All of us knew Don to love music and definitely The Beatles and Journey, just to name two. In fact, the previous Christmas  (2008) I had given him a photograph that I had taken in Prague, Czech Republic at the John Lennon wall where people would post phrases from his songs relating to freedom. It was supposed to have been framed and hung in his music studio in his basement.

The other thing that he was well known for was his love of music gear. He was a gear geek to say the least. I had never seen so much stuff chained together in as many years of being in music. Part of that love affair was his love for Gibson Les Paul electric guitars and their superiority to other brands. Along with the guitars, Don also had a large assortment of amplifiers such as Bogner, Mesa Boogie, Vox, and Fender. There were many Thursday nights where I could not keep up with what was extra and what was actually his. Ebay was his ultimate store of choice for vintage music equipment. It was unfortunate, but just before Don passed, he had just gotten his guitar rig redone and tweaked to the way he wanted it.

When it came to lessons with Don, they were something unlike any other teaching method I had been exposed to over the 30 years or so that I have been studying music. Don did not use traditional instruction books, rather, he used what we were accustomed to and that was music. Aside from the mechanics of scales, Don taught by introducing skills by using tracks from LPs and CDs that used those methods. What was amazing about Don was his ability to listen to a  track and transcribe it almost instantaneously by ear.

Those of us who were blessed to actually get to know “The Man” miss him, his personality, and his music. Knowing Don was an incredible “Journey” and to “Let it Be” that he will remain in the hearts of many as a mentor, teacher, and friend.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=barLaHrtvoM

For those of us who are gifted with musical talent (instrumental or vocal), one of the greatest gifts that can be shared during the holidays is music. Whether it be recorded or live, there is something special about being able to perform a musical number for those we enjoy being around. And now with the plethora of recording gear options available on the market, it is now feasible to create a simple recording easily and quickly.

In order to produce and distribute a personal album in time for the holidays, the time to start thinking is now. (This is why I decided to write this post now rather than later in the year.) A plan needs to be thought out so that all the songs can be picked (or written), recorded, manufactured, and distributed. For instance, by the end of August, all the songs should be recorded. September and October should be the time to actually do the post-production work. In November, the final master should duplicated either by you or sent out to a company such as Discmakers which offers short-run duplication services. If you’re dealing with people who are very up with the times, you may opt to distribute it digitally in AAC or MP3 format. But overall, by December the whole process should be finished.

If this project becomes a yearly tradition, you will find that producing the album becomes easier as your repertoire of material will become greater allowing you to just pick from a library and rearrange the order of tracks. Of course, you may want to record some new material each year to offer something fresh each year.

So, if you’re looking for that special gift at the end of the year to give to your friends and family, think about making your own holiday album. It actually may become that item that your recipients wait for unlike the dreaded dry fruit cake.

One of the things that I did like about Jackson’s music was that it was moving and also had a message that was universal. Most of his songs called us all together to work toward a common good.  In a time when we tend more to think about ourselves, it is important to be reminded that we can change the way the world is by working together.

On the performing side, Michael did make a very large contribution to the way in which we were entertained by the use of dance on stage. Still to this very day, many of the moves that Michael introduced in the “Thriller” video, are still being used in various renditions in video and stage performances today. Would things be different if we had not had this contribution? Most likely things would be different or just introduced differently by another noteworthy artist.

As it has been stated, Michael Jackson knew what he was doing from the days he was part of the Jackson Five. He had the gift of being able to entertain then when he had to compete with his older siblings on stage. His ability to entertain just increased and improved from then on. He always found a way to improve what had already been accomplished. He always his creative mind employed in what he was doing.

Whether we be “Black or White” the music of Michael Jackson will live on. In fact, we most likely will begin to hear tracks which were previously unreleased. We may find some other great tracks; unfortunately, we will never know what else those tracks would have brought performance wise from the man who was one of the greatest performers of the 20th Century.

Music on the other hand does something unique. It makes connections in the brain that enforce creativity. Without creativity we become dull. Since playing an instrument requires two hands and each hand is controlled by a different side of the brain, music does something else for human development. It establishes bridges in the brain’s synapses for both sides to come together and work in unison. Whatever instrument it may be, whether it be piano, guitar, violin, or the bag pipes, we become better thinkers and creators. Unlike sports, music can be shared and continued well into life’s later years when the ability to actively play sports is behind us.