Well, we're at the point where we're about to take advance orders of the CD. I've done pretty much all the mixing and mastering I can do with my current setup and level of experience, and I have to say, the finished product is pretty awesome, at least to these unpracticed ears (and also to everyone else who's heard it so far). The music director has decided to solicit orders before moving ahead, in order to gauge how much interest there'll be. I bet she'll be surprised by a strong response.
Also, I wanted to say that I hope all you guys who get to do this for a living really appreciate how good you have it in life, and how lucky you are to have this kind of livelihood. I hope one day to be able to do this for at least a modest retirement income. One of the ladies in the choir is currently dying of cancer, and has recently stopped her chemo. She is already living beyond the time frame she was given, so every day is a gift. She approached me before practice last evening, and said she had some songs she's written, and wanted to ask advice about recording them. I said I'd be proud and honored if she'd allow me to assist her with that project, and she'll be coming over to my house week after next to get started. I'll be interested to hear what her songs sound like, and I hope I'll be able to do a decent job of recording her for posterity. Just being able to do something like that for someone is worth all the money and time I've invested so far.
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Also, I wanted to say that I hope all you guys who get to do thi
Also, I wanted to say that I hope all you guys who get to do this for a living really appreciate how good you have it in life, and how lucky you are to have this kind of livelihood.
That's an excellent statement, Tim. Believe me, I try to remember this everyday, and it goes further than you know....
It's amazing how we all ended up on such similar paths, and what brought us here...love of the music, the gear, and the art of capturing it itself, in an artistic and honest fashion.
Looking back, I doubt I knew I was going to end up in this particular situation, but I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing now. As I watch the rest of the music (recording) market going berserk, drying up, disappearing or simply morphing into something almost unrecognizable from what it was 10-20 years ago, I have come to appreciate the choices (and sacrifices) I've made over the years. Certainly, everyone is responsible for their own choices, but life is a gamble, regardless.
I do think this line of recording work is not for everyone, but if you find yourself among those who enjoy it and want to make a living at it, it's worth every long session & painstaking edit, with excrutiating attention to detail. The rewards are immeasurable, and unlike the Top-40 flavor of the month crowd, we're working with (hopefully) long-term musical artifacts for years to come.
I have always listened to and enjoy just about everything I can get my hands on musically, in many many genres, but quite honestly, I think I would go insane or simply quit the business working in what passes for "Modern" music these days; it just seems to represent everything I abhor in life, esthetics, and sonic quality. Repugnant and rude doesn't begin to cover most of what I hear on the radio & tv these days.
Believe me, I'm not a traditional "religious" person, but I do indeed thank the higher powers that be for this path in life. Someone, somewhere (doubtful it was all MY doing) sure drop-kicked me into the right profession, no doubt about it at all. 8-)