I’ve lived in the “Emerald City” for over sixteen years now. Even saw the Scooter and the Big Man. Here. Of all places! And maybe Dorothy has always been right … “There’s no place like home.” I’ve clicked my heals together so many times. All I have to show for it? Worn out orthotics and flat-ass feet! But I’m not here to complain. Really! The best thing? I got some new original music out of it all. Woo hoo!

I’ve had occasion to do a lot of soul searching in the past year. Between a relationship of eight years ending, having to sell our current home, my business drying up, little money, more ailments, and toying with the thought of moving back east. An awful lot for one person to deal with.

One of the things that has kept me going? My friends back east. In sixteen years in Seattle I can count my close friends on a few fingers. Sad. Seattle has always been a love-hate relationship … and I want out! This is what’s triggered the search for ‘home” … or what it is. Or what it really means to me.

Part of the rekindling of old friendships has lead me back to my roots in New Jersey. With the advent of Facebook so many relationships have been reborn and with any luck will flourish. And that my friends … is home. I will not mention names … but you know who you are!

It’s these friends, both old and new, and our mutual experiences that inform my future, my past, and always my music.

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It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been preparing for the second coming. Jesus! No … not that one! The second coming of the Hoover Hootenanny. I’ve taken to recording new original music to help me learn lyrics. I figured I could record the songs, then put them on my iPhone & “sing along” in the car, the shower, while making breakfast … you get the idea.

I even bought myself a new/used Alessis MultiMix8 USB 2.0 / 8 channel mixing board. This way I could record up to 8 tacks at once directly into Apple’s Logic Pro. Not that I will be doing that myself, but it was the cheapest way to break the 2 track limit of my current & obsolete FireWire interface. Okay … TMI … I know! End result is I can finally use my AKG Perception 220 microphone I bought last year to mike vocals. Use my Shure to mike my Taylor, and also have  a line in from the Taylor as well. And then it’s one take wonders-ville. After 97 takes. It challenges me too. So it’s all good.

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Sometimes creative play is the result of having a new toy, or a new tool. In this case it was a new tool. Flash back several years ago. Apple has released the first version of iLife. That suite of apps included a game changer by the name of Garage Band. Before that time a “Garage Band” was a group of “yoots” flailing on guitars and making analog noise in the garage. Apple just made the Garage … digital.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that there had been plenty of MIDI/digital sequencers and other such music creation programs out there. Apple was the first to make it Apple easy. And no … this is not another Apple plug. Though I do do it all the time … it’s my job. I just wanted to share some music I made with Garage Band (and later Logic Pro) and let it speak for itself.

Now those of you who know me, may not know this musical side of me. This music uses the instrument du jour … the digital sample. It’s instrumental. Which is a first for me. It’s funky! Oh … and the kids can dance to it! Continue Reading > > >