NAMM 2012 wrap-up
I have been saying it all day now! If you went to the show this year and didn't know better, you would think we were all driving new cars and had houses paid off! It seemed bigger than ever! I am praying that this was not some odd anomaly and it might be a new direction. Only time will tell.
It was pretty awesome!
In sax land - nothing huge to talk about. Last year Yamaha released the new Z Soprano and I saw nothing even close this year from any of the sax makers. Selmer, Yanagisawa and Keilwerth USED TO BE the big 4 with Yamaha. Last year it was obvious things are shifting and this year looked the same. Yamaha has a presence at the show, the other 3 seem like history. The up-starts are showing up pretty big to fill in the gaps and I believe time will be the death of 3 of the big 4 of yesteryear.
The ONE new thing is sax land is an old thing, really! Copies of famous sax players mouthpieces! Les Berkeley started it with a Getz piece last year and this year I saw lots of copy mouthpieces. Do you want to try Sanborn's mouthpiece? You can just by an authorized copy now! I think many new copies will be at the show next year!
Saw tons of cool peeps! Was in the way for Stevie's entourage! So funny when a huge group moves thru with a star! Played a bunch this year - small stuff but really fun! Finally meet and hung with Tim Price! So many awesome players and moments! Tons of video and pictures to sort but not much will be online until I get a wedding and honeymoon all finished up!
Gotta blast for now - still feeling trashed from the 18 hour days at NAMM!!
SEE MORE PICS - CLICK ON PIC - Descriptions and Details coming soon......
Jan 2012 - NAMM Show - Greg's getting married
The short list is LONG! We are trying to nail down the house, finish wedding plans, find the cash to pay, and dealing with all the last minute stuff for Ben Vail's wedding - in 2 WEEKS!~
SO - I have been hiding at NAMM!
National Association of Music Merchants is the biggest Music Convention in the USA! Every January in Anaheim California, the long hairs, crazy people and industry take over the Disneyland area for a weekend of mayhem.
I will post much more on this in a couple weeks - after the wedding! But for now - a new night time shot of the Convention Center taken last night and the videos from past years below - so you can have a better understanding of the crazy NAMM Show - This years NAMM - January 2012!
Past years clips....
PLEASE Check back soon for the NEW CLIPS!! AND Pics!!!! Gotta run - Playing 3 shows today at the Sonic Core Booth - Hall E - 1167 - AND 2 shows tomorrow with Magnetiq (Sunday)!!!! Awesome fun!!!!
Happy New Years - HELLO 2012!!
2011 has been an interesting year with many amazing things that occurred!
The biggest is a personal change – I am in love and getting married in February of this new year!! I am sooooo blessed by an amazing woman and new children and grandchildren to love! Michele is my brides name! I can’t imagine doing life without her! She totally rocks my world!
My kids are doing great too. My son Ben, graduated from Northridge earlier this year and began a 2 year internship at USC with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, training to be a campus pastor! I could not be more proud. BenVail.com! My baby Vanessa is doing great! She is an awesome people lover and friend to sooooo many people! I bought her VanessaVail.com for Christmas and we will watch together as her path unfolds.
So – getting married and kids are blowing me away!
The business – been another hard year for work, income is lower again and opportunities are less overall – but I am working in what I love and surviving thus far – thank you Jesus!
I did my first big interview this year – the Saxophone Journal Jan/Feb 12 is coming out very soon (since today is New Years Eve!) I am excited about the interview and really blessed to be heading out to NAMM this year with a feature, cover article in a major magazine!
Online things have been busting! Greg Vail dotcom hit all new highs this year! December is always my big month yet I have never really beat the 25,000 page views ceiling – until 2011! The site is at 29,000 pages and I am excited! I know I had some help from Conan O’Brien when he listed my site as dead on his site. Traffic soared and the article served as a nice little review, pretty accurate and very good for visibility! Then there are 7 Christmas Sites online all pointing at the site, so traffic is a big thing every December.
Overall traffic for Greg Vail dotcom is up and I am encouraged. When Socials really started taking off, the old school static sites saw big drops in traffic. Now that Socials have settled down and people are not LIVING on Face Book, we are all seeing a move back to real sites for information and away from “Johnny said….” Internet research and information. There are lame static sites out there too but I do have to say they are a little more reliable than some high school dude mouthing off on a forum or social.
What do search stats say? Saxophone videos, pictures, sound clips (and Christmas music for about 6 weeks a year) are the big draw in my corner of the world.
A quick look thru search stats for my 25 sites online shows areas of interest have not changed much over the past few years. You Tube changed the world! I think Face Book, My Space and ‘fill in the blank’ have disrupted the world with minimal change other than bringing us together and pushing news to real time.
You Tube accounts for more than half of all the traffic on the internet today. The visibility from a viral video will actually change lives. I have spent a bunch of time and developed a site to promote my sax video clips – all of that is going GREAT!
In 2011 I have had over 875,000 video views!! I now have 63 video clips on my main channel – gvsaxboy. Please note that these views involved no naked women, animals or babies doing anything cute and NO ONE was injured in the making of these clips. This number only covers MY CHANNEL views. I have a B Channel and there are 140 videos online, posted by fans and friends that account for many more views!!
Pictures are on my sites all over the web and I have a dedicated picture site on FLICKr. The picture views are many, everyday! I have over 157,000 views to date and counting. I wish I had a glimpse of views for all the sites or for all videos or all pics. The traffic is great to these sites and I am always excited seeing people enjoy music, pics and vids.
2012 is looking very bright! I did receive my copy of Saxophone Journal today and it is awesome seeing my face on the cover. The article is really good but rambles a bit JUST LIKE ME.
I have to play for the Tournament of Roses New Years party tonight and must get running.
Happy New Years and many Blessings in the New Year!!
God bless y’all
gvSAXBOY – Greg Vail and Greg Vail Music
Merry Christmas 2011!!!!!!
I am soooo blessed! This year is almost done and was survived! Every time we face a new set of challenges - we have a new set of choices - to fold the hand or to play and pray! I am so grateful that life continues to work out by God's grace, and there are many exciting things coming in 2012!
I want to share 2 things today - The Saxophone Journal Jan/Feb 2012 features an interview by Greg Vail - hope you check it out!
I posted another NEW Christmas Video - AMAZING!!
4 Days until Christmas and I still want more clips to share.....
We Three Kings - Greg Vail Music - Christmas The Hymns CD 1999
features Greg Vail on Flute, Ben Vail (11 years old) on Saxophone
Merry Christmas 2011 - new YouTube Post!!
Out in South Dakota freezing my butt off and loving it all the way.
NEW CHRISTMAS VIDEO JUST ADDED on You Tube!!
Love CHRISTMAS MUSIC and Christmas Time!! Lovin' this Christmas BIG TIME!
NEW CHRISTMAS CD - Dean Grech, Hal Ratlif, Greg Vail, Reggie and Sherry - I have no idea how to get it other than locals need to come out to Long Beach - Forbidden City - Wednesdays till Christmas...
CHRISTMAS JAM is THIS NEXT SUNDAY - Lake Forest CA - Scarantino's on Bridger and El Toro.
Greg's Christmas Calendar
Greg Vail Web gig post CALENDARS
Got to get to a staff meeting this morning!
Merry Christmas all!!!!
Greg Vail - gvSAXBOY
ICE and South Dakota
I have no idea - I just know I cant feel my feet right now.
Posted a clip to Face Book - good for a laugh - California kids don't know much about cold.....
Church services start in a few hours here - gotta get a HOT SHOWER and back into the thermals....
Greg Vail - Celebrate Church - Sioux Falls South Dakota
CHRISTMAS - a new video posted on YouTube - again....
It is 9 degrees right now and that is cold, even if you are from here. (YES I KNOW - 40 below is really cold too...)
There is little snow to be found yet, but the frost seems to add up and look like snow!
I had a fun morning trying to figure out how to see out of the windows on the car to get to work. The windshield wipers just scrapped over the top and the car took FOREVER to warm up enough to make a dent thru that stuff. It kinda looked like little snow flakes - stuck to the windows and not coming off. I put my murse (guy purse) on the back trunk and it rolled to the street - right off the frozen solid car. YES - I shot video as I froze in the car trying to figure it all out.... California kids could never know what my Sioux Falls friends seem to know (and not mention till it is a funny story).
THEY ARE MAKING FUN OF MY FUZZY HAT - They don't have them here - In the really cold place - but sell them in Orange County?? You Know - those Russian Eskimo looking hats. SD mocks me - but one cool guy - Ryan - is going to steal it or have me mail him one back from Orange County. I should have brought a truck load with me....
STORIES - It was Wednesday Night - I was rushing home from a gig to get some sleep before a really early flight! Michele had come with me and we heard an odd sound at one point just after hitting the road, like something hit the bottom of the car. WEIRD - home - move a car out of the street sweep zone and I can't find my phone. We get back together and both realize - THAT SOUND in LONG BEACH was my phone!
YES - we were now in Mission Viejo - more than an hour had past - I had to be at the airport at 630am - I was going to be cut off from the world in a few hours!
WHAT DO YOU DO??
I went all the way back to Long Beach and spent an hour walking around Second Street near PCH looking for a phone! We both remembered the area we heard the sound, but it was still a long road and VERY DARK and COLD! (Well - not as cold as 9 degrees 8)
I found the phone! It had been run over a dozen or more times - was in the gutter - had the mini SD card still but I could not find the chip anywhere. The battery was up the road, folded in half! Oh well.
I bailed - got home really really late - got help packing - had a short nap and left for Sioux Falls - late - but made the flight! Thanks Michele for helping!!
Thursday was fly day right up to an airport pick up and long rehearsal. Friday AM I had a staff meeting and was quick to bail on the office to hit the ATT store! Buying a new phone is as bad as a new car! It took me 2+ hours?? Maybe more time.... Unbelievable!
SO - got a new phone - It's called a big square thing with NO REAL BUTTONS for texting! BUT - the G4 stuff actually makes the data plan count for something! AND - this Androidish thing has a real GPS in it! I LOVE THAT! NO more GOOGLE maps - lost and confused! I love Michele's navigation and now I have one too!!
Side note - Grandpa Rule left me on unlimited Data - even on the G4! That was cool.
LOVE THIS PHONE - has weather - loaded Sioux Falls - IT IS 5 degrees - DRUM ROLL PLEASE
><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
BUT IT FEELS LIKE 7!!
Still laughing!!
OK NEW POST - Finished this Christmas Sax Video Wednesday Morning - processed it mid morning - loaded it during work - never really got to tell anyone other than FB - SO HERE IT IS>>>>>
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Greg Vail Tenor Saxophone - Is It Christmas Yet? CD - Greg Vail Music 2004
Done with stories - Christmas time - fun and crazy time!
Happy Thanksgiving to all! 2011 Holidays are HERE!!
I thank God this day for the amazing woman He blessed me with! Michele had a bad fall 2 weeks ago and we have had tests and concerns that felt scarey. Today we have the results back on the MRI, EEG and the others done over the last weeks and she is GREAT! Nothing scarey was found! WHAT AN AMAZING BLESSING to hit Thanksgiving Day with!! I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT MY FUTURE WIFE IS HEALTHY!!
SOOOOO EXCITED!!
My Children are truly amazing! Vanessa is a people person and a love bug - loved by SOOOO MANY people I can't even get started - a truly blessed and awesome little girl!
Ben is getting married the week before Michele and I - is training to be a Campus Pastor with Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship and just got a manager promotion at his day job after just a few weeks of work because he ROCKS!
My soon to be step kids are all amazing and I am still getting to know and realize just how amazing! I am also an instant Grandpa with my Michele's daughter having 2 amazing little guys! Life is amazing and so full of awesome people!
My family is so supportive of a really odd job choice and my many aspirations! Love my Mom and Sisters Wendy and Sharon!
I have literally dozens of real friends that are amazing in every corner of my world! I can't feel anymore blessed if I tried!!! I am serious!
I love my Lord and Savior Jesus sooooo much!! Every good blessing comes from above! Many don't give thanks where thanks is due! Health, and place to sleep, some food coming my way, soooooooo many blessings!!! Thanks you JESUS!
Have an awesome Holiday season!
I finished a new video last night - very late.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - 4 Jazz and Bossa Nova - featuring Sherry Weismann vocals and Greg Vail Sax!
Thanks for being an awesome part of my world!!
Christmas 2011 - another new Christmas Video Posted TODAY!!
I have started adding new Christmas Videos on You Tube for Christmas 2011 and you can see the last clip from my Is It Christmas Yet? CD posted here on the Sax Player's Blog, down a post. I edited my version of Christmas Time Is Here to feature the Soprano Sax and really like the way that video turned out!
The NEW Christmas Sax Video just posted is from my Christmas the Hymns CD - Traditional Christmas Carols - Instrumentals featuring the Sax and Flute! This clip features What Child Is This and Away in the Manger - both Traditional Instrumental Christmas Carols. The video footage is Christmas Pictures of a beautiful manger scene taken by myself. The video was also produced and created by me, just last night.
I hope you enjoy - What Child Is This and Away in the Manger - Greg Vail - Christmas the Hymns CD
A-Vail_Able at -
AMAZON
iTunes
CDBaby
Christmas Video JUST ADDED - Christmas Time Is Here!!!
Leaves are falling, green and brown are on the increase as the cold rolls in and the fall hits the south land. I love this time of year. Thanksgiving is around the corner and then - CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!!
This Christmas I am working earlier than ever on prep for the season. I even finished my first NEW CHRISTMAS VIDEO yesterday! I am amazed! I always seem to post them too late, or really early for next Christmas 8)
So - here is the new Christmas Video on You Tube -
Greg Vail featured on Soprano Saxophone
Is It Christmas Yet? CD on Greg Vail Music
The song - my favorite - Christmas Time Is Here.......
Merry Christmas 2011!!!
