Yes, I’m still alive and still making music. Just in more of a solitary mode lately.
I’m not happy that I failed in my goal to get an album out last year. The momentum was there, the people came together, I had the tools… but one gremlin after another threw itself into the works.
The primary impediment has been time. When I was out of work I had plenty of that but still had way too much to learn about the mechanicals. By the time I found another job, I’d improved my skills considerably but ran out of the other luxury. The frustrated musician in me would rather be out of work right now, devoting more minutes to one of the things that truly makes me happy.
I’m not going to waste more time making excuses. Instead I’m focusing on what’s going right and build on that.
The good news is I’m writing like crazy. That’s the bad news too. Just as I’m happy with a set of songs, I write something better than one of them. It’s a real struggle sometimes to stick with a set. The pain of a producer!
I also got a new microphone, an Audio Technica 2020. Much better sound than my previous mike, a Peavey (which wasn’t terrible, it just didn’t have the right sound). The new mike gives me a better idea of what I need to do with my voice.
Years ago I was actually a very good singer. Right on pitch, great strength and sound. But a series of mishaps and health issues took that gift away. That’s led to a mixed blessing– I have to rely on other voices to bring my songs to life. I hate having to depend on them to do what I once could, but on the other hand, it’s forced me to focus more on production and how to wrap something around someone else’s vocals. I’ve discovered that to be the hardest part of mixing, and I do love a challenge!
Fortunately Tony Pruden is sending me a CD of his amazing vocal tracks for one of the numbers that’s staying in no matter what (“Who Am I”). Analyzing what he’s done there should help me really improve in that area… which will work for Dan Skarda, Juliana McDuffie and any other vocalist who is interested in this crazy project. Which might even include me, because I’m determined to find a way to sing again.
I’m still looking for members, and that’s not limited to vocalists (although more are welcome). My old friend Steve recently joined in and has added some killer guitar to a work-in-progress, and I’m begging another friend (Carol) skilled at piano and drums to jump in.
I’ve been lax in building out this blog as I intended and I’m going to begin doing something about that. This year Freelance Rider Company is getting a project out… and you are going to love it!
