SAXBOY Saxophone Player Greg Vail - sax

MEMORIAL DAY 2012 is here.....

2012-05-17T19:00:20Z

Memorial Day is a somber day of remembrance in the US. Many have fought for your freedom and many have paid the ultimate price for that freedom. I am forever grateful that me and my family can worship freely in this country and choose freely, the directions we want to head in the future! Freedom is an amazing thing with a huge responsibility.

It is unfortunate that so many abuse their freedom and use it to abuse other's freedoms. The responsibilities are many and the pride is deep when freedom is dealt with sensibility and maturity. We wish you all a healthy and responsible Memorial Day and pray for the family and friends of those fallen in service to their country, that God's peace will run deep!

God Bless America!!

Much celebration goes on all over the country on Memorial Day Weekend!
A local Southern California Radio Station has celebrated it's Birthday Memorial Day Weekend for 30 years! 88.5 KSBR at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo will celebrate again this year and raise funds for the years operating costs. KSBR.net has ticket info online.
The Saxophone Video Site has a bunch of old / past BASH Shows Video Posts - Greg Vail at the BASH over the past few years - GO TO the sax video site and watch some clips today!

SAX VIDEO SITE - Greg Vail Saxophone Video Clips

Mother's Day 2012

2012-05-08T16:45:14Z

Hey - It is almost Mother's Day for 2012! I have had a mom for as long as I can remember. I am also married to a great momma now and have double reason to be excited about the celebration day and stress to make it special for these women I LOVE!

I have an added bump to figure in since both of these famous moms have birthdays this month too!! WOW - My first married birthday for my bride and mother's day for both. How does a guy pull this all off??

The answer is obvious - best he can! I think the effort is figured in pretty hard for events like this. Trying to do something special does increase the possibility of success by at least 100%. Trying to include other siblings is a great gesture too and sometimes helps when the ideas are few. I know, for me, I am really glad this is not a test I am about to fail!

Mother's Day is really an appreciation day to celebrate the special moms in our lives. The goal for us guys is to appreciate and celebrate! What that looks like can be just about anything but usually includes asking mom a few questions to help determine how best to celebrate these moms. We also can ask other people that are close to them to get some other ideas. The point is - we need to try.

One cool thing to remember is, women tend to value relationship much more than stuff, although they don't mind nice stuff! My mom is older than me and has lots of stuff accumulated over many years already. You know the question - How do you get something for somebody that has everything?

Is a new vacuum a great idea, even if it is really needed? All I can say is, a vacuum would need to come with a great big bunch of flowers and a really nice card, and..... For the most part - stuff they need is stuff they should get, but not on Mother's Day.

Celebrating Mom needs to be more like a trophy and less like a hammer and future to do list. Celebrating Mom needs to be more about spending some time with them, relationship and making them feel special!
Little things that cost very little can be more effective than piles of big gifts.
One word captures Celebration, Appreciation, Relationship, and Value; that word is LOVE!

Tell mom you love her is 100 ways this week. Send her a note, post on her Face Book, leave her a message this week on the phone, text her 3 words, reach out and try....

For me - MOM is a big word. I have my mother and my wife - another great mother that needs to be celebrated and dad ends up being the person to make that happen. I then get to participate with my wife and help celebrate her mom and grandmother up in Canada.

Then there are the many other women that have been mom at different times of life. Many women have contributed to my life in help and advice in different seasons of my life. I am grateful for many women that have contributed and invested in my life and the lives of my family.

Celebrating Mother's Day might include a call, card or note, to a mom/female that has had a supportive impact on your life. All it takes is a little, often unexpected thank you or hug. Just saying - Moms are awesome and I am very grateful for that role, carried out with so much love.

For those of you that don't have fond memories of a dysfunctional mom - many things may have happened in the past that change your view of this day. 2 things to consider - 1. You might be able to thank mom for the things she did do well. 2. You likely have lots of mother figures that you can honor and thank this Mothers Day.

OK - I love free stuff! I love finding new free ways to use the web to say thanks and send love.
My favorite for the past few years have been eCards and Videos.

Here are a few of my love songs from You Tube - easy to post on socials, send in emails, blog, whatever. And I LOVE things I can do that honor other's and it took 3 seconds and I did it at 3 AM!!

Love on you Mom and all the special women in your world!! Have a great Mother's Day and contribute to making it a great Mother's Day for someone special!

Busy April and ignored the BLOG....

2012-04-28T19:05:02Z

Sorry for 20 days off - things get crazy and I don't get online for a while.

AS I HAVE ALWAYS SAID - People talking all the time about how bitchin they are and how busy they are is a LIE. When we get busy, we end up at work and off line. I have always loved the Sax On The Web EXPERT Posters with THOUSANDS OF POSTS - like ever week. Funny thing is - how can you be any good on a saxophone if you are ALWAYS ONLINE TELLING PEOPLE YOU ARE AN EXPERT.

the joys of the web - a breeding ground for misinformation and empowerment of the bottom-feeder....
........but I digress

BUSY - really a good thing!

As the world evolves and the Saxophone seems to be a memory; I am more surprised at work than I ever would have been 10 years ago. This week had 4 corporates, 1 private party and 1 club gig - in the SAME WEEK! I am not bragging so please don't think I am a jerk. I am just sharing and hoping to encourage many who might think the sax and work are distant past topics. Hang in there sax player - musician - writer - artist .......

Things will never be like the OLD DAYS - but they are going t be OK and music will continue to bud and blossom all around us.....

Big Show this past week was Yamaha at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. An all day Wednesday affair for me and the horn section - 2 days for the strings and rhythm section.

Artist Performers included Todd Aslup, Vanessa Carlton, Jon McLaughlin, Landon Pigg, Lucy Schwartz, and Greg Sczebel. Hosted by Sinbad. Nathan East was MD..... I got to play Alto Sax in the Horn Section.

Todd Alsup posted a clip from the show to see a little peek....
This is a handheld - audience shot but the sound is actually pretty dang good....

Be good out there! Summer is starting to look pretty dang cool!
We'll see what comes in!
Remember Greg Vail has Calendars and gig Schedules POSTED all over the web - LINKS in the right-side column here ------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ------------>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

HAPPY EASTER 2012

2012-04-08T19:32:38Z

Happy Easter - He Is RISEN Indeed!!

See Video previous post - Easter Music - Greg Vail Tenor Saxophone!

Off to eat and hang with the Family!!

Just home from Easter at Epiphany at the Hills Hotel - Lake Forest!
Cindy preached and was amazing as she shared both Truth and Hope of Easter!!

Blessings to all.....

Greg

APRIL??? WOW!

2012-04-05T18:18:03Z

Can't believe it is April already and I have been so busy!

Work is slow - really slow - money sucks - but married life is amazing!

Calls are starting to pick up and I have 2 big calls this month with lots of little hits coming in for clubs and a few parties. Glad it is picking up some!

Unfortunately there has been little to talk about. I am still unpacking and getting situated. I am dealing with some lame life stuff with family. I am working hard to get more playing jobs and need to atleast think about taxes this month!

My Calendar is up to date with gigs and I would love to have some friendly faces make it out soon! Magnetiq is sounding great. CHECK IT OUT!!!!!

A new project is starting with the group of friends that recorded the February 11th feature for the wedding! Seen below - fun group of dear longtime friends - let's see what happens......

REVERB NATION has a fun interactive page with music - video - calendar

OR My Web Page Calendar from Greg Vail dotcom

GREG VAIL MUSIC - Greg Vail Sax - Saxboy - gvSAXBOY - me online......

The only sad note has to do with the church music in 2012. I am so saddened by the number of churches not doing much with music this Easter. So many great saxophone players not playing this year. It is really weird. I am one of them and it is astonishing that I am doing one small service this year instead of a dozen. Easter used to be a huge week for Greg Vail Music! Used to be is it! IT USED TO BE AMAZING. I will enjoy my service with my wife playing Sunday morning! But it still feels weird to not be used much more! A few calls that all feel thru due to direction changes or budget. One would think God is broke or these new kids leading music have no idea what they are missing - SAD....

My EASTER Video from last year - a medley of classic hymns - all by myself and very moving....

Happy Easter - Blessing and Joy to all....

Mid March and the unpacking is slow....

2012-03-17T22:45:25Z

I had been in my old condo for almost 14 years! Moving was not fun and unpacking is a slow moving trip to say the least.

Looking at the pics from Ryan Garvin right now on disc and smitten yet again by my bride!

I will post these!

What a hottie.......

ALL MOVED INTO THE NEW PLACE!

2012-03-05T21:33:06Z

My world has been set up on end for a while now. Last post shows a few wedding pics with links to all our wedding vendors - ALL 120% AMAZING REFERRAL with great confidence! We had an amazing day. Many wedding vendors are needed to get the day to work and great referrals of GREAT PEOPLE make it all go sooooooo much easier!

QUICK POST TODAY - Last items were moved on the first and I am 100% out of the condo now! SO soar still!! I spent nearly 2 weeks moving but now the part 2 fun has begun. Get the stuff out of boxes and get it organized and usable. I have my office looking better - but still looking for my ProTools box to do a session due today!!

We will get this all sorted and findable - BUT it is gonna take longer than I ever imagined. I really need another belt! Where are my bills from last month? You know the list. It sucks.....

Gotta hit that box that I HOPE has the ProTools in it!

Peace out.....

Greg Vail - SAXBOY - gvSAXBOY - Old Married Fart.....

8)

Just added more wedding pictures - Mark Jordan pics are in a gallery to see all now - Greg and Michele - By Mark Jordan - Candids.....

Greg and Michele Vail February 11, 2012

2012-02-22T18:36:38Z

I am MARRIED!

Michele and I got hitched on the 11th of February, 2012! I am very excited about all the positive changes going on right now and love my wife! She is soooooooo awesome!!

I have been buried with my sons wedding (Ben and Olivia Vail) February 4th, our wedding the 11th, moving Michele into the house February 1st, and now, moving my condo and business into the house before months end! So much going on but all for amazing reasons! I am so blessed! We had a perfect and blessed wedding and the honeymoon was amazing!

Ceremony was in Mission Viejo at an amazing location - Arroyo Trabucco Golf Club - THANKS to Alyson Gabaldon for making it so perfect in every way and to Meghan for all the help!
Flowers were organized and arranged by Cindy Mayo Floral and Event Designs - AMAZING! Photography was done by Ryan Garvin - So beautiful! EVEN with me in the pics!!!
Additional Photography was shot by my dear friend Mark Jordan - Orange County Portrait Photographer. He got some great candid shots of the day and you can view them here....
My cousin Jeanette at Heidelberg Pastry Shop makes the most beautiful wedding cakes!! Love my Jeanette!!
Our Pastors ROCKED - Thanks to Cindy and Ellis Brust at Epiphany Church in Mission Viejo, CA.
Mary Opperman and Jamie Findlay sounded great at the Ceremony - awesome classical music guys!
Sherry Weismann did an awesome job helping Michele with hair - thanks sooooo much - she looked beautiful!
Debra Turner had all the girls makeup covered and WOW! Thanks Debra!

OUR Band was amazing! The house guys - Dean Grech guitar vocals and leader -- Hal Ratliff keys -- Alec Milstein bass and vocals -- Nat Scott drums. ALL 4 guys are leaders in their own right!!
Thanks sooooo much for rockin' the party so hard and the many guest musicians that participated - Tony Guerrero trumpet -- Mark Divers trombone -- Jeff and Vangie Gunn vocals (Jeff killed on the father daughter dance) -- Bobby Cruz keys and vocals -- Suzanne Cruz drums -- Martin Gerschwitz keys and vocals -- Blake Arron guitar -- and of course Michele Knight Vail, the BRIDE on DRUMS --
Yes - I did get to play some sax too!!

THEN - we headed off to Laguna Beach and spent the night at an amazing hotel on the water - then flew to Las Vegas and stayed at the Monte Carlo (had an amazing dinner with the Gunn's who came out to treat us to some fine dinning!) Then we drove to ZION in Utah - the most beautiful place I have ever visited! We had a perfect wedding!! We had a perfect Honeymoon! God is sooooooo good!! From the beach to the big city to a snowy wonderland hiking, sight seeing and even went repelling down the side of slot canyon cliffs! UNBELIEVABLE!

ZION UTAH - God Country.....

Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club
Address: 26772 Avery Parkway
Mission Viejo, CA 92692

Alyson Gabaldon Banquet Director

Phone: (949) 305-5100

Cindy L. Mayo - Floral & Event Designs

Phone	1 949.599.6590
Email	CindyLMayo@yahoo.com

Location	Irvine, CA
About	Ryan Garvin Photography

Description	Wedding & Lifestyle Photographer

Phone	1 719.237.0424
Email	contact@ryangarvin.com
Website	http://www.ryangarvin.com

Heidelberg Pastry Shop
25260 La Paz Rd Suite B
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Phone: 949-581-7060 Fax: 949-581-7126
Email: Heidelbergpastry@aol.com
Jeanette Takacs

Ryan Garvin Photography

Location
Irvine, CA

About
Ryan Garvin Photography

Description
Wedding & Lifestyle Photographer

Phone
1 719.237.0424

Email
contact@ryangarvin.com

Website
http://www.ryangarvin.com

Epiphany Church - So Cal - Mission Viejo
Ellis and Cindy Brust - Pastors

Weekly Worship Gatherings:
Schedule:
Sunday at 5pm
Childcare Provided

Norman Murray Community Center
24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, CA 92992

Mary Lazarian Oppermann

Classical Flute and Wedding Music Coordinator

Email	maryflute@aol.com

Facebook	http://facebook.com/maryflute

Jamie Findlay- Acoustic Guitar - wedding Ceremony

Address:
	USA

Website: www.jamiefindlay.com

E-mail:	jamie@jamiefindlay.com
Telephone:	818-321-0586

Dean Grech - www.deangrech.com
Hal Ratliff - www.facebook.com/people/Hal-Ratliff/100001844521364
Alec Milstein - www.milsteinmusic.com
Nat Scott - www.natscott.com
Tony Guerrero - tonyguerrero.com
Mark Divers - www.diverstudio.com/
Jeff and Vangie Gunn - www.jeffandvangiegunn.com
Bobby Cruz - www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=573490434
Suzanne Cruz - www.suzannemorissette.com
Martin Gerschwitz - martingerschwitz.com
Blake Aaron - www.blakeaaron.com

THANKS TO THE MANY MANY PEOPLE THAT GAVE TO MAKE THIS DAY A FOREVER TO REMEMBER KINDA DAY!!

Greg and Michele love you all!!

OUR WEDDING DAY VIDEO 8)~

THE FIRST FEW WEDDING PHOTO'S POSTED on FLICKr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gvsaxboy/sets/72157629065140216/
I have a few in this post and MANY MANY MORE to post soon................

WEDDINGS and Valentine's Day in February

2012-02-03T18:25:46Z

So busy with my son, Ben's wedding to Olivia coming in a few days AND my wedding to my bride - Michele Knight a week away! We have Michele in the house (GOT IT- YEAH!) and I will be moving over thru February. Getting her unpacked and getting ready for Ben and Olivia's wedding now! Rehearsal Dinner is tonight!

This is the month of LOVE! So much love and so many awesome celebrations lie ahead. I updated the Sax Video site with Love Songs and have started posting them on Face Book, Orkut and MySpace to share the Love. Please feel free to SHARE a video with a loved one! That's why they are set up to share! Send it to your significant other as a free and cool way to say I Love YOU!! I also have the Saxophone Love Songs site to share all the Love Song Videos from! So many modern ways to SHARE THE LOVE!

Here are a few so you don't have to click off the page at all.......

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

YOU TUBE Not looking so hot....

2012-01-29T18:43:56Z

What’s up with You Tube??

Many lame issues have been growing problems for You Tube content providers over the past year. I see this as a direction change and the beginning of the demise of this power house – GOOGLE / You Tube and affiliates. It looks like they have become too big for there own britches. They appear to be working the cash flow and look to be pretty dishonest and evil as of late.

I had a You Tube channel that was doing really well for a few years. Things have changed. There have been many Copyright Infringement claims changed on my account over the past year and the residual fallout is very lame to say the least.

I was doing around 4,000 views a day before things went left. Then some non-existent organization called the Music Publishing Rights Society started flagging videos on my channel as Copyright Infringement matches. The beauty of this is – there is no organization. There is no website, no online presence, no one to contact, dispute claims with, no face at all to this “ORGANIZATION.”

I believe, as to thousands of other users on You Tube, that this is nothing more than a scam. When a content match is served, ads begin to be shown on your page, next to the video. Since these ads are generating income, the person or persons receiving this income are guilty of stolen Copyright. Wouldn’t matter if it is a scam artist or the big owner of You Tube scamming people with false claims, This is a scam.

If you search the term “Music Publishing Rights Society” you will see what I mean. All you will find is thousands of pissed youtube users screaming about there music and there video being falsely charged and advertisements added to create income for someone!

The process is broken and has to be illegal based on the laws of copyright in the USA. You can’t steal other peoples creations! This makes me angry!

Lets look at the ONLY presence of an online identity from Face Books page claiming to be the 'organization'.

Basic Information

Founded	2005
About	You get the pleasure of posting videos We get the pleasure of making money from your videos It's a win-win situation

Company Overview	We are the Music Publishing Rights Collecting Society. In other words, we are a society that collects rights from the publishing of music onto sites like YouTube.
Mission	Our mission is to file copyright claims so that ads will be placed onto certain videos, and we will be able to make money off of them. We do not seek to have anyone's videos blocked in certain countries or disabled altogether, all we are trying to do is make a bit of money. That's not so bad, is it?
Products	A wide variety of people post videos containing content that belongs to our organization. We didn't make the music ourselves, but nonetheless we can still make money from it.

NICE!?!?!!

Lets add insult to injury….

YouTube treats these as valid claims!! In a country where innocent until proven guilty is the claim, you are guilty and have to prove innocence. The process is easy enough but comes with further issues. YouTube has a dispute page that you can dispute these false claims. BUT - The process seems to create a mark against you in the process.

I mentioned earlier that my video views are down from 4000 a day to 1500 a day. It would appear that YouTube begins to cap the view counts. For instance (and the motivation for todays post and rant) I am hovering very close to 1500 views a day right now so I decided to pump a video hard to push past this artificial count.

I was viewing views for 2 days ago and found my views for that clip halted at exactly 1300 views for that day. BUT, a quick look at views for the top 10 clips shows over 1500 views just adding the first 3 clips together. I have over 50 clips and all of them get views everyday! It was so obvious that they are not counting thousands of views in my total count everyday that I checked a few other days – more of the same.

I don’t think there is any explanation other than marks being held against me for these false claims! Let me use the most recent as an example.

I got a Copyright Infringement claim on MY video of Silent Night. Obviously in the public domain forever. Every picture is mine, from my camera, taken by me. The recording is MY CD with MY record label producing the clip and I HAVE FULL OWNERSHIP of EVERYTHING USED IN THIS CLIP.

This being my 10^th Copyright Infringement claim, I was not very friendly on the Dispute form. Of couse the process takes the notice off my account as the check to see if that non-existent ‘organization’ will counter the dispute, but in the meantime I have another mark against me and wait to be vindicated for posting my own music and images – Guilty until reluctantly deemed innocent.

Do the views go back and the counter magically start being more accurate after the claim and dispute process – NO!

Another odd observation was made last year when I saw Copyright Infringement claims being made on videos other people had posted with my music. The claimant in those claims were another Smooth Jazz record label that owns nothing! They were taking down videos that they had NO Right to even make the claim in the first place.

I have no idea why and am not happy when I go to a video I linked to show off another video creators handwork, is gone from false claims. The realities are really sucking at YouTube right now.

Some of this is really just effecting the view count. As stated above, I know they are capping my views and that is their call. I don’t pay anything for this service and they can be as big a dicks as they want to if it is all there space and servers.

Unfortunately, some of this is costing views in the RELATED video placements. I used to do more views from RELATED VIDEOS on the right side of the page than I did from actual searches on YouTube. The value was amazing since people discovered my music from the RELATED suggestions on the right.

This benefit is all but gone since few of my clips show in prominent space, high on the RELATED list. I know it costs me nothing to be on You Tube but the time and frustration. As the frustration mounts, the decision to leave You Tube becomes more of a reality.

Every major brand seems to forget there are want-to-be’s ready and waiting to take their glory and income base. Look at My Space – a household name that didn’t care about users and thought they owned the word SOCIAL. I have not been to any of my MySpace pages in forever. It is done. The same process is happening on Face Book. What many could not live a day without, many are checking every week or so and I have friends that have closed it down – no value perceived whatsoever.

I have watched this process too many times in every area of the business world. The only place to go from the top is down. You Tube is at a horrible stage of it’s life cycle. If things continue, we will see nothing but paid corporate clips and funny baby and cat videos – nothing in between. Vimeo - http://vimeo.com/ has become the cool, creative host for high quality content by the serious video content providers! There are other options too.

But the reality is this – You Tube is really pissing me off. The day will likely come when the pain of leaving is less than the pain of staying…. This day seems to be getting closer…

Will corporate America ever learn?!?!? They need us to make those billions of dollars! They actually need us…..

SAXBOY ~ Greg Vail

NAMM 2012 wrap-up

2012-01-24T07:51:12Z

The NAMM Show is done! This year was a surprise! We all watched the industry shake and struggle when the recession added to the already existing cultural shift away from artist getting paid for anything. The music industry was in trouble long before the recession ever started. The NAMM Show was like the old days this year!

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

2012-01-21T16:43:55Z

Jan 2012 - NAMM Show - Greg's getting married in 3 weeks!!
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!!

2011-12-31T23:37:35Z

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!!!!!!

2011-12-21T18:40:30Z

Merry Christmas and virtual hugs are going out to everybody - far and wide.....

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!!

2011-12-12T13:22:25Z

Merry Christmas y'all!!

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

2011-12-10T17:46:34Z

This is a cold place - was just told it made the top 10 COLDEST CITES in America list! Sioux Falls 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....

2011-12-10T03:42:34Z

Hey y'all - out and about again - this time I am back in South Dakota!!
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!!

2011-11-24T20:09:54Z

A SPECIAL virtual hug goes out today as we start Thanksgiving Day festivities here in the US! We are so blessed to be alive and have some food for the day! God is sooooo good!

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!!

2011-11-22T19:36:54Z

So excited that Christmas is just 33 days away! THAT'S RIGHT!! 33 Days until CHRISTMAS 2011!!

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!!!

2011-11-15T18:03:09Z

It is that time of year! Getting colder even in Southern California. We even had rain last week and grey skies for a few days. 8)

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!!!