March 28, 2012: Post 88, Day 88

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Today's Weight:        201.2 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    199.0 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         + 2.2 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - March 31, 2012. 

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:
I'm not exactly sure what to make of the kilo gain. Could it be the added cheese (breakfast and dinner and snack). To me, it was most likely the late dinner (10pm) and late, big snack (midnight). Or both. Or neither. Whatever. It isn't important enough to give myself a brain-ache over.


I started off the day with a high-nutrient, high-protein shake, finished off yesterday's chili for lunch, and had a high-protein shake for dinner. Tomorrow will be a 24-hour fast, and we'll see in the next two days where the weight goes.

Daily Comment:

I've been thinking about my bass playing today. The reason is, I got a note from the leader of one of my new projects explicitly laying out what he expected of me. There were basically two items that meant something to me: 

1. No singing. Check - no problem from me there. My singing, once strong (like, 30 years ago) is now a distraction, something I haul out only when necessary.
2. Learn the songs as recorded. Uh-oh. This is something I've been reluctant to do my entire musical career. In fact, I don't think I play a single bass line like 'the record' and I never have.

My process for learning songs is to listen to them a lot, think of the feel of the song, get an idea for a bass line (it may or may not be similar partly or entirely to the one on recording, but it is never the same) and bring that idea to the next rehearsal. I refine it over multiple plays within the ensemble, and then, when everybody is happy. Lock it in. 


I have never played with a group whose goal was to duplicate the recorded songs. These groups exist, and there are good ones, with excellent musicians, too. But I don't find that interesting. 

I'm kind of a one-trick pony. I play bass my way, and only my way. Luckily, it is pretty versatile trick, and I've rarely been in a situation where I couldn't hold down the bass part.


The one situation where that has occurred was when the people I was playing with had a very specific bass line/arrangement in mind, one that I didn't know, and they couldn't be (musically) flexible enough to let me do my thing. 


I may have only one trick, but it's a good trick and it accommodates a lot of different music situations. But not every one.

Throughout my career, when someone has wanted me to play with them, they've gotten me,  not my version of someone else. That was what they wanted, and it has usually worked out pretty well. I've never been fired for not being good enough at playing bass (it's always been personal issues - and  not in the negative-about-me sense of that. Usually.).

So, I wrote this guy back (after waiting a short time, so I wouldn't be emotional/defensive/aggressive in my response). I wrote him that, if he wanted me to play the recorded arrangement of a song, there were probably one of a few ways to proceed: Spend some extra time with me helping me work out a part that would work with the arrangement if it was giving me trouble; skip any songs where my take on the song wasn't to his liking; or, find a bass player who did things his way. I expressed that this last option was not one I desired, but would let him make that call.

He called back later in the evening. All's well. We're committed to moving forward. That made it a good day. 

Food Log

Breakfast

Green protein shake: kale, almond milk, an egg, vanilla whey protein powder (36g protein), vanilla, cinnamon, stevia-inulin blend.

Lunch

Chili (ground grass-fed beef, peas, tomatoes, mushrooms, black beans, tomato paste, spices) on a bed of Spring Mix greens and red cabbage.   

Dinner

I didn't feel like fussing much, so I just had some hard-boiled eggs with celery sticks and home-made mayonnaise. After, I had a chocolate egg cream protein shake (vanilla whey protein powder (w/36g of whey protein) plus an egg, cocoa, almond milk, cinnamon and stevia-inulin blend).

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:   22 oz,   Water: 96+ oz