I love my Country

Its beautiful! The people are amazing, the scenery is possibly the best in the world. We have beaches, mountains, cool animals, great food and every one who I have met who has visited this country loves it!!! And yes our History has its very sad moments, but its also a country with an incredible story of redemption, and I am stoked to be a South African…

We are perfect in every way!!!…well almost 

South Africa is a dangerous country… we do have a high crime rate and there is a bunch of things that go down in this country that I wish was not the case…

But something we have done here is got used to it! Preventive measures have come into play… some areas of life that just become normal. Some neighborhoods have security gates with a guard at the entrance to the street, and then you drive to the house you visiting and it has an electric gate, electric fencing, lazar beam triggered alarm systems across the lawn, code locks, security camera’s and security guards walking around the street… I am sure that some houses are more secure than some of the prisions around the world. Its almost like we are creating our own little prisions to keep people out…with the same security measures that prisions use to keep people in. Its a strange thing to people from foreign lands, but it helps us sleep at night…

Other things we just know what to look out for. We avoid certain areas, dont walk some streets, carry around little on us, and make sure we educate visiters to our land to do the same. We fit our cars with tracker systems, secret buttons that will cut off the car if you dont push it when you get in. Various immobilizers, smash proof windows and warning stickers on the windows to prove that we have all the stuff in the car…

Although all of this is expensive… and not everyone can afford it. And thats OK, because what some people have realized…there is nothing wrong with a good chain and lock and a lampost!!!…as in the pic below…

Thank you…

I must admit I am so Thankful for the Italian nation!! 

They just bought cool stuff in to the world, or made it cool. I know there is the debate about who made pasta first, or the pizza or who started brewing coffee first… But what ever the answer to those should be… “Who cares, the Italians made it look good and taste good!”

My Moka Pot… Makes an epic cup every morning

Italian cars… On my wish list…beautiful

Speaking with your hands… What people keep there hands still while talking?

Italian Food… I dont think Ill ever get a thin trim lean body… its just too good

Grappa, Limoncino, Wine… all so good

It is one of those countries in the world that I havent gone to yet, but really want to go to! I have some friends from Italy, and they are amazing people. And i know a few people of Italian decent, and once again such great people. Yes they have they have organised crime, but then again so does every country in the world! But the more I watch programs on Italy, and read about it, the more I think “I could live there” Their language even sounds great!!!

And the reality is one day i am going to go there… and here is my Italian bucket list. (by the way i have “wish list” fpr a few nations)

1. Visit as many coffee shops as possible

2. Get fed great food in house holds of great families

3. Drive an Italian sports car through the country

4. Visit some top wine farms

5. Get taught how to make a great Limoncino 

6. Listen to peoples stories…we still have a lot to learn, and they can teach it to you…

To my mates in Italy, from Italy, of Italian decent…Thank you…what a great nation

 

Dance!

Dance Duo Goldfish live at Botanical Gardens PMB

Growing up in a household surrounded by classical music I was always fascinated with composing, structure of songs, the melodies created, the mood, the harmonies, build ups of sound, break down of sounds, and a way a conductor arranged a piece to get the best interpretation of the music created….

I then picked up guitar, and started playing, and it was fun. I too learnt how to play a guitar in a way that created different mood settings, build up, break downs etc. But something I think that has possibly been able to translate a similar sought of mood and feeling to what classical music was doing centuries ago is a good dance track.

Now I know a lot of classical musicians will be freaking out and saying things like “It’s just a whole bunch of computer sounds…you cant compare that to a skill of a violin or a cello, or a horn…” To those people, reread my blog on the Munich Brass! I agree, there is a different skill involved. But I am talking about emotions created by music here…

Today I went to go watch Goldfish… They two guys who are trained Jazz musicians, that have taken the live element of Jazz and put some epic dance beats to it! Being able to infuse the two elements together. It wasnt some DJ mixing tracks together…all though i will be the first to admit it takes a lot of skill to produce a good dance track and be able to mix a set! But it was live instruments, live voices, live bass lines, live melodies being mixed with great beats to dance too. It was something that I looked at and thought “Wow we need more of this” And I know some people who are doing it! My mate, Dave is in a band called the Kiffness and he does this fusion and plays the trumpet! Plus I know a girl who plays live Violin in sets that is part of a DJ duo. And a mate of mine Eugene is producing dance music, mixing great sets, is a classically trained pianist and writes for an international online DJ Mag…and yes they all love Jesus and don’t do drugs! But what these guys and girls are doing, are realising that there is a large group of people out there who love to Dance! And they are taking the instruments that they are skilled in, and doing superbly well creating a live element to people coming to just have a good time and dance a way. A genre that often is associated with big party nights, drugs, sex, homosexuality, stoners, weird people. A description I heard the other day, “Oh those people who attend “raves” and dance all night with glow sticks and completely buzzed on drugs”

I was sitting there, watching musicians create something that made me happy.  They bought the emotions across in the music in an amazing way! People were smiling, dancing, having a good time and it was absolutely great music!!! In the back ground animations done by Mike, one of the most chilled dudes I know. And I look at his work, and I think “Brilliant!!!” People doing what they do best…and it got me thinking…

I think we should give guitarists and pianists a break in Churches these days, if over 50 000 people make their way to a three-day dance festival for 3 days straight and don’t stop dancing… I think we missing the point with our song writing! We need more dance, fat bass lines, beautiful melodies, great break downs and some thumping beats in our speakers on a Sunday morning!!

To which some people may say “People wont like it…it’s not their style, its not what worship music is, it will chase people away…” SImple…they said the same things about guitars and drums in the 70′s…now all you see in Church are guitars and drums… Your point?

Bach composed music with out lyrics…and at the end of each piece he had it written that its written for the glory of God… do we really need lyrics in all our worship songs? I think we sing too much, and I know some people really don’t like singing… neither did some of the people i was dancing with today…but they still were smiling from ear to ear, being captivated by the music…

We should dance more in Church… not this waving ribbons and wearing white robes and doing choreographed moves…although there is a place for that. And I have done it before! A DJ from England called Cameron came over to this major Christian student gathering. We entered into the hall…saw a guy standing behind two turntables, headphones on…and a mic in his hand. His words were simple “We going to worship Jesus now… lets dance!” And for 3 hours, I was with other Christians just dancing away!! The lights were there, the smoke was there, not to create a “false atmosphere” but instead to create a place where people didn’t feel the spot light was in, and you could just dance away.

So going back… Having listened to classical music, jazz music it leads me to thinking that… I find church music rather boring at times, no matter how amazing the lyrics are. I think Dance music is up there with composition as something that is brilliant. Well some tracks…others should just not be played… and don’t get me started on dubstep… i wish the “wobble” filter was not invented.

And to the DJ’s and producers who love Jesus and are making great dance music, that are trying to break our religious mindsets as Christians…THANK YOU!!!!! I applaud you, and ask that you not give up, instead please carry on!!!!

 

Its my Birthday!!

Thanks so much to all of u for the incredible messages!!

Im exhausted, its been a packed day. Ill share more tomorrow! But ill leave u a pic of my birthday present to myself i bought last year…. A 2006 cab sav/merlot blend award winning wine in France from Bordeaux France…. It was abdolutely brilliant!!!

Thank u all once again!!

26…one last night

Although right now in some parts of the world its already my Birthday

Birthdays are a funny thing, I mean you celebrate every year of how long you have been alive!! Tomorrow I am 27 well 20th of March, so some of you who read it, should read Today I am 27.

Reflections the evening before, yea Im honestly not feeling that much different. Its an age where society says you need to be a young start up, possibly married, maybe a kid, own house, car… Um according to that, I have failed that expectation.

But according to me, my dreams are still the same, and I have not accomplished them yet, and tomorrow I am going to wake up. Possibly know that the day is the one day of the year where I can be celebrated and then make a cup of coffee and carry on with life! Although I am looking out for any of those Birthday specials where you can get free stuff…

I must admit I am missing my friends the most! People who know me well, and have been around me on my Birthday before are now all around the world! Yes I do have some close friends here, and I am stoked they are around, but there are still others that I wish I could just go have a cold beer with and just celebrate!

But ya, its my Birthday… I suppose not being a big gift guy its not that I am looking forward too. I am how ever a sucker for verbal affirmation… so dont worry I dont need birthday presents…just send me compliments!!!!!

Happy Birthday to me!!!! Thanks 26…its been epic!!! 27…. looking forward to it!!! Just wish I was still as blond and good looking as the pic below… there are to many grey hairs now

Im Shatterd!

Wakeboarding

Days in the Sun by the dam

Dressing up 80′s having a jam

A weekend that was packed from start to end

Friends, meat on the braai (bbq) solid company

another week over… 

All this have left me feeling shatterd, oh well…time to sleep!

Its my Birthday on Tuesday…just saying

St Paddy’s

“in many ways Steve….but in so many more its not”

I was taught this saying from a mate in Ireland.

So in many ways people around the world are celebrating St Patricks day…. But in so many more 

I am stoked God has blessed us with the Irish

Memory pic of the week

Last year i was fortunate enough to play for a friends wedding. I took this pic just after sound check

Brass Music any one?

I arrived in a parking lot full of Audi’s, BMW, Mercedes, Volks Wagen and all around me I heard German being spoken… No I am not in Germany! I was actually visiting a town outside of Pietermaritzburg called Wartburg who’s nickname is “Little Germany”. And I can see why… 

We came to watch a brass band called Harmonic Brass. Now those of you who dont know much about classical music and the makings of quartets and orchestras or how to pronounce Bach properly let me run down what I was watching.

There were two guys Trumpets, One person playing the French Horn, its like a spiral trumpet, best way to describe it… A dude on the trombone, and a guy covering the bass notes with a Tuba. And they were performing tonight at a Lutheran Church in this town. 

This dudes were world class. I have never heard such quality of music being played live out of brass instruments in my life. Some of you may not know, but I grew up around classical music. I cant play it, I dont like the “in the box” analytical style that is classical music, I was also the kid at school that didnt like colouring in the lines. So I suppose the temperament isn’t there. I in fact went to piano lessons, started learning how to play, reading the dots, doing my scales and my teacher eventually said to me, “This is not your style, go pick up a guitar.”

But back to this concert… Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant!!! Possibly the highlight of my week this far, even though I saw some great live music on Tuesday night, this was world class. And the fact that this group has traveld to many countries around the world and played at major festivals and concerts, you knew that what you were seeing was world class talent. My Uncle who was watching with us is a brass musician and he said that this was the best he has ever seen. I had to agree, this was also the best I have ever seen of a Brass band…then again its also one of the only Brass bands I have seen so I mean, if you want to try something new, go big right?

My only problem with this was…I couldnt understand a single word of what was being said the whole night!! The whole thing was in German. I dont know much German…in fact the only word I know in German was taught to be by a German who said “Its not even a word in German it just sounds German” It was like I left my own country, crossed some sought of border post and arrived into Germany. But the funny thing is if you spoke to the members of this town in English, they would reply to you in perfect English and even with an English South African accent that you find in this area of South Africa. It was a rather strange event… And I wanted to stand up and ask, “Am I the only one who isn’t understanding a single word thats being said?” I probably wasn’t.

At the end of the night it was not an issue because the music was just so good that you could be in any country of the world at any venue and they could be speaking any language, but when the music started you didn’t care if you understood what was being said or not. The music was just of such high quality that everything else became irrelevant, you sat back, watched in amazement of seeing at this time in the world, arguably the best Brass quintet touring the world today….

World Champions

Well one of those riders could be one! 

In fact my home town of Pietermaritzburg is hosting one of the legs of the World Mountain Biking Championships this weekend! And to be honest it has been a lot of fun just driving my normal roads, and being able to see various national champions and even the current world champion riding around going on some training run. If you watch Tour de France, or other cycling events you will be able to have enough knowledge of what the different Jersey’s mean and how to spot who is who and what teams are which. 

I mean not many people can say they have had the opportunity of 3 world class mountain bikers sitting on the back of your car catching the slip stream up an easy section of road. Or arriving at gym to see the cyclists from team Trek having there morning training session. I’m sure it would be more of a deal if I had to arrive and hang out with Roger Federer, Jeremy Lin or go into a coffee shop and sit down with Mr Manning himself and discuss where he will go as a Free Agent… (Hold on, to my American Handegg fans (football) what you think, Tebow and Manning on the same team!) And a lot more of you will be like “Wow lucky you, you got to meet…”

But in reality the people I was riding past are in fact not big house hold names. I wasnt able to name them all, in fact I dont think i know one of them, except Aaron who I met in the gym from New Zealand. But the flip side is that these athletes are at the top of there field in the world!! I own a mountian bike, I have ridden through the same forests that these Ladies and Gents will be competing in this weekend. But these athletes are on top of their game. The hill you see in the picture, is a massiv hill! The average joe is normally at that particular part of the hill, drenched in sweat and exhausted and they still have a good 3 km to go…up hill!! It gets worse! But watching this group of 3, they were chatting away, and just pedaling like it was a Sunday afternoon stroll on a flat road! 

We pass people every day, not knowing who they are or what they do. But on the same time we dont bother to find out who they are. Yet people go off and read gossip stories to find out more about some one every one knows. And they phrase it, “I just want to be in the “know” about…” This week I have walked past, driven passed and be in gym with athletes who are world class, and have a chance of calling them selves “world champion”. And I myself have made a point about it by letting all you readers know about it. But at the same time, I have also walked past future doctors, top economists, owners of successful companies, people who are indeed on top of their field, and doing superbly well! But yet havent stopped to celebrate them!

This week go out and celebrate some one!! Who knows that little encouragement might plant a seed in them to be a future world champion at what they do!!

Lets celebrate strengths, talent and instead of getting jealous about not being in their position, congratulate them and pray they get even better at it!!!