I’m Patrick Wilson-Welsh. I’m an independent agile software development coach, mentor, and trainer. I’m a musician, meditator, yoga practitioner, rock climber, and hiker.
You can read about my professional history and credentials here. My FaceBook persona, on the other hand, lives over here. I am separated, soon to be divorced. I have a vivacious, brilliant little girl, and a joyful, inquisitive little boy. I have many wonderful friends all over the world, and lots of non-mainstream ideas and attitudes. I welcome your comments on my thoughts, whether I delight you or piss you off. Let the conversations roll.
Standard disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.
I didn’t know you were a musician! What do you play?
(Actually most of the best computer geeks I know are musicians.)
I play the electric bass. Or at least I _hold_ an electric bass. I’m presently trying to explore the vastnesses of a Carvin six-string fretless Icon bass, and feeling very much more like a holder than like a player.
Oh, electric and acoustic guitar these last 4+ decades. All manner of styles over the years: blues, rock, jazz, folk, alt.country. I Also noodle around on keyboards. I have a modest little multi-track recording rig cobbled together over 20 years. I used to do some composition and sound design for multimedia productions, back in the day. I haven’t been in a working band in quite awhile, with kids, moving, and career. I do miss it. I’m actually writing and singing alt.country / alt.folk compositions recently, preparing a few of them for submission to a little festival called the Chris Austin songwriting competition at Merlefest. This forces me to do more writing, singing, and playing than I have done regularly for years.
Most of the music I deal with has either to do with the Messianic Jewish congregation I’m part of, or the Kairos prison ministry I serve, although occasionally I’ll get together with friends and jam for the fun of it.
I also like to do a little amateur audio production.
I don’t think I’ve ever made a dime with any of it, but it’s satisfying, and it teaches me a lot.
(I was going to post links to some of my stuff, but I thought maybe that would look a little too self-serving, especially when I’m looking for a job.)
I’ve been getting a little antsy, though, to learn a new instrument. (Not that I’ve come anywhere near exhausting the potential of a six-string fretless bass; but I’m frequently the only musician around, and a bass alone is a bit weird.) I used to be pretty good with a French horn, but I can’t find a decent one for less than $3000; for me that’s a chunk of change, and I wouldn’t be able to sing and play. I’m also drawn both to the pedal steel guitar and to the Chapman Stick. Any experience with either of those that I might find enlightening?
I’ve got no experience with either the pedal steel or the Stick, though I love the way both of them sound. My brother plays dobro and lap steel.
I’m thinking I’ll probably end up going with the Stick, since the pedal steel is (like the bass) another instrument that works best as part of an ensemble. I wish I could find a music store with an example I could fool around with, though, before I drop $2300 on something that will be awfully tough to sell if I decide I don’t like it.