12.45pm - 1.15pm; 1.45pm - 2.15pm

Set 1 (1 - 1.20pm)

Sofyan - Angels Brought Me Here

Audrey - Close To You

Sofyan - I Do (Cherish You)

Audrey - Come Fly With Me

Hsin Yeow - Everything

Set 2 (1.45pm - 2.15pm)

Adi & Shi Li - L-O-V-E

Adi & Shi Li - Way Back Into Love

Bevlyn - La Vie En Rose

Bevlyn - When You Say Nothing At All

Hsin Yeow + Bevlyn - Something Stupid

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2009-09-08T23:32:00.008+08:00

notes and neurons.

how music is just as much about neurons as it is, what we think, melody.
bobby mcferrin, the man who created "don't worry, be happy", is really an improv genius.

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

check out the 5 part account of this amazing interaction HERE.

and another one.

at 2:20, simply beautiful. indian classical scale!

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2009-09-03T23:35:00.009+08:00

update. the august things.

some are photos from earlier months arrived late.

SEPT calendar update.

comfortably, i'm left with monday evenings after 730pm.
at max i have thursdays after 830pm, fridays after 7pm and sat mornings.

those interested in lessons pls refer to my calendar before contacting me.

thanks!

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2009-09-01T22:31:00.003+08:00

tammy & benny, hilton hotel, 29th july

L to R: daniel, tammy, bevlyn, benny, myself

that's my djembe they're holding.

tammy is a jazz lover, so we swung almost all evening. we however realised, halfway through our first set, that the folks and relatives were more teresa teng, so we decided to oblige their requests - which were wedding standards, so it was a pleasure - during our second 45mins. we dolled the tunes up a little, just to affirm we're value for money!

daniel on guitar, bevlyn on voice and me on drums and percussion.

official writeup from a little dream HERE.

gamsia ALD!

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2009-07-28T10:54:00.002+08:00

jason mraz's i'm yours, djembe cover.

for those who have been wanting to djembe this song, hope this helps!
any hiccups ohnos huhs whathes aiyos pls email me!

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2009-07-18T02:04:00.006+08:00

subbing @ indochine, empress place

the food was simply AMAZING! stew / pan fried beef, crème brulée, house wine...

daniel IS a cold joke musician. we funked L-O-V-E but pity we enjoyed it more than the sleazy fri crowd. ivan from ALD was there to guest sing a couple of swing tunes.

terrible photos, but i was there to play, not shoot. so.

thanks james!

1. front view
2. stage view, daniel setting up
3. green tea cake
4. crème brulée!

indochine website

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2009-06-30T22:29:00.011+08:00

people!

the animation i did sound design for, nanoboy, will be aired on okto from this coming sat, 130pm!

it's largely about this trio of nano superheroes battling against evil microbes of the microcosmos. through this educational, fun filled, action packed cartoon we learn more about our bodies and how they work or don't. kids and parents will surely enjoy!

i think.

anyway, for more info pls visit the official website

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2009-06-30T08:31:00.019+08:00

28th june, amara sentosa, grand ballroom

he, a DR.
she, a SIA girl.
they, the most travelled couple i've played for.

the usual wedding montage of growing up and courtship pictures were replaced by photos of their travels to all continents and favourite cities. he planned a speech in his laohong (full of air; inarticulate) hokkien on the pretext (my gut) of wanting his grandma to understand who he was appreciating, and it was a bond plan. it knocked a few tables worth of guests off their seats and charmed his elders and seniors.

sound was everything we could ask for. they ran on wireless, but we needed monitors and control on our end, and the sound tech whipped out a 12 channel yamaha mixer! i had my 414 as OH and brushwork was my, muesli bar.

ALL NATUREL.

thanks to JASMAN!

1. board, outside grand ballroom
2. L to R: huibing, jixiang, myself (during break)
3. setup
4. mixer, hands of soundman jasman
5. view of ballroom, before dinner
6. ballroom, during dinner
7. table decor
8. table decor...again

thanks to alittledream!

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2009-06-21T22:02:00.017+08:00

WOOT! channel news asia!

will talk in depth on the local animation industry and we'll be featured for the music and sound design for scrawl studios, 14th july, 830pm. Godmazing!

june is quite a nanny. everything is so laid out, not much room to flex. well, at least we're meeting broadcast dates. breather soon, pls.

and don't fart again (while we gasp for breath!), you china animation companies!

L: the cartoons under our belt
R: shooting a colleague doing audio post

buffet lunch @ straits cafe, rendezvous hotel

double voices' (the mando pop tag team) gig at SAM went well, so we got a fat meal at the reputable peranakan buffet restaurant. tien yao, roy and mrs, jamie (i think i finally got your name), chi sheng, soundman friend + another friend (in white), 1x funky couple and kat tan. i'm anti crustacean, but apart from the shelly things and for its price (35sgd++) it's not too bad. thanks double voices! (roy and jamie)

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2009-06-15T10:26:00.009+08:00

14th june, fullerton hotel straits room.

2 weeks before this gig i chanced upon the bride's blog, and she wrote that after serious consideration (to that extent), her hubbytobe said yes to hiring ALD, and though she had faith in us she crossed her fingers in hope that we wouldn't disappoint. such stress!

but we came through, i believe, and delivered what we had set out to.

straits room is the favourite of some vocalists, but a challenge to us musicians. the piano is against 2 high adjacent walls, which robs the highs and makes the lows muddy. the hotel doesn't allow instruments to go into their system BUT HA (bevlyn and hsin yeow!) i managed to PR a vocal mike for my percussion last night and really, the jazz standards and english classics are so so much better with audible brushes.

jo on voice, adeline on keys, wah yong on electric bass, me on percussion.

i personally enjoyed close to you. we never jammed this samba-ish version before!

L to R: jo, adeline, dexter, elisabeth, me, wah yong

1. board
2. lift
3. ballroom view
4. champagne pouring / nuptial wine
5. ALD musicians with the couple
6. setup (LOOK, MICROPHONE! I GOT LINE IN!)
7. waffle ceiling

more photos (and ALD's offical writeup) soon!

thanks to A Little Dream!

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2009-06-14T23:48:00.006+08:00

13th june, four seasons hotel.

there was so much wit against the groom but it rocked the ballroom with laughter. clever jokes from close friends depicted how they've seen him (and her) through the 9 years of courtship. i was so taken in (even julian's) that i stood throughout (and i don't enjoy standing) the speeches. eli, one of the bestmen, said this of julian (teasingly, of course)

"julian would double the distance to accomplish goals when needed - i stress - when needed. using "god" to describe him would be apt. you see, he is high and mighty, he sets his own rules and does his own things and you can't say anything. plus, if he does any work, it's a miracle."

the 2 bestmen were supposed to sabo him to do a song (which he had prepared), which in the end he had to diy sabo because they forgot.

adeline on keys, fabian on sax, bevlyn on vocals and myself on percussion.

that's...my transcript. beansproutless, succinct.

enjoying the soundcheck...

inhouse nasi goreng for dinner

thanks to A Little Dream!

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2009-06-06T10:33:00.003+08:00

RETRO wedding @ fullerton hotel straits room.

a serenading first set (hsin yeow, bevlyn and ivan)

sometimes ALD gets party animals (no pun!), and they want their live music more happening. so i lugged 1/2 my kit and an amplifier (because fullerton doesn't allow any instruments or equipment into their sound system except their own, so couples going for fullerton pls take note!) down to the really lavish wedding dinner and together with a piano (in the photo) and a soprano sax we gave them berlinda carlise, timmy thomas, bananarama and joan and the blackhearts.

2. L to R hsin yeow, bevlyn, ivan (adeline in the back, on the piano)
3. hsin yeow belting out (probably his fav tune or line)
4. disco fever! (bride and groom gyrating away to the retro tunes!)
5. L to R adeline, me, ivan, groom, bride, bevlyn, hsin yeow
6. the 1/2 a kit i brought (and amplifier)

official writeup and photos 1-5 from a little dream

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2009-06-02T09:16:00.001+08:00

pop @ SAM.

sat evening. TY, roy, female singer (sorry i can't remember your name!), chi sheng and i did a 1 hour set @ the singapore art museum. roy and the lady (sorry again!) belted out popular mandarin tunes, CS was the pianist / spiritual figure (direct chinese translation) TY was guitarist / harmonica player and i was on the djembe.

L to R: chi sheng, TY, me, roy and the lady (sorry once again!)

a crowd of 150 for chinese pop is good turn out, even if it means friends and relatives. after the stint i borrowed a couple of hours from sunday for a beer @ paulaner with the gang and some new acquaintances.

soundcheck.

1. TY and me, playing some song
2. hall view, before show
3. TY sound check, before show
4. i think i was requesting for an XLR
5. setting my eq (meddling, basically)
6. trying out the (blinding) lights

thanks to roy, lady (oops...) and TY for the photos!

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2009-05-27T08:54:00.009+08:00

the May things.

apologies! things happened, and i'm still reacting to them so the diy recording tutorial and harmony podcast series will have to move to june. sorry! meanwhile, other updates:

wedding. juliana and ee chia @ waterfront lawn, rasa sentosa.

they had no wet weather plans (yikes!) but the gloomy sky let up just before sundown. i brought the full kit, and it was my first with just a piano. the stage couldn't accomodate and they had planned for activities so we had to migrate to the grass patches above. we proceeded to realise that we needed light (outdoor, no direct light) for our lyrics and charts and also a flat ground for the drums and mikes.

we ended up here (the most even ground we could find!)

so we moved a second time, with a light. after having located the sweet spot, we became too far from the speakers, and since there were no monitors we had to adjust to latency. (phew!) so marrying couples, take note if you intend to have a live band outdoors!

but we pulled it off. and the wedding was great! windson and juliet went trilingual and attempted several oldies, chinese and cantonese classics and the guests joined in the choruses.

from L: juliet, juliana, ee chia, me, windson, joel

photos (and more on the wedding) from a little dream

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2009-04-30T22:10:00.000+08:00

little zac.

he will religiously:

1. arrive for lessons smiling
2. wear his earplugs before anything else

he can now last 60mins of drums before behaving his age. after a 2 month drum hiatus, he still reads good but the muscles somehow won't keep up and he spends the first 15mins being annoyed with himself aiyo-ing "how come wrong, aiya wrong again..."

and...he can really pose.

1. the usual zac
2. zac drumming at lightning speed!
3. cover page pose

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2009-04-07T12:31:00.026+08:00

the march music, bevlyn's new album.

before the swing.

we opened a marina fashion show with some classics and jazz standards. bevlyn was in this screaming superstar shimmering (ouch) royal purple dress and we were all in, might i say, chivalry black. the crowd mostly looked down on us (literally) and it must have been weird to see 5 black heads vibrating (from that distance we appeared to be) and a seated musician profusely cleaning his instrument (i was on brushes)

fabian on guitar, lim hui on violin, brandon on upright bass,
james on piano, myself on drums and percussion

there was this elderly foreign couple who stopped to listen to la vie en rose, i side glanced to catch them smiling at us and to themselves occasionally, and they readily applauded just before the song ended. it's different from the shows i used to do in campuses and tertiary places where they celebrate your music.

the people at marina that evening, they sink themselves into what you play.

R photo: brandon wong, james yeo, myself

tanah merah country club gig.

ASPRI golf tournament dinner writeup by a little dream.

jo tan's voice is real classic, and she can really belt out.
we mostly shanghai jazzed through our set, with a speck of rhumba here and there.

jo tan on vocals, feri on guitar, brad on sax, me on drums and djembe.

bevlyn's 2nd album.

bevlyn's 2nd album, which i played the djembe for "when you say nothing."

“you are my angel” is now available at hmv, that cd shop, mj multimedia, cd plus, new village, roxy disc, ears, and chinatown shops. It’s also available in thailand, indonesia, hong kong now. in 2 weeks’ time, it’ll be available in malaysia, taiwan, korea & philippines.

audition her music HERE (and buy the album!)

as a friend, it's good seeing her taking small but sure steps toward her dream.

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2009-03-29T15:36:00.010+08:00

D4 versus pro 37.

did an AB test for the famed audix D4 and the audio technica pro 37,
to hear how they behave with my 10" remo fiberskyn djembe.
both recorded with focusrite sapphire, cubase 4 and krk rokit 5.

audix D4

the audix D4 is a dynamic microphone supposedly made for percussion.
it translates very well the low and mid frequencies. SPL is high, sensitivity low.
because impedance is high, it needs more volume to cut through the mix.
generally it brings out the body of the instrument very well.

funny thing is, its freq response is 40hz - 18khz so that should cover most
of the djembe tone but somehow the "crack" tone when i hit the side of
the drum is missing. i thought it was due to its hyper cardoid pattern,
losing all finger activity on the area furthest from the D4 so i tried adjusting
the angle from 35 to 45 degrees, to no avail. all i got were lows and mids, which
are good for group drumming in tribal context, but not so as a solo instrument.

to compensate i put it through my bbe sonic maximizer to eq.

250-500hz cut, 5-8khz boost. i also maxed out the treble settings,
but i'm not sure what range it covers. i'm guessing 8-16khz.

it got better, with more "prescence" but still missing the crack tone.
next microphone.

audio technica pro 37.

the pro 37 is more of a jack for instruments that depend on clarity.
small diaphragm but cardoid, with SPL lower than the D4. freq response 30hz - 15khz.
i have some live experience with this mike, and surprisingly though it caps at 15khz
it has always managed to bring out the finger nonsense like sweeps and harmonics.
impedance is lower and sensitivity is higher, so it cuts through very easily.

i set it on the same gooseneck clamp to record, and it sounded similar to the D4.
meaning decent lows, good mids and no crack. which is weird, because
it's supposed to behave differently and pick up all activity on the skin.
i moved it around as i did for the D4, with little results.
so essentially, all body and no bite.

THEN i realised. the angle of the clamp.

i raised it as high and away from the top of the skin, and found out that the
best distance to mike the djembe is to situate the microphone 4-6 inches
away from the skin, pointing almost vertically downward, slightly off the center.

the crack surfaced.

so i retested both microphones.
in conclusion, i will probably set the D4 for close miking, and the pro 37 at a distance.

tip: what microphones to use, it's really a matter of budget,
compatibility and preference, but some general guidelines are:

1. higher SPL. djembe has lots of attack, so the higher the
sound pressure level the more attack it can take before clipping.

2. super or hyper cardoid polar pattern. it's a small instrument,
so narrower ears avoid picking up other instruments on stage.

3. dynamic, preferably. because condensers require phantom power
and sometimes small pa systems don't have them, and because
condensers tend to reach further, so to minimize spills and feedback
many sound engineers prefer dynamic to condenser microphones.

2009-03-23T08:48:00.004+08:00

harmony podcast series | 004 My soul sings

each of these weekly audio lessons lasts not much longer than any radio song,
and can be downloaded into your ipod or media player so you can learn wherever you go. they're fairly easy to follow, and are designed to help you memorize the harmony.

disclaimer: there are many ways to approach harmony, HS is just our interpretation.

DOWNLOAD

embed player

by delirious?

Open your eyes and see
the wonderful mystery of love
i start and end with you
drawn to the gravity of love

we're standing still in the moment of eternity
where worlds collide, and i feel the breath of heaven over me

my soul sings
how i love you

qns or feedback pls inbox me.
if you're embedding, drop me a mail and credit me in your entry.

2009-03-18T00:46:00.005+08:00

jeff hamilton!

such immense personality in his playing it's not just mere swing.
his mighty solos are so much to understand, much more to decipher.
always something new with every relisten that i have come to believe
he has very swing-o-logical reasons for every stroke he sheds or withholds.

peter erksine is another jazz wow but he's too groovy!
so much vocab in his delivery, so much power.
very very pronounced but slightly too linear for my liking.
i somehow prefer the jazz that throws you off.
no matter, still a jazz giant.

friendly travellers live

they met, and as they travelled they played.
backpack busking, someday i might just do it.

tal wilkenfeld was only 21 and a 3 year old bassist in this video.
it's like these prodigies have 2 decades headstart or something.

2009-03-16T08:33:00.003+08:00

harmony podcast series | 003 Majesty

each of these weekly audio lessons lasts not much longer than any radio song,
and can be downloaded into your ipod or media player so you can learn wherever you go. they're fairly easy to follow, and are designed to help you memorize the harmony.

disclaimer: there are many ways to approach harmony, HS is just our interpretation.

DOWNLOAD

embed player

Majesty worship his majesty
unto Jesus be all glory power and praise
Majesty kingdom authority
flows from his throne, unto his own
his anthem reign

so exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus
magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus the king

Majesty worship his majesty
Jesus who died, now glorified
king of all kings

qns or feedback pls inbox me.
if you're embedding, drop me a mail and credit me in your entry.

. turbochicken

2009-03-09T09:40:00.006+08:00

harmony podcast series | 002 Praise Adonai

Powered by Podbean.com

each of these weekly audio lessons lasts not much longer than any radio song,
and can be downloaded into your ipod or media player so you can learn wherever you go.
they're fairly easy to follow, and are designed to help you memorize the harmony.

disclaimer: there are many ways to approach harmony, HS is just our interpretation.

DOWNLOAD

embed player

by paul baloche

Who is like Him
the Lion and the Lamb
seated on the throne

mountains bow down
every ocean roars
to the Lord of Hosts

Praise Adonai
from the rising of the sun to the end of everyday
Praise Adonai
all the nations of the earth
all the angels and the saints sing praise

qns or feedback pls inbox me.
if you're embedding, drop me a mail and credit me in your entry.

. turbochicken

2009-03-02T21:30:00.030+08:00

harmony podcast series | 001 God of wonders

many cell groups find it hard to worship and move as dynamically because
congregational worship offers more volume, sound quality, instruments and "singing".

HS is the latest of efforts in closing up the gap between congregation and small group worship.
many realise that it takes either a good ear or a fair amt of time training the ear to harmonize.

NOT ANYMORE! (at least we feel so)

each of these weekly audio lessons lasts not much longer than any radio song,
and can be downloaded into your ipod or media player so you can learn wherever you go.
they're fairly easy to follow, and are designed to help you memorize the harmony.

disclaimer: there are many ways to approach harmony, HS is just our interpretation.

DOWNLOAD

embed player

Lord of all creation
of water earth and sky
the heavens are Your tabernacle
glory to the Lord on high

God of wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
the universe declares Your majesty
Your are holy, holy

Lord of heaven and earth

qns or feedback pls inbox me.
if you're embedding, drop me a mail and credit me in your entry.

. turbochicken

2009-02-18T13:27:00.034+08:00

ALD 2009 AGM.

all of us with our spouses / better halves / children, on oreos.

gamsia bevlyn and hsin yeow from a little dream for organizing this!
surely let's have more....annual general makan sessions.

no more rock booze babes and vanity music.
most ALD musicians are Christians.
surely this is His grace.

i simply HAVE TO mention this: daniel purnomo is a cold joke specialist!
quoting james ''once while playing at indochine, we kept having feedback in the mons.
daniel turned and said maybe we should start a customer service ctr.''

daniel is cream, but he's got more talent in jokes.
actually, james can fight also. maybe too much playing with daniel.
watch the video. in the dressing room before the esplanade show...

james: no bathe, no play! come and join me...
bev: eee, so scandalous!
james: there is no hanger, can you believe this?!
bev: can you stop being so diva?! diva pianist...

the spread / daniel purnomo (guitarist, cold jokes specialist)

bevlyn, co boss of ALD / brad swope (saxophonist), foreground

james and his better half, me and mine

from left: feri (guitarist) and his mrs, wah yong (upright bassist) and kelvin (i think)
foreground: james / myself / mrs kok

photos courtesy of ALD.

. turbochicken

2009-02-14T13:54:00.013+08:00

drums 301

301 is drums tips that imo has amazing mileage, for both ministry or personal drumming.
these 11 installments are vocabulary, you'll need lots of woodshedding to make music with them. approach is similar to 201 and 101, so do inbox me for qns.

with 301, drums series will take a breather.
you'll be seeing NOS, harmony series and guitar 301 as 09 deepens.

have fun!

in Christ,

turbochicken

setup

mapex m birch drums | zildjian K custom | istanbul sultan |AKG headworn, C1000 and D112| alesis HD 24 | yamaha M7CL | shure sm57 | protools | cubase

*this material is made possible by the gracious sponsor from Church Of Singapore (Bt Timah)

3.01 ghost notes

3.02 ghost notes kit application

3.03 side stick technique

3.04 bounced roll

3.05 double stroke roll

3.06 hybrid technique

3.07 flam kick technique

3.08 mallet technique

3.09 the 5 stroke combi technique

3.10 the back hand technique

3.11 the heel toe technique

. turbochicken

2009-02-09T22:14:00.009+08:00

drums 201

201 is a follow up of 101, on the basics of drumset playing / worship drumming.
again it is designed to suggest questions, so feel free to inbox me.
do indicate where you're from, it will aid me in my reply.

301 is scheduled to arrive around late feb, so watch this space!

setup

mapex m birch drums | zildjian K custom | istanbul sultan | AKG headworn, C1000 and D112|
alesis HD 24 | yamaha M7CL | shure sm57 | protools | cubase

*this material is made possible by the gracious sponsor from Church Of Singapore (Bt Timah)

2.01 more 4/4 beats

2.02 more 4/4 fills

2.03 the 16th note 4/4 beat

2.04 RLR fills

2.05 the upbeat bell

2.06 - the offbeat rhythm

2.07 16th beats

2.08 flam

2.09 tom tom pattern

2.10 playing in 6/8 time

. turbochicken

2009-02-05T09:26:00.040+08:00

huayi festival 2009 @ esplanade, bevlyn and friends.

wah yong | lim hui | james | bevlyn | deng li

it was a night of mostly fusion, samba and mainstream, with some cny tunes.

somehow it's all about progression. in music, life, tastes and friends musical or not.
from squeezing too many notes into a crotchet and lavishing fills and frills on every phrase
to just doing it laid back, playing it light yet keeping it tight.

la vie en rose

meng xing shi fen (the waking moment)

4pm set up, sound check
6pm dinner (gyu don!), courtesy of bevlyn
7pm admin (shower for james, makeup for bev)
730pm set 1
815pm intermission
845pm set 2

there was wind and grey but rain never came.
james lugged his barang barang and proclaimed (also in one of the photos) "no bathe, no play!"
then he practiced the song we didn't soundcheck in the shower.
we (wah yong, lucky you) had to suffer 2 verses and a chorus.

A-HAs:

james is a gatsby person.
bevlyn can only take jap food before gigs.
lim hui's bf can recharge her for 2x 16bar solos.
wah yong's equipment...he must be driving a bus or something.

very blessed to still be playing alongside Chrisitians even out of church.

photos are courtesy of deng li, the official garang photographer.

in the dressing room...

james: no bathe, no play! come and join me...
bev: eee, so scandalous!
james: there is no hanger, can you believe this?!
bev: can you stop being so diva?! diva pianist...

classic moment.

sound check.

and...during rehearsal.

- wah yong plays for bar stop with audrey tang, bassist for george lam's concert
- james plays for indochine, teaches at play by ear
- lim hui teaches at nus and places
- bevlyn sings for a little dream, and teaches vocals

. turbochicken

2009-01-28T21:10:00.023+08:00

CNY celebration with dover hospice (and celest chong!)

from left

eugene (camera guy), rayner (celest's manager), jonathan pang (canto king!), celest chong,
august lam (piano man), sia aiwei (mrs boss), aileen (hospice ic), jaye, me, michael koh (boss)

boss and mrs boss feel for older folks, so they summed up heads wallets time might and workforce for this good cause.
everyone filled in roles here there so it wasn't so rehearsed.

only if there was God in the message. these folks need joy AND Christ.
so fingers crossed, and hope to do this again. real soon.

. turbochicken

2009-01-22T10:29:00.019+08:00

drums 101.

101 is an introduction to the fundamentals of today's drumset playing.
it's designed for worship, and in such a way to evoke questions instead of being fully comprehensive.
we tend to learn better when we ask because then we form little theories in our heads,
and they work better than what is hardsold to us by our teachers.

so if at any pt you start falling behind, pause and digest before moving on.
pls free feel to inbox me for questions.

audio is decent, but do bear with the lows, hums and occasional hissing.
will attempt to x-noise them away or 201, which is scheduled to arrive before feb.

meanwhile, enjoy. and, God filled week ahead.
(and spread the word!)

setup

mapex m birch drums | zildjian K custom | istanbul sultan | AKG headworn, C1000 and D112|
alesis HD 24 | yamaha M7CL | shure sm57 | protools | cubase

*this material is made possible by the gracious sponsor from Church Of Singapore (Bt Timah)

1.01 - introduction

1.02 - basic strokes

1.03 - basic 4/4

1.04 - basic fills

1.05 - the famous 4/4 beat

1.06 - playing on the ride cymbal

1.07 - 1/4 note hat

1.08 - open hat

1.09 - left foot independence

1.10 - 4 limb independence

. turbochicken

2009-01-20T23:59:00.014+08:00

Qns & Ans.

hey pete, this is more ensemble playing than pitting grooves like how you mentioned,
so i'm not sure if it'll work for your class.

if it has to be all drums, perhaps tuning them differently or
and assigning 2-3 to each part (from the recording) might work.
you can also play around with the tones...

9 tracks in all, 9 different parts.
stereoimaged them so the individual parts are clearer.
pls rearrange or condense the parts to cater to your students.

djembes 1, 2 and 3, shakers 1 and 2, claves, tambourine, fingersnaps and claps.
the main hook is reggae, with some clava-ish patterns.
the rest are either filling the gaps or punctuating the upbeats.

i minimised tweaking so they'd sound as how they're supposed to when played live.
except the clap. you have a whole classful of hands, i only have 2!

Download this episode (right click and save)

. turbochicken

2009-01-14T14:25:00.003+08:00

session work.

for bevlyn's 2nd album.

desmond the engineer is a veteran in the local scene, and has worked with
sandy lam, zhang hui mei, gigi leung, jeff chang and dick lee.
he's currently more involved with dance tracks and ethnic stuff.
we exchanged contact. i smell a spin off! ha.

i was supposed to lay 2 simple tracks, djembe and shaker. and i was in fun mode.
turned out i've been too used to flamboyant playing, and had to adjust to not having ghost notes.

his place is as the producer friend of mine said, HAPPENING.
protools control 24 (mmm), analog synths (tasty!), rode NTK (argh!)

anyway, check him out: loop system

also, ting heng seafood serves horrible ee-mian and hor fun.
$5 for a really small plate of soggy ee-mian and stale fish slices.
i asked "is this your ee-mian?" and they had the cheek to ans "ya, singapore style like that wan what."

pls lor, i've been a singaporean for almost 3 decades, you china lady.

. turbochicken

2009-01-14T11:52:00.011+08:00

launching the NOS series.

NOS, which means New Old Songs, is a new series of old worship choruses done new.
specifically for cell and small groups, focus will be on guitar, percussion and harmony.

disclaimer: they're our own interpretations, mostly put together by just 1 or 2 heads.
there are definitely many other ways to conduct these old worship songs, so we welcome any helpful input :)

nos 001 - i exalt thee

ps sorry for the sloppy attire!

. turbochicken

2009-01-13T11:57:00.009+08:00

SFX.

really cool sound effect i discovered while attempting to change my djembe skin.
damn happy with myself today, this is like discovery of the month.

so wall-e and starwars - ish.
it's like laser hitting a force field or hi tech spacecraft taking off or a layer of advanced weapon or
aiya i'm just too elated to type straight now.

first, put the new skin on the djembe. then pull it off the skin.

woo-oing!

. turbochicken

2009-01-11T00:06:00.045+08:00

Wedding of Chee Vee & Judy. 10th Jan 2009. Raffles' House, Fort Canning.

casually, i was telling chee vee he looks exactly how i pictured him, though we only telephoned.

chee vee is very meek and giving. he personally contacted me to tie up the details of the band for the evening.
during a conversation i asked his opinion on the songlist and he said he's ok with anything coz he had full if not brimming faith that we will whip up an enchanting repertoire. wow!

and so to return the favour we invited him to sing an impromptu love song to judy and had the same full faith (whoops) that he would make that moment count for their many years to come, which he did. and then, right there after the song, they broke the record for the longest wedding kiss i've witnessed!

judy smiles really easily which makes her very likeable.
she kept thanking us till we felt bad for taking too long a break in between our sets (we went to drink coke). oops.

the place and entire sequence of the dinner was simple and elegant.
friends catching up with each other, friends of friends mingling easily.
it felt like a family gathering rather than the usual programme oriented wedding.
even our singer eva is a personal friend of the couple!

there was wind but phew no rain so we didn't have to make wet weather plans.
for the band it was the thirstiest gig, we downed 8 glasses of coke!
props to our guitarist wilson for his good ear and soothing harmonies.
chan the sound man commented i'm value for money, coz i played the guitar and djembe for the price of one musician.

i agree. ha!

congratulations chee vee and judy, may love, goodness and happiness follow you all your days.

photo 1. from left: me, chee vee, judy, eva, wilson
photo 2. chee vee and judy, march in
photo 3. band, wilson belting out!
photo 4. me, before march in
photo 5. me, during march in
photo 6. wilson and i, before march in
photo 7. the garden area, where the band and outdoor seated guests were
photo 8. in the house, where the buffet was
photo 9. the couple and the band (R to L: me, cheevee, judy, eva, wilson)
photo 10. march in, down the stairs (as the band played canon in D)
photo 11. me during sound check
photo 12. all of us at work (including the sound man in the bg)
photo 13. i thought i was explaining but wilson insisted i was scolding
photo 14. caught the sound man slacking
photo 15. before the smooch, when they were *&%^#@-ing @ their friends for the request
photo 16. ....and finale!

band: wilson, eva, shawn

favourite songs from repertiore:

close to you in bossa. from original 6/8 to 4/4, the words and rhythm more spaced out, much more groovy and easier on the ears.
yue liang dai biao wo di xin in funk. ballad turned upbeat love song, good for guests and crowd to sway to.
can't take my eyes off you in funk. a fun fusion of bossa, reggae and funk, very very dance-a-ble.
the wedding in acoustic. 2 acoustic guitars, 2 different voicings (wilson's favourite!)

wilson also plays for
photos 1-6 courtesy of chan min (sound guy)

. turbochicken

2009-01-10T12:02:00.003+08:00

Huayi Festival 2009.

jazz, pop and fusion.

3rd feb, tuesday, 730pm & 845pm
esplanade outdoor theatre

will be playing the djembe and drums, alongside bevlyn khoo, james yeo, lim hui and wah yong from a little dream.
haven't worked with wah yong before but it should come out good.

esplande's advert

huayi fest official web promo

. turbochicken

2009-01-10T11:37:00.002+08:00

how much for music arrangement?

most have no idea of the market rate, but they think it's like marketing.

a lady called to ask for music arrangement for a top 40 song, and wanted in slightly over a week.
she emailed quick, stating she wanted to use it for an audition, and needed a now now reply.
since it was more redoing than arrangement, we gave a her discounted price.

"can lower not, $450? i'm a student." we obliged.

after a day she called to say she needed to consider, as it was steep.
"sure", i said, "but you might want to know that that is the market rate."

she called again after the weekend and asked if we could do it as she couldn't find anyone else who would in a week (for her price, i guessed).
we agreed to rush it out. she then asked if it could be 450 for every song. she had more songs that needed arrangement.

we agreed. because she's a student.

and then she proceeded to haggle for $350.

see.

an ipod or a game console costs $400.
a branded bag, 1k.
driving license, 2k.
a branded watch, 4k.

also.

cheap, good and fast. you can only have 2 of the 3.
cheap and good, it won't be fast.
cheap and fast, it won't be good.
good and fast, it won't be cheap.

so how can one expect $350 for music arrangement?
even if you booked a studio and diy in an amazing feat of 4 hours it would still be at least $320 for studio time.
that means $7.50/hr for the musician who arranges for you.

would you do it for that pay?

gahmen give $400 shares, we also make noise "walao so little, can buy what?!"

. turbochicken

2009-01-09T23:01:00.000+08:00

and djembe series 301 is complete, after a 6 mth hiatus.

scroll down for 3.04 - 3.10.

i will probably hold the djembe series after 401, which i'm recording this weekend.
next up is drums 101, 201 and 301, which are going to be multitracked.
that means more audio post. it also means better quality.

and it's planned for end jan. be expectant!

. turbochicken

2009-01-09T11:05:00.005+08:00

Djembe 301: 3.10 - Cha Cha Cha

very commonly mistaken as Cha Cha, the signature beat for the chinese 7th month ghost festival performances.

it's actually latin!

or watch via YouTube

. turbochicken

2009-01-09T11:03:00.005+08:00

Djembe 301: 3.09 - Rhumba

adaptation of the popular latin style.

or watch via YouTube

. turbochicken

2009-01-09T11:01:00.005+08:00

Djembe 301: 3.08 - Reggae

adapted version of the famous reggae style.

or watch via YouTube

. turbochicken

2009-01-09T10:58:00.006+08:00

Djembe 301: 3.07 - Difference between 3/4 and 6/8 time

this one sometimes bugs even the seasoned of musicians.
here's an explanation, in rhythm sense, the main difference.

or watch via YouTube

. turbochicken

2009-01-09T10:56:00.005+08:00

Djembe 301: 3.06 - Playing in 6/8 time signature

elaborate explanation and demonstration on the famous odd time signature.

or watch via YouTube

. turbochicken

2009-01-09T10:49:00.008+08:00

Djembe 301: 3.05 - Playing 3/4 time signature

a tip to tackle the hymns and 3/4 worship choruses.

or watch via YouTube

. turbochicken

2009-01-09T10:08:00.008+08:00

Djembe 301: 3.04 - Playing with a shaker

a useful tip if you want to include the shaker in your cell or small group worship.

or watch via YouTube

. turbochicken

2009-01-05T05:28:00.039+08:00

new year, new things.

utube clocked 110,000 hits!

so i'm finally finally going to embark on drums 101.
this is going to be elaborate, in many ways an upscale.

i've also moved my "shop" and "garage" to turbochickenshop.blogspot.com to concentrate on ministry here.
metro, robinson and classified readers pls make a couple of clicks there.
i should be replenishing and bringing in new stuff before next quarter.

more incoming utube requests and a subscriber suggested podcast but that's cost and a lot of work.
i can however ans in audio or word, depending on the nature of the request.

will start (soon i hope) with those already sitting in my inbox.

and.

belated xmas present from one of my students.
it's a 4 colour ink pen so i can notate more clearly on her music and a "merry xmas muaharharhar" card.

. turbochicken

2008-12-18T09:22:00.007+08:00

.

LITTLE ZAC DRUMS!

the latest addition and edition of the really adorable drum student!

zac is about 7 and is still a tad too small for the drumset.
but only 3 months into drumming and he's sight reading 16 bar phrases infested with 8th and 16th notes!

and so i couldn't resist.

. turbochicken

2008-12-17T09:38:00.015+08:00

CAROLLING @ FAREAST SQUARE

this far east stint (made possible by a little dream) made me some good music friends. it was easy playing them. most things were on the fly (of course homework before flying) but fluid and of great vibe. clarence was on guitar for the first round and 4th, feri for 9th and 16th. brad on sax for 4th and 9th and jonathan for 16th. i had the pleasure of playing with them all.

after being beaten twice by the belching saxophone i miked up my djembe and there was finally no volume judo last night. sequence was mostly intro, main melody, improv, solo, trade, back to melody and outro.

personal favourite: rudolph the rednose reindeer in REGGAE.

set: fly me to the moon / summer time / close to you / sunny / girl from ipanema /
santa claus is coming to town / rudolph the rednose reindeer / have yourself a little merry christmas / jingle bells / auld lang syne

more on the musicians:

brad swope plays for thomson big band and a little dream
clarence yeo plays regular gigs at wala wala with local singer tay kewei, and a little dream
feri susanto plays for thomson swing band and a little dream
jonathan lim plays for the SAF and thomson big band and a little dream

a little dream's writeup

~

2 DEC

ADVERT.

festive, busking vibe.

will be flavouring the festive mood with jazz, christmas favourites and english classics busker style while you shop, dine or drop @ far east square.
drop by if your schedule permits and if you do shout out from afar a dedication! or you could just convey in paper or word la.

far east square
4th, 9th, 16th dec
730pm-830pm
jazz, christmas jingles, english classics

*map courtesy of streetdirectory.com

. turbochicken

2008-11-28T13:49:00.027+08:00

latest work.

i'm almost half peranakan, so i had good reasons and a huge amount of interest to participate in this production, beside the fact that i work for the studio they hired for this album.

baba culture is elaborate, pretty, refined, bossy and unique to the straits. main wayang put together an original script and album of songs to depict a typical story of a nyonya girl's journey through childhood, marriage and old age. there was this song the grandfather uses to teach his grandchildren to address their relatives correctly; a humourous blend of english, hokkien, malay and tune.

i attended their first show @ republic poly and was welcomed with preshow bazaar (nyonya kuey kuey, sarong bahju, bak zang) and performances. main wayang was clever with multimedia, animating their great grandfather in the photo hung on the wall and had him narrate the story. production was also brilliant in marrying the backing tracks with the band: they start the songs and slip the vocal backing tracks from first chorus meaning the drummer had to be fed the click throughout. it's common practice for ticketed musical performances and concerts but for plays (coordinating the coming in and going out of the cast) it's thumbs up.

the only slight glitch was the translation.
it was idea to idea, not word for word.
and was trying to catch up.

in all it was a good message driven home well, neither forceful nor vague.
they didn't sacrifice authenticity or education for entertainment.

and more details.

SUPPORT LOCAL PRODUCTION LEH.

. turbochicken

2008-11-02T10:05:00.000+08:00

gig moments.

. turbochicken