SNOWTF? Pt. 3

There seems to have been quite a lot of "SNOWTF" going on recently. School was canceled today, and unfortunately so was enrichment, which was what I hoped to do instead of school (Ballroom Dancing!!). But alas, I'm just chilling in front of the fire and around the house, hoping not to have anything to do with snow. Also, this week has been appointed the WEEK OF SKIP, due to the excessive absences of me and a couple of my friends. Band practice was also canceled do to unnaturally and unnecessarily large amounts of precipitation. Fortunately, I have a recording studio in my snow-free basement, and if you have a recording studio you don't need a band!! Getting to work!!!

SNOWTF Pt. 2!!

ITS SNOWING AGAIN!! Now we cannot go outside or do anything useful besides sitting around and jamming all day. Oh well....

The Week of FAIL

Happy week of fail everybody! I hope you all had a good time, regardless of whether or not you actually realized that you were all in the midst of a great fail week. But looking back, I'm sure you will know what I'm talking about. In honor of the impending conclusion of this failful, failicious, failative week, I have prepared a list, in some sort of approximate order, of the great fails of the week. Don't Fail to ENJOY!

Monday
1. Gym Class selection fail! (weight Lifting)
2. Sarah Palin fail
3. Day of the week fail
4. Falling asleep in class fail....twice
5. Failure to keep a tempo
6. Failure to waltz

Tuesday
7. John McCain FAIL!!!
8. Prop 8 Fail
9. CNN hologram fail
10. Playoff date fail
11. Champagne fail
12. Hair Fail


Wednesday
13. Trying not to fail FAIL
14. Parachuting man FAIL
15. Baseball player fail
16. EPIC PLAY REHEARSAL FAIL
a. Flower drop fail
b. Failure to waltz, again
c. Uncontrollable laughter fail
d. Distraction fail

Thursday
17. Going to wrong class fail
18. Chemistry lab FAIL!
19. More sleeping in class fail
20. Speling an gramar fail..
21. Internet fail

Friday
22. Time of day fail
23. Football FAIL!
24. Memory fail
25. Football on TV fail
26. Thursday fail
27. French fail
28. Wet turf fail
29. Cell fail
30. 34-14 fail
31. Watching the director fail
32. Stand music fail
33. Kevin dancing fail
34. Late bus fail
35. Attempting to waltz fail...again.

Saturday
36. HOLY CRAP ITS MIDNIGHT FAIL!!!
37. Raking fail
38. Wet hair fail
39. Sister fail
40. High School Musical FAIL!
Act 1
a) Cheerleader Fail
b) Staging Fail
c) Backdrop fail
d) Offstage Mic fail
e) Guitar fail
f) Bad aim fail
g) Intermission fail
Act 2
h) Curtain fail
i) hand-holding fail
j) Choice of song fail
k) Tambourine fail
l) Tempo fail
m) Piano fail
n) Backdrop fail pt. II
o) Line fail
p) Karaoke CD fail
q) Mallet fail
Cast Party
r) Seating fail
s) Cappy & Jayme fail
t) Entrance fail
u) Jonny Rick fail
v) Noise pollution fail
w) Video fail
x) Hardcore show fail

SNOWTF????

Alright everybody, prepare yourselves. So I get up this morning much earlier than usual and get downstairs before anybody else, open up the front door and what do I see? There is snow on the lawn! Like a whole lot! It was perfectly fine the night before! And all day it gets colder and whiter and worser and....ahhhh! Halloween is tomorrow for us. So I fall to my knees and beg for mercy from the good lord, yelling "WHAT IS THIS CRAP???"


This is us right now.

Check out my Bass-ment photosynth!

The photosynth program is Microsoft's method of giving you a whole new way to think about digital photography. This system combines many photographs into what is nearly a 3D model of a subject, room, or landscape. There is plenty to say about it, but I would rather you just look at my very first photosynth! This is my basement, the room in which I do all my music. Enjoy!

Q Cubed double feature!!

Exhibit A: A list of words that Sutter uses all the time in writing, even though he can't spell them.

Althogh
Rediculous
especally
evidentlly
obivously
Preformance
ocasionaly
Magnanimous (not really)
neccesarily
hilarios


Exhibit B: A really awesome, entirely unrelated vedio. Enjoy!

Its all my fault

I am not entirely sure how this came about, but a couple of my friends decided that this month is "Blame Sutter Month", and came up with a highly inventive list of things that I should be blamed for. I was so greatly amused by this that I decided to post it. My own personal additions are in Italics. Enjoy!

Stuff I am blamed for

1. Modest mouse not playing around here more often
2. lack of mechanical pencils in Erin’s house
3. snakes on a plane
4. uhn tiss, uhn tiss, uhn tiss
5. Jason Mraz addictions (this could actually be my fault)
6. Jason Mraz rehab centers being non existent
7. Jayme’s recent lack of creativity
8. Bush’s presidency
9. the word “Magnanimous” (I don’t even know what that means)
10. The annoying cut on Jayme’s finger
11. cracks in the sidewalk
12. Erin’s dad snoring on the couch
13. it getting dark at 7 PM
14. it still being dark at 7 AM
15. Global warming
16. The ice age
17. dead wollybear caterpillars on the road
18. rap music
19. dragonforce being popular
20. gangstas , especially white kids who think they are gangsta
21. Jayme getting burned at Vo-tech
22. Stanley Meyer’s circuits not working
23. rednecks
24. Union city people
25. Darfur
26. PETA

26. Bad sushi
27. Country music (What? My girlfriend broke up with me then ran over my dog, and I felt the need to sing about it. Several times.)
28. The Jonas Brothers
29. Miley Cyrus
30. Hitler (Ouch. Definitely not my fault)
31. Drugs
32. Music being expensive
33. the bruise on Erin’s leg
34. Jayme not having clean clothes
35. Dean’s party being cancelled
36. Zune’s being underestimated
1. Jayme’s bad punctuation, as seen above
37. the poor hobos on the street
38. Porn Zune (LOLZ!)
39. No one giving Placebo a chance
40. Justin not calling Jayme back
41. being so damn comfortable (Guilty as charged)
42. Reverse raves ( Katie and Demarius were involved)
43. Erin’s knee being messed up
44. Life being confusing
45. Not having a Starbucks in Meadville
46. Having a Walgreens
47. Jonny Rick calling people “Dear” all the time
48. Losing the game
49. The Rolling Stones being alive still
50. Thirty year old men hitting on Jayme
51. Having two number ‘26’s

This list is dedicated to Jayme and Erin, who blame me for everything. Sorry, guys.

An experience in the band, a coelo usque ad centrum

Friday and Saturday were both very long band days. Although I was hot, tired, and sore by yesterday afternoon ( playing quints rarely makes me sore these days), these beautiful days of music-ness remind a person that they are alive like little else. There is no event quite like a Friday in the Fall, when the leaves start to turn orange and red, a cool breeze blows the subtle scent of pumpkin through the air, and marching band is on the mind. I would be the first to admit that I am not the only person who looks forward to Fridays. Though most simply want to sleep in, I am a person who doesn't hope for Friday because it is pizza day, or because the day after it is Saturday, or because the day after that is Sunday. No, Friday is my day because it is game day. Because it is my day to wear a red band shirt, put on that funny looking hat and white feather plume, to take the field cast in halogen light under the banner of Meadville. One thing I can appreciate about the band it something we have that nobody else has. We have the singular ability to bring down the house, no matter what the weather, who the opponent, or which side the coin may land on. Balls may be dropped, games are won and lost, but the Marching Band always controls the field. And nobody of any skill, no group of any size, no well-funded program or well-paid coaching staff can take that away from us. I hope our team goes to playoffs. Its not looking quite as good now as it did when we were 4-0, but it can certainly still happen. I am sure that it'll be worth the extra practices and slightly longer time commitment to show up at one or two extra games and rally our team, who will quite possibly be the underdogs. Not to mention, the massive scheduling conflicts that the postseason games would involve. So be sure to listen for the drums on Friday night, the eternal heartbeat of the dedicated band geeks who make it worth the 3 dollar entrance fee.

Differences between drums and the rest of the music world

The topic of today's blog post is, I believe, and interesting one. Being in the drumming business for a few years now, I have naturally notice many differences in the musical lives of drummers, from what is required of them to how they are treated. I am sure that most other musicians have at least a couple times thought something like "what is up with those drummers?" or "why are they doing that?", among other things. So I have decided to bring to you this list, as not only a drummer but a musician and a listener. Hopefully, this list will continue to grow as time goes on. Observe, absorb, consider, and enjoy, my friends!

-Drummers have to fight for the main position in a band. Everybody else can sit down easily with several other saxophones, trumpets, violins, or any other instrument and all play at the same time. If you are not the best drummer in the room, you are probably going to be waiting around for a while.

-Drummers have a lot of stuff to worry about. If we are the last ones ready (which is often the case), it is because we are switching instruments, adjusting equipment, and fussing with music.

-Is it your tempo? Nope, its our tempo.

-Everybody can hear the drums. Most other musicians have a safety net of people playing the same thing all around them to cover their mistakes. A drummer plays something entirely different, usually by him/her self, and often quite loudly. Don't mess up.

-The drummer usually has to play the crappiest instrument. All you other musicians can bring your fancy Selmers and Suzukis from home, but we have to deal with some piece of junk somebody donated to the school 20 years ago, and has been overused and unappreciated ever since.

-With the previous note in mind, the main difference between drums and other instruments is that when a drum is broken, you can still play it.

-There is proof that drums is the most awesome instrument. Have you ever heard of anybody who hangs around the woodwind section asking to play their clarinets?

-You can tune a drum to whatever note you want.

-If the drummers are screwing around in the back of band class, its not to make anybody angry or to get attention, but because they have been resting for 67 measures and are bored.

-We gotta improvise. Making up the music is not a form of rebellion or a way to revive a boring piece, but a finely honed skill that is invaluable to drummers everywhere.

-Don't forget about the rest of the rhythm section! The main reason that other rhythm instruments (bass, piano, etc) are so difficult to play is because they sometimes have to improvise like drummers. In the right key.

Some things that non-drummers should know. Important!

- Our instruments are NOT your tables. Tables are cheap. Percussion instruments are expensive.

-You are not a drummer. Lots of people can hit drums. Just because you can hold a stick improperly and read music does not mean you can join the ranks of the elite. Please stop trying.

-We love you guys, but you don't know a darned thing about rhythm. Its okay, if drummers had to learn about pitches and key signatures as well, we might not have learned a darn thing about rhythm either. Just make sure you listen to us.

-Drummers are not born being more awesome than everybody else. We work really hard to earn that right.

- This next note is especially important for marching band. Your instrument weighs about the same as one of our drumsticks. We still stand most of the time (I know I do). Quit complaining.

Twitter Feed on the blog!

So I told you that I could be found on Twitter, remember? Remember? Well I did, and you don't have to take my word for it, because now I have stuck that ol' Twitter feed right onto the blog (hey its better than advertising). So although I have little to write essays about what is going on in my life, I can sure give it to you in 140 characters or less! And while we are at it, you should add Twitter as well! Its good fun and I would love to have some online buddies to send Twitter messages to! And hopefully I'll get back to you with the full blog entries in a couple months when I have time to think/move/eat/sleep

band show

Hooray for the marching band! We rocked the house last night like crazy shiz!! Although the rain forced us to play inside, everybody had gotten there hours early, so we made it work. The drumline was grooving and as loud as it could be in the gym, and there was not a soul in the place who didn't hear us coming. We did some "dirty deeds", and blew the audience away with our exellent musical skill. The drumline feauture "stinkin' garbage" was very successful, and I could not have had it any other way considering how much time we spent on it. Also, props to the trumpet players who ran up in to the audience with their mad solos on "dirty laundry". And there was a crazy fun after-party that could have gone on all night. Thank you to all that came, and long live the band!

Updates- Where to find me!

As you may or may not know, my various endeavors have brought me to many different parts of the web used for communication, and other things. Let me give you an overview, in case you haven't been keeping up.

Facebook & Myspace....
www.myspace.com/SutterStreet

This blog- theQcubed.blogspot.com
Spread the word!

Twitter....
www.twitter.com/SutterH

Instant messengers....

AIM- Xyranne
MSN- quow@alltel.net
Skype- Xyranne
Gmail- X.xZauron

Emails.....
Quow@alltel.net
X.xZauron@gmail.com

My band's Myspace....
www.myspace.com/theconspiracytheory08
(this might change so stay tuned!!)

Spreadshirt shop....
www.ConspiracyTheory.spreadshirt.com

I think that's all.....plenty of reasons to stay in touch!!

Something to remember....dancing in September...Never was a cloudy day

Well, the air smells of fall today, officially marking the beginning of school, and ultimately the end of any reason or opportunity to go outside for the next 6 months. But it could be worse. I have to say that I am actually looking forward to some crunchy leaves, chilly (but not snowy) air, hot apple cider, Halloween parties and Friday night football. Especially Friday night football. The MASH Marching Band is coming off our first 2-0 start in 13 years, and we're going to be working in overdrive this coming week in anticipation of our "Fall Classic" band show on Saturday. Mrs. Manning & Company will be busting out the entire 5-song show with all the frills. If you are in town, I would highly recommend you dropping by. My other endeavor, the home recording studio, is coming along rather well. The band I have gotten together, with the assistance of Jay Byham, has great potential, especially for a band with no name. Once we have decided on a name, there will undoubtedly be some marketing going on. THAT I am looking forward to for sure.

This year.

At least it is better than last year.

last day of summer......

Wow well its the last day of summer and that really went quick. But there was so much awesomeness crammed into it that I believe it would be only fitting to reflect for a moment. Or make a list. That works to.

1 Band camp heck yes! Playing in the drumline is insane
2 Creating Landscapes was the best. I sang an incredible song with Rachel and Jack (love you guys!!) AND John Hyatt taught me how to use his recording equipment.
3 High School Musical. No, seriously. I was invited to play in the pit at the Academy Theater with a couple other guys I knew. Although it caused much chaos being at the same time as Creating Landscapes, it was still a great deal of fun to be rocking out in the pit, and the cast members where very nice!
4 Mo's party! Seriously that was off the hook. And I even remembered my pants.
5 Performing at the creative crust with "the other band" required a great deal of organization skills that I don't actually have, but it was well worth it and a lot of fun.
6 The rain in Maine during my amazing trip to Maine! It did not rain that much, but there was a great deal of kayaking, good food, and hilarity. And a new word.....Fukus!
7 Recording studio YEA!!!
8 Going to a crazy awesome Modest Mouse concert in Pittsburgh with my friend Jayme, then drinking a Vanana milkshake afterwards
9 My sister's Bat Mitzvah, which was inspiring, and the after party, which was crazy stuff!
10 Watching the Olympics, especially Usain Bolt who is my hero