Studio Notes

There are so many elements to putting together an album that many people aren’t aware of – sure there’s the usual; record the tracks, fix the tracks, mix the tracks, get the tracks to the CD manufacturer.  Then there’s all the incidentals in between; coordinating the musicians (much like herding cats), making sure you have all the paperwork ready for the days session, running to Dulono’s for the lunch break pizza, recording a last minute track because we’ve decided the song needs more cowbell while we were mixing, writing down thoughts for the liner notes and subsequently trying to track down the odd pieces of paper on which those dubious and ingenious thoughts were recorded.

Over the last few weeks I’ve made my 12 hour round-trip journey from Davenport, IA to Minneapolis, MN and back again. This in and of itself was more than I had quite imagined. As a working musician I had not anticipated how much time I wouldn’t have to make this journey. Between my students (I now teach guitar) and my gigs my time is very precious and I’ve been doing my best to use it as wisely as possible – 1 day here, 3 days there is how it’s been going.

If not for the support of my producer/friend, Adam, and my director/friend, Jennell, and my rock/girlfriend, Susan – I’m pretty sure my head would have spun off on its own trajectory weeks ago.

That being said – we’re moving this project along fairly nicely and the end is in sight! Or is that within hearing distance ;)There are so many elements to putting together an album that many people aren't aware of – sure there’s the usual; record the tracks, fix the tracks, mix the tracks, get the tracks to the CD manufacturer.  Then there’s all the incidentals in between; coordinating the musicians (much like herding cats), making sure you have all the paperwork ready for the days session, running to Dulono’s for the lunch break pizza, recording a last minute track because we've decided the song needs more cowbell while we were mixing, writing down thoughts for the liner notes and subsequently trying to track down the odd pieces of paper on which those dubious and ingenious thoughts were recorded.

Over the last few weeks I've made my 12 hour round-trip journey from Davenport, IA to Minneapolis, MN and back again. This in and of itself was more than I had quite imagined. As a working musician I had not anticipated how much time I wouldn't have to make this journey. Between my students (I now teach guitar) and my gigs my time is very precious and I've been doing my best to use it as wisely as possible – 1 day here, 3 days there is how it’s been going.

If not for the support of my producer/friend, Adam, and my art director/friend, Jennell, and my rock/girlfriend, Susan – I’m pretty sure my head would have spun off on its own trajectory weeks ago.

That being said – we’re moving this project along fairly nicely and the end is in sight...or, should I say - within hearing distance ;)

Is it any wonder...

Lately there’s been such wonder in the news; the dog found under the debris just feet away from where its owner was telling the reporter how heartbroken she was that she’d lost her dog during the tornado, a woman discovered 17 days after an earthquake had shook a building down onto her, the newborn rescued from the inside of a sewer drain.

It’s a wonder we survive at all sometimes. 

The resilience of humankind to withstand such powerful measures lodged against us is quite mind-boggling.  Whether it is the simple bond between human and animal,  the voice of faith from within that whispers, ‘never give up’, the respect for life that puts us to action to help one another – this human resilience is truly awesome.

I guess… it’s really no wonder at all.