In case you thought the Redline Project had failed, or that its proprietor had been abducted by the mother ship, fear not. This post and the last may have a month's worth of gap between them, but the Redline Project lives on. And I WILL make the album launch deadline that looms 92 days from the present.
It is hard to believe that well over half of this year now sits in our back pockets. I sharply dislike how time vanishes like water in the fingers, but I am delighted that its passing often brings monumental life change and fresh newness.
This is foremost a blog about a renegade music project pieced together with zero budget with potentially unattainable goal of 10,000 listeners at year's end. I have often forayed into personal matters, especially because so often they have been related to the Redline Project progress.
Many of my readers known that my absence is the effect of a worthy cause. Four weeks ago, my wife and I traveled to Seoul, South Korea to adopt a magnificent baby boy. Though early fatherhood is unparalleled joy, it has also managed to knock the wind out of my sails and leave me dizzy on the floor. I have not accomplished much of anything in the past month, including logging adequate sleep hours.
Becoming a parent is all I really have to discuss lately, and that is not pertinent to this blog. However, I have felt a rekindled passion for finishing the project over the past number of days, and I am pleased to report that I am digging into a song rewrite and a new (hopefully final) composition. Once those two pieces are tracked, it will be time to master the recording, send it off to the Library of Congress for copyrighting, and finally distribution.
I blogged nearly every day for half a year, and it was mostly delightful to send oodles of pontification into the digital abyss. With the responsibilities that fatherhood brings, it will be impossible to keep the same pace. So I will write when I can, and all the while I will continue crawl toward the finish line.
If anyone actually finds their way back this blog after my extended absence, you win the gold star of loyalty. You may redeem that gold star on October 15 for a free copy of the Redline Project final album. (And yes, everyone else in the world gets to download it for free as well).
Showing posts with label Project Deadline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Project Deadline. Show all posts
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
A Stunning Turn
Several hours ago, my wife and I received the phone call for which we have longed. Our social worker finally rang to tell us we have been cleared for travel -- that our son is ready to come home. We depart in a week and return seven days after that, and thus ends a two year road of praying, planning, soul-searching, paperwork, fundraising, and the like.
Assuming we had three weeks remaining, the lady and I charted an agressive calendar for accomplishing all the work-related tasks, avocational endeavors, and endless errands. That calendar flushed down the potty today as a new seven-day schedule took its place.
What does this mean for the Redline Project? I am going to be out of the loop for a few weeks, unable to record, unable to edit, unable to post, unable to progress.
This initiative poses an odd, somewhat contradictory set of emotions. On the one hand, the Redline Project means everything to me. It has become a standby of my routine; a daily dose of creative expression. On the other hand, it is a disposable, meaningless work that holds more narcissistic value than it is an expression of vitality to others. My growing hope has been to finalize and master all tracks, copyright them, and release them to the world in the form of a free download before my son comes home. It appears I have failed that goal, and though disappointed, all I can really think about at the moment is the joy of bringing my son into my family.
Before I take a mid-year sabbatical, it seems appropriate to furnish a brief project update. The Redline Project is alive and well, with nearly an hour of music recorded and mostly edited. One track still needs a rework of lyrics and therefore a redo of the vocal recordings. I hope to write and record one track that is yet to be imagined and composed.
The project was initially scheduled for a launch of October 31, which remains 137 days in the future. Even with a lapse in project productivity, I am convinced there is enough time to tie a knot around the goals of this project and successfully launch its final album.
10,000 downloads is a lofty, intimidating number, but I have nearly 1,000 friends on Facebook, and those friends all have their respective networks. I believe the goals of this project are within reach, and I believe the Redline Project will survive my impending fatherhood.
Assuming we had three weeks remaining, the lady and I charted an agressive calendar for accomplishing all the work-related tasks, avocational endeavors, and endless errands. That calendar flushed down the potty today as a new seven-day schedule took its place.
What does this mean for the Redline Project? I am going to be out of the loop for a few weeks, unable to record, unable to edit, unable to post, unable to progress.
This initiative poses an odd, somewhat contradictory set of emotions. On the one hand, the Redline Project means everything to me. It has become a standby of my routine; a daily dose of creative expression. On the other hand, it is a disposable, meaningless work that holds more narcissistic value than it is an expression of vitality to others. My growing hope has been to finalize and master all tracks, copyright them, and release them to the world in the form of a free download before my son comes home. It appears I have failed that goal, and though disappointed, all I can really think about at the moment is the joy of bringing my son into my family.
Before I take a mid-year sabbatical, it seems appropriate to furnish a brief project update. The Redline Project is alive and well, with nearly an hour of music recorded and mostly edited. One track still needs a rework of lyrics and therefore a redo of the vocal recordings. I hope to write and record one track that is yet to be imagined and composed.
The project was initially scheduled for a launch of October 31, which remains 137 days in the future. Even with a lapse in project productivity, I am convinced there is enough time to tie a knot around the goals of this project and successfully launch its final album.
10,000 downloads is a lofty, intimidating number, but I have nearly 1,000 friends on Facebook, and those friends all have their respective networks. I believe the goals of this project are within reach, and I believe the Redline Project will survive my impending fatherhood.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Sifting Through
To the moment, I have composed ten pieces of music for the Redline Project - fairly prolific considering that I launched this effort at the beginning of January and progress is relegated to nights and weekends. Total playing time for these tracks (once finished) will probably land around 45 to 50 minutes, which is on the short side of a respectable full-length album.
My wife, who is famous around our house for practical wisdom, suggested I run with these rough recordings, sculpting them into final cuts that will land on the finished product. This seems a good tactic to me. Should this batch wrap up with days left over, I can always add new music at that time.
I like this approach because it turns the heat down two notches. According to my project schedule, I should complete all rough tracks by May 15. This puts the Redline Project a month and change ahead of the next deadline. Whoopie-woo!
Opening these rough tracks over the past two days has been a little like Christmas. Each scratch recording that I unearth coaxes a set of emotions. One piece needs a tweak or a touch to be presentable - like unwrapping a shiny red guitar. Another cut must be scrapped entirely in favor of a complete redo - evokes the sentiment of peeling back paper to find a six pack of striped tube socks.
So far I am making mental notes only. Tomorrow I will dive into thoroughly tearing each track apart and penning the critiques into my journal. From there, the Redline Project moves into the new and exciting phase of producing final music - tracks that I sincerely hope will make their way into the iPods of 10,000 listeners.
I feel a welcome glimmer of hope tonight that has been absent for weeks. Time for a celebratory bowl of Lucky Charms.
My wife, who is famous around our house for practical wisdom, suggested I run with these rough recordings, sculpting them into final cuts that will land on the finished product. This seems a good tactic to me. Should this batch wrap up with days left over, I can always add new music at that time.
I like this approach because it turns the heat down two notches. According to my project schedule, I should complete all rough tracks by May 15. This puts the Redline Project a month and change ahead of the next deadline. Whoopie-woo!
Opening these rough tracks over the past two days has been a little like Christmas. Each scratch recording that I unearth coaxes a set of emotions. One piece needs a tweak or a touch to be presentable - like unwrapping a shiny red guitar. Another cut must be scrapped entirely in favor of a complete redo - evokes the sentiment of peeling back paper to find a six pack of striped tube socks.
So far I am making mental notes only. Tomorrow I will dive into thoroughly tearing each track apart and penning the critiques into my journal. From there, the Redline Project moves into the new and exciting phase of producing final music - tracks that I sincerely hope will make their way into the iPods of 10,000 listeners.
I feel a welcome glimmer of hope tonight that has been absent for weeks. Time for a celebratory bowl of Lucky Charms.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
1st Quarter Update
An unexpected side effect of plugging away at the Redline Project is having a pointed awareness of just how speedily a set of months can slip away. Tonight is March 31st, relegating the first three months of 2010 to the past and leaving only nine in the future.
Does this shock anyone else? We just sipped champagne and exploded poppers roughly 14 days ago. How can March 2010 be hours from vanishing?
As my custom has become at the close of each month, I am taking the opportunity to scrutinize the successes and failures of the Redline Project. Where has there been progress? Where has the momentum slacked a bit? What needs to happen to keep this initiative moving forward? Are we on track for an album release on October 31?
Let's commence with the plusses. In three months, I have acquired more than enough gear to adequately record, edit, and publish an album. Many of the acquisitions (including an electric guitar, microphones, and studio monitors) are borrowed instead of purchased, which is the only way I have managed to stay within a budget of $1,000.
Speaking of budget, I am thrilled to announce that while I have spent far less than $1,000 on the Redline Project ($877 to be exact), I have sold $900 worth of bikes and related gear to offset the cost. This has required a sizable and complicated effort. If anyone has ever tried auctioning items under Ebay's asinine new user feedback policies, you know that sellers have no recourse to deal with feisty, manipulative, or deadbeat buyers.
As I write this blog post, I received an email from one such buyer who is demanding more money back from me than he ever payed for an item sold 'as is.' Lovely. Ebay is wonderful, and Ebay sucks eggs. If someone with the username jmdesigns2 tries to buy an item from you, run far and run fast.
Frustrations considered, piecing together a basic recording studio for zero dollars is a grand success, and one that pleases my wife as well.
This month, I wrote what I consider to be my best songs so far. The tally so far is nine, including vocal and instrumental numbers. Several pieces are five minutes in length, and some are longer. Mind you, these are not final recorded versions; the tracks are currently scratch recordings meant to capture the basic form and textures of each composition.
With a baby boy coming to join our family around the first of July, I have decided that the Redline Project's final product will feature 10 original pieces of music. Originally I was aiming for 12, but I needed to adjust in order to keep the project moving forward as I prepare for fatherhood.
After the scratch recording roadmaps are all pieced together, the next step is to scrap and re-record just about everything. Three or four months worth of knowledge is virtually nothing when compared to giants of the recording industry with decades of experience lining their pockets. Om short, I am a noob. That said, I know considerably more than I did 83 posts ago, and I am hoping this base of knowledge will lend a relatively clean and polished sound to the final cuts.
Is the Redline Project on schedule? The answer, according to the original array of deadlines, is a resounding yes. I am supposed to complete all the rough cuts by May 15, which is still a month and a half out. If I Complete one more composition and two more recordings by then, I can draw a red line (pun intended) through this mile marker.
Nevertheless, I feel hopelessly behind. After the scratch tracks are complete, I must get to work recording palatable music that is at least somewhat iPod-worthy. Then comes the mixing process, with the mastering procedures hot on the tail. If these daunting tasks somehow are accomplished by October 31, I then must climb the mountain of distribution. At a glance, this final step is made easier by offering the music free of charge to anyone and everyone, but that in turn complicates the matter as it begs questions of copyright issues and distribution venues.
[Insert panicked nail biting here]
Scores of miles fade into the rearview mirror as hundreds more appear on the horizon. As this project turns into something of a second full-time job, the television tempts me with endless chasm mind-numbing nothingness. But I will press on. I will create. I will get heard.
Does this shock anyone else? We just sipped champagne and exploded poppers roughly 14 days ago. How can March 2010 be hours from vanishing?
As my custom has become at the close of each month, I am taking the opportunity to scrutinize the successes and failures of the Redline Project. Where has there been progress? Where has the momentum slacked a bit? What needs to happen to keep this initiative moving forward? Are we on track for an album release on October 31?
Let's commence with the plusses. In three months, I have acquired more than enough gear to adequately record, edit, and publish an album. Many of the acquisitions (including an electric guitar, microphones, and studio monitors) are borrowed instead of purchased, which is the only way I have managed to stay within a budget of $1,000.
Speaking of budget, I am thrilled to announce that while I have spent far less than $1,000 on the Redline Project ($877 to be exact), I have sold $900 worth of bikes and related gear to offset the cost. This has required a sizable and complicated effort. If anyone has ever tried auctioning items under Ebay's asinine new user feedback policies, you know that sellers have no recourse to deal with feisty, manipulative, or deadbeat buyers.
As I write this blog post, I received an email from one such buyer who is demanding more money back from me than he ever payed for an item sold 'as is.' Lovely. Ebay is wonderful, and Ebay sucks eggs. If someone with the username jmdesigns2 tries to buy an item from you, run far and run fast.
Frustrations considered, piecing together a basic recording studio for zero dollars is a grand success, and one that pleases my wife as well.
This month, I wrote what I consider to be my best songs so far. The tally so far is nine, including vocal and instrumental numbers. Several pieces are five minutes in length, and some are longer. Mind you, these are not final recorded versions; the tracks are currently scratch recordings meant to capture the basic form and textures of each composition.
With a baby boy coming to join our family around the first of July, I have decided that the Redline Project's final product will feature 10 original pieces of music. Originally I was aiming for 12, but I needed to adjust in order to keep the project moving forward as I prepare for fatherhood.
After the scratch recording roadmaps are all pieced together, the next step is to scrap and re-record just about everything. Three or four months worth of knowledge is virtually nothing when compared to giants of the recording industry with decades of experience lining their pockets. Om short, I am a noob. That said, I know considerably more than I did 83 posts ago, and I am hoping this base of knowledge will lend a relatively clean and polished sound to the final cuts.
Is the Redline Project on schedule? The answer, according to the original array of deadlines, is a resounding yes. I am supposed to complete all the rough cuts by May 15, which is still a month and a half out. If I Complete one more composition and two more recordings by then, I can draw a red line (pun intended) through this mile marker.
Nevertheless, I feel hopelessly behind. After the scratch tracks are complete, I must get to work recording palatable music that is at least somewhat iPod-worthy. Then comes the mixing process, with the mastering procedures hot on the tail. If these daunting tasks somehow are accomplished by October 31, I then must climb the mountain of distribution. At a glance, this final step is made easier by offering the music free of charge to anyone and everyone, but that in turn complicates the matter as it begs questions of copyright issues and distribution venues.
[Insert panicked nail biting here]
Scores of miles fade into the rearview mirror as hundreds more appear on the horizon. As this project turns into something of a second full-time job, the television tempts me with endless chasm mind-numbing nothingness. But I will press on. I will create. I will get heard.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Sixth
A stunning bit of truth for me, and probably everyone reading, is that a sixth of 2010 has snuck past. How did that happen?
In many ways, the Redline Project is on track, and perhaps I am even a touch ahead of schedule. The second post on this blog reveals that my goal for February's end was to acquire all gear necessary to complete this effort. Check - mostly.
I have purchased many pieces and borrowed even more, finding myself surrounded with an arsenal of competent, beginner gear. Just today, an upgrade from Logic Express to Logic Studio arrived, which means I will be recording and editing audio on a top notch suite of programs. As a coworker of mine used to interject, "Great giggly wigglies." I also have acquired a mixer that doubles as a firewire audio interface, a midi keyboard, and a direct box for inputting (mostly) clean guitar signals. Sennheiser headphones, a condenser mic, and a gorgeous Guild electric guitar are the most used pieces of borrowed gear.
Still on the wish list is the Melodyne vocal editor and a good pair of studio monitors. The latter I can potentially do without, but my pathetic vocal attempts are begging the powerful Melodyne to touch and to heal. To date then, I have spent $540, just over half my project budget. I have sold around $450 worth of possessions, which leaves me owing $90 to my bank account. Not bad.
The purchase of the software and monitors together will run around $350, and right now that is all I anticipate spending on this project. Looks like I will accomplish at least one of the three goals posted in this blog's header.
Those reading along have undoubtedly noticed a slow-down in the posting of scratch recordings, and with good reason. I have been feverishly plugging away at several audio sketches of songs I hope will end up on the final Redline Project recording. 'Audio sketch' is a term I am using to refer to a fully structured song with imperfect recorded parts. Once I have an understanding of how a song or composition will be arranged, I plan to replace the rough tracks with polished counterparts.
I have five such compositions that are baked to varying degrees. I need to write seven or eight more in the course of the next three and a half months to keep pace with the next deadline. By the end of May, all songs should be written and all audio sketches complete; doable only if I put my feet to the fire and press on.
A reader suggested I locate a widget displaying the number of days left in the project, number of dollars spent, and other related statistics. This is a fantastic idea, and I will search for one tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope this brief synopsis suffices.
In many ways, the Redline Project is on track, and perhaps I am even a touch ahead of schedule. The second post on this blog reveals that my goal for February's end was to acquire all gear necessary to complete this effort. Check - mostly.
I have purchased many pieces and borrowed even more, finding myself surrounded with an arsenal of competent, beginner gear. Just today, an upgrade from Logic Express to Logic Studio arrived, which means I will be recording and editing audio on a top notch suite of programs. As a coworker of mine used to interject, "Great giggly wigglies." I also have acquired a mixer that doubles as a firewire audio interface, a midi keyboard, and a direct box for inputting (mostly) clean guitar signals. Sennheiser headphones, a condenser mic, and a gorgeous Guild electric guitar are the most used pieces of borrowed gear.
Still on the wish list is the Melodyne vocal editor and a good pair of studio monitors. The latter I can potentially do without, but my pathetic vocal attempts are begging the powerful Melodyne to touch and to heal. To date then, I have spent $540, just over half my project budget. I have sold around $450 worth of possessions, which leaves me owing $90 to my bank account. Not bad.
The purchase of the software and monitors together will run around $350, and right now that is all I anticipate spending on this project. Looks like I will accomplish at least one of the three goals posted in this blog's header.
Those reading along have undoubtedly noticed a slow-down in the posting of scratch recordings, and with good reason. I have been feverishly plugging away at several audio sketches of songs I hope will end up on the final Redline Project recording. 'Audio sketch' is a term I am using to refer to a fully structured song with imperfect recorded parts. Once I have an understanding of how a song or composition will be arranged, I plan to replace the rough tracks with polished counterparts.
I have five such compositions that are baked to varying degrees. I need to write seven or eight more in the course of the next three and a half months to keep pace with the next deadline. By the end of May, all songs should be written and all audio sketches complete; doable only if I put my feet to the fire and press on.
A reader suggested I locate a widget displaying the number of days left in the project, number of dollars spent, and other related statistics. This is a fantastic idea, and I will search for one tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope this brief synopsis suffices.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Look Back, A Look Ahead
Only 25 days into the mess, and already life without music has become unthinkable. Difficult to believe that a mere 26 days ago (and continuing backwards five years from there), I hardly ever touched a musical instrument. A few have questioned how the time for this project exists, and to that query I offer an amazing and unexpected answer:
I have flicked on the tube exactly once (for a half-hour) since the Redline Project commenced, and I no longer cruise around Facebook or Youtube unless there is some intended purpose. That's it. Nothing else has changed.
I still ride my bike. I still help run the Communicycle co-op. I still play Scrabble and Settlers of Catan with my wife. I still sleep late on Saturday. I still hang with friends midweek for all kinds of shenanigans. I still help with music at church on Sundays. And yes, I still work the old day job. Get the picture?
Two minor epiphanies: First, it is astounding how much time I have wasted doing absolutely nothing over the course of the last several years. Second, it has taken me far too long to recognize the truth of epiphany number one.
It has been downright nifty to figure out that there is plenty of room in my daily life for a new ordeal, and a time-munching one at that. This may become one of my favorite unexpected outcomes of the Redline Project, and I sincerely hope it encourages everyone reading along to consider subtracting a measure of fluff and adding something of significance to the daily grind.
A glance at the project schedule (in an earlier post for those wanting to have a look for themselves) exposes the truth that I can be an overachiever when I set my mind to it. By the 31st of January, my goal was to acquire all funds for the Redline Project, with the follow-up February goal of acquiring all equipment necessary to complete this project.
If you have visited before, you know that Studio Redline has at least enough gear on the shelves to produce the ten scratch recordings peppered throughout these two dozen posts. To be exact, the funds came in (and went back out) for a 12 track mixer, a 49 key midi controller, two condenser microphones, two microphone stands, a pop filter, an electric guitar, and a tangle of XLR and quarter-inch cables. True that many components are stickered with the names of friends who lent them to the project's cause, and for these acquisitions I am forever grateful.
So here I am, surrounded by an arsenal of recording equipment. Professionals may turn up their noses, scoffing that Radio Shack peddles finer offerings, but I am enamored with these electronic components of bliss. And I believe in time they will prove themselves to be the little recording engine that could.
A nice surprise popped into view when I checked the analytics for this site last night. It looks like Google has found this humble project and been so kind as to send not one, not two, but six visitors to its pages. Go ahead, laugh, all ye blogosphere experts. I think that is exciting news.
In the course of three weeks a small but steady stream of folks has materialized. We are over 200 strong on Facebook (The Redline Project) and even have a few people sniffing the bones thrown out on Twitter (@RedlineProject). Google also heralds visitors worming their way to this website from five countries outside of the United States (Germany, Moldova, Australia, Hong Kong, and Canada for the curious).
Regarding a look forward, what do all these bits of excitement mean?
Absolutely nothing.
I am still a nomad meandering around the genres, window-shopping the possibilities of music and musical expression. I have no voice. I do not understand recording theory in the least, and I have no control over the finer points of my extremely powerful and complex software workstation. The electric guitar buzzes and pops, and the acoustic guitar produces a lead quilt of magnetic noise. And the ambient noises from my 1970s split-level infect every attempt to lay down an analog waveform.
Almost a month of thought, effort, purchasing, contemplating, exploring... is in the back pocket, and 11 short ones remain. My level of investment took the plunge some time ago, and I have no confidence in my ability to deliver on the goals set forth on the header of this page. This is a fearful expedition, one that may be without specific destination.
I am left with a question. It nips at the heels of my daily routine and robs sleep from the darkest part of the night: Can I do it?
I have flicked on the tube exactly once (for a half-hour) since the Redline Project commenced, and I no longer cruise around Facebook or Youtube unless there is some intended purpose. That's it. Nothing else has changed.
I still ride my bike. I still help run the Communicycle co-op. I still play Scrabble and Settlers of Catan with my wife. I still sleep late on Saturday. I still hang with friends midweek for all kinds of shenanigans. I still help with music at church on Sundays. And yes, I still work the old day job. Get the picture?
Two minor epiphanies: First, it is astounding how much time I have wasted doing absolutely nothing over the course of the last several years. Second, it has taken me far too long to recognize the truth of epiphany number one.
It has been downright nifty to figure out that there is plenty of room in my daily life for a new ordeal, and a time-munching one at that. This may become one of my favorite unexpected outcomes of the Redline Project, and I sincerely hope it encourages everyone reading along to consider subtracting a measure of fluff and adding something of significance to the daily grind.
A glance at the project schedule (in an earlier post for those wanting to have a look for themselves) exposes the truth that I can be an overachiever when I set my mind to it. By the 31st of January, my goal was to acquire all funds for the Redline Project, with the follow-up February goal of acquiring all equipment necessary to complete this project.
If you have visited before, you know that Studio Redline has at least enough gear on the shelves to produce the ten scratch recordings peppered throughout these two dozen posts. To be exact, the funds came in (and went back out) for a 12 track mixer, a 49 key midi controller, two condenser microphones, two microphone stands, a pop filter, an electric guitar, and a tangle of XLR and quarter-inch cables. True that many components are stickered with the names of friends who lent them to the project's cause, and for these acquisitions I am forever grateful.
So here I am, surrounded by an arsenal of recording equipment. Professionals may turn up their noses, scoffing that Radio Shack peddles finer offerings, but I am enamored with these electronic components of bliss. And I believe in time they will prove themselves to be the little recording engine that could.
A nice surprise popped into view when I checked the analytics for this site last night. It looks like Google has found this humble project and been so kind as to send not one, not two, but six visitors to its pages. Go ahead, laugh, all ye blogosphere experts. I think that is exciting news.
In the course of three weeks a small but steady stream of folks has materialized. We are over 200 strong on Facebook (The Redline Project) and even have a few people sniffing the bones thrown out on Twitter (@RedlineProject). Google also heralds visitors worming their way to this website from five countries outside of the United States (Germany, Moldova, Australia, Hong Kong, and Canada for the curious).
Regarding a look forward, what do all these bits of excitement mean?
Absolutely nothing.
I am still a nomad meandering around the genres, window-shopping the possibilities of music and musical expression. I have no voice. I do not understand recording theory in the least, and I have no control over the finer points of my extremely powerful and complex software workstation. The electric guitar buzzes and pops, and the acoustic guitar produces a lead quilt of magnetic noise. And the ambient noises from my 1970s split-level infect every attempt to lay down an analog waveform.
Almost a month of thought, effort, purchasing, contemplating, exploring... is in the back pocket, and 11 short ones remain. My level of investment took the plunge some time ago, and I have no confidence in my ability to deliver on the goals set forth on the header of this page. This is a fearful expedition, one that may be without specific destination.
I am left with a question. It nips at the heels of my daily routine and robs sleep from the darkest part of the night: Can I do it?
Monday, January 18, 2010
Swimming Laps
A look back at the Redline Project schedule (one of the early posts if you want to have a look) reveals some good news. I set a goal to reach by the end of this month: acquire all of the funds needed to purchase an adequate arsenal of equipment. If you have been following along, you know that Studio Redline (also known as my basement) not only has been outfitted with a decent ensemble of basic gear, but has served as the recording venue for five different aural experiments, all of which are posted below.
I am momentarily thrilled by the success of this, until the nagging realities nibble on my ankles once again: I do not have any sort of concept for a final product, I have no grasp of how to write lyrics, I am embarrassed by my singing voice, and in the quest to reach 10,000 people with my music, I am up to 15 blog followers, many of whom are required by law to love me.
The short of it: I was supposed to swim two laps this month and have managed to paddle through four, but the destination of the Redline Project taunts me from across the ocean and seems, as it truly is, to be fathoms away.
So I am calling out to you, dear readers, to have a voice in what is to follow. When you hear something you like, say so. If something is not resonating with you, or a concept isn't cohesive, shout it out. If this project is to be more than ye olde proverbial tree falling in a wood, then I need some listeners. I want to know what your preferences are because, after all, the efforts of this project are aimed in your direction.
A shout goes out to my grandma who recently celebrated 90 years and continues to gain steam. She emails, she Skypes, she Facebooks, and she faithfully follows along as a subscriber to this blog. Oh to be a fly perched on the windowsill when she downloaded yesterday's thumping trance track. I'll bet a hearty sum she did the robot.
I am momentarily thrilled by the success of this, until the nagging realities nibble on my ankles once again: I do not have any sort of concept for a final product, I have no grasp of how to write lyrics, I am embarrassed by my singing voice, and in the quest to reach 10,000 people with my music, I am up to 15 blog followers, many of whom are required by law to love me.
The short of it: I was supposed to swim two laps this month and have managed to paddle through four, but the destination of the Redline Project taunts me from across the ocean and seems, as it truly is, to be fathoms away.
So I am calling out to you, dear readers, to have a voice in what is to follow. When you hear something you like, say so. If something is not resonating with you, or a concept isn't cohesive, shout it out. If this project is to be more than ye olde proverbial tree falling in a wood, then I need some listeners. I want to know what your preferences are because, after all, the efforts of this project are aimed in your direction.
A shout goes out to my grandma who recently celebrated 90 years and continues to gain steam. She emails, she Skypes, she Facebooks, and she faithfully follows along as a subscriber to this blog. Oh to be a fly perched on the windowsill when she downloaded yesterday's thumping trance track. I'll bet a hearty sum she did the robot.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Loose Schedule
I awoke several times last night thinking about the Redline Project. A year seems like a long stretch, but the time will slip away if there are not some basic deadlines for the various parts of the project. An arbitrary stab:
1) All funds acquired by January 31, 2010.
2) All equipment acquired by February 28, 2010.
3) Basic album ideas and audio sketches completed by May 15, 2010.
4) Recording completed by September 30, 2010.
5) Recording released and promoted by October 31, 2010.
6) 10,000 downloads of recording by December 31, 2010.
Again, simple and impossible all at once. Pure excitement and the fear of failure hold hands, and all I can do is try to make this happen.
1) All funds acquired by January 31, 2010.
2) All equipment acquired by February 28, 2010.
3) Basic album ideas and audio sketches completed by May 15, 2010.
4) Recording completed by September 30, 2010.
5) Recording released and promoted by October 31, 2010.
6) 10,000 downloads of recording by December 31, 2010.
Again, simple and impossible all at once. Pure excitement and the fear of failure hold hands, and all I can do is try to make this happen.
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