Time apparently flies...

So... it appears that my last post was in May of 2012.
Must be about time for another one...

I'd be a liar if I said that not much has happened in all that time.
I'd also be a liar if I said that I remembered all of it!
It's a stretch to say I remember most of it but... I guess I should try.

Lost some people over the past six years... some very close.
Still with my wonderful beautiful Lady, I'm pleased to report.
Still working on my music... actually have a few under copyright.
Reconnected with a few folks from my past... one in particular that kind of has me over the moon with joy.

And... still in Deception Gulch!
My Lady and I hope to find truly "greener pastures" in the not too distant future but considering the state of affairs this country is in these days... Jerome still has that sense of community that is healthy and helpful.

Moving on...

Last year was completely filled with construction on our property... and I mean completely! Much needed repairs but we are so glad that part is done... well there are still some repairs needed (isn't that the plight of property owners?) but at least the non-stop (except for the days long breaks) construction crews are no longer here and we can actually see what plants survived.

In 2015 I decided that it was actually time to do something about all of the songs I had been writing over the years. December 3, 2015... the 4th anniversary of my son's passing... was the day it all began. I have a buddy that is a trained musician and he agreed to help me with the recording aspect of the project. He dove deeply into the machinations of digital recording and we began.

A great deal of time was involved in learning how to set up the recording situation. You know, mic placement, volume and tone settings, etc. While he was learning the actual recording side of things I was having my mind blown learning about arranging. I have been in a few bands (combos mostly) over the years but I had been performing as a solo artist for a long time. Just me and my faithful Washburn acoustic guitar. Well, when you are playing for a crowd of liquor drinking folk looking for a good time (and seeing as how my main genre of music was Classic Rock)... it is important to keep the sound coming out of the P.A. system so that is what I did. Strummin' and singing... full tilt boogie! But now that I'm in the recording studio and have the ability to lay down multiple tracks... I became introduced to the world of musical arranging! A totally new concept for me especially considering that it was up to me to lay down most (if not all) of the tracks. My mind began to explode!

Bottom line... I did not have to be continuously strumming my axe!

I have always been a rhythm guitar kind of player. Never really learned things like melody lines or riffs to accompany another player. I was usually the vocalist so being the rhythm guitar always seemed like enough. I do consider myself a half decent bass player but I have not yet learned how to sing lead and play bass at the same time. So... I do have an understanding of how to accompany other players... in concept. But never had much experience in doing it.

Now that I am in the studio... I started off by doing what I've always done: play rhythm guitar (track #1); sing lead vocal (track #2); maybe play some bass (track #3); vocal harmonies (tracks #4+) and occasionally add some keyboard (track #5). I would lay these tracks down either to a metronome or a drum track created by my buddy.

Good enough... right? Not really. Because now I have the ability to not be strumming on every beat. A concept totally new and foreign to me in most of my solo performing. I would listen to what I had recorded and realized that there was so much more that could be done if I could change my guitar style from always strumming to something more artistically musical and, therefore, more entertaining to the listener.

Hence... "arranging" and that is where I am these days. Trying to think like an arranger. Of course, if I had the money I would hire other musicians to help me and I could count on their individual tastes and styles to inspire me.

I'll let you know how this next step works out for me and, hopefully, it won't be another six years before I post again!

T.F.O.T.H.