Jake

oh the memories

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:31:03 GMT

so, like most people around here, I have neglected posting for quite some time, which is fine because this has seemingly turned into a living record of sorts, something to record past events for future reference. I have not given up on you, LiveJournal.
Anyway, since I graduated from college in December with my BM, I have been on perpetual spring break. I am still teaching lessons at the music store, however, the amount of lessons changes every week, for better or for worse. I am still playing plenty of music. Quiet River High has been playing a lot, at least three times a month, and we are still working on the album. I've been playing in a new Lava Makers configuration and we have been working on new material, as well as playing a few gigs, including opening up for Sister Hazel. I also have my own project called Crayons A.D. I spend most of my time at Amanda's place, which is great, although their lease is up in a month and now everyone is scrambling to figure out what to do. She might actually end up at my place for a few months before moving to NYC for grad school. I will also be moving to NYC this summer. I just have to find a definite job first. As long as I can still work at the studio I'll be happy. Beyond that, I've just been riding my bike a lot. I bought Amanda a fixed gear and it's very nice to ride with her. oh the joys of riding a bike.

more things to do

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:02:20 GMT

i can honestly say that the last three months were the busiest, most hectic, stressful, and fulfilling three months of my life. I mean, I finished my senior project, which meant scoring three videos and writing a 15 page paper, and I've been juggling gigs left and right. I recorded a demo for a band that I am now in, and am now in the process of finishing the writing process for songs for the new album which I will be recording, co-producing, and playing on. And I graduated college. Jesus Christ.

maybe someday i won't sleep on a mattress on the floor

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:49:55 GMT

you know a truly good song when it comes on and the emotions it stirs make you stop and listen. i am learning how to embrace change and how that will effect my life. i still need to learn how to not dwell on certain things, especially when it deals with time management. unfortunately i have been saying the same thing for years.

trying to be profound is just about as useful spending your whole life not asking questions. coming to terms with how much you really don't know is probably the hardest thing a person could do, mentally.

ahh, to live life.

funny things, these things

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:40:56 GMT

as much as i hate to admit it, i will always have piece of Boca Raton to call home. it really is a nice place, if you can overlook the short-comings. i am very eager to finish school, but that is mainly because of my disgust for FAU. at least FAU has given me the opportunity to continue to play a musical instrument. i might even get a degree in music. fucking crazy. it really is inspiring. this will be my semester.

ahh the forgotten

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:33:56 GMT

yeah i totally forgot about livejournal, but i still don't have a working computer so i guess i have an excuse. soo... my birthday came and went. i'm 22 years old now. that fucking blows. whatever, i'm old. scary. anyway, it's now down to four of us in the apartment, which makes living bearable again. the summer heat is now settling in, which means my shirt is soaking wet when i roll up to work. i still love biking in the city. commuting to work everyday on a bike through the city still blows my mind. i bought my plane ticket home last weekend. i leave Aug. 2nd, which gives me mixed feelings, but ultimately i'm going to be happy to come home. Amanda, the beach, my car, the beach, my apartment, the beach, Amanda. all good things. i'll also get to start on my senior project early. my goal is to have it finished before the semester starts. i mean, i'm only scoring three short videos, so that is realistic. this semester is going to be so busy. i'm so worried about running out of Bright Futures money. i need my music scholarship to help me get out of debt. oh boy. this summer killed me financially, but hey, i'm only 22, right?

such is life

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:04:57 GMT

so my computer died, i hit somebody while riding my bike, UPS lost my package, and the city heat is ridiculous, but i still love NYC! Amanda visited me last weekend, which was lovely. i got my clothes back. i'm writing more music at work, and i'll soon be playing more drums. we went to Coney Island yesterday. it was nice to see the ocean, but not all the people, and the nasty. we found this awesome jazz club called Fat Cat. great jazz. and oh yeah, i got a case of Brooklyn for 15 bucks!

ohhh Manhattan

Thu, 22 May 2008 22:04:50 GMT

as i sit here in my apartment drinking a Brooklyn, i look out the window across to the cleaners that have my clothes ready to be picked up. the cleaners that are now out of business and have a padlock on the front door, with my clothes five feet behind the it. as i get up to go to the bathroom, my nose is hit with the pungent odor of a dead animal originating from the wall that the bird got stuck in after entering a ventilation pipe on the roof. tomorrow will be two weeks in Manhattan, and two weeks into my internship. minus the clothes and bird woes, everything has been fine. they are actually letting me write music at my internship, with the potential of future use in a commercial. playing opportunities happen everyday at work, and will only increase when they move into their new studio space in a few weeks. i saw Beirut on Sunday. it sounded so beautiful. i wish everyone could've been there to enjoy it. he is so talented. the weather has been cold in the city, but that is a good thing. it's like Florida's winter everyday. i ride my bike to work as often as i can, when it's not raining, which isn't often. riding in the city is so much fun. i have no brakes on my bike, and that's a good thing. you become very aware of your surroundings and just glide through the traffic. Amanda will be here next week and that makes me happy.

changin' places

Sat, 10 May 2008 15:31:00 GMT

so i moved to New York for the summer. I'm staying in this lovely little apartment on the Upper East Side. oh it's so cute. it's not that bad. small for five dudes. whatever, it's Manhattan. i brought my bike, and that makes me happy. i just hope i don't get hit by a cab. i just want to explore the city like crazy. i miss Amanda. the summer will be quick, though.

just a few things

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:33:06 GMT

busy busy and more busy. life is interesting right now. the semester is more than halfway gone and now i'm starting to get worried. making sure i can graduate next semester is my number one priority at this moment. i still have a bad feeling that FAU is going to do something to screw me over. i just hope that they can let me know sooner rather than later. umm let's see. spring break was ok. Langerado was fun. The National and The Bad Plus were the standouts for me. work still sucks. i have a beautiful girlfriend. I'll be traveling to New York again this summer, and this time i'll be there for twelve weeks. i'll be interning with the same guys as i did last year and i'm really looking forward to it. i just need to find a place to live in the city. oh and i got a new bike.

2007 Bianchi Pista. my baby. that is all for now. i have many new creative endeavors, unfortunately most of them are on hold while i finish the semester.

sigh

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:38:17 GMT

it's been a while since i've spent a late night by myself listening to music and prowling the internet for nonsense. procrastination at it's finest. tomorrow is going to be a long day of school. the third week of the semester starts in a few hours and i am already stressed. i thought i had a good time management plan, but actually implementing a plan and sticking to it is harder than i thought. you would think that after seven semesters of college i would have gotten it right, but of course i'm still as lazy as ever. ehhh. anyway, new musical projects are on the horizon! i'm starting a band as a cop-out for a school project, but i'm actually looking forward to what we can create. as far as my personal musical endeavors, it' been slow going, but i'm getting back into it. finding time and staying focused it my biggest problem. at least the ideas are still there in my head. putting them down onto physical product is the problem, but who said it was easy?

i'm coming down with a cold.

they past me by, oh yes, i try

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:03:49 GMT

interestingly enough, today marks my sixth year of chronicles in my livejournal. and let me just say that it refreshing to look back at these past few years and realize how much i really have changed. it is pretty remarkable, especially since most of the change came this year. and what a year this was. i won't recount my events of the year, but i will say that i am a much more positive person at the moment and i am eagerly awaiting the future, as well as the return of a girl, but that is a whole different story. i have discovered a great deal about myself that i had always known, but had never been able to realize and make sense of. my biggest discovery of the year was my position on this earth and the relationships and interactions i have with other individuals. i have begun to rely more on myself, and that feels good. life will always be. i will always be. the universe is a vicious cycle. yeah.

life and how i live it

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 04:57:26 GMT

my thoughts are scrambled at the moment, but i can say that this past week has been one of the most intense and emotional weeks of my life. it was exam week, and what can i say, i flake out during exam week. i have always had terrible study habits, and when i comes to exam week, i bring out my worst, and this was definitely one of my worst. i am in danger of not passing two classes that i can't afford to retake. i can't think about it now. i have gotten myself into a peculiar situation. i am on tour with a band right now, albeit a band that i have lost interest in as well as the fact that it seems like more of a vacation than an actual tour. whatever, 8 days in an SUV can't be that bad, right? i have a feeling that my alcohol consumption will be absurd. anyway, despite the fact that i was stretched to the end of my mental capacity this past week, i have fallen for a girl. she is so beautiful. i am trying to tread lightly, but her affection has touched my heart. she is so beautiful. i'm going to write some music.

right now, i will be ok

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:52:48 GMT

i feel lost. my memory is becoming very fuzzy. my dreams are blending with my reality, warping my sense of recognition. i need to tone it down a little bit. this weekend was overwhelming. i need to refocus on my life at hand and start worrying about school. i need to start by closing my bedroom door.

regardless, friday and saturday were both good nights. friday night, i subbed on a jazz gig in miami. i got to play with two fabulous musicians. it was truly a great experience. i felt like a musician and could express myself in ways i had never done before. it wasn't perfect, but for a jam i thought it went pretty well. it made want to be a musician more than ever. it was really inspiring. and saturday was good as well, but that was because i had the chance to spend time with an old friend i had never really spent time with before. and i took a chance and it paid of, and i'm not usually one to take chances. but today it is back to reality, and responsibilities. winter break is going to be interesting.

pure reality

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:08:56 GMT

last night was a night to remember. i just have to remember it first. unfortunately when i get really fucked up, i can't recall events from the night before. i did go on an adventure, though. i am slowly coming to the realization that i am a loner, and i am also learning how to deal with that. being able to appreciate time alone is what i am coming to terms with. i just wish i had more free time to be creative. sleep is such a burden. i love sleeping, but there are so many other things i could be doing with my time. whatever, i don't make any sense.

Boston/New York was......interesting. in the grand scheme of things, i had a good time. it was a much needed diversion, and i met two good people and visited a good friend. but i created some unnecessary drama, but only within myself. i need to learn how to deal with shit. anyway, i realized a lot about myself, and hopefully i will get over a few things and continue living my life for myself. goodnight.

up and down, over and out

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:39:10 GMT

such is life, i am constantly dealing with different emotions. there are a few certain things that are triggering both pleasant and unpleasant emotions, but i am getting used to that by and by. but that is what makes life interesting. emotions are what makes life worth living. anyway, my roomates and i are now living with two kittens. they are so great. now i have something to look forward to when i get home. they sleep in my bed. it's great. Boston on Thursday, New York on Saturday. it's going to be a drunken mess, but i know i'm going to have the time of my life. i don't care what happens, i just want to enjoy every minute of my mini-vacation. life is good.

spending money is fun

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:54:41 GMT

i have been doing a lot of profound thinking lately, or least it is profound to me. i'm beginning to accept my place and live my life the way i want it to be lived. while i may be unhappy with school, i at least have something to occupy my time and achieve something at the same time.

anyway, New York was absolutely amazing. i got back over a month ago and i still wish i was there. i will be moving there as soon as i graduate, and hopefully i will have another internship next summer. i have found my place, i just need to be patient.

i also got a new tattoo. i'll post pictures later when i get home and fire up my new phone. i also have a new bike, which is really just a modified single-speed version of my old bike. i 'll be traveling to Boston Nov. 1st with a good friend for five days (i can't wait.) i'm going to see Henry Rollins tomorrow night in West Palm. i might be part of a new band playing good music from the nineties. and then there is Peter my new roommate who is fucking awesome. since i've gotten home from New York i've been completely occupied. i really never have any down time anymore, which is good in a way. and with the only down time i have, i have been writing music. i am at a good stage of my life and i am eagerly looking towards the future.

a whole new experience

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 21:16:01 GMT

i just spent my first week in New York. i think i'm going to like it here, a lot. my internship started off slow, but this was a holiday week so that was to be expected. i still don't really know if i'm going to help them much because i still have so much to learn, but after watching them work this week, i'm going to learn a lot. i've gotten used to my commute from Long Island, and my Unkle is letting me borrow his bicycle for the time that i'm here, so now i don't have to worry about getting to the train station. i also got a guitar from a friend, although i still can't use it because i lost an important screw while changing the strings, which really sucks. hopefully i can repair it soon. today is really the first day that i've had some down time, which is why i'm online. ugh, i need to find something to do.

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:42:00 GMT

trashy.

if i were the universe

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:17:45 GMT

my 21st birthday came and went, and apparently i don't remember most of it. i had a great time in Gainesville. one can always count on old friends to show you a good time. i got to do what a wanted, which was hang out and drink beer, among other things. and i got to help Andrew record his tour CD. i hope he like the way it comes out. again, i wish i had a reason to move to Gainesville, other than to hang out, that is.
well, i have one more week left in south florida before i leave for the jungle of Manhatten. i can't fucking wait. i'm starting to get nervous about my internship. i hope i can help this guy out. whatever, it's not like he's paying me.
so i've decided to sell my car once i return from NYC (if i return). i'm going to take the money and buy a bicycle. i know that doesn't sound practical at all, but honestly, having a car has put the most stress on me, and this is something that i need to do. my parents i'm sure will not let me, but i don't care, i do not want a car. plain and simple. and i love riding a bike, and by selling my car i will finally have enough money to get a sweet road bike. i can't wait for the day. it's not like i'm trying to make a statement about riding a bike to save the environment or some bullshit. i mean, yes, i care about the environment, but i just want to ride a bike, and not worry about having a car.
i don't think i'll ever be able to consider myself an artist (hell, it took me ten years to realize that i was a musician, and i still can't come to terms with that), but these next six weeks are seriously going to change my life. at least that is how i have it built up in head. it could be a total letdown. i just hope that this experience will help me steer myself towards my future, and maybe even a job. i just want to fucking hang out in new york and make music.

meaningful and meaningless

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 06:14:11 GMT

i could talk about many different topics, but most of them don't interest me. and since i'm writing this for myself, the purpose is not to bore oneself. the only reason i still use this journal is to help my memory when i look back at the last six years of my life. while i haven't even come close to chronicling my life event by event, i cover the basics. i want to look back and see how content i am with my life right now. although i do not have everything that i would want right now, i have enough, and that is all that really matters. as long as you can enjoy what you have, then life is worth living. i have the future to look forward to because no one has any idea what the rest of lives will be like. we will all get what we want someday.

as much as i can't wait to leave south florida, i'm very content with the workspace i have set up in my apartment that has allowed me to document my recent spurt of creativity. for the first time in a long time i feel at home. if only there was a way that i could play the drums in here and not have to worry about disturbing the whole neighborhood.

at least i have good music to listen to

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 05:11:59 GMT

so yeah, the time has come for me to grow the fuck up. my pessimistic attitude i've had for the past couple of weeks has finally subsided thanks to an uplifting experience in my car last night on my drive home (man, that sounds really lame knowing that i was alone. whatev). i'm so glad i have to power to overcome. so while this summer has been pretty lame in comparison to my last few, i have made some major creative leaps (i love being a musician and finally realizing my potential), and i have a lot to look foward to in the coming weeks, the least of which being my 21st birthday, which will easily be the best, and worst day of my life. as long as i don't die, i think i'll be alright. so while i've had a lot of free time this summer so far, i've realized this can only be benificial, and i'm going to try my hardest to appreciate and use my free time to my full potential before i leave for New York. we'll see.

alone in south florida

Mon, 21 May 2007 02:59:43 GMT

i need to get out of here. it is making me depressed.

i know i shouldn't say that because i'm a much more positive person than that, but recently my motivation is gone, and i've become much more pessimistic. i'm digging myself into a hole, which i know i can get out, but i just don't want to. i just have some things that i need to get out of my head, and i know that when i get to New York my summer will really begin. thank god (or whoever) that i have music. music is my savior. who needs god when you have music? hahahah

i fucking hate school

Sat, 12 May 2007 05:27:37 GMT

fuck. i don't even know where to begin. it's like they never want you to leave FAU. i already plan on graduating a semester late, but just thinking of all the classes i have left, it's ridiculous. it is going to take so much effort to graduate, especially after knowing that July 1st i start an internship in NYC. fuck. and i'm signed up right now for an intensive spanish class that begins on Monday, which i have no idea how i'm going to pay for. i'll probably end up dropping it. fuck. i am really freaking out right now. fuck. i've had a pretty stressful month. i thought the end of the semester was fucked, but i ended up doing pretty well. summer is for partying, right? i guess not anymore.

she is amazing

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:09:18 GMT

it is all about that first kiss.

the wheels on the bus go round and round

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:43:26 GMT

hello livejournal. it has been a while. let's see, where do i begin. really not much new to report. the biggest news would be that i bought a new car. well, new to me. it's a 1974 BMW 2002 (see picture below.) other than that, i shaved my head again, my band finished tracking our EP and in the process opened for Horse the Band, i spent my spring break getting krunk on the ski slopes of North Carolina's Beech Mountain, i'm still single, and i am still completely consumed by work and school. thankfully the semester is almost over. summer is still up in the air. i will either be taking classes all summer, or i will be in NYC for an intership, which i am hoping for the latter, but i am still trying to make that happen. wish me luck.