Another Time

Another long, wet spring is upon us, but I’m not complaining.  Green is worth waiting for and the later it comes, the later it will keep.  Rambles around the property involve much slip-sliding in the mud and Mill Creek is too high to cross, but I’m grateful for the rain. 

Hamfist has finished recording our first album and hopes to have a disk ready by early summer. It was a fascinating process. In the last 10 years, digital tools have transformed the recording process. Anyone with the right computer, software and a few microphones can become a recording engineer. I’ve been through the process twice now, but have never actually gone “into the studio” as they used to say. The Hamfist album was recorded at Jimmy’s warehouse, the BGS album was recorded at an office space.  Regardless of their "DIY" nature, both experiences gave me a tremendous amount of information about my musicianship.  This is going to sound terribly conceited, but here goes: my voice records well. There’s something about my timbre and pitch that sounds good “on tape.”  I’ve learned my strengths (dynamics, pitch) and what I need to work on (e.g. rounder vowels!) But, generally speaking, I like the way I sound on a record. 

I imagine that attitude is not shared by everyone I work with.

Sequoia and I are contemplating a long car trip out to Cripple Creek Colorado this summer.  We’d take his truck and camp along the way. In my pre-Sequoia days I spent two strange summers in Colorado Springs, including one very wild weekend up at Cripple Creek. I was a different person then, full of wonder, fierce and free.  Looking back is like looking at a different person. I’d like to take a shot at reconnecting with that girl, but I wouldn’t go back. I like where I am right now.