Lately - Recording

Been busy in these parts (I know - redundant, just about all you here from me lately, but true).

Working through a TON of post-production work, including masters of the MusicNow festival.  So amazing to say the least, as you can see from my look of enthusiasm below.

Fan girl?  Mmm, perhaps.  Still can't get over that weekend.  Reminds me why I choose to be in a creative field with the likes of these genius minds.  Truly inspiring. (Yes, Isaac.  You are brilliant.  Thanks for being you and crazily enthused about music).

Amongst the album projects, subscription recordings and broadcasts - I peeled away some time to go to my home town, the Lou, to hang with family and good, amazingly talented friends.  I am continually amazed to hear and see the work my colleagues are doing in St. Louis.  An inspiring and humbling visit.  

And yep! - dorks.  Although, I have to admit - I was participating but had to peel away to snag the pic.  Love you guys!

And I got to catch up briefly with this gent.  Barry is the reason I am in this industry to begin with (yes, I blame you!).  I tried to quit after Audio I and he threatened to hunt me down and tie me to the Audio II chair.  I was going to do this whether I like it or not 'because you have the ears dammit, you just need to listen like an engineer AND a musician!'.  

Miss this guy and was so so happy to see him.  He has no idea how much his teaching has meant to me through the years.  Truly a mentor (and you too Paul.  Pan West suckaz!).

Back to catching up on masters, producing broadcasts, editing/mixing American Originals and LumenSessions.  Material coming soon!

PS - Oh! And hanging with this very cool wee man.  All signed up for camps this summer - Ballet (Peter Pan!!), Rock Climbing, the Zoo and swim lessons!  Woot!

Around Here - Bucket List

Ah!  Bucket list moment today.  I will try not to fan girl here, because really this is about a professional dream come true.

Since the beginning of time... really - since becoming an audio engineer and working in the classical industry, I have hoped one day to work on a show with a favorite band.  Like - Metallica S&M style - with a Symphony, get it?  If not, look it up.  

I've been in Cincinnati now for 8.5 years.  Yep! Count 'em.  8.5 quick years (when you record every subscription concert, commercial records, the Opera and countless other acts in town - time flies).  Point is - I've been rocking out to some of my favorite groups for years thinking 'this would orchestrate beautifully!' or 'Music Hall would be jam packed if they played with this band!'.  You get the idea. 

Well folks - it's happened.  After 9 years of festival making and building relationships with strong repertoire, Bryce Dessner has brought the National into Music Hall and enveloped them with Louis Langrée and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the 10th annual Music Now Festival.  

And yes, I am recording it for broadcast and archive.  With the RIO 3224 in all it's cat5 glory, my Yamaha and Seqouia.  It's going down.  Bucket List wish.  Thank you Mr. Dessner, Matt, Bryan, Ben, Scott, Nico (Muhly - Mozart of our time), Kyle and the CSO.

*Saturday is equally delicious.  Sufjan Stevens performs with Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner - Planetarium.  All sorts of amazing ridiculousness!!!! 

Podcasts

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'Ab-gasms!'

You'd only get a beautifully made up word like this from the Nerdist.  Podcasts have quickly become a regular for me.  Instead of half listening/half watching free shows on Hulu, I now opt for the Podcasts.  Here are a few I adore, the Nerdist being first on the list:

The Nerdist - This one is hilarious - most of the time, to say the least.  It's hosted by Chris Hardwich, you might know from Talking Dead - he's joined by Jonah Ray and Matt Mira.  All have a ton of production experience in comedy and bring on the greatest guests.  No spoilers - just listen.  The word Ab-gasm comes from this podcast. Enough said.

Reasonably Sound - A friend of mind got me hooked on this one.  Mike Rugnetto is the host, exploring and celebrating the complexities of sound.  I think this one is great for audiophiles that don't consider themselves audiophiles (ugh, self-proclaimed audiophiles - personal pet peeve).  He has a great one on eaves dropping.

Slate's Culture Gabfest - Which I enjoy more than the political gabfest.  That one depresses me a bit.  The culture gabfest touches on some political issues but talks about things on a more global basis.  And, for me - has a bit more humor to it. 

Pensado's Place - Since I am an audio engineer, of course this is on my list.  Dave Pensado interviews some of the best engineers, producers and people in the industry.  The interviewing - not always the best, but there is always a mixing and/or producing gem worth tuning in for.

Bret Easton Ellis - Ellis isn't producing any new podcasts, but so many of these are timeless - aside from the current events they talk about, obviously.  But that's one of the greatest things about the podcast.  Bret Easton Ellis (author of American Psycho) always starts with a long winded, beautifully written diatribe and has guests (major guests!) on to talk about everything BUT; BUT - what they are working on, new projects - things like that.  His intention is t to ouch on the things he cares about.  Love it - and his attitude.

WTF - hosted by Marc Maron.  Of course this is on the list.  Anyone that is anyone following the podcast world listens to this one.  Marc Maron is great - not always the best interviewer in my opinion, much more a Nerdist fan, but he has the greatest guests on.  I still dig it.

 

 

Recording - Currently...

Fan girl moment.

1.  I had sessions with Dom Flemmons yesterday.  

Yay!  I do so much live recording, I'd almost forgotten what studio sessions felt like!  So, so good.  And Dom - what a blast to work with.  THE American Songster.  So much style and so much flare.  

photo borrowed from city winery, in Chicago, Il.  

I was accompanied by producer, Elaine Martone and Sam Strater (both equally brilliant in different ways!) and the infamous John Morris Russell (you may know him simply as JMR).  We had a blast and regret not snagging pics.  Sorry!

2.  The LumenSessions

Which is how I refer to them as of yet.  I am not at liberty to talk about this too much.  But basically - I did some sessions, with this really great orchestra of amazing material with a brilliant conductor.  It was a grueling 3 hours, but an incredibly fun adrenaline rush.  As always.

3.  Joe Henry

So I recorded this brilliant human being.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Please tap on the link below.  Joe will be featured on the American Originals recording we did in January (live in Music Hall.  Thank you Yamaha and Audinate for your brilliant, sexy cat5 systems).  He's not just a music man, he's a philosopher.  

4.  MusicNow

Coming up next week!  I will be recording the Music Hall performances (as of yet) for archive and local broadcast.  Let me just mention briefly who is involved and proceed to leave you with a Spotify playlist.  Echem - Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Bryce Dessner, Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, So Percussion, The National, Caroline Shaw and Mina Tindle.  I am so pumped about this festival for so many reasons.  Thank you Bryce, for curating something so wonderful.

... and a beautiful video of Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly and Bryce Dessner's collaboration on Planetarium.  Also being performed!

Oh, Cincinnati.  You keep me busy and my babysitter employed.  But thank you for keeping this culture alive so my son can one day revel in it's beauty!

Music Elitist

Someone called me this the other day and it just about broke my heart.

This is a depiction of chromesthesia "the sound to cloud synesthesia, which is a type of synesthesia in which heard sounds automatically and involuntarily evoke an experience of color" I believe Pharrell Williams has the opposite form of this.  To hear/see music in this way - wow!  Borrowed from Noisey - Music by Vice

I can't even begin to describe it.  Music has always been a part of my life - since I can remember.  I started out on the piano at 4 and have played since.  My profession is even completely surrounded by this one thing - music.

But all music.  Just because I primarily record in one industry doesn't mean my Spotify playlists aren't flooded with everything from Sonic Youth to Bob Marley; U2 and Toto to B.B. King; Tchaikovsky and Monteverdi to Walk the Moon.  I mean - I'm a recording engineer and not even a fidelity snob!  Elitist?  Brutal.  

So I get really pumped about music.  It moves me in a way I can't quite explain.  A friend of mine once said when he walks around he hears music - almost always.  Like he has his own personal sound track all the time.  Hearing music when the weather changes.  I absolutely connected with that.

Now, I know not everyone connects with music like this.  I get it.  Just like there are artists that connect with strokes of a brush that I struggle to feel.  BUT, that doesn't mean I want them to contain their energy - enthusiasm for something that brings them such great emotion.  I know what that feels like and would never begrudge them the opportunity to reveal that connection to me.

There are so many great things about the culture of music and how it effects societies - creates communities, that I can't help but crave introducing people to the art.  I want them to have a great experience - hear though my ears - feel it like I do or even better - create their own experience!

I guess, if that makes me an elitist.  So be it.  My apologies for my enthusiasm.  I'd contain it, but I simply can't.