I know that updates have been few and far between…what is it about the summer? Between the craziness that is actually recording an album, there have been lots of out-of-town visitors, lots of house-sitting, and generally the sorts of things that keep me away from my computer and make it impossible for me to keep track of time.
The album is chugging along all the while, however. After the lovely parts were added by both Peter Adams and Timothy Young, I went back into the studio and did some vocal overdubs, re-singing some songs and doubling or harmonizing with myself on others. Tim was there coming up with parts and generally cheering me on, as was Mike for some of the session. This album is challenging, vocally, to say the least. Both pitch and mood-wise, the highs are fairly high and the lows are low. Paradoxically, I find myself both fighting to ignore what I’ve learned through my classical training and also really relying a lot upon it. I think about Shirley Verrett, and my jaw, and my tongue, and about the soft palate, and breath control…singers will know what I mean. And yet what’s coming out is, well, rock ‘n roll! My musical life has been a pretty interesting journey so far.
Ryan will be getting to the mixing very soon, hopefully even in the next couple days, which means that the album will more or less be in its final form pretty shortly. The journey towards releasing it is, however, just beginning, as anxious as I might be for everyone to hear it NOW. I will certainly keep you posted.