B Minus Show

My music making process

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/how_i_make_music.mp3

Making beats can be easy with technology and software. Many of the programs such as garageband or logic pro x for mac can actually generate drum beats and music for you automatically.

However, I come from an ancient era where we had to learn to make music without the assistance of advanced software.

Yes, I did use the quantize option from time to time on my drum tracks and some other tracks, but most of the time we were imitating instruments on the keyboard through the whole song.

It starts with an idea

A majority of my music making starts with an idea, typically a bass line since I am a bass player.

Some of the time my inspiration for a new song will come from a song idea, i.e. a cool saying or lyric idea.

Hearing a guitar riff or drum track from my band during jam sessions will also spark an idea.

Finally, I conjure ideas by listening to other music. There may be a part of a song, lyric or the like that will inspire me to write a song based on that inspiration.

The key word is “inspiration.” This comes in many forms in sometimes subtle ways. It always comes when I am listening for it.

It may require me to have a couple of beers and fiddle around on my bass guitar. Nonetheless, it always starts with some inspiration.

I always record this idea so I don’t forget it, then I work on the next part.

Drum, aka the backbone

I like to compose a digital song by laying the actual drum tracks down first. Since Apple makes it easy, I will choose an automated drum beat based on the style of music I am producing then work towards filling it in.

Back in the days, we would pre load live and digital drum ideas on a 4 track (later an 8 track).

Drums are the backbone of the song. I can control the tempo, intensity and fills.

Once the rough drum track is down, I move on.

The bass line

Since I am a bassist, I always lay the bass line out. I follow a song structure and change the drums to adapt to my bass line (if I have that luxury).

A guitarist could also do a rhythm riff after the drums, it works similarly to the bass if it’s a constant riff (i.e. not much space in between the riffs).

Layering tracks

Are you still with me? It’s pretty simple. You have your drum track roughly laid out, then your bass lick sewn on the track, you can start adding layers.

What are layers? Those are the other instruments to give the song more life.

I like to start with a keyboard or synthesizer sound to create more rhythm or ambiance. I then hit a melody that alternates here and there.

I will then consider adding more subtle tracks to fill the song out. The layers typically change during half of the verse, the choruses and the bridge.

The hardest part is finding the right sound. For example, you may like a clean guitar melody but also discover a distortion guitar melody will sound better.

You have so many options, so it gets hard to narrow it down. Before I get bogged down in too many details of the specific sounds, I move on the the vocals.

Vocal work

I like to lay the chorus first, then work on the verses. Lastly, I prefer to to backup vocals and the bridge.

I am not set on this vocal recording order, but usually it works out that way for me.

You can play around with vocal effects as well, but usually I stick with one effect when laying the vocals down.

Retro editing

After my vocals are done, I will basically have a complete song. I will then go back and listen to the song.

I don’t just listen for enjoyment, I listen for opportunities to add tracks, subtract tracks, change instrument sounds, change the drum fills/tracks or modify lyrics and vocals.

Entering beer contests

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/beer_contests.mp3

Well, I just entered (and didn’t win) my first beer contest. I did have a wonderful experience and got free beer and a tour of a hop farm though.

I also got 3 phone numbers, one from a hop farmer, one from a professional brewer and another from a homebrewer.

Not bad for entering a $5 beer contest and a few hours.

So how do you enter a beer contest?

That is a multi-level answer. It depends on the contest.

Paperwork

With this contest, I obtained a some paperwork from the brew shop. One sheet was asking me basic demo graphic questions, along with information on the beer I made.

The next sheet was rules for entry and such. Read this section carefully and follow the rules.

The next sheet was actually labels. I had to fill out the information on the labels, cut them accordingly and rubber band each one onto each of my beers.

I then had to submit the labeled beers and demographic/beer info sheet, along with my entry fees to the drop off spot, which was the brew shop.

Beer

Making the beer was the easy part. Making the beer according to the rules is where things get a tad bit more complicated.

This specific contest requested only for certain hops and beer styles. I entered a stout with just centennial hop usage. This fit the guidelines.

I know with beer judge certification stuff it’s a similar process, but it’s very important to follow the guideline rules.

By guidelines, I mean follow not only the entry rules and pay the fees, but also try to stay within the style guidelines as per their website.

For example, if I was submitting a stout, I would have to submit to a specific stout category and make sure it fell within the parameters of that subsection.

Is my brew a sweet stout? Irish stout? American stout? Once I know this (based on how the beer was made and ingredients) I will have to stay within the SRM (color scale), abv and IBU parameters in addition to the flavor profiling.

Other stuff

So submitting a beer typically has to be in at least 3-6 12oz bottles. Sometimes they allow 22oz bottles.

Each bottle has to be labeled. Each entry has to pay for the entry fees and each entry should fall within the guidelines of the BJCP guidelines. 

*BJCP – beer judge certification program

After all of this, you will await your results.

Keep in mind, perhaps the most important part of entering a contest is getting your tasting notes.

If you had a good judge, you will receive valuable and detailed feedback on your beer.

The feedback shouldn’t be too basic like “good beer,” or “needs work.”

The notes should be more detailed and helpful such as “slight hint of oxidation, may be corrected by a closed Co2 transfer or counter pressure bottle filling,” or “excellent body and mouthfeel.”

With this feedback, a good judge will guide you to improve. Sometimes they can be very specific, sometimes you have to do more research on what they are talking about.

Summary

I encourage you to enter your homebrew into a contest, especially one according to the BJCP guidelines. You never fucking know. You may have the rare gift of nailing down a perfect brew and win.

On the flip side, you may think you are gifted and get back tremendous feedback on your card.

Either way, if you love to make beer, it is good to submit your product for (hopefully professional) critiquing and one way to do it is enter a contest.

Then again, sometimes you can make beer that people love and doesn’t place. A lot of it’s perception.

Now that I have my first contest entry under my belt,

Bottling Beer – the easy and hard way

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/bottling_beer.mp3

Unless you are a full blown factory with production lines and workers in place, bottling beer can be a long, drawn out process. Actually, rumor has it that even with a bottling line the whole “bottling” thing can suck ass.

Anyways, like many other things in life, if you have the time and money, you can make this job of bottling at home a lot easier.

In this article, I’ll go over my old process vs. my new process of bottling beer.

The hard way, aka what most homebrewers do

After you beer is fermented / conditioned and ready to place into kegs, or in this case, bottles, you have to do some shit to get it ready.

First, you need to wash, clean and sanitize all of your bottles.

Next, you need to do the same for your bottling hoses and filler as well as your bottling bucket.

You will either put corn sugar mixed with distilled water in your bucket, then transfer your beer from your carboy/fermenter to your bucket, or you can use corn sugar tablets and place them in your bottles.

Once you are set up, the process goes pretty quick.

You finalize the session by capping then storing your bottles for around a week or two.

Then you clean your gear.

You will likely have brewed 5 gallons. Let’s do the math.

128 oz per gallon x 5 gallons = 640 oz

640 oz / 12 oz (bottles) = 53.33 bottles

or 640 oz / 22 oz (bottles) = 29 bottles

For those of you who have bottled all of your beer in 12 oz bottles, you know how time consuming this stuff can be. However, using 22 oz bottles at least cuts this pain stalking process nearly in half.

The preparation of the bottles (especially if you have to de-label them) takes a while, likely the most time.

Some of you are probably thinking, “I actually enjoy the process of bottling.” Well that’s nice, but I prefer NOT to spend my day bottling, which leads me to my next section.

One more thought on the harder technique of bottling. You can actually introduce an off flavor in your beer from oxidization.

Anytime your beer touches oxygen, you risk this happening and bottling your beer does not allow you to purge Co2 into the bottles….unless you do it IN ADDITION to your normal bottling process.

The easier way

Every brewer is going to need to do some of the same shit, which is de-labeling bottles, cleaning and sanitizing the bottles and getting your sugar tables or corn sugar mixture prepped.

I recently discovered something called “counter-pressure” filling that I am completely sold on from a homebrewer’s perspective.

Before you can use this tool, you have to get your kegging down. I can do another write up on kegging since it’s a whole different topic.

Anyways, let’s assume you have kegged your beer and let it carbonate for around a week or two.

You can now get your counter pressure beer bottle filler, hook it up to the keg and fill your sanitized bottles, then cap them.

The beer is already carbonated and you can purge the bottle with Co2 so there won’t be any oxidization. This will lead to better quality bottled beers.

The counter pressure device I use is called the “Blichmann beer gun.” It cost me around $100 and included the hoses and connectors to a corny keg.  I got it at morebeer.com, check them out I get all my shit online from them (and sometimes amazon).

Anyways, all I do now is keg my beer (a closed Co2 transfer to avoid oxygen and only after I purge the keg with Co2), force carbonate it then hook up my beer gun to it about 10 days later.

Booking a music gig easily and effectively – 4 pointers

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/4_pointers_to_book_a_music_gig.mp3

Be polite

Us musicians usually have a somewhat negative perception from many venues, so being polite is extremely important to reverse the bad rock-star stereotypes that we sometimes have to fight.

Being an asshole may have been cool in high school, but many times it doesn’t fly in the “real world.”

The real world, in my definition, is all of your communications with any venue you are associated with.

So being polite pertains to booking the show, the day of the show and any communications after the show.

Albeit, maybe you had a bad experience with the venue, like they didn’t pay you or were straight rude to you.

In that case, you might be tempted to trash the venue on social media and such. I would refrain from that and keep the discrepancies within your band.

My band not only sells ourselves on professionalism, but we are also quick to make the venue look good with tags, pictures, gratitude and such.

This has led us to multiple re-bookings and a good reputation around town.

And it all revolves around being polite to everyone we come in contact with.

Be persistent

Being persistent isn’t about pestering people to let your band play at their venue. My view on persistence is figuring out a way to get their attention and having them welcome you to their venue.

One guy in town was in charge of booking multiple venues. I knew if we got our foot in the door with him, opportunities would open up big time for us.

Although I did borderline harass him with an onslaught of tags, messages and calls; he never did give us the time of day.

This led me to start booking directly with the venues he was booking. Guess what? I was able to book my band at some of those venues and we didn’t even need this guys help.

Now, this guy isn’t even on the music scene in my area. I guess it makes sense, perhaps he was booking the WRONG BANDS (evil laugh*).

You persistence (and determination) will eventually land you gigs. Yes, you may have to change your approach and tactics, but like many other things in life, you will eventually get what you want.

Use email / social media

I almost think this is a given, but I have had pretty good success with just emailing venues directly by finding their info on their website.

Using their social media page  to reach out is also a good idea; especially if you have a good social media profile with music, tags, pictures and a following (likes, etc.).

Create a template that works with your pitch. Highlight your strengths.

For example, I will use something like this:

“Hello, my band would love to play at your venue. We play rock/alternative originals with an onslaught of cover songs. We can play up to 4 hours of music!

We can play all acoustic or an all electric set. We are professional with pro gear and have a great following. 

Let me know if we can work something out.

Cordially, Shawn 916-xxx-xxxx

www.facebook.com/themeanmuggers ”

I can send something like this to anywhere I’m booking. If I don’t get response after a week or two, I may follow up with a friendly reminder. If that doesn’t work and I really want to book the venue, I will do this next step.

Show up to the venue

For my fourth and final tip, you may have to show up to a venue if fuckers ain’t responding back to you.

It’s a good idea to resort to this if email doesn’t work.

I suggest calling the venue early (like noon-ish) and asking them who books shows. Next, I would find out when that person will be at the ve...

This is the B minus report, 4/28/18. Nothing fancy, just an update.

Alleviating fatigue

(podcast below)

The hardest part of alleviating fatigue is pinning down why you are tired as hell. I'm tired as hell writing this, which is why I decided to address this topic.

Normally, I don't like to write about shit like this, but I think it is important to address topics like this from time to time as to learn how to deal with it and just learn the symptoms of it.

Find the cause

It is important to find out why you are tired. It could be physical, mental or both. It could be the dreaded "serious health issue" thing also. You know your body the best, so go to the doctor if you need to.

Consider your exercise regime and nutrient intake. Consider if you have been doing other physical things that may add up.

Maybe you forgot you raked the whole yard or brewed up a fat batch of beer. Maybe you are hauling around a 4 month old for hours on end. All this stuff adds up.

If you have been experiencing more stress at work or home, that could also be the culprit of your tiredness.

This is all "duh" stuff, but we sometimes forget what the hell is going on with our bodies. Take a minute to reflect what is going on before you pass out from exhaustion.

Do something about it

Now that you have identified what the hell is going on you will have to do something about it.

I know, seems like common sense, right?

Sometimes we get knuckle headed though and power through, only to realize the wake of crap we left as a result.

A few things I do when I am exhausted are 1) sleep (or go to bed earlier), 2) do a lighter or no workout for a day or two, 3) eat light or 4) do less for a day.

I used to refuse to sleep, only to find myself tired at random parts of the day. It's really important to get rest when possible. Nowadays if I feel like shit, I pass out early (at least when the kids let me).

Sometimes you need to do nothing, meaning no TV or internet. That stuff can drain the brain. I deleted Facebook from my phone a while back and am close to deleting Instagram now.

I still haven't given up on my ESPN app to check the scores, but I tend to find myself spending more time on other apps when I delete one.

It isn't until I put my phone and computer away that I can focus on resting, which pays huge dividends when in a state of fatigue.

That's it?

If you don't have a serious medical issue, then find out why you are tired. Figure out if you are having too much mental or physical stress.

Once you nail that down, determine what you are going to do about it. Sometimes that requires doing nothing, which can be hard to do at times.

Just accept we all get burned out at times. Some of us have more energy than others, but all of us need to give it a rest every once in a while; it is part of good health.

Once you recover, you will get back into your groove and detect the signs of getting burned out, then you will learn to alleviating fatigue with efficiency and accuracy.

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Managing a busy life – 4 things to simplify the hustle

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/managing_a_busy_life_4_things_to_simplify_the_hustle.mp3

It seems the older I get, the more stuff I have going on.

Maybe it only applies to bonafide hustla’s like you and I, but I have found a few things very useful to manage the stress and responsibilities of a busy life.

#1 – Make lists

I’m a total list guy and maybe it’s not your cup of tea. I have found by getting a planner and writing out important events and things I want to accomplish helps me to get stuff done.

I have even accomplished things on my lists that I wasn’t even consciously aware of.

Generally, I will grab my planner at night and write out what I want to do the next day. I will start general and get more specific; sometimes running out of room (if I missed a few days of planning).

I also have a list for what groceries I am getting when I shop. It’s the same concept, but with life.

If I find myself missing a gym day, I will write it in and bam, it just happens the next day.

So get yourself to write shit out, even small steps are okay.

#2 Shifting

I tend to preach about doing something you love everyday. I sometimes fall off the wagon, especially lately after my second kid was born.

I know this will change after the first year (she is 4 months as of this article). That life event forced me to have less time for some things and I found myself re-visiting my list of to do’s and spreading them out or chunking them into smaller tasks.

For example, I try to make beer every 2-4 weeks. That has turned into every 3-5 weeks now.

This allows me to keep my brewing in practice and hanging with my kid as well. Another thing is home recording music with my band.

Instead of practicing weekly, we will make that every 2-3 weeks and record our parts at home.

To make it simple, review your to do list daily and if you are having trouble hitting things on that list, either scale it back or spread it out. Keep your hobbies but be realistic.

#3 Prioritize

Doing more meaningful and time consuming shit has forced me to scale back on my social life, but that is okay because I feel more fulfilled making beer, spending time with family and doing a slew of other stuff.

In addition, I save some money. I dreaded giving up hanging out as much before my family. Maybe that is why I started one at 35.

I am now happier than ever at the thing that once scared me. I phased out of going out every weekend and now only go out every few weeks.

I also like to use my breaks and lunch times to read and exercise. I also do high intensity workouts at home (jump rope or simple single muscle group resistance workouts) that last only around 10 minutes.

I stay in good shape and only do my long runs every week or less.

#4 Desire

You have to have the desire to get your hustle on, but you have to learn your limits.

I gave up on staying up until midnight and getting up at 5am. I was too damn tired. That still didn’t (and hasn’t) stopped me from doing what I need to do.

Find little ways to sneak your hobbies and passions in every day, if not every week.

If you have the drive and burning desire to reach your goals, live your dreams, the above three steps will come natural, or you will find exactly what works for you.

Conclusion

Three easy things I do to manage my busy life are make realistic executable lists, shift my responsibilities where I can and prioritize my life.

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My diet: 4 things I do

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/my_diet.mp3

I thought I would write an article about  my diet. I don't really struggle with weight issues, but I try to diet on certain things in order to build muscle and stay lean-ish.

Oh, I don't really agree with the term "dieting," but technically what you eat is your diet, so I guess it's inevitable to talk about eating and dieting.

There is a grip of information on dieting. Sometimes shit can get overwhelming. You will just have to decide what is right for you.

I will keep this article simple. The subject of dieting can get uber complicated and nobody is truly an expert for you, but there is good advice and people out there willing to encourage your good dietary choices.

An example would be, maybe you want to do a low carb diet. That is fine, but you also have to consider what nutrients you may not be getting.

You should also consider your age, current health, other health issues and so on.

Consider seeing a dietitian if you have serious concerns about your diet. Remember, this is MY DIET.

Okay, let's move on to the tips.

VEGGIES 

If you can get full primarily on veggies at lunch and dinner, you will drop pounds. That doesn't mean douse them with dressing, salt and other junk.

Recently I was eating veggies with dinner and lunch 5-7 days a week. now it's always at lunch and sometimes at dinner). I didn't have a huge variety of veggies, but I think it's good to have if you can make it work.

I eat mostly at broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach and lettuce, mainly out of convenience and simple meal prep. I also like to dash lemon pepper on them for flavor. A little salt is cool for me here and there.

By doing this, I dropped a few pounds right out the gate. If I had done it 7 days a week with no cheat days, I would have hit my goal weight quicker.

Anyways, my excuse is that it got hard eating separate meals from my family. I am a new parent to two little ones and I got tired of cooking separate meals.

So now I eat what we all eat for dinner. Breakfast and lunch are all my own though.

Point 1: Eat tons of veggies, preferably raw or secondarily steamed. 

PROTEIN

Protein is the other essential thing for dieting. I eat protein with nearly every meal and sometimes for a snack.

Eat stuff like protein shakes, chicken (rotisseries from Costco rule for meal prep), fish, beef / hamburger,tofu, nuts and shit like that.

Just remember the most important thing for your micro-nutrient and pooping health is to eat protein AND veggies. Veggies trump protein, but the both together are a lovely pair. Oh don't forget water.

By eating the two primarily, you may be able to trigger ketosis, which is tricking your body into

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/b_minus_report_4-19-18.mp3

Hey everyone ! This is my normal update about the podcast and most of what is involved with the podcast. Give it a listen, show your support and share this shit with your buddies.

 

Subscribe to the B Minus Show for $0.00 free) on youtube or itunes, facebook, google play,stitcher, and/or twitter

Check out my band here: The Mean Muggers, Formerly the Monomyth Inception

Making beer isn't just making beer

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/brewing_beer_isnt_just_making_beer.mp3

Making beer can range from being a very simple task to an extremely intricate and complex process. The longer I make beer, the more complex things have gotten. This is just life, I suppose.

The more you get involved or stick with something, the more you can learn from it. Of course, that is if you mix in passion and dedication into this mix.

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I have been brewing  since around 2011, but my intensity has totally ramped up recently. I embarked on a mission to learn about brewing every day and did so for around a year.  Time passed and I continued to learn.

Things didn't really change with more knowledge; brewing isn't just about brewing beer. In fact, brewing beer is just a part of making beer...let alone if you run a brewery it can be a smaller fraction.

If you think of a chef, they don't just cook the meal. They plan, are constantly cleaning, using and buying new equipment. They order ingredients, take inventory, organize, deal with vendors and people, etc. Within all of the mentioned, there has to be knowledge. A brewer, in many ways, is similar to a chef.

PLANNING

If you are a new brewer, you should order a pre-assembled kit of your choice which doesn't take a lot of brain power, it is similar to ordering your non cooked meal online.

If you are a more advanced brewer, you will choose the beer style of your choice and then choose your ingredients. The ingredients consist your grains, specialty grains, hops and yeast. In addition you need to adjust your water according to your water source and the beer type you are making.

Some water or malts require higher or lower water additions or PH adjustments. The types of grains, hops and yeast will make your beer style, flavor profile, aroma and appearance.

In addition, your method of fermentation (i.e. barrel aged, open fermentation, closed fermentation) will affect the outcome of the product also. This all has to be mapped out in advance in order to execute properly.

Part of planning is reviewing what went right and wrong with your beer; analyzing the actual product. Taking notes is part of reviewing. Therefore, a good brewer will take notes, learn from mistakes, reinforce good behaviors and plan properly.

I aim to plan in advance as much as possible. For example, if I am conjuring up my next beer style today, I will come up with my ingredient list in a couple of days and input information into my software. I will then review any brew log notes  and make a yeast starter two days before brew day.

I will then do more set up the night before or a couple hours before brew day, like double checking stuff or milling my grains and getting the water set up. After brewing execution, I will start the process over. So a good rule of thumb is to start planning a week before brew day.

Tip 1: Remember, the 6 P's, Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

CLEANING

Cleaning can be redundant and boring. The sooner you can come to terms with deep and surface cleaning as part of the process, the better.

Cleaning is a necessity in order to ensure consistent quality control and brew day efficiency. ALL equipment must be cleaned from particles and sanitized, just like the dishes and cooking equipment in a kitchen, except in more depth.

Lack of cleaning properly will lead to bacterial infections in your produc...