lets give them something to talk about

hey everyone!

welcome to the new week... what a whirlwind weekend it was around here. so, i have a few things i am pretty excited about today- where to start... well we've been gearing up for a big sales event to clear out all of our trades that come in to the shop. we're trying to pull together the money for a new cnc machining center that will allow jason to realize some very complicated designs... his CAD skills are really developing and people are noticing. i still remember when he first started teaching himself code... it was endlessly frustrating. at that time we also purchased the software to build what was our first website... while he was learning code, i was learning html/dreamweaver/internet... it made for many days of hair pulling. it was supremely validating when jason hung up the phone the other day with  Tormach... he was asking if their machines could take 3D digitizing point clouds and convert them into machinable data. The guy at Tormach said... well, in theory, but we don't know how to do that... Jason said... I am already doing that... the guys at Tormach said... "can you come teach us how".... zing!

anyway... this isn't all that surprising to me. Jason really can digest books like food. if he has the will to learn something or make something... there is little that can stand in his way. so, i am really excited about this new machinery. the art piece horns he's putting out now are really getting a lot of attention and constantly wow us all here at the shop... and yet Jason still says.... "but when i get this new machine... then i can XYZ" i can't wait to see what he does next. 

we put some videos up on our youtube channel with the trades we are currently running.... this horn is up on ebay and ends tonight: http://www.ebay.com/itm/190580510879?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1413
of the horns we have received on recent trade it is by far my favorite... there's a great story behind it. jason's old trumpet teacher ralph schwartz modified it many years ago when one of jason's classmates played on it back at st. olaf. ralph played for the minnesota opera for years... now that same classmate of jason's and studen of ralph's traded in the schwartz horn to jason... to go towards a Harrelson Trumpet... kind of an awesome backstory eh?  but above and beyond any of that... it's a patina of both brass and copper... it looks like something someone's held on to for years... not because of how it looks but because of how it sounds... and in my opinion it has a beautiful sound for a c horn. 

other awesomeness??? well, i just found out recently that one of my favorite minneapolis bands "Phantom Tails" will be opening for one of my favorite Harrelson Client's bands... Eric Jacobsen plays with "Kings Go Forth" and they will all be playing at one of my favorite venues in Minneapolis.... The Cedar Cultural Center!!! AWESOME. All this fun happens Friday, October 7th... if you're in the Minneapolis area I suggest you get your tickets NOW! And, if you want to have dinner before the show... Chai's Thai located right next door has the most amazing pumpkin curry that they only serve for very short time every fall... it comes inside a pumpkin!!! You can thank me for this inside information later. :)

A Painting I did for my Art Show at The Cedar Cultural Center

i am also currently in the midst of researching airfares for london and chicago... two places we'd like to travel for business in the coming months. there's another rumor that we could be part of a music symposium happening in vegas this winter as well. of course i will keep you all posted! if you live in london, chicago or vegas and you'd like to partner with me in setting up master classes or demo sessions... i would love to hear from you. [email protected]