My
first album is in the works!
Since October 2003 I have been working on what will hopefully be the
first of many recordings -- hopefully due out Summer 2004
(...hopefully). Please keep checking back about the progress
and
availability of this album, or sign
up to receive my YahooGroup news
letter for notification.
If you want to read the big story behind how this whole crazy album
idea got started, please see the blethering I've put in my Archived News section.
Update
16June04
Progress is going well. I'm learning a lot, working on my
piping,
and enjoying myself with this project. I've also
been
learning how much work goes into one of these things -- I'm
told
the 1st one is always the most involved and it only gets easier after
that. I'm hoping to start laying down tracks this
summer. My goal is to have this ready come Spring
2005 in
time for Northwest Folklife; if things go well, I'd like to have this
ready in time for Xmas 2004.
Thanks for all the support I have received so far from my friends
&
family, my patient & inspiring instructor, the people I meet
public
& their encouragement, and my fellow musicians who are helping
me
along -- without all of you, particularly the latter, I'd be nowhere.
Update
17Jan06
Wow -- has it been that long since I've written an
update?!?! Well, wadda-ya-know -- here's the new
latest-latelys...
Like I said last time... I've learned that an album is not a quick
project -- particularly when you're working to improve your playing
before recording. None the less, this album endeavor
is not
a bunch hype I've been feeding everybody -- its real and happening, and
it is developing in its own natural time. Every time
I've
stated my goal of when to have this available, it's always been just
that -- a goal, which is
flexible and maybe helps direct you, where as deadline are
firm. It remains my intention with this project to produce a
finished recording that I'm wholly happy with and humbly comfortable
putting a copy of into a listener's hands. Other
musicians
like Eric Clapton or Dave Matthews Band, even other pipers, could
likely record a complete album literally over-night, I'm sure, but
gladly I'm not them.
So where am I headed from here?
---
I have a small
amount of copyright research left to complete...
---
I've been working
on my playing and right now I'm the best I've ever been...
---
A little more
refining of my playing and I'll be ready to start recording this puppy!
So
it's always getting closer, and it's always getting more and more
exciting. Oh ... and I'll probably have to get a
musician-day-job first so I can afford the studio fees.
If
you'd like to hear some demos I've made, please check out my MySpace
profile. I've also been a part of a band for more than a year
now
-- The Bag'n'Pipe Hoppers -- featuring Highland bagpipes played against
heavy hip-hop drum beats, and often we have a guest
percussionist. It's a crazy mix, but it works (our MySpace
profile
with sound samples). Lastly, for the past two years I've been
the
chief consultant for www.PipeFetish.com ... which I can only best
describe as "functional-art Highland bagpipes" -- exciting stuff, also
with a MySpace profile (sound samples of these amazing pipes soon).
Lastly ... You're going to start seeing
changes with my web-site, and I'm sure for a while things are going to
be a bit funky and quite of the "UNDER CONSTRUCTION" flavor -- that's
because I've started learning how to code HTML. Its a bit
bumpy
right now, but I seem to be picking things up quickly.
Update
14Nov06
Cool stuff as this year is coming to a close!
I've been working on getting the afore-mentioned musician day-job -- I
know, I've broken down (LOL), but that's OK, most of us have 'em -- but
no worries. My work on my fingering over the past
month or
two has been particularly focused; when I listen to recordings of my
playing from even one or two months ago, I can hear the improvement to
where I'm at now.
Lately I've been researching recording equipment as it seems I'll be
capturing this album myself -- this makes my project even more of a
typical first-album as many musicians go, but I'm looking forward to it
-- I think I'll enjoy it and I know I'll be learning a great
deal. In conjunction with this, I've been thinking about and
looking around for recording locations that will probably work -- for
free -- given the kind of gear I'm planning on purchasing and the
different types of instruments I'll be recording. All things
combined, I believe I have a pretty clear picture and good plan at this
point.
SO... with gainful employment, the rate my fingers are progressing, and
purchasing recording equipment via the earnings from said gainful
employment, right now I'm projecting that I will be ready &
able to
start recording in three to six months from now; it is my belief in the
possibility of my album being complete in time for Folklife 2008,
possibly and ideally around this time next year -- ready for the 2007
holiday season.
Update
24Feb07
Finished
a contribution to a Greek Metal Band's album
at the beginning of this
month -- Dol
Amroth's
"Ten Tunes Around Europe", due out around early
summer. Very glad to get some fantastic photos taken around
the same
time, which can been seen with the present version of this site --
Thanks to AndyL for putting his time & skills to my needs!
I'm job
hunting right now, have some good prospects lined
up,
I'm working my networking, and I'm attending some fantastic workshops.
Feels weird going from being self employed back into the
workforce,
but things are looking good. Making continued progress on my
playing.
I'm liking more and more of what I'm hearing, and my
instructor
has
had good things to say as well. I recently purchased some
goods
for my
pipes and am looking to have some modifications performed soon which
will make my pipes play even better. I've been researching
recording
gear toward my album and I believe I have a good idea of what I'll be
getting once I'm working and have the money to finance this stuff.
Additionally, I'm hoping to make more demos for my current
album project. I lately had yet another idea for an album
concept
-- I
think I'm up to 7 or 8 now. I'm enjoying working with the
pipe
band I
helped to co-found last year -- John Cunningham Memorial Tartan
(Alumni?) Pipe Band. Right now we're looking at some St.
Patrick's Day
dates. I'm also learning a good deal right now with working
to
make my
own website -- I'm excited about hopefully launching it soon.
Update
14May07
Last week I worked from Sunday through Sunday to record a live
CD
of myself, titled "Sanctuary I" because its my first such effort and I
recorded it in the sanctuary of a church. I dedicated to my
mom
for Mother's Day 2007 (see my merchandise page for details).
The first three days of this work bore no fruit for my effort.
The fourth day I seemed to have all the bugs fixed.
I
worked for about 6 hours straight, got about two hours of recording,
which I thought would be the end of it -- but that only resulted in
34mins of finished work... which I should add left me with some
exhaustion I felt for the next two days but a sense of satisfaction
just the same. So, Saturday late evening after busking all
day, I
pulled another 1.5hr session which bumped the CD over the 40min mark.
Folks have told me I probably could have released it with the
original 30+mins of work, but anything under 40mins didn't feel right.
Its a rough recording -- I finally got to hear it all for the
first time with my mom -- but I think it works.
Here's the thing... While this recording is rough, I can't express how
much I learned -- well, not without boring just about everyone.
Making such a recording, rough as it is but start to finish
within such a short period of time, I have had an experience that shows
me what's coming up with my album. In my mind, this has been
another invaluable experience on the way to my first album.
19Feb08