Sonorus 2011
Posted: September 11, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »Being back in school for Audio Production has really limited my ability to plays shows recently, but those I have played have been huge in so many ways.
Sonorus 2011, or Sororus II, was amazing and I am really lucky that it was so close to home. First of all, the venue was fantastic. Grace Kendall, who was one of the people who put this together, was able to secure this incredible location after a very successful Sonorus the 1st. Jammin’ Java sounded like a coffee shop or maybe a deli, but when I told my classmates that it was the location of my next show, they lit up and said they have been there many times to see musicians perform. It was the first place I’ve played to have a green room (well, it was red, actually) and it made me feel like a star!
The bathroom of the Green Room. Apparently bands like to leave their “mark.”
All the bands were great. This was the set order (or really close to it): Muggle Mike, Leth I. Fold, I Speak Tree, Fred and George the Band, Snidget, Witherwings, Bella and le Strangers, Hawthorn and Holly, and The Blibbering Humdingers.
I love that so many of the bands shared the stage with each other.There were so many fun, spontaneous moments.
Dancing back-up singers join Fred and George the Band.
This brings me to my favorite memory of the show. I emailed Scott of the Blibbering Humdingers and Eddie and Christie of Hawthorn and Holly and asked them if they could help out during my set. It was a fleeting thought one morning in the shower that turned out to be one of my favorite performances. It ranks up there with the rockin’ show in Orlando two months ago.
Eddie and Christie during "Oliver Wood."
"Oliver Wood" (Scott, me, and Eddie)
I haven’t been performing “Oliver Wood” recently because, though I wrote it on the piano, I had always intended it to be a guitar song. Not being a guitar player, and not fond of singing this song to a pre-recorded track, I was super excited to get to do this song at Sonorus.
Not only did Eddie nail it, and live percussion elevate the energy of the song, but the addition of a flute part, performed flawlessly by Scott Vaughan, was the icing on the cake.
I am always surprised at how supportive the fans are at wrock shows. I shouldn’t be anymore, but every time I am just so amazed at how loving and kind everyone is. And they buy so much stuff which keeps me being able to make more music and keep Witherwings going. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.
A Blog of a Blog
Posted: September 10, 2011 Filed under: Music | Tags: Bob Baker, cover songs, recording, youtube Leave a comment »I read this blog by Bob Baker and thought it very pertinent to many of my fellow wizard rockers who sometimes to covers for holiday albums or for fun:
http://music-promotion-blog.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-sell-license-cover-songs-youtube.html
It covers:
1) Recording your version of someone else’s song and POSTING it on YouTube – where anyone can watch it for free
2) Recording your version of someone else’s song and SELLING it on iTunes, Amazon, your own site, etc.
Good stuff!
Sorry for my inconsistent blogging, I hope to do a wrap-up of Sonorus 2011 soon.
I am off to continue writing a paper about vampires in film, and finalize my video for the presentation. The fun thing is that I am turning this video project into a music video for one of my Mandala at Twilight songs. I am trying to make good use of my time so I get more bang for my buck… more blood for my bite?
Go Go Go
Posted: August 24, 2011 Filed under: Life, Music, School, Touring Leave a comment »Thanks so the new feature on facebook, I learned that two years ago yesterday I was “go go go.” Well that makes sense as I was planning a wedding, but it made me think about how much I have done and how much things have changed in the last few years.
In the last three years I:
- Quit my job (a career I had for 13 years)
- Moved across the country
- Planned a wedding
- Got married
- Threw a killer Halloween party (including making serious paper mache decorations like mounted elf heads, and a troll foot umbrella stand)
- Started volunteering at my local nature center
- Organized and put out a Holiday Compilation album for charity
- Helped plan a Yule Ball
- Suffered through my Mother’s death
- Concurrently recorded TWO CDs (in a span of about six months)
- Played the LARGEST show of my life (in front of several hundred people)
- Went on tour – Ohio down to Texas up to Chicago and back down to Ohio with many stops in between
- Completed NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month) Which means I wrote a 50,000 word novella in the month of November
- Moved again (this time East instead of North)
- Went on a mini-tour from Virginia down to Florida and back
- Decided to go back to school for Audio Production and am 1/2 way through my first quarter now
Am I missing anything?
Wow. That is a lot of stuff accomplished. Go me! Go go go!
I Am Up To My Eyeballs in Projects and Papers
Posted: August 21, 2011 Filed under: School, Touring | Tags: mid-terms, music, school, show, shows, Snidget, tour, Witherwings, wizard rock, Wrock 2 Comments »Sorry for the lack of posts. It is mid-term time. Though… my midterm project for my video class was due in week 4. (I guess that professor is confused when it comes to math: the half-way mark of 11 weeks is 5.5.)
But anyway… now I am swamped. I am overwhelmed. I have a list next to me with 9 things on it due Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.
Here, I will give you an funny performance video to watch from my tour last Fall with Snidget. This is perfect example of me being me. I am a ham and not afraid to make a fool of myself.
Enjoy “Witherwings serenades a Barnes and Noble in Texas with ‘Malfoy.’”
Grovel and Beg (or Support Music!)
Posted: August 3, 2011 Filed under: Music | Tags: Amazon, iTunes, Mandala at Twilight, music, Witherwings 2 Comments »Did you know it costs an artist $50 a year to have one album up on iTunes and Amazon?
One of the two albums I have on those sites is up for renewal in 5 days.
If you have ever considered buying one of my albums or just a song or two, now is the time to do so.
I recently reposted a tweet that said “How come people won’t pay $9.99 for an album that took months to make, but have no problem paying $6 for a fatty Starbucks drink?” This is so true, and so sad.
I would love your support, but I would be happy knowing that this post inspired you to any CD of any artist out there.
Support Music!
But… if you want to by something of mine, here are all the links:
For my latest Witherwings CD (sassy, sultry, bluesy rock):
http://www.amazon.com/On-Lighter-and-Darker-Matters/dp/B003Z4FQP2/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312422889&sr=301-1
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/on-lighter-and-darker-matters/id386604210?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
For Mandala at Twilight (angsty, yet melodic industrial/synth-rock):
http://www.amazon.com/The-Soundtrack-to-Your-Demise/dp/B00499AHZG/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312423792&sr=301-1
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-soundtrack-to-your-demise/id400255201?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
If you leave a positive comment on Amazon in the “Customer Reviews” section I will post a HUGE public thank you here, on fb and twitter!
Witherwings Makes Pottermore Possible for Five Friends
Posted: August 3, 2011 Filed under: Music | Tags: beta, fans, friends, music, Pottermore, Witherwings, wizard rock, Wrock 2 Comments »This is the coolest thing I have heard in a while.
A good friend of mine, who is also a self-described die-hard fan of my HP-themed music project Witherwings, told me the best news. Early this morning one of my songs was the sole reason she and her friends got to be beta testers for the new J.K. Rowling site “Pottermore.”
Each day, for a very limited time, a trivia question is posted. If visitors to the site get the correct answer, they can continue on in hopes of becoming a beta tester for the interactive web site. This gives them access two full months before the general public has access. This morning’s question was “how many points ahead was Gryffindor against Slytherin in Harry Potter’s 3rd year, when he caught the snitch? Then multiply it by 35.”
My friend Madie messaged me saying “Your Oliver Wood SONG says the score, I instantly sang that line, screamed 60! at my Pottermore waiting buddy, and the rest is history.”
So these five friends were able to become beta testers becasue they didn’t need to look up the answer in the book – they knew it from being so familiar with my song “Oliver Wood.”
Move over wikipedia and the hp-lexicon! My songs are all people need!
You can listen to and purchase “Oliver Wood” here:
http://witherwings.bandcamp.com/track/oliver-wood
Mini-Tour Wrap-up
Posted: August 1, 2011 Filed under: Touring | Tags: GCR2, Hawthorn & Holly, House of Black, music, Orlando, peaches, show, shows, tour, Universal, Witherwings, wizard rock, Wizarding Life, Wrock 2 Comments »Sorry for the delayed post. Coming home from the road only to jump right back into classes, homework and mid-term preperation delayed just about everything in my life not related to school. Which… is going well, by the way. My Audio 101 class is about 2/3 Math and 1/3 Biology, but I am learning some really cool stuff that already has me thinking about what I need to adjust in my home studio. That, however, is an entirely different post altogether.
So the mini-tour which got nick-named the “minotaur” was blast. I really loved being on the road with Hawthorn and Holly. They even thought my reckless driving antics were funny rather than scary, so I expect more road trips to be in our collective future.
No tour is complete with out some road-side stops, and this was no exception. The peach stand dudes in Georgia asked us to contribute to their college fund, and we sang for free peaches. Now THAT is Fair Trade.
We even got to romp around in Universal’s City Walk the morning after our Orlando show. Wish we could have stayed longer, but we live for the open road, man.
But the most amazing thing for me was getting to play with my old band-mates in Orlando. Susie, Vick and Stuart joined me on stage and played MY songs. I was in Susie’s band, SusieCool and the Coolottes, for seven years. They taught me everything I know about live performances and how to be a seamless songwriting team. It could have been really stressful showing up and hearing their rendition of my songs for the first time while ON STAGE, but I had faith in these people. I know NO ONE more professional and knowledgeable than this trio, and they came through as I knew they would. So much so, that when I got ahead of the music on “In Defense of Ginny Weasley” due to the lack of (working) monitors, they caught right up to me in 2 bars.
Here is the only video clip I have at the moment. I will get more posted ASAP.
Thanks to everyone who came out to a show, bought a CD or shirt, or contributed to our gas fund. I met some really cool people and it makes me want to hit the road again as soon as possible!
Wrockers and Wizarding Life folks at the show in Orlando. Photo by Kevin Young.
In Which I Organinze My Brain For Tour
Posted: July 19, 2011 Filed under: School, Touring | Tags: music, Orlando, show, to-do list, tour, Witherwings, wizard rock, Wrock, Zoom H4n Leave a comment »There is so much to do before this mini-tour! It went from a full-fledged tour to a mini tour becasue I decided to go back to school. This school stuff is getting in the way of getting ready for tour! *phsaw* Priorities! 
So I am making a to do list for the next few days:
- Oil change and official recording of mileage. (Hey you, self-employed musicians! Are you aware that July 1st was the start of the increased rate you get back for mileage on your taxes? Get your car’s miles documented ASAP!)
- Make sure all four bands are on board for the proposed show itinerary. (ie. order of bands and the idea of playing two sets rather than one long one.)
- Check in with my band for Saturday’s show (I am SO SO SO excited to be playing with a full band!!!)
- Double check that the chords the guitar player figured out are, in fact, the correct chords.
- Make sure everyone got and looked at the chords for the other songs.
- Pull out that awesome new Zoom H4n Handy Recorder (Check! Woot!) and see if/how it works to record ambient sound while running my keyboard directly into it. I would really like to be able to record Saturday’s show. Recording directly from the sound board and being able to capture audience reaction would be fantastic! (…but only if I can control levels. Need to find a manual on-line.)
- Call the Taste to find when they want us to sound check. The restaurant part of the place is open all day. The art show portion of our event starts at 7, but the concert doesn’t start until 9.
- I need to communicate this to all the musicians. *side note: THANK GOD for smart phones. I have been doing so much of this communication (emails, facebook messages etc.) on the train to and from school.*
- Figure out what the heck I am going to wear. I hate this part. I can never just find something at the store when nothing I own seems to be working out. At least I know I am going to wear the sparkley new bracelet I bought a few weeks ago JUST for Sat’s show
I feel no pressure when deciding what to wear for house concerts or library shows, but involve a stage, lights etc – and now I gotta glam it up. - Email reminders to my professors that I will not be in class on Monday. I am glad they find my excuse acceptable, but there will be consequences for missing material. I hope my hard work the rest of the quarter makes up for it.
- Make sure the ipod is loaded up for all the shows. As for Saturday, organize the parts of my set not being played on piano or by the band. I have already made several versions of set lists. I guess I either need to pick one or load all of them onto the ipod.
- Back-up my ipod. It is sometimes acts flaky – like starting the song 15 seconds in. *grrr*
- Create a wrock play-list for intermission. Get permission from those bands.
- Find/borrow/purchase a FUNCTIONAL car charger!!!
- Organize my merchandise.
- Practice, practice, practice!
Okay. Is that it?!?
Like this:
I Survived My First Week as an Audio Production Major
Posted: July 15, 2011 Filed under: School | Tags: Audio Production, classes, music, musician, school Leave a comment »Well, I made it through my first week. I made it to all of my classes, and I got my starter kit with all sorts of really awesome professional goodies. Among other things, the kit includes ProTools 9 and a Zoom H4 Handy Recorder. *drools* Trust me, I am paying for that stuff, but it seems free when it goes onto the tuition bill rather than coming out-of-pocket.
Things I learned this week:
- There is a whole lot of math involved in sound and hearing.
- This seems to be a male-dominated field.
- I enjoy going to class but forgot how much I hate homework.
- Being a self-employed, independent musician made me forget how many douche-bags there are in the world.
- I am so going to make friends with the video students and make a killer music video ASAP.
- I spent 5 hours on homework today alone. Have I mentioned I hate homework?
- A lot has changed since I last attended college – I turn my papers in on-line. What!?
