Testing out Substack's multimedia tools (video and audio)

In which I also demonstrate my Star Trek geeknerd side

Because of an impending book deadline, I lack the time to do a regular newsletter this week. Instead, I’m going to try out Substack’s video upload tool. This particular video is of me in my basement office, playing an excerpt from “The Inner Light” theme. Fellow Star Trek fans may recognize this from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode of the same name, which is my favourite of that particular series. Anyone else love that episode?

Apologies for the distortion of my upper-register notes. It didn’t sound like that in real-life, but I suspect it’s because of how much I compressed the original video before uploading it.

I am a longtime Star Trek fan. My sentimental favourite is the original Classic Star Trek, because that’s what I saw first. If I was going on an away mission with one of the captains, however, I’d always opt for Picard over Kirk.

You can hear a version of a song I wrote decades ago, in a live performance recording from one of our albums (we used to perform at filk and science fiction conventions in Canada, U.S., Europe). Let’s see how Substack handles this Spotify link:

Um, please note that some of the songs on this album are NOT appropriate for younger listeners. 😊

My two music partners (Allison Durno and Jodi Krangle) sing on this song, not me. Allison is also playing guitar. I’m enthusiastically playing percussion on a music stand with toy percussion sticks plus using very goofy hand-drawn props — you’ll know when I am holding up props because of the audience reaction.

Photo: Michael Pereckas.

HEY, just noticed that we can upload more than one video to a Substack post?!?? Let’s try:

I created the video above early in the pandemic, during lockdown.

Wow, it worked!

I continue to be SO impressed by Substack.

Any other musical types out there? What instruments do you play? I play, with varying levels of competency: piano (I taught piano for years), flute, Celtic harp, tin whistle, guitar, assorted hand bangypercussion thingies. Any other songwriters?