THings are moving forward

I will be starting up the Luthiery program at Roberto -Venn near the end of August. I move to Phoenix on August 1st, got my apartment all set up; its a studio apartment with a bed in a cabinet, a kitchen with a breakfast bar, a pool outside with fruit trees all over. I have been pondering what kind of guitar I want to make; the body style, amount of frets, scalloping the fretboard or not, body woods, the pickups and so on. There are so many options it is mindboggling. I would like to replicate the neck on my Charvel SoCal, it plays so well but I want to do something a bit different with the body. I am looking forward to learning so much more about the instrument that has been such a major part of my life.

A few people from Portland will be living in the area, a kid I watched grow up (I was his Sunday School teacher) and an older retired couple...it will be good to have some familiar faces around.

I am wondering about the end of the program and what job I might have. I would love to be able to live in a sunny climate near the beach if at all possible. I wish my current home was closer to the beach rather than 20 or so miles away...glad to be at least that close though.

Now I am working on some new music. I wanted to have a new album done by August, we shall see if that happens...I need to get off my dead ass and start hacking at it.

something happening...

I was accepted into the Guitar Craft Program at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood...sadly, I was only able to get enough financial aid to cover almost half of the tuition. That left me in need of upwards of 38K to cover the rest of tuition, I wasn't able to get any private student loans. So I am not going to be attending that program.

I went and visited a school in Phoenix AZ, Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery. I applied and was accepted. I have yet to know how much I am getting for financial aid but the tuition is MUCH cheaper than MI, not to mention that the cost of living is much cheaper in Phoenix than it is in Hollywood. After crunching numbers, I figured that my cost of living and tuition for Roberto-Venn will be less than half of what it would cost me to go to MI. So classes start on August 26th. I have paid $250 so far towards tuition and fees and I am saving money between now and then. I need to find a place to live over there as well. I hope to either get a furnished apartment for the 5 months I will be there or to buy a futon and a desk and or table and have them shipped so I don't have to move all of my stuff only to move it again only a few months later.

Who knows what is to come at the end of the program in January but I am looking forward to being a certified luthier(maker and repairer of guitars). Meanwhile I am teaching guitar part time as well as working in the yard and doing some remodeling for my mom in order to make ends meet.

New Year...here's hoping its better than last year!

So now I have been in the San Diego area for a little over 3 months now...I have joined and quit a band (unprofessional behavior from one of the members and excessive drinking...not my scene, not to mention the sense of foreboding I had any time I thought about the band; that I needed to get out of there) and started and then been released from working on an album with a songwriter only now to be back working with him for some performances at some church things as well as some open mic things. I have had one person take a guitar lesson from me only to tell me he will contact me after the new year, then another person has contacted me about lessons for her daughter; I hope I hear back from both of them and more soon. I need to repost my add again. I have been talking to a few ladies via eharmony...we shall see what happens in that department. I need to get my CA driver's license as well as get my car registered in CA. I have to go to court on a ticket on January 26th. I have no idea how much the fine is, there is no monetary amount on the ticket though the officer could have had my car impounded and given me a ticket for well over $5000. Thank God he didn't. I am making effort to be more positive because I cannot stand being bitter and angry all the time, I need to look for the positive in all situations no matter how dire because this is killing me. I used to be much more easy going but now I have little to no patience with things, the stupider the situation the less patience I have and there have been an overabundance of stupid situations/people...God help me!