Well, dear readers, we had a perfectly grand time doing the first of our two recording sessions. When you have someone new to the studio you never know quite what you’re going to get, especially with a fifteen-year-old. But Sami got acclimated to it very quickly – we did a couple of takes of the opening number, I let her hear them, she heard where she was pushing, or where she needed to be more expressive with her interpretation, and after that everything went swimmingly. We got the first three songs very quickly so I was then able to bring her in the booth, we listened, and then did fixes for those three songs. She actually loved the entire process. We got another three before Corey Fogelmanis showed up to do the bonus track. We got him done in about twenty minutes and it will be a nice thing for his huge fan base. Then we did fixes on the three we’d done before his arrival, then we ordered some food and she knocked out two more, and then we did fixes on those. We ate our little snacks we’d ordered and that was that. All in all, I was really pleased and engineer John really was enjoying Sami and the material.
Prior to that, I’d gotten about eight hours of sleep. It had rained all during the night, but naturally was not raining by the time I got up. I did some work on the computer, had some telephonic calls, then I had a lunch meeting with Kay Cole – it was a long one and we had a lot of fun. She really is one of my favorite people.
Then I came right home and I had a surprise visit with our very own Nick Redman. That was fun and we had a nice chat. We then announced the Welcome to My World CD and I sent that eBlast. Then I got ready to go to the studio. I gave myself over an hour because traffic is so horrendous on the 405 at rush hour. I left at five-fifteen. Well, there was not any traffic whatsoever and it took me a mere nineteen minutes to get to West LA (namely Santa Monica Blvd.) So, I just went into the studio and hung out until everyone arrived. I’d never recorded at this studio, but it’s quite legendary and has been the studio of choice for many years for Elton John. After the session, I came right home and, of course, Time Warner immediately went on the fritz for about ten minutes, which it’s been doing regularly for the past five days. They deny they’re having any issues, but if they weren’t and it was me, then why does it suddenly work all by itself? Uh huh.
Today, I can relax a bit, eat something light but amusing, hopefully pick up some packages, then I’ll hope for no traffic again and a nice drive to the studio. Then we do our second session of six songs, then any fixes, plus we’ll have a little celebratory food when we’re on a break.
Then my engineer will immediately begin mixing the CD. In fact, he may even be doing some mixing today on yesterday’s work. Meanwhile, we have a pick-up rehearsal tomorrow evening, and then we resume performances on Friday. My engineer and his gal-pal are coming to see us on Saturday night.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, eat, relax, hopefully pick up packages and do our second recording session. 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 postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy we had such a nice first session.