tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56527032012-01-03T00:08:55.239-08:00The weird and wonderful world of Christopher J Nalls - a musician and software marketing guy in Northern California.Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-61967707893549671862010-05-10T13:36:00.000-07:002010-05-10T13:36:00.557-07:00

“I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each, it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of one's being, a satisfaction of spirit. One becomes, in some area, an athlete of God.“

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-14610975519535167612010-05-09T13:00:00.000-07:002010-05-09T13:20:45.143-07:00

Last night was the premiere of my original composition "Ladies of Spain," performed by the musicians of the South Bay Brass. Performance went well, and I hope for a good recording to post. It was fun (and a bit surreal) to perform a piece I had written from scratch.I have been asked to set it for concert band, so I will be working on that in the near future. If anyone is interested, the piece is

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-13172042091749972672009-08-27T21:40:00.000-07:002010-05-05T17:12:15.473-07:00

Branford speaking the honest truth...

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-88869006365300453842009-05-28T15:09:00.000-07:002009-05-28T15:13:13.358-07:00

In Berlin, there is an effort underway to fill WW2 bullet holes with Lego bricks.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-80699882281022354252009-04-14T14:41:00.001-07:002009-04-14T14:43:04.642-07:00

The First Wind Ensemble

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-25287272386965955602009-04-13T15:12:00.000-07:002009-04-13T15:13:17.649-07:00

The Mythbusters Have the Best Job Ever!

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-4138260427669473422009-04-02T15:05:00.000-07:002009-04-02T15:11:41.316-07:00

What I Am Listening to Right NowMy friend Mike McCool (who has the best name ever), is a musical genius. Not a composer, like Mozart. Not a player, like Winton. But a genius at finding new music and putting it together for the consumptions of his friends/audience.Mike has been providing me with great music ever since I met him in 1982. There is always great variety - old favorites combined with

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-45796181283794042482009-03-27T22:44:00.000-07:002009-03-27T22:46:22.023-07:00

Before and AfterVinyl spent the day at the groomers. He hates it, but he has to go. May have waited too long, because the groomers said it was a real chore and that Vinyl was most unhappy with the whole ordeal. He sure does look pretty!

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-39948600323503937732009-03-25T14:01:00.000-07:002009-03-25T14:05:25.387-07:00

Roger Bobo and the Contrabass HornThere is also a video on YouTube of this instrument in action.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-70908790148639740622009-03-19T14:06:00.000-07:002009-03-19T14:12:44.786-07:00

This is just plain WRONG!

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-28168265469222960132009-02-25T19:50:00.000-08:002009-02-25T19:50:00.954-08:00

One of My Favorite Mellophone PlayersThis is Heather, who plays in a High School band in Texas. She is one of my favorite Mello players because she marches in her dance team costume, which, as her mom points out, "makes her very easy to spot on the field!"

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-41155897270552573042009-02-22T14:48:00.000-08:002009-02-22T14:48:00.602-08:00

Another Wacky Mellophone PictureWhat can I say, I love interesting Mellophone pics. This guy looks a lot like Pat Metheny, playing a Mellophone outside an airport or mini-mall.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-57071398876767432472009-02-18T19:56:00.000-08:002009-02-18T19:56:00.488-08:00

Over the President’s Day weekend, I wanted to go to Tahoe. My family has a nice little place in Incline Village, and with four days off, I wanted to take the dogs up there for a bit of snow fun.But the weather did not cooperate at all (although you can see from this picture that it is looking great right now).With multiple storms passing through, I decided to stay in the Bay Area for the weekend.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-39573630171392108172009-01-26T12:12:00.001-08:002009-01-26T12:12:31.690-08:00

The Renegades just finished up a successful camp, where were able to play through almost nine minutes of music!! The full musical ensemble put together our opening production, Funeral for a Friend. Written by Elton John and arranged by Key Poulen, Thom Shearer and Fred Smith, it gives a solemn and intense opening to the show. Faces, by Earth Wind and Fire, was performed by the Brass, Percussion

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-12125280803981767772009-01-14T12:42:00.000-08:002009-01-14T16:06:09.831-08:00

An Exciting New ProjectI am talking to some of my SCV (and BD) Horn buddies about a cool recording project. Details to follow.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-79429365742403351462009-01-13T12:09:00.000-08:002009-01-14T09:23:42.921-08:00

WillpowerOne of the great benefits of working at Symantec is our access to a site called Books 24x7, which offers books online. I found a number of great reads on team building, marketing and personal improvement. Today I was stopped in my tracks by a passage in one of them that talked about willpower.You see, I have always thought that I lack willpower. But the excerpt below makes a lot of sense

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-78810222106232301282009-01-06T12:09:00.000-08:002009-01-06T12:10:10.822-08:00

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-45325244068662543032008-12-31T14:21:00.000-08:002008-12-31T14:24:12.343-08:00

Watchmenof the many interesting movies slated for release in 2009, none interests me more than the Watchmen. Based on an amazing graphic novel, it has th epotential to kick some serious booty. Here's a short feature that has me drooling for more.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-60035171332392803142008-12-19T11:26:00.000-08:002008-12-19T11:28:10.119-08:00

Amazing Global Music CollaborationFrom the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes the first of many "songs around the world" being released independently. Featured is a cover of the Ben E. King classic by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it travelled the globe.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-63392323981102209792008-12-18T15:56:00.001-08:002008-12-18T15:58:20.448-08:00

Another Mellophone PictureWhat can I say? I love wacky Mellophone pictures.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-51511194823372654322008-12-15T10:41:00.000-08:002008-12-15T10:43:29.064-08:00

The Knowledge NavigatorThis was created by Apple Computer as a proof of concept in the late 80s. We're still waiting.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-32704036100132352012008-12-02T10:45:00.000-08:002008-12-02T10:47:18.074-08:00

The Coolest Commercials I've seen in a long timeBruce Lee playing ping pong with nunchucks.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-61926395083901381472008-11-20T15:38:00.000-08:002008-11-20T15:46:46.516-08:00

Joseph Pero, SuperstarWhen I first went to DCA as a member of the 2001 Renegades Minicorps, we were all very eager to check out the performing groups, most of which we had never seen. One of our very favorite groups was the Empire Statesmen, from Rochester NY. The group specializes in entertaining the audience to within an inch of their lives, and they were a direct influence and inspiration for

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-38538407229828769592008-11-19T21:54:00.000-08:002008-11-19T22:02:20.233-08:00

Digital CopyI buy too many DVDs. This we know. Recently, I have noticed that the DVD releases of major motion pictures come with a Digital Copy disk. Got one with Hulk and now Wall•E.This disc allows you to download a copy onto a hard drive. All I did was pop the Wall•E disc in the drive and iTunes opened to a special page. I entered the code that was included in the box and off we went.The movie

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-21594939082984183832008-11-15T15:15:00.000-08:002008-11-15T15:15:01.278-08:00

Dream HouseAs I get older, I find that I have a deep-seated desire to build my own home in the country. I call it my Edifice Complex. Of course, the economy has not been at all cooperative, so it may be tough to pull off.But, I figure if I write about it, it stands a better chance of coming true.The house above is in Bali. The New York Times featured a slide show of pictures of this amazing home.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-48425979506349705302008-11-14T14:47:00.000-08:002008-11-14T14:47:01.203-08:00

Adventures in Tenor Horn, Part IIAl Perkins and I were recording the Mellocast last week, and we needed a topic. So we spent some time talking about my recent experiences with the Tenor Horn. You can listen to the podcast (and many others of interest to mid-voice players) at www.mellocast.com. On a related topic, I asked Tony Clements, the conductor of the Silicon Valley Brass Band, if I could

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-41147410762211298612008-11-13T15:23:00.000-08:002008-11-13T15:23:00.623-08:00

Canine Freestyle Video Vinyl would be great at this, but, of course, he can't be bothered.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-6028339218116357402008-11-12T14:39:00.000-08:002008-11-12T14:59:05.809-08:00

Bands of AmericaI'll try anything (at least) once. On a quiet weekend, I might go to a dog show, drive a road I have never explored, or just eat at a new restaurant.This weekend, I am going to attend the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis. The event is being held at the new home of Drum Corps International, Lucas Oil Stadium. I have seen videos of some of the bands, and

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-52233913697804330912008-11-11T18:39:00.000-08:002008-11-12T15:14:31.777-08:00

My Friend - Terri DucayI have a number of close friends, but my closest friend is Terri Ducay. We first met while working together at Claris. She led the interaction design department, and I was in product marketing. I was struck by her beauty right away, so I got to know her immediately.Over time I grew to appreciate just how smart and how creative she is. We have had many adventures -- a month

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-65907548256476980022008-11-10T15:48:00.001-08:002008-11-10T15:50:49.660-08:00

How to recruit Mellophone players.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-84230171331361702262008-11-07T16:58:00.000-08:002008-11-07T16:58:01.636-08:00

Adventures in Tenor HornIn August, I was invited to join a new group – the Silicon Valley Brass Band. Because I know and trust the conductor, Tony Clements, and many great people were signing on to play, I said yes. My part assignment was Solo Tenor Horn. What’s a Tenor Horn, you ask? Excellent question. It is kind of like a Mellophone, pitched a tone lower (in Eb). Oh, and you have to use a big

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-43879490253925890752008-11-06T13:12:00.000-08:002008-11-06T13:12:00.875-08:00

The Waiting GameWe all know the economy is sucking. My 401k is on life support, my house is worth less than what I paid for it, and now, my company is laying off.I heard two weeks ago that my team was being moved into a new organization and that we all had to interview for our jobs. Ok, a bit different, but I prepared and enjoyed a nice chat with the new VP and the other panelists. Last week, our

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-71678399925791182362008-11-05T11:50:00.000-08:002008-11-05T12:07:39.109-08:00

Concert Sunday, November 9th at 2pmThe Ohlone Wind Orchestra presents a Fall concert featuring Brenda Tom, piano, performing George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, as well as George Roumanis' setting of Shenandoah, Eric Leidzen's transcription of the Finale from Dvorak's New World Symphony, and other favorites. The group will also perform Overture in Bb by Giannini, David Holsinger's Liturgical

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-47778608295988855792008-11-04T15:23:00.000-08:002008-11-04T16:12:53.073-08:00

The Robotic FlautistSaw this video on Wired. I was pretty annoyed at first - the last thing we need is a way to put even more musicians out of work. But it is an excellent proof of concept. What do you think? Check it out:

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-22157983572888272872008-07-23T15:04:00.001-07:002008-11-10T22:10:25.430-08:00

Lunita BonitaMy dog Moon almost died last week. For now, she is doing ok and hanging in there. As a 15 year old dog, she is well past a normal life span. Here's to another year of life for the sweetest dog ever.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-83196662636624553042008-06-25T22:35:00.001-07:002008-06-25T22:35:58.762-07:00

Video of the Week - Stan Kenton's MalaguenaStan Kenton '62 - Malaguena- Jazz Scene USAUploaded by Delta_Mike

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-8463528511278865822008-06-03T13:49:00.000-07:002008-06-03T13:54:15.708-07:00

Cool Video of the WeekA bit weird, but who doesn't want to see insects get hit in the face with tiny pies?

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-20898211179407872622008-05-21T21:38:00.001-07:002008-06-03T13:49:28.623-07:00

So I went out and bought speech recognition software for my iMac. And am using it to dictate this blog. I've no idea what's going to come out, I hope looks pretty good. Because the software cost a lot.I'm about to go for a walk with my two dogs Vinyl and Moon. Every night at about nine o'clock, they start to get a little bit restless, and start lobbying me to take them for a walk.So I get up and

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-7394683595838579292008-05-12T19:08:00.000-07:002008-05-16T13:14:41.169-07:00

The Mellocast AdventureI was asked to appear on a podcast this week. It is for and by Mellophone players. This pleases me to no end, as I am a fan of the podcast, which is run by Al Perkins. Al is the guru of all things mellophone, and his podcast is a hotbed of mid voice activity.For those of you who don't know what a mellophone is, it is a rather obscure instrument, rarely used off the football

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-9548579604759403642008-05-12T18:31:00.000-07:002008-05-12T18:57:27.032-07:00

Bad News, Good NewsThe US government (and the media) have suddenly discovered that Nelson Mandela, Nobel Peace Prize winner is listed as a terrorist. Can't come to the US without special permission. Oops.The former leader of South Africa was put on the list 30 years ago and never taken off. I think we can clear him to come in. He's 90 years old after all. And then there's the story of Sara

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-88464722407116168252008-04-10T15:02:00.000-07:002008-04-10T15:11:43.189-07:00

Classic Humor

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-46256386970522132322008-01-23T10:50:00.000-08:002008-01-23T10:52:04.535-08:00

Reflections on a Rainy WednesdayOne of my closest friends is an entertainment lawyer in Hollywood. He moved down there a few years ago, and has been steadily progressing up the Hollywood ladder. He recently went through a one year screen writing program at UCLA.In a 30 week program, the class produced their first script in 20 weeks, then a second script in 10 weeks. For the second script, he

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-22414227889588176252008-01-20T11:04:00.000-08:002008-01-20T11:08:07.177-08:00

Movie List for 2007Here is a list of movies I saw in 2007. More than ever, I disagreed with movie critics. One of their favorite movies, No Country For Old Men, irritated me so much that I wanted to walk out - something I have only done twice. The first time was in the 80s - a truly awful sci-fi film based on the classic Isaac Asimov short story, Nightfall. The second was a version of King Arthur

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-69735613401918725672008-01-02T14:38:00.000-08:002008-01-02T14:40:09.935-08:00

In honor of the Rose Parade, I am posting a review I wrote a few years ago...On December 27th, 2003, I decided to go to the Rose Parade. Went on eBay and bought tickets in the grandstands at 155 Orange Grove (near the start of the Parade).The parade starts at 8am, but you have to be there before they close down the streets - so we got there at 4:30am and parked. Then slept for a couple of hours

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-62341479971959167942007-11-20T14:04:00.000-08:002007-11-20T16:30:47.525-08:00

Old picture!A picture of me standing with a group of friends from the 1980 Blue Devils.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-42583817580242781052007-10-16T17:25:00.000-07:002007-10-16T17:32:04.661-07:00

"Thrill the World" is one woman's effort to get people around the globe to simultaneously perform the "Thriller" dance from the iconic Michael Jackson music video.Dance instructor Ines Markeljevic is the mastermind behind the event slated to take place October 27 and 28, and she's hoping to draw enough participants to set a record worthy of Guinness. So far there are 84 officially registered

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-91038986885795473912007-10-10T10:20:00.000-07:002007-10-10T10:47:32.718-07:00

Recent ConcertsA couple of months ago, I had tickets to a concert featuring the music of Frank Zappa, as performed by his son and a 9 piece band. As this concert occurred on a Monday night, I reluctantly gave the tickets to my brother. I just couldn't bear to miss Renegades Minicorps rehearsal - no matter how much I love Zappa.My brother and his buddy Steve told that the concert was amazing.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-59366829374364101402007-08-24T10:44:00.000-07:002007-08-24T11:04:44.203-07:00

One of my favorite all time drum corps stories.We were at camp in Oceanside, ready for a runthrough. Except we had no drumline. As we started to wonder what was up, they appeared from behind the school wearing brand new uniforms.Brand new uniforms that Robbie Carson had gotten the boosters to make without telling the rest of the staff. We pretty much hated them. They were a variation of the

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-25759516337784362782007-04-27T09:37:00.000-07:002007-04-27T10:21:18.055-07:00

Last night was the DCI Classic Countdown. This is an event where DCI, the reigning body in control of junior corps, puts the 8 most popular drum corps on movie screens across the country. These corps were chosen as result of a poll conducted a few months ago, and they were not announced in advance. The corps were:1987 Garfield Cadets. Not one of my favorites, because they beat my corps (SCV) in

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-31096722937372201372007-03-27T20:09:00.000-07:002007-03-27T20:14:29.619-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted. I promise to do better. Meanwhile, here is DCI's tax return.And a cat that looks like Hitler.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-33805926276264609692007-01-19T17:33:00.001-08:002007-01-19T17:33:45.962-08:00

What I BelieveAt a very young age, I began to wonder why there were so many different kinds of God in the world. Knowing that not everyone could be right, I was distrustful of organized religion. At age 20, I had a revelation. As part of a summer performing group that practiced 10 hours a day and performed all over the country, I was part of a team that was closer than many families.One evening,

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-27002960109508061292006-12-20T14:55:00.000-08:002006-12-20T15:07:04.825-08:00

Two Funky RestaurantsThe first is for my buddy Lee. It's called Ninja New York, and we may have to go to dinner there when we go to the East Coast in January. While patrons work their way through the tasting menu at this Japanese restaurant, servers dressed as ninjas perform magic alongside their tables. The interior is designed to be a medieval Ninja Castle, and is built like a maze.The second

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-25936952795105276652006-12-19T12:14:00.000-08:002006-12-19T12:24:34.937-08:00

A Computer for Drummers

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1165962704581077082006-12-12T14:22:00.000-08:002006-12-12T14:31:44.590-08:00

Death by PowerPointLast week, I went to Seattle for a two day meeting with Microsoft to hear about their programs for Partners (people who sell with them or create products based on Microsoft stuff). It was two days at the very swank Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle. My room was on the 38th floor, overlooking the Puget Sound and the Space Needle. Pretty awesome.And the information was good, too.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1165434248564010522006-12-06T11:43:00.000-08:002006-12-06T11:44:08.573-08:00

Philip Glass SucksAs a conductor and arranger, I have always been baffled by the fact that some musicians don't seem to want to hear their music played. For example, Philip Glass, who is one of my favorite composers, does not sell his printed music for performance. You can sometimes rent it, but that is expensive and ensures that his music will only be performed by groups with the money to do

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1165337031826375672006-12-05T08:43:00.000-08:002006-12-05T08:43:51.836-08:00

Book Review - Self Made Man by Norah VincentOver the course of 18 months, Norah Vincent lived life as a man and wrote this book to document the experience. Vincent is a lesbian, which makes the project even more interesting. She begins by consulting makeup experts and choosing a wardrobe. And then she sets out to find out what it is like on the other side of the sexual divide.Over the course of

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1165168884251674822006-12-03T09:54:00.000-08:002006-12-03T10:01:24.430-08:00

Learning to PlayYesterday, I decided to learn to play the guitar. I looked online to find out who makes good guitars for beginners, and found a nice Washburn guitar on Craigslist. I picked it up last night and had my online first lesson, written by a man named Dan Cross, who seems to be the guitar expert at about.com. He has posted a number of articles and free lessons, so I got started with the

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1164139945191650792006-11-21T12:12:00.000-08:002006-11-21T12:13:04.646-08:00

Lee Rudnicki's Snare Drum Solo at DCAIn honor of my good friend's wild and wacky performance art, I present video evidence.Be sure to visit Lee at Blog7

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1164139537165310072006-11-21T12:04:00.000-08:002006-11-21T12:06:05.170-08:00

Funny Dog Picture

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1164051549989719052006-11-20T11:38:00.000-08:002006-11-27T17:36:35.393-08:00

Movie List 2006 These are the movies I have seen so far this year, ranked in order of preference. I would recommend the top 25 for viewing. Those below pretty much suck.1. Borat2. Little Miss Sunshine3. The Illusionist4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest5. Casino Royale6. Inside Man7. Mission Impossible III8. Thank You For Smoking9. Devil Wears Prada10. X3 – The Last Stand11. The Queen12

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1163913773228547012006-11-18T21:05:00.000-08:002006-11-21T12:06:34.643-08:00

Selling My CarI have a sweet 1995 Mercedes Benz S420.There are many fond memories of time spent cruising in the "Mercy X3" with my friends. Vinyl the Wonder Dog, with his head out the window, taking it all in. Roland I and went everywhere in that car when he first moved to California. It even went on tour with the Renegades.Have you ever owned a Mercedes? Better yet, have you ever owned a

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1162490300126564882006-11-02T09:58:00.000-08:002006-11-02T09:58:51.236-08:00

Concert ReviewOn Monday night, the Ohlone Wind Orchestra had it's first concert of the school year. This group is made up of assorted pro and semi-pro players, with a sprinkling of talented amateurs. I play what I call 'utility horn', meaning that I play whatever part needs to be covered. If someone doesn't show up, I play their part. My assigned parts switch off between first and fourth.A note

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1162321553952572252006-10-31T11:05:00.000-08:002006-10-31T11:38:41.796-08:00

Happy HalloweenI'm a little upset about Halloween. To me, it is a holiday for children that has been co-opted by adults.When I was a kid, we agonized for weeks over what we would wear, what our route would be to maximize candy receipt, and what tricks we would play on our unsuspecting neighbors. Adults were only involved peripherally - walking with the little kids and talking with neighbors.On

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1161892011660450202006-10-26T12:12:00.000-07:002006-10-26T17:41:00.796-07:00

My Favorite ArtistsAlexander Calder - SculptorAlexander Calder (1898-1976), whose illustrious career spanned much of the 20th century, is the most acclaimed and influential sculptor of our time. Born in a family of celebrated, though more classically trained artists, Calder utilized his innovative genius to profoundly change the course of modern art. He began by developing a new method of

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1161456727400092182006-10-21T11:42:00.000-07:002006-10-21T11:52:07.420-07:00

My first fan mailI am going to write my first piece of fan mail. Author Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club, Haunted, Survivor), a truly wonderful and subversive author, has an unusual approach to fan mail. For one month out of the year, he will answer all the fan mail he receives with letters or, in some cases, packages. Here are the rules:Letters must be postmarked within the month of October, 2006.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1161301746309176312006-10-19T16:43:00.000-07:002006-10-24T16:20:04.736-07:00

Top Ten Movie QuotesI'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse.THE GODFATHERToto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.THE WIZARD OF OZGo ahead, make my day.SUDDEN IMPACTMay the Force be with you.STAR WARSYou can't handle the truth!A FEW GOOD MENYou're gonna need a bigger boat.JAWSI'll be back.THE TERMINATORStriker: Surely you can't be serious.Rumack: I am serious…and don't call me

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1161301325806870692006-10-19T16:39:00.000-07:002006-10-20T08:57:29.870-07:00

My Top Ten Comedy MoviesBlazing SaddlesRaising ArizonaTootsieAnimal HouseSomething About MaryA Fish Called WandaBringing Up BabyArsenic and Old LaceAirplaneSome Like it Hot

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1161300789513253462006-10-19T16:28:00.000-07:002006-10-19T16:34:15.813-07:00

Chris Nalls CreativeIn addition to my day job, I have a consulting business. I do any kind of creative marketing - messaging, product launches, PR, presentations, product design, whatever is needed.This week's gig was to put together a short video to illustrate Chinese market opportunities. I have been doing a number of these lately - mostly to illustrate new market opportunities for

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1161128290467182062006-10-17T16:31:00.000-07:002006-10-17T16:50:37.793-07:00

Just about a year ago, I commissioned a piece of music to be created.After having used John M. Meehan as an arranger and composer for marching band, I asked if he would be interested in composing a commissioned work for the award-winning Leigh High School Wind Ensemble. John thought this was a great idea, so we got to work.We started with John's thematic idea, which was the mythological love

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1161118594322695092006-10-17T13:55:00.000-07:002006-10-17T13:58:18.146-07:00

One of the highlights of my musical career - conducting the Leigh High School Wind Ensemble in Boston Symphony Hall.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1160974926112523072006-10-15T22:01:00.000-07:002006-10-15T22:02:06.120-07:00

The sound of music....... The sound of music gives us so much emotionsand that plays a melody deep in our heart greatlyAll the sound on the earth are like musicand the music brings love and enjoyment to our lifeMusic expresses universal language of the worldand brings people together where ever they liveThe music is the best gift of God to all of uswhere its fills our soul with peace and mind

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1160779855414513712006-10-13T15:39:00.000-07:002006-10-13T15:54:00.953-07:00

Getting Hired.Happy Friday!This marks the end of week 3 at Symantec. I really can't complain - they really know how to treat their employees. This morning, a box showed up with my new Treo Smartphone. Having a phone paid for by the company is this geek's dream come true. Now, if I could just get a car...One of my fabulous readers asked, "How would you characterize the tech industry in the Bay

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1160679126978199132006-10-12T10:58:00.000-07:002006-10-17T16:54:13.073-07:00

My Second Career.Growing up in Silicon Valley, computers were everywhere. While I was in music school, I needed to get a job to pay rent and such, and the position I found was working in a warehouse for a Taiwanese couple who had started the Mini Micro Supply Company, a business distributing computer parts in the area.As their white guy (that's what they called me), I was mostly responsible for

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1160599089927029412006-10-11T13:36:00.000-07:002006-10-11T13:38:09.930-07:00

My Animal LifeI enjoy animals in my life, although I have not spent a great deal of time around horses. Cats, dogs, hamsters, fish - I have had them all. The fish did not do too well - maybe they are not the right pets for me.When I worked at Netscape, we were allowed to bring pets to work. My brother bought me a Cube Hamster (not a square animal, rather a pet for the office). Buddy was a big hit

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652703.post-1160598887082127272006-10-11T13:29:00.000-07:002006-10-17T16:55:08.663-07:00

Current EventsI recently took a job at the Symantec Corporation, working in the Enterprise Marketing group - mainly because I was running out of money (owning a home in this area will do that to you). It is a great company, and I am working for an old friend, and looking forward to doing well.But I do miss teaching.For the last two years, I was Director of Bands at Leigh High School in San Jose.

Chris Nallshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12922189572358733259noreply@blogger.com0