Studio Journal | Latest News | Recommendations

NEW CD (FALL 2008 Release) | Songs of Praise CD Journal

Thursday, May 8, 2008

We spent the day at Annex Recording Studios at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in Draper, Utah. Drummer & Percussionist Randy Herbert layed down some beautiful elements. The music was taked to a whole new level. I like working with him because he can feel the vibe immediately and know where I'm headed musically.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

After laying most of the sratch tracks we began adding different elements. Ryan is a great guitar & bass player and so we're layering tracks around the theme with various sounds. I'm adding module effects and layering tracks to enrich the piece and make things feel bigger even though there is a lot of simplicity in these tunes.

Several tunes are really upbeat and happy. I'm used to writing a lot of melancholy piano but I'd like to explore other areas. Like, I was thinking about how happy I am in my marriage and sat at the piano and began playing a rhythm of major chords E flat and A flat.

We met with drummer and percussionist Randy Herbert and he's on board to lay some tracks. He's got a great feel.

The songs are beginning to speak to me and tell me what they mean. It's like hearing a tune that sounds like watching the sunrise and naming it "Sunrise." This is one of the more difficult things I have to do is to name a song - because how do you creatively name an emotion or experience without it sounding cliche or over-used.

My wife mis-carried another child (this is our 4th mis-carriage) and so in search of solace I sat at the piano and wrote a tune called "Monday Morning." Millions of women deal with mis-carriage. It is not an easy thing to go through. The tune has a sad feel but you also feel some hope in it.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Last month I began the album process. I had no pre-written music. It seems more pleasing to just jump into it. And I usually like to work with someone; you know to bounce ideas back and forth between. In the past, I've enjoyed working with several people; Steele Croswhite, Jon Shults, Joshua Waldron, Steve Nelson, and Ryan Stewart. Each has taught me a great deal about song-writing and working in the studio. This new project I am joined by Ryan Tilby. He is brilliant and a diverse musician and engineer. Ryan is the bass player in Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband. I am looking forward to our end result.

We started with a few themes I had been messing around with. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a "Songs of Praise" type album and get Steele back on board to sing or whether I wanted to go with more of an instrumental "Faithful" or "Miracles" album. Ryan and I worked through some ideas and realized we should focus on the songs and if they need a voice - get a voice. After laying most of the stratch tracks we decided to not write any lyrics. The instruments seem to tell a story.

We're headed in a good direction.

Theme? What does the music mean? I'm calling the album, Living for Eden. The music feels like I'm dealing with some tough personal issues but I couldn't be more happy or content with my life. So it's a mix of different emotions. The music are feelings rather than stories. Emotions I experience. The album is a chapter in my life.