Building Memories (BM) uses personal experiences and relates them to topics of importance to building.
This BM explores a boutique project of creating a small home recording studio.
In earlier blogs I have talked about the music modules, systems and patterns (chords, key structures, theory…) that support a greater understanding and ease in creating new music; and building a music studio over many years, to have a space to record music with friends other musicians and solo.
To date, I still struggle to find time (grandkids, family and business still get in the way) to regularly record and develop ease with setting up the hardware and utilizing the software to make it fun. When two or more months pass in between each session, it takes real work and focus to remember how the hell to work everything. This disrupts my focus and enjoyment, before I even pick up the guitar, sit down at the drums or keyboard. Not Good!
But thankfully, from time to time I have the opportunity to play either solo or with others and record. Sometimes it is messy and fun, other times we find a groove and produce nice music. The images below capture a few different music sessions with quite different energies and output.
Photo 1 is back in 1979, my senior year of college. I was an exchange student in Versailles, France. The program allowed extensive travel and the 3 people pictured, were partners in a VW van (see photo 06) that we purchased in front of the American Express building in Paris. During our first travel break, we pulled up to a gas station to fill up, opened the rear sliding door, and it slid right off the tracks into the fuel pumps. So, that afternoon was spent in a Belgium junkyard scrounging for parts to repair the door. At some point during this trip, we ended up in Luxembourg in a park looking into the city of Luxembourg, and this was a jam session with myself on guitar and Rob, Jay, and myself on vocals. On a future adventure Jay, the guy in the light blue sweater, would accidentally run over my guitar, ending my busking career for the year.
Photos 2, 3 and 4 are a recording session with my brother in the summer of 2017 during a family gathering in Michigan. I loaded up my entire car with equipment and instruments and then spent a few hours setting up this temporary studio on the back screened porch of our VRBOs. Rick and I spent 2 to 3 hours, 4 days in a row, trying to put together good cuts of 15 songs we had each written. Several family members joined us from time to time, and the recording sessions evolved into extended jam sessions. It was a learning process and fun, but we were not successful recording clean tracks.
Image 05 was much more recent. I chaired the Foundation of Hearing and Resources for many years and continue to sit on the Board as a director. This past fall I joined another board member, Steve, and two other musicians to play a charity gig at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn. We put together 4 cover songs and 2 originals, one each by the two Steve’s and had a fun time.
Here is the original we played that I wrote. This version of “Spirit Eyes” came out of a one hour recording sessions where I asked a drummer and a bass player to sit in with me.
For me creating and executing music is analogous to designing and executing building projects. Finding the right patterns and partners makes all the difference in the world.
Photo 1 – Luxembourg (Steve, Rob & Jay)
Photo 2 – Michigan Screen Porch Studio
Photo 3 – Recording in Michigan (Steve & Rick)
Photo 4 – Recording “Get Down Moses” By Rick Salzman
Photo 5 – Gig at FitzGerald’s (FHSR)
Photo 6 – Belgium Junkyard Fall 1979