"Happy New Year" 2009

Happy 2009 Everyone! IT's gonna be a great one. I'm out celebrating and will write..... later tomorrow!

"ENJOY! Yay, Whahoo0O0oo! Oh yay!

Don

"Merry Christmas Everyone!"

Merry Christmas Everyone!

So nice to have another season with you all. I appreciate you visiting as you do, as we catch up on all the doin's.

I'm at my wifes folks house here in Northern Ca. "Cold" (actually freezing by my standards). And my standards have changed from since I was a kid. I grew up back east. (US expression meaning the east coast New York or Philadelphia area). I knew cold, shoveled my share of sidewalks and driveways. Got so casual about the cold that I'd walk through the snow with sneakers on! The trick was to stay on top of the snow and not let your feet "crunch" through the top layer of the frozen surface. Very cold once the snow went in the shoe! "Now that was cold"

My new standard of cold is, (now that I've lived more that half my life now on the west coast) "Yikes, I better put on a long sleeve shirt today, it's freezin' out here in Sunny California!" Yep, pretty pathetic by East Coast standards... But hey, I'm cold!! So cold in fact, for Christmas I bought my mother a portable heater! (I guess I figure if I'm cold, everyones cold - She lives back east, I'm sure she's cold!).

I'll be in Las Vegas in a couple weeks (Frankie Avalon show - Orleans Hotel and Casino, C'mon by say hello) and guess what? "It snowed there last week, 3.5 inches! AHHHHHH it's everywhere. It did that once before in 1979, (I remember places I've been cold in).

Why once I was doin' a gig in Minneapolis. Woke in my Howard Johnson's Hotel room, with a mound of 'snow' leaning against the sliding glass door to the outside balcony..... "From the inside of my room!!!" 6 degrees below zero! I was afraid to look under my bed, I figured there'd be a 'Frozen Woolly Mammoth" under there. How the snow got inside, is a mystery to me the slider was closed. Jack Frost must of had a key.

Why once when I was on tour in Stockholm in the winter (I'm cold just thinkin' about that one). I was bundled up, scarf, big winter coat that was long past my knees. And yet I was still 'cold'. How cold? Well as embarrassing as it is to say.... I was outside, it was FREEZIN', I was bundled up real tight, and while standing there, I had to Fart! Well I tell you, "I welcomed the added heat under that coat and kept it in there as long as I could!!! I was only sorry I hadn't eatin' beans as I would have kept that up all day LONG!!

Yep, I guess I tend to remember where I've been cold before.

With thoughts of a "Warm Fire" MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all.
Don

News in Flashes

So... what have I been doin'? It's been awhile. "Yes, I know. I mean to be more diligent but a lot goes on and I get side tracked."

 I've been scoring music for TV and Film. Sounds great.. "YAY"

1.  However, I'm one of a few composers that submitted their work. The TV show (extremely popular daytime talk show) needs to choose my music for the theme first before I can fully jump up and down.

2. The film I'm working on is in the beginning of production. That's a long way from you and I eatin' popcorn and going to watch it in the movie theaters.

Non the less I'm very excited to be doing the work. I love to 'score music' to picture, you get to pick out moments of importance and highlight it with 'feeling and excitement'. 

After I know I 'did on didn't' get the TV show theme, I'll let us all in on what the name of the show is. I just don't like to talk or think about it much in the mean time.

I had a blast recording it, I had a great trumpet/flugelhorn player John Papenbrook come over to my studio and lay about 11 horn tracks down for the theme. Whew... is he good. I would really enjoy writing an album for him, he's such an exciting player. You can hear him on the "Bonnie Hunt show", "South Park", "Family Guy".... he gets around alright.

Another project I'm busy with is a 'light Jazz" album I'll do this year on Stick and NS/Stick. I'll have horns on that project as well and will have John over again as well as my brother Dave (Who you have heard him play sax and flute on a few of the Erik Norlander and Lana Lane CD's. It is about half written and coming along nicely.

Also another Progressive Rock album to follow up my "Peering Over Clouds" cd is in the works.

Lance Matthew and I have been writting and recording together for YEARS. We will have two Cd's come out in 2009.

"Rocket Scientists" will have some new releases in '09 as well but I can't mention them yet. Record companies don't like it when you mention release stuff before they do. However I can mention we will be on tour in March 28th and starting in the Detroit area. I'll post more about that as we get closer.

I can mention I'll be in Las Vegas with the Frankie Avalon show at the Orleans Hotel and casino Jan. 15-18. It will be a blast as always, I haven't seen them in a while so it will be extra fun.

"The Guild" (online TV show I write music for) is in full swing of "Season Two". They struck a deal with Xbox to have the shows exclusively downloadable to that system. My son has the xbox and suddenly, "I was popular in his eyes again". I love when that happens. Been doing that show for years, he never saw it... Suddenly it's in his game box... and "Wow, that pappy is good!" You can also go online and see it www.watchtheguild.com

In the 'realm of mystical stuff I can't figure out'.... There was an 'incredible' drummer I was lucky enough to be in a band with named "Bob Doo" (nick name of course). He and I played great together. He was 20 years younger than me, and had such a funny sense of humor, slightly warped but funny. 

One day we were meeting at a restaurant after rehearsal with a group of people and as I enter the restaurant and look around for everyone I hear him yell out, "Hey liver spot, over here!" As horrible as that may sound to you, I laugh again as I write this. It was his wacked sense of humor that let me know he loved me dearly as well. And I was just telling my wife the other day that I miss him and how great we played together..

Anyway, he died some years ago (God rest his soul). So a few days ago I had this gig in a very nice church doing an extravaganza of a Christmas concert, playing bass and also doing a solo spot on NS/Stick. I keep my phone on vibrate and felt it go off. I didn't have to play at that particular moment - so I pull it out of my pocket to see who it is.... the name comes up "Bob Doo"!!  The kicker is, though I left his name in my phone (I just couldn't delete it), I did erase the number, and yes it was still erased. I talked out loud to him on the way home, it felt good and thanked him for the call.

I had a great lunch meeting with a director and we talked about doing an online series. (Online series's are getting quite popular). He wrote "Mr. Hollands Opus" and I've scored some films for him before.  It would be a "fun" show, a mystery with 50's style detective music. Lol! Lot's of fun. We ate at a great restaurant in West Wood here in Los Angeles... which is about a half hour from my house. I paid $22.00 for parking!!! "I'm walkin' next time!"

I've got the 'Christmas Tree" up. It is COLD here in Los Angeles this week. I don't remember it ever being this cold before. That's why I like it here... "Sunny California" ya know! I don't mind visiting the cold like when I visit my Mom back east, but yikes I don't like when the 'cold' visits me here. I've been throwing wood in our fireplace like I'm feeding the furnace of a Steam Engine train.

As a matter of fact, my hands are cold typing! I'm gonna go 'warm up' by the fireplace, you all have a wonderful evening and we'll meet back here real soon!

Good Nite!

Don

"On tour, bottom of the Nineth"

Well I'm in Miami and I'm having a great time. The concerts are well received and a lot of fun. I'm playing with John Snider, a dear friend and drummer who used to live in Los Angeles and toured with Eddie Money for many years, we've done many albums together, three of them with Eddie Money.

While I'm here John has a busy student schedule as well. So, just because we can, I've been going to his drum classes in the day, "Some of which are at the young students houses!" I break out the NS/Stick and John brings a conga drum. I dive into a Groove in their living room, John guides the drum student (some of them 10 years old) as to what to play on drums... them mom and dad come out to see what all the ruckus is, and find their son rockin' out with two guys that sound like a full rock band!! They are sooo proud of their little child "rockin" loud and proud, and the kid is just beaming with pride.

Very fun and deluxe as some of these students homes are right on the canal and have beautiful homes with deluxe views over the water. I get to relax, jam a little with a great view, John gets to sit back relax and teach while the student gets overwhelmed with, "Oh my goodness, what do I do now - that wacky man is playing bass and guitar parts at the same time and is now telling me to take a solo!!!! ahhhhhhhhhh" (Priceless look on their faces... only out done by the joyous yelps of their mom and dad, brothers and sisters who see their child in a whole new light... "Look at that, the boy can play!!!"

Not only is John a fantastic drummer and percussionist but equal in task to teaching.

We have one more concert tomorrow afternoon, then I fly home that evening. Ya know, I love flying. I get tired after a few days of playing and constantly getting from one place to another and so I look at flying as having 'my own in flight 'napping' chair!" It's kinda like nap time in Kindergarten where you had your own blanket and laid on the floor with the other kids. Well this is the 'adult' version where you get your own reclining chair.

And so you take off, have a hour or two nap, wake up, ring the bell to get your juice, maybe a cookie, chips or crackers... then nod off for a few more hours, wake up... watch a little in flight TV.... C'mon... what's not to like!" If you do that at home on the couch the wife calls ya 'lazy'... do it on a plane... and suddenly now 'your workin' nobody says nothin'... "Whats not to like!"

Got a call for the end of December to go to Lake Tahoe for a gig with Frankie Avalon. I haven't been to Tahoe in like 15 years. That would be a great time of year to go. I'll post the event when I get more details next week.

I'll be booking more and more solo shows as I've been working on new material and singing a lot. Rocket Scientists have a tour coming up in March... so everyone seems to be starting up again slowly, but everyone's 'slowly' is adding up to me getting busy touring. I have a 'lot' of recording to do over the next two months so... perhaps I'll try something new to me.. "planning" .
As I'll need to use my time more efficiently.

"Lana Lane" (Think Tank Media release) released a 'best of' CD. This is only available in Japan. Different bands and artists get popular in certain areas and "Lana's " is in Japan. I was sent a copy and it looks beautiful (like all Think Tank releases, they have the High Pro- no expense spared look to them). This is no exception. Of course I played on a lot of the tunes but also got one that I co-wrote on the album "Hands To Heal". Writing as you know, is the way to make money in music so, it was nice to find out I have cut on the CD.

I went to two little leauge baseball games while I was here. John's young son was playing (5 yrs old). It was fun to see them play, he swung hard... however - he never got close to hitting the ball - but with hotdogs and hamburgs stuffed in our mouths we cheered him on ....Last game of the season so we say, "You'll hit it outta the park next year".

A GREAT trip, I'm tired and am starting to look forward to my "napping chair".

We'll talk soon!
Don

Hi all,

I'll be performing as you'll read the flyer below. It will be a fantastic evening of Stickist and me being one of them.

I intend to get out and perform my music more that I've written over the years and yikes as I get older "Over the Years" becomes larger and larger. Technology changes however the songs remain the same. A good tune, is a good tune.

Speaking of getting older, yep, my birthday is Sunday, thank you all for the birthday wishes. I joke and say, "I'm gonna have lots of cake if I can find my way to it through all the candles!" Next year I'm gonna need a bigger cake!

Gigs comin' up aside from the below show. I'll be in San Diego next Friday with Bobby Rydell and Lou Christy. It will be a fun show.

See you soon somewhere! EXCELLENT,

Don

STICK NIGHT
@ Paladino's in Tarzana
Sunday, November 16th



#Variety#Virtuosity#Veracity#

An evening of round-robin performances by six
exceptional artists/stylists on The Chapman
Stick® in solo and various duo combinations,
including some vocals and drums.

As dedicated Stick musicians we also enjoy each
other's performances on this innovative
instrument. A typical "Stick Night", wherever
it's held in the world, is a total variety show
of genres and styles, all tapped out with both
hands on the blank slate of the Stick fretboard.
It's like a family gathering of those with a
common goal expressed in diverse styles and
techniques. We think you'll be as surprised and
entertained as we ourselves, as we trade the
limelight from song to song, each artist
inspiring the next to greater efforts.

FEATURING
- Don Schiff on NS/Stick, of Rocket Scientist,
song writer/vocalist, with dynamic drummer
Neil Bettencourt.

http://www.donschiff.com/

- Larry Tuttle on 12-string Grand Stick with
his wife Novi on her magic red viola, both of
"StringPlanet". http://www.stringplanet.com/
- Ben Weber on 10-string Stick, the youngest guy,
with a very original solo musical concept.
http://www.youtube.com/oceansinspace

- Kevin Keith on 10-string Stick,
song writer/vocalist and innovative
studio recording artist.
http://www.kevinkeith.com/
- Gary Jibilian on NS/Stick, in a very tight duo
with Jay Setar, his innovative drummer, both of
Jibilian/Setar.
http://www.garyjibilian.com/

- Emmett Chapman on 10-string Stick, the oldest
guy, playing through nothing but the house system.
http://www.stick.com/and http://www.emmettchapman.net/

Drummers Neil Bettencourt and Jay Setar will each
in turn accompany various Stickists on some selected songs.

MC for the evening will be Diana Lang, yoga and meditation teacher,
lecturer and author.

Paladino's nightclub is located at
6101 Reseda Blvd. in Tarzana,
a block and a half south of Victory Blvd. on the west side.
The nightclub telephone number is 818-342-1563.

Cover charge is $10. at the door. Show starts at
9 PM and continues non-stop until 1 AM.

The event will be announced on Paladino's Website
at: http://www.paladinosclub.com