Well, dear readers, where did today go? In fact, this month is flying by, like a gazelle in a tuna-canning factory. Last I remember, I was getting up at about eight and now it is midnight and time for these here notes to be posted and yet I have just started to write them. Between eight and now occurred a day. And here is what happened: First, I was told that all the overseas shipments were sent, so that was good – now we can just hope that all the orders had the right CDs in them, the right amount of postage, and the right addresses. Then the helper’s boyfriend came by and we went over a few other things and shipped the last of the dealer orders and a few smaller orders. He has to come by today to get a few more things done, and then we should be fine for a couple of weeks while we train the interim helper. Then I came home but had to turn right around to go pick up tapes for the release we’re announcing on Monday. Then I picked up a couple of packages, and then I finally was able to sit down and write some new pages. I’d already smoothed out and fixed what I’d written the day before, so I banged out about seven pages before rehearsals began. I know I’ll have to futz with them a little, but I think they’re fun and Adriana is currently visiting her very first delicatessen.
Rehearsals were a lot of fun. First we had our Nightmare Trio, Shannon, Holly, and Aleah. We ran the number several times and plunked out their parts separately. This is extremely hard harmony (courtesy Brad Ellis) but when they’re on and locked it sounds great. But I remember even in the studio we occasionally had to go line by line to get it, and we don’t, of course, have that luxury in performance. So, they know that by Friday they really have to lock this in and then drill and nail it. I’m going to suggest they record the track only and then get together a couple of times on their own. But I think it’s going to be very funny. Then we had Zach Ford, who ran his three songs – Giants In The Sky, What Can You Lose, and then Juliana arrived and they ran A Moment With You. Zach has a great voice and will be wonderful. Juliana then ran her two other songs, Dawn (which we’re doing as a solo here, with the male sections gone – easy to do and the song works wonderfully as a solo – all we had to do was fix up the ending a little), and the movie version of The Glamorous Life – we lowered the key of the latter by a step. Then Damon Kirsche arrived and ran his three numbers – Make The Most Of Your Music, With So Little To Be Sure Of/Who Could Be Blue, and Multitudes of Amys. What a voice he has. Then came Alet, who did Another Hundred People, You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow/Not A Day Goes By, and More. We lowered the keys on the first two numbers, just a bit so they sit in her voice more comfortably. Finally, Kim Huber arrived and we ran her songs – Truly Content (what a great song that is), Anyone Can Whistle, and Children Will Listen. We raised the key of Whistle about a step.
Then The Singer arrived and we worked for about ninety minutes, running the first half of what we’ve got. We finessed her second number, which is a medley of songs by one of my favorite composers – we cut one because it didn’t seem to fit, and the others all work well, although I’m probably still going to flip a couple of songs. I may ultimately put back the one we cut after I work with John Boswell on the actual arrangement. That’s what we haven’t done yet and what will be happening soon. The rest seemed to work very well, save for one song we were already questioning – we nuked it. I hadn’t eaten all day so The Singer and I went to Islands for a burger and fries. I was very full after that. Then I came home, wrote another page and made some adjustments and fixes to what I’d written earlier and that was that. Suddenly today was yesterday and, conversely, yesterday was today.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I’ve got another busy day tomorrow and I really need a good night’s sleep now that yesterday is today.
Today, I will try to do some writing first thing in the morning. Then the helper’s boyfriend will be by to pick up a few CDs and we’ll ship a few stray orders, and that should catch us all up, at least I pray it does. Then I’ll write some more, and at some point I have to go to the tape transfer place, assess what we have, and then have the tapes we need transferred as quickly as possible, as we’re now up against the clock on this release. That said, it’s a wonderful first release for 2011. When I’m through with that, I’ll grab a quick bite to eat, and then probably do some more writing and then relax and watch a motion picture.
Tomorrow, I’m hoping will be a day where I can write for a few hours without any interruptions. I’ll also probably get Muse Margaret the first fifty pages of the book so she can tell me if I’m on the right track or if anything needs adjusting. I also will have to watch a motion picture on DVD in advance of writing some liner notes. Friday, I’ll write during the day and then we have our second rehearsal, and then I’m going to the Gardenia to see my pal Linden Waddell’s new act.
On Saturday, we’ll work for two hours trying to show the interim helper what’s what, and trying to find where the helper has filed everything, and also make sure that everything we need for the labels, shipping, and postage stuff is on the little computer we bought for that purpose. I do believe she set that all up, but if she didn’t, then we’ll have to swap computers for a while, as we know everything is on hers. Otherwise, I plan on writing and then I’m hoping Sunday will be completely free so that all I have to do is write at my leisure. That’s why I loved last weekend so much – no interruptions, nothing pulling at me – just two glorious days of nothing but writing at my leisure. I should be able to do a bit of that next week, too, which I’ll look forward to.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, send off some stray orders, write, go to the tape transfer place, do a few errands and whatnot, and write some more, after which I’ll get something light and amusing to eat, and then I’ll watch a motion picture. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, for yesterday is today and today will soon be tomorrow.