a change of scenery can make all the difference

Simplify. That was my mission this semester, and so far, so bad. In an attempt to improve biking efficiency on my commute, I've switched over to my clipless pedals and mountain shoes so that I can at least walk around a bit. Three slow, embarrassing tumbles-at-redlights later and I've decided its time to hang up the cleats for a while. Sure, I'll wear them for long rides on the weekends, but riding clipless pedals on a 4 mile commute is like using a home theater system to listen to voicemail messages - could be fun, but just superfluous.

Musically, I've managed to succeed a bit more with my goals. I've nailed down a good practice routine, have been writing much more than usual (a new bike song is on the way once I can figure out what sort of demon has taken control of my Mac's CoreAudio), and just enjoy playing more than ever before. The orchestra at my new school is a giant leap forward from my previous experience, and being able to lead a section such as mine has been great. In a cliche way, playing in a section is a lot like a good group ride. There's a great deal of nonverbal communication, everyone has fun, and (hopefully) no one gets dropped or lost. Sure, we don't all wear spandex or sit on tiny rails when we play, but maybe we could get matching bass kit or gnarly face tattoos ala David Clinger?

On a side note: I don't want to become a CD review blog or by any means try to force new, unusual bands out into the open so that I can say I listened to them first, but I feel a certain sense of responsibility as a musician and cyclist to recommend new music that might make the commute go a little more quickly. For this reason, today's ride was brought to you by the band Rudder and their latest - "Mantoring." Bombastic drumming from Keith Carlock, slick grooves from Tim Lefebvre, and fun melodies from Henry Hey and Chris Cheek make this record a must listen all day long. I'm a huge fan of Keith's playing and ability to make mind bending feel changes (listen to "Lucky Beard" twice, you'll miss it the first time) and Tim's ability to have one of the deepest pockets around.

Genius playing, fun songs, great ride. A change of scenery can make all the difference.

Ryan