I'm So Excited & I Just Can't Hide It

If you’ve been snooping around since the Old Blog days, you may remember that my wife has been going in and out of a studio for over a year now, recording a bunch of her songs. The project isn’t done yet…but it’s getting really really close! In fact, the instruments are all recorded. Now it’s just a matter of mixing things until the levels are perfect.

This part of the process has been fascinating to observe because it’s a lot like editing a book. The entire thing is recorded and anyone listening would be able to tell what kind of sound she was going for. Sometimes she would bring home a recording from that day’s session and I would think it sounded complete. Perfect! But then she’d go in a few days later, make one guitar a tiny bit louder, add four notes from a piano, and double one of the vocals. Huge difference!

The other night she brought home a brand new mix with all twelve songs in their final order. We put it in my car stereo and drove from Shell Beach to Santa Margarita and back again in order to listen to the entire thing. And I am so insanely proud of her! JoanMarie is taking such good care of her songs, making sure we hear them exactly as she imagines them.

Now, I know I’m biased, but I feel so lucky to have listened to the recording process of what is turning out to be my favorite album of all time. Totally serious! And not just because I play guitar on several of the songs…

Even though this won’t mean anything to you until the c.d.’s done (and I’ll definitely let you know when that day arrives), here’s the track list:

• A Stranger
• What About Me
• Sunshine
• Uh Oh, Beautiful
• In This World
• It’s Hard
• Better Than That
• Above or Below
• Soul Alone
• Girl
• Name
• Movement Magic

Someone else I’m proud of? Rachel Baruck, an eight grader in Northbrook, Illinois. She entered the Letters About Literature writing contest. To enter, each student wrote a letter to an author, explaining how one of their books changed them. Rachel wrote her letter to me…and she won! Out of 4,800 entries in her state!!! Now her letter moves on to the national level.

Congratulations, Rachel. Good luck. And thank you!