Dear Ophelia Remix

Dear Ophelia Remix that I'm currently working on for a certain couple of bellydancers that apparently are Abney Park fans..... This is my first run through and I decided that I should put it up and let it sink in before I make any more changes.

A New Adventure....

Some people would consider me to be many things in my life and there is some truth to that statement. I’ve been around and experienced quite a bit in life already. But when it comes down to it, I’ve always felt strongly about only a very few different “hats” that I’ve worn or “labels” that have been applied to me. Since I was about 12, the tag of “soundman” has been one that I’ve taken seriously and been extremely proud to carry. For almost as long I have also thought of myself as a musician and more specifically a drummer. Though I do play several instruments, when it’s time to get serious about music, drums/percussion are where I’m really comfortable and where my talents truly shine.

Music has been such a big part of my life for so long, it’s really one of the major ways I define myself. Music allowed me to express my feelings and provided a strong sense of identity for me. I've played in several bands over the years and with that came playing a lot of gigs, making friends and working with other musicians. I truly felt that if I wasn’t able to be playing drums in a band, that I would be miserable and creatively frustrated. So about 5 years ago when my band at the time broke up, I figured at least a couple of the guys and myself would just start a new band. But this time there was a lot more going on in my life. My wife was pregnant and we were looking at buying a house which was putting a lot of financial pressure on us. On top of that, the guys who I figured I could keep playing music with seemed to all disappear on me. So that summer I did something I thought I’d never do; I sold my drums. I had wanted a set like that since I was a kid and it had only been a couple years previous that I had finally been able to afford such a nice set. It truly broke my heart to let them go; I even cried a bit the night I sold them. But it was the right thing to do and at the time I figured I’d pick up a new set once we got things under control financially and the time was right for me to start playing again.

Well 5 years has come & gone and due to money, an ever changing schedule and new priorities, I still haven’t replaced those drums. As was the case shortly after I sold them, I’m still not really in a position where I could commit to playing in a band due to my schedule. I certainly couldn’t keep a set at home since I have no room and the volume would be a problem. Besides, just sitting down and playing drums by myself really doesn’t interest me at all. I picked up a new hobby in paintball for awhile which gave me an outlet to replace the physicality of the drums. But after awhile it lost its appeal and I sold my gear to try something new. I tried putting together an electronic drum set, but once again a lack of people to jam with and a lack of space made that impractical.

Not playing has been softened a bit by my work, which allows me the chance to still be part of some great music on a fairly regular basis. In the last few years especially, I’ve started working with a few acts whose music I really enjoy and it brings me a lot of joy mixing their shows. There’s a band called “Hello Beautiful” that I’m currently working quite closely with on a regular basis that has been a lot of fun for me and almost makes me not miss playing at all. I would highly recommend checking them out and especially so if they’re playing a show anywhere near you. Just look for me behind the console and come say hi.

So a few weeks ago, I decided it was time to look for a new hobby that would allow me to exercise my musical creativity without the need for other musicians. So I picked up some turntables online and started putting together a DJ rig. Although it seems to have become the cliché hobby of the last few years, I’m really excited to see what I can do with it. Years ago I used to DJ corporate parties and weddings and such for a few extra bucks on the side before I had really built my audio career up. Sometimes it sucked and sometimes I had a blast, but at least I was playing music and usually having a good time doing so. But this time I’m doing something completely different than that type of DJing. This time it’s not just playing back some music, but instead I’m fusing different music together to create something new. I saw a lot of untapped potential in the area of goth/industrial/metal music that seems to be right up my alley from a rhythmic point of view. I’m working in the digital realm with really cool software that allows me a lot of possibilities while still making it possible to use good old vinyl records for control. I see a lot of opportunity for innovation and a unique take on this genre by combining loops, samples and scratch DJ techniques. So far I’m only a few weeks into this project and a lot of it has been setting things up and learning the software, but I’m very excited about what I’ve been able to put together already and I can’t wait to see where this new venture leads.

Song Of The Day

Well since I mentioned Hello Beautiful today, I think I'll make it a song of theirs. The song is called "Toxic In The City" and is off their first CD titled "Soundtrack For Scenario". A great song with a catchy melody and some very insightful lyrics about how life can sometimes veer a bit off track, especially when living in a big city.

The Magic Of Derek Webb

Where do I even begin this post?? Easily my greatest influence musically, theologically, philosophically and spiritually. The one person in the world who it seems has a direct window into my mind, heart and soul.

For the unfamiliar, a bit of background info on my personal hero. Here are his vitals from Wikipedia:

Born	May 27, 1974 (age 35)
Origin	Memphis, TN, United States
Genres	Singer-Songwriter Contemporary Christian
Occupations	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1993-present
Labels	Independent (1994-1996) Warner Alliance (1996-1998) Essential (1998-2003) INO Records (2003-present)

I do actually have issues with a couple of the things that the bio says, but that'll come as we get into this post.

I first came across Derek as a member of Caedmon's Call in the late 90's. Someone had tossed me a copy of their self-titled album and I instantly fell in love. Realizing that there were really 3 lead singers and two songwriters in the group I slowly started notice that the songs on that album that spoke to me the most were the ones that Derek had written. There are several songs on the album that I really identified with, but the 2nd last track "Centre Aisle" remains one of my all-time most cherished songs. It was very timely for me since during that period I was dealing with the deaths of a number of friends which had all occurred in less than two years. The song is one that Derek wrote about a family friend who had committed suicide, though I have found that it says a lot about death in general and not just suicides. For those who are interested, here is a link to a journal where Derek explains the genesis of the song.

I listened to that album a lot, probably 5 to 1 for any other CD I had at the time. I had become such a big fan that I was counting the days until their next CD was released. I can remember bugging the poor woman at the store, "Well I know it's arriving on the 26th, but what time on the 26th??" Yeah, I'm fairly certain she wanted me to never enter the door again, but when the 26th arrived I showed up, waited for 3 hours and finally bought 3 copies.... just to be safe. 40 Acres, what a great album and once again a huge influence on me. Much like the previous record, the songs that Derek had written seemed to be the ones that stuck with me the most and yet again one song in particular really spoke to me.

Not long after this CD was released I finally had the chance to see Caedmon's Call live for the first time.

At the end of the first set, despite my pleas to hear "Centre Aisle" live, Derek stayed onstage while everyone else left and he played "Faith My Eyes". Hearing him do the song solo with just his guitar and vocal, I finally paid closer attention to the lyrics and realized that he had once again written a song that could have been based on my life at the time. It's a song about being away from home and missing those who are closest to you. This is one of the unfortunate realities that I've had to deal with for a large part of my adult life and this songs always helps me get through the tough times.

And so it went for two more records, each time I would get ahold of the CD as soon as humanly possible and just absorb it. Each time Derek's words would speak to me in a new and incredibly insightful way. And every time there would be one song that just grabbed my heart and made me wonder, "how does he always know exactly what to write to help me though life??"

Then a day came that I never thought possible, Derek announced that he was leaving the band. I probably shed a few tears when I heard this news. Caedmon's Call without Derek Webb just wouldn't be Caedmon's Call. Luckily the blow was softened by the news that he would be releasing his first solo album soon. The day that CD first landed on my ears was a big day for me. Derek had clearly chosen to make a very "non-caedmon's" sounding album on purpose. Not only that, but I could clearly see why he had chosen to leave the group. Derek had always been the one in the band who was writing the more "difficult" songs. The songs that weren't just light entertainment, but they really challenged the listener to think and question what they believe. It was clear that he had come to a point where there were things that he needed to say that would cause too much controversy for the band.

Derek's first solo album, "She Must and Shall Go Free" touched on a number of difficult subjects but it was first and foremost an album that was aimed directly at what he saw as the major failings of the church today. And Derek took issue with those failings as only he can; directly, thoughtfully, fairly and in brutal honestly. The song that really stood out on this CD was a track called "Wedding Dress" which took aim at the tendency of people to always be looking for "other loves" when they have the greatest love in their life already.

And so on it has gone for every record from the first to the most recent. "I see things upside down" was musically experimental and challenged the listener to realize that the way the world sees things tends to be backwards from what is actually right. There is a song on that CD called "Nothing Is Ever Enough" that was song of the day on my last post. My reasons for being affected by that song 6 years ago are different from the reasons that it has really been speaking to me strongly in recent weeks, but that just goes to show that such amazing lyrics can hit you on so many levels.

"Mockingbird" was up next and this was a very timely album about topics such as politics, social justice and war. It was an album that was intended to generate discussion and debate and I think he succeeded very well at that goal. The last song on the CD called "Love Is Not Against The Law" really hit me hard. Not all that dissimilar to the concept of his previous album, this song points out a lot of things that may seem odd in today's society about truly loving those around us.

"The Ringing Bell" carried on with the political theme that he had begun with "Mockingbird" but looked more closely at our views on war and violence. The final song on the CD really stuck with me as it speaks about how although there are a lot of terrible things that happen in our world, like the title says, "This Too Shall Be Made Right".

There was a lot of controversy surrounding his last CD "Stockholm Syndrome", mostly due to some strong lyrics. His label was refusing to release the CD unless he made changes to one song. Derek chose instead to release the album without the song and then offer the missing track as a free download online. Stylistically it was a major departure from his previous work. Though every album has a very unique sound, this one completely abandoned the guitar (acoustic or electric) driven style that is part of everything Derek had done before. This album was basically entirely electronic music. At the time this album came out, the song which spoke to me right away was the controversial track called "What Matters More". This song points out the very large problem in society of our judging people on what we see as "wrong" with them instead of looking at the things which are really important. In the last little while though, the song that has really been on my mind is a track called "I Love/Hate You". A beautiful tune with lyrics that once again seem like Derek knows exactly what is going on in my life and exactly what to write so I know I'm not alone.

Shortly after The Ringing Bell was released, another great thing happened. It was announced that Derek would be re-joining Caedmon's Call. The album that has been released since his return is called "Overdressed" and is a beautiful return to what the band does best sonically and lyrically. No surprise the song that really stood out to me the most was a tune Derek wrote called "Share In The Blame". It's a very straightforward song that simply tells us to stop blaming others for the problems we all face and look in the mirror to realize that we are all responsible for the world we live in.

I don't know where he's going next musically or lyrically, but I do know that I'll have the music as soon as possible and I'm fairly certain in saying that it will make me pause to think and likely reconsider some of my views on life and the world around me.

Song Of The Day

Clearly this has to be a Derek Webb tune. I've decided to make today's song something from "She Must And Shall Go Free". The song is called "Lover" and it really has been swimming around in my head for the last few weeks.

A Tour Must Die

And here we are, at the end of the "A Singer Must Die" tour. We played 11 shows in 3 weeks, drove a lot of miles and made some amazing music. For the curious, my average show day went like this;

2:30PM - Arrive onsite and begin loading in mic kit, merch, etc...

2:45PM - Check hospitality, dressing rooms & green room.

3:00PM - Place piano, chairs, music stands, mics, etc.....

3:15PM - Line check and discuss lighting with LD.

3: 30PM - Artists arrives and loads in.

3:45PM - Tune PA and setup console.

4:00PM - Soundcheck begins. Continue lighting focus.

5:00PM - Set stage for Sonata and rehearse.

5:30PM - Finish soundcheck and head for quick dinner.

6:00PM - Quick chat with piano tuner.

6:15PM - Bring merch to front and count in with seller.

6:30PM - Pick up cheque from promoter & check final lighting focus.

6:45PM - Head to Box Office and sort out artist comps.

7:00PM - Go over house requirements with ushers & house captain.

7:15 PM - Final stage check, place water for everyone onstage.

7:30PM - Doors open. Get changed for show & check in with artist.

7:45PM - Head to FOH and do pre-show check.

8:00PM - The curtain goes up and the show is on.

9:00PM - Intermission. Restore stage layout.

9:15PM - Second half of show.

10:15PM - Show finished. Strike mics & gather sheet music.

10:30PM - Take Steven & Andrew to front for singing.

10:45PM - Begin loading car.

11:15PM - Settle merch & get final ticket count.

11:30PM - Leave venue.

So that's a show day in a nutshell for me. Depending on how tired I am after the show I may send the merch sheets and show reports off afterwards before bed, or I may wait until the morning. Just to post it, here is the schedule of shows:

Feb 24, 2010 - Brantford
Feb 25, 2010 - Oakville
Feb 27, 2010 - Markham
March 3, 2010 - Kingston
March 4, 2010 - Toronto
March 5, 2010 - St. Catharines
March 6, 2010 - Kitchener
March 7, 2010 - North Bay
March 10, 2010 - Brampton
March 11, 2010 - Belleville
March 12, 2010 - Barrie

There was originally a 12th show planned in Peterborough on the 13th, but that got canned due to poor promotions which of course led to poor sales. Today the tour is over and I'm settling the final paperwork, merch counts and so on. Was it perfect? Of course not. There were errors made by many people, things were forgotten, times overlooked, directions misread, buyouts shorted, merch counts short, prices inverted (don't even ask), and promoters who tried to cheap out. But as the ageless expression says, "The show must go on". And on it went, regardless of all other issues. When the curtain went up, 7 amazing musicians walked onstage and brought the magic. Out in the house I stood at my console du jour and did my best to help create a memory for those present. Some shows sounded better than others, some PA's & rooms were easier to deal with than others and some people apparently choose to ignore riders & contracts. But much like the 7 artists onstage, I am also a professional. Save the complaints for the next day and get on with the show, don't get set back anymore by less than optimal conditions. From an audio standpoint, this was a much different gig than my average gig, if I have such a thing. This was about making people forget there's even a PA there. I know that's a good thing on any gig, but this one especially was all about transparency and making everything sound as natural as possible. I'd like to think I stepped up to the plate and delivered on my end. I know by the time we were 3 shows into it, things were sounding pretty much the same as how I heard it in my head. Hopefully that's how the artists would like to hear it as well.

I already spoke in my last post about all the things I love about the band, the music and the gig. And now I'm back to "life as usual". How do I feel? Well there's a lot of mixed emotions. I'm going to miss lots of things; The adventure of constantly changing venues, the joy of meeting and working with a new crew every show, the camaraderie with everyone in the group; much like what Neil Peart calls "The guys at the office", and especially I'm going to miss seeing that show over and over. It never got old, and it was a joy to watch and be part of every night. I'm also "coming back home" to a slightly less than perfect picture. There are some things going on with my marriage right now that are going to require some serious thought, discussion and most likely some tears. Maybe the last month of being constantly occupied made things worse, but in this case I kinda doubt it. It was easy to just forget about my life's problems when I had a million other things to occupy my thoughts. But I am glad to be coming home and seeing my family, getting up in the morning with my son and getting spend time with him. We're headed to the supercross races today, though he doesn't know it yet. :-)

Did I accomplish everything I set out to on this tour?? Maybe not everything, but I still feel good about the whole experience. I met some great people, mixed some great shows, got to see some new venues and made some very good business contacts. And most importantly, I held it together. When everything started to go south and people started to flail, I held the calm and solved problems one at a time. After all I'm not paid to have problems, I am paid to create solutions.

Song Of The Day

Today's song is one that I've been listening to a lot lately, mostly due to things going on in my life. It's one of those instances that I feel like the songwriter has looked directly into my life and my heart and put it beautifully into music and lyrics. The songs is called "Nothing is ever enough" by Derek Webb, off his second solo album "I see things upside down". The youtube link is to an acoustic performance of the song which is good, but I highly recommend that you download the album version, actually the whole album for that matter. I know this is my second Derek Webb tune already in not too many posts, well..... deal with it. I love his music and so much of speaks to me very strongly. In fact, I feel a post coming on soon that'll be dedicated entirely to Derek Webb.

The Art Of Time

......and what an art it truly is!! In my last post spoke about the tour that I was about to begin and I got into a small part of what is involved in being tour manager & FOH tech. What I didn't speak about was what is frequently the best part of the job, and that is the show. It's no wonder why I always cut a major price break on shows where I just have to show up and mix. Especially shows that I enjoy mixing, which is most of them. The joy of mixing a show without any of the hassles and responsibilities of being the tour manager is a beautiful thing. And although this tour has entailed a lot of work on my part, the show makes it all worthwhile.

First, let me discuss the genius of Andrew Burashko. We're talking about a man who made his debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at 17. Artists like him come around only so often, one of those rare talents who immerse themselves completely in their art. The man lives the music. The Art Of Time Ensemble is his creation and his vision. A group who seek to push classical music forward through collaboration and innovation. Probably the best known of the AOT's shows is the Songbook Series. This is the series where they collaborate with different well known vocalists. The vocalist selects contemporary songs that he/she loves and then these songs are sent to some of the best arrangers around. The songs are then arranged for the ensemble's instrumentation. The result is some on the most thoughtful, innovative and emotionally rich music I've heard in quite some time.

Then there's the ensemble; some of the best musicians in the country. Players who are completely dedicated to their craft and to the advancement of their art. On top of all that, they are also some of the coolest people I've met during my career. Ben Bowman; very talented, poised and dedicated. Amy Laing; beautiful, graceful and such a warm personality. Joe Phillips; super cool, laid back and easy going. Rob Piltch; smooth, cool and friendly. Last but not least, Robert Carli who is not only an amazing musician, crazy funny and down to earth. But he also arranged some of the tunes they are performing.

And still yet there is the incredibly charismatic Steven Page. First of all he is an awesome vocalist. I know there are those out there who have doubts, but believe me folks, even after only 2 rehearsals and 3 shows of some very critical listening, I can attest to his great vocal talent.

Taking in this show each night has been a new adventure every time an incredible experience for which I am very grateful.

Song Of The Day

Today's song comes from my East Coast homeboys The Trews. Off their 2005 album "Den Of Theives" the song is "Poor Old Broken Hearted Me". Awesome tune, great playing and kickin vocals. You can't go wrong with The Trews and this songs just shows everything I love about them.

The Eve Of Madness

Tomorrow I start a tour. For different people in my industry this means a million different things. For some it invokes a sense of dread, for some a feeling of impending liberation and for others complete and total panic. A lot of the time it depends entirely on the nature of the tour or the job the person is doing. But nobody is ever indifferent to a tour, there's always some feelings whether positive or negative. The tour is with a group called the "Art Of Time Ensemble" and the special guest vocalist on this tour is Steven Page, formerly of Barenaked Ladies. The basic concept of this tour is an ensemble of classical and jazz players performing new arrangements of well known pop tunes that the vocalist selects.

For me, there is a mixed bag of feelings going on right now. First of all, this isn't a long tour and there's very little travel involved. A total of 12 shows and only 3 of them are overnight trips. But this tour has posed challenges of a different nature for me. To start, as well as mixing FOH on this tour, I'm also serving as tour manager which is where things begin to get interesting. Even on a "normal" tour there are a myriad of different people and concerns to deal with.

Advancing a tour is a concept that most people never really think about but a tour would never happen without it. In the last month I've spoke with at least two different people for each venue; always the tech director to make sure all the technical details are worked out in advance so there's no surprises when the band shows up. As FOH tech I also make sure all the equipment is taken care of and in my case I try to carry as much gear as possible so to maximize consistency.

I also always speak with whoever is in charge of the artist relations to sort out hospitality, catering, dressing rooms, accommodations, parking, merchandise, sales, guest list, schedules... the list goes on as do the phone calls and e-mails. On top of all that preparation, I also have to communicate with the artist to make sure we're on the same page artistically and technically.

I must deal with the agent to make sure we're clear on all the financial details in terms of the deposit and the amount I need to collect before the performance. If it's a flat rate or a figure versus a percentage of the profits.

I'm dealing with the merchandise, making sure there is someone to sell at each venue, calculate the house's percentage and adjust prices accordingly, pick up the merch and make sure it gets to each venue. A somewhat unique feature of this tour is that I am required to arrange a "page turner" for each performance. This is a person who sits at the piano and turns the page so the pianist's hands don't need to leave the keyboard. This is traditionally a purely volunteer gig, but I'm throwing a $20 tip at each of them just for their trouble. Another thing on this tour that's slightly different is that I require the piano tuned before and after soundcheck. These guys are that pro!!

One of the other things that makes this tour different than most I've done is that since there's an ensemble plus a special guest, that means I get to deal with two managers, two agents, two PR agents, etc.... The guest artist's wishes and the bandleader's wishes must be reconciled and though it's been a fairly smooth task so far, there are times when I have to play referee here and there. Also, I must make sure all the musicians have an itinerary, day sheets, maps/directions to each venue, and that everyone has a ride, etc...

So tomorrow I start a tour. In the last two days I've gone from an average of 10 e-mails a day to about 40+. 10 phone calls a day to about 20 or more. Today I drove to the merch warehouse to pick up the boxes. I am currently doing a show at the theatre right now which, luckily for me, is a film screening that requires no real audio work during the show. Since the film has started I have e-mailed people from two different venues, the agent twice and one of the band members. I have arranged the vocal mic that I will be taking on this tour. I have put together maps and directions into a PDF file so I can e-mail them to everyone. I have re-configured my input to make sense with some changes in the show that were made yesterday at rehearsal. In the morning I'm going to my wife's office to print tour books and then pick up the vocal mic on my way to the first venue.

Tomorrow I start a tour. One is never ready to start a tour, regardless of how much they have prepared. Things will change, issues will arise, complaints will come, things with be forgotten. Changes will be made, issues will be solved, complaints will be dealt with and forgotten things will be worked around. If everything that can go wrong does go wrong and things crumble, I will hold it all together by the sheer force of my will. I will not panic, I will not be grumpy, I will blame nobody in their absence or in front of others. I will be as prepared as possible and I will be surprised at nothing.

Tomorrow I start a tour; house lights out, stage wash up, go sound live, fly curtain out and here we go!!!

Song Of The Day

I realized right off the bat the hard part wasn't going to be finding songs, but editing which ones to share and when. I don't want to keep throwing up songs from the same few artists or songs that stay in a common theme. So today's song will be from an album that I actually haven't listened to in awhile but something I'll probably be listening to over the next few weeks as a calming agent. I have a few albums and songs that I use for such effect. James Taylor's "Carolina in my Mind", anything Harry Manx, most Caedmon's Call albums, Dave Gunning, the list goes on. This album I discovered through an Apple commercial for the MacBook Air. A totally unknown artist at the time named Yael Naim. I don't think my keyboard has the proper keys to punctuate that name correctly. She's amazing in general, sings in English, French and Hebrew and is drop-dead gorgeous. The song I'm featuring today is actually a song originally recorded by Britney Spears called "Toxic". I heard the original version of this song and wrote it off as the usual pop-princess-whore crap that is typical of her 'work'. But then I heard this cover of the tune and was completely blown away. The vibraphone work is stunning and her vocals are superb. Download this album right now and prepare discover a new favorite artist.

The awesomeness of Sass Jordan

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had an upcoming show with Sass Jordan at the theatre. Well that show has come and gone and I'm sad that it's over. Easily the highlight of my season for a number of reasons. Mostly because it's probably the only show in that particular series that I'll get to mix this year.

It seems as though more and more acts that are playing the theatre are bringing their own FOH tech. It's totally normal that many acts would want to have their own FOH tech for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being consistency. I myself work with a handful of bands on a regular basis and am starting a tour this week with one such act. But it is a little bit of a shift for the theatre, as the acts that have traditionally been booked into the room were up-and-coming artists who usually didn't already have their on FOH tech. This has been one of the best parts of the house gig for me, since it meant I got to mix a lot of great acts in a room that I know well and on a rig that I've pretty much built myself. I've also recorded the majority of these shows for the artists who have been happy to have a quality recording of a great show and have allowed me to keep a copy for my personal use. Over the past few years, this has turned into a great treasure of music for me.

But back to Sass. I must say, it's actually quite surprising that I haven't done a show with her previously. When you spend the amount of time that I have on the festival circuit each summer, you tend to run into a lot of Canadian artists. I really believe that people see Sass as a TV personality, or remember her fabled audition with Van Halen, but they seem to forget the most important thing; the woman can sing her ass off. It was the perfect setting for her to really shine too. Two acoustic guitars, some backing vocals and Sass front and centre without anything to distract from that voice. It's the voice of 1000 cigarettes and as many shots of whisky, a voice that's soft one minute and then shreds the air the next. On top of her amazing vocal talent, she is also completely at ease onstage and connects beautifully with her crowd. Not too much chatting between songs, but when she does talk she really draws you in.

During soundcheck and backstage before & after the show she is a complete sweetheart. I had worked with both her guitarists previously on the Canadian Idol Top 3 tour so we spent some time catching up. Sass weighed in very thoughtfully on our discussion of the pitfalls of the Idol machine and the rise & very quick fall of an Idol finalist I had worked with. She picked out my East Coast accent right away, though I didn't realize it until about the 5th time that she manipulated the conversation into having me say the word "car". My "R's" really stand out apparently and it's not the first time I'd been told this. It's not often that I meet an artist who is so down to earth, warm and welcoming to a random house tech that happens to be mixing their show.

If you have a chance to see her at any point, please do so. You will be thanking me after the show and you'll probably be hitting iTunes to download her catalog at the same time.

Song Of The Day

In honor of my encounter, I must make today's song one from Sass. I heard a ton of great songs during this show, so it was hard to choose one. But the tune that stood out the most for me was one from her 1994 release "Rats". The song is "High Road Easy" and it kicks major ass. I don't have a link for that song unfortunately, but just go and buy it. And then buy the rest of the album. And then buy all her albums.

Why I Love My Job (part one of many)

Well to be honest, there are tons of reasons why I love my job. There are also a number of reasons why I sometimes hate it, but the good far outweigh the bad. I generally find it strange to refer to what I do as a "job" so to speak. I've heard more than one FOH tech like myself say he'd mix the show for free if he got paid for all the other work that goes into making the show happen. I frequently agree with that statement; it's sometimes hard to think of mixing a great band as work. Mixing a live show (especially a good one) can be an amazing experience.

I've spent a large part of my life performing in bands and in that time I have played countless gigs. It's a very gratifying experience when you have a show where you really connect with your audience. This doesn't apply solely to musicians either, any type of performer can relate to the euphoric feeling of those "magical" gigs. There's a certain reciprocity happening in situations like that which is very hard to describe or explain.

As amazing of an experience it is to have a great gig as a performer, I can honestly say I find it even more rewarding to be mixing a great show. This is something that's very difficult for most people to relate to. I know when my wife would come watch me play a show, she'd talk about feeling a sense of pride sitting in the audience thinking, "that's my husband up there".

But it's a far different feeling to be at a show thinking, "that's my husband back there behind the console".

It's not associated with the same caliber of artistic skill that the musicians onstage are frequently viewed as possessing. But for me, it's an even more demanding and rewarding experience to be in the driver's seat. Sure, if the performance isn't great the show won't be. But even when the performers are playing a stellar gig, if the sound isn't great then the show will suffer. The audience will be distracted by the bad sound and the amazing performance won't translate to the audience at all. On the other hand, if the performance is great and the sound is also great, then you've got the making of a truly magical experience. So being in control of how the audience perceives a show can be a large responsibility and an amazing gift. You're being given the opportunity to help create a memory for the audience which will potentially last a lifetime.

I know a lot of people who say that what I do is purely technical with no artistic value. Just set up the gear, make it louder and don't screw anything up. But those who understand the inner workings of a live production realize how incredibly misinformed this statement is. Sure you need to have the technical pieces in place or all else fails, but in a truly great mix there's a lot more going on than just "making it louder". So many choices to make, so many different sonic "colors" as I like to think of it. There is literally an infinite number of different ways to mix a show.

Sometimes the simplest gigs can be the most rewarding to mix. Since landing my house gig at a theatre, I've mixed a ton of acoustic shows with very few inputs that have offered me the greatest opportunity to shape the sound. When you strip away all the extras from a performance, you can quickly tell the difference between a mix from someone who has a sonic vision and a mix from someone who is just pushing faders and making things heard.

Those who truly apply themselves and make an artistic contribution to the final product have a giant influence on how those in the audience will perceive the show and therefore how they will remember it. Having the opportunity to touch people's lives in such a deep way, if only for a brief moment is a great honor and an incredibly rewarding experience.

Song of the day.

Today's song is one that I first heard while mixing a songwriter's circle with Dave Gunning, Matt Andersen and Mike Stevens. If you've never heard of these guys, please do yourself a favor and check them out. All incredibly talented musicians and songwriters, so having them all on the stage at once made for one hell of a memorable night. As a side note, I recorded that show for them and it's still one of my favorite shows to listen to. The song is titled "Hard Working Hands" and was co-written by Dave Gunning & Ron Hynes. It's a beautiful song that really hits home for me having grown up on the east coast with a family full of hard workers. I should also mention that pretty much all the songs I put up as song of the day are available for download legally on iTunes. I try to put up links to youtube videos as often as possible, but if you enjoy the music I would encourage you to go and purchase their work.

And so it begins....

OK, the last post laid out the ground rules and prepared you for the offensive insanity. This one will set the tone, so let's get to it. I'm sitting in a boring corporate meeting for a company that makes dog food. Of course, as is always the case in the business world, the company is owned by a much larger company. It never ceases to amaze me how they have "guest speakers" in that have accomplished amazing things to try and relate their experiences to a bunch of office employees in order to motivate them.

Now I know some of you out there are thinking to yourselves, "C'mon bro, I thought you were a big rock star?? What's up with you stooping down to corporate work?" Well first of all, shut-up asshole I've got a family to feed. Yeah maybe I do feel like a whore sometimes when I'm doing the corporate gigs, but if they've got the cash to spend, why shouldn't they get great sound?? Secondly, there's something to be said for taking the occasional corporate gig. One of the hardest things in the world to EQ is a lav mic on some low-talker presenter who will walk anywhere in the room. And that's just one of the many crazy demands that you run into in the corporate world. One of the best ways to challenge yourself is to work with people who have no concept of "the way things are done".

Now in stark contrast to the corporate gig I'm currently in, we have a show with Sass Jordan tonight. In the same room. With about 2 hours to turn it all over...... Yeah, fun. I've actually never worked with Sass previously, so it should be interesting. She at least has the sense to come in and do this show acoustic instead of trying to make a loud rock band work in this room.

Song of the day

OK, so now we're gonna start off a feature that I hope to keep on top of. I mentioned in the first post that I try to find a new song to love everyday, so I'm gonna try and share a new song I love with every post. It's really not that hard when you have such a crazy sense of music like myself. There are so many amazing artists out there and if have an open mind, it's easy to discover new music that you love on a daily basis.

So to kick it all off, I shall begin with one of my all time favorite artists; Derek Webb. For those of you who are unfamiliar with him, well it's not that surprising since he's not all that well known in the mainstream world. But there are probably a lot of you who have heard his music without realizing it. The song I'm picking for today is a song called "This Too Shall Be Made Right" off of his 2007 album "The Ringing Bell". The album was incredibly well-timed and not only was it's highly social-political content relevant at the time, I believe it to be relevant all the time. Sometime, when I have more time I'll get into the endless amount of reasons why I love Derek Webb.

Content Disclaimer

OK, so you're here. You probably haven't the foggiest clue as to why you're here. Your brain is probably telling you to forget this crap and get back to whatever porn you were surfing. You probably don't know who I am. If you do, then you probably know me quite well and most of what I write won't surprise you.

Some things you should know about me....

• I'm a bit of an odd duck.
• I consider myself to be a bit of an asshole, but maybe I'm just too self-critical.
• I have a fairly unconventional job.
• I have what most would call an odd marriage.
• I have a lot of very strange relationships.
• I have several tattoos & piercings. I enjoy both and have plans for more.
• I have a major obsession with proper spelling & grammar.
• I have serious OCD over some very specific things, which are almost all work related.
• I hate loud music, but I love music loud.
• I'm extremely proud to be Canadian.
• I'm frequently politically incorrect & offensive and I have very strong opinions.
• I realize I say the word "Fuck" a lot and I'd apologize for that, but I don't give a shit.
• I was straight-edge before it was cool.
• My taste in music is completely insane.
• I like to discover one new song to love everyday, which actually isn't all that hard.
• I have deep spiritual beliefs, most of which I'm very poor at applying to my life.
• I live with physical pain everyday. Though this does affect parts of my life, I don't generally talk about it, ever complain about it , or let it affect how I treat others.
• I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have the life that I do.

So welcome to my twisted little world. The title should be clear within the first half dozen posts or so. If any of the above offends you at all, it's gonna get a lot worse so you probably shouldn't keep reading my blog!!