Mike Rittenhouse
08-19-2003, 12:39 PM
"Chris Milillo" <drums@bestweb.net> wrote in message
news:bhsik3$c1f$1@bob.news.rcn.net...
> Yo, Mike! It HAS been a while! How're things?
>
> CM
Things are basically good... did jazz trios on Carnival ships for 3 years.
It was a good gig for me at the time, steady, easy money, and the fringe
benefits! Women from around the world, free 24 hour bacon, cheap alcohol
and cigarettes, the opportunity to see a big part of the world. It was a
good escape. I can now say "How's it goin eh?" in 13 different languages,
and "I love you!" in about 7 or more... the musical experiences were both
good and bad. Met many great musicians from all over the world and
travelled to their home countries in my off time, made some contacts which
are still going around for me now. However, I do feel in many ways it was
bad for my musical soul being on the ships that long, and I am in a process
of recovery from that. I haven't quite figured it all out. My playing has
changed.
For the last 7 months I have been touring Canada with a large circus,
playing some venues I had only dreamed of before. In a couple weeks I'll be
back at Skydome in Toronto for our season's end. We have a good band with
some great players... mostly pop, rock and latin music, and I've found it to
be a very challenging new skill to learn(a work in progress every show). I
have a big responsibility to hit shots and changes with the various
performers acts, while still watching the conductor, and trying to make
musical sense of some very unmusical punctuations. To tell the truth, it's
pretty hard, both physically and mentally. At the start I was being drained
of all my energy and concentration, but I've got some pretty good road chops
together now. I can hardly wait to do some shows wearing jeans and a
t-shirt!!
Other than that, I moved out of the city to a 65 acre apple farm, learned
how to turn my phone off and I'm learning to enjoy my down time. I have a
wonderful girlfriend from Lithuania(one of the dangers of international
travel!), and she's here with me now. Life is basically good. Anyone want
some apple pie? Apple juice? Apples with a side of apples? I wonder if I
can make apple moonshine....
news:bhsik3$c1f$1@bob.news.rcn.net...
> Yo, Mike! It HAS been a while! How're things?
>
> CM
Things are basically good... did jazz trios on Carnival ships for 3 years.
It was a good gig for me at the time, steady, easy money, and the fringe
benefits! Women from around the world, free 24 hour bacon, cheap alcohol
and cigarettes, the opportunity to see a big part of the world. It was a
good escape. I can now say "How's it goin eh?" in 13 different languages,
and "I love you!" in about 7 or more... the musical experiences were both
good and bad. Met many great musicians from all over the world and
travelled to their home countries in my off time, made some contacts which
are still going around for me now. However, I do feel in many ways it was
bad for my musical soul being on the ships that long, and I am in a process
of recovery from that. I haven't quite figured it all out. My playing has
changed.
For the last 7 months I have been touring Canada with a large circus,
playing some venues I had only dreamed of before. In a couple weeks I'll be
back at Skydome in Toronto for our season's end. We have a good band with
some great players... mostly pop, rock and latin music, and I've found it to
be a very challenging new skill to learn(a work in progress every show). I
have a big responsibility to hit shots and changes with the various
performers acts, while still watching the conductor, and trying to make
musical sense of some very unmusical punctuations. To tell the truth, it's
pretty hard, both physically and mentally. At the start I was being drained
of all my energy and concentration, but I've got some pretty good road chops
together now. I can hardly wait to do some shows wearing jeans and a
t-shirt!!
Other than that, I moved out of the city to a 65 acre apple farm, learned
how to turn my phone off and I'm learning to enjoy my down time. I have a
wonderful girlfriend from Lithuania(one of the dangers of international
travel!), and she's here with me now. Life is basically good. Anyone want
some apple pie? Apple juice? Apples with a side of apples? I wonder if I
can make apple moonshine....