make music

Yesterday afternoon, I got a phone call asking if I was available to come into the city and record some keyboard parts. Naturally, I said yes. So EJ and I jumped on the train and were there in under an hour. I got to play a Hammond organ in a really sweet studio for a producer who is somewhat important – I have no idea of how important, I just know that he is somewhat important. Then after we were done, it wasn’t a really long session, they gave me a check as well!! Much better than a kick in the head!

Ok, I am going to start releasing tracks on successive Mondays. The whole collection of tracks is called dark matter.

The work and the process are both inspired by the podcast at spacemusic.nl, my fascination with science, scifi and the inner workings of being human. Is that enough pretension for you?

This is the first track, out of my new collection, if you really like it let TC at spacemusic.nl know about it so I can end up on his podcast.

Track One
Lament of the Squeakazoid
an EckenrodeHouse production.

Today was a really great day for making progress on the music front. EJ played quite independently all day with my pen, an old cell phone and a shoe catalog. This gave me lots of time to work on the Big Finale of my new music release. I am so excited to be able to make this new music. I have no delusions of greatness, in fact some of this is downright difficult to deal with and I’m the one making it.

I keep thinking of my Dad as I work on this piece. I know that if he puts it in the CD player in the car as he heads off for work or a soccer trip, that if he bothers listening to the whole work, he’ll say something like, “this gives me the heebiee-jeebiees!” It’s ok, I know it’s challenging to be able to call it music. Yes there is some piano playing from the studio a couple weeks ago, there is also some electronic beats and sound effects as well as some serious digital manipulations. I like the effects and can see the progess at work.

Really, to me it feels like I am making a sonic version of a Jackson Pollack painting. Big, messy and strangely beautiful in the ordered chaos. It’s very exciting to me none the less, and I hope to be able to share the complete work with the World soon.

using audacity, I have begun to remix my music into an ambient album. I believe that I will be able to publish it when I am done. I am really, really excited about the prospect of putting together music again for the first time in a long time.

I downloaded audacity yesterday and some free loops and made some tracks of electronica yesterday and this morning. Then this afternoon, I took EJ to a studio that my friend has and recorded some piano tracks. I’ll be able to take them home with me and do some mixing and messing with the sounds. Right now, Squeaky is sitting in front of the mixing board in the studio and she is totally fascinated by all the buttons in the room!

I will be going into the studio next week to begin a recording project. I am so stoked and happy! EJ will be in the room providing whatever sounds she feels are necessary to the work. I think our collaboration will be sort of a Jackson Pollack work of art in musical aspects.

This afternoon, I took my guitar down from the wall and opened up an songbook of some old favorites. As soon as I started with the first riff of “Immigrant Song” EJ started to squeak and dance! She tried to jump up and down and rock out with me. When I let out my blood-curdling howl to began singing, she mimicked me and pounded on the body of the guitar!

She really likes the guitar alot, and the piano keyboard is fun for her to bang on as well. At a coffeeshop the other day, a nanny from the neighborhood called her a “Rockstar Baby.” It’s true, EJ is a Rockstar. I must play guitar more often for her sake!

I have enjoyed listening to the selections of music from this website for quite some time now, and have always thought that there are things I could contribute to their collection.

It’s not that you are bad, just that you aim to improve. Practice makes it so. Play your instrument (that includes singing) as frequently as possible.