No update today

Due to technical errors.  The recording app on my phone failed to save the files again.  I do have a few other things to mention, however.

I have been learning to use a program called MuseScore.  This is an open-source (freeware) program for composing music.  I am going to use it to write up some decent lead sheets for various songs I do, on the off-chance that anyone is interested.  In any case, I'll be able to use them myself, at least.  They will be stored at box.net.  Here is the link for the directory:  Chord Sheets, Lead Sheets, Tabs.  I have also been using the old PowerTab to learn to write tabs, and as soon as I get any worth sharing, they will be in the same directory.

Yesterday I wrote a lead sheet for an old gospel song by Hank Williams called "Jesus Died For Me."  It is accessible at this direct link:  Jesus Died For Me.

We did have a good day at the nursing home, although there were some problems with the sound system, but we eventually got it working well.  Mac, the fiddle player, was there this time and I was able to photograph his sheet music for "Ashokan Farewell" and one other piece that I really liked.  I am going to work on a tab for them both, most likely chord/melody arrangements.  I have already worked up such a tab for "Ashokan Farewell" from some other already existing tab, but I want to compare it to his sheet music so I can make sure they are both the same.

I know there are already ukulele tabs for this piece, but I have been able to find them only in C and F.  The original was in D, and both fiddle players I know who play this piece, play it in D.  So I need a tab that's in D.

One other change I recently made was that all the gospel songs on my YouTube channel are now public.  I had previously kept them unlisted because I didn't think there would be much interest in them, but apparently there may be some interest in them, after all.  My YouTube channel is UkeintheHeartofTexas.  The playlist for all the gospel songs is here.

Welcome to my new old blog

I am not new to blogging.  I was a blogger during what I consider the golden age of blogging:  roughly the first decade of this century.  To see other blogs that I have done before, which still mostly exist except I'm sure for some broken links to other blogs which have disappeared, see: Blogonomicon, Hymnomicon, The Briar Files, The Last Ancient House, and The Hunter Chronicles.

I also tried out Tumblr for a while but I didn't like how it seemed to be focused only on itself and not on anything that comes from other platforms.  It was a music blog called Eat the Music, but I deleted it, and there wasn't much there anyway.

I eventually stopped updating my previous blogs mostly because I just got tired of keeping up with it, constantly reading the news for things to talk about, and just sheer blogger exhaustion.  And I wasn't even one of the famous ones.

Anyway, with this blog I hope to continue on with blogging about my love for music.  I am a ukulele strummer and singer and although I'm not good enough to be noticed, I do enjoy myself enormously.  There will probably be a lot of ukulele-related content on this blog because that is my instrument, but there could be anything here about music that interests, amazes, or amuses me.  I also play around with the melodica, the recorder, and the Seagull Merlin.  Barry Maz has said more than once that there should be more ukulele blogs, so here's one.

I know everyone is looking for reviews.  I recommend going to Got a Ukulele for reviews, because Mr. Maz is very good at that.  I have attempted reviews myself, and I can honestly say that I am not good at that.  But I will offer my comments on the limited number of ukes that I own.

I am quite active at a Ukulele Underground sub-forum called Seasons of the Ukulele.  I encourage anyone who plays the uke to come and check it out and see if it looks like fun.  Every week there is a new volunteer host who posts a theme for that week, and we all record songs according to that theme.  I have been having a lot of fun there, having joined in December of 2014.  Related to this, most of the recordings I will likely post will be YouTube videos.  I also plan to talk about various podcasts that I listen to.

I will put up a blogroll soon.  If you have a ukulele blog, let me know and I'll add you.  I'll probably also add a link list to sites that are not blogs.

I did move some of my old Tumblr posts over to this blog and have saved them as drafts.  I will probably post them, as well as some stuff from the Hymnomicon to this blog.

My musical listening interests vary widely, however as for my own performances, I usually stick to what I know best and can get away with faking, which will be heavily tilted toward country (older country, not the modern cowpop stuff), cowboy songs and gospel songs.

Thanks for visiting and y'all come back now!