MDP Person of the day!

So, if I do a couple of blog posts a day, I can still make my "10 people in 10 days promise". With that being said, today I'm going to write about the one and only MR. STEVE CARDER!!!

Here's a couple of interesting facts about Steve....

-He has more nicknames than anyone else you know. Seriously. And he responds to each and every one of them.

-He grew up in Vienna. Vienna, West Virginia.

-The only boss he listens to is Bruce Springsteen...because #1, Bruce Springsteen rules, and #2 Steve Carder is his own BOSS! Steve owns one of the tastiest sandwich joints in Portland.
If you haven't already, go grab a snack at The People's Sandwich of Portland. I promise you, you won't be disappointed. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

And the final fact o' the day about Steve is that he has a million friends*. ONE MILLION. You don't have a million friends without being pretty darn awesome, and that he is. One of the most genuine people I know. Thanks for representing MDP Steve!

*Okay, maybe not a million friends but it sure seems that way.

p.s. If you go get a sandwich at TPSP and mention this blog post, Steve will give you a free HIGH FIVE! Alright!

Just to prove I'm not a liar...

I swore, a long time ago, that I would write a blog post about each and every person who sent me a picture or let me take a picture of them wearing an MDP t-shirt. I'm keeping good with this one. Let's say... 10 posts in 10 days. If I don't keep to my word, the first person to call me out on it gets a present. Seriously. I give you a present. It will most likely be a t-shirt.
OKAY SO LET'S START WITH THE AWESOME GUY WHO MADE THESE T-SHIRTS, MR. JOHN MONSEN-KEENE!!!!

John, more famously known as "Captain John", works at a pretty cool place in Wood Village, OR called Big D's Printhouse. These guys hooked me and a bunch of people I know up with some really great merchandise. Friendly? Check! Professional? Check! A job well done? Check and 5 stars!
I couldn't be happier with the work Captain John did for me.

In addition to being a master printer, John is also a badass bass player in Portland band DIESTO. If you haven't already, check them out! Next show is 2.18.11 in Seattle.

AND, in addition to being a master printer and badass bass player, Captain John is just one of those people that you are lucky to call a buddy. Thanks Captain! YOU RULE!

p.s. Sorry about the blurry photo. I'm still working on keeping my fingers away from the lens...
***one down, 9 to go....stay tuned!***

Speaking of "Lenny"...

This is one of my favorite photos of the man.

Remembering Homer Mensch

Today I am remembering the late, great Homer Mensch who died five years ago today. I had the honor of studying with Mr. Mensch while I was a student at the Manhattan School. I could tell you all about the wonderful things he did professionally but instead I'd like to add a few personal quips...

One of my favorite things was his level of "casual" professionalism. Every week I would take a lesson from him in his own apartment and every week, without fail, he would be waiting for me with shined shoes and a freshly pressed shirt. He showed respect to everyone. Even the scrubby kid in the Dead Kennedy's tee shirt with half her hair burned off because her "friend at NYU" tried to bleach it the night before. He was the classiest man I've ever known.

He also had a "phone crush" on my mom. Now, he never once met my mother but would tell me week after week about "what a lovely woman she is" because she would chat with him occasionally when he called to schedule lessons. Obviously he had good taste. My mom rules.

He only drank decaf. He taught almost 50 lessons a week and only drank decaf. That's impressive.

He played on the original soundtrack to Jaws. Du-duh. Du-duh. Du-duh. You've all heard him and he invokes fear in you! Du-duh. Du-duh du-duh du-duh duduhdudhudhudhhdudhdudhhdhduhbgdhjduduhdh! JAWS!

He was a total badass tennis player. Seriously. Almost went pro.

He was a pretty good tuba player too.

He would casually refer to the one and only Mr. Leonard Bernstein as "Lenny" as if you all were the best of friends. I thought that was so cool.


I could go on about all the little things I remember about my time with Mr. Mensch but the underlying point is that he was one of the most influential people in my life. In ways he probably never realized he affected me so positively. He was an amazing man who offered his time and knowledge to so many young musicians. When I visited with him years after graduating he welcomed me into his home as he always did and showed interest in my personal endeavors in an almost grandfatherly sort of way. I feel lucky to have studied and spent time with such a man. A true legend.

Liner notes

I was recently given a recording of Oregon's latest album and was delighted and honored to be mentioned in the liner notes. To purchase or listen to clips from the album go here.

Gift idea for your favorite string player

Went shopping at one of my favorite spots Redux this weekend and found this. A bit cheesy and kitschy but beautifully made.

Bad idea #1,152

Putting bolts in necks of basses is a really bad idea. I've pulled many screws, bolts and even nails out of necks after Joe dude with a power drill decided that "I'm gonna fix that there broken neck once and fer all! This thing ain't goin' nowhere after I drill this here wood screw into it."
I will admit, it seems like a great idea. I mean, wood screws have been holding various wood items together for years. Fences, furniture, houses etc. And heck, the bass is made of wood, right? Yes, but let's discuss this for a moment. Wood, especially the wood that fine instruments are made from, is very sensitive. It reacts to temperature and pressure changes. It continues to expand and/or contract throughout it's life as a violin or a bass or a guitar or a house or a bookshelf. Think about this. We've all been in or lived in an older home at some point. Ya know how those pesky little nails snag your socks as you walk across the old hardwood floors? Well, the wood in the floors has shifted with age but the metal nails stay exactly the same. Now think about that concept in relation to a musical instrument. Especially on a wooden instrument that is very large and frequently moved around. By putting a rigid metal fastener in the neck it can actually start to force a break open again and then you have a much harder repair to try and fix. "How about using a wooden dowel in place of a bolt?", you ask.... Again, sounds like a great idea but it's not.
A wooden dowel can be just as bad or worse than putting a bolt through the neck. The wood of the dowel is going to shift in a different way than the wood of the neck. They end up fighting against each other most of the time resulting in a break being forced open again. In the case of a broken neck, if a neck graft is unfeasible, just stick with plain old hide glue. Getting a good clean glue joint is the most effective repair. More about neck grafts tomorrow....