VIRGINIA KILLINGS

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As the Rhino received word of the killings at Virginia Tech, he kept hearing the comparison to the Columbine shootings. When the shootings happened at Columbine High School, in the south metro area of Denver in Colorado, the Rhino worked maintenance at the school district next to Columbine.

The afternoon Columbine occurred there was a state of complete ahh and disbelief that flowed through each of the schools the Rhino visited. At first people did not even grieve. The depth of the deviation could not be comprehended. The look in the eyes of teachers and older students was searching yet bewildered. As the understanding emerged, schools were locked down and parents came for there children. Lock down in schools now is a common practice but at the time of Columbine this was new territory.

After the guessing and second guessing subsided and the anger passed, a pervasive sense of paranoia set in. Teachers were afraid to come to work and feared explosives were in the buildings. Those on maintenance were told to be visible and some were moved to nights. With faculty blessing and encouragement we searched every nook and cranny of the district. Privacy was secondary. Visitors to buildings, who were regarded only casually before, became objects of scrutiny and suspicion.

In incidence like Virginia and Columbine, the doer reaches a point of anger that creates a self righteous feeling of entitled vengeance. To the perpetrator the end justifies the means. It is a pay back that is designed to resolve anger and hurt. Weather these acts are a phenomenon of current history and a product of current problems is open to debate. Could the severity of the crimes be a product of the capability to inflict this mass anger? Over the counter automatic weapons can do as much damage as several guns two hundred years ago. The single or double murder of the 1800’s becomes a mass murder with the same effort and planning.

What can be done to stop that wild card of humanity that engages in this type of behavior? Is the measure of us as humans in our reactions to these almost indeterminate incidents? Are the victims the angels of opportunity for the rest us? Can we learn about our humanity starring into these tragedies? When we speak of peace can we develop it in the our hearts and those around us? What will your long term reaction to this tragedy be?

ONE MAN BAND - MUSICIANS TO DO

www.bighornmusic.com

When you are a one man band in the music business there are many things to do. You read about small business owners putting in sixty to eighty hours a week and it is no different for the person trying to be heard in the music business and maybe make some money in the process.

First of course there is practice. As Allen Iverson, of the Rhino’s beloved Nuggets might say "You want me to go out night after night and play like the Beatles, and give the entertainment industry something to hang there hat on and we be talkin bout practice." Musicians are much like basketball players. After an initial inspiration there is constant repetition so the move or motif can be executed flawlessly during the song or game. As my cousin used to say about practice. Two hours a day you don’t get any worse, three you show some improvement and over four your strokin it.

Then there is the business of getting yourself and your talent known. When I was in high school, we saw statistics that said to make a living as a custodian - one person in four. To make a living as a musician - one person in 50,000. One only has to look at cd baby or isound artist lists to see the deluge of people wanting to be musicians. About one hour a day is all the Rhino has. But, on the positive side, that hour increases peoples awareness and occasionally sells a CD or download.

Technology is an important aspect of most musicians talents. When you need understanding of recording or equipment, you can either pay someone or you can learn and execute. Sometimes when you are focused on other aspects, it is good to leave technology to the experienced. Even then, you save time and money by having a good understanding of the technology you are using. One hour a day.

Don’t forget you have got to be writing and recording that next song for cd, download, or appearance. Even the lowly Rhino tries to make it out to an open mike once a week. You can see the ones he features at the web site www.bighornmusic.com under appearances. Writing, Recording, and mixing of at least basic tracks tends to pile up if you don’t stay on it. So another hour a day.

Seven hours a day (or more) six days a week, forty two hours. One shudders to think what happens when you play three or four nights a week. Whoa! Musicians are a hard working bunch of swing shift machine operators. Working hard for your respect and a little change.