The Pros and Cons of doing it "All My Byself"

When my daughter Shannon was very small, if she was proud of herself she used to say "I did it all my byself."

I keep thinking of that. Getting waves of emotion, from pride to worry.

As those who've seen me perform live are aware, I am a one woman band. I kick bass with my left hand, play split keyboard with my right, and use a drum machine on the fly (manually throwing in the intros, fills, verse, chorus, bridges and ends as I play.) I have good gear, and I'm impressed with the live feel and sound of my PSR S 900 drums.

Because I was on a tight budget, the only way to do this CD in time was to play most instruments myself, and to engineer and master it myself. I had no choice, and I did my best. With each song I gained more knowledge about what sounds great and what sounds mediocre.

I hired only two live players; Chad and Dana, and words cannot express the added depth they gave to the songs. And so I'm left thinking, "What if I'd hired a complete band? What would it sound like?"

I couldn't do that, and as it turns out, when I listen to my tracks, I smile really BIG, tap my feet and say "cool!" which tells me I'm pulling it off.

Its kind of like baking cookies from TOTAL scratch; getting the wheat from my garden, the eggs from my chicken coop, the chocolate from my cocoa beans. Maybe I should have gone to the farm with the best wheat and eggs and cocoa beans. My cookies would have definitely tasted better if I'd done that. But these are MY cookies, lumps and all. I put all my love in them, and that, at least, shows for sure.

Next CD I'll do it right, and hire more players, and it will be slicker and cooler. But this CD, simply titled "Rose Winters" will always be my first, the one I did "All My Byself."

My First Masters!

Woo hoo! Took me all day from 6:30 am to 7 pm but I got two songs edited and mastered! I'm learning alot about what NOT to do, which is always every bit as valuable as what TO do! I had a very time consuming panning session. Panning is making the music move (from the right to left speaker for example) as in trumpets, where it sounds like the sound is moving across a live stage. Panning adds depth and excitement and motion. I did it the hard way (always my downfall) but I learned how to do it the quick way, which I'll do next time.

Dana's sax came out so great in Circling the Drain, he just gave the song SO much personality! Thanks Dana, you rock! I'm sending in "Circling the Drain" and "San Diego is Where its At" to KPRI. Hopefully I'll get some airtime on a Sunday for their Homegrown Hour? They have a playlist on their website, its
http://www.listenlocalsd.com/Homegrown-Hour.html

If you look at # 200 you'll see a familiar name! (That was me last Sunday!) I'm all proud of myself, what a goof!

WOW what a day!

I learned an important lesson about sample rates yesterday! (Huh?)

Chad's guitar track somehow ended up in the wrong key! At first I panicked a little, thinking he'd have to re-record the whole thing. That's not like saying, "Can you make me another cup of coffee?" That's like saying "Can you paint me a new painting, I lost the last one."

But he is more experienced in Protools than me (my music studio program) and he said, "Check your sample rate."

Huh?

Luckily, I had an engineering tutoring course yesterday with my Protools guru Mike. He explained that sample rates have to match, and a CD has a standard 44.1 k sample rate (which Chad recorded at.) I was set at 48 (my protools default.) So I switched it up and voila! The guitar was perfect! By the way, a sample rate is how many times per second digital sound is sampled. Kind of like how many times per second a picture is taken to make a movie. The more pictures per second, the less choppy the movie, or in my case, the song.

Then I said, "Mike, my tracks aren't sizzling. In my old studio I used to have a thing called a sonic maximizer that just made vocals shimmer!"
He smiled like he had just baked me a birthday cake and said, "Maxim." He pushed a little button I'd never discovered before, and voila! Shimmers like the wind tinkling the leaves of an aspen tree! Aaaaaaah, SWEET!
Sorry if I'm getting all techy geeky but I'm a baby in the studio trying to do a grown up thing like mastering a CD so I have to do it right, and I'm all happy when I learn something really important AND cool at the same time.

THEN, off I went to do the CD graphics wih my daughter Shannon. She is a wizard! her fingers flew, she had really creative ideas, and my favorite part was when I said, "I want the font to be fun. I have no idea what that means but it has to be fun."

She smiled as if she actually understood, pulled up about ten fonts. Then I jumped. "There it is!" It was all curly and swirly and... FUN! How did she do that?

Then, with a couple hours left before work, I stopped by the hospital to check on Kathy, who was in labor. And what a wonderful, wonderul surprise-- she was delivering as I arrived! Kylie is gorgeous, perfect, healthy, and has the happiest parents in the world!!

I just couldn't get myself to leave, so I joyfully manned the video camera. Soon the rest of the gang arrived. I stayed til the last split second, skipped a shower and just threw on some lipstick and went to work, high on baby love.

I'm so tired and so happy!!

I am seeing cross-eyed I'm so tired. But so many things are happening that are validating this journey. I mixed down a couple more songs today, organized rehearsal schedules and worked on my CD graphics, and Dana came over and played saxophone on Walking Shoes and Circling the Drain. WOW!!! He made the songs so energetic and gave them such a fun personality, JUST what I was hoping for!

I worked till the last possible second (I'm averaging ten hours a day in the studio) and then I had to go to work. This CD is making my finances all wonky, but I just close my eyes and plow on forward. Sort of the "If you build it they will come" thought. Only instead of a baseball field I'm making a CD, on a shoestring budget. And you know what? I just keep on having a balanced budget, though extra unexpected work. People have been coming out of the woodworks with their talents and my low budget, to the point that I could cry with gratitude. But instead of getting all blubbery I'll just say THANK YOU to all who are helping me make this happen!

Tomorrow after my engineering crash course, I meet my graphic designer extraordinaire, my own daughter Shannon, and we're going to design the album cover. Then the biggest news of all,

MY STEP DAUGHTER IS HAVING A BABY TOMORROW!! Kathy, I wish you love, a safe and easy delivery, and I can't wait to meet little Kylie!!! XOXOXO

I'm On The Radio!! THANK YOU KPRI & KATHRYN BEEKS!!

Woo hoo! Last week I sent my song "Lo Recuerdo Todo" to KPRI (102.1 FM, "Rock without Rules"), for Kathryn Beeks' "Homegrown Hour." I emailed her today to follow up, and she said "I played it last night! Check the playlist!" Sure enough, there I was!

COOL!! Too bad I didn't hear it, I was in the studio recording. From now on I'm tuning in!! Thank you Kathryn Beeks! Thank you, KPRI!!

Today I mixed the guitar for "San Diego is Where its At" and "Walking Shoes". Chad Quist is such a talented guitar player, I'm so lucky and proud to have him on the album!

Tomorrow Dana Garrett (Kid Tater) is coming for a sax session. He's phenomenal! And Charlie is bringing his gravelly, golden voice for a session too! LUCKY me, this is going to be a killer album, and a killer show at the Belly Up!!

Juggling, Juggling

You know how a dog chases his tail and whirls in a few circles before laying down? Thats me right now. I think, "I have to get another song done today! No wait-- I have to do the CD cover graphics and pick the photos! No wait! I have to chart the music for the rehearsal! No wait! I have to book radio time and put up posters! No wait! I have to practice for the rehearsal Tuesday!

Think I'll go sit in the sun and have a cup of coffee with my baby. Five minutes can mean a magnificent, romantic vacation. A kiss, a chat about relaxing things, a warm hand to hold, a beautiful view of the ocean. See? Thats what I need. A vacation. I'm going to savor those five minutes. Then I'll be refreshed. And I think I'll do another song today, because thats the biggest, most pressing task. See? Even the thought of a five minute vacation clears the mind. I'll be right back (in the studio that is) and I believe "Corazon Espinado" gets recorded today. That's a really cool Mana tune. Maybe I can get it to a latin radio station, along with my song, "Lo Recuerdo Todo." Who knows? A girl can dream; that's the only way to get things done, to start with a dream and say "Okay, I'll give it a try."

Wish me luck!

My Eyes Adored You

Cindy from Red Tractons likes this song, and it was my favorite back in the day, so I decided to record it. Its sounds cool so far, but wait til Charlie sings it as a duo with me-- WOW it'll be amazing!

I'm midway through my vocal tracks but I'm getting sleepy (burning the candles at both ends= sleep deprivation). NEVER FEAR, "Power Nap" is here! (Here I come, to save the da-a-a-a-ay!!"......zzzz

I'll be back in the studio in 20 minutes. Yes, STUDIO, not blog! I have a CD to finish in less than two weeks!

Having a Peri good day!

I just did a rough mix of my original, "Infinite Patience." My friend Glenda likes that one so I decided to put it on the CD! Thanks Glenda! And peri peri peppadrops are awesome (Glenda just gave me a jar.) They're just spicy enough to get my nose sniffly, that's the perfect amount of fire! Maybe I should write a song called "Peri Peri Peppadrop" -- I think its catchy, don't you? (Knowing me, I WILL write it!) Oh goody, a CHALLENGE!! Mwa-hahahaha!)

Countdown to CD printing!

Just mixed down my first CD tune! Wait til you hear the guitar! Song # 2 gets mixed down today. November 26th it goes in to be printed so off I go to pillage and plunder! (Actually off I go to edit and mix!) I emailed KPRI today, I'm hoping to get some radio time before the Belly Up December 12, or maybe they'll do a Homegrown Hour Dec 12? Here's hoping!

I had SUCH a nice time Friday, my last night at Albies (I'm at Tuscanys starting this weekend) There was so much love I even got flowers and a card! I was a sentimental sap, but I held it together. I MISS my Albies buddies already! If you're reading this, BIG HUGS TO YOU!!!!!! X0X0X0

P.S. I think the title of the CD will be "San Diego is Where its At" in honor of the song I wrote about this AMAZING town that has been so welcoming to me!

I'm all mushy today because I'm SO excited about my CD! AND on top of it all, my sister in law just walked in and handed me a blueberry coffee (only the best flavor there is!!) so Tonights gonna be a Good night....

By the way I'm at Casa Blanca tonight. Ok, done blathering. X0X0!

My Roots, my Heart, My Parents

Last night my parents came into Tuscany in Carlsbad and listened to me play for a couple hours. Its very rare to be able to play for them, since they live in another state. They enjoyed their linguini pescadori as I played them their song, "Victoria," about their lives together and the full circle of meeting in Victoria and returning many years later.
Then I played a bunch of eclectic stuff, from Lady Gaga's Alejandro to Besame Mucho to Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog, because my parents were very open minded about music when I was growing up. I remember hearing everything from Roger Whittaker (the whistler) to nose flute (which as you can imagine totally cracked us kids up at the time), from Bolivian school girls' haunting yodeling to Opera, from Zorba the Greek (dancing required) to the Beatles (also dancing required.) I can still hum the whole Blue Danube Waltz, and Louie Prima's Winnie the Pooh was a singalong that cracked us all up. They had an Eagles album (cool) and a Mary Poppins album (cool because how DID she get all that stuff out of her bag?)

I am so grateful to my parents. They taught me about love, hard work, honesty and loyalty. And they taught me about music. Thank you Mom and Dad, I love you!

A Little Break

I worked like mad in the studio last week so I could have a week of down time with my parents for four days, then my sis, then a family reunion, then a baby shower/engagement party-- phew!! Just went for a nice walk on the beach with my mom and dad. Precious moments! I love them so much!