Thanks in part to the day off, the rhythm part for song number 14 (Muddy Ditch,) was recorded today.  Haven’t played guitar in a while… but using light electric guitar strings does have some good sides, haha.

Unfortunately, I’m getting away from a normal narrative in some of these recent songs.  The first album is fairly clear in conveying some sort of storyline… but when the second album comes around, the songs begin to get a bit more abstract.  I still want the story to make sense to the listener… but I have the feeling that the second part will just be confusing.

Ah well; if it gets to be a problem, I’ll just change out some songs.

Day 30 of recording the Dream World project.  I had the opportunity to get the vocals recorded for song number 13 (Like a Shadow,) today.  Kind of hard to get back into the emotions of a two year old song… but, I hope it sounds authentic in the end.  Now it’s back to recording guitar for a little while…

Recorded vocal parts for the twelfth song (Mother of Waters,) in the Dream World series, tonight.  I wish I hadn’t written down so many syllables in the verses… because it quickly became hard to sing without running out of breath, haha.  Even while taking breaths before each new line of words… it was challenging; not sure what I was thinking when I wrote the lyrics.  It’s like my brain is not in contact with my body, sometimes.  Communication, body, communication!

Had time to get vocals recorded for song number 11 (Lonely Girl,) tonight.  It’s the first song on the second part of the Dream World project; a new start for the next album.  I have the feeling that the second album won’t vary (musically,) very much from the first part… but each song continues to tell the story that is Dream World.

Other than vocals, I’ve been working on arrangements for the first album (Dream,) lately.  Still aiming for getting it all done by sometime in November.

Finished up vocals (I think,) for the final two songs on the first album, today!  Can’t believe it’s getting closer… to only getting the first album out the door.  The vocals recorded were for the songs “Winds of Change” and “Three Willows”.

Warming up before singing has really been making a difference.  My voice still seems so thin, though.  I wish I could add more body to it, though.  So thin and tired sounding.

Had the opportunity to get vocals for songs 7 and 8 done, today.  The songs are “Morning Sun” and “Photographs”.  Vocals for Morning Sun really changed the song, a lot.  Kind of adds a little depth to the otherwise-boring song.  Photographs is just a straightforward country-esque pop song.  Unfortunately it became country, at some point.  I don’t even like country music.  🙁

Recorded the vocals for the “Black Lake”, today.  Kind of a long song… so I didn’t think I’d have enough time to get the vocals recorded in one session.  But, I guess the vocals are getting a little easier to record… because it all got recorded, somehow.

Recorded the vocals for “Little Secrets”, today.  Trying to work on controlling what little vibrato I may have when singing some of the notes… though in the end, it still feels like trying to catch the wind.

For vocals, I’m finding that warming up is similar to carving something out of wood–you begin by cutting off huge pieces… but by the time you finish the carving, you are only whittling off small pieces.  When I finally get to a point where I’m warmed up and ready to record vocals, rather than trying to force out the notes (or vibrato,) it becomes more like breathing… and less like yelling.

Got the vocals recorded for the fourth song (Picnic Day,) today.  I kind of wish there was another way to say “picnic” in English… that still encompassed what a picnic is all about.  While recording this song, I found it a bit hard to sing the word “picnic” without having weird-sounding noises at the end of the word… ha ha.  I wish “picnic” had an extra vowel at the end, at least.  :/