[The Poetry of] Who I Am
The first entry of a new blog. Yea, indeed, such is as the life of a newborn babe first emerging into the world. It brings with it infinite promises of an equally infinite number of possibilities. It is as a blooming flower, bursting forth from its formerly covered state into a dazzling array of color and whimsy. Will this beauty continue into the future, or has yet another seed of self-destruction been sown?
The first entry of a new blog. Yea, indeed, such is as the life of a newborn babe first emerging into the world. It brings with it infinite promises of an equally infinite number of possibilities. It is as a blooming flower, bursting forth from its formerly covered state into a dazzling array of color and whimsy. Will this beauty continue into the future, or has yet another seed of self-destruction been sown?
…alright, that’s enough poetic theatrics. Getting down to business, I suppose a certain amount of personal introduction is in order, as is the custom to any first entry of a blog.
My name is Joe “Strazz” Straczynski. No, not Joseph Michael Straczynski of Babylon 5 and other assorted all-things-geekery fame.
My name is Joe “Strazz” Straczynski. No, not Joseph Michael Straczynski of Babylon 5 and other assorted all-things-geekery fame.
Glasses, hair, and a hatred of ties. We’re practically the same dude.
I’m a musician who recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey with degrees in music education, jazz studies, and K-12 subject matter education. I’m currently job-searching and using those fancy honors tassels to keep my curtains parted during the day, because I’m a classy sort of gent who uses curtain tassels.
If you’d like to know a little bit more about my credentials or music-related work I encourage you to check out the rest of the website that this blog is attached to. I’ve broken myself down as a performer, an educator, and as a composer/arranger, and there’s plenty of subcategories to explore within those. At the very least, you’ve got some recordings and pictures to look at. There’s a lack of kitten pictures, but there’s only so much of that you can handle in one internet-browsing session, right?
…fellas?
If you’d like to know a little bit more about my credentials or music-related work I encourage you to check out the rest of the website that this blog is attached to. I’ve broken myself down as a performer, an educator, and as a composer/arranger, and there’s plenty of subcategories to explore within those. At the very least, you’ve got some recordings and pictures to look at. There’s a lack of kitten pictures, but there’s only so much of that you can handle in one internet-browsing session, right?
…fellas?
Alright, fine, here’s your kitten pic, but we’re keeping things classy.
What It’s All About
I first got the idea to start this blog from one of my guitar-playing, music-teaching friends. He got on a kick about having a personal website (an idea I DIDN’T steal from him…stop looking at me like that), and he mentioned how a blog was a good way to attract readers and to get people clicking on your site again and again. For a musician/writer, that equals more potential gigs.
I first got the idea to start this blog from one of my guitar-playing, music-teaching friends. He got on a kick about having a personal website (an idea I DIDN’T steal from him…stop looking at me like that), and he mentioned how a blog was a good way to attract readers and to get people clicking on your site again and again. For a musician/writer, that equals more potential gigs.
Unless you're this guy. Then you do this for the chicks.
I have been considering doing some type of semi-regular series via my YouTube channel for a while now, since I wanted to keep things interesting on there, and you can only play “Giant Steps” so many times before people get tired of you. A blog seemed like a good way to get some of my thoughts out there while giving people who may not necessarily care about my own musical pursuits a reason to stop by and read some stuff. At the very least, it’s yet another creative outlet for myself to encourage myself to keep growing and exploring in a very tough and unforgiving musical world.
As of right now, I’m going to keep things loose and say that my blog entries will be about anything “music-related.” This could include album reviews, thoughts on recent trends in music education (and boy, are there trends right now), equipment reviews, and beyond. If I notice a particular entry causing an increase in attention to my website, I may stick with topics related to that.
As of right now, I’m going to keep things loose and say that my blog entries will be about anything “music-related.” This could include album reviews, thoughts on recent trends in music education (and boy, are there trends right now), equipment reviews, and beyond. If I notice a particular entry causing an increase in attention to my website, I may stick with topics related to that.
Unless hot chicks are involved. I know my marketing basics.
How to Interact, Jack
Shocked I knew your name, eh Jack?
Yeah, yeah, I know that 0.0000000000000000000000000000000019% of the people who read this paragraph won’t be named “Jack,” but imagine how that rare Jack will feel upon seeing me call upon him by name. It’ll be even more intense than getting called by the professor in Advanced Animal Husbandry only when you don’t know the answer. You know, because he cares about your education.
Shocked I knew your name, eh Jack?
Yeah, yeah, I know that 0.0000000000000000000000000000000019% of the people who read this paragraph won’t be named “Jack,” but imagine how that rare Jack will feel upon seeing me call upon him by name. It’ll be even more intense than getting called by the professor in Advanced Animal Husbandry only when you don’t know the answer. You know, because he cares about your education.
Unless he’s Professor X. Then he’s a jerk who’s reading your mind and just wants to embarrass you.
I’m completely open to any suggestions or comments about what you readers see on my blog. I would love to see ideas for future entry topics since I’m doing this for you, the public, as much as I’m doing it for my hatred of the fourth wall and all of the oppression it and “The Man” have brought upon us since their rise to power in the late 80s. I would be even more thrilled if I could spark some kind of interesting discussion in the comments section. That’ll probably take longer to get going, since you need to get people reading your blog and become inspired enough to scroll down a bit further and write out a comment, but I’d be happy to see that fateful day happen. I just humbly request that any comments are kept family-friendly. I do have a reputation as an upstanding member of the education world to uphold.
Teaching. You know, so I don't end up like this guy.
Image Credit Links:
J. Michael Straczynski: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Michael_Straczynski
Kitten: http://www.zuzafun.com/cool-kittens
Bill Clinton: http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/10e2bf43961918973a8eed4eda0a30f0.jpg
Sax Quartet: http://musicforlondon.co.uk/jazz-quartets-london/altered-ego-female-saxophone-band/
Professor X: http://www.comicvine.com/forums/battles-7/midnighter-vs-professor-x-1476634/
Future Fallback: http://www.funnysigns.net/gorilla-playing-saxophone/
J. Michael Straczynski: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Michael_Straczynski
Kitten: http://www.zuzafun.com/cool-kittens
Bill Clinton: http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/10e2bf43961918973a8eed4eda0a30f0.jpg
Sax Quartet: http://musicforlondon.co.uk/jazz-quartets-london/altered-ego-female-saxophone-band/
Professor X: http://www.comicvine.com/forums/battles-7/midnighter-vs-professor-x-1476634/
Future Fallback: http://www.funnysigns.net/gorilla-playing-saxophone/
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