Five days ago, friends joined me for a listen-through of each Redline Project song. Each brought thoughtfulness and criticism to the table with candor and tact at hand; I was deeply impressed by everyone's thoughtful, intuitive, and constructive comments...
Until I plopped my head against the pillow a bit later. Eyelids defied gravity deep into the early morning as I contemplated the sum of every suggestion. Though encouraging in the moment, the doubts of the pitch black night swirled the bounty of thoughts received into a vortex of doubt and hopelessness.
Might all the work so far have been for naught? Can I even work with the raw track data in these songs? Might the results of this project be much better if I scrapped the whole thing in favor of a reboot?
I wonder if a clean stab at some of these songs may yield more vibrant results. This is daunting, making me consider hanging the whole project up (with some level of seriousness). At this point, I am too deep into this project to shelve it, though more and more moments surface lately when my crammed schedule begs me to lose a hobby or two.
Fear not; I will press on. This is more an admission of struggle more than it is a consideration of drastic recourse.
I will complete this project. I will complete this project. I will complete this project. I will, I will, I will.
If I keep telling myself this, maybe one of these days I will crack open the files and start plodding forward once again.
Showing posts with label Listening Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Listening Party. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Listening Party
Big night. Four friends came over to listen through a rough cut of the Redline Project final album. Other than my wife, no one has heard this music before, so tonight was the first unveiling of what has become an epic endeavor.
I am grateful to friends Ian, Eric, Josh, and Peter who spent their Friday night listening to each track and furnishing me with a pocketful of specific, helpful feedback. I am deeply encouraged by their enjoyment of the music and their ability to connect with the emotional content of the album. The advice and ideas for tweaks and adjustments were all spot on and unbelievably helpful.
That said, I am now trying to muster the will to go back through and edit everything yet again. Tomorrow, I will be back to the familiar chain of recording, editing, and mixing. The listening committee all agreed that the opening track needs to grab more than it does, and they suggested a preface track (not yet written or recorded) that may bring introduction and coherence to the overarching album concepts.
Though there is much work still waiting for me, the finish line is within sniffing distance - a cause for great celebration.
I am grateful to friends Ian, Eric, Josh, and Peter who spent their Friday night listening to each track and furnishing me with a pocketful of specific, helpful feedback. I am deeply encouraged by their enjoyment of the music and their ability to connect with the emotional content of the album. The advice and ideas for tweaks and adjustments were all spot on and unbelievably helpful.
That said, I am now trying to muster the will to go back through and edit everything yet again. Tomorrow, I will be back to the familiar chain of recording, editing, and mixing. The listening committee all agreed that the opening track needs to grab more than it does, and they suggested a preface track (not yet written or recorded) that may bring introduction and coherence to the overarching album concepts.
Though there is much work still waiting for me, the finish line is within sniffing distance - a cause for great celebration.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Listening Day Eight
The handful of avid Redline Project blog readers know that I made zero progress yesterday. I didn't even have a few moments to scrap together some scant paragraphs regarding the standstill.
Fear not. To make up for the dearth of Redline action, I have accomplished thorough listening and editing reviews of two different tracks, which means that all the final album cuts have now officially been through the ringer.
The first song to squeeze through the meat grinder tonight is called Sing Silently. I have discussed this track many times during the course of the project's duration. It is the second song written for the Redline Project final album, and I think it may just be the best. Though my wife seldom plays her cello anymore, she is still a magnificent musician with the ability to coax tears from the toughest listeners. I am blessed by her willingness to cameo on this track. Her dark, delicate lines definitely class up the operation. You are going to love this song; little if any thanks to me.
The second piece on tonight's agenda is titled Thursday. Telling the complex tale of Maundy Thursday, this song is a gargantuan work with over fifty tracks and ten minutes of playing time. The length may seem ridiculous, but the music presents itself more as two tracks than one. The first portion is instrumental, based on a scratch recording called Rain. The second half completely new material that shifts through a melange of textures, from delicate and pretty to cacophonous and obnoxous.
Song Report Number Eight: Sing Silently
This track needed a touch of polish, though not nearly as much as most others. As is my custom, I de-esed and compressed the vocals, tweaked the overall EQ, and added automated gain in spots to make an even carpet of sound. The track sounded a little flat and dry, so I selected a medium reverb and applied it to the vocals, guitar tracks, and the cello.
Song Report Number Nine: Thursday
Thursday needed more work than any of the other cuts (probably combined). The track is long and its varied parts present a daunting mixing challenge. In addition to the usual EQ adjustments, compressing/limiting, and de-essing, I had to rework almost everything, adding new instruments, deleting unwanted ones, shortening certain sections, lengthening others. When I opened the file, the song started and ended with a thunderstorm that I recorded through my screen window. The track now ends with heavily effected solo vocals. Hallelujah for the Melodyne plug-in, which has made the impossible possible.
Tomorrow night I am hosting a listening party at my house. A select handful of friends with good ears are coming to listen to these nine tracks and supply honest feedback. This will be the first time that they are heard by anyone other than my wife or me. I selected this quorum of friends not only because of their musical skills, but also because they have unfettered honesty and assertiveness. This gathering promises to be a monumental event in the process of this project that will either leave me bouncing off the walls or tucking my tail between my legs. Though there are still mountainous hurdles between the album release and its current stance, I am starting to carry a sense of accomplishment in my back pocket that lends a little lilt to my step.
Fear not. To make up for the dearth of Redline action, I have accomplished thorough listening and editing reviews of two different tracks, which means that all the final album cuts have now officially been through the ringer.
The first song to squeeze through the meat grinder tonight is called Sing Silently. I have discussed this track many times during the course of the project's duration. It is the second song written for the Redline Project final album, and I think it may just be the best. Though my wife seldom plays her cello anymore, she is still a magnificent musician with the ability to coax tears from the toughest listeners. I am blessed by her willingness to cameo on this track. Her dark, delicate lines definitely class up the operation. You are going to love this song; little if any thanks to me.
The second piece on tonight's agenda is titled Thursday. Telling the complex tale of Maundy Thursday, this song is a gargantuan work with over fifty tracks and ten minutes of playing time. The length may seem ridiculous, but the music presents itself more as two tracks than one. The first portion is instrumental, based on a scratch recording called Rain. The second half completely new material that shifts through a melange of textures, from delicate and pretty to cacophonous and obnoxous.
Song Report Number Eight: Sing Silently
This track needed a touch of polish, though not nearly as much as most others. As is my custom, I de-esed and compressed the vocals, tweaked the overall EQ, and added automated gain in spots to make an even carpet of sound. The track sounded a little flat and dry, so I selected a medium reverb and applied it to the vocals, guitar tracks, and the cello.
Song Report Number Nine: Thursday
Thursday needed more work than any of the other cuts (probably combined). The track is long and its varied parts present a daunting mixing challenge. In addition to the usual EQ adjustments, compressing/limiting, and de-essing, I had to rework almost everything, adding new instruments, deleting unwanted ones, shortening certain sections, lengthening others. When I opened the file, the song started and ended with a thunderstorm that I recorded through my screen window. The track now ends with heavily effected solo vocals. Hallelujah for the Melodyne plug-in, which has made the impossible possible.
Tomorrow night I am hosting a listening party at my house. A select handful of friends with good ears are coming to listen to these nine tracks and supply honest feedback. This will be the first time that they are heard by anyone other than my wife or me. I selected this quorum of friends not only because of their musical skills, but also because they have unfettered honesty and assertiveness. This gathering promises to be a monumental event in the process of this project that will either leave me bouncing off the walls or tucking my tail between my legs. Though there are still mountainous hurdles between the album release and its current stance, I am starting to carry a sense of accomplishment in my back pocket that lends a little lilt to my step.
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