kevincarroll.net

During my time as a student and later as a teacher in the James Hill Ukulele Initiative, I frequently heard the term spiral learning. This immediately clicked and seemed to mirror the shape of my learning path. The concept remained imbedded in my curriculum and content creation over the next decade. Recently, my work with students has been clearly actualizing this abstract idea.

First, some background. Jerome Bruner first brought this concept to the academic world in 1960. If you like infographics, click here. Bruner was an American psychologist who made many significant contributions to cognitive psychology in education. His spiral model has been used in a number of ways by educators. Mostly, I have seen it as a model for creating plans that include “circling back” to skills and knowledge that was previously taught. The return to this curricula allows the student to experience the information with greater detail and depth than they did the first time.

Traditionally, music has been taught with a linearity bordering on oppression. I imagine a Bermuda triangle of Dickensian London of the mid-1800's, the austerity of the American Gothic painting by Grant Wood, and the movie Whiplash as the conveyors of the tone of music teachers. Let's just say, not warm or fuzzy. I'll leave it at that.

For me, ukulele doesn't carry a heavy set of cultural baggage. It's a relatively new instrument. Expectations are at a minimum for learners. This is a golden opportunity for a music teacher. Students can have their own, authentic experience at their own pace if their teacher is in rhythm with them. Learning is generally not compared to something else, but, experienced for its own merits. As I teach many of the same materials over and over again, I become more aware of the multiple levels that are present within them. Even my own content continues to enlighten me over time.

One of the manifestations of the spiral model I have seen lately is in the way a student's fretting hand position evolves over time. At the very beginning, I try to help them play some simple open strings with some fretted notes while learning to read music. For most, thumb position is very foreign. A linear model creates the potential for a power struggle, learning gridlock, and a defeatist atmosphere for students. I try to help them get a taste of the feeling of thumb position and move on to another piece which has a different skill to teach. The short-term spiral brings us back to the last song, which is full of valuable information. The long-term spiral could occur when a student has worked on 10 songs and skills and comes back to the first one. Sometimes, I notice students feeling like “I can't remember what was hard about this.” They can now use their thumb much better and that allows them to explore the details of tone and timing to a greater level. This validates their effort in learning and helps them trust the process, so to speak. Sometimes, these learning successes are coming to a person who has studied music for decades without making this breakthrough. Sometimes, these small epiphanies tilt the scales of learning in such a way that a student now can imagine learning something previously deemed unreachable in their lives. 

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

Start 2024 on a Blue Note…..

Blue notes are the expressive tones found between any 2 keys on a piano. Western music has selected 12 tones per octave, but, these in-between blue notes add mystery, depth, character and emotion to music. Stringed instruments, like the ukulele and guitar, can bend these notes in ways similar to vocalists. This evocative approach is prevalent in blues and jazz. There are two golden opportunities to study these notes and others with me in early 2024. 

Ukulele Blues Club

There are still a few seats available in this one-of-a-kind offering. This class will meet once per month (2nd Wednesdays) online for 2 hours. Materials will drop a day or so before each class. We will dig deep into the elements of blues music which has spawned so many genres. Jazz, rock'n'roll, country and hip-hop are among the children of the blues. This is a great class for beginners, intermediate and advanced players. There will be substantial overview of various blues forms, in addition to, differentiated arrangements of specific songs from artists like Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Johnson, Memphis Minnie, Bessie Smith and many more. Early bird pricing has been extended. More details are below. Please join for a year of fun, learning and BLUES!

10th Annual edUKEcation Workshops

Ukulele Jazz Band: Kind of Blue

Miles Davis' album Kind of Blue is the best-selling record in jazz history, has been called the Citizen Kane of jazz, and is as vital today as it was when released 66 years ago. Heralded as a new direction in American music, these tracks are full of moody, modal, majestic magic. This 3-day in-person workshop will deconstruct these tunes and place them in a differentiated setting to accommodate beginners through advanced players. Early Bird price is extended for one more week. More info below.

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

And Here’s to YOU, Mr. Robison

In 1998, I was playing my first gigs as a professional guitarist with folk-rock troubadour, Jimmy LaFave. One of our ever-revolving cast of drummers asked me if I could play country music. “Yeah, I think so.” He told me to expect a call from Charlie Robison as he had some gigs coming up that he was in need of a guitarist. This was early March. April arrived and no word. Finally, on April 8th I got a call to see if I could do a 3-hour set in Denton on April 9th. I told him that I didn’t know his music. He said we could listen to it on the way. We didn’t. I did the gig cold with a Stratocaster and a Fender Bassman and he asked me if I wanted the gig midway through the first set. Little did I know the adventures that lie ahead. In one decade of touring I played right around 1800 gigs with Charlie. We played Austin City Limits TV show twice along with numerous other TV shows. I got to see myself with the ticker running as I played with him on the Don Imus show at 5 a.m. in an industrial park in New Jersey. That was strange.  We played for the troops in Iraq during the war. We had numerous stars hang out with us, like, Jewel, Kenny Loggins and Leif Garrett. We had a sold-out show at the Cotton Bowl and routinely performed for crowds of over 10,000 fans throughout Texas.  Sadly, he passed away on September 10th of this year.

As a person Charlie was one of a kind. More of a legend than a person, really. 6’5” with electric blue eyes, a razor-sharp wit, Hollywood looks, and, a devil-may-care attitude that made him extremely fun, and, sometimes bordering on dangerous. He said some of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. Often these were very off-color and on-mic. His songwriting was superb. The stories within his songs capture some of the best that Texas has had to offer over the past century, in my humble opinion. Check out My Hometown, Desperate Times and Loving County to hear what I mean.

As a performer, Charlie was incredible. He definitely had the “it” factor. I’ve never seen such devoted, rabid and possessed fans. It made my job so easy. Just play the songs, listen closely and keep an eye on Charlie. I learned to be very attuned to his movements and wild improvisations. He might transition mid-song from a honky-tonk rave-up to Stranglehold by Ted Nugent. I learned to read him, anticipate these moves and communicate to the band where we were going. There was a jazz element to this that I always loved. Crowds loved it, too.

On a gig in Nashville opening for the Dixie Chicks I found a stray puppy that I later named Cisco, because that was the only name that the dog seemed to like. That dog became a close companion for 15 years and the resident toe-licker in my classes as I later transitioned to teaching ukulele.

We spent so many hours, miles and shows together between 1998 and 2008. Countless laughs, meals and songs. Thank you for the chance to play with a real Texas legend, and, live to tell about it.

R.I.P. Charlie Fitzgerald Robison (9/1/1964 - 9/10/1964)

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

September Musings:

Differentiated Ukulele Ensemble Arrangements

JHUI

If you have ever studied with me, you probably know that I am a certified teacher in the James Hill Ukulele Initiative Teacher Training Program. My participation opened new doors and changed my life course profoundly. In 2012 I had made a decision to go “all-in” with creating a teaching practice built around ukulele. I took a 2-day Ukulele Teacher Training in Dallas with Hawaiian ukulele legend Kimo Hussey. That got me started. I remember coming home and thinking “I wonder if there is a certified ukulele teacher training program?” Within 30 seconds, I Googled my way to James Hill's program. I enrolled and made my way to Vancouver that July. Upon entering the Radisson hotel in Richmond, B.C., a guy came up to me and said “ Hi, James!” Um, I'm not James, I'm Kevin. He squinted and said, right. He's a bit taller. We chatted for a minute and I checked in. The hotel receptionist said “Welcome back, Mr. Hill.” Um, I'll take that as a compliment, but, I'm not James. A few years later, I was teaching in the JHUI program and James sent a video to his mother that included a snippet of me playing. She told him that he looked too thin and needed to put on some weight. Um, “That's not me, mom. That's Kevin Carroll.” When you're own mother mistakes you for her son, there's probably some strange psychic forces at play. That last one was a big compliment to me, though, as I'm 17 years older than James. Anyway, onwards toward a point (or two) of some sort.

After filling out close to 250 hours of practice logs, learning to read music at age 47, discovering the depth and details of the Ukulele in the Classroom book series, taking 3 finals exams, submitting numerous performance recordings, I was a certified Level 3 teacher. Right near the end of these 3 years, I was running out of steam. I recall that one of the last exercises we were assigned was do make our own Big Band-style arrangement. In the notes for this assignment, James mentioned that this could be the “next step” in our development. Arranging would free us to create our own lessons, recital pieces, etc. Learning this skill would also save us from waiting for James' next arrangement to be available. I took a deep breath and thought about this. The learning curves of arranging software, counter-melodies, harmonic structure, etc. seemed very daunting. I committed, begrudgingly. I'm very glad that I did, but, I have never worked harder at anything in my life.

Peter Luongo

Let me backtrack for a minute. After my 2nd year in the program, I was asked to take part in a teaching tour with an Australian couple that was graduating from the program. Jane Jelbart and Mark Jackson had booked a series of teaching gigs from Vancouver to Sacramento and wanted an American along for the ride. I'll write about this wonderful adventure later on. Mark and Jane are highly energetic, dedicated and inspiring ukulele educators. Their “Ukestration” techniques were very mind-expanding for me. After our graduation, Mark invited me to a vegetarian restaurant with their friend “Pay-ter.” Um, ok. Why not. We had to wait in line to get into this place. Suddenly, an enthusiastic man approaches. It's “Pay-ter,” or rather, Peter Luongo, the legendary leader of the Langley Ukulele Ensemble and former teacher of James Hill. My jaw dropped. Mark and Jane had some business to discuss with him, but, I never gave them a chance. I sat next to Mr. Luongo and riddled him with questions. He gave lively, lengthy replies to each one I fired his way. Eventually, Mark and Jane gave up. They took a cab back to the hotel. We stayed at the restaurant talking while Peter's wife Sandi fell asleep at the table. Peter said he'd take me back to Richmond, but, first he could use an espresso. All told Peter and I talked for 5 hours straight about the ins and outs of ukulele ensembles. Sandi slept for a good 3 hrs of this. It was the chance of a lifetime for me and I really milked it for all I could extract from this golden opportunity. Peter was SO generous, and I can only imagine that he sensed my passion for teaching and learning. What a phenomenal gift. 

From Ukestra to Books to edUKEcation

In 2014, I began to learn the GuitarPro notation software for creating ukulele arrangements in earnest. Standard musical notation, tablature, chord diagrams, formatting possibilities galore and much more were at my fingertips. Over the last 9 years, I have published 4 books with this software. I have created 26 consecutive semesters worth of differentiated arrangements for my Ukestra. That's around 150 pieces. I've published close to 200 songs on my site dedicated to ukulele arrangements: edUKEcation.com. I've composed a dozen or so pieces, too. At last count, I've created around 400 pages of lesson materials for private and group classes. I have fallen asleep at my computer too many times to recall while using this notation software. This has been my main focus for nearly a decade. This might beg the question “What are differentiated ukulele ensemble arrangements?”

A basic arrangement for a string quartet, for instance, would typically be for 4 players at the same level. This might be 4 parts at the beginner level. A Differentiated Ukulele Arrangement includes multiple levels (and sometimes multiple tunings) so that beginners, intermediate and advanced players can play together. I divide my Ukestra into 4 sections that range from simple to advanced.  Uke 1 often plays the highest notes while Uke 4 plays the lowest. As I get to know my groups, I can dial in each part for the particular individuals in the group. This allows me to give each section a strong challenge or two as well as, a couple of tunes that they can handle with relative ease. The rest of the songs would be somewhere in-between. This has proven to be an incredibly effective method of teaching. I can zero in on the tricky bits and show some approachs to these parts. Sometimes, other students have already played that part and they can shed light on their successes with a tough part. I like to keep a nice balance of simple songs that can be played with excellent tone, time and feel, with some tunes that undeniably challenge students. 

This has allowed/forced me to study counterpoint, jazz, classical, African, Celtic, music theory, blues, ragtime, pop, Old-Time, conducting, and much more in the music realm. Being a visual learner, reading music and notating it have been solid choices for my growth. I've studied original scores by Beethoven, Schubert, the Jackson 5 and the Beatles, to name a few. It has truly connected a lifetime of synaptic musical loose-ends for me.

I could go on and on about this, but, wanted to give you a taste of this process. If you are a teacher or group leader interested in learning more, I am teaching a FREE workshop through Ukulele Instructors International FB group tomorrow (9/16 @ 4pm central). Check us out, we are easy to find. I'm also leading two Zoom workshops and the links are below and on my website. Lastly, visit edukecation.com to hear my arrangements and peruse that varied library of differentiated ukulele arrangements.

When I look back at my early arrangements I see fingering flaws, poor formatting choices and other mistakes. This helps me see how far I have come, but, I cannot resist the urge to correct those arrangements. I plan on continuing this work for the rest of my life.

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

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October Musings:

My Old Friend the Blues

Growing up in Boise, ID as an only child to older parents from the Silent Generation, I was surprised when I first really connected with blues music. It seemed to come out of nowhere, yet, felt like it had been there for ages. I had been given a little blue AM radio as a 6-year old to help entertain me and to help block out the strange world around me. 1970 was a confusing and volatile time, even in Boise. I was well-versed in pop music from my constant listening.

Fast forward a few years later and we had moved from downtown (across the street from a Civil War graveyard) to the country. We now had an acre of land on a hill that I got to mow weekly from age 11. I had been gifted an AM/FM stereo. FM was just coming into it's own in Boise at that time, circa 1975. The local college radio station, KBSU, was an incredibly eclectic source of musical education for me. The decidedly leftist DJs would play 30 minute sets that included Mannheim Steamroller, J.J. Cale, Stravinsky, Nick Drake, Kraftwerk, Savoy Brown, Rory Block, Valerie Carter & Phillip Glass. All over the place. This helped form my love of blues, classical and minimalist music.

One Saturday morning around age 13 I heard Lightnin' Hopkins for the first time. That was it. I believe it was a slow solo blues piece called Viet Nam War. I totally got it. I felt it in my bones, heart, mind and soul. That low-down blues feeling was in me and that song vibrated at a frequency that woke me up to it.

I began becoming a regular at local record stores, that lawn-mowing money came in handy, and purchased albums by Lightnin' Hopkins, Howlin' Wolf, the Yardbirds, and Sonny Boy Williamson while my friends were buying Styx, Bay City Rollers and Carpenters records. I found some blues aficionados at the record stores and learned a bit here and there. I got a guitar a year or so later and found that the A minor chord seemed to resonate with my own inner tones. I could pretty much play blues from the beginning. I had to learn the major scale, rock songs, folk chords and pop riffs. I never needed to learn the blues. It is my native musical language.

Fast forward to college, at Boise State (pre-Smurf turf) and I am thrilled to go see John Lee Hooker with Robert Cray at a small bar. Who gets there first, about an hour before the doors open? That would be me. I couldn't contain my excitement to see a blues legend and this smooth-singing up-and-coming artist. KBSU had been playing Cray's tune Bad Influence and I loved it. I even had his first album. Once the doors opened, I went to the bar where none other that Robert Cray was sitting by himself. I sat by him, but, didn't say a word. He smiled at me and said “Hi, I'm Robert.” I told him that I was a fan, had his record, and was pulling for him to become the next big act to break from the Pacific NW. He was very personable and generous. I asked him if ever got to play with John Lee and he said he'd sit in on a couple songs toward the end of every show. My mind was blown, but, there was more coming. Robert asked me if I'd like to meet John Lee. Um…..excuse me? YES!!!!! He takes me down to the basement of the club where John Lee is in his trademark suit and fedora at a small table with wine and grapes. The white backing musicians are sitting on the floor playing cards.

Robert introduces me and John Lee looks at my Jimi Hendrix t-shirt and asks “Do you like Jimi Hendrix?” I felt like it might have been a trick question, but, I decided to answer honestly. “Yes, I said.” John Lee gruffly retorts “Jimi Hendrix was the greatest @$#%& blues guitarist that ever lived. I made an album with him in France. It never came out.” He then looked at Robert, and I was politely, if not apologetically, escorted out.

The John Lee Hooker show was a bit sloppy, but, Robert Cray and his band were sharp and polished. It was an unforgettable night for me, obviously.

Fast forward a couple of years later. I'm still in college and I am now the host of the Blues Deluxe show every Sunday night for 4 hours. I got to spin the latest and greatest blues that our library had and help keep the blues alive in Boise, ID.

A few years later, I moved to Austin, TX on Stevie Ray Vaughan's birthday. I played some blues on my own, but, had never really played blues with a true artist of the form. My band and I had been invited to an all-day live music event at KUT radio around 1992. I remember bringing my Taylor guitar into the hallway and seeing Charlie & Will Sexton, David Grissom, Jesse Taylor, and David Holt. These were some guitar-slingin' heroes of blues, rock and roots music. They were several leagues ahead of me at that time. There was a blind blues musician, Snuff Johnson, warming-up to go on next. Upon hearing his authentic Texas, acoustic blues, I started playing some licks from across the crowded room. There were other guitarists noodling, but, I was trying to noodle with Snuff. Suddenly, he says “Who's that guitar player?” Of course, every one looks at Charlie Sexton, who just shakes his head. Snuff says “play that lick again.” I seize the moment and play a Lightnin' Hopkins lick in E. Snuff says, “yeah that's the one. Come play with me now.” I'm not going to lie, that was a huge thrill for me on many levels. Snuff told me afterwards that I could play with him anytime and that I was a fine blues player. That meant the world to me, still does. Snuff's health was in decline and he wasn't around much longer. It wasn't until decades later, on ukulele, that I began exploring the blues again.

Ukulele is a surprisingly great instrument for playing the blues. If you feel an affinity for this music, please consider joining me on a year-long blues journey in my upcoming monthly class Ukulele Blues Club. More info is below.

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

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August Musings:

Music, like life, includes diversely random occurrences that lead a person from one point to another. As I reflect on my many paths in life (so far!), I am awestruck by how much difference a small interaction, detail or chance encounter can make in the eventual outcome of a series of events. Music is very similar. Back in my touring days, I used this phrase often “What a difference one fret makes!” If I hit a “wrong” or bad sounding note in a song, it was never a big error. Just one fret off usually. So it is with life. Another musical adage is that “there are no bad notes, just bad timing.” This reminds me of that great Dr. John song “I was in the right place, must've been the wrong time.” For me to end up in music at required a mysterious and complex chain reaction to take a basketball junkie from Boise, ID to Austin City Limits. I'll tell that story later. Here's to some wild misses in my music career. 

Buddy Guy Asked Me To Play With Him

This one kept me up at night for years. It's true. I neither said yes, nor, no. I froze. The moment passed and the show went on without me. What could've been? We'll never know. Here's the back story.

I am a die-hard blues lover. I used to listen to the Blues Deluxe radio show on KBSU in Boise as a teenager. Lightnin' Hopkins was the first to truly knock me out with the essence of his music. Many others soon followed.Flash forward to my college years. I am now a Junior at Boise State and I am hosting the Blues Deluxe radio show every Sunday night. I'm also Director of the Student Programs Board. I had a budget and planned music events for the university/city. When I had a chance to bring Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy to Boise, I was ecstatic. It sold out. I picked him up at the airport. I wanted to offer him the height of luxury. I arrived in my mother's station wagon she used for her day care. He sat in back seat. He was quiet, but, respectful. I gave him plenty of space. I then procured a bottle of Courvosier (for Buddy) and dropped him of at his hotel near the venue. The next day was the show. 

At the venue, I was frantically trying to tie every loose end together. Wheel-chair access, contract rider, ticketing procedure, having my crew organized and in-place. Buddy arrives and is extremely friendly. He calls me over to the side of the stage. I had told him that I was a big blues fan and was learning guitar. He tells me that he just got a new guitar made especially for him by Fender. He asked if I wanted to see it. Um, YEAH!!! He opened the tweed case and there was his first polka-dotted Stratocaster. Wow! Pretty amazing to be there and see that. He asked if I wanted to play it. Um, YEAH!!! I bristled out a blues lick from his first album “A Man and the Blues” out of respect to him. I played it for a couple of minutes and then he asks “Do you want to sit in tonight?” Um………

I froze in the moment. The moment passed. My girlfriend was standing there and was urging me to do it. Chicago blues legends don't ask you to sit in with them everyday. Of course, she was right. My internal process included a couple of facts that I was wrestling with at the time, and, I still feel are valid today. At least, that's what I tell myself. 

Fact #1: I was the promoter of the show. I was responsible for everything that happens at that club for the next several hours. My generalized hyper-vigillance made it hard to say yes to him. I would've had to go home and get my White Strat and Fender Stage Lead amp. That seemed like a judgement error. 

Fact #2: I had never played a gig. Ever. I'd never played with a drummer or a real bassist. As I contemplated this fact, I think that I probably made the right in-decision. If it went horribly awry, that might've squelched any chance that I had at playing music. If the opposite were the case, it might've given me a skewed sense of my own talent. In hindsight, I needed years of seasoning before I was ready to be a real musician.

Buddy Guy's first 3 songs were unbelievable. He woke up the rowdy audience by playing at a whisper-like volume and singing 6 feet away from the microphone. You could've heard a pin drop. I get goosebumps thinking about it. I think he sized up the audience and began playing Hendrix covers and enjoyed his Courvosier between songs. The crowd loved it, but, I think he sized them up correctly and delivered accordingly. I remember it vividly after all these years/decades.

Man, this entry was supposed to be one of four in this newsletter. Looks like I will save my tales of missed chances with Terry Riley (whom the Who's Baba O'Reilly is named after,) Chuck Prophet and Curtis Stigers for a later installment.

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

The great documentarian, Ken Burns, strongly suggested that Jazz is not only America's greatest artwork, but our greatest creation. Period. Mic drop.

I am in total agreement. Of course, if you have signed up for my year-long Ukulele Jazz Club, that's what you'd expect to hear. That hasn't always been the case, though. I've been listening actively for around 25 years and studying jazz in-depth for the last decade. Not in the hopes of ever really being a great jazz musician, just, to understand the idiom, songs, forms and players more deeply. This exploration has sharpened my knowledge, musical thinking, playing and composing to an infinite degree. I highly recommend learning jazz. 

I'm not sure if there is a more divisive word in music than Jazz. So many times I hear people say "I don't like jazz, it's too chaotic." Listen to Miles Davis' version of Nature Boy, Duke Ellington's Mood Indigo, Johnny Smith's version of Moonlight in Vermont or Idle Moments by Grant Green. Pure mellow transcendence.

What is jazz? It is the story of America from the early 1900's to the present. This story is told mainly by black Americans. This story includes its predecessors blues and ragtime music. This story has produced new rhythms, new chord progressions, countless melodies, the art of improvisation, geniuses galore and an influence on every musical form to emerge since its inception. Jazz has evolved as the times have. WWI, the Roaring 20's, the Great Depression, WWII, art deco, the New Deal, abstract art, baseball, basketball, automobiles, tv, movies, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights era-revolution, rock music, and the list goes on and on. I'll leave it there as far as the futility of defining jazz goes, but, hopefully you get the picture. It's complex. Much like the last hundred+ years of America are.

The music itself covers everything from the most gentle and languid moods to high volume, atonal shrieking, and every sound in between. To truly tell this story in an honest way, jazz has to include the widest range of tones, tempos, rhythms and emotions.

David Crosby, recently departed rock music legend and a very intense character in his own right, described hearing John Coltrane soloing in a jazz club in the 60's " I've never heard someone be more intense with music than that in my life." Crosby's impersonation of Coltrane soloing is priceless.

On this 4th of July, I'm putting on some Coltrane and thinking about the amazing storytellers of America's greatest creation. Jazz.

June Musings: Learning & Listening

Music That I LOVE!

Like many teens, when I first started to play music, I was ONLY interested in playing music that I truly loved. By going toward these songs and artists I was able to assimilate the nuance and approaches that helped me create the sounds that I loved to hear. I spent countless hours watching Keith Richards movements and tried to find out if they were part of his sound. Yes, they are, I decided. This quest continued for decades. At my peak as a touring guitarist, I'd say that I was a consolidation of my favorite players. My own sound grew from those influences, naturally. I definitely had my own voice as a musician, but, the boundaries of my choices and abilities were confined by the weaknesses of the players that I emulated. This approach got me to a great place, but, left a lot of gaps in my musicianship. When the ukulele came into my life, I had no expectations of what could be done. I wasn't trying to create an identity with the instrument, which opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me as a player.

Music That I Don't Love........yet

In 2012, when I started pursuing ukulele with a passion, my focus switched to just being a sponge for knowledge. After enrolling in James Hill's JHUI teacher training program, I was accountable for at least 90 songs in that curriculum. Additionally, I was learning to read music for the first time in my life. The rigor of the program and my openness to learning were of great benefit to me over the years. I can honestly say that my younger self would not have chosen to learn one of the 90 pieces of music because I didn't love them or identify with them. Making a living teaching this allowed me to be a conduit for these songs so that others could learn. I discovered that, eventually, I had a true love for classical music from the Baroque period. Many new discoveries followed and I deeply love many new forms of music through this process. Learning to let go of myself and "enter" the music has been a real life-changer for me. The music that I would not have naturally chosen has taught me things that I would not have learned otherwise. My strengths were usually amplified in the music I loved, while, my weaknesses have been sharpened through pure study.

Many years ago, Texas songwriting legend and sage Robert Earl Keen had given some songwriting advice to a friend. My friend had voiced his extreme dislike of a particular band and Robert suggested that he write some songs in the style of that band and see where that might lead him. What a mind-blowing idea, pure genius! He'd either have an appreciation of their art OR he'd discover the exact things that he didn't like in their songs. I would've benefitted from this approach as a younger writer and player.

Finding the Balance

After practicing the art of pure learning, it seems that there is room for both music that I already love and music that I might love in the future. Both approaches seem to feed each other very well. Oftentimes, as an arranger, I utilize a tool that I learned from some music that I didn't love. I can use this tool to help actualize music that I do love. The opposite is also true, sometimes I can just infuse a generic arrangement with a bit of love and it will transform into something much more beautiful.

For my students, I try to provide a balance of tune-based fundamentals with some passion pieces for them. Strangely, students tend to grow most from the former vs the latter. The good news is that once a student has the skills and has gained enough experience learning, they can guide themselves toward their truest passions as players.

As for my monthly musical musings, here goes. I have alluded to the tremendous growth that I have witnessed in the musicality, precision and execution of previously difficult ideas and/or techniques. This has come since the onset of the pandemic and I find that, in and of itself, very thought provoking. Perhaps students have found more time to practice, or, human connection has become more valuable. I'm not sure I'll ever really know the answer. I can tell you some observations about the overwhelming shift, though.

Wisdom of the Hands vs Eyes & Rational Mind

Countless times over the years as a music teacher, I have witnessed a phenomenon that is often prevalent in adult learners. They want to approach learning music like they would learning anything else. Makes sense so far, right? They listen to me talk about a song, technique or approach, watch me do it and then ask questions. Sometimes I have had entire class sessions derailed by  question after question. Eventually, I noticed that this was a clever plot to ensure that they play no music. The mind and the eyes are of little use to a music learner. Of course, this is a huge contradiction with "conventional" life and learning. The hands and the ears guide the musical process. I'm starting to doubt that the logical brain needs to involved much in learning, at least, until after the hands and ears are aligned. I'll elaborate.
 

The neural pathways between our hands and ears are largely unformed unless we have played a LOT of music. Even then, new techniques, chords, songs and approaches will take some time to develop. Our ears cannot hear the new data correctly until our hands deliver it correctly. Once this happens, there is an aha moment where all the previous rational questions go out the window and the player gets it through their hand-ear coordination. Over the past few years I have intervened with more physical manipulations to hands and arms to help the music flow more readily. It has worked more often than not. These experiences have helped me with my virtual students by verbally instructing them to alter their bodies for maximum music making. Another way to think about this is that our hands and ears are the best tools to use to solve musical problems. Our eyes and logical brain functions offer little to this process. 
 

It's been really intriguing that when students "get it," the body and the physical brain are having the epiphany, not the logical brain. This is very similar to riding a bike for the first time. Gravity and physics are at play, but, the rider must feel these things for themselves and adjust their own body to successfully travel on a bicycle. Understanding physics before, and during, riding a bike for the first time are of little help. Same with learning ukulele or guitar. In fact, tuning into the body, breath, posture and sound are hugely helpful for music learners. Try it and let me know how it works!
 

Lastly, remember that playing music is reliant upon building muscle memory. There is a built-in number for every muscular task to successfully turn into reliable, replicable skills. The only way to discover your number is by repetition. Once your body "gets it," the myelin in your brain will store it and it will be accessible, even after long periods of inactivity. If you stop before you hit your magic number, the brain has nothing to access. Notice that you will likely make a mistake after 5 reps, then 7, then 11 and, eventually 23 reps might be your magic number. Consider celebrating the bumps along way. They are more important than the destination. 
 

     - April 2023
 

Spring is springing in Austin, SXSW is near. Music is in the air. You can practically smell it this time of year. Here at Kevin Carroll International Headquarters, I marvel at the thousands of visitors coming here to seek that record deal, play in front of promoters and music industry types who talk loudly  during their set, or just crank up the Deluxe Reverb on a flatbed trailer in their cul-de-sac until the cops shut them down. Their hopes and dreams remind me of my own at age 27 or so. That was many years ago. Let me tell you, folks, it's a tough road for a young musician. I feel for these hungry youngsters.

My path has had its ups and downs. At the risk of toxic positivity, here are a few of the ups: playing 14 straight years of SXSW shows; signing a humble record deal as a singer-songwriter with a small Italian record label; getting hired as a guitarist for local legends Jimmy LaFave, Charlie Robison, the Flatlanders (Joe Ely/Butch Hancock/Jimmie Dale Gilmore); playing the iconic Austin City Limits 2x. Plenty of other ups, too. There's a lot to be thankful for in the larger cosmic music sense. My passion for music is still in tact, for instance.

In the opposite corner, let's just say there were plenty of downs: being a six-foot tall man and weighing 138 lbs as a result of living on free happy hour snacks and the occasional meal included with gig pay; chronic shoulder issues exacerbated by hours of daily guitar work; the stuporous boredom of spending all day in a parking lot outside a club in, let's say Amarillo or Durant, OK; and many other slings and arrows of life as a musician-for-hire. The true issue for me was that I only got to spend 90 mins a day playing music. What to do with that other 22.5 hrs/day? Therein lies the dilemma. If only there were a way for me to spend an honest 8hrs/day 5 days /week playing, absorbing, and immersed in music?

Enter teaching and ukulele. Boom! The rigors of the road were traded for learning to read music. 12 years of teaching ukulele has opened me up to what life long learning looks like! I have been changed by learners like you. Thanks! I'm committed to paying that gift forward as a teacher, content creator and artist.

It feels great to return to some light guitar gigging after bathing in the purifying waters of the ukulele world.

In retrospect, I'd probably make most of the same mistakes, but, on purpose this time if I had it to do over. A hungry, wise young songwriter once wrote: "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now..." Seems about right. These young musicians will do just fine, I'm sure.

     -March 2023

During my time as a student and later as a teacher in the James Hill Ukulele Initiative, I frequently heard the term spiral learning. This immediately clicked and seemed to mirror the shape of my learning path. The concept remained imbedded in my curriculum and content creation over the next decade. Recently, my work with students has been clearly actualizing this abstract idea.

First, some background. Jerome Bruner first brought this concept to the academic world in 1960. If you like infographics, click here. Bruner was an American psychologist who made many significant contributions to cognitive psychology in education. His spiral model has been used in a number of ways by educators. Mostly, I have seen it as a model for creating plans that include “circling back” to skills and knowledge that was previously taught. The return to this curricula allows the student to experience the information with greater detail and depth than they did the first time.

Traditionally, music has been taught with a linearity bordering on oppression. I imagine a Bermuda triangle of Dickensian London of the mid-1800's, the austerity of the American Gothic painting by Grant Wood, and the movie Whiplash as the conveyors of the tone of music teachers. Let's just say, not warm or fuzzy. I'll leave it at that.

For me, ukulele doesn't carry a heavy set of cultural baggage. It's a relatively new instrument. Expectations are at a minimum for learners. This is a golden opportunity for a music teacher. Students can have their own, authentic experience at their own pace if their teacher is in rhythm with them. Learning is generally not compared to something else, but, experienced for its own merits. As I teach many of the same materials over and over again, I become more aware of the multiple levels that are present within them. Even my own content continues to enlighten me over time.

One of the manifestations of the spiral model I have seen lately is in the way a student's fretting hand position evolves over time. At the very beginning, I try to help them play some simple open strings with some fretted notes while learning to read music. For most, thumb position is very foreign. A linear model creates the potential for a power struggle, learning gridlock, and a defeatist atmosphere for students. I try to help them get a taste of the feeling of thumb position and move on to another piece which has a different skill to teach. The short-term spiral brings us back to the last song, which is full of valuable information. The long-term spiral could occur when a student has worked on 10 songs and skills and comes back to the first one. Sometimes, I notice students feeling like “I can't remember what was hard about this.” They can now use their thumb much better and that allows them to explore the details of tone and timing to a greater level. This validates their effort in learning and helps them trust the process, so to speak. Sometimes, these learning successes are coming to a person who has studied music for decades without making this breakthrough. Sometimes, these small epiphanies tilt the scales of learning in such a way that a student now can imagine learning something previously deemed unreachable in their lives. 

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

Start 2024 on a Blue Note…..

Blue notes are the expressive tones found between any 2 keys on a piano. Western music has selected 12 tones per octave, but, these in-between blue notes add mystery, depth, character and emotion to music. Stringed instruments, like the ukulele and guitar, can bend these notes in ways similar to vocalists. This evocative approach is prevalent in blues and jazz. There are two golden opportunities to study these notes and others with me in early 2024. 

Ukulele Blues Club

There are still a few seats available in this one-of-a-kind offering. This class will meet once per month (2nd Wednesdays) online for 2 hours. Materials will drop a day or so before each class. We will dig deep into the elements of blues music which has spawned so many genres. Jazz, rock'n'roll, country and hip-hop are among the children of the blues. This is a great class for beginners, intermediate and advanced players. There will be substantial overview of various blues forms, in addition to, differentiated arrangements of specific songs from artists like Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Johnson, Memphis Minnie, Bessie Smith and many more. Early bird pricing has been extended. More details are below. Please join for a year of fun, learning and BLUES!

10th Annual edUKEcation Workshops

Ukulele Jazz Band: Kind of Blue

Miles Davis' album Kind of Blue is the best-selling record in jazz history, has been called the Citizen Kane of jazz, and is as vital today as it was when released 66 years ago. Heralded as a new direction in American music, these tracks are full of moody, modal, majestic magic. This 3-day in-person workshop will deconstruct these tunes and place them in a differentiated setting to accommodate beginners through advanced players. Early Bird price is extended for one more week. More info below.

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

And Here’s to YOU, Mr. Robison

In 1998, I was playing my first gigs as a professional guitarist with folk-rock troubadour, Jimmy LaFave. One of our ever-revolving cast of drummers asked me if I could play country music. “Yeah, I think so.” He told me to expect a call from Charlie Robison as he had some gigs coming up that he was in need of a guitarist. This was early March. April arrived and no word. Finally, on April 8th I got a call to see if I could do a 3-hour set in Denton on April 9th. I told him that I didn’t know his music. He said we could listen to it on the way. We didn’t. I did the gig cold with a Stratocaster and a Fender Bassman and he asked me if I wanted the gig midway through the first set. Little did I know the adventures that lie ahead. In one decade of touring I played right around 1800 gigs with Charlie. We played Austin City Limits TV show twice along with numerous other TV shows. I got to see myself with the ticker running as I played with him on the Don Imus show at 5 a.m. in an industrial park in New Jersey. That was strange.  We played for the troops in Iraq during the war. We had numerous stars hang out with us, like, Jewel, Kenny Loggins and Leif Garrett. We had a sold-out show at the Cotton Bowl and routinely performed for crowds of over 10,000 fans throughout Texas.  Sadly, he passed away on September 10th of this year.

As a person Charlie was one of a kind. More of a legend than a person, really. 6’5” with electric blue eyes, a razor-sharp wit, Hollywood looks, and, a devil-may-care attitude that made him extremely fun, and, sometimes bordering on dangerous. He said some of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. Often these were very off-color and on-mic. His songwriting was superb. The stories within his songs capture some of the best that Texas has had to offer over the past century, in my humble opinion. Check out My Hometown, Desperate Times and Loving County to hear what I mean.

As a performer, Charlie was incredible. He definitely had the “it” factor. I’ve never seen such devoted, rabid and possessed fans. It made my job so easy. Just play the songs, listen closely and keep an eye on Charlie. I learned to be very attuned to his movements and wild improvisations. He might transition mid-song from a honky-tonk rave-up to Stranglehold by Ted Nugent. I learned to read him, anticipate these moves and communicate to the band where we were going. There was a jazz element to this that I always loved. Crowds loved it, too.

On a gig in Nashville opening for the Dixie Chicks I found a stray puppy that I later named Cisco, because that was the only name that the dog seemed to like. That dog became a close companion for 15 years and the resident toe-licker in my classes as I later transitioned to teaching ukulele.

We spent so many hours, miles and shows together between 1998 and 2008. Countless laughs, meals and songs. Thank you for the chance to play with a real Texas legend, and, live to tell about it.

R.I.P. Charlie Fitzgerald Robison (9/1/1964 - 9/10/1964)

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

September Musings:

Differentiated Ukulele Ensemble Arrangements

JHUI

If you have ever studied with me, you probably know that I am a certified teacher in the James Hill Ukulele Initiative Teacher Training Program. My participation opened new doors and changed my life course profoundly. In 2012 I had made a decision to go “all-in” with creating a teaching practice built around ukulele. I took a 2-day Ukulele Teacher Training in Dallas with Hawaiian ukulele legend Kimo Hussey. That got me started. I remember coming home and thinking “I wonder if there is a certified ukulele teacher training program?” Within 30 seconds, I Googled my way to James Hill's program. I enrolled and made my way to Vancouver that July. Upon entering the Radisson hotel in Richmond, B.C., a guy came up to me and said “ Hi, James!” Um, I'm not James, I'm Kevin. He squinted and said, right. He's a bit taller. We chatted for a minute and I checked in. The hotel receptionist said “Welcome back, Mr. Hill.” Um, I'll take that as a compliment, but, I'm not James. A few years later, I was teaching in the JHUI program and James sent a video to his mother that included a snippet of me playing. She told him that he looked too thin and needed to put on some weight. Um, “That's not me, mom. That's Kevin Carroll.” When you're own mother mistakes you for her son, there's probably some strange psychic forces at play. That last one was a big compliment to me, though, as I'm 17 years older than James. Anyway, onwards toward a point (or two) of some sort.

After filling out close to 250 hours of practice logs, learning to read music at age 47, discovering the depth and details of the Ukulele in the Classroom book series, taking 3 finals exams, submitting numerous performance recordings, I was a certified Level 3 teacher. Right near the end of these 3 years, I was running out of steam. I recall that one of the last exercises we were assigned was do make our own Big Band-style arrangement. In the notes for this assignment, James mentioned that this could be the “next step” in our development. Arranging would free us to create our own lessons, recital pieces, etc. Learning this skill would also save us from waiting for James' next arrangement to be available. I took a deep breath and thought about this. The learning curves of arranging software, counter-melodies, harmonic structure, etc. seemed very daunting. I committed, begrudgingly. I'm very glad that I did, but, I have never worked harder at anything in my life.

Peter Luongo

Let me backtrack for a minute. After my 2nd year in the program, I was asked to take part in a teaching tour with an Australian couple that was graduating from the program. Jane Jelbart and Mark Jackson had booked a series of teaching gigs from Vancouver to Sacramento and wanted an American along for the ride. I'll write about this wonderful adventure later on. Mark and Jane are highly energetic, dedicated and inspiring ukulele educators. Their “Ukestration” techniques were very mind-expanding for me. After our graduation, Mark invited me to a vegetarian restaurant with their friend “Pay-ter.” Um, ok. Why not. We had to wait in line to get into this place. Suddenly, an enthusiastic man approaches. It's “Pay-ter,” or rather, Peter Luongo, the legendary leader of the Langley Ukulele Ensemble and former teacher of James Hill. My jaw dropped. Mark and Jane had some business to discuss with him, but, I never gave them a chance. I sat next to Mr. Luongo and riddled him with questions. He gave lively, lengthy replies to each one I fired his way. Eventually, Mark and Jane gave up. They took a cab back to the hotel. We stayed at the restaurant talking while Peter's wife Sandi fell asleep at the table. Peter said he'd take me back to Richmond, but, first he could use an espresso. All told Peter and I talked for 5 hours straight about the ins and outs of ukulele ensembles. Sandi slept for a good 3 hrs of this. It was the chance of a lifetime for me and I really milked it for all I could extract from this golden opportunity. Peter was SO generous, and I can only imagine that he sensed my passion for teaching and learning. What a phenomenal gift. 

From Ukestra to Books to edUKEcation

In 2014, I began to learn the GuitarPro notation software for creating ukulele arrangements in earnest. Standard musical notation, tablature, chord diagrams, formatting possibilities galore and much more were at my fingertips. Over the last 9 years, I have published 4 books with this software. I have created 26 consecutive semesters worth of differentiated arrangements for my Ukestra. That's around 150 pieces. I've published close to 200 songs on my site dedicated to ukulele arrangements: edUKEcation.com. I've composed a dozen or so pieces, too. At last count, I've created around 400 pages of lesson materials for private and group classes. I have fallen asleep at my computer too many times to recall while using this notation software. This has been my main focus for nearly a decade. This might beg the question “What are differentiated ukulele ensemble arrangements?”

A basic arrangement for a string quartet, for instance, would typically be for 4 players at the same level. This might be 4 parts at the beginner level. A Differentiated Ukulele Arrangement includes multiple levels (and sometimes multiple tunings) so that beginners, intermediate and advanced players can play together. I divide my Ukestra into 4 sections that range from simple to advanced.  Uke 1 often plays the highest notes while Uke 4 plays the lowest. As I get to know my groups, I can dial in each part for the particular individuals in the group. This allows me to give each section a strong challenge or two as well as, a couple of tunes that they can handle with relative ease. The rest of the songs would be somewhere in-between. This has proven to be an incredibly effective method of teaching. I can zero in on the tricky bits and show some approachs to these parts. Sometimes, other students have already played that part and they can shed light on their successes with a tough part. I like to keep a nice balance of simple songs that can be played with excellent tone, time and feel, with some tunes that undeniably challenge students. 

This has allowed/forced me to study counterpoint, jazz, classical, African, Celtic, music theory, blues, ragtime, pop, Old-Time, conducting, and much more in the music realm. Being a visual learner, reading music and notating it have been solid choices for my growth. I've studied original scores by Beethoven, Schubert, the Jackson 5 and the Beatles, to name a few. It has truly connected a lifetime of synaptic musical loose-ends for me.

I could go on and on about this, but, wanted to give you a taste of this process. If you are a teacher or group leader interested in learning more, I am teaching a FREE workshop through Ukulele Instructors International FB group tomorrow (9/16 @ 4pm central). Check us out, we are easy to find. I'm also leading two Zoom workshops and the links are below and on my website. Lastly, visit edukecation.com to hear my arrangements and peruse that varied library of differentiated ukulele arrangements.

When I look back at my early arrangements I see fingering flaws, poor formatting choices and other mistakes. This helps me see how far I have come, but, I cannot resist the urge to correct those arrangements. I plan on continuing this work for the rest of my life.

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

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October Musings:

My Old Friend the Blues

Growing up in Boise, ID as an only child to older parents from the Silent Generation, I was surprised when I first really connected with blues music. It seemed to come out of nowhere, yet, felt like it had been there for ages. I had been given a little blue AM radio as a 6-year old to help entertain me and to help block out the strange world around me. 1970 was a confusing and volatile time, even in Boise. I was well-versed in pop music from my constant listening.

Fast forward a few years later and we had moved from downtown (across the street from a Civil War graveyard) to the country. We now had an acre of land on a hill that I got to mow weekly from age 11. I had been gifted an AM/FM stereo. FM was just coming into it's own in Boise at that time, circa 1975. The local college radio station, KBSU, was an incredibly eclectic source of musical education for me. The decidedly leftist DJs would play 30 minute sets that included Mannheim Steamroller, J.J. Cale, Stravinsky, Nick Drake, Kraftwerk, Savoy Brown, Rory Block, Valerie Carter & Phillip Glass. All over the place. This helped form my love of blues, classical and minimalist music.

One Saturday morning around age 13 I heard Lightnin' Hopkins for the first time. That was it. I believe it was a slow solo blues piece called Viet Nam War. I totally got it. I felt it in my bones, heart, mind and soul. That low-down blues feeling was in me and that song vibrated at a frequency that woke me up to it.

I began becoming a regular at local record stores, that lawn-mowing money came in handy, and purchased albums by Lightnin' Hopkins, Howlin' Wolf, the Yardbirds, and Sonny Boy Williamson while my friends were buying Styx, Bay City Rollers and Carpenters records. I found some blues aficionados at the record stores and learned a bit here and there. I got a guitar a year or so later and found that the A minor chord seemed to resonate with my own inner tones. I could pretty much play blues from the beginning. I had to learn the major scale, rock songs, folk chords and pop riffs. I never needed to learn the blues. It is my native musical language.

Fast forward to college, at Boise State (pre-Smurf turf) and I am thrilled to go see John Lee Hooker with Robert Cray at a small bar. Who gets there first, about an hour before the doors open? That would be me. I couldn't contain my excitement to see a blues legend and this smooth-singing up-and-coming artist. KBSU had been playing Cray's tune Bad Influence and I loved it. I even had his first album. Once the doors opened, I went to the bar where none other that Robert Cray was sitting by himself. I sat by him, but, didn't say a word. He smiled at me and said “Hi, I'm Robert.” I told him that I was a fan, had his record, and was pulling for him to become the next big act to break from the Pacific NW. He was very personable and generous. I asked him if ever got to play with John Lee and he said he'd sit in on a couple songs toward the end of every show. My mind was blown, but, there was more coming. Robert asked me if I'd like to meet John Lee. Um…..excuse me? YES!!!!! He takes me down to the basement of the club where John Lee is in his trademark suit and fedora at a small table with wine and grapes. The white backing musicians are sitting on the floor playing cards.

Robert introduces me and John Lee looks at my Jimi Hendrix t-shirt and asks “Do you like Jimi Hendrix?” I felt like it might have been a trick question, but, I decided to answer honestly. “Yes, I said.” John Lee gruffly retorts “Jimi Hendrix was the greatest @$#%& blues guitarist that ever lived. I made an album with him in France. It never came out.” He then looked at Robert, and I was politely, if not apologetically, escorted out.

The John Lee Hooker show was a bit sloppy, but, Robert Cray and his band were sharp and polished. It was an unforgettable night for me, obviously.

Fast forward a couple of years later. I'm still in college and I am now the host of the Blues Deluxe show every Sunday night for 4 hours. I got to spin the latest and greatest blues that our library had and help keep the blues alive in Boise, ID.

A few years later, I moved to Austin, TX on Stevie Ray Vaughan's birthday. I played some blues on my own, but, had never really played blues with a true artist of the form. My band and I had been invited to an all-day live music event at KUT radio around 1992. I remember bringing my Taylor guitar into the hallway and seeing Charlie & Will Sexton, David Grissom, Jesse Taylor, and David Holt. These were some guitar-slingin' heroes of blues, rock and roots music. They were several leagues ahead of me at that time. There was a blind blues musician, Snuff Johnson, warming-up to go on next. Upon hearing his authentic Texas, acoustic blues, I started playing some licks from across the crowded room. There were other guitarists noodling, but, I was trying to noodle with Snuff. Suddenly, he says “Who's that guitar player?” Of course, every one looks at Charlie Sexton, who just shakes his head. Snuff says “play that lick again.” I seize the moment and play a Lightnin' Hopkins lick in E. Snuff says, “yeah that's the one. Come play with me now.” I'm not going to lie, that was a huge thrill for me on many levels. Snuff told me afterwards that I could play with him anytime and that I was a fine blues player. That meant the world to me, still does. Snuff's health was in decline and he wasn't around much longer. It wasn't until decades later, on ukulele, that I began exploring the blues again.

Ukulele is a surprisingly great instrument for playing the blues. If you feel an affinity for this music, please consider joining me on a year-long blues journey in my upcoming monthly class Ukulele Blues Club. More info is below.

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

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August Musings:

Music, like life, includes diversely random occurrences that lead a person from one point to another. As I reflect on my many paths in life (so far!), I am awestruck by how much difference a small interaction, detail or chance encounter can make in the eventual outcome of a series of events. Music is very similar. Back in my touring days, I used this phrase often “What a difference one fret makes!” If I hit a “wrong” or bad sounding note in a song, it was never a big error. Just one fret off usually. So it is with life. Another musical adage is that “there are no bad notes, just bad timing.” This reminds me of that great Dr. John song “I was in the right place, must've been the wrong time.” For me to end up in music at required a mysterious and complex chain reaction to take a basketball junkie from Boise, ID to Austin City Limits. I'll tell that story later. Here's to some wild misses in my music career. 

Buddy Guy Asked Me To Play With Him

This one kept me up at night for years. It's true. I neither said yes, nor, no. I froze. The moment passed and the show went on without me. What could've been? We'll never know. Here's the back story.

I am a die-hard blues lover. I used to listen to the Blues Deluxe radio show on KBSU in Boise as a teenager. Lightnin' Hopkins was the first to truly knock me out with the essence of his music. Many others soon followed.Flash forward to my college years. I am now a Junior at Boise State and I am hosting the Blues Deluxe radio show every Sunday night. I'm also Director of the Student Programs Board. I had a budget and planned music events for the university/city. When I had a chance to bring Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy to Boise, I was ecstatic. It sold out. I picked him up at the airport. I wanted to offer him the height of luxury. I arrived in my mother's station wagon she used for her day care. He sat in back seat. He was quiet, but, respectful. I gave him plenty of space. I then procured a bottle of Courvosier (for Buddy) and dropped him of at his hotel near the venue. The next day was the show. 

At the venue, I was frantically trying to tie every loose end together. Wheel-chair access, contract rider, ticketing procedure, having my crew organized and in-place. Buddy arrives and is extremely friendly. He calls me over to the side of the stage. I had told him that I was a big blues fan and was learning guitar. He tells me that he just got a new guitar made especially for him by Fender. He asked if I wanted to see it. Um, YEAH!!! He opened the tweed case and there was his first polka-dotted Stratocaster. Wow! Pretty amazing to be there and see that. He asked if I wanted to play it. Um, YEAH!!! I bristled out a blues lick from his first album “A Man and the Blues” out of respect to him. I played it for a couple of minutes and then he asks “Do you want to sit in tonight?” Um………

I froze in the moment. The moment passed. My girlfriend was standing there and was urging me to do it. Chicago blues legends don't ask you to sit in with them everyday. Of course, she was right. My internal process included a couple of facts that I was wrestling with at the time, and, I still feel are valid today. At least, that's what I tell myself. 

Fact #1: I was the promoter of the show. I was responsible for everything that happens at that club for the next several hours. My generalized hyper-vigillance made it hard to say yes to him. I would've had to go home and get my White Strat and Fender Stage Lead amp. That seemed like a judgement error. 

Fact #2: I had never played a gig. Ever. I'd never played with a drummer or a real bassist. As I contemplated this fact, I think that I probably made the right in-decision. If it went horribly awry, that might've squelched any chance that I had at playing music. If the opposite were the case, it might've given me a skewed sense of my own talent. In hindsight, I needed years of seasoning before I was ready to be a real musician.

Buddy Guy's first 3 songs were unbelievable. He woke up the rowdy audience by playing at a whisper-like volume and singing 6 feet away from the microphone. You could've heard a pin drop. I get goosebumps thinking about it. I think he sized up the audience and began playing Hendrix covers and enjoyed his Courvosier between songs. The crowd loved it, but, I think he sized them up correctly and delivered accordingly. I remember it vividly after all these years/decades.

Man, this entry was supposed to be one of four in this newsletter. Looks like I will save my tales of missed chances with Terry Riley (whom the Who's Baba O'Reilly is named after,) Chuck Prophet and Curtis Stigers for a later installment.

Once More with Feeling,

Kevin

The great documentarian, Ken Burns, strongly suggested that Jazz is not only America's greatest artwork, but our greatest creation. Period. Mic drop.

I am in total agreement. Of course, if you have signed up for my year-long Ukulele Jazz Club, that's what you'd expect to hear. That hasn't always been the case, though. I've been listening actively for around 25 years and studying jazz in-depth for the last decade. Not in the hopes of ever really being a great jazz musician, just, to understand the idiom, songs, forms and players more deeply. This exploration has sharpened my knowledge, musical thinking, playing and composing to an infinite degree. I highly recommend learning jazz. 

I'm not sure if there is a more divisive word in music than Jazz. So many times I hear people say "I don't like jazz, it's too chaotic." Listen to Miles Davis' version of Nature Boy, Duke Ellington's Mood Indigo, Johnny Smith's version of Moonlight in Vermont or Idle Moments by Grant Green. Pure mellow transcendence.

What is jazz? It is the story of America from the early 1900's to the present. This story is told mainly by black Americans. This story includes its predecessors blues and ragtime music. This story has produced new rhythms, new chord progressions, countless melodies, the art of improvisation, geniuses galore and an influence on every musical form to emerge since its inception. Jazz has evolved as the times have. WWI, the Roaring 20's, the Great Depression, WWII, art deco, the New Deal, abstract art, baseball, basketball, automobiles, tv, movies, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights era-revolution, rock music, and the list goes on and on. I'll leave it there as far as the futility of defining jazz goes, but, hopefully you get the picture. It's complex. Much like the last hundred+ years of America are.

The music itself covers everything from the most gentle and languid moods to high volume, atonal shrieking, and every sound in between. To truly tell this story in an honest way, jazz has to include the widest range of tones, tempos, rhythms and emotions.

David Crosby, recently departed rock music legend and a very intense character in his own right, described hearing John Coltrane soloing in a jazz club in the 60's " I've never heard someone be more intense with music than that in my life." Crosby's impersonation of Coltrane soloing is priceless.

On this 4th of July, I'm putting on some Coltrane and thinking about the amazing storytellers of America's greatest creation. Jazz.

June Musings: Learning & Listening

Music That I LOVE!

Like many teens, when I first started to play music, I was ONLY interested in playing music that I truly loved. By going toward these songs and artists I was able to assimilate the nuance and approaches that helped me create the sounds that I loved to hear. I spent countless hours watching Keith Richards movements and tried to find out if they were part of his sound. Yes, they are, I decided. This quest continued for decades. At my peak as a touring guitarist, I'd say that I was a consolidation of my favorite players. My own sound grew from those influences, naturally. I definitely had my own voice as a musician, but, the boundaries of my choices and abilities were confined by the weaknesses of the players that I emulated. This approach got me to a great place, but, left a lot of gaps in my musicianship. When the ukulele came into my life, I had no expectations of what could be done. I wasn't trying to create an identity with the instrument, which opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me as a player.

Music That I Don't Love........yet

In 2012, when I started pursuing ukulele with a passion, my focus switched to just being a sponge for knowledge. After enrolling in James Hill's JHUI teacher training program, I was accountable for at least 90 songs in that curriculum. Additionally, I was learning to read music for the first time in my life. The rigor of the program and my openness to learning were of great benefit to me over the years. I can honestly say that my younger self would not have chosen to learn one of the 90 pieces of music because I didn't love them or identify with them. Making a living teaching this allowed me to be a conduit for these songs so that others could learn. I discovered that, eventually, I had a true love for classical music from the Baroque period. Many new discoveries followed and I deeply love many new forms of music through this process. Learning to let go of myself and "enter" the music has been a real life-changer for me. The music that I would not have naturally chosen has taught me things that I would not have learned otherwise. My strengths were usually amplified in the music I loved, while, my weaknesses have been sharpened through pure study.

Many years ago, Texas songwriting legend and sage Robert Earl Keen had given some songwriting advice to a friend. My friend had voiced his extreme dislike of a particular band and Robert suggested that he write some songs in the style of that band and see where that might lead him. What a mind-blowing idea, pure genius! He'd either have an appreciation of their art OR he'd discover the exact things that he didn't like in their songs. I would've benefitted from this approach as a younger writer and player.

Finding the Balance

After practicing the art of pure learning, it seems that there is room for both music that I already love and music that I might love in the future. Both approaches seem to feed each other very well. Oftentimes, as an arranger, I utilize a tool that I learned from some music that I didn't love. I can use this tool to help actualize music that I do love. The opposite is also true, sometimes I can just infuse a generic arrangement with a bit of love and it will transform into something much more beautiful.

For my students, I try to provide a balance of tune-based fundamentals with some passion pieces for them. Strangely, students tend to grow most from the former vs the latter. The good news is that once a student has the skills and has gained enough experience learning, they can guide themselves toward their truest passions as players.

As for my monthly musical musings, here goes. I have alluded to the tremendous growth that I have witnessed in the musicality, precision and execution of previously difficult ideas and/or techniques. This has come since the onset of the pandemic and I find that, in and of itself, very thought provoking. Perhaps students have found more time to practice, or, human connection has become more valuable. I'm not sure I'll ever really know the answer. I can tell you some observations about the overwhelming shift, though.

Wisdom of the Hands vs Eyes & Rational Mind

Countless times over the years as a music teacher, I have witnessed a phenomenon that is often prevalent in adult learners. They want to approach learning music like they would learning anything else. Makes sense so far, right? They listen to me talk about a song, technique or approach, watch me do it and then ask questions. Sometimes I have had entire class sessions derailed by  question after question. Eventually, I noticed that this was a clever plot to ensure that they play no music. The mind and the eyes are of little use to a music learner. Of course, this is a huge contradiction with "conventional" life and learning. The hands and the ears guide the musical process. I'm starting to doubt that the logical brain needs to involved much in learning, at least, until after the hands and ears are aligned. I'll elaborate.
 

The neural pathways between our hands and ears are largely unformed unless we have played a LOT of music. Even then, new techniques, chords, songs and approaches will take some time to develop. Our ears cannot hear the new data correctly until our hands deliver it correctly. Once this happens, there is an aha moment where all the previous rational questions go out the window and the player gets it through their hand-ear coordination. Over the past few years I have intervened with more physical manipulations to hands and arms to help the music flow more readily. It has worked more often than not. These experiences have helped me with my virtual students by verbally instructing them to alter their bodies for maximum music making. Another way to think about this is that our hands and ears are the best tools to use to solve musical problems. Our eyes and logical brain functions offer little to this process. 
 

It's been really intriguing that when students "get it," the body and the physical brain are having the epiphany, not the logical brain. This is very similar to riding a bike for the first time. Gravity and physics are at play, but, the rider must feel these things for themselves and adjust their own body to successfully travel on a bicycle. Understanding physics before, and during, riding a bike for the first time are of little help. Same with learning ukulele or guitar. In fact, tuning into the body, breath, posture and sound are hugely helpful for music learners. Try it and let me know how it works!
 

Lastly, remember that playing music is reliant upon building muscle memory. There is a built-in number for every muscular task to successfully turn into reliable, replicable skills. The only way to discover your number is by repetition. Once your body "gets it," the myelin in your brain will store it and it will be accessible, even after long periods of inactivity. If you stop before you hit your magic number, the brain has nothing to access. Notice that you will likely make a mistake after 5 reps, then 7, then 11 and, eventually 23 reps might be your magic number. Consider celebrating the bumps along way. They are more important than the destination. 
 

     - April 2023
 

Spring is springing in Austin, SXSW is near. Music is in the air. You can practically smell it this time of year. Here at Kevin Carroll International Headquarters, I marvel at the thousands of visitors coming here to seek that record deal, play in front of promoters and music industry types who talk loudly  during their set, or just crank up the Deluxe Reverb on a flatbed trailer in their cul-de-sac until the cops shut them down. Their hopes and dreams remind me of my own at age 27 or so. That was many years ago. Let me tell you, folks, it's a tough road for a young musician. I feel for these hungry youngsters.

My path has had its ups and downs. At the risk of toxic positivity, here are a few of the ups: playing 14 straight years of SXSW shows; signing a humble record deal as a singer-songwriter with a small Italian record label; getting hired as a guitarist for local legends Jimmy LaFave, Charlie Robison, the Flatlanders (Joe Ely/Butch Hancock/Jimmie Dale Gilmore); playing the iconic Austin City Limits 2x. Plenty of other ups, too. There's a lot to be thankful for in the larger cosmic music sense. My passion for music is still in tact, for instance.

In the opposite corner, let's just say there were plenty of downs: being a six-foot tall man and weighing 138 lbs as a result of living on free happy hour snacks and the occasional meal included with gig pay; chronic shoulder issues exacerbated by hours of daily guitar work; the stuporous boredom of spending all day in a parking lot outside a club in, let's say Amarillo or Durant, OK; and many other slings and arrows of life as a musician-for-hire. The true issue for me was that I only got to spend 90 mins a day playing music. What to do with that other 22.5 hrs/day? Therein lies the dilemma. If only there were a way for me to spend an honest 8hrs/day 5 days /week playing, absorbing, and immersed in music?

Enter teaching and ukulele. Boom! The rigors of the road were traded for learning to read music. 12 years of teaching ukulele has opened me up to what life long learning looks like! I have been changed by learners like you. Thanks! I'm committed to paying that gift forward as a teacher, content creator and artist.

It feels great to return to some light guitar gigging after bathing in the purifying waters of the ukulele world.

In retrospect, I'd probably make most of the same mistakes, but, on purpose this time if I had it to do over. A hungry, wise young songwriter once wrote: "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now..." Seems about right. These young musicians will do just fine, I'm sure.

     -March 2023