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Importance of looking up

Hey Folks,
I was thinking about something that I think is worth talking about on the site: Looking up from the vibes once in a while when playing.

To me, communication with the other members of the band in real time is a huge part of the music on the bandstand. When I first started playing I looked down 100% of the time. It's hard not to, we can't feel the notes!

Inexpensive way to improve the sound on video recordings

All consumer video recorders, or camcorders, produce good to excellent video, but usually terrible audio. I have an inexpensive Kodak Zi8 camera, which has an external mic-in port. I can get sort of ok audio when I use a good condenser mic plugged into the camera, but I've been hunting for an inexpensive way to improve that even more.

Jazz Workshop at Niu Valley Middle School , Honolulu, Hawaii .. presented by Thomas Mackay february 2014

This is a clip from the jazz workshop i presented in Honolulu, Hawaii this February. the youths in the workshop are from a very talented Middle School Percussion ensemble and really soaked up the concepts .. One of the student just enrolled in skype lesson from my studio in oregon ..we plan on moving to Honolulu in february of 2015 ...