The arrangements are done and we're less than 48 hours until the string session. Just so we're all on the same page, I wanted to record the strings last February. Then an attempt to record them last May and June proved to be a no-go. This has been a long time in the making, and I'm excited for what they're going to add to the album.
There were a few songs on my first CD that I had would've been interested in exploring strings on - songs like "Hold On," "Man of War," and "Trains." But money proved the prohibitive factor 5 years ago. That CD cost less than $8,000 start to finish and its amazing that I was able to keep costs so low. This album won't be as cheap (as I laughably thought it would be), but the songs are worth the investment.
I'm spending time at the studio today to lay down a piano track for tomorrow and play with some drum edits. Also, to make sure the studio is cleaned, set up, and ready to go. Equipment cleared out. Rugs put down. Bringing guests into the studio requires a little work. But when I leave tonight I will not be back until about an hour before the session on Sunday, so I need to be ready to hit the ground running when the players get here.
And as I have been told I need to try to keep my stress level down. Not by a doctor, just friends.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011
My Neurotic Throat: Part II
My throat has been feeling and performing much better lately. A week before Christmas I did an In The Pocket show on Friday and a solo/acousitc Mulligan's show on Saturday with no issues at all. However, on Tuesday, December 20, I had a meeting with a speech therapist at the St. Francis Center for Communication Disorders in Poughkeepsie. Ironically, the therapist and I went to the same school for two years about 18 years ago and she somehow recognized me. Craziness.
We had an informal discussion about my throat fatigue and how I sing, and then she conducted some quick tests to determine some things. For example, she had me take a deep breath and say "aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh" for as long as I could, and we did the same thing for "ssssssssssssssssss" and "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz." And believe it or not, it can be an odd feeling to sit in front of one person and hiss at them.
Afterward, we talked about her recommendation: half an hour of voice therapy a week for a few weeks and maybe even two months. Unfortunately, because of our schedules she wont be my regular therapist, but she did give me some hints, tips, and exercises to help protect my voice and improve my breathing. I'll be scheduling my regular sessions after the new year.
I also had a voice lesson scheduled on Thursday, December 22, but that didn't happen due to a Google map fowl-up and then me getting lost. And angry. And throwing my phone against my dashboard. Hard. We're going to reschedule.
We had an informal discussion about my throat fatigue and how I sing, and then she conducted some quick tests to determine some things. For example, she had me take a deep breath and say "aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh" for as long as I could, and we did the same thing for "ssssssssssssssssss" and "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz." And believe it or not, it can be an odd feeling to sit in front of one person and hiss at them.
Afterward, we talked about her recommendation: half an hour of voice therapy a week for a few weeks and maybe even two months. Unfortunately, because of our schedules she wont be my regular therapist, but she did give me some hints, tips, and exercises to help protect my voice and improve my breathing. I'll be scheduling my regular sessions after the new year.
I also had a voice lesson scheduled on Thursday, December 22, but that didn't happen due to a Google map fowl-up and then me getting lost. And angry. And throwing my phone against my dashboard. Hard. We're going to reschedule.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
About That Last Post
After I posted the last entry about my performance at The Bitter End, I got a comment from Peter Bliss and he didn't get the same impression that I did. He wrote, "I personally did not feel as you did about your performance. And I can say that the audience responded well to your performance." That's good to hear, and I guess this goes to illustrate the point I made last time, that performers are their own worst critics.
But thinking back, I don't want to leave anyone with the impression that I'm somehow beating myself up about how I felt I performed. I may have been disappointed, but my reaction can be compared to that of a professional athlete: if I feel like I had a bad game, I just shake it off and start preparing for the next one. I had a great performance Friday night with In The Pocket, and I was also happy with my show at Mulligan's on Saturday (thanks in large part to my hecklers Brett, Jeremy, and Jenn - they're in charge of morale).
I've also been asked why I posted my disappointed feelings at all, and the answer is simple: because it's real. We live in a world dominated by Facebook and Twitter where people are trying to look their best, most successful, and wittiest to others looking in on their lives. BUt I think everyone who reads this blog, comes to my shows, buys my CDs, is on my mailing list, or has contributed to the new album is a part of my career and I think you can relate when things don't go 100% the way I would like them to. Music is my job, and just like I'm sure you have them at your job there are highs, lows, and in-betweens. That is why I wrote that post, and why I occasionally comment on a songwriting roadblock or frustration in the studio. That's life. That's what all the people say. You're riding high in April, shot down in May. But I know I'm gonna change that tune when I'm back on top - back on top in June.
You like what I just did there?
But thinking back, I don't want to leave anyone with the impression that I'm somehow beating myself up about how I felt I performed. I may have been disappointed, but my reaction can be compared to that of a professional athlete: if I feel like I had a bad game, I just shake it off and start preparing for the next one. I had a great performance Friday night with In The Pocket, and I was also happy with my show at Mulligan's on Saturday (thanks in large part to my hecklers Brett, Jeremy, and Jenn - they're in charge of morale).
I've also been asked why I posted my disappointed feelings at all, and the answer is simple: because it's real. We live in a world dominated by Facebook and Twitter where people are trying to look their best, most successful, and wittiest to others looking in on their lives. BUt I think everyone who reads this blog, comes to my shows, buys my CDs, is on my mailing list, or has contributed to the new album is a part of my career and I think you can relate when things don't go 100% the way I would like them to. Music is my job, and just like I'm sure you have them at your job there are highs, lows, and in-betweens. That is why I wrote that post, and why I occasionally comment on a songwriting roadblock or frustration in the studio. That's life. That's what all the people say. You're riding high in April, shot down in May. But I know I'm gonna change that tune when I'm back on top - back on top in June.
You like what I just did there?
Monday, December 19, 2011
The Bitter End/"Did You Have Fun?"
On Wednesday night I performed at an event at The Bitter End in NYC called “An Evening to Occupy Hearts & Minds,” hosted by Occupy Hearts & Minds in conjunction with the New York Songwriters Collective, and benefiting WHYHunger. Wow, that’s a mouthful. The idea behind Occupy Hearts & Minds is to bring the artistic community together to help channel the feelings of the Occupy Wall Street movement. My last blog post was about the lack of socially and politically charged music in the mainstream, and OHM is an attempt to foster more art of that nature. Among many name artists (some of my favorites were The Nutopians, Julie Gold, and the guy who must be the hippest cat in the world, David Amram) and others, I was there to perform my song, “Endless Sky,” thanks to my friend Peter Bliss.
I didn’t play very well. Now, to be fair I didn’t play terribly. I didn’t crash and burn and people weren’t coming up to me saying how much I sucked. But my performance did leave a little something to be desired. How do I know? Well, trust me, I know. Performers may be notorious for being their own worst critic, but I know when I don’t reach my potential. And in case I wasn’t sure, a short while after my performance I was sitting at the bar when Rex Fowler from Aztec Two-Step asked me, “Did you have fun?” Oh, that sucked. Did I have fun? Let me tell you: “Did you have fun?” is probably the worst thing you could say to a professional after a performance. “Did you have fun?” means that the person found nothing about you that they could positively comment on – not the song, not the performance, not even your clothes or the witty banter before you sang. “Did you have fun?” is asking whether you cleared the lowest possible bar with your performance. Which I didn’t because I’m a professional and I know when I don’t hit my mark.
So, there you go. In a world of Facebook and Twitter posts where we’re all trying to make our lives look great and successful to the people looking in, there’s a real life example of underperformance and disappointment. It really happens. It’s called reality.
I didn’t play very well. Now, to be fair I didn’t play terribly. I didn’t crash and burn and people weren’t coming up to me saying how much I sucked. But my performance did leave a little something to be desired. How do I know? Well, trust me, I know. Performers may be notorious for being their own worst critic, but I know when I don’t reach my potential. And in case I wasn’t sure, a short while after my performance I was sitting at the bar when Rex Fowler from Aztec Two-Step asked me, “Did you have fun?” Oh, that sucked. Did I have fun? Let me tell you: “Did you have fun?” is probably the worst thing you could say to a professional after a performance. “Did you have fun?” means that the person found nothing about you that they could positively comment on – not the song, not the performance, not even your clothes or the witty banter before you sang. “Did you have fun?” is asking whether you cleared the lowest possible bar with your performance. Which I didn’t because I’m a professional and I know when I don’t hit my mark.
So, there you go. In a world of Facebook and Twitter posts where we’re all trying to make our lives look great and successful to the people looking in, there’s a real life example of underperformance and disappointment. It really happens. It’s called reality.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Where Have All The Protest Songs Gone?
The late 1960s and early 1970s were a tumultuous, revolutionary time period in the history of our country and the popular music of the time reflected it. Artists like Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Byrds, CSNY, Buffalo Springfield, CCR and more released songs that spoke about the cultural and political uprisings and changes happening around us; songs that were not only popular at the time, but which have endured through the years.
The past 10 years have been a tumultuous, revolutionary time period in our history and you would be hard-pressed to come up with an argument that today’s pop music has significantly addressed these issues at all.
The 60s dealt largely with the Vietnam war and major changes brought about in civil rights, women's rights, the protest movement, and individuality. These thoughts and feelings were reflected in songs like Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," CCR's "Run Through the Jungle," CSNY's "Ohio," Neil Young's "Southern Man," and Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'," just to name a few.
How many songs and artists can you name that sing about 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the economic downturn? I know that John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen have released material on the subject, and most are familiar with Alan Jackson's "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)." The Dixie Chicks won praise and awards for their song "Not Ready to Make Nice" about the backlash of speaking out against George W. Bush and the political divisions in the country. And you even have largely ignorant and forgettable work like Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)." But to be honest, none of these artists are really topping the charts - either anymore, or at least at the moment.
One year after Barack Obama was inaugurated the country was embroiled in two wars, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and political divisions more bitter than anything in recent memory. The Billboard top 10, however, featured such songs as Lady Gaga's "Just Dance," Beyonce's "Single Ladies," Kanye's "Heartless," and Britney's "Womanizer," among others of the kind. And I don't mean to in any way diminish the quality or success of such recordings, but I am moved to ask this question: where have all the protest songs gone? Where have all the socially conscious song gone? Is it simply because over the past 40 years the industry has becoming more greedy and only wants work with the potential to sell the most rather than sends a message (something that has always been a concern but which I feel is worse now)? Could you imagine a song with the subject matter of CSNY's "Ohio" being played on today's "hit" radio? Or even Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is?"
Please let me know what you think.
The past 10 years have been a tumultuous, revolutionary time period in our history and you would be hard-pressed to come up with an argument that today’s pop music has significantly addressed these issues at all.
The 60s dealt largely with the Vietnam war and major changes brought about in civil rights, women's rights, the protest movement, and individuality. These thoughts and feelings were reflected in songs like Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," CCR's "Run Through the Jungle," CSNY's "Ohio," Neil Young's "Southern Man," and Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'," just to name a few.
How many songs and artists can you name that sing about 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or the economic downturn? I know that John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen have released material on the subject, and most are familiar with Alan Jackson's "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)." The Dixie Chicks won praise and awards for their song "Not Ready to Make Nice" about the backlash of speaking out against George W. Bush and the political divisions in the country. And you even have largely ignorant and forgettable work like Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)." But to be honest, none of these artists are really topping the charts - either anymore, or at least at the moment.
One year after Barack Obama was inaugurated the country was embroiled in two wars, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and political divisions more bitter than anything in recent memory. The Billboard top 10, however, featured such songs as Lady Gaga's "Just Dance," Beyonce's "Single Ladies," Kanye's "Heartless," and Britney's "Womanizer," among others of the kind. And I don't mean to in any way diminish the quality or success of such recordings, but I am moved to ask this question: where have all the protest songs gone? Where have all the socially conscious song gone? Is it simply because over the past 40 years the industry has becoming more greedy and only wants work with the potential to sell the most rather than sends a message (something that has always been a concern but which I feel is worse now)? Could you imagine a song with the subject matter of CSNY's "Ohio" being played on today's "hit" radio? Or even Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is?"
Please let me know what you think.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
My Neurotic Throat
I don't remember the last time I was that nervous going to a doctor, but I guess I had a good reason. The ENT was going to take a look at my vocal chords in an attempt to diagnose the recent issue(s) that I've been having with my voice. And so I got to sit there. Waiting. For 40 minutes or so. Watching NY1.
The first thing the doctor did was ask why I was there. I explained what I did and my vocal woes. He asked to give him some examples of artists whose music I sing, and I said, "Jackie Wilson, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen." He looked at me and said, "I don't really see Jackie Wilson coming from you.” "Well, you should come see us!" Yes, I proceeded to plug my band. Never miss a moment, people.
After I tried my best to get a new fan, the doc sprayed my nostrils with an anesthetic in order to scope my vocal chords by inserting a fiber-optic line through my nose. Fun. He told me the stuff was going to taste like "shit," and it did. Relatively speaking, of course. And as it turns out, I have a deviated septum and a bone spur on my left side. But that's not what he was looking for.
He said that my vocal chords looked healthy - I do not have vocal polyps or nodules, which is what I was most worried about. However, he did say that I had what looked like the beginning of vocal nodules. Not to cause me unnecessary anxiety, he explained that some singers develop them and don't mind because they use what it does to their voice to an advantage. But he also recommended being proactive about it to make sure my throat stays healthy and strong for as long as I want to keep on keeping on with the singing. He recommended I see a speech therapist that is also a singer who works at St. Frances, and that she would help me to use my voice as effectively as I do without putting as much stress on it.
Doc also said that I have some silent acid reflux going on (silent because I don’t normally feel it), and that this can cause scar tissue to develop over time. He recommended watching the acidic food that I eat (i.e. tomato sauce, etc.), trying not to eat too close to going to sleep, and taking Tums once a day - no need for a prescription antacid at this point. I can do that. (And by the way, you’re not supposed to eat within 6 hours of going to sleep - but even the doc was like, “Who can do that?”)
Basically the message of the visit was: be proactive. He mentioned Adele as someone who didn't properly take care of their voice and subsequently had to have surgery to correct the damage. I think I would like to avoid that. But because my mind works the way that it does, I keep thinking that with every word I speak and every note I sing I'm damaging my voice. Yay! Well, I'm sure that feeling will go away. Or at least it would for someone who is less neurotic.
The first thing the doctor did was ask why I was there. I explained what I did and my vocal woes. He asked to give him some examples of artists whose music I sing, and I said, "Jackie Wilson, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen." He looked at me and said, "I don't really see Jackie Wilson coming from you.” "Well, you should come see us!" Yes, I proceeded to plug my band. Never miss a moment, people.
After I tried my best to get a new fan, the doc sprayed my nostrils with an anesthetic in order to scope my vocal chords by inserting a fiber-optic line through my nose. Fun. He told me the stuff was going to taste like "shit," and it did. Relatively speaking, of course. And as it turns out, I have a deviated septum and a bone spur on my left side. But that's not what he was looking for.
He said that my vocal chords looked healthy - I do not have vocal polyps or nodules, which is what I was most worried about. However, he did say that I had what looked like the beginning of vocal nodules. Not to cause me unnecessary anxiety, he explained that some singers develop them and don't mind because they use what it does to their voice to an advantage. But he also recommended being proactive about it to make sure my throat stays healthy and strong for as long as I want to keep on keeping on with the singing. He recommended I see a speech therapist that is also a singer who works at St. Frances, and that she would help me to use my voice as effectively as I do without putting as much stress on it.
Doc also said that I have some silent acid reflux going on (silent because I don’t normally feel it), and that this can cause scar tissue to develop over time. He recommended watching the acidic food that I eat (i.e. tomato sauce, etc.), trying not to eat too close to going to sleep, and taking Tums once a day - no need for a prescription antacid at this point. I can do that. (And by the way, you’re not supposed to eat within 6 hours of going to sleep - but even the doc was like, “Who can do that?”)
Basically the message of the visit was: be proactive. He mentioned Adele as someone who didn't properly take care of their voice and subsequently had to have surgery to correct the damage. I think I would like to avoid that. But because my mind works the way that it does, I keep thinking that with every word I speak and every note I sing I'm damaging my voice. Yay! Well, I'm sure that feeling will go away. Or at least it would for someone who is less neurotic.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Hell Is In The Details
Ask any creative person: some days things just don't work the way you want them to. No matter how much time, effort, skill, and energy you might put into a project, on some nights nothing sounds good; nothing looks good; nothing reads well. Its frustrating, to say the least, but we all deal with it.
Last night I was working at the studio with Jared Anderson, the guitarist for my band In The Pocket, as well as The Big Shoe and Perfect Thyroid. We were working on a song called, "The World Outside." We tried this, we tried that - this tone, that tone - this strum pattern, that strum pattern - etc. But sadly, most of the time I sat there behind the control panel thinking about how nothing we were doing was working the way I wanted it to. And this is not in any way to say that what we were working on was bad or that he was playng poorly. Quite the opposite. But sometimes nothing sounds good. Nothing sounds like it's working. Hell, it turns out, is in the details. I'm convinced it's a struggle that every creative person goes through at one time or another, and some more often than others. It's times like these when one could benefit from someone who knows what the hell they're doing! Haha.
And corny and hilarious as it may be, I'm reminded of this Meatloaf lyric:
"Some days it don't come easy
Some days it don't come hard
Some days it don't come at all
And these are the days that ever end."
(Hey, don't knock Meatloaf. Jim Steinman wrote some great songs for him.)
I'm sure this feeling is being exasperated by the fact that we've been working on this record for more than 10 months and it isn't done yet. But that's just how it is, and I've just gotta roll with it. Its more or less like everything else in life.
Last night I was working at the studio with Jared Anderson, the guitarist for my band In The Pocket, as well as The Big Shoe and Perfect Thyroid. We were working on a song called, "The World Outside." We tried this, we tried that - this tone, that tone - this strum pattern, that strum pattern - etc. But sadly, most of the time I sat there behind the control panel thinking about how nothing we were doing was working the way I wanted it to. And this is not in any way to say that what we were working on was bad or that he was playng poorly. Quite the opposite. But sometimes nothing sounds good. Nothing sounds like it's working. Hell, it turns out, is in the details. I'm convinced it's a struggle that every creative person goes through at one time or another, and some more often than others. It's times like these when one could benefit from someone who knows what the hell they're doing! Haha.
And corny and hilarious as it may be, I'm reminded of this Meatloaf lyric:
"Some days it don't come easy
Some days it don't come hard
Some days it don't come at all
And these are the days that ever end."
(Hey, don't knock Meatloaf. Jim Steinman wrote some great songs for him.)
I'm sure this feeling is being exasperated by the fact that we've been working on this record for more than 10 months and it isn't done yet. But that's just how it is, and I've just gotta roll with it. Its more or less like everything else in life.
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