Tap In Time

This installment of the Tap In Time Podcast is a bit longer than usual, but given the span of topical content, we think you'll understand why. We head to the Qu'Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan, Canada, to catch up with Chapman Stick recording artist and wood worker extraordinaire Brian Baggett, so there's talk of music, Canada, wood working, and an exciting new product introduction for Brian's Stickist clientele! As usual, we find a number of bunny trails to navigate, such as geographic population density, humidity, feline work partners, second grade art project appreciation, and more…so come along and stay awhile!   Brian's web sites:   https://brianbaggett.ca/ https://brianbaggettwoodcraft.ca/  

They're not actual travel agents, but they do help us get away. :-)  Claire and Victor bring Glenn Poorman and Jim Meyer, organizers of the Interlochen and Stick Camp Canada events, into the virtual studio. After getting things rolling with a retrospective on last summer's events, we then bunny-trail through a plethora of topics such as looping, composition, YouTube videos, and taking a Stick into a live band context. Along the way: accidentally diagnosing a broken piece of gear, the joy and angst of using video to learn a Stick piece, one way to fill in the audience at event performances, and more! Musical selections heard in this episode are Glenn's “A Thousand Words” from his YouTube/scored works collection, and Jim's “Georgia Strait” from his CD “Arbutus and Jade”. Glenn's online scores can be found at http://www.121normal.com/tabs/ Jim was previously a guest on Tap In Time Episode 6 (https://tapintime.podbean.com/e/hanging-out-with-jim-meyer/) and Episode 29 (https://tapintime.podbean.com/e/29-coming-back-for-more-jim-meyer/). Glenn was previously a guest on Tap In Time Episode 14 (https://tapintime.podbean.com/e/looping-back-to-interlochen/)

Gene and Victor pull aside several Stickists while at Stick Camp Canada, to hear some of their memories of Greg.

The man who may just be the most prolific Chapman Stick recording artist on the planet joins us in this episode- Michael Kollwitz is in the studio! Mike has insights and stories galore to share, borne of playing for so many years, being one of Emmett's students early on, and living and recording in a number of different locales. Plus, Michael and Claire spend some time diving into advice regarding the configuration and maintenance of studio computer resources, and we hear about Michael's upcoming book release- “Stick With It- Adventures of a Chapman Stick Player”…judging by some of the stories he shares with us, this book is a “must buy”!

After a bit of a sabbatical, Claire, Gene, and Victor get together for a free-form conversation. We catch up a bit, talk about plans for the future (isn't that phrase a little redundant?), hear from a furry contributor, share a few laughs, and just enjoy one another's company while we geek out a bit over Sticks and music. 

Chapman Stick artist Dale Ladouceur and her husband, drummer/recording engineer Bill Hobson, join us from Crowtown Productions, their Edmonton based studio. Along with a rich musical history, Dale and Bill possess a wealth of knowledge and experience recording the Chapman Stick (among other instruments), which we take advantage of as we dive into it with them. Along the way: cheap knock-offs, fighting for your first gig, mastering for the treadmill crowd, lobbying NASA, and more…check it out!

Folks who have listened to us know that we're really big on getting together with other Chapman Stick players. So when Jim Meyer wrapped up the 20th Vancouver Stick event, it was a safe bet that we'd want to have him back on to talk about it (he was our first ever interview guest, way back in Episode #6, and anyone who's listened to that episode knows that he's a really fun guy to spend some time with). Plus, we also get some eye-witness thoughts on the 2022 event from the Tap In Time Foreign Correspondent. Along the way: geeking out over tuners, seminar audio chaos, ideas that didn't work out so well, and more!

A small town with a bustling tourism industry is a great place to live if you're a skilled musician, and a Chapman Stick fits like glove in such a place. In this episode, we head to Colorado to hear all about it from one of our Stick heroes, Mr. David Tipton. David shares some of his secrets to success, including thoughts on reading the room, repertoire, knowing what to play, gear choices, and the importance of posture while playing (!!!). There's also talk of strangers jumping in uninvited to play along, questionable wedding song choices, adventures with curious and unrestrained children, and more. Come along and join us for a great chat!

For this episode, we cross the pond (virtually) to England to visit with Stick artist/educator/performer/busker Jim Lampi. Jim is one of the early adopters of the Chapman Stick, and his story is one worth hearing. It spans multiple instruments, locales, and musical landscapes, starting in the United States, moving across a large chunk of mainland Europe, and settling down in England. Join us as we hear about learning the instrument without benefit of the modern internet, covering an all-time classic in front of its composer, getting kicked off a continent by a musical genre, and more!

Progressive music titan Tony Levin joins Tap In Time for a rundown of his most recent tours with the Stick Men, King Crimson, and his latest gig, the Levin Brothers with his brother Peter Levin and their special guest Ali Ryerson. In this episode, Tony takes us through a day in the life of a Chapman Stick player working with 3 drummers, being a traveling musician in the time of Covid, and getting the opportunity to make music with his mentor and brother, Peter Levin. We also talk compressors, how to choose the right instrument for the right song, and, along the way, we take a few metaphors a bit too far. 

…in which strings take center stage in the discussion. Well, for the most part, at least- it is a Tap In Time episode, after all. As with any stringed instrument, strings are at the heart of a Chapman Stick's purpose, and we dive into a discussion on the strings themselves, as well as the related unique instrument features only found on a Stick. Also: whammy bars, “rigidy” (is that a word?), geeking out over patents, a podcast idea of Gene's gets a hard pass from Claire, and more!

There may be two "O"s in Goose, but there's only one "L" in Manila (I hadn't known that...). Why mention it? Because that's the home of this episode's prog rockin' interview guest- Fuseboxx vocalist/Stickist/pianist Abby Clutario! There's Fuseboxx talk for sure, but we also learn about her other projects and endeavors, her musical and Chapman Stick history, some of her thoughts on the tech/gear side of things, and much more. As usual with our guests, several of her recordings (both with Fuseboxx and solo) are sprinkled throughout, with a beautiful Stick/piano/vocal cover to close the show.

Chapman Stick Master Steve Adelson joins us from his home in Arizona, and entertains us with anecdotes and learnings starting with his early days playing guitar, to finding The Stick, and moving through running the Long Beach Jazz Festival for the better part of two decades. From experiences and playing with the likes of Les Paul, Tony Levin, and other big names, to hurricanes and how to get a restaurant crowd “recognize” the originals you mix in, Steve takes through a great conversation.

We pay tribute to Emmett Chapman, share some memories, and talk about his impact on our lives.

Some listeners may have noticed the absence of our Portuguese friend Rodrigo on a few of last summer's episodes. Well, when you're out playing Chapman Stick gigs *every* weekend, it's hard to fit podcast recording sessions into your schedule. Now that he's back, we get the details on the gigs. Then we get to play show and tell (hear and tell?) to learn about his Dragonfly, an acoustic tapping instrument from a company out of Argentina. Many guitarists own both electric and acoustic instruments, and the Dragonfly is gaining a bit of popularity amongst jealous Stickists who would like to do the same. Check it out!

Tap In Time's roots are found in playing Bach on the Chapman Stick. In fact, Episode 5 was devoted to this topic...it truly is beautiful music that enhances any set list, and playing it is great for the chops. We're all really stoked that Stickist extraordinaire Greg Howard is about to release his book of Bach arrangements, so we pulled him into the (virtual) studio to continue the conversation. Mixed in throughout: discoveries, a Tap In Time first, a confession, and more- it's a good one, don't miss it!

We head to Germany this month, and manage to get Mark and Steffi, aka Cascade, on the line! The globe-trotting Chapman Stick Duo spills the beans on all sorts of stuff, starting with the Cascade origin story and working from there. Join us as we hear about composing for two Sticks, great stories of busking all over the world, living the dream of being full time Stick performers, and more!

We visit the Land Down Under! OK, only virtually, and no koala sightings this time, but it was still a great chat. Join us as we hear about Andy's busking experience, his decision to branch out into the world of living room concerts and streaming content, and his thoughts on other topics such as composing on Stick, that wonderful tone of his that so many of us want, his choice of instrument, and more. Plus, some interesting busking stories, including a bystander's mis-identification of Andy's instrument that was a new one to us. 

In Part 1 of this mini-series, we kept things at a somewhat higher level. In this one, as promised, we talk instrument details: configurations, materials, pickups, new, used, components, and more. We couldn't possibly offer the last word on any specific aspect of purchasing a Stick, but if you're after potentially helpful insights that might not be readily apparent, have a listen! If nothing else, you just might be slightly entertained. If you haven't yet listened to Part 1, consider checking it out first.

The episode title says it all. Though it shares certain characteristics with other electric stringed instruments, a Stick is truly an instrument like no other. What exactly does that mean? What drives us to want one? What did we learn or experience that we weren't expecting? Join Gene, Rodrigo, and Victor as they lay some philosophical groundwork in preparation for Part 2 of this mini-series, in which instrument and technical details will take center stage.

We spend some time with Master Stickist Bob Culbertson. He tells us what he's been up to lately, talks about the inspiration behind his latest album, Being, and swings away with a great answer to every question we throw at him. We hear a bit about some of his expanded instrument collection, the story of falling into making a living playing music, Saturday Zooming, his new custom Stick, where puppies come from, and more.

This month, we get Glenn Poorman, whose contributions to the Chapman Stick community include teaming with Oz to bring us the Interlochen Stick Seminar, superb musicianship, high quality scored songs which many of us have learned to play, and being a master of looping with a Stick. We get to know Glenn a little better, talk looping, talk musical notation, get the Interlochen origin story, and more. Join us!

This month, we get a glimpse into the world of music gear development, as we're joined by guitarist, audio engineer, and Line6 tech lead Igor Stolarsky. Igor put his music and technical education and experience to great use in playing a big role in the development of the Helix and the HX Stomp, two of the more prolific units used by Chapman Stick players. Join us as he shares knowledge, insights, and advice, borne of an insider's view that can't be found elsewhere. Plus, we hear about his work with the fantastic Video Game Orchestra...come along and join the fun!

What does it take to inspire and produce great audio and video? If you've heard Rodrigo's new album or seen the performance videos he shot for each song, you know that "Rodrigo knows." Claire, Gene, and Victor squeeze him for answers, and he delivers- inspiration, content, setup, recording flow, video, and more. Rod also shares some some great advice for prospective cork farmers in Portugal, and we spill the beans on our upcoming New Year's resolution chat, when we'll crash Bob Culbertson's Saturday morning Zoom call. 

In this episode, we get some of the details on our very own Rodrigo Serrao's highly anticipated 4th studio album- hear all about it from the man himself...it's going to be awesome!  Episode 11 also features Canadian Stickist Rob Gellner.  Rob, a professional Trumpeter and instructor by trade, has quickly become one of Tap In Time's fav players, and he shares thoughts on his new 12-string Chechen Grand, some insights on moving to a new platform within the Chapman Stick family, and advice for those preparing to dive into the deep end with their next new instrument.

Multi-FX Shootout- Chapman Stick Edition! OK, maybe not quite all that, but we're talking multi-effects pedals in this one, and what our instruments require of such a beast. We talk motivation and our personal experiences with several specific units such as the Fractal Audio Axe-FX, the MOD Duo, the Line 6 HX-Stomp, and a few others. Also: Zooming with Emmett, external influences, how far would you go (literally) to rescue your multi-FX unit from an infinite shipping loop, and more.

Chapman Stick artist Tomas Merlo joins Rodrigo and Victor from his home in Madrid, Spain. Tomas relates the multiple phases of his Stick journey, and shares about some of his approaches to music in general, playing in the Tomas Merlo Group, recording in hotel rooms, and more. Stops along the way include a unique currency for purchasing a Stick, reuniting with a lost (effects unit) love, and other tidbits.

You bought your first Chapman Stick.  Did it stop there?  Maybe.  Or, maybe you replaced it with a different one.  Or maybe you've come to own more than one.  So many roads!  Claire, Gene, Rodrigo, and Victor engage in a rambling, meandering, off the rails conversation about the instruments that have come into their lives and why.  The Recycler, regrets, when Claire knew she was a Stick player, poking fun at one another, and more.

Gene and Claire chat with Chapman Stick artist Kevin Keith.  We learn what Kevin's been up to, get the lowdown on some of his playing and recording secrets, and talk midi, third voice, and technique. Along the way: the L.A. music scene, nerf guns, "they said no...", and more.

This time, we're joined by Vancouver, BC based Chapman Stick player/recording artist/educator Jim Meyer, who puts on the Vancouver Stick Camp. Jim weaves an informing and entertaining tapestry that captures his musical history and approach to playing and composing, and sprinkles advice, tidbits, and encouragement throughout. Plus, fun busking stories, a Surf Lodge fail, "How do you tune that thing?", and more.

In previous episodes, we've touched on our admiration for Johann Sebastian Bach. In this episode, we do a little more justice to this great composer: we dive into what it means to learn, play, and perform his music on our instruments, and the joy it brings. Along the way, the fourth member of the Tap In Time crew comes along, we hear about "That Guy" Rob Gellner's Bach Odyssey, we learn that Gene isn't the only one in the analogy game, the harpsichord gets some love (or does it?), and more.

It's common to find 10 or 12 strings on Sticks and other tappers, and Gene, Rodrigo, and Victor talk about it.  There's also mention of steroids, intimidation, being Emmett's second biggest fan, vintage (?) Sticks, and other bits sprinkled throughout.  Plus, a listener submission "Stick Minute" breaks in.

Ahhh! The feeling of bliss you experience when you're hangin' with people who know that it's not a sitar!  We swap stories about Stick gatherings we've been to, the people we've met, and the friends we've made.  Podcast learnings, dog parks, Stick bling, dealing with the bar crowd volume,and Gollum all find their way into the conversation.

What do you plug the other end of that Stick cable into?  We tackle some of the factors that can come into play.  This episode is a bit longer- we hope you enjoy it!  A bit of talk about pickups, mixers, and how folks approach the instrument.  New arrivals, Vanagons (Transporter), managing multiple instruments at a gig, cheap craigslist combo amps, and other meanderings get chat time.

Gene, Rodrigo, and Victor introduce Tap In Time, a podcast for players of the Chapman Stick and other tapping instruments.  Who are we, what do we think we're doing, and why are we doing it?  Along the way: a mid-life crisis, seminar snippets, quitting smoking, it turns out we all like playing Bach, and more.