Music is People

Tis The Season to Record Christmas Music

On Saturday we had the joy of recording Christmas music with some local high school students from Geneva. Two days after Thanksgiving we jumped right into recording 14 of their favorite Christmas tunes for a cd to give to friends and family and enjoy for the years to come. We recorded different arrangements of songs with piano (Molly Brown), cello (Nicole Weber, Molly Brown), violin (Allison Donahue) and viola (Matt Smith). Thanks guys for keeping us in the Christmas spirit. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

In The Christmas Spirit at the Studio

Today we finished tracking a Christmas CD for our good friends Randy and Audra Miles. A 20 songs compilation of their favorite Christmas songs recorded as a gift for their family and friends! We started recording this project back in June, so we've been in the Christmas spirit for months already. Great job Randy and Audra on a gift from the heart. It's been a lot of fun!

Are you starting to wonder what you are going to give your family for Christmas this year? Don't be lame and buy socks or a piece of jewelry that Zales says you must have... Give your special someone the gift of music! Click here to see our holiday recording specials and book a session today to record a unique gift for your family. 

Tis The Season!

Music attorney Susan Basko at the Guild

From interpersonal contracts to intergalactic space travel (don't ask), there was a LOT to discuss last night at the Guild. Entertainment attorney Sue Basko, who splits her time between Chicago and Hollywood and works primarily by Internet, brought us a mountain of information to chew over and apply in our various musical pursuits.

Sue gave us a heads-up about a new expense reporting law that looks like it will make a mountain of paperwork for small businesses, including working musicians. We talked about the increase of musical acts who produce their own shows or play in "alternative" venues like churches, skate parks or retail outlets instead of more traditional clubs. We discussed trademarks and service marks, various scams that prey on aspiring (but not necessarily talented) musicians, and some interesting new opportunities - including iheartradio and the emerging market for recorded music in the Middle East.

With the holidays encroaching, The Guild won't meet again this year. Can't bear to stay away? Join us at Backthird's Christmas celebration, Tiny Candle, in December.

Producer and Drummer Jaben Penell at the Guild

Monday's meeting of the Guild was a fine time talking music and production with Rockford producer and session drummer Jaben Pennell. 

"A producer in a nutshell is someone who makes sure that the project goes where it's supposed to go," Jaben told us. Sometimes this means helping a band or solo artists with arrangements, making chord substitutions and lyric suggestions to music as needed and lining up session musicians to deliver the right performances for a recording. Other times, it's simply about keeping a group from getting lost in the details. 

We talked a lot about the importance of "capturing a moment" in the studio and creating the environment - musical or otherwise - that allows performers to best represent their own abilities.

"You try to find that unique element in an artist and polish that," Jaben said. "You try to bring out their best."

Of course, a lot of us who are technically inclined were eager to discuss plug-ins, mics and mix technique - so we got a healthy dose of everything. But for me, the lesson was that great music transcends mere technicality - it's about the people who make it.

Find Jaben's contact info right here. Reach your favorite Aurora recording studio right here.

Piano Piano Piano - Bach Sonata to Send in the Clowns

Today the Piano got a workout from teenage pianist Molly Brown a local high school student. Preparing audition tapes and performance of many pieces for posterity Molly spent the afternoon in the studio recording classical piano pieces on our grand piano ranging from Bach's Sonata 17 to Stephen Sondheim's Send in the Clowns. Thanks Molly for doing such a great job playing like a pro! 
 

recording and publishing TV music at The Guild

"Every month, I get an ASCAP check," Mike Egan told us last night at the Guild. "I never know how much it's going to be - sometimes I'm really happy, sometimes I'm really sad. But what's fascinating is to see where my music ends up."

Mike, who has worked a variety of music-industry jobs at places like Island Records, Smash Records and Palm Pictures, sets a goal of writing 25 new pieces of music a year. Some - like a recent submission to Oprah Winfrey - are created with a potential client's very specific needs in mind. Others have more general potential. Mike submits to online libraries and other agencies, often with no idea where they'll end up. That is, until the checks come.

"The songs you least expect to do anything will end up in places that are pretty big," Mike told us.

Don't believe him? Here are some of the resources Mike told us about last night - you be the judge.

Music Dealers

Pump Audio

Sound Exchange

Cut Digital (Mike Egan's site)

a documentary on the history of recording Mike's been working on

the "Legends of Jazz" series Mike worked on

A full load of songwriters for 2010s final studio showcase

Tuesday brought a full complement of songwriters into the studio for our final Songwriter Showcase of 2010. Sarah Hammond sounded great as always, Rozanne Stoman treated to tunes in both English and Afrikaans, and Evan Konc intrigued us with a dark pop tune about - in his words - "lying in a hammock with a beautiful woman who would give you her whole heart if you had a better job."

Alex Lovely impressed us as a relative newcomer to songwriter - with pipes that prove she's been singing a long time. Steve Fiorito cracked us up with some smoking blues about alien abduction. And it was great to hear Wylie Shaffer, who took the crown at one of last year's Showcases, return to try out two songs he'd rewritten with advice garnered last season.

Our judges' favorite tune this month came from the pair pictured here - Karen Tlusty and John Rissman, whose song "Broken Hearted" was at once a groovy classsic-rock throwback and a timely commentary on some of the more painful disasters our world has experienced in recent years.

Thanks for a great season, songwriters! We're eager to hear your feedback so we can make things even better for the next time 'round.

Sarah Hammond Records at Backthird

 On Saturday we had an extended member of the Backthird family, Sarah Hammond, in the studio to record a few songs for her acoustic EP. Sarah is the Sister-in-law of our Studio Manager Anna Hammond. It's all one big happy family here! I'm looking forward to working more with Sarah in the future and maybe do some full production of her catchy pop driven tunes. Sarah also performed last night in our final songwriter's showcase of the season. 

Recording some piano today

 Today we had Mark Schmitt in the studio to record some pieces on the piano before he's off to Iowa University for College to study business and music. Mom wanted some recordings of his playing before he left for school. We are happy to oblige and always happy when our piano gets played! Nice work Mark! 

Songwriter Showcase July 2010

 Tuesday's Songwriter Showcase was the usual feast of surprises. From the epic-progressive-mythical-folk-metal of Diane Martinez and Manny Jones (pictured here) to the raw piano passion of 16-year-old Nicholas Anderson, every 15 minutes brought something new and surprising.

Fantastic as our songwriters were, the most listener comments seem to have been generated by our panel. The power trio of Zach Goforth, TD Clark and Frank Pappalardo proved to be a fountain of musical insight. We were treated to tips on everything from melody to mic technique - but for me the lesson of the night was the importance of good song structure.

"Structure sells songs," TD Clark told us, "because the message comes across."

We're currently at work planning a Showcase finale for mid-September - to be held, we're thinking, somewhere a bit more public than the studio. The finale will feature an "all star" panel and performances by the writers of our panelists' favorite songs throughout the season. This month, that honor goes to Scott McNeil's song "Rollin' On," which regulars at the Guild may remember workshopping at our May meeting on song theory. Scott's performance at the end of the night left our panelists riveted - and, yes, the structure was right.

Our last Showcase of the regular season is on August 10. Songwriters and guests alike can register right here.