DevelopingStorm

Why now?  It's been nine years if you don't count the one post I made in 2017.  That's a long time.  Honestly I don't really know why I'm back.  Like a lot of people I'm just sick of the corporate web. I also miss writing.  I don't have big plans for the blog.  I don't even plan on pointing out to the few friends that used to follow me that I'm back.  Though, I'll get a good chuckle if someone actually notices.  Beers on me if it happens. Why start blogging if you don't have a goal?  I guess it goes back to what I said earlier.  I miss writing. What will I write about then?  Good question. A lot has happened since I last blogged.  I worked at Spotify for six years.  That was a f-ing blast.  Super proud of the things we built there.  But I got laid off back in their first round of layoffs in Jan 2023.  Started a new job working on robotic fulfillment systems for Walmart. It's fun to be working in a totally ne...

Back in 2005 I wrote about a cool little booklet I had kept from the olden days of floppy drives .  The image links in that old post are now all broken, but after a recent request to see them, I figured I'd re-post for posterity.  They were pretty cool.  Alas I can't find the little booklet anymore, so these are the only record I have of it.  Enjoy!

After many years posting stuff under the developingstorm.com domain, I'm calling it quits.  I've transferred the domain to someone who has wanted it for a bunch of years.  It's been fun. So welcome to the new developingstorm.blogspot.com I can't guarantee I'll ever say anything again, but if I do that's where it will be.

A common refrain I here from my more experienced musician friends is that the instrument doesn't make the musician.  They never say those words exactly, but that's their message: a new instrument isn't going to make you be a better musician.  And who can deny that?  The instrument doesn't play itself, unless of course it's some newfangled thing, but let's ignore them.  An instrument is only as good as the person holding it.  It's a truism, so why am writing this? I remember the first day I brought home a guitar.  It wasn't even mine, technically; it was my nieces, and she lent it to me.  I had no idea how to play the thing.  I didn't know the tune of the strings, the shape of the chords, or anything else about music.  But I knew I loved that guitar.  I enjoyed holding it.  I enjoyed looking at it.  And most of all it inspired me to learn how to play it. To be honest, most everyone who has ever offered me advice on not becom...

I find the resurgence of vinyl recordings a little bewildering.  Honestly, I don't remember my turntable all that fondly.  You could only play one side of an album before you had to get up and flip it over, the records got damaged very easily and the clicks and pops of the needle always annoyed me. I still have my turntable and my record collection but more for the emotional attachment than any great love for the format. However, I went to a Record Store day event yesterday at Mill No. 5 in Lowell and it was fun and the people were very cool.  But it was also a bit sad because I don't see how getting nostalgic for an out-of-date technology will work in the long run to rebuilding the musical communities that were the local-record-store. The digital genie is out of the bottle.  If it's not Spotify or other existing service, it will be a new one that is future of music delivery..  Hopefully both compensation for the artists and audio quality will improve over t...

It's been an amazing couple of years. I say this without hyperbole, learning guitar has been the best thing I've done for myself in decades.   Not only have I learned to play a cool instrument,  the process has forced me to develop new ways of listening to music; both in developing an ear for pitch and understanding the way music is constructed.   I've also discovered that the discipline of practicing with a metronome has very similar effects to what I've experienced with meditation.  The repetitive click-click-click and the concentration on small hand movements has been wonderful for stress relief and developing focus.  Finally, leaning to play guitar has also expanded my circle of friends to include some wonderful new folks. Guitars have always excited me.  When I was a teen I wanted to be Jimmy Page or Neil Young.  I was just too afraid to actually try.  Sure, I had other excuses too but it really boils down to fear.  I was afrai...