My Latest Endeavor

When I first started playing a musical instrument back in high school, the road to fame and fortune was a long, arduous adventure to say the least. Hanging out at music stores hoping to find players to put a band together was cheaper than taking out a classified ad in the local paper, and you hoped someone had a garage or basement you could play in, hopefully with very patient parents.

Today, we have Craigslist which provides free classifieds, and reaches many more people. Social media has made it so much easier to promote bands. The countless hours passing out flyers has all but disappeared. Even I, an analog guy in a digital world, have jumped on board the social media bandwagon.

I am proud to introduce my own music fan page which you can visit here. You can access status updates, and purchase downloads from my store if you like. There are links to other informative sites as well. I hope you stop by, take a look, and maybe click the "Like" button. Better yet, share it with your friends. I appreciate it. I will keep you informed as to how it's going from time to time.

As always, take care my friends.

Today's observations.

When I first started writing this blog, I used to write quite often about the issue of politics. I would read an article, hear a news story on the radio, or see a post on Facebook from a friend, and then proceed to pontificate about it here on my blog. I found that this led to many ugly disagreements, and that it strained some important friendships, so I stopped. Yesterday the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ended listening to three days of arguments on the issue of what has become known as Obamacare. It's purpose is to get everyone access to affordable health care.

I have sat back as an observer of the battle going on, and have become quite amused at how out of touch and totally ignorant arguments from both sides have gotten. Some of the analogies being put forward are so far-fetched that the best hollywood writers could never dream up such things. If it weren't for the fact that this is an important real life issue, this would be great comedy.

Another news item getting a great deal of attention is the Travyon Martin case. I knew it was getting out of hand when celebrities were tweeting the home address of the shooter, and others started tweeting the home address of the celebrity. And then I see on Facebook profile pictures of various people, safe and sound in their own homes, wearing a hoodie. That's all well and good, but some of these folks would NEVER be caught in public wearing one. And I dare say that some of these people, if they were walking down a dark street alone, and encountered someone matching Travyon's description in a hoodie, would cross the street. Or at least that would be their initial instinct. And that's okay, because instinct is natural...it doesn't make you racist.

But alas, I digress. I have decided to focus my creative energies towards my music. I have gotten some very good feedback from the two songs I recorded years ago. With the advances in technology, I can now write and record my songs at home, on this very computer. I am still learning how to use the software, but should be posting some demo versions of my songs soon. My hope is that one of my songs will attract the attention of a national act. In the meantime, please click on the music link to the left. If you like what you hear, please visit my reverbnation store, or look for my music on your favorite download sites like iTunes, eMusic, Zune and many others.

I'll be keeping in touch more regularly, so keep your eyes open.

Take care my friends.

A Tale of a Broken Heart

Last year, I had the pleasure of playing in a band for about four months. I was a little hesitant at first, because I was recovering from my second heart surgery. But after having six stents placed in my heart, I was feeling good and itching to play onstage again. Thanks to The Vegas Valentinos, I had that chance.

Things went well at first. The last month though, I noticed I was getting fatigued quicker. I was starting to get light-headed onstage. One night, I nearly passed out. The other band members approached one night and said they couldn't risk having a bass player who might pass out onstage. And I agreed. I told them I was glad they said something, because I am stubborn enough to have kept going till I dropped. I had physical issues I needed to address.

After each of my previous stent placement surgeries I always felt new again. I underwent a third surgery and got my seventh and eighth stents. I started a med regimen to help my cardiac situation. I started dieting. I then convinced myself I was ready to play in a band again. I was wrong.

Kenney Black hired me to play bass in his new band. It only took me a few weeks to realize I can't handle the physical demand of being in a band any longer. The damage I have to my heart is my own fault, and now I must face the consequences of neglecting my health all of these years. As much as I love playing live in front of a crowd, I have to face the fact that I can no longer do it.

I still plan on writing, recording, and promoting my music. But I can't see myself onstage anymore. And that breaks my heart.

Here is wishing all my friends, readers, and fans of my music good health.

Take care my friends. Please.

The Bane of the Music business...

I have played a musical instrument in a band setting since high school, a long time ago. The first bands were horrible. A group of teens just learning how to play their instruments, most of which were inferior copies of the quality brands, played through even cheaper quality amps. Long-suffering parents endured countless hours of listening to an electrical cacophony that would frighten the populace of most third world countries. But we were having the times of our lives, and nothing could have been better.

We dreamed of concert arenas and screaming fans chasing our limos. Tour busses and hotel rooms. Yup, we had all the dreams. Eventually, we all graduated from school, and for most, those rock and roll fantasies faded into the dusk of our youth, as we trudged forward into the land of grown-ups.

I, for one, joined a wedding band after high school so I could make some money from my playing. This was when I had my first encounters with a species of organisms that is the bane of musicians everywhere...Managerius Greedicus...the dreaded Greedy Manager.

Our band tried having a manager twice during our run. The first was another musician who basically gave us the crap gigs he didn't want to do. But, at least we were getting work, or so we rationalized it to ourselves. We finally reached the point where we were booking ourselves pretty solid, and didn't feel like paying the standard 10% to a manager, so we stopped taking his bookings.

The next manager schmoozed his way in. He took pro quality pictures of the band, and made glossy prints with our name on them. He even featured us at showcases. Then one night, one of the club owners he had booked us with refused to pay us. Our manager did nothing about it. So long manager.

My latest experience with a manager has been the worst. I got hired as a member of a band backing up a solo performer. He writes his own tunes, and performs them along with a selection of familiar cover tunes. The ad I answered on Craigslist stated the band had management. After a little research, I found that the management company was not a legal entity. The "owner" was a recovering addict who had a brief career as a stand-up comic. His website claimed to represent some regionally famous comedians, but no musical acts. When contacted, none of the people on the website said they worked for the guy. In short, he was a fraud. He made a video of a recording session, and used it to lure this performe into signing the most ridiculous contract ever seen.

The end result? After court hearings and such, this "manager" is still harassing this performer. The actions of this individual remind me of a petulant six-year old. You see, it boils down to this...those with talent, play. Those who don't manage. And if you can't manage? Then you try to ripoff people with ridiculous contracts.

I will never sign with a manager. Unless of course I can get....

Take care my friends.

PetePedia Music blog

To all my regular readers, I apologize for the length of my absence from this blog. Things have been very hectic in the last months, and I just haven't been able to write.

Please check out some of the links below to hear some of my original music. I appreciate it.


For those of you on iTunes: http://t.co/RqIlpffI

For those of you on eMusic: http://t.co/0w9bIehP

For those of you Zune suscribers: http://t.co/kD3E50tM

For those of you on Twitter: Pete Corbeil (@PeteCorbeil)

Thanks again. Take care my friends.

To hear my songs for FREE: www.reverbnation.com/petecorbeil

Another New Year

I have to apologize to my readers for not posting in quite a while. It seems that I have neglected writing about my thoughts on various topics because I have too busy experiencing life rather than merely observing it. So, here is my last blog for 2011, a very interesting year for me personally.

This year had its share of ups and downs, evidenced by the fact that five days in I already had a heart surgery. Apparently I have not mastered the healthy lifestyle regimen quite yet.

I managed to stay employed the entire year, so that's a good thing.

I started a new hobby- paranormal investigations. I was very skeptical at first, but some interesting evidence, and a couple of personal experiences, have lessened my skepticism somewhat.

I briefly resurrected my music career. I spent four months playing with The Vegas Valentinos, but had to quit due to health reasons.

I attended my first ever class reunion. What a great time. I am sorry I missed all the previous ones.

I had a second heart surgery in November. My Cardiologist is not too happy with me. I apologize for my stubbornness. Aries on a Taurus cusp you knotw. Can't help myself.

I did notice one big change this year. I had zero enthusiasm for any of my favorite holidays. Don't know what to make of that.

The best thing to happen to me this year? That's easy. After almost thirty years, I got to see and hug the most special person in my life during my teenaged years. Since then, nothing bad can possibly happen to me.

2012 is moments away. I'll go to work, get sick now and then, visit some cool places, make some music, work towards my next degree and just live life in general. I hope that I experience more good things than bad, and I hope my health improves, although that depends on me and me alone. After all is said and done, I hope all my new experiences make me a better person. It is a never-ending journey, the road to self-improvement. And I hope I keep moving forward on this journey.

Take care my friends.

Father's Day Thoughts

So today is Father's Day 2011. In some households, this is a minor holiday, where a "Happy Father's Day dad" and a less than perfect gift gift usually rule the day, In other households, it is a bigger deal, with maybe a celebration of some sort. In some households it might involve remembering a dad who has passed. On Facebook, it is a slew of Father's Day greetings getting posted on multiple walls. But Father's Day, in my house, is a rather uneventful, and meaningless day.

I never lived with my dad.I didn't even meet him until I was six. Even after our introduction, I only saw him a few times in my life, and all were negative experiences for me. So my perception of a dad was quite skewed from the start. I often thought dads might be like the ones you saw on TV, but the reality is those are few and far between. My dad was, simply put, not a likable person, and I hoped that I would not be like him.

When I had boys of my own, I was totally unprepared to be a dad. I tried to do the best I could with the tools I had, and admittedly, made a lot of mistakes. I immersed myself in my work, thinking that being a provider was sufficient enough. I was wrong. Unfortunately, mistakes when raising children tend to not be forgotten, and as I sit here composing this, it is early afternoon, and my phone has not rung yet. At least not from my boys. I expect one might call this evening, after his mom reminds him. But then again, maybe not.

My Facebook friends have wished me the best for today, and I politely thank them, but the fact is today means little to me. Remember how I said my dad was not likable? His final act was passing away on Father's Day. Nice guy, huh? So please forgive if I'm not all smiles today. It's just another day to me.

Take care my friends.