Feb 09, 2008 - New CD in progress...follow the action!

After selling off most of my recording gear, and then instantly regretting it, I have rebuilt my home studio into a workable place to lay down tracks and throw some stuff together.

As a result, after having been inspired by a few of the other HRC regulars, I have decided to put together a new CD. Taking it one step further, I have also decided that I'm not going to use ANY previously written material. As of February 5th, all of the songs for this project will be written and recorded from here on out.

I've even gone as far as setting up a Blogspot page to track my progress. In just a few short days I've managed to write three and a half songs, and even laid down some tracks on a couple of them.

All lyrics and mp3s are available in the blog.

Here's the link:

http://homerecordinglog.blogspot.com/

Dec 09, 2007 - Recording Gear Soon

Well, that didn't last long! After having rid myself of all recording gear, I just won an eBaY auction for a Line 6 TonePort UX1. I just wanted something that would let me record one track at a time, and that would be an all-in-one piece of gear. I don't want to have to buy pre-amps and compressors and audio interfaces and guitar amp simulators and on and on. Based on the research I did, the TonePort will allow me to do the scaled back types of recording that I do. Usually, that means building songs from the ground up.

As soon as it arrives I must get going on my entry into Bleak's Musical Challenge, which is recording Nirvana's "Come As You Are" as a ballad. Where's Barry Manillow when you need him?

Dec 07, 2007 - No more recording gear

About two weeks ago I unloaded almost all of my recording gear on eBay. I'm not sure why I did it. I guess that I just got a wild hair up my butt and decided that everything must go. I saved a few microphones and cables and stuff. Anything that I thought might be useful with The Cutaways performances. Other than that, it's all gone. At the moment, I don't even have a recording interface for my computer. I could record spit if I wanted to.

I'm looking at getting a Line 6 TonePort. That's it. For the amount of recording that I do, and for the eventual purpose of my music, I don't really need anything else. I don't think that The Cutaways will ever record again. It's hard enough getting together for one practice...how are we ever going to find time to record?

Mostly, I record for my own enjoyment. I usually post my work here at HRC, but I don't really do it for the constructive feedback. I rarely make the changes that people suggest. Not because I think they're wrong and that my music is just too great to change. More because I'm too lazy and I usually like to leave things the way they are. However, there's a good chance that I'll take those tips and put them toward future recordings.

My goal is to record a CD of my own songs with just me and my acoustic guitar. More as a memoir than anything else. We'll see how it goes.

Jul 25, 2006 - Cover Band Getting Old

I've been playing with The Cutaways for about four years now. I am one of the charter members. I actually started the band with one other guy, who is no longer in the band. I guess that makes me the only remaining original member.

I have a great time playing in the band. We gig about three or four times a month, which is perfect for my busy schedule. It's great walkin' around money, and rockin' out is a great stress reliever.

Nevertheless, I'm getting a bit tired of playing everybody else's songs. As a cover band, we are somewhat committed to playing the songs that people want to hear. Tavern owners who hire us expect us to entertain the customers and get them out on the dance floor and show them a great time. We do that. The more we do that, the more booze they sell.

During our recent three day stint at Country Jam USA, we had the opportunity to not necessarily get people out on the dance floor, but rather provide background and listening music while people relaxed and ate and drank. This meant that we could play whatever songs we wanted to and nobody would care.

This was a great opportunity for us to play some of our (my) original songs. We did about five or six of my own songs, and they were actually very well-received by the crowd. It made me feel great to see people tapping their toes and intently listening to the songs that we were singing. By the end of the weekend, we had played my songs enough times that some of the VIP tent "regulars" were actually singing along. It was encouraging and reaffirming to see my music have an impact on other people.

Now, it's back to cover songs. Friday night we play out on the Tiki Bar at Jake's on Tainter Lake here in Menomonie. It's a great gig, but I'll really miss the opportunity I had to play my own songs for once.

Jul 23, 2006 - Country Jam

For the fourth straight year in a row my band, The Cutaways, played back in the VIP area at Country Jam USA in Eau Claire, WI. Here's the gig: whenever there's no music on the main stage, we are playing on a liitle stage back in the VIP area. The VIP area is where all of the VIP ticket holders go between main stage acts to eat as much complimentary food and drink as much complimentary alcohol as they can before the next act starts. ("Complimentary", as in "included in the $500 price tag of your VIP ticket.")

Anyway, we set up our gear and play about four hour long sets each day. We mostly play classic country songs, and some oldies rock, but that's about it. We're supposed to keep it pretty low-keyed. We don't typically do a lot of country music in our usual shows, so it's fun to do something different and dust off some of the songs that we haven't done since last year at Country Jam.

The first three sets of the day usually go great, with many people happy to just sit there and listen to us while they eat and drink. But by the fourth set, all hell usually breaks loose do to the mass quantities of alcohol that have been consumed over the past six hours. (It should be mentioned that we get to eat and drink as much as we can as well.) There's always tons of scantilly clad babes, drunker than skunks, that just go nuts. It's a pretty funny sight to see twenty year-old women really digging the music of a bunch of old fat guys.

I don't know how people can drink that much for three straight days. It would kill me.

As far as the main stage acts, it was all very predictable. Every group comes out and does a few hits, a few songs off of their latest CD, and then a Led Zeppelin or ACDC cover song. Finally, they introduce the band and play their biggest hit and then they're gone. Many of them rely on video and fancy lighting to make up for the lack of a stage presence. Also, there was the obligatory "Packer Fans" reference, and the politically correct and blindly patriotic patronizing of the crowd with a song about red, white and blue. It's no wonder country acts come and go so quickly.

One bright spot was a group called Sawyer Brown. They have been around since the eighties, and they haven't lost a thing. They know how to work a crowd, and their songs actually have some real emotional and intellectual content. I started tearing up during their song called "The Walk", because it reminded me of my dad, and how the growing up and growing old process is something that we all go through. Sawyer Brown is a great band, and these up-and-comers should read a page from their book.

Anyways, I'm already looking forward to next year's Country Jam USA!

Jun 09, 2006 - School's Out!!

Here I sit so contentedly...school is out for the summer! For the first summer in a long, long time I will not be working or teaching summer school or doing anything of any substance...and it feels great. Three months of being Mr. Mom.

My kids are busy and into a lot of things, but they're getting to the age when they can mostly fend for themselves. Give a ride here, fix a meal there, a little light domestic chore once in a while, it all sounds good.

I had an extremely stressful school year. A few of the Emotionally & Behaviorally Disturbed (EBD) children in my class really took it out of me. Appropriately enough, one of them was even escorted from the school on his last day by a police officer. The other really demented one spent most of her time in the EBD room because she just couldn't keep it together long enough to make it through the day.

Part of me understands why they always freak out this time of the year. They're EBD for a reason, and that reason usually revolves around a messed up home life. Well..guess what. While most kids love summer vacation and spending time at home with their families and friends, the EBD kids don't have that to look forward to. School is their only real support system, and they are realizing that they will be without it for three months. They really piss me off on a daily basis, but I just can't help but feeling sorry for them.

As for me, it's off to the golf course. I'm a crappy golfer. I usually shoot between 95 and 100 for 18 holes. Considering that fact that I have been golfing for over 30 years, I really suck. My goal is to seek some professional assistance in turning my game around, and perhaps lower my average score to between 80 and 85. It's all about consistency, and I don't have it.

I sure hope to get back to some real recording in the next few weeks. I have a good six to eight songs that are just sitting there waiting to be committed to bits and bytes. It's been a while, and I'm ready to really spend some time with it. We'll see.

Happy Summer!

May 10, 2006 - Resurgence of Topical Music

I'm in my glory right now! Two of my all-time favorite recording artists have just released new CDs.

First, Bruce Springsteen's new album, "The Seeger Sessions" is an incredible collection of traditional folk songs recorded with a New Orleans-style big band sound. I am a folkie from yesteryear, and have always been a big fan of Pete Seeger. I've even seen him live in concert a couple of times with Arlo Guthrie. I love the topical/political edge to Seeger's music, even if I don't always agree with his message. He's all about being a man built for others, and I must respect that.

Bruce's renditions of the songs are great. While they may not be what most of his fans were looking for in terms of a new CD, they are just what I was looking for. Not the same old same old. His disdain for our president is well-hidden, but it's there if you look and listen for it.

Neil Young's new album, "Living With War" is not nearly as subtle as "The Seeger Sessions". I've only listened to it a couple of times, so I'm still just beginning to soak up Neil's message. He's going for the throat, though, and he's got the balls to stand up and say what a lot of people are thinking. You go Neil....

The Dixie Chicks are coming out with a new CD in a few weeks. I have always liked the sound of the Chicks, even when the lead singer clouded the group in controversy by dissing the president. This is America...people have aright to say how they feel, don't they?

Anyway, I cut my teeth on topical folk songs of the 60's, and I'm very happy to see those types of songs making a comeback. Who knows, maybe even Dylan will weigh in again with some words of wisdom for the masses?

May 06, 2006 - Looking Forward to Summer

Whew!! I can't believe that there is only 24 days left in the school year! This has been a bit of a challenging year for me, so I have to honestly say that I will be glad to see it end. My fifth grade classroom was designated as the one that gets all (or most) of the special needs kids. I have two emotionally disturbed students and six students with some sort of learning disability. That's not to mention a handful of high-need students that aren't officially labeled. I'd hate to be a GOOD student in my classroom (and I have several) because you really get the raw end of the deal. I don't have any time and energy to devote to the high achievers this year. All of my efforts seem to be spent putting out fires and trying to pull the bottom up to the middle instead of pushing the middle to the top and the top to the limit.

I spent the entire month of March under the stress of wondering if my position was going to be cut. I was told on my way out the door for spring break that the school board was planning on cutting back, and that my classroom was one of those on the chopping block. All that worry for nothing, thankfully, as the board did restore my position. So all is well with that.

Anyway, summer is rapidly approaching, and I can't wait! I'll be teaching summer school all morning, but my afternoons and weekends will be free to do yardwork and housework and go golfing and (hopefully) record a whole bunch of music.

23 more days! Let the countdown begin!

May 04, 2006 - Selling Some CDs

Got an e-mail from a fellow out east who runs an educational supplies catalog/website called Chatham Hill Games. They specialize in materials dealing with American History. I sent him my "To Gettysburg" CD about a year ago to see if he was interested in marketing it for me.

(**My "To Gettysburg" CD was a collection of ten songs that I wrote and recorded. These songs retell some of the major events that transpired during the Battle of Gettysburg. I originally ordered up 100 copies and now only have 26 left. I've been selling them through my website and on eBaY.**)

Anyway, he's going to put it in the next version of his catalog, and also try to peddle it to some of his gift shop accounts in the Gettysburg area. Also, he's going to have one of his professional graphic designers redo the artwork at no cost to me. All in all, it is a great thing.

I don't have any pipedreams of hitting it big, but this is a great affirmation that what I am doing is worthwhile and of value to people other than myself. He's also interested on marketing any other projects that I might be working on. My latest project has been learning and writing folk songs based on major historical events of the past 225 years. Some are traditional folk songs and some are my own original compositions.

The Chatham Hills fellow has expressed interest in such a project, even going so far as to offer to do the artwork right from the start.

I guess I need to break out the recording gear one of these days and get busy!

Apr 22, 2006 - Saturday Morning

Here it is...Saturday morning! And I don't have a single place to be or game to watch or kid to taxi or anything else! So far I have eaten breakfast and watched cartoons with my 8 year-old daughter. And I'm about ready for an easy and relaxed morning constitutional. It doesn't get any better than this.

I weighed 179 pounds this morning. I've been on a weight loss kick since somewhere around the middle of January. Eating less, trying (without success) to exercise more. All told, I have lost about 17 pounds, in pursuit of the magic number of 25 pounds. If things progress as they have, I ought to be able to do it.

Last night Bob Dylan played a show in Des Moines, Iowa. I wanted to go real bad, because that's as close as he's coming on his tour this year (unless he adds some fall dates.) Nevertheless, it's a four-hour drive from here and it just didn't fit into the family picture. If it had been tonight, I'd be on my way there right now!

I've already seen Dylan three times in my concert attending career. I want to see him one more time before he hangs it up. A guy that has lived his lifestyle can't be long for this world. He's making some of his best music ever right now.

Bob Dylan has always been a huge inspiration for me. I got my start in music playing folk songs in the student union coffee house where I went to college. I played Dylan songs, John Prine, Neil Young, Woody Guthrie, and all of those other old folkie guys that were so popular back in the sixties and seventies. Plus, that's when I started writing songs as well.

I hope to get over to the music store today. I'm looking at buying a second guitar. I have the American Deluxe Telecaster that I bought last year, but I don't like always taking that to practice or to certain gigs where the stage is not a safe and secure place to leave a $1000 guitar. I'm looking for something used, maybe a Mexican Tele with a humbucker in it, or possible an Epiphone Les Paul. Something with a little different sound than my good guitar, but something that will stay in tune and can be used in practices and on stage. We'll see what they have there today...

My daughter is calling me...time for SpongeBob!