July 2010 Archives

I spent the last week putting a lot of effort into my podcast. Fortunately, my efforts are starting to pay off. After some tweaking, I managed to get the show listed on iTunes. This required some fine-tuning on my part. Although I already had a logo designed for the podcast, I had to revise the RSS Feed so it would actually include the image. I could go on, but it's a lot of technical stuff I'm sure you're not particularly interested in. Moving right along...

I also decided to set up a Facebook fan page for those who are interested in interacting that way. Facebook, of course, is one of the most popular social networking sites on the Internet, and it just so happens that it's a great place to get the word out about a project as well. Make sure to 'like' the podcast!

Finally, I also got roped into creating a Flickr account. I will be uploading some day-to-day photos as well as candid shots from the studio. I will be putting a widget up on my social network page, if you'd like to check it out.

I'm still on the lookout for sponsors, affiliates and advertisers for the show, but I'm sure it will come in due time. Right now I am simply attempting to build listenership through word of mouth. If you haven't already, go have a listen, and make sure to leave a comment. Thanks!

This last week was rather eventful. I was preparing for a fundraiser performance on Saturday and concurrently writing some new material. It's not that I don't like playing my older songs, it's just that they don't always reflect where I am in life right now. Songs like "Six Sides" and "Clay to Mold" have long been staples in my set, and I'm sure they will continue to be, but on Saturday, I did not perform any material from Shipwrecked... Instead, I unleashed 3 brand new songs on fans and onlookers.

But let's get back on track. Amidst writing new material and preparing for the performance, I was also looking for work. I finally visited CrossIron Mills and dropped off a few resumes. On Friday, I recorded a new podcast episode with Keith Skrastins. You may want to check out the podcast blog if you haven't subscribed yet, so you can keep up-to-date with current episodes. In any case, this only added to the chaos that was already a busy week.

On Saturday, I went to a Stampede breakfast. I decided that I wanted to visit some old friends, and, well - let's face it - I needed to eat. From there I proceeded to my favorite music store, Long & McQuade, to rent a Taylor acoustic guitar for the performance. Then I went to a friend's wedding. Then I spent the rest of the day helping my friend organize her event until I hit the stage. The event ran until l2:00 AM and suffice to say I was not in bed until 1:30. But I'm a trooper, and still got up at 6:30 to play on the CLC worship team for the Sunday services.

Anyway, I think you get the idea. Things have been a little slower today, so I've been working on things around the house and organizing the mailing list. You can expect the latest newsletter some time this week!

I've had a lot of questions on the subject, and it's been a long time since I've talked about it, so here's the lowdown on my upcoming release, Back on Solid Ground:

• I have a written plan mapped out for the entire project including: objectives, goals, financial, and promotional efforts.
• 3 tracks are already complete and require no further work except for mixing and mastering.
• The remaining tracks require vocals, keyboards, and possibly some percussion work. There is only 1 track that may need some additional percussion, and there are only 2 tracks that I'm thinking about adding keyboard to.

I'd like to think that we're on the home stretch. In the next couple months, I will be singing up a storm in order to get worthy takes on each of the tracks.

As far as the ETA is concerned, I still don't know. I would love to see it come out this year, but that's not a guarantee. It was a very ambitious undertaking to begin with, and because it has taken so long, it has drained a lot of my resources. I won't lie; I was also working on a lot of other projects while putting together the album. I ended up dropping a lot of those things in the last few months, however.

Regardless, I'm optimistic that I will be putting out a few more demos this year. Make sure to grab my RSS feed and keep updated on that front.

If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will respond to it.