The JavaMusiK BloG

Links for 2011-09-21 [del.icio.us]

2011-09-22T00:00:00-07:00

Colorado History Songbook Script (Revised) - Lulu.com
This script is written to accompany the Colorado History Songbook I by John Polinski. Songs are available through Music For You Publishing located at musicforyoupublishing.weebly.com.Written [weebly.com.written] with character parts that can be customized to accommodate any size group and still include all your performers. Published by Alpine Road Publishing, a division of JavaMusiK. Written by Jeff Van Devender, 2009. Revised, 2010.

BloG #50: Profile Pics; Heeere's Me!!

2011-02-05T16:27:00.002-07:00

A couple observations, if I may...

Here is a relatively new phenomenon that wasn't too prevalent just a few short years ago. Until fairly recently, most distant relatives, former classmates, etc. didn't exist much beyond a distant, hazy memory. Images of these people who were major players in our lives previously, are frozen in time. All we typically had were memories and/or possibly a few photos from that period. Depending on how well we stayed in touch, an occasional photo might come our way at Christmastime, or perhaps we might bump into them somewhere. Beyond that, they were out of our lives.

In an incredibly short amount of time, social networking has had a massive impact on this norm. So much so, that one could make a case for the tsunami effect it is having on our evolution as a species. Considering the many implications, one big impact most certainly has to be our ability to now wipe away the imaginary visual association distant and former acquaintances may otherwise project on us.

Suddenly, we can post a picture or set of pictures we all wish people to visualize us by. It can be current, not so current, or perhaps an avatar that represents our own concept of who we wish to present. This is such a foreign concept to how things were not so very long ago.

As I read over what I have written so far, it somewhat occurs to me how old school I may come across with this writing. What we all currently take for granted with social networking was absolutely NOT the norm until such a short time ago. Now, it is completely embedded in our culture. And it has all happened so quickly! Yes, I guess you can officially call me old now.

Another interesting phenomenon is how many work and education environments choose to pretend online social networking doesn't exist. The official default seems to be to block it and it might go away. Some schools/workplaces even punish students/employees for using it on their clock rather than choosing to embrace it. Why not instead use social networking as an educational or marketing opportunity for these schools/companies?

We commonly hear about how writing and language skills are decreasing, due to texting and internet chatting. Perhaps a teachable moment approach might be for students to be granted the privilege to social network at school during designated times, only if they use proper etiquette and grammar. As for companies that choose to block, why not open their eyes and look at the big picture? Realize the potential if all your employees are networking there. Set some parameters, if you must, but encourage creativity for the good of your company. Employees may just possibly reward you with better attitudes and ultimately, increased productivity.

As one who has buried his own head in the sand at times, I can truly admit that upon pulling it out, it felt good to grab that huge breath of fresh air! Here's to profile pics and keeping our heads above the sand.

Cheers!

Jeff Van Devender
Alpine Road Publishing
www.JavaMusiK.com

BloG #49: Are you happy? Did your dream come true?

2011-01-02T04:09:00.001-07:00

I just returned, with my family, from a week-long visit to a major theme park resort. This visit had been saved up for, planned and looked forward to for many, many years. Generally I would say that, in most ways, the experience was positive. However, as with everything, there are a few barbs in the fence that prevent this vacation from being a desired must-repeat experience. To protect the innocent (and myself from any slanderous accusations), we will refrain from naming the resort in this writing.

The series of parks we visited is a fantastic theme park with incredibly wonderful ideas. More fun packed into a roughly 10 square mile radius than any 10 square mile radius should be packed with. Each ride, show and/or adventure is jam-packed with thrills that is guaranteed to not disappoint

Unfortunately (or should I say fortunately for this company's very healthy bottom line?), every corner of this green earth is now clued in to that little secret and has figured out a way to jam the entrance of every single theme park attraction with at least a 2-3-plus hour wait for that fleeting moment of extreme ecstasy.

As you stand in line for these attractions, you have extended moments that can become somewhat tedious if you allow. It is up to you to decide what you're going to do with these extended opportunities of tedium. Personally, I frequently find myself observing the behavior of others. Occasionally, I find this to be entertaining. Sadly, the alternative feeling that comes from such observations is the overwhelming sense of sadness. Sadness at how the bar of our societal norms just seems to have become so low.

Let's talk for a moment about what you can expect to be treated to during these extended periods of suspended animation while patiently waiting for your thrill. There is no guarantee that you will be confronted by any of these treats at a given moment during your wait, but a good chance exists that at least several moments of questioning why you are putting yourself through this may begin to cross your mind. It did for me, often.

This is not to say that every family, individual, occurance or whatever is bunched in to these generalized observations, because they are not. These are just general observations of our esteemed populace that, sadly, are slowly becoming more norm and less exception.

The first observation that circumvented my cross hairs during my visit to this series of theme parks was the general pronounced self-centered attitude that seems to pervade the general populace. Allow me to explain:

The above mentioned self-centered attitude shows up in so many different ways. You can see it in the me-first adults with kids-in-tow cutting ahead in line. You can see it in spoiled, out-of-control and precocious children showered with rewards when their precocious behavior needs no further reinforcement. You can also see it in the cell-phone use with no regard for who is within ear-shot of the user.

The last ride we treated ourselves to included a 90 minute wait in line behind 2 couples of daters. One couple included a male and female who seemed to enjoy each others' company. The girl was all over the guy and he wasn't about to turn that away. Not the type of behavior that is necessary for families with children need to be exposed to for nearly 2 hours in a slow-moving line, but considering the context of in-line behaviors, certainly not the worst of expositions. The other couple featured a boy who could not control his urge to gnaw on the female he was with. She, on the other hand, was increasingly annoyed with his gnawing but was unable to communicate beyond her rather obvious body language to the rather obtuse and thick-headed boy she was with that she wasn't enjoying his, shall we say, gnawing.

Situations such as this leave you frustrated and exhausted by the time you reach the attraction you so desperately have waited for and by the time you get there, you run the risk of getting crammed into some capsule with them, when all you want to do is get completely away from them.

These are just a tip of the iceberg of self-centered observations that are running untethered among our line inhabitants. There are certainly more, not to mention the continual jockeying for position in line throughout the extended wait. It sometimes crossed my mind as to where the lineup techniques being bestowed upon visitors was originated. I have my thoughts, but must do a little more research before sharing such suggestions on such a public forum as this.

Meanwhile, can anyone tell me why it is a good idea to take a newborn out to a place like this? For that matter, why take a one-year-old? There is plenty of time later in life. Why would you put yourself, the baby and, just as importantly, everyone you come into contact with at the park through this hassle? The park is generally over-populated and over-run with self-centered individuals grabbing and squeezing every ounce of entertainment from their hard-earned vacation that they can muster. Wait a year or three before subjecting your defenseless child to such a road-hardened environment!

When a low-lying or double-wide stroller crosses a path with these mercenary individuals loaded down with a bag of popcorn, extra large soda, 2 large bags full of goodies and 3 kids in tow, wielding Star Wars light sabers, how does the parent pushing this stroller expect their 4-month-old new-born to survive such a battlefield of stimulation? What is the value of increasing the likelihood of a potentially disastrous accident with such a defenseless infant being positioned in the midst of all the aforementioned chaos? There is plenty of time later. Wait a year or three!

Another observation boils down to the worthless crap being purchased for children that is going to get tossed aside never to be touched again before the car returns to the home driveway. Recent news headlines proclaim how the whole world is enveloped in a recession, the likes of what hasn't been experienced in decades. I'm sorry, but from what I just observed being purchased and carried around at our famed theme-park resort, Americans and the visiting vacationers who visited this park from other countries are not yet anywhere near the breaking point.

It was also interesting to observe that privileges allowed by the theme park and their kinder graces seem somewhat open for abuse. For example, there is a policy to grant handicapped and special needs people and their accompanying parties special access to certain attractions. This might include front row/special seating, cutting ahead in line or some other type of accommodation. Perfectly understandable.

Questions start to become a little more pronounced, however, as to where the line might be drawn on what kind of disabilities qualify for the accommodations and how many accompanying family members, friends, etc. benefit from receiving these residuals? On a hot day, in a 4-hour-plus waiting line, how accommodating is everyone feeling when a (rather large extended) family of someone in a wheelchair marches up to the rope and demands to be let in with the injured/disabled?

Credit must be given for the often frequent attempts to keep line-dwellers slightly entertained with the mind-numbing loud music continually blaring about the park, accompanied by the occasional clever signage posted about, but come on. Really? Your vacationing clients have spent upward of half a year's salary to get here and this is the best way you can come up with to treat them during their time waiting for one of your rides? Your creativity is over the top in nearly every detail, yet this one opportunity seems somewhat unfulfilled. You could do better in this respect.

More than half of the vacationers' awake time is spent in lines waiting for your attractions and some clever signs and loud music is the best you can come up with? How about you hire me to assemble a team to rectify that. Budget me a cool $100 million. Chump change from what I can see based on your ticket prices and spending habits of your customer base. We'll increase the smiles and decrease the frustration of your line waiters in no time. Of course, we we need the services of your top creative advisers, consultants, engineers and assemblers to pull this thing off, but I can assure you, we'll get it done on-time and under budget.

Finally, based on the masses of people coming to see you, I sure hope you have plans to expand at this location. And fast! There is no more room in the park! You are turning people away. Literally! I witnessed it. That just shouldn't be. Most of us pre-bought our tickets. What are you expecting 10 years down the road. Less people??

I'm sure you as the reader can find lots to disagree with in this reading, but... This piece is written on the heals of an expensive and taxing vacation with a company that is billed worldwide as the premier destination resort catering to families and people everywhere. There is always room for tweaking. Just offering a few suggestions.

Happy New Year!

Alpine Road

2010-12-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

BloG #47: Alpine Road Publishing...the road taken

2010-12-19T01:41:00.024-07:00

This last year has seen a new publisher in town. It is called Alpine Road Publishing. Recently, new manuscripts have begun appearing in it's catalog of offerings.

What started as an outlet to release and distribute transcriptions of piano solos has evolved further into an outlet featuring elementary musical scripts and other manuscripts related to music education, primarily of the elementary domain.

This blog will preview highlights of the offerings listed so far. Several are still in the oven and will be added once they are released.

Our most recent offering is titled Elementary Choir Handbook and Guide. It will soon see distribution at www.amazon.com and be available for circulation in other outlets as well, once it clears all the hurdles.

Elem. Choir Handbook/Guide

Take the fear out and step up to the plate w/ confidence! Whether just starting or continuing an already established choir, this handbook/guide provides a beneficial checklist. Included are a dept. mission statement, forms, letters to parents, warm-ups, rehearsal techniques and a simple fund-raising idea to inject necessary funds into your program. After directing his own choirs for 20 years, Jeff found that his routine was fairly well established. Armed with a truckload of past letters and forms, as well as tested strategies, Jeff decided to compile the ideas for the creation of this book. The footwork has been done. The strategies have been tested. Do yourself a favor and avoid the pitfalls of reinventing the wheel. Use Elementary Choir Handbook and Guide to your advantage. You won't be sorry.
Scott Jeffries - JavaMusiK Publicist

Our next offering is a script written to accompany the excellent Colorado song cycle by John Polinski. It is called Colorado History Songbook Script (Revised).

CO Hist. Songbook Script

This script is written to accompany the Colorado History Songbook I by John Polinski. Songs are available through Music For You Publishing. Written with character parts that can be customized to accommodate any size group and still include all your performers.
Published by Alpine Road Publishing, a division of JavaMusiK.
Written by Jeff Van Devender, 2009. Revised, 2010.

In January 2011, the Colorado Music Educators Association Clinic/Conference will host Jeff Van Devender when he presents a session titled Write Your Own Musicals. Posted here are the notes from that session.

Write Your Own Musicals

Too often, music teachers purchase a collection of new canned musicals for the year and later observe little is left in their ever-shrinking budget for purchasing instruments. This session is not a suggestion to completely cut the tether to our favorite publishers. But with the average music budget shrinking, reconsideration of that norm may be appropriate. My own school music file contains more than one script good money paid for that is literally a direct reading of a popular children's book with familiar or very simple songs sprinkled throughout the script. Teachers are generally a creative, intelligent and clever bunch. Yet, they continually underestimate their own creativity with something so simple. This presentation is designed to address that apprehension.

After writing and winning several grants for his program, it was decided to compile some general answers that have had a positive effect with many grant awarding teams. While success is never guaranteed, we think your chances will increase if you make use of the language and terminology highlighted in Grant Proposal for an Elementary Music Classroom.

Grant Proposal for Elem. Music

Write your next grant proposal with confidence! Written in a language with key curricular vocabulary that will sell your idea to the grant awarding committee. Written for music, but can easily be edited to fit other subjects.

The musical program that typically brings more community members to the school than just about any other program often turns out to be the Veterans Day program. After having written several through the years, In Honor of Our Veterans highlights compiled into one cohesive script.

In Honor of Our Veterans

This Veterans Day musical is perfect for a school setting honoring those who have served. Script only. Suggested music is referenced in the script but can be edited.

Originally written as a masters degree thesis with a recital presentation to accompany, Using New Age and Contemporary Instrumental Literature as a Piano Teaching Tool has been posted as an offering for teachers who have intermediate or advanced piano students who may benefit from an alternative form of piano study.

Using New Age Music as a Tool

Have you ever struggled with learning or even teaching piano at the intermediate to advanced level? Do many of the available literature choices seem dull and dry? This booklet is compiled from a masters degree project detailing instructional strategies associated with piano education. Examples are presented with educational strategies for technical, historical and other applications to assist in enhancing anybody's piano lesson experience. Included is a notated transcription of Jeff Van Devender's composition 'After The Rain' from his 2002 JavaMusiK cd release Bending Chords.

Over the course of the year previous to his passing, longtime music educator and community steward, Bill Van Devender had the presence of mind to develop an autobiographical byline to assist in maintaining a sense of historical perspective regarding his life's legacy and body of work. We have Unimaginatively, My Life and Times here.

Un... My Life and Times

An autobiographical sketch of William R. Van Devender, written by him prior to his passing in 2008.

Currently still in development, the 'tis the Season script is being written for primary grade level Christmas season performance.

Cover

Not Yet

Created

This particular script will be secular in character, keeping with typical public school needs. Songs incorporated are public domain Christmas carols easily found in any music library.

The original intent for Alpine Road Publishing was to be a distribution outlet for piano transcriptions composed/arranged by Jeff Van Devender. While this stream will continue with further transcriptions eventually becoming available, After The Rain remains one of two currently transcribed.


After The Rain

Colorado musician Jeffrey van D, a.k.a. Jeff Van Devender, recorded After The Rain for his 2002 JavaMusiK release Bending Chords. Level of difficulty is moderate. Be sure to visit JavaMusiK for more information and a chance to listen to the original recording. Please note that while every effort was made to be accurate in the transcription some discrepancies may exist.

This final listing actually finishes with where it all started. Way back in 1981, The Awakening was composed as a Music Theory project. This was Jeff Van Devender's first of currently 33 compositions written exclusively for the piano. It was eventually recorded for Jeff's debut JavaMusiK cd Ascend in 1998 and is now transcribed and published at Alpine Road Publishing.

The Awakening

Transcription of JavaMusiK artist Jeff Van Devender's very first composition, The Awakening. Originally composed as a Music Theory project in college, The Awakening was eventually used in Van Devender's wedding when his bride to be walked down the aisle. Just over 20 years later, it is finally available for purchase as a published piece. Just over 10 years previous to publishing, it was released on the JavaMusiK cd, Ascend.

Stay tuned for more as we're just getting started, and the creative juices seen to be a-flowin'! Be sure to set www.JavaMusiK.com as your Home Page and bookmark Alpine Road Publishing so you don't miss a beat!

The JavaMusiK BloG appreciates you checking in for the most up-to-date coverage of all things JavaMusiK. For even more non-relevant information, be sure to find us all over Facebook at these locations:
Jeff Van Devender-JavaMusiK
Alpine Road Publishing
Jeff Van Devender @ Facebook

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
Cheers!

Links for 2010-10-31 [del.icio.us]

2010-11-01T00:00:00-07:00

Colorado History Songbook Script (Revised) - Lulu.com
This script is written to accompany the Colorado History Songbook I by John Polinski. Songs are available through Music For You Publishing located at http://musicforyoupublishing.weebly.com.Written with character parts that can be customized to accommodate any size group and still include all your performers. Published by Alpine Road Publishing, a division of JavaMusiK. Written by Jeff Van Devender, 2009. Revised, 2010.

BloG #46: Life's Lessons 101

2010-08-23T14:50:00.000-06:00

So, I'm sitting in a hospital waiting room after two weeks of following the ups & downs of recovery from a very scary ride that will not be detailed here. Suffice it to say, this ride has driven home some perspective on what priorities are important in life.

This sounds cliche, I know, but we often get so caught up in the little things that don't really matter in the big scheme of things that we lose sight of the beauty of life as a whole. Sadly, a simple ritual like stopping to feel the texture of a branch of pine needles seems so minuscule or redundant until your routine has been completely interrupted by a life threatening trauma of some sort.

What has mattered the last 2 weeks has been family being pulled closer together, friends from near & far reaching out and prayers being said from so many people we know & don't know. Tears come easily when your guard is lowered. No matter what strength you think you possess, life can still bring you to your knees.

We were lucky this time around. Prayers have been answered and a second chance has been given. Barring unforeseen obstacles or circumstances, this week should allow a release back into the real world again. From where I sit today, it appears more branches will be felt, flowers gazed upon & smelled, relationships appreciated, and life, in general, lived.

A routine was interrupted without warning. We are truly thankful for everyone who responded so quickly and saved a life that day.

Jeff Van Devender

BloG #45: Of Passing Breaks & Discovering That Elusive Purpose

2010-08-10T01:43:00.002-06:00

Another summer vacation has passed & here I sit the night before returning to my classroom tallying up my summer to-do list. Did I get through whatever needed to be accomplished? Was it a productive summer? Were my objectives met? Or was it a complete waste of time?

Looking back, I have yet to wish for a shortened summer vacation. This goes all the way back to my childhood. Even when I was in a career that had no summer vacation benefit attached to it, I still yearned for an extended break where I could recharge, re-evaluate my path in life and just simply veg. I value that time greatly and truly appreciate every moment I am given for that purpose.

This is not to say I don't appreciate being employed. I do! The benefits of working far outweigh the alternative and I find it beneficial to my own self worth to be productive in whatever sector I am employed with. This is part of the reason I ventured to complete my masters degree. To help myself become better and more informed at what I do (plus reap the benefits of being on a somewhat higher pay scale).

Returning to the questions at hand, I found this break to be a textbook summer in terms of satisfying my own personal needs. Those needs included (but were not limited to):

1.) Distancing myself from work - physically & emotionally (check)
2.) Spending time with family & friends (check)
3.) Catching up on rest (check-minus)
4.) Reading (check)
5.) Composing/creating (check-minus, minus)
6.) Performing (check)
7.) Advancing JavaMusiK into new territory/frontiers (check)
8.) Traveling to a new location (no check)
9.) Traveling (check)
10.) Bungee jumping (no check)

Not bad, considering all things. This summer will likely go down as a slightly better than average one, though it is not yet far enough back in the rearview mirror to catch a complete perspective on it in relation to the bigger picture. But looking at it from the here & now, a lot was accomplished, as you can see from the somewhat predetermined list. Some pleasant surprises helped the break to actually have some unexpected highlights, though the checkbook seems to be screaming a little louder than normal.

Since I have spent the last few years in my forties, I have found it less appealing to simply relax without some sort of opportunity lurking in the bushes. Let me explain...

I have never quite nailed down what it is I want to be when I grow up. This little tidbit has caused a fair amount of consternation in my ability to be productive, b/c I often have it in my head that I should really be doing something else (without ever really being clear what that something else could or should be). During my time in college, my poor advisers had to feel somewhat dizzy after their visits with me. I went from being a completely undecided major, to music ed to pre-engineering to undecided again to music business. Did I have a clue what I was going to do with a degree in music business?? Not a chance! It took me five years & a summer to get out of that school with a music business degree because I was still dinking around trying to figure out what I wanted to do!

Then after all that, I tried again five years later & got a degree in music education. That degree has served me well, but has also not quite fulfilled my inner need for more. Nevertheless, my time between earning my first and second undergraduate degrees enlightened me to discovering a calling of a higher purpose. Before going back for the second degree, I continually felt the burden of feeding a corporate machine and not much else. That really started to wear on me, almost to the point where I was not feeling real positive about going to work anymore.

During a time when I was training a new assistant manager on the job, I was told I would make a good teacher. Didn't think much of it at the time, but eventually those words began to echo kind of like you sometimes see & hear in the movies. After some soul-searching moments, I finally made the move to get after it & go forward. After all, this could fulfill that higher calling I wasn't feeling in my previous line of work. Teaching children about the creative arts was going to be my ticket to happiness.

Now, with 20 years under my belt in this career of music education, I have found much fulfillment and happiness. I have also discovered much opportunity for personal and professional growth. As a musician with a continual fire in my belly, I have also harbored a fair amount of need to create. And, yet another ember that rears it's head occasionally is a spirit of entrepreneurship. I truly admire those who start a business and make it successful.

Thus, the somewhat uneasiness with simply going fishing, or planting my butt in a lawn chair (for too long). All the above identifiers have conspired to form what has become somewhat of a mission for me. After 12 years, the mission is still in it's formative stages, but becomes a little clearer everyday. The name is JavaMusiK. The mission to this point has included the creation of new music and arrangements without the use of words, giving this music a life of it's own, and bringing people together in fellowship through music. I often get the feeling that there is more to the picture and have recently been testing the waters with that thought in mind. More may be written of that later. Meanwhile, the word legacy begins to creep into my inner thoughts as I continue to advance in age...

This is what rides the forefront of my mind during downtime. How can I advance the mission of JavaMusiK? One thing that drives it forward is the financial investment laid out to get JavaMusiK this far. The cost of studio time and equipment, thousands of cd's that need to be sold and return on investment of the education and opportunity cost of what has gotten me to this point of musicianship, etc. Can I ever reach a break-even point on the sum-total of those elements? Can this ever be a profitable venture? Could it ever become self-sustaining?

I think I have spoken in previous posts about the passion that drives JavaMusiK. I truly believe any thread of sanity I may still possess can be credited to the release that comes from working with the product hosted within JavaMusiK. My appetite for creativity, entrepreneurship/business and desire to perform, in addition to the pursuit of a legacy are all being satisfied under the mission of JavaMusiK.

As I write this, I wonder if these feelings are common among other people? I truly do, because I have often felt alone in my lack of focus as to career direction, etc. The people I am usually around seem very confident in their chosen direction. I rarely feel that... JavaMusiK, as small as it is, is the one truth that I feel comfortable hanging my hat on. Do others feel the need to create? Or is that need being satisfied through whatever it is they do at work, or at home? How about starting a business venture and nurturing it through various stages of growth? Or is working for someone else satisfying enough?

I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Jeff Van Devender
www.JavaMusiK.com

BloG #44: He Said What???

2010-06-16T04:49:00.002-06:00

This blog entry is being posted with the understanding that it may be edited or added to at a later date. Upon further inspection, I reserve the right to say "OMG! What was I thinking??" Thus will begin the process of either completely dismantling the whole posted premise with a swift toss into the trash can, or scavenging for the various bits of thoughts worth salvaging and piecing it together into a better developed, more concise train of thought, or something. So, there you have it...

And, here we go:

Riddle me this.... Have you ever made a mistake?

Riddle me that.... Did you learn anything from said mistake?

Well??

Me? I'm going to pause for a moment, allowing those who know (or have known) me to use this opportunity to pick themselves up off the floor & regain their composure, before proceeding with this textual exercise. . .

As for the first riddle at hand . . . Yes. I have charged forward head first into the occasional mistake. I will not be sharing details here, primarily to protect the innocent but also in an attempt to maintain some sort of online dignity.

My mistakes have typically evolved to become in-house lifelong teachers for me. Brick to the head, sometimes softened w/ a sponge - always full-on brain-wedgie. And I'm usually asking for it in my own ignoramus fashion. I liken this concept to my train of thought concerning skiing. If I proceed through a full day and never fall down, I personally feel I have not pushed myself hard enough. Opportunities for full-on learning were minimal. On the other hand, when I fall, my body and mind is receiving a plethora of messages from sensors sending gobs of juicy tidbits for my brain to chew on, (sometimes for the next 30 years). By that token, I would offer a qualified answer of 'yes' to the second riddle. Let me explain . . .

To say I have learned a lesson is a rather subjective statement. As an educator, I have the daily task & responsibility to project lessons upon targeted learners or students. It is my hope that the learners or students whom my lessons are being projected upon will receive said lesson and learn the desired outcome or objective from my projection. Here is where the air turns foggy, or the water turns cloudy, or the windows get steamy, or . . . you (hopefully) get the picture.

Suddenly, terms such as interpretation, perspective and frame of reference enter into the picture. Each learner or student whom my lessons are projected upon most likely received said lesson(s) through their own wildly unique filter, that cannot be duplicated by any other classmate or, for that matter, any other human being.

Each learner brings their own background and context to the table. These elements represent the evolutionary filter through which classroom interactions pass on their way to each individual's knowledge base. (By evolutionary, I mean that each student's filter is continually evolving. Their frame of reference today is not the same as the frame of reference they brought to the table yesterday.) If I am lucky, my projected lesson will pass through that filter. This is provided the student or learner is following the train of thought being presented (and staying attentive and/or awake).

Long story short . . . A lesson may be learned.

Riddle continues.... Was it the correct and/or intended lesson?

Let's take a small detour here:
A song I recorded on my most recent cd Don't Ever Forget alludes to this very concept. Considering none of my pieces have lyrics, that is quite an accomplishment! Indeed, I say this with all honesty . . . all of my pieces have meaning. They all come from somewhere inside that defaults below the level of external subconsciousness. Sometimes, I will understand a song's meaning early on. Others take time. Then there are the pieces I have not quite decoded or received their meaning yet. But I know it lurks beneath the subsurface. The challenge lies in figuring it out and embracing it while still bringing the listener to a similar wavelength through my playing & their listening, sometimes even before I've received that understanding.

But, I have digressed and must (attempt to) now regress. Alpine Road is a track that comes from a very tender place. The mere mention of those two words together bring to my mind an image of a perfect place close to my heart but is beyond reach, in my everyday life. I have been there, but am generally not afforded the opportunity to go back. To up and go at the whim of my heart would go against the responsibilities I have at hand. My heart beckons, but I cannot go.

Yet . . . Alpine Road represents a higher place. A place where we can look down at all that is below us. We can see things that surround us in that lower confine, that we cannot necessarily see when we are in the midst of said environment. The same can be said as we look back with time on our side presenting a distant perspective.

This is often where the lesson takes shape and form in the mind's eye of the the intended receiver. Yes, maybe a lesson was learned early on. But after climbing that mountain of time, distance and maybe even height, perhaps the lesson crystallizes into another form. Perhaps it joins a bigger part of the picture that we were not aware of as we sat in the eye of the storm. Perhaps we will never really get to know the whole context of the lesson.

Sometimes in the classroom, I want to just say to my students, "You'll understand this later." In an elementary world where concrete thought is king, that concept is far-fetched, at best.

So, mistakes? (to quote Sinatra) I've made a few. End of story (for now): Conclusion stands at the generalized theory - we're always learning. Whether we are learning what we are intended to learn depends on a great many factors.

One idea that can bring some clarity to what is learned (or being learned) would be to step away from the situation, by time, distance and/or height. This most likely is not immediately possible and definitely won't insure against poor decisions. Sometimes, we're just destined to make poor decisions. I am convinced of the inevitability of that one. The key is to see the mistake and learn from it. Otherwise, (now quoting Lennon/McCartney) a long and winding road with a potential unmarked dead-end may await our older self.

Life has a way of making sure we keep things interesting for ourselves, whether we want it or not. With that in mind, keep it real, buy Don't Ever Forget, listen to Alpine Road many times and ponder this thought process for yourself. Consider your filters. I'm guessing your conclusion will be slightly or even completely different from mine. Cool! = )

Jeff Van Devender
www.JavaMusiK.com

BloG #43: Annie Herring Coming to Glenwood Springs, CO

2010-04-07T02:43:00.001-06:00

Annie Herring, former lead singer for the legendary music group “2nd Chapter of Acts,” will be performing a special concert April 29, 7:00 pm at Glenwood Springs (CO) First United Methodist Church located at 824 Cooper Avenue.

With over 30 years in her professional Christian music career, Herring has recorded 23 Albums. Her career began in the early seventies as the leader of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame Award winning singing group “Second Chapter of Acts” and has continued through the 90’s to date singing solo concerts.

Miss Herring’s music style is inspirational and is said to reach deep to the heart and stir the soul.

A Free-Will Offering will be collected at the concert. Donations to help defray the cost of bringing Annie’s ministry to Glenwood Springs, CO are also being accepted through the church.

For more information on Annie Herring and her history, visit her web site www.annieherring.com.

Visit www.JavaMusiK.com or the church website at www.glenwoodumc.com.

Download the official press-release.

It is my sincere hope that this event can become a positive music ministry for our community that can take root and blossom into further events of similar consequence.
Blessings,

Jeff Van Devender
JavaMusiK

BloG #42: Of Debates and Friends and Tumbleweeds...

2010-03-27T02:32:00.004-06:00

The exercise continues...

Yes, my textual manuscript is slowly inching forward here, once again starting out with nothing to say. The point of this particular writing is to see if it will actually evolve, as I write, into something that actually has a point or whether it just drifts like a tumbleweed being tossed about by a desert wind.

Yikes!

So, here we go....
Much debate has been taking place concerning the recent health care reform and I have to say, heels are being dug in quite deeply on both sides. I'm choosing to say very little beyond the occasional private comment to very close friends regarding this issue b/c frankly, it appears the social networking forums are becoming a rather polarizing medium to be so open with your opinions regarding such topics.

Considering the fact that most 'friends' that are listed as friends on these sites are casual friends at best, no matter which side of the debate you pick to express an opinion about, it appears that you can plan on offending at least 50 percent of your 'friend' base. By my own informal observation, this particular debate has shown friends to be getting quite nasty with each other. Sometimes, even going so far as to de-friend each other.

Social networking has changed quite substantially in the last year or two. Here's how I see it:

In the past, I belonged to 2 or 3 different musician networking forums. 'Friends' that I shared opinions with there were much more distant in that I did not know them on a face-to-face basis. If I did engage in debate on a polarizing issue with them, there was very little consequence based on the fact that we really didn't know each other beyond the textual info we read about each other online, along with whatever avatar they posted for an identifier.

NOW.... here we are engaging in similar banter, only it is with FRIENDS who know (or think they know) us! Suddenly, opinions of each other are formed or changed. Sides are taken. Decades old acquaintances and friendships are challenged by one short little comment you let slip. I have been watching the discourse and have even been somewhat burned by it on fairly recent conversations myself. The question we all need to start asking ourselves is...

Is it really worth it?

The anonymity is gone. We're no longer confronting cyber friends here. Suddenly, our comments are being read by FRIENDS & colleagues of past and FRIENDS & colleagues of present. Watching the debates on this current health-care issue, it seems many of these 'friends' are not so quick to dial it back, as it were. Passion is running amok. Hurtful things are being said. 'Friendships' are ending right before our eyes. And over what?

Is this all really worth the potential loss of friends?

Or, do we just march ahead and say what we feel, friends be damned?

I don't know the answer. But another observation I have gathered in past discussions is that text does not transmit vocal inflections &/or body language. The consequence that often arises is that an intended joke or light-hearted comment will often be mistaken by the intended receiver as less than funny or downright offensive. Add to that all the networked friends who are also reading these comments, many of whom may also choose to be offended and you suddenly have a slight problem on your hands. Or at least a fewer friend or two.

This is not even factoring in the potential employers and other key people in your life who may eventually choose to read things associated with you, including any opinions you may choose to share on a given subject, such as health care reform. Again, it all begs the question...

Is it really worth it?

That is a question only you can decide for yourself. And that answer may change for you as you progress through time. Suddenly, your friendships may begin to mean more to you. Or less. Suddenly, what you decide to put out for everyone to read may not seem as such a good idea as it once did. But by then, is it too late?

Just a thought.

In reference to my first thought expressed on this particular posting... there may have been a point, but again, who cares??

BloG #41: Thoughts 'From The Road'

2009-12-08T01:21:00.011-07:00

Cool title, yeah? hahaha.... Yep, life on the ol' road. Okay, so I'm not on the road, as it were. But, one of my daughters observed last night that I am on somewhat of a tour with this Fall series of concerts, so there you go.

Here are the Fall 09 tour dates that have been keeping me occupied:
12/17/2009 Christmas Performance
Venue: Eagle Public Library
*Location: 600 Broadway; Eagle, CO - 7:00 pm

12/13/2009 Showcase Performance
Venue: Carbondale Community United Methodist Church
*Location: 385 S 2nd St; Carbondale, CO - 4:00 pm
--featuring guest performances by: Soprano Soloist Bridget Baker, Rod & Trish Andersen, Emily Van Devender, Grace Van Devender, Soprano Soloist Annie Lee

12/06/2009 Showcase Performance
Venue: Rifle United Methodist-Presbyterian Church
*Location: 200 E 4th St; Rifle, CO - 7:00 pm
--featuring guest performances by: ArtillumA: (Jordon Churchill, Blair Bracken, Landon Churchill, Taylor Churchill, Michael Churchill), Joe Napier, Emily Van Devender, Grace Van Devender, Soprano Soloist Annie Lee

11/29/2009 Showcase Performance
Venue: All Saints Episcopal Church
*Location: 150 Sipprelle Drive; Battlement Mesa, CO - 4:00 pm
--featuring guest performances by: Emily Van Devender, Grace Van Devender, Soprano Soloist Annie Lee

11/21/2009 Vendor Sale/Showcase Performance
Venue: Rifle United Methodist-Presbyterian Church-Lovell building
*Location: 200 E 4th St; Rifle, CO - 7:00 pm

11/15/2009 Showcase Performance
Venue: First United Methodist Church
*Location: 824 Cooper Av; Glenwood Springs, CO - 4:30 pm
--featuring guest performances by: Grace Van Devender, Emily Van Devender, Kyle Snyder, Methodist Youth Jam: (Kyle Snyder, Kevin Snyder, Angela Frale, Joel Dane, Melanie Rossow), Stefani Maurice, Steve Shute, Jan Shute

10/24/2009 Open Mic Headline Performance
Venue: New Castle River Center Shalom Ministries
*Location: Downtown New Castle, CO - 7:00pm

This particular leg of the journey is winding down but I have the desire to share a few thoughts before it wraps up, so here goes.

I feel blessed!
This 'tour' has been invigorating on so many levels. Each showcase performance date has been arranged to include fellow musicians/performers from that particular locale where the performance is set. I set it up that way for several reasons. Key among them is an item in the mission statement for JavaMusiK. "...To foster and encourage fellowship through music." Here's what I have seen happening with that: An underlying dialogue begins to take place. This happens in the planning stages, but also during the concert itself. A synergy between the performers builds prior to the show and spills over into the performance and is eventually experienced in harmony with the audience. As the instigator, I feel totally energized by this. To witness the fellowship/relationship building that takes place as a result of my efforts and music is fulfilling and inspiring. To see all these people take time out of their routine and come together to share in a moment of nothing but music for a little while makes me happy.

I feel humbled.
As of this writing, the number of musicians/performers who have contributed &/or taken part in the concerts I've organized has been right at 20 over the course of 4 showcase concerts, several of whom have appeared at multiple dates. The talent that has been involved is so diverse and inspiring. Each individual/group has brought something unique and positive to the table giving each show a flavor of it's own and bringing much joy and quality entertainment to the audience. To follow these musicicans and performers has required me to step up my own game and hopefully make me better. The talent that I have had the priviledge to witness at each stop is a testament to what is out there and I am glad that this series is giving them an opportunity to shine and share their light with others. That, in & of itself, makes these concerts worthwhile.

I feel tired.
Truly, I do. Unfortunately, this particualr series is happening and doubling right during my school concert season. The same week I had my first showcase concert, I had four separate school concerts with two different groups. This week is bookmarked by two of my own shows with two school concerts in the middle. Each event is physically and mentally demanding on it's own accord. To organize and be responsible for each program is exhausting. So much work goes into the planning, rehearsing & performance of the show. Then, the actual performance takes you so high. To come down the other side after it is finished takes the wind out of you for a while. This concert season has forced me to turn around and get right back on the horse the next day. No time or rest for the wicked, as they say. Nice idea, but here's my quandary. I have long been blessed with the curse of being a night owl. After a full day at work, time with family, etc., I just need time for myself. Clear the thoughts, etc.. During the time leading up to a concert, my mind races so much that I cannot sleep. Then, I may get exhausted enough after a concert to sleep well the night following a show, but I often spend so much time analyzing what took place that sleep will be somewhat disrupted for the successive several nights thereafter. During this current concert season, my legs are struggling to keep up with the schedule and I'm feeling it. We won't even discuss the accompanying migraines...

I feel inspired.
To watch and listen to each individual/group that has participated in these events has been a gift for me. To see and hear how these events have touched other people is a gift for me. To have my daughters involved and performing at each event has been a gift for me. To see people actually buy my cd's and tell me later they play them all the time is a gift to me. To see the smiles on people, to see them close their eyes and just listen, to hear them laugh at my stories or stupid jokes and to just have them there is a gift for me. Each one of these items inspires me and makes me wish to continue this ministry. I truly love doing this.

In the end, I feel invigorated.
Have I mentioned I love doing this?
Every single thing about JavaMusiK brings happiness to me. I absolutely love it. If I could figure out a way to increase it's revenue stream to where I could quit my job, I would give it some serious consideration because I do love it so much. It is my own creation and nobody else's. It originates from me. (I hesitate to say there is divine intervention involved, though I would like to think that there is. This topic, I will save for a future writing however. Only because I have many thoughts about that and this writing is going long the way it is. Suffice it to say, that I do believe my Creator is involved and deserves all due credit & He is not forgotten. Just not sure my music is worthy to hold such a distinction.) I don't punch in to a time clock. I don't have to answer to a boss. If I don't like something, I can throw it out and not have to tell anyone why I did so. It is all about my music. I choose everything involved with it. Every decision is made by me. Every sale, person that comes to listen to a concert, person who chooses to listen to my music at a given time of day, company that chooses to use my music for their project, etc., is a validation of the efforts that have gone into this project. The growth of JavaMusiK has been slow, but continual. The body of work is something that brings me absolute pride and joy. From these things, I truly feel invigorated and blessed because JavaMusiK is completely about the music. The possibilities are endless!

I look forward to continuing this next year and am excited about the possibilities. The release of 'Don't Ever Forget' has brought a feverish pace to the last couple of months. If I don't get out & promote, no one becomes aware of my music & the product doesn't sell. Meanwhile, it is because of the music that new directions and positive developments can move forward. I like that.

I hope I get to see you along the way. In the meantime, discover your passion and stay happy!
Sincerely,

Jeff Van Devender
JavaMusiK

BloG #40: Whose Piano Is It Anyway?

2009-11-14T00:32:00.008-07:00

With this being the eve of a Fall series of new release concerts in promotion of my new cd Don't Ever Forget, I'm going to attempt to answer a question I commonly get asked.

The question usually focuses on my piano influences. Who do I listen to? Do I emulate anyone in particular? Or... Just who am I trying to play like?

Great questions all of these and I'm glad I asked them. Seems someone asked me at least one of them sometime, somewhere. I bet someone else might even ask me again.

So... a little background here..

I started taking piano lessons in 3rd grade. Up to that point, we had a piano in the house and I would often sit and amuse (and sometimes amaze) myself at my ability to just come up with a melody that truly sounded pleasing to me. I enjoyed that. But then I essentially repressed that memory until fairly recently when I began to put some thought into why I have chosen to follow this passion all these years later. What continues to drive me to do this?

Another memory I have stems from just a few short years later. Sunday mornings before church, when the childrens choir my mother directed & I sang in wasn't singing, I would often have a little time to kill before the service started. We would arrive early so my parents' adult choir could practice. So, I would find my way to an empty Sunday school room that had a piano and sit down & start playing on it. I was taking lessons, so it wasn't just noise like I get from so many children who wish to play the keys on the piano in my music classroom. No... I was playing music, and doing it for the pure enjoyment of it.

Around this same time, however, practicing for lessons was truly becoming a chore and I was hating it. I did not wish to continue. So, I eventually stopped.

This was a sad day, because looking back I can remember being so excited to start lessons. I was ready & couldn't wait! Now, it was a chore & I couldn't take it anymore.

But something else happened right at this same juncture. A calling was approaching me over the airwaves that I could not ignore. I began to hear these awesome songs over a year's time that spoke to me beyond the words he was singing. The artist in question kept releasing tunes that were bringing out this spiritual awakening in me driving me back to the piano bench where I had just left!

The first song I ever heard by this artist, I only heard once in an older neighbor boy's car, when he offered me a ride. I thought it was cool & specifically remember the clever lyrics & playful accompanying piano line throughout. I couldn't wait to hear it again because it sounded so great on his car stereo but it was another year or two before I heard it again. I remembered the name of the singer/player though because it was so unique.

Next, over the summer months of 1973, came a full on rocker by this singer that was fun, but didn't push my piano buttons so I essentially ignored that one. But 3 or 4 months later into the fall season, the classic that got my juices flowing again hit the airwaves. Every time I heard this one, I would stop everything and just find myself in another place. This one ended up being one of my first two 45 records that I would buy with birthday/Christmas gift money from my uncle. The other 45 was Rock On by David Essex.

Springtime led to another fun song by this artist with some cool studio effects thrown in. The next hit that followed in the summer months finally sealed my retirement coffin. I could stay away from piano no more. I had to learn how to play this song! So, I went to the local music store and was pleased to find the sheet music - first one I ever bought! Took it home and struggled through the first couple measures. Over the next several days, I was worn down to the realization that lessons could maybe give me the skills and pathway to actually emulate this player.

Who was it? And what were the songs? If you know my age, you may have already figured it out.
Elton John was the culprit. And he wouldn't stop! The pieces kept on coming!!

The first song listed above was Honky Cat. Lyrics, piano, horns, syncopation...great piece!
Next came Saturday Night's Alright (for fighting) and I wasn't a fan yet, so it was fun but didn't take me there.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was the clincher. I was sucked in by this one. So very cool. Loved it & couldn't wait to hear more. Then came Bennie & The Jets - so cool with the electric boots & mohair suit, etc..

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me just grabbed my soul & became the anthem that I had to learn. I absolutely loved every note of that song. The piano. Elton's vocal performance. Ray's tambourine. Davey's guitar. Nigel's drum fills. Dee's subtle bass lines. The background vocals and the horns. And Bernie's lyrics! All conspired to create a completely perfect song! That hot summer, the steam from that particular song perpetrated a following for this artist that I have weathered through thick & thin for 35-plus years.

There is more to the Elton John story, but since the original question asks in the plural form, I will move on & save Elton for another future writing.

Billy Joel never did it for me. That is until the Fall of 1981, I heard Say Goodbye To Hollywood followed by pieces from The Nylon Curtain the subsequent year. I enjoyed those songs, but not much else. He always seems to be trying too hard or something. Maybe I just appreciate English artists more. (I also felt that way about the Do They Know It's Christmas/We Are The World debacle) I don't know...

I actually enjoyed a few Barry Manilow songs & even scored one out for the Jr. High chorus to sing background with me at piano & lead vocals. That was fun. Corny I know, but consider the time period folks. I remember seeing him play on tv back then & liked how he sat on a stool that put him a little higher above the piano than the average player.

Anyway, the next pianist that really caught my attention was Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. After acquiring a job at the grocery store, I became immersed in talking music with co-workers, while earning enough money to finally purchase a decent turntable. So, the new Technics direct drive turntable and ELP Works Volume 1 LP were purchased on the same day & I proceeded to be blown away on the first & every subsequent listen since. Side one of this double album features Keith with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Once again, I couldn't get enough! And what a way to break in the new turntable!

There was a Christian artist band that was around in the 70's & early 80's who I was turned on to for awhile. Their name was 2nd Chapter of Acts and Annie Herring wrote most of their music, played piano & sang. I was drawn to her percussive/melodic style of playing and actually played with a group that played their music for a couple years. Some of my playing style still reflects what I gained from that influence. And, btw - Matthew Ward's vocals are incredible! Loved seeing them live. Special times, they were...

Did you ever see the movie On Golden Pond? Dave Grusin did the soundtrack and I absolutely loved it. Haven't listened to it for years. I wonder if I can find a recording of it somewhere. Would be nice to check in again.

During the Spring of 1983, a friend turned me on to Pat Metheny. I think this is where I finally began to really hear music w/out words and just get it. I bought Offramp and played it over & over again. Lyle Mays on the keys was taking me to that next level beyond the pop & classical sound that I needed. I use the term jazz loosely here, because it really isn't jazz in my mind. I say that as a positive. Having jazz driven into me throughout school/college, I really got sick of it. But Lyle Mays & Pat Metheny had their own style that cut through the crap as I saw/heard it. Seeing them live over the next few years including at Red Rocks was very special to me. The Red Rocks show was during the same tour that Travels was recorded from. Pure magic!

Spending the summer of '83 in Colorado opened me up to some other musical directions I had not really been previously aware of. One of those directions became an influence that has stuck with me ever since. I suppose you could say George Winston's piano playing drove down the middle road between what I was hearing from Lyle Mays & Keith Emerson. Not jazz/fusion. Not rock. Not classical. It was being referred to as New Age, which seems to drum up so many negative connotations, partly based on the confusion created by the polytheistic religious associations. I hate that. I just want to hear the music. George Winston's music draws mental images for me. I like that. I also loved the packaging. So much so that my JavaMusiK Label somewhat emulates the packaging by Windham Hill. Seeing George Winston in concert with his relaxed demeanor wearing socks, jeans & flannel shirt juxtaposed against his precise playing was blowing my mind. I've been a fan ever since.

The following summer, a friend and I drove my 1970 Dodge Charger back out to Colorado for an impromptu vacation. After breaking down late at night in a Nebraska college town & spending all our money getting the car fixed the following morning, I took a nap in the back seat of the car heading west on I 80. When I woke up, my friend had a tape playing of solo piano music I had never heard before. This artist seemed to develop his themes from the smallest of ideas or even mistakes. And then he would just go with it. As I layed in the back seat pretending to sleep, I was getting so lost in where this player was taking me. He would hum-sing over parts he was really getting in to. It was all so raw and fantastic! Recorded live in front of an audience, you could feel the energy just pouring out in his performance. You felt like the smallest mistake would take his music into a brilliantly new direction. We were listening to Keith Jarrett's The Moth And The Flame that day. That, and his Koln Concert have provided me much inspiration over the years.

The most recent pianist to get my juices flowing would have to be Jon Schmidt from Utah. I have enjoyed my listens and find myself checking back from time to time. I encourage you to visit www.jonschmidt.com and hear for yourself. I'm venturing to say you'll easily see what I mean!

Those are the biggies. Limited in scope, I know. There are many others, but none prominent enough in my own mind to be thought of and given a paragraph here. I would list David Lanz and Jim Brickman both as having some influence. I also liked what Kate Bush & Peter Gabriel were doing with keyboards & piano. Meanwhile, if something else comes to mind, I will add it in later, b/c thinking back over the last 35-plus years is draining, especially at 2:30 am. I'll prbobaly look through my music collection later & wonder to myself how I could have possibly left whoever I left out. Meanwhile, buy my cd's and let me know who you think I may sound like to you. Hopefully, you'll say I have a very unique and lovely sound all of my own.
Peace!

Jeff

Blog #39: New Release - Don't Ever Forget

2009-10-08T23:58:00.004-06:00

New Solo Piano release 'Don't Ever Forget' finally saw the light of day today. I cannot tell you the excitement I felt arriving home & finding the box loads waiting on my doorstep!

After several years of already having the music composed, waiting to finally finish the masters degree, moving & starting a new job, finding a place to record, then finally rounding up enough scratch....the waiting is FINALLY over!!! It is here!

The cd features a couple classical/hymn covers:
-Bach's Prelude in C
-Be Thou My Vision

There is also a couple up-tempo original pieces:
-Rocky Mountain Rag
-Synchronyze!

This cd again follows the classic JavaMusiK format with the appearance of white border, lower case lettering and nature photography by my daughters, Emily & Grace. The cover steps away from the old jewel case and utilizes the newer digipak design featuring the sleek cardstock cover so popular among newer releases.

Synchronyze moves forward with being the second in a three part thematic series started by Synyrgyze! on Bending Chords. Part three will find it's way on the next JavaMusiK release of new Jeffrey van D material.

Imagine Jim Brickman introducing George Winston to Elton John. This might be a possible outcome.

Track Listing...

01 Prelude In C
02 Lost Minuet
03 Alpine Road
04 Rocky Mountain Rag
05 Be Thou My Vision
06 Through The Shadows
07 In His Light
08 Sunken Garden
09 Synchronyze!
10 Final Farewell

We hope you choose to order this cd. We think it will stay in your rotation for awhile!

Ordering information is posted at www.JavaMusiK.com . Use the PayPal links. If you'd prefer to pay by check, contact us by e-mail & we'll gladly make it work for you!

Thank-you!!!

Jeff

Blog #38: Let's see if I can remember...

2009-08-16T11:02:00.008-06:00

all the concerts I have attended through the years. hmmm....

(This post may get edited and added to as my recollections gain clarity.)

So, last night I attended a Green Day concert in Denver with my daughters, which upon later reflection during the drive home, caused me to give pause and try to recall all the various bands and artists I have seen/heard through the years. I will attempt to see how well they can be remembered here.

Before I begin the list, it is worth noting that this was the first real mosh pit I have ever stood in at the front & due to the mad crush with my daughters and I being well...crushed in the mosh, we opted to be lifted over the barriers & refrain from further crush. We were fortunate to be close enough to the front to where we could get out of there. Billy Joe Armstrong called for everyone to come in closer, then implored everyone to start jumping up & down. The heat generated on the floor down front from the friction of so many bodies so close was excruciating. If you have any sort of claustrophobic tendencies, stay away from the mosh! After regrouping, we reconvened for the remainder of the concert at the back of the floor in the arena.

Here is my list of concerts attended through the years (most recent listed first):

Artist Location Date

Green Day (w/ Franz Ferdinand) Denver Pepsi Center 8.16.09

Elton John/Billy Joel Chicago Wrigley Field 7.16.09

Taylor Swift Salt Lake City Energy Solutions Arena 5.26.09

Elton John solo Colorado Springs World Arena 4.04.09

Van Halen Denver Pepsi Center 2.01.08

The Police (w/ Fiction Plane) Denver Pepsi Center 6.07.07

Elton John solo Anaheim, CA Convention Center 10.26.06

Elton John Denver Pepsi Center 5.03.05

Elton John Red Piano Las Vegas, NV Caesar's Palace 3.25.04

Richie Havens Carbondale, CO May 2001

Elton John/Billy Joel Denver Pepsi Center 4.09.01

Elton John/Billy Joel Salt Lake City Delta Center 1.29.01

Joe Cocker Jazz Aspen Snowmass, CO 9.03.00

Lyle Lovett Jazz Aspen Snowmass, CO 9.02.00

The Allman Brothers Jazz Aspen Snowmass, CO 9.01.00

George Winston Grand Junction, CO April 2000

Elton John Denver Fiddlers Green 8.24.98

Elton John Ames Hilton Coliseum 10.24.97

Annie Herring Blue Earth, MN Jan., 1998

U2 w/ Fun Lovin' Criminals Chicago Soldiers Field 6.27.97

Annie Herring Estherville, IA Nov., 1996

Elton John w/ Ray Cooper Denver Fiddlers Green 9.13.94

Elton John Denver Fiddlers Green 9.02.92

Elton John Denver Fiddlers Green 8.22.89

John Denver Milwaukee Riverside Theater 11.16.88

Elton John Milwaukee Marcus Amphitheater 9.18.88

Sting Milwaukee Marcus Amphitheater 7.10.88

David Lee Roth w/Tesla Milwaukee Mecca Arena 04/27/88

Sting Milwaukee Riverside Theater 1.03.88

Pat Metheny Milwaukee Performing Arts Center 1987

Alice Cooper Milwaukee, WI Mecca Arena 10.2.87

David Bowie w/ Peter Frampton Milwaukee Marcus Amphitheater 9.11.87

Suzanne Vega Milwaukee, WI Performing Arts Center 7.14.87

Stevie Wonder Milwaukee, WI Summerfest 1987 or 1988

John Denver w/ Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Milwaukee Marcus Amphitheater 7.04.87

Iron Maiden Milwaukee, WI Mecca Arena 03/10/87

David Lee Roth w/Poison Milwaukee Mecca Arena 02/09/87

Elton John Denver McNichols Arena 1986

George Winston Des Moines, IA Civic Center May 1985

Joan Jett Kirksville, MO NMSU 1985

Pat Metheny St. Louis, MO Fox Theater 1984

Elton John Iowa City, IA 1984

Elton John Ames, IA 1984

Amy Grant/Phil Driscoll YMCA of the Rockies Estes Prk, CO August 1983

John Denver Red Rocks Morrison, CO 1983

Pat Metheny Red Rocks Morrison, CO 1983

U2 Red Rocks Morrison, CO 1983

Elton John w/ Quarterflash Kansas City, MO Starlight Theater 7.07.82

Maynard Ferguson Kirksville, MO NMSU April 1982

Second Chapter of Acts St. Louis, MO April 1982

Second Chapter of Acts St. Louis, MO September 1981

Second Chapter of Acts Des Moines, IA Aug 1981

Styx Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena 3.17.81

Elton John Ames, IA Sept. 1980

Second Chapter of Acts Des Moines, IA Aug 1979

Blog #37: Storm King Firefighter Piano Memorial Tribute

2009-07-04T03:04:00.002-06:00

Storm King Firefighter Piano Memorial Tribute

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Blog #36: Previews of Newly Recorded Rough Drafts Posted

2009-06-22T03:30:00.003-06:00

This widget contains recordings of a few of my old gems mixed in with some newly released studio takes from recent sessions. Enjoy!

Blog #35: Showcase in the Mountains: June 9 at YMCA of The Rockies; The only scheduled pre cd-release concert

2009-06-08T03:23:00.004-06:00

Following this concert in the mountains of Estes Park, CO, Van Devender will return to a studio for the first time in 7 years to record his 3rd cd for The JavaMusiK Label. A projected Fall '09 release will feature new compositions and arrangements developed since the release of Bending Chords in 2002.

Attendees of this concert will be treated to many of the standby's from Ascend & Bending Chords along with a few new nuggets in preparation for the upcoming studio sessions. According to Jeff, "Several pieces will be seeing their first performance for anyone besides myself at this concert!"

"I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of audience response these new pieces will generate," Van Devender shares. "In addition, playing them in front of an audience prior to going into a studio aids in building necessary confidence for once the take is live. Otherwise, no matter how many times I've played for myself, playing for posterity is somewhat daunting."

This free concert promises to give the audience a refreshing showcase of piano music. The show marks Van Devender's 10 year anniversary since his debut at YMCA of The Rockies as a featured performer for Summerfest. Since then, he has returned nearly every summer and found it to be a great place to showcase.

Showtime: 7:30 pm; Tuesday, June 9
Venue: Hempel Auditorium; YMCA Of The Rockies
City, State: Estes Park, CO

Blog #34: Testing the Twitter Waters....

2009-05-31T01:23:00.006-06:00

So after fighting it & calling it ridiculous, I'm now going to give twitter the obligatory test drive. Seeing as how you cannot turn on a tv or surf the net w/out hearing/reading the word twitter, and seeing as how I am about to embark on a 3rd cd release and can use all the promotion I can get.... I'm going for it.

There's just one slight little detail that I have yet to wrap my brain around. Finding subscribers who are going to give a hoot about any/every little thought that pops out of my messed up head. I can barely think of anyone I care to subscribe to for that purpose, so it seems a little silly to expect anyone to find their way to my domain and expect them to care. And, so it goes... the evolutionary process.

I made a comment somewhere (and I'm sure it's been observed elsewhere & regurgitated all over the place) to the effect of, first came blogging (here we are with THAT one) followed by facebook (not mentioning the myspace trainwreck) and now here's twitter.

I heard on the news this week that twitter execs are looking at an upcoming surcharge for twitter usage. If that's the case, then my twitter use will be shortlived at best. They don't charge me to blog & now 5 years into it, I'm still limping along with that technology. Thousands of words typed & I still haven't said a damn thing worth reading.

So, here's your invitation to come, join in & watch my twitter trainwreck at http://twitter.com/JavaMusiK . I truly have no clue what I'm doing, so it should be a real hoot. Meanwhile, you can be on the lookout for twitter updates on my upcoming cd recording throughout the month of June.

Peace!

Jeff

BloG #33: It has been quite slow as of late...

2009-05-03T01:34:00.009-06:00

This was originally posted exclusively on my MySpace page, but since I still consider this my blogging home...

The last year has seen me focused on settling myself into a new job, new house and new bigger church that I'm playing organ & piano for this year. While that has meant a general improvement in my life as a whole, it has also meant I have just needed to basically keep my nose to the grindstone for awhile and hold fast to whatever I have as still being concrete.

Change is often good, but can easily remove you from the familiar, which can sometimes be unsettling. Toss into the mix the depths and peaks associated with the recent loss of my father and finishing my masters degree, and the plot thickens.

Some might say a musician's music takes a back seat during times like these. While the jury is still out on my perspective with this idea, I prefer to see it as a development of future repertoire not yet composed. The suppression and release of emotions associated with all the change, highs and lows can only lead to more flavor in the context of what is yet to be created.

When composing, I can only explain the process as a feeling that I am merely an observer to what is transpiring, even though the transaction is taking place through my fingers. This may be a reflection and release of the suppressed responses built up over time finally constructing into musical expression. Then again, I'm probably just full of crap and speaking complete jibberish here.

Meanwhile:
JavaMusiK will see a presentation of my music in the Colorado mountains near Estes Park at YMCA of the Rockies June 9. I always enjoy these shows. This will be followed by some possible studio time in Iowa. We remain hopeful that a 3rd release will finally begin to take shape. Money is currently the biggest factor. Fingers crossed. Visit JavaMusiK.com to stay up to date on this front.

In addition, Alpine Road Publishing has been patiently waiting for my computer which has become infirmed recently. Files of sheet music transcriptions are being held hostage b/c my short-sightedness led me to not necessarily back-up those files before the laptop went on hiatus. Hope remains that data will be safe. Look for new transcriptions to be added to the fold sometime mid summer. Currently, 2 composition transcriptions (Alpine Road & The Awakening) are available at our lulu.com store.

Thank-you for your interest and support. Our music is always available for your listening pleasure at CD Baby and iTunes, as well as royalty-free licensing. You can also find some pretty cool JavaMusiK merchandise at our CafePress website. Go take a look! My music is available for live presentations and event bookings through JMK Ceremony Music. Inquiries are invited. Contact info can be located in the article or through our official website's contact page. Stop by and say hello.

Jeff Van Devender

BloG #32: Recent & Upcoming Concerts 4 My Guilty Pleasure

2009-03-30T23:31:00.010-06:00

Okay, I'll admit. My musical tastes fall into the somewhat lame category. I said somewhat. Not totally. Compared to many, I'm quite MOR in my tastes. But then, I see others & wonder....

So, the last couple years have been quite cool for those of us who had an appreciation for super groups that disintegrated in the mid 80's. In fact, many including me, finally gave up & thought these reunions just plain would never happen!

I'm speaking of course of The Police & Van Halen. These 2 ruled the roost & no other band were in their league at the time of their demise. Unfortunately, I just never got my act together to get to one of their shows during their ascendancy to oblivion.

I did make it to see Sting & David Lee Roth a couple times each over the next couple years, but as fun as it was, I always left wishing their bands that made them famous were still on the stage with them. Did get to meet Steve Vai following one of the DLR shows. Still have the autograph. Was amazed how physically small he was in real life. He was very kind & patient as he spoke with us.

The Police had just struck out on their first tour in 24 years, and I got a floor seat at the Pepsi Center in Denver June 7,'07 on Sting's side of the stage. Sat next to people who flew over from San Diego just to see the show. Our section sang every word of every song & loved every moment of the show. I finally got to experience a Police show live without a TV screen providing the perspective for me. Cool!!

Then, February 1,'08 saw the Van Halen reunion I had waited so long for, minus Michael Anthony, due to biological VH family member Wolfgang replacing him. If that's what helped bring Eddie to getting back with Dave & wearing a smile while doing it, then more power to em. My cousin had just moved to Colorado & was in the midst of a nasty divorce, so what better way to take his mind off of the bs than to 'Dance The Night Away' with a few decibels behind some great tunage. Their smiles were infectious & the music felt so good.

October 26,'06 saw my family head to an AARP convention in Anaheim, CA. And if you're not totally laughing your ass off at this little deal, you're just not paying attention! We noticed Elton John was going to be playing for this event (omg, I AM getting old!!) & the ticket prices were such that we could order enough for the whole family to go. Normally, when I see him one ticket is more than what we paid for 4 for this show! So, despite sitting amongst many who weren't necessarily his biggest fans, we had a great fall weekend in Cali. Even got some sun & surf while it was snowing back home in the CO mountains.

This weekend on April 4, we are going to see Elton solo in Colorado Springs. I am hoping the average attendee age will be somewhat lower than the Anaheim show. I love being able to take my daughters to see Elton, b/c I hope that they can get a glimpse of what once inspired me to keep going in music all those years ago. Amazingly, I still get inspired when I see him now.

Next comes Chicago. Elton John & Billy Joel will be playing two nights at Wrigley Field. I'll be there July 21. I saw them twice together January & April,'01 in Salt Lake City & Denver. Great shows & worth revisiting again. Price is sky high, but what an opportunity! I go by the thought that these guys aren't getting any younger. If you have any desire, see them now! Youth is fleeting & once it's gone, well....

I actually got to meet Jeff Hornacek (Iowa State alum.) of Utah Jazz fame at the Salt Lake show. Still have that autograph too! I've also met Ben Stiller, Rosie O'Donnell and John Elway at various Elton gigs. Still have the autographs of all but Elway, even though i was the one who had a pen to loan him for all the signing he did. He had nothing better to do since he was waiting for his then-wife Janet at the facilities following the show. As for Rosie & Ben, I was sitting arms reach away at a Vegas Red Piano concert. 6th row aisle in front of Elton.

Anyway, many other past concerts could be cussed & discussed here, but my fingers are wearing thin along with possibly your patience, so we'll save some of it for a future writing. I will mention before closing that the U2 Red Rocks concert in '83 was more incredible than the movie & we were so lucky to actually be there. More on that in the next writing about this topic.

Meanwhile, wish me and the 7 other people I'll be going with this weekend lots of fun at Elton solo in Colorado Springs.

Cheers!

BloG #31: Boston Conservatory Welcome address by Karl Paulnack

2009-03-29T22:41:00.006-06:00

Discovered & reposted from the trentalange blog at this link: http://trentalange.tumblr.com/post/82322799/boston-conservatory-welcome-address-by-karl-paulnack#disqus_thread

Boston Conservatory Welcome address by Karl Paulnack

Subject: In times of financial crisis, this might be important to remember

Welcome address to freshman class at Boston Conservatory given by Karl Paulnack, pianist and director of music division at Boston Conservatory

“One of my parents’ deepest fears, I suspect, is that society would not properly value me as a musician, that I wouldn’t be appreciated. I had very good grades in high school, I was good in science and math, and they imagined that as a doctor or a research chemist or an engineer, I might be more appreciated than I would be as a musician. I still remember my mother’s remark when I announced my decision to apply to music school-she said, “You’re WASTING your SAT scores.” On some level, I think, my parents were not sure themselves what the value of music was, what its purpose was. And they LOVED music, they listened to classical music all the time. They just weren’t really clear about its function. So let me talk about that a little bit, because we live in a society that puts music in the “arts and entertainment” section of the newspaper, and serious music, the kind your kids are about to engage in, has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with entertainment, in fact it’s the opposite of entertainment. Let me talk a little bit about music, and how it works.

The first people to understand how music really works were the ancient Greeks. And this is going to fascinate you; the Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of relationships between invisible, internal, hidden objects. Music has a way of finding the big, invisible moving pieces inside our hearts and souls and helping us figure out the position of things inside us. Let me give you some examples of how this works.

One of the most profound musical compositions of all time is the Quartet for the End of Time written by French composer Olivier Messiaen in 1940. Messiaen was 31 years old when France entered the war against Nazi Germany. He was captured by the Germans in June of 1940, sent across Germany in a cattle car and imprisoned in a concentration camp.

He was fortunate to find a sympathetic prison guard who gave him paper and a place to compose. There were three other musicians in the camp, a cellist, a violinist, and a clarinetist, and Messiaen wrote his quartet with these specific players in mind. It was performed in January 1941 for four thousand prisoners and guards in the prison camp. Today it is one of the most famous masterworks in the repertoire.

Given what we have since learned about life in the concentration camps, why would anyone in his right mind waste time and energy writing or playing music? There was barely enough energy on a good day to find food and water, to avoid a beating, to stay warm, to escape torture-why would anyone bother with music? And yet-from the camps, we have poetry, we have music, we have visual art; it wasn’t just this one fanatic Messiaen; many, many people created art. Why? Well, in a place where people are only focused on survival, on the bare necessities, the obvious conclusion is that art must
be, somehow, essential for life. The camps were without money, without hope, without commerce, without recreation, without basic respect, but they were not without art. Art is part of survival; art is part of the human spirit, an unquenchable expression of who we are. Art is one of the ways in which we say, “I am alive, and my life has meaning.”

On September 12, 2001 I was a resident of Manhattan. That morning I reached a new understanding of my art and its relationship to the world. I sat down at the piano that morning at 10 AM to practice as was my daily routine; I did it by force of habit, without thinking about it. I lifted the cover on the keyboard, and opened my music, and put my hands on the keys and took my hands off the keys. And I sat there and thought, does this even matter? Isn’t this completely irrelevant? Playing the piano right now, given what happened in this city yesterday, seems silly, absurd, irreverent, pointless. Why am I here? What place has a musician in this moment in time? Who needs a piano player right now? I was completely lost.

And then I, along with the rest of New York, went through the journey of getting through that week. I did not play the piano that day, and in fact I contemplated briefly whether I would ever want to play the piano again. And then I observed how we got through the day.

At least in my neighborhood, we didn’t shoot hoops or play Scrabble. We didn’t play cards to pass the time, we didn’t watch TV, we didn’t shop, we most certainly did not go to the mall. The first organized activity that I saw in New York, that same day, was singing. People sang. People sang around fire houses, people sang “We Shall Overcome”. Lots of people sang America the Beautiful. The first organized public event that I remember was the Brahms Requiem, later that week, at Lincoln Center, with the New York Philharmonic. The first organized public expression of grief, our first
communal response to that historic event, was a concert. That was the beginning of a sense that life might go on. The US Military secured the airspace, but recovery was led by the arts, and by music in particular, that very night.

From these two experiences, I have come to understand that music is not part of “arts and entertainment” as the newspaper section would have us believe. It’s not a luxury, a lavish thing that we fund from leftovers of our budgets, not a plaything or an amusement or a pass time. Music is a basic need of human survival. Music is one of the ways we make sense of our lives, one of the ways in which we express feelings when we have no words, a way for us to understand things with our hearts when we can’t with our minds.

Some of you may know Samuel Barber’s heartwrenchingly beautiful piece Adagio for Strings. If you don’t know it by that name, then some of you may know it as the background music which accompanied the Oliver Stone movie Platoon, a film about the Vietnam War. If you know that piece of music either way, you know it has the ability to crack your heart open like a walnut; it can make you cry over sadness you didn’t know you had. Music can slip beneath our conscious reality to get at what’s really going on inside us the way a good therapist does.

I bet that you have never been to a wedding where there was absolutely no music. There might have been only a little music, there might have been some really bad music, but I bet you there was some music. And something very predictable happens at weddings-people get all pent up with all kinds of emotions, and then there’s some musical moment where the action of the wedding stops and someone sings or plays the flute or something. And even if the music is lame, even if the quality isn’t good, predictably 30 or 40 percent of the people who are going to cry at a wedding cry a couple of moments after the music starts. Why? The Greeks. Music allows us to move
around those big invisible pieces of ourselves and rearrange our insides so that we can express what we feel even when we can’t talk about it. Can you imagine watching Indiana Jones or Superman or Star Wars with the dialogue but no music? What is it about the music swelling up at just the right moment in ET so that all the softies in the audience start crying at exactly the same moment? I guarantee you if you showed the movie with the music stripped out, it wouldn’t happen that way. The Greeks: Music is the understanding of the relationship between invisible internal objects.

I’ll give you one more example, the story of the most important concert of my life. I must tell you I have played a little less than a thousand concerts in my life so far. I have played in places that I thought were important. I like playing in Carnegie Hall; I enjoyed playing in Paris; it made me very happy to please the critics in St. Petersburg. I have played for people I thought were important; music critics of major newspapers, foreign heads of state. The most important concert of my entire life took
place in a nursing home in Fargo, ND, about 4 years ago.

I was playing with a very dear friend of mine who is a violinist. We began, as we often do, with Aaron Copland’s Sonata, which was written during World War II and dedicated to a young friend of Copland’s, a young pilot who was shot down during the war. Now we often talk to our audiences about the pieces we are going to play rather than providing them with written program notes. But in this case, because we began the concert with this piece, we decided to talk about the piece later in the program and to just come out and play the music without explanation.

Midway through the piece, an elderly man seated in a wheelchair near the front of the concert hall began to weep. This man, whom I later met, was clearly a soldier-even in his 70’s, it was clear from his buzz-cut hair, square jaw and general demeanor that he had spent a good deal of his life in the military. I thought it a little bit odd that someone would be moved to tears by that particular movement of that particular piece, but it wasn’t the first time I’ve heard crying in a concert and we went on with the
concert and finished the piece.

When we came out to play the next piece on the program, we decided to talk about both the first and second pieces, and we described the circumstances in which the Copland was written and mentioned its dedication to a downed pilot. The man in the front of the audience became so disturbed that he had to leave the auditorium. I honestly figured that we would not see him again, but he did come backstage afterwards, tears and all, to explain himself.

What he told us was this: “During World War II, I was a pilot, and I was in an aerial combat situation where one of my team’s planes was hit. I watched my friend bail out, and watched his parachute open, but the Japanese planes which had engaged us returned and machine gunned across the parachute chords so as to separate the parachute from the pilot, and I watched my friend drop away into the ocean, realizing that he was lost. I have not thought about this for many years, but during that first piece of music you played, this memory returned to me so vividly that it was as though I was reliving it. I didn’t understand why this was happening, why now, but then when you came out to explain that this piece of music was written to commemorate a lost pilot, it was a little more than I could handle. How does the music do that? How did it find those feelings and those memories in me?

Remember the Greeks: music is the study of invisible relationships between internal objects. This concert in Fargo was the most important work I have ever done. For me to play for this old soldier and help him connect, somehow, with Aaron Copland, and to connect their memories of their lost friends, to help him remember and mourn his friend, this is my work. This is why music matters.

What follows is part of the talk I will give to this year’s freshman class when I welcome them a few days from now. The responsibility I will charge your sons and daughters with is this: “If we were a medical school, and you were here as a med student practicing appendectomies, you’d take your work very seriously because you would imagine that some night at two AM someone is going to waltz into your emergency room and you’re going to have to save their life. Well, my friends, someday at 8 PM someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft.

You’re not here to become an entertainer, and you don’t have to sell yourself. The truth is you don’t have anything to sell; being a musician isn’t about dispensing a product, like selling used Chevies. I’m not an entertainer; I’m a lot closer to a paramedic, a firefighter, a rescue worker. You’re here to become a sort of therapist for the human soul, a spiritual version of a chiropractor, physical therapist, someone who works with our insides to see if they get things to line up, to see if we can come into harmony with ourselves and be healthy and happy and well.

Frankly, ladies and gentlemen, I expect you not only to master music; I expect you to save the planet. If there is a future wave of wellness on this planet, of harmony, of peace, of an end to war, of mutual understanding, of equality, of fairness, I don’t expect it will come from a government, a military force or a corporation. I no longer even expect it to come from the religions of the world, which together seem to have brought us as much war as they have peace. If there is a future of peace for humankind, if there is to be an understanding of how these invisible, internal things should fit together, I expect it will come from the artists, because that’s what we
do.

As in the concentration camp and the evening of 9/11, the artists are the ones who might be able to help us with our internal, invisible lives.”

BloG #30: Official Launch of Alpine Road Publishing

2009-01-21T01:57:00.011-07:00

Given the new spirit of change and re-direction in the air, JavaMusiK is taking this opportunity to roll out a new direction as well.

In response to repeated requests, one of our stated goals has been to release transcriptions of my music compositions as they become available. Recently, this has become a priority that we are working hard to chip away at. When I play live, we always get requests for written versions of the music, so we realize it can help increase our market share considerably, thus improving our bottom line. So, here it is!

Our newest subsidiary is officially being launched to handle the printed works associated with our music. Alpine Road Publishing will primarily be involved in the marketing and distribution of written music transcriptions recorded on JavaMusiK as well as other written works. Presently, two transcriptions are completed and more will be finished soon.

Our publishing is being handled by two online outlets:

1. Alpine Road Publishing at lulu.com. All written works will be available here, as well as recordings of any pieces to be distributed.

2. Alpine Road Publishing at sibeliusmusic.com. Music transcriptions are written on Sibelius software, so this site hosts the originals directly from the software, as opposed to pdf versions hosted and distributed elsewhere. A free download of Scorch software will need to be downloaded from the site to preview transcriptions.

In retrospect,this brings JavaMusiK into a new and exciting direction. Up to this point, the JavaMusiK umbrella has consisted of:

1. JavaMusiK, which is primarily concerned with the marketing and distribution of the recorded works (and merchandise) of Jeff Van Devender.

2. JMK Ceremony Music, responsible for providing live music for various occasions.

Now, we officially add:
3. Alpine Road Publishing, responsible for marketing & distribution of all written works associated with JavaMusiK &/or and of it's subsidiaries.

Please consider helping support our ventures by purchasing a product. Links to all of our products can be accessed at www.JavaMusiK.com.

Links for 2009-06-11 [del.icio.us]

2009-06-12T00:00:00-07:00

The Awakening - Sheet Music - Lulu.com
Transcription of JavaMusiK artist Jeff Van Devender's very first composition, The Awakening. Originally composed as a Music Theory project in college, The Awakening was eventually used in Van Devender's wedding when his bride to be walked down the aisle. Just over 20 years later, it is finally available for purchase as a published piece. Just over 10 years previous to publishing, it was released on the JavaMusiK cd, Ascend.

BloG #29: An Exercise In Futility? Or...

2008-11-28T23:58:00.005-07:00

Twas the night after Thanksgiving when all through the west,
Not a creature was stirring - not even a guest.

The tryptophan was settled in our bellies with care,
In hopes that college football soon would be there...

Unfortunately, Nebraska pulled one away from Colorado today, but these days the University of Colorado football program has not given the casual fan much to cheer about, other than remaining somewhat controversy-free for a couple years now. In terms of finding something to be thankful for, I guess that would be it for CU football. At least it appears Iowa will be bowl-bound. What a way to finish their regular season with a 55-0 trouncing over Minnesota!! Way-to-go Hawkeyes!!!

As for other things beyond college football, I am thankful to have finally had family to celebrate a Colorado Thanksgiving with for once. This is a new thing, after all the years I have lived in Colorado with my wife & daughters. We joined my mother & cousin for a beautiful dinner in Longmont, then enjoyed shopping & the Christmas Parade in Estes Park the next evening before consuming Thanksgiving leftovers at our Timeshare in Estes.

As mentioned in a previous blog, 2008 has been a year of much change for me & the changes keep coming! This weekend will mark the end of an era for me, to be immediately followed by a new one. Every Sunday for the last 5 - 7 years, I have been playing piano/organ for 2 churches in the Colorado Roaring Fork Valley. 5 years at one church & 7 years at the other.

After this Sunday, I will be changing churches. A mentor, whom I owe a debt of gratitude for inspiring me to take on such a ministry, is retiring at the church I previously attended. Big shoes to fill & while I can never replace her, I hope to at least fulfill and continue the inspiring music ministry that has been such a tradition at this church.

This move comes with mixed emotions. While I am excited at the new prospects from moving to a bigger church and the potential opportunities, I grieve the loss of what has become a family to me at the church I am leaving. I have learned from past experience that leaving a positive relationship can be painful and sometimes leave you full of regret.

The church I am leaving has been extremely good to me for the 5 years I have been there and while I leave them with no regrets, I am mindful that they may be without a full replacement for awhile. Changing teaching assignments earlier this year actually resulted in a similar situation. And in the last 2 weeks, I have had to choose between the two schools I am currently teaching at. Very soon, I will be only teaching at one of those schools, due to rapid growth and addition of a new music teaching position.

I am finding myself needing to make choices quickly and consider what may ultimately offer me the most bang for my own buck. Having been burned in the process more than once, I move forward on these choices with a slight degree of trepidation. People, including myself & my family, are affected by what I choose and I am highly mindful of that.

On another note, I am excited about losing 25 lbs since summer and looking forward to losing 25 more before next summer. The key for me has been to go slow & steady. I seem to have stumbled upon a couple changes in lifestyle that are helping to push back the years of punishment that I had been previously placing on my system. Primarily, replacing a singular bad dietary choice with a much better one.

Time will tell whether all the changes I have plowed through this year will ultimately be positive or another exercise in futility and self-destruction, as with previous attempts at throwing caution to the wind. Meanwhile, I prefer to think my father has had a hand in some of the positive changes for me this year after losing him to complications from cancer. I know it may sound crazy & a bit out there, but it helps me to move on & begin to accept his premature loss.

If you have read this post this far, I want to apologize for taking such precious time from your otherwise productive day. While this writing is my own exercise in finding a voice in text, you are by no means obligated to suffer through reading such an exercise. But if you did, you have both my congratulations and condolences. =)

-blessings,

Jeff

BloG #28: Ch,Ch,Ch,Ch,Changes

2008-10-08T01:02:00.004-06:00

So a couple weeks ago I'm driving home from Denver, passing through New Castle, CO when suddenly a bright ball of fire with a very prominent green tail falls from the sky. The tail stretched and lingered across the horizon of the western sky from ground level to above the top of my windshield. Very impressive!

Also potentially kind of cosmic, considering a couple of factors involving my current state of affairs. After 17 years of teaching, I just started a new teaching position in 2 schools in New Castle. And now, after 10 years living in Rifle, we are moving to New Castle within the month.

Was this a sign? Or merely coincidence? Whatever way it is taken, it was the most remarkable meteor I have ever seen. As one who frequently takes a walk late at night, I have seen my fair share.

Tonight, I made a point to watch the presidential debate, as many people did. Supposedly, this year's theme seems to be all about 'change' with both major party candidates. I question that when they both come from inside the beltway, but I digress...

I seem to be doing my part this year in working with that theme. Enough so that as I was reflecting during my walk tonight, I began to wonder if I should maybe seek counseling to maintain some sort of sanity through all this 'change' currently taking place in my own life.?.. nah!

The year 2008 seemed to start normal enough. Aside from being voted to serve a second term as a district rep to the music educators state assembly, nothing out of the ordinary... until April.

Exactly 2 weeks after a visit with my parents in Iowa, my father's soul left his broken body from complications related to cancer. He was only 70 years old. Previously that evening, my mother & I were discussing the options she was going to have to pursue that next day as he had reached the point where extra care was becoming necessary.

During my last visit, I helped drive him to Des Moines for his daily radiation treatments for a few days. Not fully grasping that these drives would be our final moments together, I now feel blessed that we did get to spend some time alone together to visit and share. It is quite overwhelming to reflect on that time at this point and realize the life closure that was taking place over those three days we spent together in the car. Things that were both said and left unsaid keep passing through my mind, as I'm sure will continue to happen for awhile until perspective can eventually clarify as it often does once enough time & distance have taken their course.

Continuing with the 'change' theme for this year, I accepted an aforementioned job offer. Conditions beyond my control forced me to either bite the bullet financially or seek alternative avenues. Aside from a few bumps in the road, this particular change has been a very positive one for me and my family.

The next change to take place was my finally completing the masters degree program of study. The last year was devoted to preparing my thesis project and lecture demonstration recital. The process was a great learning experience, but one I don't care to repeat any time soon. The upside was my getting to spend some time with my mother as I was wrapping up the project for six weeks this summer. I think that was good for both of us, after losing Dad two months earlier. Coffee-time with Dad's friends was also therapeutic in it's own way.

Earlier in the year during a research phase of my masters project, I spent some extended time with my cousin due to his proximity to University of Colorado. As an aside, he has been experiencing his own version of change this year in the form of divorce proceedings, and is now a new Colorado resident in addition to that fracture. Back to the topic at hand, my graduation felt like a great release and I was greatly relieved to be finished! Another positive change.

At about the same time as graduation took place, we closed on an upgraded summer home in Lake Geneva, WI. During my summertime studies in Chicago the last few years, my family has resided in Lake Geneva where they could be near and with family along with a beautiful lake and upscale community. Our new place will make future stays a bit more comfortable. Again, change that is positive.

Finally, 2008 is closing with our family preparing to move after 10 years in our current residence. We have found a house that is bigger, newer and in a nicer neighborhood. It will be walking distance for my commute to work. I look forward to completing this change and am anticipating another positive.

As you can see, much significant change. Much of it positive. Losing a parent is a tough one to swallow and I only wish Dad could have stuck around long enough to see some of the other changes that we experienced. He would have appreciated many of them.

I worry about what type of 'change' our two candidates are really thinking of despite whatever it is they are saying they mean. Much seems to have gone wrong lately, but we also have a lot to be thankful for. I just hope whatever 'change' these guys are envisioning is not detrimental to our quality of life we all take for granted.

The falling star I saw on that drive home just happened to take place as I was passing through the community where my new job is and new home will be. I have made many mis-steps throughout my life, some which I have never forgiven myself for. I can only hope that this was possibly a sign being sent to me that the recent changes I've been in the midst of on a personal level are indeed positive for the long run. Time will tell, I guess. As for that counseling idea mentioned above.?.. Get real! =)

Links for 2008-09-20 [del.icio.us]

2008-09-21T00:00:00-07:00

Route 451
A composition by Jeff Van Devender recorded in 2002 on The JavaMusiK Label cd Bending Chords. Available on iTunes. Search under Jeffrey van D. www.JavaMusiK.com www.soundclick.com/javamusik www.cdbaby.com/javamusik

BloG #27: Route 451 on YouTube

2008-09-20T18:14:00.003-06:00

We're finally in the YouTube age here at JavaMusiK. Route 451 is posted here if the video doesn't play from this page.

Blog #26: My Personal Educational Mission is Complete!

2008-08-11T01:55:00.002-06:00

July 26, 2008 - I walked across the stage and was officially awarded my Masters of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago at Orchestra Hall, home of The Chicago Symphony.

After 3 intense summers of study and time secluded away from family, the moment & feeling of finally being finished and receiving the diploma was literally indescribable. The only thing that could have made the day any better would have been to have my father there.

Unfortunately that was not to be, due to his passing April 11 - 15 weeks prior. I know he was there in spirit. Dad left a huge footprint in the field of instrumental music education. He achieved his masters degree at a much earlier point in his life than I. His success and impact upon others as a music educator now serves as a burning inspiration for me to strive for more excellence in my efforts. I can honestly say I haven't always been able to offer such a perspective. He set a great example.

Thankfully, I was honored to have the 4 most important people in my life present on that day. My mother, wife and daughters were all there to celebrate that day with me.

I have learned that they don't just give these things away. The saying goes, "If they did give them away, everyone would have one." As much as I cursed the process nearly every step of the way, I truly feel like something got accomplished here in the end. Now, I guess I need to see if I can put it to any use. lol!

Meanwhile, July 26, 2008 was truly a day I will never forget!!!