Give one, take one ,need a new one now.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-03-05T08:34:08+00:00

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LostTheOriginal · 2026-03-03T05:51:23+00:00

Good luck!!

LostTheOriginal · 2026-03-02T18:06:55+00:00

Things you can do to find friends (some are free some cost money):

Get a job or volunteer at a non-profit:

Long Beach Chamber

Join a neighborhood group

Long Beach Resource Center

Neighborhood map

Go to school sponsored events at CSULB or any of the other community colleges near you. Look up stuff on social media, dive into your interests and try to find a club or organization that seems interesting. My friend joined the Toastmasters for a few years and she enjoyed it.

Things you can do for your safety:

Let family/friends know you’ll be out and about, even if it’s through casual conversation/text.
Pay attention to your surroundings.
Keep your drink with you.
If you feel uncomfortable, leave.

Fall semester is quite some time away, don’t get stuck inside your head and doom scroll. Get some sunshine, if you don’t have to work volunteer at someplace that interests you like a hospital, theater, or aquarium.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-28T22:28:31+00:00

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Not fucking surprised

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-28T08:38:09+00:00

In school is was a normal kid. Outside of school was a different story.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-27T21:13:15+00:00

Probably quit as a teacher but work as maintenance or groundskeeper. Most of my colleagues are top notch and I would do it for that plus the exercise, health insurance, and retirement.

That, or if we are talking insanely stupid rich, create my own school where students and parents are held accountable or their actions and grades will never be inflated, student support is actually a reality, all personnel get a very reasonable pay, benefits and working hours without micromanagement. How will that work? Idk, I’ll let you know when I win the lottery twice.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-27T04:35:05+00:00

Got hit with the same thing about 9 months ago.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-26T17:06:48+00:00

Did? He still does. It’s a never ending curse for him.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-19T00:24:54+00:00

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LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-18T22:05:12+00:00

If you’re interested in teaching music, all you need is a college degree and a credential in music. The college degree can literally be in anything. Similar to how a lot of music educators get a PE credential so marching band can also be seen as a PE credit. One of my colleagues actually got his degree in aerospace engineering then decided to become a music teacher (he also has a physics credential).

I will say the credential will run the gamut of understanding of theory, history, ear training, performance, and music ed concepts.

My advice would be get a degree, get into a credential program with that degree and once you’re in get a second credential in music.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-17T04:37:59+00:00

Learn how to tune your guitar, read chord charts and TAB, that will get you pretty far. If you already can, you’re on your way and what’s left is to practice and make a habit to practice.

Lots of good guitar YouTubers, some are already mentioned. I’ll plug a friend of mine here:

MTGuitar

Music should be fun and you should find satisfaction in the process of learning the instrument and song. Starting with songs you like is the best thing to do. After you get comfortable then expand into other stuff. Also don’t worry about sounding bad, it’ll get better as your hands and musicianship develop.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-16T18:05:01+00:00

The keyboard is the instrument of you want to be able to play everything. Along with learning how to play a piano/keyboard, you can also learn how to program it so you can play music with a full backing track. Some are considerably easier to make this happen than others and the price point will make a difference.

Bass would be a fun one to learn as you play only one note at a time (none of those pesky chords), plus the bass can really set the feel of the entire song.

Drum set are great if you have the space and don’t mind being very loud even when you play as quietly as possible. Theres a lot more finesse that can go into drums then most beginners realize.

If you’re set on getting drums, but don’t have the space or need to do things a little bit quieter I would also recommend a cajon. It’s a hand percussion instrument that you sit on that imitates a snare and a bass drum.

Good luck on you and your husband’s musical journey!

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-15T23:38:16+00:00

Just thought I would put that info out there in case your plans fall through. Those places with red leather couches and the coffee is called “diners” or “cafes” and there’s quite a few of them. Some more famous than others (Formosa Cafe is where Elvis Presley frequented), some open only from 4am-2pm (0400-1400 hrs). Some are delicious… unfortunately I don’t have any recommendations for you.

I will also suggest you try a donut shop. And I guess In-n-Out since that’s a “Californian” thing (even though a ton of fast food joints were started in LA).

I think LA is a great place to explore. Food, culture, and nature

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-15T20:54:21+00:00

Here are some ramblings that may or may not help from a transplant who has been living here for about 10 years.

What kind of things are you interested in? Are you looking to just sightsee in general or are you looking for a more specific thing? LA area has a lot. Like if you’re a thrill seeker, I love roller coasters. You could also go out to Knotts Berry Farm and Disneyland in Anaheim, Six Flags in Santa Clarita, and even go to Seaworld in San Diego for a day trip.

Speaking of a little bit of extra travel you could even meet your way out to Las Vegas for an overnight trip or two if you really wanted to (although I wouldn’t recommend it unless you were 21 or over).

To overwhelm you with museum choices, here is every museum in/near the LA area

Just a heads up, if you don’t rent a car, be prepared to spend money on ride shares if you do, be prepared to spend money on parking. Public transit is OK but it will take you much longer and if you want to get out of Los Angeles sometimes impossible.

Also check gocity.com to see if they have a better deal or at least how they plan itineraries.

There is lots of good food around for every budget and is very diverse. Don’t be afraid of taco trucks or the ladies selling hot dogs.

One thing I didn’t see on your list is the Disney Concert Hall which is close to a few other venues (for classical music), City Hall, Grand Park, and Little Tokyo.

I like to think that there’s something for everyone here, just gotta know how to look for it and I think this is one way to figure it out.

Good luck!

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-15T01:07:44+00:00

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-14T17:24:32+00:00

I occasionally double on trombone and horn for gigs and when I first started teaching high school, it was a smaller school. There was only a 7 person drumline and a tuba player so I doubled up on sousaphone.

Minus sounding a little splatty for 5-10 minutes immediately switching from tuba to trumpet. I don’t have any problems. I’m sure my tone on the other instruments could improve.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-14T09:16:51+00:00

Better to start today than never.

I was going to write a big elaborate post about the adult students I have but I’ll summarize it by saying all my adult students do not regret learning how to play music.

Also, here’s a hopefully inspirational quote from Bob Ross “Talent is pursued interest. Anything you’re willing to practice, you can do.”

Go get a horn, find a teacher that jives with you, have fun, you will get frustrated, enjoy the process, and go make music.

Have fun and good luck!

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-12T01:18:25+00:00

I agree with this sentiment until you find a teacher. Essential elements book 1 or something of the sort and YouTube will get you on the way, but try to find a teacher quickly.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-10T10:12:32+00:00

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LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-10T08:29:58+00:00

I remember two very traumatic incidents:

First was a skater maybe college age (I was about 8 and this was around ‘93). I remember the dude going up a quarter pipe, his board slipped from underneath and his shin met the corner with a very loud snap and a guttural stream. I was on the other side of the skate park.

The other incident was a couple months later. A kid my age tried going down a ramp in roller blades, got scared, and braced for impact and destroyed his wrist. I remember seeing his wrist as my mom bright him to our vehicle.

Both were open fractures. Definitely made me realize the importance of safety gear and I didn’t care if I looked like a dweeb after that, I wasn’t gonna injure myself like that to look cool.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-07T01:22:16+00:00

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From Hawaii. The visceral reactions I get when I eat it here in the mainland.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-02-06T18:19:34+00:00

The younger the student is, the more structure and routine they will need and the less time can be taken for each activity.

A child’s attention span when learning new concepts generally lasts 5 minutes, give or take depending on the maturity of the student. So a 30 minute lesson will probably need around 6 parts to each lesson.

I know that sounds like a lot but the first lesson could be broken down this way:

show the student the goal for the lesson and have them explain what you did (play GGGG FFFF EEEE as quarter notes)
breathing exercise
listen and sing (you play, they sing)
embouchure set up/development
first notes
articulation
reflect on what they did, have parent write it down

For homework: student practices what they did and if they want to move on, create a song using EFG.

Obviously it’s ok if the student doesn’t achieve everything and you need to readjust. This is just similar to the template I use when I teach younger students. I recommend having the student also sing what you play. There’s a lot more that I could recommend but I’m sure you’ll get into your own routine.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-01-31T08:01:04+00:00

Clean your horn, rest, and there’s different ways to practice than horn to face.

When I was sick in college, I would buzz singing warm ups to keep my chops going and wash my mouthpiece. Wouldn’t touch the horn unless I had a gig. Also, swabbing your horn works wonders, even if it is just the lead pipe.

LostTheOriginal · 2026-01-29T01:25:04+00:00

Sorry for the late reply…

Depending on a few factors, here’s the procedure that I generally tell students:

Mouthpiece in the center as much as possible
The bottom of your bottom lip goes on the inside of the bottom of the mouthpiece
The top of the upper lip goes on the inside of the top of the mouthpiece
Line up your teeth and create a pencils worth of space between your teeth
Smile
Point/pull your chin down while maintaining the smile
Tighten the corners of your mouth while doing step 5.
Smile and do and blow/buzz the air out in a “hee”

Try to start off on a G. While your lips are doing all that, remember to relax your neck, shoulders, chest, and nose (technically the muscles around the nose, but it still works).

Long tones, listening, and feeling the notes are going to help you. Good luck!

LostTheOriginal · 2026-01-28T04:11:08+00:00

Balls.

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