This has definitely been a slow time for me. Sounds like it’s going to be a slow time for everybody. With the economy in shambles, it sounds like retirement is being pushed off even further. I still have a long time to think about that.
As far as music….I’m kind of on a hiatus now because I need to focus on a serious concert piece for a major choir concert next year. The specifications call for singers from 4th to 12th grade and I need to have it completed by February 2009. So far, I’m making some progress, but I’m not entirely happy with my ideas. It’s been so long since I’ve had to actually compose and hash out musical ideas, motives, inversions, transpositions, piano/vocal arrangements, etc. The words are very good. Someone else wrote them. Songwriting has been my main focus for the last 8 years or so.
This is not to say that I haven’t been songwriting. Just before I dug in deeper with this composition, I came up with a basic piano-based tune that has potential. It’s very energetic and I think memorable as well.
well, i haven’t been documenting things very well. i’ll get back at it as best i can. i had done quite a bit of work in my studio, trying to finish up some more material for my next release. it will most likely be released to itunes and other sites this summer, but will not be a full length album. i really did work in the studio this past winter into spring and i’ll post a couple of pictures in the pictures section just to prove it.
one event worth noting is that i have posted most of my songs on broadjam for sale. that way, i can have more control over what is available and i can add songs at will. i write quite a bit and have hundreds of little ideas. i never know when inspiration will strike. when it does, i can post it as soon as it’s recorded.
I’ve been working on getting the website completed. I don’t think it will ever be complete. Hey, websites are never supposed to be complete. You’ve got to keep the content coming. My song writing is on hold right now so that I can get all the marketing stuff done. Once that is out of the way, then I can get back to writing. As I write, I’m updating almost every song on garageband. They will all be available to stream from there and iLike. I need to get all the music up on my website as well. I’m getting there. I’ll also be getting an album together by spring in order to sell through iTunes and various other online outlets.
i haven’t been blogging for awhile because the flu had visited my household. not fun. when you get seriously sick like that, it’s puts a complete hold on everything. next thing you know, it’s a week later and you’re behind on all your goals, etc. anyway, i need to get back to the studio and continue editing/mixing my 2 latest songs. piano needs to come up on the slow one and i need more definition on the attacks. the other one needs another iteration through the chorus on the end because it ends rather abruptly. also, i need to bring up the other instruments relative to the drum track, which is very good, but very out front. i’m excited to get these released.
stuio work’s been going ok lately. like i said, i’m mixing/editing 2 songs right now. one consists of piano, vocal (with harmonies), and strings near the end. i’ve been using the free pro tools synth…..can’t think of the name right now….’xpand’? i’m not at my recording computer at the moment. anyway, i find that it has quite a good selection of sounds for the cost. certainly sufficient for my purposes. the second song i’m working on is more of a driving pop rock song. it’s got some nice fat drums, couple of clean to dirty electrics, some driving distortion in the chorus, and some other synth affects to boot. lots of vocals too. i hope to get these out on the website, maybe garageband sometime in the near future.
this probably sounds boring, but i always think theory because my background is in music composition and classical piano…but the piano vocal song is a very delicate tune in the key of B. something about that key has always intrigued me. maybe it’s the ‘brighter’ sound of it or how it sits well with my voice. maybe it’s the way the B triad puts your hand a little off-kilter when you play it on the piano. i don’t know, but that key has always worked well for me…stupid thought. oh well.
hey, i also heard that weezer is working on a new album. there’s been some buzz about it and i’m pretty excited because i’m a big weezer fan (i thought they were done at one point?). i don’t buy a lot of cd’s but this would be one of a couple i’ll buy this year.
I’m starting this knowing full well I probably won’t be able to keep it up daily. At any rate, my first post will be the first of many. This will mostly be about my time in the studio, my experiences in the music world, and personal thoughts I might have along the way. Right now, I’m busy working on 2 new songs that are polar opposites in terms of style and instrumentation. One is a delicate ballad about children growing up and the other is more of a rock song about running away with someone you love. I know. On the surface, they seem like some corny topics, but I assure you the content is a little deeper than that. I’ll talk a little bit about my studio later. bye for now.