Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} My Father's Dirty Friend by Ava Carpenter My Father's Dirty Friend by Ava Carpenter. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. What can I do to prevent this in the future? If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. Cloudflare Ray ID: 660d44efec0b05b7 • Your IP : 116.202.236.252 • Performance & security by Cloudflare. My Father's Dirty Friend by Ava Carpenter. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. What can I do to prevent this in the future? If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. Cloudflare Ray ID: 660d44efe8c9176e • Your IP : 116.202.236.252 • Performance & security by Cloudflare. I read about my wife's affair in her diary. I don't remember the exact day Colin (not his real name) became part of my life. A fleetingly glimpsed neighbour I'd sometimes nod to, I knew he was a long-distance truck driver and I think he knew who I was. When our paths crossed, he would seldom meet my gaze. I don't even remember when I first heard his name. A familiar voice uttered it, though: my wife's. It wasn't by way of an introduction, although years later I did wonder how that might have gone. "Honey, you've seen that handsome man with the blond hair, broad shoulders and light tan who lives at number 18? His name's Colin." But no. Rather more mundanely, she referred to him matter-of-factly in conversation. "Colin took the remains of that old fence to the dump for me today, honey." Or, "Oh, by the way, Colin mended the lawn mower. Then he mowed the lawn." Colin was indeed the helpful friend who lived down the road. It is easier now to see that he was a more astute people-watcher than he seemed. He must have known that my job often took me abroad, and he probably had me profiled as a workaholic, as insensitive to my wife's needs as I was trusting of her fidelity. By then we'd been married for some time and had two young children. While I was away, my wife stayed at home taking care of the kids. I thought we were happy but, in truth, I was too wrapped up in my job to know. Life went on. And secretly, day by day, it was written down: my wife was a meticulous diarist and spent 20 minutes every evening logging the day's events. One afternoon I walked into our bedroom and noticed she'd left her diary on the bed. This was unusual but, stranger still, it was open. I went to put it in her bedside drawer, but as I closed the pages I caught sight of the word "Colin". My immediate impulse was to slam the diary shut and try to forget I'd seen his name before it had a chance to sink in. Instead, I started to read. The entries stretched back months, detailing their covert liaisons - romantic, practical, but mostly sexual. The descriptions ranged from the relatively tame ("Kissed and cuddled today, it was lovely") to the kind of things you get in the racier passages of a Mills & Boon novel - nothing too graphic, but surprisingly comprehensive. My jaw ached with panic and I felt the sudden flush of adrenaline. Of course, I confronted her. I wanted to yell at her, but my initial anger was quickly anaesthetised by shock. I felt numb, confused. With tears in her eyes, she said she hadn't been happy for years and that Colin provided an escape. At that moment, I didn't know what to say. It was four or five hours before we could sit down and talk. We discussed the usual options, including divorce, but decided to stay together for the sake of the children, make a fresh start. Next day, she told Colin it was over. We didn't see him for a couple of weeks after that - he'd been driving his lorry on the continent. But Colin never did return. The news that he had gone missing on a ship, presumed lost overboard, was broken to us by his next-door neighbour. My wife's first reaction was stunned disbelief, as was mine. Then she turned away and covered her mouth, trying to stifle any sobs. Thoughts and emotions more tangled than ever, I tried to comfort her. Colin's death was confirmed by the positive identification of a body washed up on the beach. Some weeks later, my wife asked if we could drive to the crematorium so she could lay some flowers and say her final farewells. It felt strange but, in the hope of her finding some kind of closure, I told myself it was the right thing to do. Somehow, and completely irrationally, I felt involved in Colin's death, as if a personal timeline had been derailed on my behalf and destiny rewritten to rescue a failing relationship. Slowly we tried to put it behind us and his name was never mentioned again. A few years later we had another child and our marriage entered a new, happier phase. I vowed to be a more attentive husband and adjust my work-life balance. But I couldn't forget the affair, especially how close it had happened to home. I should have trusted my instinct: 12 years later, my wife ran off with my best friend. Tad Carpenter. Hailing from Kansas City, Tad Carpenter runs his studio, Tad Carpenter Creative with the focus of bringing powerful messages to life through branding, packaging and illustrative based design. Carpenter’s studio has created campaigns for Macy’s, Target, Old Navy, MTV and Adobe to name a few. He is the author and illustrator to over a dozen children’s books in our market today including “ Sad Santa” , “ Ninja, Ninja Never Stop” and the “ I Say, You Say” series. Carpenter has also taught Graphic Design at the University of Kansas since 2009. HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN GRAPHIC DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION? WERE YOU ALWAYS INTERESTED IN DESIGN? I WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN MAKING. I was not sure if I wanted to become a painter, illustrator or graphic designer. Like many young kids, I am not sure I fully understood what graphic design was at a young age. I am really lucky to be the son of two artists. My mother makes fiber work. She dyes her own wool, creating rugs and fiber pieces. My father, Stephen Carpenter, is a renowned illustrator and art director for Hallmark Cards going on 40 years. My Dad really taught me everything I know about design and illustration. He would stay up really late collaborating and working with me. He taught me his skill set. To this day, I still reach out to him for advice. I am so thankful for him. Having my Dad as a mentor from such an early age, really helped shape my voice as a designer. DESCRIBE YOUR DAY TO DAY PROCESS AND HOW YOUR STUDIO OPERATES. WE ARE BASED IN WEST PLAZA, in a newly built live/work space that my wife, Jessica and I recently built with our Architects and friends at Kem Studio. Our studio specializes in brand identities and creating memorable brand experiences. Often a client needs a full brand identity. Other times, we might be creating a packaging campaign or an illustration collection. It really changes all the time based on the clients needs. Our studio currently is comprised of myself and two part-time designers. I’m also married to the very talented art director/designer, Jessica who’s always involved in some capacity. Our studio is collaborative, hard working and we try to put a strong emphasis on play. Not that we just sit around goofing off all day, but I have recognized that I do my best work when I am fully engaged in the project and frankly, having fun. I try to keep it light, encourage everyone to experiment, try something totally new and play. We all really do our best work when we are enjoying ourselves and engaging in play. I learned this philosophy from the late, great Gordon Mackenzie. Gordon was one of my Dad’s best friends at Hallmark. He wrote the book, “ Orbiting the Giant Hairball” in which he discusses how to survive as a creative in the corporate world. Play was a big part of Gordon’s overall philosophy. WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW? I WORK ON A REALLY WIDE RANGE OF WORK, which is what I love about what we get to do. Currently, I am working on several brand identity projects. I am rebranding an international freight shipping company and starting a brand identity for a new brewery. I am also working on several book jackets for various publishers, a couple of packaging projects, as well as writing and illustrating a new series of 4 children’s books releasing the end of 2015. I’m also excited about another children’s book I’m illustrating for Harper Collins releasing in 2016. I feel very lucky to be working on projects that I love to work on. WHAT MAKES KANSAS CITY A SPECIAL PLACE FOR CREATIVE PEOPLE? I LOVE KANSAS CITY FOR SO MANY REASONS. The creative community in Kansas City has always impressed me. We are not a largely populated city like New York or Los Angeles but our creative community is so involved, so engaged and so strong. Having a much lower cost of living in Kansas City, allows us to take big risks. If you were to fail, the fall is not that far and you can pick yourself up and take another swing. I think Kansas City’s creative strength is due in large part to housing the world headquarters to Hallmark Cards. Hallmark was founded in Kansas City in 1910. For decades, people have moved to Kansas City from all over the world to work at Hallmark. Most had little impression of KC prior to getting here, but then they arrive and quickly fall in love with Kansas City and it’s creative community. Kansas City is just such an easy city to fall in love with. I think everyone talks about the convenience of Kansas City and that is definitely true. For me personally—with the majority of our clients all over the country—it’s pretty ideal to be within a 3-hour flight of either coast. We’re right in the middle of everything. HOW HAS KANSAS CITY IMPACTED YOU AND THE WAY YOU WORK? THERE IS SOMETHING about growing up in Kansas City and living in the Midwest that affects the way you work and think. Kansas Citians really are some of the most kind, caring people you will ever meet. That hospitality has helped shape the way I work with clients and collaborators. To me, being from the Midwest means we act kind to others, we ain’t showy and we know that talent is not enough. In our blood Midwesterners tend to have an incredible work ethic. I was lucky enough to witness the incredibly hard work ethic of my father and both my grandfathers who grew up in a small town in Kansas. One of my grandfathers was a highway patrol officer and the other worked in the concrete industry. These type of jobs were no nonsense, roll-up your sleeves and get shit done type of jobs. No time for excuses. No time for creative blocks. That blue-collar, get your nails dirty, take care of business mentality has always been part of how I try and approach my work. That approach seems very Midwestern—very Kansas City. IF YOU COULD MEET 1 PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE THAT HAS INSPIRED YOU, WHO WOULD IT BE. WHAT WOULD YOU ASK THEM? I WOULD LOVE TO MEET ALEXANDER GIRARD and talk to him about process. So much of what he created was absolutely timeless. I have always been in awe of his work. Girard’s work was so smart, so well crafted and it all had contains a little wink—I love that. He also crossed over into so many avenues of design. I love the cross pollination of what we do and Girard did it so well. Historically, I would love to meet Abe Lincoln. I’m named after his son, Tad, so it would be hard to pass up meeting honest Abe. I’d ask him “what are you hiding under that hat, big fella?” Carpenter speaking at MailChimp. Photo by Jason Travis. WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE AND ILLUSTRATE CHILDREN’S BOOKS? CREATING CHILDREN’S BOOKS has always been at the top of my design bucket list. Growing up, I loved that a book could transport me into another world. I remember trying to draw like Maurice Sendak and M. Sasek. Those guys were my (and many kids) first real exposure to what art was let alone design and illustration. If I can create that sense of adventure or inspire a future graphic designer or illustrator out there with one of my books, that would be pretty special. IF YOU WERE A CHARACTER IN A CHILDREN’S BOOK WHAT WOULD YOU BE? I CAN RELATE MOST TO PETER PAN. The reason is simple, I just love to wear tights! I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I can relate to that feeling Peter has of never wanting to grow up. I know I am technically an adult, working, paying taxes and pretending to enjoy DIY projects around the house, but deep down, I still feel like I’m just a big ol’ kid. Maybe, Peter had been following his passion fighting pirates and saving mermaids, not realizing he was actually growing up the whole time. YOU DESIGN A LOT OF WORK FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENTLY PLAYING ON REPEAT? I HAVE MAJOR ADD when it comes to music. I feel like I need a new playlist ever day or so. I am really into old Jazz actually. I listen to a lot of it when first start the day. I really enjoy Sidney Bechet, Kansas City’s own Charlie Parker, Jelly Roll Morton, Django Reinhardt. Then I love to mix it up with some honkey tonk like Wanda jackson, Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Woodie Guthrie. Lately though, I have been listening a lot to Bahama’s new album, The Griswolds and Jungle’s self titled new album. I love the uptempo sounds of Lee Fields and the Expressions, Emma Jean, Dan Croll and Mac Demarco. Like I said, I am all over the place. UNIQUE TO KANSAS CITY, WHAT IS ONE LOCAL RESTAURANT, STORE, OR SPACE YOU LOVE? ONE OF THE BIGGEST PERKS of living in Kansas City is the food. From great restaurants like Port Fonda and Blue Stem to of course, all the BBQ. When it comes to BBQ, it starts and stops with Joe’s Kansas City (Oklahoma Joes)—the best pulled pork, fries and ribs ever created. I also really love the new BBQ place, Q39. Old classics such as Jack Stack, Gates and Wyandotte BBQ are also hard to beat in Kansas City. Another gem in KC is the RiverMarket Flea Market. It is 4 floors of amazing treasures. If I am ever in a slump or just need to get out and walk that is the first place I go. Endless inspiration to be found. Meet Eva Gardner, the bass phenom behind Gwen Stefani, Pink, Moby and Cher. From the time she was born, Eva Gardner has had the bass guitar coursing through her veins and wired into her DNA. Thanks to her father, Kim Gardner, who was a celebrated bassist during the British Invasion, playing with the likes of George Harrison, Eric Clapton, The Birds, The Creation, Ashton, Gardner & Dyke, Rod Stewart, Bo Diddley, Jimi Hendrix, and many others, Eva grew up in a household surrounded by music icons including her dad’s close friends Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) and John Entwistle (The Who). So it’s no surprise that by the time she could walk and talk, she possessed a deep desire to follow in her father’s footsteps and take on the one instrument she had felt a connection with for so long. I feel like the bass chose me and I was meant to play it. “I feel like the bass chose me and I was meant to play it. I was lucky enough to grow up with some of the best bassists in the business and have my father as my main influence. There’s something about the low frequency vibrations of the bass that resonates within me.” Thanks to her genetic disposition and her relentless work ethic, Gardner has now made a name for herself that reaches far beyond the shadow of her father. At 37, the bass phenom who was part of the original lineup of the Mars Volta has become a first call player, supporting pop giants such as Gwen Stefani, Cher, Pink, and Moby. Jumping back and forth from tour to tour has become commonplace for Gardner, whose regular late night talk show appearances, award show performances, and commanding stage presence has made her recognizable to fans even beyond bass circles. And when she’s not on a tour, in the studio, or playing fly-dates, Gardner’s unceasing practice regimen has her conquering new skills all the time, which is why her prowess with electric bass (with a slew of techniques), upright, synth bass, singing, and percussion has made her an A-list musician who commands the respect of the biggest producers and artists in the industry. So much so, that in 2014 Fender released her own signature series Squier Precision Bass that was tailored to her precise specifications and encapsulated all of the basses she had loved over the years. We caught up with Gardner after a long day of rehearsals for an acoustic performance with Gwen Stefani and another for upcoming television appearances with Pink, where she reflected on her acclaimed work with pop royalty, her never ending quest of conquering skills, her insatiable drive, and her lifelong obsession with the bass. We quickly learned that while her work schedule would be a panic attack and a bout of exhaustion rolled into one for most musicians, to Gardner being busy is a privilege. What has been keeping you busy lately? I’ve been on the road for the past two years between Pink and Cher tours. It was all really intense, but it was super fun. I have to switch gears quite a bit. Since those tours concluded I’ve been busy with Gwen Stefani on the road. Luckily, I had some breaks in-between. It was great to be home because I got into a few different projects I can’t do from the road. I love doing studio work and being involved with creative outlets with friends that involve writing and recording. In between all of that I’ve been doing a lot of clinics. Another great thing about being home is being able to expand my skillset. I’m taking advantage of my time to explore different avenues and different styles of music. You’ve landed a lot of huge gigs. What separates you from other bass players auditioning for those chairs? I think the key for me is taking the time to truly be prepared. You have to put in the time and do what it takes to play what’s appropriate for the music, and also to be adaptable. I have a work ethic that people understand, and they know I’ll do whatever it takes to make the music sound good and appropriate for the artists and their vibe. I have to change my tone a lot from gig to gig. If I’m going to play with Pink, I’m probably not going to bring a 6-string bass. You have to feel out the vibe of the artist and the style of their music. You have to be easy to get along with and leave your ego at the door. Being a team player is essential to any gig. How do you adapt your bass tone for each artist? Generally I start out with my own tone, which is vintage, pretty old school-sounding. It’s solid and warm. I use Precision basses, which is a big part of my sound. Those are the workhorses of my tone. Different artists call for different sounds though. Especially when they have records they put out with different producers on different tracks. Some songs are played with a pick, some have more of a funky feel, some songs are palm-muted, and at times I might need a pedal or distortion. It’s just whatever is called for. The artist and the fans want to hear the song as it’s played on the album and it’s my job to make that happen. What’s your woodshedding process like for each new project? Sometimes I’ll wake up in the morning and start charting and mapping the music out, and cover any unfamiliar territory by doing research. With Gwen and Cher I’m playing a lot of keyboard bass and electric bass while singing. At other times I’ll have to sing and play upright. So I get my chops up in all of those areas. If that means taking a piano lesson or two, I’ll do that. If I have to join a choir, I’ll do that. If I have to sit in with a friend on a jazz gig, I’ll do that. You have to immerse yourself to get better and excel and play your best. By the time pre-production and rehearsals come around you should be stage-ready with the music. What has been very helpful is a method I used when I was in school, which is to play through the material at night before bed and wake up and review it all. Something about that really locks you in and builds your muscle memory. There’s a lot of synth and programmed bass in the music you play. Does this create challenges for you? Yes, those situations lead me to play synth bass onstage, or maybe I’ll play synth bass for the chorus and the rest of the song on electric bass. Part of the big pre-production rehearsals we do before these tours is taking the songs from the albums in the studio setting and translating them to the live setting. You have to make these songs sound like a band. A lot of the producers we work with want the songs to sound like the records, but they want to take advantage of the fact that they have real, live, red-blooded humans to play the parts. It keeps it interesting and it makes it fun for us. Did you play keyboard prior to needing to for a gig? I took short-lived piano classes, but it wasn’t a passion of mine. When I discovered the bass that was it for me. It was all I wanted to play. But I needed a keyboard bass sound for a lot of the gigs I was picking up, so I studied it and practiced it and it became part of my toolkit. It has helped land me a lot of gigs because it’s one more skill I have, and the amount of versatility you bring to the table increases your value as a musician. Do you prefer playing with your fingers to using a pick? I use my fingers primarily, although I started out with a pick when I was a teenager. My dad played mostly with a pick and that’s how I started. I began with punk rock, but then in high school I got into the jazz band and I was politely asked to put down my pick and use my fingers. It was in the middle of the class in front of the entire band and my teacher singled me out made me put my bright, confetti pick down on top of my amp. I was so embarrassed. It was trial by fire then, I had to play with my fingers on the spot. But I still keep up my pick work for when I need to use it. Did you start playing upright in your high school jazz band? Oddly enough, no. My introduction to upright was when I was playing in an ensemble in college [UCLA]. We were playing Arabic music and all of the songs were in treble clef with a million notes. I transcribed all of the music to bass clef, which came out to three or four pages per song. After a while it was too much work so I learned how to read treble clef. I was taking lessons at the time from a jazz player named Roberto Miranda who helped me progress a lot. What are the differences in playing electric and upright bass? The mechanics are very different. On upright it’s all about intonation, so I have to focus on my left hand a lot of the time, whereas I can relax and focus on the bass line as a whole when I’m playing electric. The fingering is a big difference too, as you don’t use a finger per fret on upright. Also with an upright you have to maintain your chops; you can’t just walk away from it for a month and have an easy time of it when you pick it back up. Overall, I feel like when I am playing upright I have a dance partner and when I switch back to electric it feels like a matchstick. Has singing and playing always been natural for you? I wouldn’t use the word natural. It can be like patting your head and rubbing your stomach or chewing gum and walking at the same time. It’s often a buckle-down situation, but once you separate your brain and form those patterns in your mind and get the muscle memory going, you can interlock the two separate parts. It ends up being really fun for me. I like the challenge. How many basses do you have in your collection, and which are your go-tos? I have about 20 basses right now. My favorites vary and change due to whatever my current project is, but my signature P-Bass is always up there. It’s a mix of all of my favorite basses that I’ve played over the years. What was it like getting your own Fender signature model? I have to pinch myself all the time. Growing up, Fender was a household name and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have a bass made by them. And as far as I know, I’m the first female to have her own signature bass from Fender. It’s definitely surreal—I remember being 15 and rocking out in the garage and obsessing over basses; I’d never have believed that I’d have my own series. How much of an impact did your dad have on your playing? My musical roots come from the era he played in. I grew up listening to all of these incredible stories about him and his friends, who I couldn’t appreciate until later on. When you’re 9 and your dad is telling you he jammed with Jimi Hendrix, you’re like, oh, that’s cool. But later on you realize how incredible it is. My dad was in that scene and they were all friends. He grew up in the same neighborhood as Ronnie Wood and that’s how they started their first band together, the Birds. He recorded with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and he knew all of those guys. One of his best friends was John Entwistle. That all laid the foundation of who I am as a person and a player; it’s my roots. How and when did you first start playing bass? I knew I wanted to play bass before I knew what it really meant. I remember being around 7 and I was having a slumber party and I told all my friends I was a bass player and I dragged (my dad’s) bass across the floor, much to his dismay. But that let him know I was into it. However, I didn’t start playing seriously until I was about 12. What was your first bass? All I ever wanted was a Fender like my dad, but he thought I wouldn’t stick with the bass. I kept bugging him. Eventually it was sound engineer and producer Andy Johns [Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin] who gave me my first bass lesson. He and my dad were really close and Andy showed up one day with a Gibson EB-3 and a Pignose amp. He knocked on the door and asked to see me. He walked in and gave me the bass and then he taught me the bass line to You Really Got Me. After that I still had to prove to my dad I was into it and eventually he let me borrow a bass. When I was 15, having played a while, I looked under the Christmas tree and there was a Fender Precision. It was a new one and I’m such an idiot because I was bummed it wasn’t a vintage one. What a little jerk, right? But we went to the store and changed out all the hardware and worked on it and made it look vintage. Dad knew what he was doing, because that bass has been around the world with me, every nick and scratch is mine, every blood stain, every spot on it is mine, and I think its considered vintage now. Who are your greatest bass influences? My dad would be number one because it all started with him. Aside from him, I would say James Jamerson, John Paul Jones, Charles Mingus, Aston “Family Man” Barrett, the list could go on and on. What has been some of the best advice you’ve ever been given about playing bass? My dad told me when I first started playing that less is more. I know that’s a very simple statement, but over the years I’ve learned it’s a very important one. Especially when I start playing some “tweedly” stuff I think will sound good and the bandleader asks me to step back a bit. I try to be aware that I’m playing for the artist and I’m supposed to give them what they need from me. Play a good, strong groove and it will make the whole song. Look at Bob Marley’s music. It’s all about the pocket. My friend, drummer Mark Schulman, gave me a great piece of advice about not taking things for granted. You’ll hear a lot of people say, “I have to go home and practice,” or “I have to play a show tomorrow.” But if you turn that around and say “I get to practice” or “I get to play a show,” it makes you appreciate the process. It brings forth gratitude and makes the whole experience that much more positive. As musicians, we’re all so lucky to be doing what we’re doing, and we should never take that for granted. I’m thankful every single day for what I do. Basses: Squier Eva Gardner Signature Precision, Fender American Vintage '62 Reissue Precision, Pfretzschner Double Bass, Moog Synth Basses Rig: Ampeg SVT-2PRO, Ampeg SVT-VR, Ampeg Early ‘70s SVT, Ampeg Heritage B-15, Ampeg PF-50T, Ampeg SVT-810AV Pedals: Ampeg SCR-DI, Pro Co Turbo Rat Distortion, MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe, MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay, MXR Bass Compressor, Mu-Tron Octave Divider, Mu-Tron III Envelope Filter Strings: Rotosound Swing Bass 66, Rotosound Jazz Bass 77 Flatwounds, Rotosound Nexus Bass.