TLB Downtime
Hi folks,
Another quick update–I’m going to be changing my web host for TLB, and I’m initiating the domain transfer today. There may be several days of downtime while the transfer takes place, so you’ll see a parking page if you visit TLB during that time–but have no fear, we’ll be back up and running in a few days, hopefully with a new look!
Catch all y’all on the flip side!
Quick Update
I’m sorry I haven’t posted in a while–I’ve been busy working on the site’s redesign and host switch. It’s turning out to be a lot more complicated than I thought it was going to be, and so consequently the redesign might be delayed until after May 26th. But have no fear–redesign or not, the Big Announcement will still be made that day. So stay tuned!
My New Google Profile
Google rolled out a new feature last week, Google Profiles, that enable you to further control your “personal branding” on Google. You can set up a Google Profile for yourself, and if you fill in most or all of the information, your profile will show up at the bottom of the first page of Google’s search results for your name. I just learned about this today, and I promptly set up a profile for myself. Most of the information I have on there can be found other places (like my website), but if you like, you can check it out at the following link:
http://www.google.com/profiles/ajharbison
TLB: Now Available On Twitter!
Thanks to the continual persistence of my roommate, I’ve given in and finally joined Twitter. Twitter is a free online service in the category of “microblogging,” which allows users to post 140-character messages (ostensibly answering the question “What are you doing?”) and connect with a community of friends. (In some ways, it’s an entire social networking site based solely on status updates like the ones on Facebook.) So what does this mean for you, the loyal TLB reader? Two things. First of all, it’s a new way to be connected to TLB and receive updates on posts. Thanks to a service called twitterfeed, I’ve set up my Twitter account so that every time I post an entry here on the blog, a “tweet” notification will be posted to my Twitter page. If you have a Twitter account, you can “follow” (the equivalent of “friending”) me and be notified whenever there’s a new post here. And second, one of the cool things about Twitter is that it can be updated at any time by a simple text message from a mobile phone. So every once in a while (or maybe more than that), if I’m listening to something interesting, attending a concert, or composing, I’ll use my phone to post a short “tweet” to my Twitter page. Kinda like a mini blog post (thus the term “microblogging”). So head to Twitter and check it out!
http://www.twitter.com/listeningblog
A Personal Announcement
I am thrilled to announce that as of Thursday night, my lovely girlfriend has become my lovely fiancée, and I’m an engaged man! I took her out to a nice dinner at Ti Amo in Laguna Beach where we watched the sunset, and after dinner we walked down to the Table Rock beach. I popped the question and she said yes! We’ll likely be getting married early next year, somewhere around February – March. I’m very excited (and so is she), and although I know many of my loyal readers have already heard the news, I’m happy to be able to share it with all of you!
TLB Links Up With Amazon.com
As you’ve no doubt noticed due to the “Amazon Links” sidebar, I am an Amazon.com Associate. What does this mean for you, the loyal TLB reader? Simply this: Every time I blog about a song, a CD, a movie, etc., I’ll add it to the “As Seen On TLB” sidebar box, where you’ll see it along with a short one or two sentence digest of my comments. If you’re interested in buying the song, CD, etc. for yourself, click on it in the box, and if you do end up buying it, I’ll get a small referral from Amazon. Don’t make any special purchases just for me; but if you do buy something from Amazon, go through my site. Even if you click through the box and then buy something else–anything at all on Amazon–it will still count towards my site. Also, whenever I link something in a post (like an album title) to an Amazon page, that will also grant me a referral if you click through it and buy something. So when you use Amazon, go through The Listening Blog and support a poor starving composer. (That is, one who is poor enough at composing that he needs a day job to keep himself from starving, like myself.)
Welcome To The Listening Blog!
Thanks for checking out The Listening Blog! In an effort to improve my own listening and analytical skills, my composition, and my musical writing, as well as share my insights with the world, I post frequently on this blog about what I hear: the music and sounds that my composer’s ear picks up from the Southern Californian sound-world around me. This includes (but is certainly not limited to):
• Movie/film scores
• CDs I’m listening to
• Stuff on my iPod
• Muzak in elevators
• Classical, popular, vocal, choral, instrumental, theatre, and film music
• The pitches of a phone ringing (not a ringtone, just a normal telephone
sound)
• Strange things I notice like other annoying sounds I hear as pitches
• . . . and many more!
You’ll find reviews, analysis, observations, criticisms, praise and undoubtedly lots of random comments here. Feel free to subscribe to this blog using the RSS reader and email links in the sidebar, and spread the word to any other composers, musicians or curious listeners you know who may be interested. And if you’d like please check out my music website at http://www.ajharbison.com.
And until next time, happy listening!
“To listen is an effort, and just to hear is no merit. A duck hears also.” – Igor Stravinsky
