Author: derek

  • John Moreland

    John Moreland represents Oklahoma in the best way. His soulful tunes will make you feel things. He also has ‘OKLAHOMA’ tattooed on his fingers. Start here with his song “Hang Me in the Tulsa County Stars.” Wow. I love his fingerpicking paired with his deep voice. What a combination. Next, check out his TV debut […]

  • Kaizen, or Continuous Improvement

    Kaizen is a Japanese word that means ‘continuous improvement.’ Kaizen incapsulates in one word a very big idea. I first heard it years ago, from Perry Marshall. He described getting only 1% better at something everyday, and how those small improvements lead to massive growth. Thanks to compounding, you would double after 72 days of only […]

  • Aeropress Coffee Maker – My Latest Obsession

    I really love this coffee tool. I picked one up on Tuesday and have been experimenting with different brew times and all of that. Every cup has been great! The flavor is amazing. The plunger and tube rinse off easily and quickly. I rinse, dry, then put it back on the counter for next time. […]

  • Brain Pickings – Fantastic Resource for Interesting Books

    If you love books, you must visit BrainPickings.org Maria Popva’s site is wonderful, and she finds the most interesting reads from a wide range of topics. Sign up for her free email newsletter, and you receive one email every Sunday showing off all the best posts from that week. I only wish I had known […]

  • Hard Work, or Plain Old Talent?

    ‘Talent Is Overrated’ by Geoff Colvin is an excellent read, well worth the trip. The tagline reads: ‘What Really Separates World-Class Performers From Everybody Else.’ The book delivers that answer in a clear, concise way. There are many gems here. I suggest you check it out if you are attempting to become good at anything; […]

  • MainStage 3 Is A Guitarist’s Dream

    If you’re a guitarist who owns a Mac, then you should buy MainStage 3 right now. Here’s why:

  • Are Musicians Born Or Made?

    Guitar Zero gives an interesting perspective on whether you are born with talent or create it. What is happening in your brain as you learn the guitar (or any other instrument/activity)? Check out this review.

  • Derek Olson Is Addicted To Ableton Live

    It is true, Derek finally got the Live bug. For a long time now, I have been a Logic guy. I started using Logic Express back in 2006. It was about the time I was in my recording class at Tulsa Tech. I remember the feeling of not knowing a single thing about this monstrosity, this multi-colored beast up on my screen. Let me tell you all about it…

  • Beautiful Weather Has Arrived!

    Beautiful weather is finally here again! I am enjoying this so much. We are in the mid-50’s in Tulsa. After all that snow, this is a blessing. Malerie and I washed our cars this afternoon. I hate having a dirty car. It was killing me to drive around in a dirty car. You could hardly […]

  • Brandon Flowers – Only The Young

    I have been listening to Brandon Flowers solo stuff the past few days. You know him as the frontman to the Killers. He has a solid voice in my opinion. And my favorite song off his album has to be Only The Young. check out the video: