Blog Update

The blog has been asking for some love for a while now. I’ve had several projects requiring long and intense attention and I’m happy to say that she’s back on my list of high priorities.

First, here’s some of what I’ve been up to.

• I completed my Songwriting Master Certificate with Berklee College of Music!
• I laid down some jazz/funk keys on Field Trip‘s album, There’s Shag On Jupiter.
• I redesigned Logic Studio Training.
• I launched a new site, Stomp Box Guru.
• I toured Sweden with Field Trip. Wow!
• I got not one, but two Boston Terriers, Miles and Ella.

I also spent more time than Kim Kardashian’s marriage updating the code on this blog.

The next list will only be interesting to the web geeks out there.

• The blog is now HTML5. I started with HTML5 Boilerplate and used Blueprint CSS for the framework. I used Blueprint CSS for the previous design too. I’m not 100% HTML5, I’m not using article or section tags, but those are simple upgrades. I learned a ton during the process. The boilerplate is a great resource.
• I replaced all background images with CSS and fallback images for people who aren’t Browser Happy. I’m even using a cutting edge radial gradient in the header.
  
• I’ve socialized it more extensively with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Google+.
• I removed a bunch of wasteful features and code to improve page speed.
• I made the text larger. I didn’t go quite as large as is recommended, but I split the difference and recognize now that it was entirely too small at 12px.
• I switched from Feedblitz to Aweber for email blog subscriptions.
• I added a Gigs calendar page using GigPress.
• There’s a lot of credit to go around here. Buttons, Gradients, Typography, I could go on and on. If you’re curious how I did something, please ask in the comments.

I’ll be importing my Feedblitz subscribers into Aweber so be on the lookout for a confirmation email with the subject: Please confirm your email address with Graham English.

I’m excited for what’s to come. I’ve got tunes, transcriptions, reviews, tutorials on songwriting, musicianship, and the mac, contests, and a lot more planned for the new year!

If you’re not currently subscribed, now would be a good time.