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April 27, 2006
Much to Do, Much to Do…
Just taking a quick break so that I can put something in this blog!
This is one of those times when I feel like I’m deep underwater and swimming frantically towards the surface, hoping I don’t run out of air before I get there.
I’m working on several projects at once, and they all have the same deadline: yesterday!
(Or at least that’s how it seems.)
But fortunately, no one is angry or complaining, everyone is waiting patiently, and I will get everything done.
As I write this in the upstairs office, the CD writer in the studio is busily burning audio files for Jim McDonald’s new CD. I have to keep going down to check on the progress, and start the burning process for each new song.
For Jim’s project I recorded the basic tracks here, and am sending CDs of .wav files (one file for each part of each song, such as piano, bass, guitar, etc.) so that he can use them in the studio in San Diego California, where he will record his vocals and mix.
I’m also working on basic tracks for Kevin Watson’s new project. He has already done one CD with us.
We’re also working with a new client, Sharon Osuna, who writes very clever songs and until now has never recorded in a professional studio. I love helping musicians learn about the recording process first-hand.
I’m producing some accompaniment tracks for a dear friend of mine. This lady has cut my hair for the last 20 years! She’s recently started taking voice lessons, and uses the tracks I create for her for rehearsal and performance.
“Crazy Roy” Thomas is waiting for me to work on the final three songs for his new CD. He comes in and sings and plays guitar, and then leaves it up to me to add the band around him. It’s a bit of a challenge to work this way, but it’s great fun.
I’m also creating MIDI sequences for Tony Martin, an entertainer from Vero Beach, Florida. These are standard MIDI files that he plays through his general MIDI keyboard while he sings. He entertains folks in Country Clubs, retirement centers and other venues throughout the Vero Beach area. I will eventually supply Mr. Martin with over 100 such sequences.
HOT COCOA is coming back on April 28 to do some more recording. These four ladies are always fun to work with!
Also on April 28th, Kevin Browne will be releasing his new CD “Scenery” which we had the privilege of recording here. He’ll be giving a free concert at Christ Community Church on 4/28 at 7PM. The church is located at the corner of Garden and Carpenter in Titusville, just off highway 95.
Well, I think it’s time to go down and check on the CD burner.
Posted by leon at 12:12 PM | Comments (1)
April 25, 2006
Journey to New Jersey
We just got back from a trip to Marlton, New Jersey. Sheryl and I were presenters at the Xpress Him! Creative Arts Festival, held April 20-22 at the Marlton Assembly of God Church in New Jersey.
We had the opportunity to talk about the impact of digital downloading on the music industry, and how it affects musicians and worship leaders in the church.
“Xpress Him!”, which was put on by the Northeast Artist's Guild Foundation, offered two days of music, drama, technical, and worship workshops with many nationally known clinicians. There were also evening concerts with recording artist Paul Baloche on Friday and guitar great Phil Keaggy on Saturday.
Here’s what the NEAG has to say about itself.
"NEAG is a non-profit arts equipping ministry organization committed to serving through the arts and bringing top experts with servant hearts in their fields to area musicians, churches and leaders to give increased tools for ministry.”
It was an honor to be a part of the festival, and we hope to go back next year.
I always think I’m going to find time to add to the PSG blog when we are out of town. After all, we had the laptop, we had Internet access, and I just didn’t have any time!
Time is short as we get back into the flow of things here at home, but I hope to have a few pictures and impressions of our journey to New Jersey in the next few days.
In the meantime, I’ve got some work waiting for me in the studio. I’ll tell you a little more about that, too.
Check out the NEAG:
http://www.northeastartistsguild.com
Posted by leon at 11:17 AM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2006
You’re Leaving Again?
This week we are going to Marlton, NJ for the Northeast Artists’ Guild conference. We’ll be doing a couple of presentations on digital downloading, and talking to artists about selling music downloads of their own music, and music by others, from their own internet music store.
http://www.northeastartistsguild.com/
Sheryl is also busy raising sponsorship for Mamapalooza. If you know of a business that would like to invest a small amount in publicizing their product or service to hundreds of women (and then men who come with them!) this would be a great opportunity.
The Mamapalooza will be held on Friday evening, May 26th from 6-11PM, at the Cocoa Beach Holiday Inn in the Grand Ballroom!
Tell everyone you know, whether they are mothers or not.
(Our local Mamapalooza page)
Posted by leon at 03:22 PM | Comments (0)
April 13, 2006
Tucked or Untucked?
Every trip seems to develop its own themes. Sheryl and I end up spending a lot of time with our friends and fellow songwriters from our NSAI group during our joint trips to Nashville. As the trip goes on, certain in-jokes begin to develop into themes, and take on a life of their own.
On our most recent trip, one main theme (besides music and songwriting) emerged.
Sheryl had long ago noticed that the style in Nashville (and indeed, pretty much nationwide) was for men and women to wear their shirts “untucked.” Men would usually wear a T-shirt underneath, then a button down the front shirt that was left untucked. Women often wore a more stylish version of this outfit.
I adapted right away, finding the untucked look to be more comfortable. Whenever I tucked in a shirt, it always tended to billow out around the waist after a while, causing me to look somewhat disheveled.
Our dear friend Asli (whose picture appears often in this blog) is blind. Up until about 10 years ago, she was able to see, but unfortunately lost her vision due to a rare genetic condition (her brother is also blind). I greatly admire her for the way she handles her handicap. She treats the situation in a matter-of-fact way, laced with humor, which puts everyone around her at ease. We all take turns helping her find her way around (sometimes vying for the honor). We also make jokes about the fact that not only is she a songwriter; she is indeed a rocket scientist!
Dear Asli, as you might expect, is not too interested in clothing and fashion trends. She is, however (at least until recently) a staunch “tucker-inner.” When Sheryl explained to her what the current fashion was, she was somewhat incredulous. So Sheryl and Sandy (also a “tucker-inner”) began to take an informal tally of everyone they laid eyes on in Nashville.
Soon, their conversations would often degenerate into “Tucked…untucked… untucked… untucked… untucked… untucked…tucked… untucked… untucked…”
The results of this surreptitious poll? Over 75% of Nashville’s denizens, both temporary and permanent, sported the “untucked look.”
This was news to Asli and Sandy. So one morning, without warning, they both emerged from their hotel room….UNTUCKED! I have proof! After a while, Sandy couldn’t take it anymore, and “retucked”. Asli stuck it out (no pun intended). In fact, at our first NSAI meeting after the trip, she showed up untucked, and Sandy followed Asli’s example. I was so proud of them both.
Posted by leon at 11:59 AM | Comments (1)
April 11, 2006
The Joy of Running Errands
Yesterday was one of those days that seemed to slip away from me. It ended up being a day filled with errands and activities that didn’t seem very inspiring, but they had to be done.
What did I do? Well, amongst other things, I:
· Mailed in our tax return. (Can’t avoid that! Thank God for our accountant.)
· Delivered a project to a client and waited around for a check. This particular client was not averse to making me wait around for a while, but I couldn’t get too upset. I came to see them at their place of business, and they had to serve the customers.
(By the way, if you’re ever in Cocoa Beach, make sure to go to Beach Wave on A1A for all of your beach vacation needs!)
· Made a bank deposit. (Too bad all that money has to go right back out again.)
· Mailed a demo project out to another member of our musical family, and mailed out a bunch of other stuff too. (Not an unpleasant task. We patronize a small town post office, and they know me there.)
· Answered various and sundry emails.
On second thought, maybe these activities did appear mundane on the surface, but they were all connected with one of the great joys of my life: making music. Because I spend most of my time recording music, performing music, writing music, teaching music, and writing about music, I get to file tax returns based on my income as a musician, deliver finished products to clients and get paid, and make deposits into our bank account.
Well, time to get into the studio and work on some music.
Before I go, I’ve got some pictures!
Some of these are from our recent trip to Nashville, and a couple from Sheryl’s recent concert at Nature’s Haven on April 9th. (If you weren’t there, you missed a great show, along with my debut on bass and accordion!)
Asli and Her Good Friend Eric
(OK, so he's a cardboard cut-out on display at Corner Music in Nashville...)
Sheryl at the 2006 NSAI Symposium in Nashville
Orlando NSAI Group in Nashville
Sandy and Asli Untucked
(A Story for Another Day!)
Sheryl and Steve Perry at Nature's Haven, April 9, 2006
The PSG and His Cousin Jerry at Nature's Haven
(Can you see the family resemblance? We're the only two Olguins in the phone book!)
Posted by leon at 03:02 PM | Comments (1)
April 07, 2006
Getting Caught Up
Well, you know how it is: you come home from a trip and there’s a pile of stuff waiting for you.
Anyway, we spent the week of March 27 – April 3 in Nashville at Tin Pan South and Symposium.
You can check out the NSAI site for more information about this weeklong event. Every evening we saw some of Nashville’s greatest songwriters perform, including folks like Kim Carnes, Mac Davis, and Tony Arata.
http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/
Sheryl also received training as an NSAI coordinator, and attended the NSAI Songwriters Symposium, where she and 300 other songwriters received valuable information from publishers and music professionals.
We had 10 members of our Orlando NSAI group attending this event.
We came back on Monday, April 3, and are working to get over our “post trip crash.”
On Sunday, April 9th, Sheryl and I will be performing at Nature’s Haven in Cocoa Village from 2PM – 3:30PM, with an open mic following.
Nature's Haven is located at 602 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa Florida, across from Murdock's Restaurant
Phone (321) 632-1221
Email:
todster77@yahoo.com
Nature's Haven Website
http://www.naturespirit.com
I’ll be back Monday. Time to go sort through some mail!
Posted by leon at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)
April 05, 2006
Suwannee Springfest (and other stuff)
On Thursday, March 23 we left for the Spirit of the Suwannee Park in Live Oak, Florida, for the Suwannee Springfest.
After setting up camp (which went surprisingly smoothly, in spite of my inexperience) we went to the main music hall for the songwriters’ competition.
Sheryl was one of six finalists, and the only female artist in the competition.
She didn’t win, but I thought she did a great job, considering her throat was sore, and the pick-up on her guitar refused to work, forcing her to use a guitar mic, thus limiting her ability to move on stage.
I can’t remember the name of the winner, which goes to show you the ephemeral nature of show business.
Unfortunately, the weather turned cold and wet on our first night camping. We managed to stay dry, but not all that warm.
On Friday, we managed to see some good shows, featuring artists such as Tamerlin, (a local folk group) Uncle Earl (an all-female bluegrass group with a stupendous amount of talent), Buddy Miller and his band (more “Roots Rock” than folk, but a great show), and, before it got too cold, Mavis Staples and her band (definitely not folk, but the crowd loved it).
Our second night of camping proved to be the longest night of my life. The temperature dropped down to the low thirties, and we just couldn’t get warm.
Well I’m not going to dwell on the cold or the lack of sleep.
Sometime down the road I’ll talk about my impressions of the festival and the folk music scene in general.
We traveled home on Saturday, and that evening I played keyboard for our friends Spike and Sandy (Sandz of Time) at the Majestic Restaurant in Titusville. Sheryl and I weren’t feeling too great, but we still had a good time. (And the pickup on Sheryl’s guitar miraculously started working again!)
Now we had one day to get ready to go to Nashville!
Posted by leon at 03:24 PM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2006
Whew!
We just got back from Nashville late last night. What were we doing there? I'll get to that.
The last two and a half weeks have been a total blur. Let’s see…the only way I can remember what happened is to go back and look at my calendar:
Saturday, March 18th – Sheryl and I went to a beautiful wedding (see “A Fine Day for a Wedding”). I had been feeling a bit run-down for several days, which I attributed to mere fatigue, or maybe I was coming down with a little cold.
Spike and Sandy (see “Working with Friends” http://www.scmblogs.com/projectstudioguy/archives/2006/01/working_with_fr.html) came over that evening to work on their CD cover with Sheryl and I was going downhill rapidly. This was more than a mere cold. Sheryl made some calls and arranged for other musicians to take over my duties at church the next morning.
By Sunday morning, I could barely move. Monday was more of the same, but now Sheryl was also under the weather, and we had to finish getting all our records together for our accountant. (See “Ah, Show Business!”)
Tuesday evening I was scheduled to teach a class. No way.
By Wednesday, March 22 I was starting to move around a bit, and it was a good thing, since Sheryl was scheduled to play at the Suwannee Springfest (see "Off to the Suwannee Springfest"), and we were going to be camping, something I had never attempted as an adult.
This brings me up to March 23rd, and that’s where I’ll start next time.
Posted by leon at 01:47 PM | Comments (0)