Alternative Hard Rock

For most of you, an Ibanez bass guitar has been at the top of the bass guitar food chain for longer than most of us can remember. The quality sound, superior craftsmanship and great feel is what has been at the top of my mind ever since I first picked one up and played it.

I didn’t start off playing bass guitar; I was a piano player to begin with. Playing the piano gave me the base skills I needed in music to progress to more desirable instruments . I played piano for 10 years from the time I was 5 years old until I was 15. it was then that I finally got a 6 string guitar. I was so happy.

My first guitar was a Gibson Les Paul standard, 1959 model. I played it from the time I was 15 until 25 years old. It was then that I picked up an Ibanez bass guitar for the first time and I was floored at how much fun playing a bass guitar was. I’ve always enjoyed finger picking on acoustics so the bass guitar was a natural fit for me. I started playing old school Metallica that was played by Cliff Burton. He was quite possibly the best finger playing bass guitarist ever. A definite hero of mine; as well as the rest of Metallica.

Now I play 3 instruments on a regular basis. the piano, guitar and bass guitar and I’m loving playing all of them. I play with some local bands and do studio gigs because of my instrument versatility. I’ve done several recording gigs and I’m planning on making it more of a full time employment because of the demand for it.

I can see myself learning more instruments as time goes by, such as the sax and possibly the drums. I owe all of this progression to my first time playing on Ibanez guitars as this opened my eyes to many more possibilities with musical instruments.

Backpacking Canada is a lofty goal for any backpacker. Add to that the ambition to find the best rock music Canada has to offer and you’ve got yourself the road trip of a lifetime. The obvious place to start in the hunt for good rock music in Canada is Toronto. Toronto is famous for its music scene and there is no shortage of amazing concerts, music venues and music-themed bars in the city. Many famous Canadian musicians made their debut in Toronto, such as Blue Rodeo and Barenaked Ladies.

If you are planning on backpacking Toronto, here are some places to scope out the latest and greatest rock available in Canada. If you are into that singer-songwriter vibe, check out the newly renovated The Drake Hotel’s basement venue aptly known as The Drake Underground. It’s comfortable, intimate and welcoming and is locally known as the debut venue for Antony and M.I.A. The Garrison is a new venue that has hosted pay-what-you-can shows known as Wavelength on Sunday nights. You’ll hear some great indie-rock as well as some experimental stuff at the Garrison. The Horseshoe Tavern is sometimes referred to as the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern will great reason. It has been a venue for more than 60 years, lately hosting indie-rock, alt-country and singer-songwriter shows. Originally a movie theatre, Lee’s Palace has been a premier mid-sized rock club for over 20 years. It has undergone a recent renovation and boasts a high stage, good sight lines and quality sound. Lee’s Palace hosts indie-rock and alt-country acts. The Opera House was a vaudevillian theatre from the 1930’s. Today, it is one of the best venues of its size (capacity of 800), and boasts strong sound and good sightlines thanks to a multi-tiered floor and upper balcony. You will find a range of shows from indie-rock draws like Beach House and Mogwai to multi-band underground punk and metal tours at The Opera House. The Toronto music scene is alive and vibrant and these are just a small sampling of what you will discover during your trip.

Have you ever listened to the lyrics of Pinks Family Portrait? It is very disheartening; however, in modern society as it is, it is also a fact of life that happens regularly to families all across America. Spouses fighting and separating and divorce rates at an all time high. Thanks to our declining economy, most families have two working parents because that is what it takes to keep food on the table today. Where does that leave the children? Many children are neglected. Not by a lack of food or a lack of clothing, schools, or a place to live, but from the in-attendance brought on from both parents working full time jobs.

Pink family portrait lyrics explain the hardships and strains involved in the responsibility of marriage and family when the institution is left to ruin and decay rather than worked out. What imprint does the fighting and yelling between parents leave on the children? Their worlds are crushed when they find that one of their cherished parents is missing and seldom seen from then on. They learn the painful and all too often familiar lessons of love and loss, heartbreak, and abandonment. The children may think that it is their fault and unless a parent can steadfastly stand beside them, understand them, and let them know that it was no fault of theirs, doubt seeps through the cracks. This leaves them with a feeling of not just regret, but guilt. If allowed to fester, these feelings can hinder their growth as caring individuals.

A parent’s job is to lead by example. So all you parents out there need to see your children, really see them, and take notice of their inner lives and feelings and make this a better world in which for them to flourish, become whole, independent, and worthy human beings.