A year ago today I was in a hospital room with my wife Michela watching my daughter being born.  Viola Rosa DeCoster was born at 7:43 am on the 8th of January, 2010. What a marvelous creature she is. I was on the phone with Paul Benoit when he asked me to play his CD release party on the 8th of January. Absently, I said yes and remembered later that it was my daughters first birthday. What an asshole. However, it seems to have worked out fine! It is a children's album, and birthday celebration combined! The show is at Egans Jamhouse in Ballard, starts at 5pm and has Macaroni and Cheese being served up special; just for you! Bring your kids, drink beer!

The New Year was wonderful and I assume it was for you. The most recent band I have begun playing with, Graystar, is performing a free show at Zeitgeist coffee this evening at 8 o'clock. Since it is a free show, I expect hundreds of people to attend. Beautiful music and a beer. Excellent combination! 

Hi! I am performing and doing a few clinics at the Tukwila branch of Guitar center to promote the Seattle Drum School and the Georgetown Repair Collective! We (the instructors) start at 11 am and finish at 1pm. 
Hope to see you there!
Tige

The difference between October and December is dramatic. Students take off for strange otherworldy places with their worldy parents and often leave their instruments behind. Whereas, the few that remain are stuffing themselves with libations instead of devoting time to their studies. Understandable to an extent. An interesting analogy by Kenny Werner in his book Effortless Mastery comes to mind. When addressing the "serious" student, he mentions that if you tie a plastic bag over his head then ask him how important music REALLY is you are likely to get a different answer. Now, if you are saying that I am comparing suffocation to family functions, you are a serious sicko. I mean...REALLY. Heh Heh.

This is my first attempt (and undoubtedly not my last attempt) to combine all of the different elements of my musical "stuff" into one neat pile. This site will contain all of the standard claptrap (gigs, bio etc...) and a student portal with any and all applicable links to the resources I often scribble on tattered pieces of stained manuscript paper at the end of a lesson. I plan on having a full video library of lessons, borrowed and of my own invention, (instructional and inspirational) easily accessible to my students. The easier it is to access materials, the less likely I hear the most common excuses. Yes. You know who you are. So buckle up. Here we go.