First Autograph Request in China

This was fun for me. I went to a local restaurant on Taipa Island in Macau, China and after the waitress takes my order she comes back and says “Can I have your autograph?”. In her hands is the Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA program and she has it opened to my picture for me to sign.

After I sign the program I realize that I also want a cup of coffee. But the waitress is walking around the restaurant showing people my autograph so I can’t get her attention for several minutes. So the lesson I’ve learned in this is that there is a price to fame: It’s more difficult to get a cup of coffee…

Continue reading “First Autograph Request in China” →

Q&A: Next Step for a Producer

Email question received:

I’ve been producing for about 8 years now and now i’m ready to take that serious step I stay in Lincoln Ne, and it’s hard for a producer out here, so I was wondering how do I just really start I make hiphop,r&b,dirtysouth,soul and blues beats and i’m still not getting paid like I want to I know i’m damn good at what I do but just need to get with the right person, how do I reach or find that person, where do I look it’s hard for me here and at the same time I have family here and I want to do what I like, to make money that way I know i’ll stick with it

Thanks…………….Dennis

Continue reading “Q&A: Next Step for a Producer” →

My Most Stupid Moment Ever

The other day I’m at a Kodak shop where you can bring in your Photo CD’s and memory cards to have pictures printed up. I was going through pictures to select them for printing when I saw one that was horizontal instead of vertical – that is the picture was showing sideways on the screen instead of up and down. Since I use photos a lot on the web I always need to turn them around so they show correctly upright.

I certainly did not want to have a picture that was printed sideways so I asked the technician if the photo could be turned the correct way. I got a very strange look.

Think about it….

Riding Elephants in Phuket Thailand

*Someone just wrote me and said “this could’ve been a C-flat”. Ouch, that’s bad!*

I finally got to ride the elephants! That was one of the things I wanted to do while visiting Thailand. This was my first full vacation since relocating to China with Cirque Du Soleil. We spent three days in Bangkok and four days in Phuket, Thailand.

In the picture above I am getting a massage from a baby elephant. Believe it or not – he actually cracked my back for me and it felt great. A true Thai massage!

Continue reading “Riding Elephants in Phuket Thailand” →

Conrad around 1990

One of my former piano students posted this on Facebook. I think this was around 1990. Here I am at one of my students’ yearly piano recitals, probably around 1990. I taught piano to many students from around 1989 to 2004. At one point I had over 40 students. I loved teaching.

Continue reading “Conrad around 1990” →

Freddy Fender ALMA Awards Show on ABC

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPx9EsvGqxs

Video when I played with Freddy Fender on ABC at the 2002 ALMA awards (American Latin Music Awards). He was starting to be very ill in 2002 and had a kidney transplant the same year (and a liver transplant in 2004). Freddy passed away on October 14, 2006. Vaya Con Dios Freddy!

FREDDY FENDER RECIEVING PIONEER AWARD ON NATIONAL BROADCAST ON ABC. BAND MEMBERS CHRIS JURADO (BASS) AUGIE MEYERS (PIANO) CONRAD ASKLAND (DIGITAL KEYS) RHYS CLARK (DRUMS) MARK TATE (LEAD GUITAR)VERN MONNETT (STEEL) 

Video – Freddy Fender – Before the Next Teardrop Falls

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fQpOZGMct4

Thanks to Deb for sending this too me – another video from when I played with Freddy Fender (I’m the keyboardist on the right). Before The Next Teardrop Falls is often unwittingly called “Before The LAST Teardrop Falls” and Freddy Fender is often spelled as “Freddie Fender”, as they are in this video title. My best guess is this video is from Laughlin, Nevada sometime between 2003-2004, probably 2004.

Continue reading “Video – Freddy Fender – Before the Next Teardrop Falls” →

Freddy Fender – Laughlin Nevada Video Clip 2004

httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=DiMuAXCPbgo

New video of Freddy Fender posted on YouTube. I think this might have been around 2004 in Laughlin, Nevada. Freddy does band introductions and an intro song. You’ll notice he calls me “El Blanco”, or “The White”. In the video I’m playing synth and Augie Meyers is playing piano.

SHOW RECORDED LIVE IN LAUGHLIN,NEVADA CHRIS JURADO ON BASS,RHYS CLARK ON DRUMS,VERN MONNETT ON STEEL,MARK TATE ON LEAD AND CONRAD ASKLAND ON KEYBOARDS (AUGIE MEYERS ON PIANO BUT NOT SEEN)