another day, another blog?

I am finding myself at a loss for things to write about. So, in the spirit of boredom, desperation, and a general need to spill the overflow in my head I will begin this blog in the dark, with no mind towards an eventual destination. Nuff said?

I spent my day sitting in a hotel ballroom listening to scientists present their research in the areas of animal nutrition, grain production, feed processing and biofuels. It was a science-palooza. No, Im not even remotely interested in science or agriculture, nor am I a sucker for punishment. I am an audiovisual technichian. Not exactly a glamour life, but its a good job and I am darn glad to have it. The silver lining to my day was that amidst all of those numbers and figures I had a lot of time to simply sit and ponder. Interestingly enough, I started thinging about this very blog. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing here. I don't care if anybody ever reads it, I just love having a place to explore the annals of my mind.

All of this pondering led me to a realization: I have been working tirelessly to unlock my mind hoping that I can somehow therein find a key to unlock the things that are built up inside my heart and finally let them out, while all the while failing to realize that the key to open the heart most likely lies within that same heart i have been trying to unlock. If this is confusing you as much as it is confusing me, feel free to close this window and never come back here again. If, however, you find yourself in some sick way relating to anything at all that I say, keep reading, if not for me at least out of respect for the self-exploratory process. Introspection is sometimes the strangest trip.

I guess what I am trying to say is that my inside wants out and I feel like I lack the capacity to open that door. So here I sit, a guitar in the corner and a blank page in fromt of me. I only hope that you can allow yourself to move past the probable initial reaction of thinking that I am completely crazy and begin to realize that there is something inside all of us screaming to be let free, whether or not you have heard it yet. So find your muse, find your passion, break your heart open and allow yourself to drown in it. Vive la inspiration.

first listens and new loves

There is nothing like the first listen to the album you have waited your whole life for... I picked up my fresh copy of John Mayer's new CD, Continuum... I am blown away. Don't just take my word for it, check it out for yourself and you will see an artist whose desire to push himself into new sonic experiences has led to an unbelievably simple yet infinitely deep work of beauty. In every piece of music I hear I find myself listening for something real that I can relate to, both artistically and otherwise. I have always found that with Mayer's songs, but this album has taken my appreciation for his work to soaring new heights... Check it out, you won't regret it.



In other goings on, my brother and I headed out a few days ago to the monastery ruins in St. Norbert, just south of Winnipeg. We took nothing but a camera and our excitement for the opportunity to get some great shots, and it paid off. We had some of the most beautiful light I have ever seen. It was about an hour before sunset and the soft light coming through the leaves was incredible. We took turns shooting for about an hour and a half until the card in the camera was pretty much full. I am really developing a love for the photographic form, although I must humbly admit that I am a complete amateur. It reminds me of being in elementary school and hanging my latest work of art on the refridgerator... Fast forward 10 years, I am sitting on the floor digging through an old box of school work, laughing at my shaky lines and sub-par coloring skills. Nevertheless, I am on a learning curve, and this is my refridgerator...

can ya dig it?

Check this out, the new JM video...enjoy!

texas hold'em vs. texas blues

Yesterday was such a fun day. I spent the day with my good buddy Tyson and his friend Ryan. We just hung out and had a good old guys day. We watched some old SNL bits on DVD and had a rather rousing game of poker. There is something I absolutely love about putting on some music and just relaxing with a game of cards. Actually, music finds its way into a lot of what i do. Yesterdays weapon of choice: Stevie Ray Vaughn. As a guitarist I find inspiration in a great many places, but no guitarist has impacted my playing quite like Stevie. Every track I listen to is like a little piece of heaven. I could listen to "Things That I Used To Do" a thousand times and still find something exciting and new every time around. If you are not familiar with Stevie Ray Vaughn, I highly recommend that you take the time to shake hands and introduce yourself to songs like "Lenny", "Texas Flood", or "Tin Pan Ally". Sit down, have a listen, and lose yourself.

these are the days...

It's official, I am finally enjoying being my own age. Until now I was more than content with growing up, getting older and finding my place in the world of grocery store lineups and drive through coffee shops. I hated my teen years; the drama, the "heartache", and the stupidity of thinking we were larger than life. I always wanted to grow up and just settle into a routine. Fast forward 5 to 8 years... I have done a lot of growing up, and I mean a lot. I am 22, newly married, getting ready to start a career, and finding myself becoming more and more enamored with the idea of being a twentysomething. It is so great to be able to look forward with anticipation while still being able to look around at where I am now and say "I'm lovin' it". This is the independant, albeit stressful lifestyle teenagers always dream of. I hate to say it because it sounds so juvenile, but I love living life on my own terms. Everything is so fresh, so inviting. There is a huge future ahead, but I want to make sure that I am not so fixated on it that I miss the experience. I guess what I am trying to say is that life is good. These are the days...

in my own words...

Maybe I just try to hard. It seems whenever I sit down to expel whatever is going through my head I just end up frustrated because I can't say it as eloquently as I want to. When you talk, thats it, its a one shot deal. You speak and it is over. There is no taking back what you have said because the words are free from the confines of your tongue. Thats what i hate about writing. Whether I am writing music or just writing in this here blog, i find myself trying too hard to be inspired. There is always the option to tear up a piece of paper and start over, or to hit that magical backspace button and erase what i have already expressed. I am beginning to realize that through all of my undoing and erasing I have lost my voice. I am trying too hard to say things the way somebody else might say them.

I listen to a lot of music and, in the course of doing so, have discovered a ton of artists whose work just makes my brain melt. I am amazed at the lyrical genius of John K Samson and the reflective, often introspective writing of John Mayer. In comparison to artists such as these my work seems more like eighth grade poetry. But that is where the problem lies. I am Dan, and the only words that will ever carry any real weight are the ones that come from that place deep inside of me where the real emotion lives. From now on I am restricting the use of my backspace button to editting spelling errors or punctuation mishaps.

welcome and announcements...

Well, it's been a long time coming but here it is, the blog the world has been holding its breath for! Im sure this link will find its way into MSN convo's and online chatrooms everywhere with exclamations of "Wow, this blog is awesome!" or "I'm speechless! Literally speechless!" Whatever your reaction, I'm sure you'll agree: this is one for the ages. Stay tuned boys and girls, you just might learn something!