Bandworks Blog

A Mother’s Day Piece

bandworks — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:51:12 +0000

Bad Mommy! February 2012 Constellation

How many of us have taken so many BandWorks classes that we have countless notebooks with tunes we’ve done through the years? Countless sheets of music, almost as many notebooks … unless of course, we’ve turned them in and now all that’s left is the paper. In a pile. In a heap. Waiting, wanting to be sorted through, re-lived, the sound and feel of it nudging its way into memory.

Did I do that? Did we do that? Oh, yeah. How did we end that? Was so&so in the group that time?

Oh. This is what it feels like to be in a band. A group. People with shared memories. Like a family. We are the family of BandWorks.

Gigs Galore!

bandworks — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:54:33 +0000

February has been such a busy month for BandWorks with new bands starting and summer camp registrations coming in, we didn’t get a chance to get our usual Newsletter out, but here are some gigs by BandWorks alums and staff you won’t want to miss!

Jeremy Steinkoler, BandWorks co-Founder/Director
    Mo’Fone – Unique Band – 2 Saxes, Drums & Friends!
          Thu, 2/16, 8:30-9:30 pm - Special mardi gras show with Mindy Carter at
George’s Nightclub - 842 - 4th Street, San Rafael, CA – 21+,$12 advance, $15
         Fri, 2/17, 6-9 pm - Casa Sanchez, 2778 24th St., SF – All ages, $5
Kevin Beadles Band – +BW co-Founder/Director, Steve Gibson
Sat, 2/25, 8 pm – Winestyles, 11-B Town Sq. Place, Vacaville, CA – 21+, $5

Steve Studebaker, Alum – Blind to Reason
Fri, 2/17, 9pm- La Barca 2036 Lombard St San Francisco

Andrew Harris, Alum – Dads’ LPs
Fri, 2/24 - Hotel Utah, 500 4th Street, San Francisco – 21+, $8

Naomi Kayima,Alum – Basic Beat
Thu, 3/1 – Hosts Open Mic – Cafe Yesterday, 1122 University Ave, Berkeley – Try out
your new tune! Sign up 7pm. Drum kit and PA provided, but that’s it. More info: call 510-917-9994

Parents’ Perspective Revisited – Andrew Harris’ Dad Adds Some Thoughts

bandworks — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:28:40 +0000

Dad's LPs Band Members, from left to right: Chris Gene, Andrew Harris, Jay Seals, John Morales

When we ran our first -ever Parents’ Perspective on their son Andrew Harris’ musical development in our January Newsletter, we just couldn’t fit it all in! Andrew’s Dad, Larry, got back with us and added some more thoughts:

We hope this doesn’t embarrass Andrew, but his dad says, “Andrew started by carrying around a plastic guitar at Grateful Dead shows at Shoreline in the early 90′s. When he graduated to a real guitar, he played at Jefferson Elementary School’s Mayfair and Solano Stroll with his first band called Red World with his brother Jacob as the drummer. They wrote their own songs, too! Then he joined Bandworks. Andrew was so lucky to have been able to play with the musically talented kids in Bandworks. To this day that was a dream come true and was a major influence for him, and he is still best of friends with many of the kids he met in BW. He got to play with Mike Ruby (now with the band Treehouse), Ryan Thomas, Jason Reeder, and other excellent BW students.

“And of course playing guitar at Cazadero Performing Arts Family Camp during epic jams sessions with BW co-Director, Steve Gibson (who we can’t thank enough!) really gave Andrew a sense of confidence and belonging”

Larry adds, “When Andrew went off to college, he formed Blue Street Junction at Humboldt State which is a funk/blue jam band. Andrew wrote all their original songs and was the leader of the band. He created a great following in Arcata. Now that he is back living in the Bay Area, he’s joined Dad’s LPs.

Overall, Larry says, “Bandworks made him an incredible guitar player, taught him how to form and lead a band, write music and songs. He made friendships, and BW gave him an opportunity to be in a music community. Andrew now gives guitar lessons and is a mentor to his peers as a guitarist and rising star with his first CD out on the market with his current band, Dad’s LPs.”

Andrew’s major influences are: His parents (of course!), his Uncle David who plays in a band in Portland called The Wej, Steve Gibson, his BW student peers, music teachers in the Berkeley Unified School District, and our good friend, New Monsoon guitarist, Jeff Miller.

If you want to catch Andrew Harris’ stellar guitar work, go to his next San Francisco performance with Dad’s LPs at the Hotel Utah on Friday, Feb. 24,2012. The last one was tons of fun, and we know this one will be, too!

Ricky’s Riffs – How Musicians Can Stay in Shape

Julie Chervin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:54:47 +0000

Long time BandWorks supporter and musician, Ricky Fishman, is also a Chiropractor, and so is keenly aware of the particular physical issues many musicians face. We thought you’d be interested to read his blog about how musicians can deal with the pain that unfortunately, can impede one’s ability to rock on.

Ricky’s Riffs: Rockers play hard. Think of Pete Townsend and his windmill power chords, of Jerry Lee Lewis frenetically pounding the keys. We all love the sound and feel of that hard driving energy. But the physical effects on players can be significant. Repetitive stress injuries to shoulders, arms, and hands can stop a player in his or her tracks with debilitating pain and/or numbness.

The first order of business is prevention. There are three things you can do to protect yourself from injury—cardiovascular exercise, stretching, and strengthening.

Even though rocker and runner are not generally uttered in the same breath, the health benefits of cardio cannot be overstated. Running, power walking, biking, and swimming (note: no gym membership required!) all enhance circulation of the blood and help to distribute oxygen, flush away metabolic waste, and deliver the bodies healing chemicals to sites of injury. And you may be surprised at the strangely euphoric feeling the workout produces, not altogether different from that mid solo high.

Next up, stretching the upper back and arm musculature. Ideally this is done before and after playing. Self-massage will enhance the effects of your stretching regimen. Even better, for those who can, have at least one roadie certified as a massage therapist!

Finally, strengthening. And though you might think that power chords can substitute for pushups, the mind-body disconnect so common when playing can easily push you beyond your physical limit and lead to injury. Do your light free weights and crunches in the green room and then hit the stage.

But if you go down with pain, how to you know where to turn, which providers are best equipped to understand and treat? Because these injuries are the result of over using muscles and joints, pushing them beyond their limits, causing micro tears, inflammation, and pain, seek a practitioner who deals with musculoskeletal problems daily.

Chiropractors work primarily with these types of injuries and can treat using joint manipulation, rehabilitative exercise and passive modalities such as ice, electrical stimulation, and ultrasound. Acupuncture is another excellent choice. Using fine needles and herbal medicines to stimulate healing, this ancient art can relieve pain and help to restore proper function. Just be sure the acupuncturist has a musculoskeletal injury specialty.

If these approaches do not resolve the problem, you may have to take the medical route. Beyond the basic prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (advil/naprocin), muscle relaxers, and painkillers, a general MD may prescribe physical therapy which can be very helpful. If those are not enough, an appropriate referral would be to a physiatrist, a medical doctor specializing in structural rehabilitation. These doctors can perform anti-inflammatory injections into the tendons, muscles or joints themselves if necessary.

As a last resort, one may have to go surgical. A carpal tunnel release could be the only effective treatment for that hand numbness. Just be sure that the surgeon understands the unique needs and world of the musician.

We know that playing music is a great high, but we also know that it can be hard work. And hard work can be rough on the body, causing pain and dysfunction. But also know that these injuries can be prevented. Like Bruce, who pushed the E Street Band and himself into shape while on the road, we can all play well into our golden years. Just take care of your body like you would take care of that ’57 Tele and enjoy the musical ride in health.