On Borrowed Time

In a perfect world, I would be telling you that RISE is completed and I can't stop doing happy little jigs all the time. As things actually stand, in what is commonly referred to as reality, we are just a handful of mixes and some mastering away from a completed album. This news has a huge silver lining to it because since we are NOT yet done, I don't have to say goodbye quite yet to this amazing time and the lovely people who have made this experience so wonderful.

And if you must know, there have still been some happy little jigs because the songs that we have completed mixing sound so good! They make me cry, they are that good. I really, really, really want to share them with you. I am chomping at the bit to even give you one little taste of the deliciousness I've been hearing. But I've decided to hold off and save it all for the big reveal. No appetizers at this banquet, but once dinner is served there will be 13 courses of flavorful songs to delightfully devour. Ok, so maybe I went a little bit too far with the food metaphor there, but you get the idea.

I've got some time off before we get back into the studio to finish off the mixing. So I've been making myself useful by starting to figure out what the heck I'm gonna do once this album is done. There is a whole world of endless tasks in the way of promotion and marketing: cd packaging, photo shoots, submitting the album for reviews, a cd release party, a tour of select cities; all of these things are percolating in my brain. I think partly I am trying to keep myself busy so I don't have to face the fact that this project is pretty much over.

It's been such an incredible process working on this record from start to finish. I am absolutely thrilled with how it's turning out and all the wonderful people who have lent their talents to make this project as good as it is. When I look back at where I was at the beginning of 2014 I am amazed by how far I've come and how much I've learned this year. I have been bold and courageous in pursuit of my dreams. I raised more money than I ever would've thought possible. I practiced my butt off and managed to hold my own playing with two of the most talented musicians I will ever meet. I spent hours and days carefully crafting and planning out the arrangements these songs. I have had the honor and the priviledge of working closely with the one and only Julie Wolf. I have been so incredibly blessed.

I hope as you look back on your year and take stock you can find your own host of things to hold dear and be proud of. I wish you a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year. May light and peace be abundant in 2015.

Gratitude

RISE is coming along quite nicely. Last week we finished up lead vocals, laid down some harmonies, trumpet, organ, and spent a day with a fantastic guitarist Michael Papenburg who created some beautiful, driving, and spacious layers to add to a bunch of tunes. I am amazed at how these songs keep sounding better and better.

We’ve just got a few more odds and ends to record and concurrently we’ll be diving into mixing next week. Mixing is the final stage of the project, when you take all the elements that you’ve recorded and make sure that everything is sounding it’s best, and all the different pieces are balanced and placed properly. The quality of the mix can make or break an album. Luckily, I’ve got a magician of an engineer doing my mixing, and Julie Wolf at the helm to guide and watch over the process. This is a very good thing, because honestly, there is a great deal that goes into mixing that is just over my head at this point. It takes a certain kind of ear and very fine tuned and specific listening to do it right, and while I’m sure by the end of this process I will be closer to having that kind of ear, it’s not something that comes naturally to me. That’s why I am so glad I’ve got the dream team in my corner, and I trust them completely to make this record sound fabulous.

 Julie Wolf and Adam Muñoz (aka The Magician)

I know there is still a lot to be done, and we won’t officially be finished for another couple weeks, but I am already starting to feel a bit sad that this project is coming to a close. I knew that it would go by fast, and I have been careful to thoroughly enjoy every bit of it. But like all good things, it must come to an end, and it’s going to be hard to let go. It’s been such a dream come true to work with so many talented people in one of the finest studios in the world. I am so thankful. SO THANKFUL!

I hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving. Thanks for following along with me as I walk this path, and thanks, as always, for listening. I am thankful for each of you. I am thankful for all the factors that synched up so that this project could come to fruition in such a wonderful form. I am thankful that there is yet work to be done and that I get to spend some more time with the wonderful people I’ve had the privilege of working with. I am thankful that after this project is over I will get to share the result with you and that there will be many new musical adventures to be had… 

Close Call

Last night, walking home from the bus stop I almost got hit by a car. That'll make you stop and take stock.

They were turning left. I was crossing University and the numbers were counting down but I had plenty of time to cross before the light turned red, so I was quickly making my way through the crosswalk. About halfway through, I look up and see this car coming towards me. I lock eyes with the driver and she looks shocked. It was one of those moments that happen really fast, but those few seconds expand in your mind so it feels like a lot longer. The car ended up stopping a few feet away from me and I just kept hustling to get out of the middle of the road. At first I was just indignant about the whole thing. What was she doing driving into me when I had the right of way? And my first thought after that one was: this cannot happen right now; I have an album to finish. As I continued walking home it slowly hit me that my evening could've just taken a very difficult turn. 

I was listening to Radiohead on my headphones and the song Videotape came on. It's a song about leaving a videotape to say goodbye to the people you love after you've died. It's one of my favorite Radiohead songs, just beautiful. I don't know if it was the song, or the stress, or the thoughts running through my head that I could be in an ambulance on my way to the hospital right now, but I found that there were tears streaming down my face. It's always so strange to be passing people on the street when you are openly crying. You feel like it's so obvious, but it was dark and most people aren't paying much attention to the other people they pass on the street so it's not likely they'll notice.

When I got home I lay down in bed and let myself cry for a while. I'd actually been in a funky mood all week so it felt good to let out some pent up emotion. Once I'd calmed down I started thinking about how thankful I was that the woman driving the car saw me and was able to stop in time. I thought about how everything for RISE is coming together so easily and beautifully. I thought about how thankful I am to have this project in my life that makes me really clear that I do not want to go anywhere.

Sometimes I think of myself cradled in the palms of God’s hands. It’s a very comforting image. It reminds me that everything there is to think about, it’s already been considered. This path has been laid out for me long before I was even strong enough to powerfully choose it, and everything is going to be all right no matter what happens.

I do believe that. Even if that car had hit me last night, somehow things would’ve worked out. But, thankfully, that wasn’t the plan.

Today we’re going to be sorting out string parts for a bunch of songs. Recently we’ve been finalizing some horn arrangements that are sounding so amazing! I need to start inventing adjectives to describe how wonderful they are… stupendincredifabulous. There you go. Gotta get going now. More from me later. Thanks for reading and I’m so glad to be writing to you with all of my limbs intact from the comfort of my home instead of laid up in some hospital bed. Phew!