The Mario Cadence (Vid+Tab+Update!)

Hey everyone!!! This post is very important to me. For starters, I've posted a really fun new video on three chords known as "The Mario Cadence" (aka the double-backdoor-resolution). 

https://youtu.be/jx7BcbS15tU

In it, I play a solo that I spent a few days thinking about before putting together, and I've posted the audio here as well as the tablature/music. The very last lick was extremely hard to notate so I left it out - I might do a patreon-only video on how I composed this solo (it's very pattern based) and then I can explain why the last lick couldn't be notated.

In addition to the new video, YOU HAVE HELPED ME REACH MY GOAL OF 500 PATRONS. I promised myself I'd upgrade my studio situation when I got there, but I wasn't sure what that would look like. It's set in stone now though.

In a few days, I will be moving out of my house AND my public studio. I'm handing off my studio space to Mike Muggli (aka Moog Lee) so he can have a synth paradise and carry his teaching business over to there. But I'm also letting my former student Robbie Napholz set up camp there to hopefully begin teaching and producing. With two good friends in that space, I'll surely be around still, but my studio itself will be gone from that location. 

I've found a nice house to rent nearby, and will be configuring the entire bottom floor to be my new studio space. This will allow me to get videos done significantly faster and with way less stress. For many reasons, I have been filming + producing audio at my studio but editing videos at home. This distance between my home and workplace creates a lot of silly problems though, and I can't tell you how often I find myself at home at odd hours wishing I could be producing the audio for the next video, or at the studio wishing I could be editing on my video pc. Yesterday, for example, I had to go there + back 3 different times.

And since I'll have a dedicated high-speed connection (FINALLY) at my studio/home as well as a separate PC dedicated to video, I will do livestreams while producing. In this last video, there were 3 main tracks I had to produce and I feel that a lot could be taught while I produce those. I've tried this sort of thing before but ultimately, there is no way to do it well (and with low latency) unless you have one PC dedicated to audio production and one dedicated to video streaming/recording.  It's what held me back from continuing my livestream experiments in the past, and now that barrier is gone, all I have to do is figure out the new setup.

I have plans that include you, possibly!

By January, I'd like to start a student club for all Patreon members over $10/month. These members would receive an extra video each week on topics that you all vote for, as well as receive exclusive tabs/pdfs/mp3s, etc. Members paying less that $10/month would still receive charts and PDFs about as frequently as you do now, so it wouldn't affect you, there would just be a bonus to sign up a club member.

I'm also planning on making sure that anyone who REALLY wants/needs access to the student club tier can do so even if they cant afford it. I'm pretty sure there's a way where I can "gift" someone a membership through Patreon, but I'll explore that opportunity when it's needed. 

Once my relocated studio is up and running, I'd like to immediately start making the videos + content that would eventually be for student club members only. I will be posting it for EVERYONE until at least January, whereupon I'll be only posting the weekly videos for club members and you can switch your pledge then if you'd like to be part of it. 

ADDITIONALLY

I would like to make some revenue via a source that isn't solely through peoples generosity (you) and the fickle nature of YouTube. But I also don't want to lock my content behind a paywall. That's why I'm going to continue posting to YouTube over the next year, but will also try to develop two different paid courses to sell through my site (which has been dead but will soon rise).

I believe the first course will be a Music Theory Crash Course for beginners, while the second one focuses on Pentatonics, Rock, Jamming, and Improvising. When these courses get released, you will all get them at a SIGNIFICANT discount. I intend on completing them both in 2020. You might be able to guess, I have a very high standard for something like this, so they will both be robust courses.

I can not stress this enough - You have enabled me to do what I think I currently do best, which is teach. Because of that, I am incredibly grateful. I intend to use your support and invest it back into the work that inspired your initial support. 

Hopefully, in time, I can produce enough free content to fuel the sales of a small number of paid courses. That could in turn fund the studio that one day I wish to fully own and operate. You see, "when I grow up", I'd really like to be a producer and help musicians create music. I absolutely love that work right now, but it does NOT pay the bills, especially when you live in the suburbs surrounded by mainly hobbyists who can't afford a premium rate. However, hobbyists and part-timers often make incredible music that should be heard by the world, regardless if they're professionals or if they paid $200/hr to get it produced. And in the distant future, I'd like to be able to provide that service to bands and musicians without worrying too much about how much it costs them - instead, we get to worry about making great music.

So that is a long term dream of mine, and I'm starting to think it is achievable. A lot of credit will go to you all for your help along the way. I'm certain I wouldn't have gotten this far this fast without your help. 

I expect this next year to be absolutely filled with content. I'm seriously in love with the idea of living with my studio in an environment where I can make as much noise as I want whenever I want, surrounded by my instruments and software. You should be hearing a lot more from me once I'm set up there, but I do expect this moving week to be a bit hectic, so I'd appreciate your patience if I don't respond to comments for a little while. 

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!

-Jake