Mike Whitla's Blog

Kid playing Drums

Mike Whitla — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:52:14 +0000

Ok a bit of a theme here this kid is even better. You gotta watch the whole thing. The double time is awesome!!

watch?v=5z4PKBNzmuo

Kid playing Ukulele

Mike Whitla — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:36:08 +0000

Wow!! This kid can play! Check it out.

Funny ways kids pronounce words

Mike Whitla — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:35:48 +0000

Everybody’s kids say all kinds of words in really funny ways. We all have heard kids say pisgettie for spaghetti or efelent for elephant. Here are some of the ones that the kids in my life have said:

Jake (my oldest son)
nogola -granola
penaglin- penguin

Kyle (my youngest)
puter - computer
wank woo- thank you -
baff -bath
niel - leo
gnook - look

David (my nephew):
brekas - breakfast
I have to have brefkist so I can extrasize. - I have to eat my breakfast so I can exercise. (3.5 years)

If you have kids I am sure that they said things funny too. Please post them in the comments!!

Oh Baby! CD launch Concert

Mike Whitla — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:24:13 +0000

I have been working on a new cd to be released under the name Rainbow Songs. The cd is called “Oh Baby” and will be released at a shindig to be held at Lula Lounge:

The concert will feature the kids music Rock’n'Rainbow and is sure to be a blast for all!

Mike Whitla recordings now on itunes!!

Mike Whitla — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:02:52 +0000

OK so the LP is never coming back!! So. . . I guess I better get with the times. I recently submitted all my recordings to be available for digital download. You can now get my recordings at:

itunes You will need to download their software to use itunes

napster

CDbaby They pay me the most of these guys BTW

I also have a brand new cd coming out which you can hear samples from here: The CD is called “OH Baby!” and there is a cd launch concert planned for July 19th at 2:00 at Toronto’s Lula Lounge. If you want tickets for the show click here:

Lap Steel Guitar string gauges

Mike Whitla — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:43:51 +0000

So I bought a Lap Steel Guitar. I am loving playing it. If anybody else is new this information can be useful. The most common tuning is C6 tuning which is lowest to highest:

C E G A C E

These pitches are not of course the standard guitar tuning of E A D G B E so it is recommended to use strings that are of different gauges. Here was what I was told would work

C .036
E .029 or .030
G .023 or .024
A .022
C .017 or .018
E .014 or .015

If you are playing 8 string you can add a G .048 below and a G above .012
Hope this helps any other new Lap Steel players!! Keep on pickin.

First time in mexico

Mike Whitla — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:07:41 +0000

My family just got back from 2 weeks in Manzanillo, Mexico. We had a very pleasant stay and the resort we stayed at was really top notch. When we were there limes were available at each meal. I love limes. I love sqeezing them on fish, papaya, watermelon, beans, guacamole and all kinds of other things. After squeezing may pieces of limes I realized that all the limes that were presented in the dining room were from the outer two thrids of the lime.

Imagine a lime sliced into three part so you are left with two smaller ends and a piece in the middle that has a ring of peel around the edge. The small end pieces are a cup of peel with some lime inside. Perfect for squeezing the juice from. Where were these other larger more difficult to sqeeze middle middle pieces?

So I asked a waiter where these middle pieces where. He explainded that they throw these pieces in the garbage.

“Really” I asked, “What a waste.”

He said other places he worked at used these unloved middle pieces of lime to make lemonade. This to me seems more sensible.

Shake it Baby Shake it

Mike Whitla — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:43:19 +0000

Ok it has been forever since I have posted anything. Life gets busy!!

Here is a video of Rock’n'Rainbow performing at the Rainbow Songs Foundation Launch.

Make sure to click HQ option in the bottom right corner.

The launch went really well. As you can see from this clip everybody had a great time. We also raised enough money to run Rainbow Songs in 2 family shelters for a whole year.

Rainbow Songs Foundation Launch and Video

Mike Whitla — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:10:31 +0000

The Rainbow Songs Foundation is celebrating its first year of running Rainbow Songs music programs for families with your children staying in woman’s shelters across Toronto.

So it’s time to have a party!! It is on November 16th 1:00 (come earlier for brunch) at Lula Lounge featuring my band Rock’n'Rainbow.

Also we produced this video that shows the work we do:

Tickets are only $25 per person and can be purchased through the Rainbow Songs Shop. All the proceeds go the Rainbow Songs Foundation.

BUY TICKETS HERE

If you can’t come to the show and still want to help out please donate to us through out partner Canada Helps.

First Day of School

Mike Whitla — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:16:25 +0000

September second.
Summer is over.
My oldest child starts the first grade.

I already miss summer.