I spent the past four hours laying down the retake of "Commons." The result is good enough to make the cut, which means that the Redline recordings are officially complete. Yippee.
A few last tweaks and this project is headed to a mastering studio. If anyone has a lead on a good venue for this, please send a link along.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Working on Final Lyrics
Lest any readers wonder if the deadline of this project will come and go, as with most 365 initiatives, fear not. With the scant free minutes peppered thither and yon, I am putting the icing on the cake, and there will be a launch in just over a month.
Steps to completion:
1) Finish rewrite of 'Commons' lyrics.
2) Re-record portions of 'Commons.'
3) Revisit final mixes; make last-minute adjustments.
4) Hire a friend (TBD) to master the recording.
5) Apply for copyrights to all songs and recordings.
6) Release this thing!
With chisel in one hand and mallet in the other, I have been buffing and polishing the chorus of 'Commons.' Here's the old:
Black hand, white hand
Gripping each other
Dance in circles
Sister and brother
Leaping, glittered splash
Underneath the fountain
Fifteen miles
A world apart
There's plenty of time
For broken hearts
Drink the moment
At the barefoot Commons
And at last, my latest (and possibly final) revision:
Black and white
A spectrum of color
Up or down
One life or the other?
Is it dark or light
Underneath the fountain?
Fifteen miles
A world away
Dawn, the tale
Of night and day
Seek the moment
At the barefoot Commons.
I think I am going to chew on that over the course of the weekend. Feedback is embraced as always.
Steps to completion:
1) Finish rewrite of 'Commons' lyrics.
2) Re-record portions of 'Commons.'
3) Revisit final mixes; make last-minute adjustments.
4) Hire a friend (TBD) to master the recording.
5) Apply for copyrights to all songs and recordings.
6) Release this thing!
With chisel in one hand and mallet in the other, I have been buffing and polishing the chorus of 'Commons.' Here's the old:
Black hand, white hand
Gripping each other
Dance in circles
Sister and brother
Leaping, glittered splash
Underneath the fountain
Fifteen miles
A world apart
There's plenty of time
For broken hearts
Drink the moment
At the barefoot Commons
And at last, my latest (and possibly final) revision:
Black and white
A spectrum of color
Up or down
One life or the other?
Is it dark or light
Underneath the fountain?
Fifteen miles
A world away
Dawn, the tale
Of night and day
Seek the moment
At the barefoot Commons.
I think I am going to chew on that over the course of the weekend. Feedback is embraced as always.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Back to Redline
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).
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).
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.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Lyric Conundrum
Here is the chorus of the Redline Project song called Commons:
Black hand, White hand
Gripping each other
Dance in circles
Sister and brother
Leaping glittered splash
Underneath the fountain
Fifteen miles
A world apart
There's plenty of time
For broken hearts
Drink the moment
At the barefoot Commons
A handful of trusted friends all pointed out that this chorus is riddled with cliche and overused imagery. The song tells the story of two neighborhoods: a rougher part of town and the wealthy urban high rise community. The idea is that both neighborhoods have their detriments and their benefits. Neither one hell, neither one heaven.
The Commons refer to a public garden in Boston that sits under the shade of ancient willows and oaks, where people from any neighborhood may come enjoy a moment of its delights. It is the Eden of the song, and in it the only true harmony is found.
If the chorus is to describe this utopia, it ought to do so in an artistically appropriate and poetically sensitive way. I am going to take a swing at a rewrite.
Anyone have some ideas and want to chime in? If your ideas are accepted, you will get mentioned in the project's liner notes.
Black hand, White hand
Gripping each other
Dance in circles
Sister and brother
Leaping glittered splash
Underneath the fountain
Fifteen miles
A world apart
There's plenty of time
For broken hearts
Drink the moment
At the barefoot Commons
A handful of trusted friends all pointed out that this chorus is riddled with cliche and overused imagery. The song tells the story of two neighborhoods: a rougher part of town and the wealthy urban high rise community. The idea is that both neighborhoods have their detriments and their benefits. Neither one hell, neither one heaven.
The Commons refer to a public garden in Boston that sits under the shade of ancient willows and oaks, where people from any neighborhood may come enjoy a moment of its delights. It is the Eden of the song, and in it the only true harmony is found.
If the chorus is to describe this utopia, it ought to do so in an artistically appropriate and poetically sensitive way. I am going to take a swing at a rewrite.
Anyone have some ideas and want to chime in? If your ideas are accepted, you will get mentioned in the project's liner notes.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Midisphere
I continue my collaboration efforts with Jan Fischer, someone I barely knew before the launch of the Redline Project. Jan is quickly becoming a musical colleague and, even better, a good friend. He has helped me with so much already, from mixing tips to solid critique and feedback, even laying down some tasty electric guitar tracks for a couple of my songs.
He asked me to return the favor with a little keyboard work on one of his latest songs. Though I am glad for the opportunity to show my gratitude in this way, it is overwhelming to select from infinite possibilities. Logic Pro ships with roughly a bajillion keyboard and synth instruments, all of which can be customized until one is blue in the face. Add 10,537 plug-in effects to the mix and you have one entirely overstimulated musician.
I used to think that playing a set of drums afforded me endless sonic possibilities, and in a sense the nuances are vast. In fact, I used to revel in pulling a broad array of sounds from a fairly basic instrument. Turns out, I do pretty well with a limited set of options, like three drums and two cymbals for instance.
In a digital world there are a multiplicity of hats in the ring, and there seem to be as many rings. How does anyone narrow down the plethora of options to one sane choice? I find it much easier to select sounds for myself, but choosing some instruments for Jan was certainly a challenge.
He may very well dislike the choices I made, and I am comfortable with that. Whether he keeps each of my notes or discards every last one, I continue to marvel at the fun of putting music together with a fellow in a vastly different time zone.
He asked me to return the favor with a little keyboard work on one of his latest songs. Though I am glad for the opportunity to show my gratitude in this way, it is overwhelming to select from infinite possibilities. Logic Pro ships with roughly a bajillion keyboard and synth instruments, all of which can be customized until one is blue in the face. Add 10,537 plug-in effects to the mix and you have one entirely overstimulated musician.
I used to think that playing a set of drums afforded me endless sonic possibilities, and in a sense the nuances are vast. In fact, I used to revel in pulling a broad array of sounds from a fairly basic instrument. Turns out, I do pretty well with a limited set of options, like three drums and two cymbals for instance.
In a digital world there are a multiplicity of hats in the ring, and there seem to be as many rings. How does anyone narrow down the plethora of options to one sane choice? I find it much easier to select sounds for myself, but choosing some instruments for Jan was certainly a challenge.
He may very well dislike the choices I made, and I am comfortable with that. Whether he keeps each of my notes or discards every last one, I continue to marvel at the fun of putting music together with a fellow in a vastly different time zone.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Big Creek
A favorite after-work riding spot, Big Creek trails are my midweek mountain biking standby. Tonight they held a time trial, a sort of race where they release one rider per minute instead of all at once. This is a great way to roll, because instead of butts and elbows everywhere, each racer feels virtually alone in the woods.
I have participated in a few races in the past, never doing all that well. If 30 riders enter, I usually end up dead center at 14 or 15, and occasionally I bump ahead a few slots. I have not participated in a race for a year and a half, though I have been cycling several times each week since.
Unbeknownst to me, I have been improving. A lot. Tonight, I made it to the podium for the first time, placing third. There was much whooping and happy dancing once I was in the seclusion of my somewhat soundproof automobile. Hurray Josh. Atta boy.
What does this have to do with the Redline Project and its progress? Remarkably little, except that my legs ache, my brain is fried, and my eyelids are drooping even as I try to squeeze out these few paragraphs. I just don't have it in me tonight to face recording and editing. For tonight, nothing is on the docket except a slice of pizza and a sitcom viewing or two.
I have participated in a few races in the past, never doing all that well. If 30 riders enter, I usually end up dead center at 14 or 15, and occasionally I bump ahead a few slots. I have not participated in a race for a year and a half, though I have been cycling several times each week since.
Unbeknownst to me, I have been improving. A lot. Tonight, I made it to the podium for the first time, placing third. There was much whooping and happy dancing once I was in the seclusion of my somewhat soundproof automobile. Hurray Josh. Atta boy.
What does this have to do with the Redline Project and its progress? Remarkably little, except that my legs ache, my brain is fried, and my eyelids are drooping even as I try to squeeze out these few paragraphs. I just don't have it in me tonight to face recording and editing. For tonight, nothing is on the docket except a slice of pizza and a sitcom viewing or two.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
