Category Archives: music

On Performing

Had the opportunity to play a couple of songs for an elderly-appreciation event at church, today.  Only had a week to figure out what songs I’d play… and how the arrangement would go.  The performance itself was pretty terrible.  Pretty dry… missed notes… boring rhythm.  I remembered why I kind of hate the piano, in some ways, and why I haven’t played it for a long time.  But more… I remembered how I both hate and love performing.

I hate performing because I will never perform perfectly.  And I love performing because of the attention.  I don’t want attention, though.  It’s kind of hypocritical.  My self wants attention… but my spirit is desiring to change; to not desire attention for my own sake… or at all.

Anyway, I hate performing.  And I feel sorry for the listeners who were in the audience, today. 🙂  Good thing it’s not all about me, anyway.  Glad to have the chance to spend a little time with people who often go unnoticed.

DW Recording: Day 27

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.

DW Recording: Day 26

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.  🙁

DW Recording: Day 25

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.

DW Recording: Day 24

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.

DW Recording: Day 23

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.  :/

DW Recording: Day 19

Today, I had the opportunity to get the rhythm track down (I hope,) for the thirteenth song: Like a Shadow.  Probably trying for one or two more songs… and then maybe I’ll try to get some of the vocals down before the end of summer.