Family, Culture and Travel

August 30, 2009
Last week I was in Germany. I was there for ten days for the International Guitar Festival in Hersbruck. There were some fantastic players and teachers there including the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ), Michael Langer and Leo Brouwer. Mr. Brouwer is from Cuba and I studied some of his pieces in college and I was most excited to see him. His compositions for guitar have really moved the guitar into new and exciting territory.
After the festival, I went with some family to Schwabach where the Hüttlingers have history dating back five hundred years! We toured the city, saw great art, met other Hüttlingers, met with the Bürgermeister, and made lots of new friends. I suppose we all wonder, at some point in our lives, where we come from. And we got the chance to trace more of our history than most folks get to do. The trip to Schwabach was one of the highlights of my life.

Today I am in Anchorage, Alaska. I'm really not one who likes to go to McDonald's or Burger King or Applebee's or any other chain restaurant. When I go somewhere I want to discover some local flavor, culture, people. I can go to those places and I could be anywhere in the world because they are all the same. (Not to mention the food isn't that great and generally not good for you). So I searched high and low this morning for a local breakfast. While driving around I noticed lots of small music stores. I probably saw five different stores where you can rent band instruments, buy guitars, get instruments repaired. It was so great to see Mom and Pop stores still exist. No Guitar Center or other big chains selling dozens and dozens of exactly the same thing... I finally found a little diner/restaurant called Harley's. The food was fresh and made to order. Bacon and eggs... I know, I know - We can buy that stuff anywhere. But I'm in Alaska and I wanted it cooked and served by Alaskans in a local diner. Not a corporate owned place. I ate too much and loved every bite. Read the local paper, chatted with the waitress, watched other locals come and go. It was great... Now if Delta Airlines didn't want so much darned money for baggage ($20 1st bag, $30 2nd bag and a whopping $125 for my 3rd bag [the fishing gear]) I'd be going fishing before I start teaching at Acoustic Alaska tomorrow. Instead, I'll take a drive and take some photos. No worries, I'm in Alaska and I'm going to have fun!

RIP Les Paul

August 13, 2009

Today is a sad day. Les Paul died. He was 94 years old. Everyone who loves music owes an awful lot to Les Paul. May he rest in peace...

Joke of the Day

August 4, 2009

Joke Of The Day--- Want to know why I put up a joke of the day on my web site? Jokes are like a fine wine - one glass just won't do and neither will one joke. They are also like good music... you wouldn't say "Beethoven's 9th? Heard it. Let's hear something new." So why should a joke be any different. I grew up in a family with a very funny mom. She loved jokes of all kinds --- as long as they were clean jokes. She made up many of her own jokes and wrote them down on 3x5 cards (which I still have to this day), kept them in a file and was always ready at a moments notice to pull one out and lift us up if we were having a bad day. She would recite them at dinner, write one down and put it in my lunch box, or tell them to friends on the phone at night. She had books of jokes where she earmarked, highlighted and copied many of her favorites. I love to read through them still. She like Word Jokes or Situation Jokes, she didn't really discriminate when it came to good humor. I can still see her with a big glass of coffee (not a cup!) and her pack of Pall Mall non-filter cigarettes sitting in the big Easy Chair (ever heard of a Diffucilt Chair? Me neither.) talking to friends on the phone. She helped lots people through problems in their lives and all the while kept a great sense of humor. One time, after a particularly tragic death in our family, we were in New York staying the night with family. A few of us were outside lamenting, grieving, crying, telling stories --- just getting through it. Mom came out and sat down on the grass with her pack of Pall Malls and a bunch of 3x5 cards. She started in with jokes and before long we were on the grass with her laughing so hard that we were doubled over and holding our stomachs in pain. During her final years (she passed away in 2000 from emphysema... Pall Mall non-filter) she and I would speak on the phone on Saturday mornings. "How are you." "Fine." "Oh good, honey. I'm so happy for you." "Are you taking your meds?" Yes dear, I am..." The conversation would always turn to Mom saying --- "Hey, I've got a good one for you. If you've heard this one before, don't stop me." The terrible and terribly funny part is that she had such a hard time breathing and would get herself laughing so hard that we would have to hang up and finish the call (joke) later in the day after Mom had caught her breath. Many members of my family like jokes. A few don't. But we've got such a large extended family that it's really like a cross-section of humanity and that means that some folks like 'em and some don't. I can tell a joke at a family event and some of the family will be in tears with laughter and wome will be wondering what is going on. I remember at one family reunion my Uncle Mike stood up and told a very long and involved joke. There were lots and lots of us sitting around listening to his performance. He can really tell a good one and have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. He hit the punch line and the house erupted with laughter. I've always remembered that day and the feeling of joy at a house full of people laughing. I've always liked jokes but as I get older I see that part of it is that I'm just basically good-natured and partly that I enjoy laughing. But these days I'm reminded of my youth and that's not such a bad thing... when it comes to the funny parts. So that's why I put up a Joke Of The Day (Updated weekly!) on the website. They aren't all good but neither is all wine...