Chilean Born Irish Musician with an Italian Last Name

Haven't been around in awhile. I should change this.

2010-03-08T22:22:00.003-05:00

I've been very very very bad with updates and keeping some information going on this. I think I'll try and change this.

It seems as though I've been in an interesting funk for the past year. Its been great working as a teacher and being a music director at a school but It has been very musically fulfilling for me. I've taken on a number of private music students that have really fixed that void. I'm happy when working with musicians that have high abilities. Quailty over quantity is the key for me!

In other news I finally made the long awaited trip to my homeland of Chile. It was one of the greatest trips I've ever made and one of the best experiences of my life. Prop's to Laura, a friend of mine from college who is living in Santiago, for helping me out.

Steady Gig!

2008-08-29T11:44:00.003-04:00

I've picked up a steady gig at Jackie Rielly's in Bethpage NY. I ended up playing there on a Tuesday night for about 2 hours. The owner of the pub loved my music and has given me a gig there every thursday night. It looks like I'll be playing from 9-12 at night.

More info to come.

~~Brian C~~

In the world of music

2008-08-25T19:10:00.003-04:00

Being a musician there are a few things you need to do to have a stable carrier. First find a steady music related job. If you consider yourself a musician and work at a pizza place your a musician on your off time.

A second issue you need to cover is continuing your music network. Today I stopped by a music store on my way home from the school I'm teaching at and have a connection with the owner of a music store. Hes going to give my number to people looking for guitar lessons and other guitar needs.

And finally! PERFORM. You need to play at least one day a week somewhere. It can be a church, a pub, a retirement home, a school. It really doesn't matter where as long as there are people there listening to you and it helps you become a better musician.

(More info tomorrow about my classroom)

~~Brian C~~

2008-08-21T23:24:00.003-04:00

I have just completed my official orientation for teaching in a Catholic School on Long Island. It was a very informative and good orientation for people who are teaching in a homeroom...

I'm kind of used to that stuff already. I'm excited and nervous and a whole other bunch of feelings about teaching. I also really want to go get a master's degree so its looking like the one year plan for teaching. Tomorrow is hopefully my last interview/screening for this job. I've had 3 interviews already with the school I'm teaching at now I'm doing a big Diocesisan screening/interview.

Also have a bran spankin new resume which I'll try and find a way to post up here. If you want a copy e-mail me Yabadoodle1486@aol.com

gn

~~Brian C~~

If I can explain myself in one word

2008-08-19T01:02:00.003-04:00

Unproductive

Over the past 2 days I've basically done S@#!. I am slightly nervous about teaching and have been finding some of these resources from the school I'm teaching at less than satisfactory.

I guess the first year you teach anything you kind of have to jump in with a basic plan...

What do I want the students to know after being with me for one year? (good start)
I also really need a school calendar to see what I'll be teaching in relation to school masses and state testing. (kind of important)

Well I will be heading to the school and setting my room up tomorrow. Apparently my beautiful (former computer room with an AC!) is cleared out and ready for me to move in.

I also just got a fantastic computer program called Microsoft Musical Instrument. Its an old come with your computer program from the early 1990's but one of the greatest music instruments software around.

That single program actually made my nerves disappear. Each time I get a good idea or some piece of really good material comes my way I feel a bit better. OHHH I also just found out my favorite Chilean Bakery is about a mile away from the school I'm teaching at. Guess where I'm going to be all the time for lunch!!!!

~~Brian C~~

Morrocan Mint Tea Picture

2008-08-17T17:39:00.003-04:00

I thought I'd throw you a picture of the wonderful Moroccan Mint Tea creation which I'm actually sipping on right now. (I made a new one today) I've changed it a little bit by using honey as a sweetener too.

Also I cant find my camera so I'd like to thank wikipedia for this picture.

Moroccan Mint Tea

2008-08-15T15:00:00.003-04:00

I'm currently enjoying a delicious Moroccan Mint Tea in its Iced variety! Its a great creation from Morocco involving gunpowder green tea, fresh mint, and sugar. When you drink it hot or cold it will actually cool your body down thanks to the delicious fresh mint!

Directions

Heat water (Do NOT bring it to a rolling boil) Water should be steaming.

Put a heaping teaspoon of Gunpowder green tea and about 9 mint leaves in 6-8 ounce cup. (I normally squeeze the mint leaves in my fingers a bit to bruise the leaf also known as breaking down the cell walls. It releases the oils)

Pour hot water into cup. Let steep for 2-3 minutes

I like to strain the tea then incorporate sugar.

Garnish with some extra mint leaves and Enjoy!

P.S. if you want to make it in the iced tea variety let the tea cool down. Or if you just cant wait throw some ice in it.
P.P.S. I'll throw a picture or two up of what it looks like!

The first big "break"

2008-08-15T03:04:00.003-04:00

One day after my first official two hour long gig I decided to begin a blog to explain the process of becoming a working a musician.

First thing you must know about me, to start, is that I live on Long Island in the middle of Nassau County (45 minute train ride to New York City [as a side note having a dad who grew up on the streets of Queens I have learned to consider Manhattan to be 'New York City'... don't start with that 5 borough's crap]).

So here's the quick family story. Mom grew up in a Suburb of Boston (actually the previous owner of the house was the owner of the old Boston Braves). Good old Chief Nock-a-homa! My dad grew up on a farm in southern Italy in a town called Toranto. Apperently his mothers side of the family owned hundreds of acres of land there that got snatched up by the government during WWI. Also apparently my mothers side had a huge amount of money. My great grandmother would have tea with the Kennedy's and had about 1000 people at her wedding. It all dissapeared thanks to the great dipression. (quite dipressing when you really think about)

Now I'll hit you with one of my little saying that I tell to almost everyone who ask me about my herritage. "Well, my mom's Irish.... my dad is litterally off the boat Italian.... and I'm Chilean." Think.... Think.... Think about it.... There's only been one person in my life who figured it out relitively quickly. Yep I was adopted from Chile. (also have 2 other cousins [one is no longer with us] who were adopted from there!)

In my short 22 2/3 year's on the earth been able to get a fantastic elementary and secondary education. I also attend music school to get a Music Ed degree at a somewhat mediocure college. Never the less thanks to some really good private teachers in music (most of them at the college) I'm a trained musician. I studied classical guitar, jazz guitar, choral conducting, instrumental conducting, and singing as my specialties. But about a year back I met this man named Kevin Smith who is a professional Irish Musican on Long Island. With his guidance I've spent over a year performing Irish Pub Music. The songs that arn't so PC. Songs about drinking, Degrading women, beating up English Solders, good fun Irish music......

Now to bring this post all together. Yesturday night I played my first two hour performance at a Church fair. I believe it was a charity performance... but I wouldn't mind a check in the mail. It was a interested situation because I realized I've been performing a style of music that is absoulutely amazing when performing in an Irish Pub. I find I can move people nearly to tears with some of the songs I perform there. But playing at this festival the crowd (crowd meaning people sitting around eating there crappy carnival food) seemed uninterested. I did have many Irish people come up and thank me with the normal i.e. "your fantastic!...I can't believe you sound so good!" things a normal crowd comes and tells you after you perform.

I guess it's the whole issue of knowing your audience. I've been consentrating on one form of music (Irish Pub Music) for over a year and can perform two hours of it well... but when nobody cares about what your singing and playing and working your ASS off for it's extremely unfullfilling. I think this calls for a bigger picture of songs for me to perform. Mabey some Beatles is a good start. (even thought I really can't stand Paul and Ringo) George was the most educated musician out of all of them. btw Paul cant even read music. btw#2 Pavoratti couldn't read music either so I guess I shouldn't judge.

I think this has been enough for now. I'll probably talk about some of my Chilean cooking in a future post. gn.