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News
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, its off to the duplicators we go!
At long last the CD has headed off to the duplicators, where it will be printed and burned into my new CD.
With a bit of luck i should have the CD back by the first week in December - just in time for christmas.
Baby Has A Name! October 22
After long and careful deliberation (along with some obsession, coin
flipping, and photo shoots) I have finally decided on the title for
the new CD. Over the past few months I've been nurturing a list of
songs, listening to them evolve into more developed ideas and waiting
for one of them to volunteer. Of all of them, Taillights in the Rain
has stood out as having the most to say, especially since recent events
have caused most of us to do a little more soul searching as far as
the global community is concerned. So... watch for the release of my
new CD "Taillights In the Rain", the baby has a new name.
Feeling Thankful (October 11)
I
spent the thanksgiving weekend in Victoria, participating in the annual
Royal Victoria Half Marathon. The team of women I was with raised money
for the Family Support Institute. I have been diligently training 
over
the past 8 months, walking 5 and 10 kilometers several times a week
to prepare myself for the event. I'm not normally a morning person
so commiting to an early start has been a separate challenge. (My dog
Oliver seems to enjoy his morning gloat as he rolls over for another
round of dog dreams.) The entire marathon was 42 kms and there were
10,500 participants. I walked the half marathon which was 21 kms and
my finishing time was 4 hrs and 11 minutes, definately a work out but
great fun for a good cause. I have a medallion for my efforts, a few
photos, and a lot of good memories.
Icing on the cake! (October 9th 2008)
Well yesterday was the last day in the studio and that means all the recording has now been done. The next stage is the mixing which will be happening next week!
The
last day in the studio was spent recording the harmony vocals with Judy
Wing and Helen
Austin. It was a very long day and they both worked very hard and
did an amazing job. Thank you ladies! The added harmonies were like
the icing on the cake for me and I am so pleased with how the whole
thing is sounding.
As many of you know, musical projects have a way of taking on their own identities as the songs evolve and different textures are added by other musicians. Some songs start to sparkle in unexpected ways so there is a possibilty that the CD title will change. I will keep you posted once I make the decision.
Smile! (Sept 11th 2008)
The CD project is moving along
nicely; more musicians have added their parts and I’m very
excited by how it is all sounding. Of course the recording
is just one part of the process, and I have now turned my attention
to the cover artwork and photography. Today I went out with my good
friend Karen
McKinnon who is an amazing photographer and a lot of
fun to work with. We certainly snapped all sorts of photos,
but we have yet to see if we’ve captured the all imporatant
cover shot yet.
Healthy Options! (Sept 10th)
It is that time of year again and we are starting up rehearsals for “Voices Three” a trio group I perform in, along with Judy Wing, and Helen Austin. This will be our third annual concert for Voices Three, so it’s starting to feel like a bit of tradition here in Courtenay – the last show at the Sid Williams Theatre was sold out and raised $6,000 for the Comox Valley Hospice Society. The new show will be on January the 10th and should be a lot of fun. Of course one of the motivations to practice is the weekly rehearsal dinner, which for the last two years has been the predictable fare of lasagna, garlic bread, salad and red wine…however this year we have resolved to include healthier options as our middle aged spread is spreading just a little too far this time around. Tickets for the new show will be on sale at the beginning of November.
We are off and running!
Well we're off and running
on the CD project, and spent a whole week of intense but gratifying sessions
with some amazing musicians. Pictured below is a session we had with
Marty the bass player (Zak Cohen is in the driving seat at the mixing
desk).
We also recorded some string parts with Kathy Stacey on cello and Trish Clair-Peck on viola and violin. These ladies were great fun and kept up good spirits through a long hot day.
On Friday, my good friend Rodrigo came in to add his guitar sparkles into the mix. Rodrigo is originally from Chile and produced my first CD. It was great to have back in the studio with his virtuoso guitar playing, as well as his giggles and impish charm.
All in all, I'm very pleased with all we've achieved in just one week. We have some more musicians who will add their special touches to the project and then I'll have to get to work and record my vocals. So the pressure to perform is on. Thanks again to those who have pre-ordered to help with costs.
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to the studio we go!
Well, Saturday will be the start of the recording and production of my new CD. I will have a whole week of emersing myself in the music and the process, and will be working with some amazing musicians that I don't normally get to work with, so that will be a treat!
I'm looking forward to hearing how the tracks evolve and change in the process. One thing about recording is that you have to be open to change because sometimes wonderful "accidents" happen which make you say, "Oh, that sounded cool!" and then you just run with it.
My friends Judy and Bruce Wing are also working on a new CD, so we are going through CD growing pains together, no doubt we'll share the joys when we "give birth" to our new CD offspring.
Thank you to everyone who has pre-purchased the CD to help towards production costs. If you would like to pre-purchase you can go here for more information. Stay "tuned".
This is all really happening!
Well, we're on our way to making the new CD entitled "A Thousand Miles" a reality. The arrangements are coming along nicely which is very exciting. It's always interesting to hear your songs arranged in new ways that include instruments you don't normally get to perform with such as strings.
The other news is that the studio time has now been officially booked. What that means is that after 6 years, this is all really happening! The CD includes some new songs that have not been out in public before, so I am keeping them under wraps for a while so that I can keep the CD fresh for those who may have heard me perform some of the tracks before. I'm really looking forward to hearing all of the songs take shape.
CD or not CD, that is the question...
What’s new? My website for sure, which those of you who have visited my website before will appreciate. It was long overdue for a makeover and I’m glad to have it up and running. I’ve been inspired by my CD project, another new adventure, which is yet to be titled. I had difficulty deciding whether or not to record another CD, but your words of encouragement and the recurring question of “When are you doing another CD?” have convinced me that it is a good idea, so thanks for your comments.
The new CD will be produced at the Woodshop Recording Studio where I recorded "Before You Learn to Fly". Peter Nowfell, a very talented arranger in the UK will be working on the project with me along with Zak Cohen from the Woodshop. I’ll keep you all posted on it’s progress as it moves along. The songs have been chosen, and the arrangements are in process so I’m starting to get excited.
Voices Three
I’ve also been having a whole lot of fun working with "Voices Three" a collaboration between Judy Wing, Helen Austin and myself. We have a few performances coming up which you can see in the schedule page or on the Voices Three website. It’s been great fun working with such talented and fun performers and we are exploring both serious and comedic songwriting. Please be sure to check out their websites and listen to some of their wonderful music.
1000 Miles
Musical inspiration comes in many forms, and the muse can seem quite elusive. It seems there are seasons of having things to say and seasons where you’re satisfied to just hear what other people are doing. In my case, the season of contented listening has been a little prolonged, but I have to say that it has introduced me to other artists and styles that have inspired me. I did a road trip to Alberta a few months ago, and with a cranked CD player and over a thousand miles under the wheels, I came back inspired and appreciating the musical community in the Comox Valley.