Another Project Released with Steve as Session Musician!

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/andyz13

Being a musician has another way of offering awesome experiences:

One can be contracted to work as a Guest Artist, or Session Musician on another musician's project.

My supervisor at Peninsula Music Together, Pam Donkin, referred me to Andy Zamenes, who needed some traditional instrumentation for his upcoming project.

Andy (aka Andy Z) and I settled on hammered dulcimer as what he needed for a couple of tracks on his new project, Classic Songs & Tunes.

After consultation and working with the tracks we sent, I met him at the studio last November in Livermore where he was recording and mixing the tracks.  

Here are a couple of views from my corner in the middle of the sound baffles:

A short while later the tracks were completed, and today Andy gave me my copy of the CD so I finally got to hear the completed project.

It is a sincere joy to collaborate with fine musicians and help them bring their vision to fruition!

Back in the Studio

Friday, October 5, 2012, Vi Wickam and I stepped into Aaron Youngberg's Swingfingers Studio to begin recording tracks for our debut CD, Old School OldTime as FiddleWhamdiddle.  Here are some photos from our 1st session:

My first mountain dulcimer in its dulcimer "cubbie"

Hammered Dulcimer Set-up

Brent Hawley adding mandolin and guitar

Engineer Aaron Youngberg at the controls

Vi "tuning up"

Another view of the dulcimer cubbie, with McSpadden Special

My Ben Seymour Galax dulcimer ready to go 

Vi in the fiddle booth as we get ready to go...

Our CD release party is set for Friday, December 14th at Avogadro's Number in Fort Collins.

In the Studio

Old Black Cat & Kitty Puss on Galax Style
Dulcimer built by Ben Seymour

It has been a while!   2007 was the last time that I was in the studio working on a new recording project of my own, not being a session musician for someone else's project.

Being reunited with Russ Hopkins at KIVA Records has got the creative juices flowing!

In co-production with Russ I've been recording and polished tracks since December and we're having a great time honoring Old-Time songs and the people from whom I learned them, as well as new and old songs for kids.

The process is evolving into at least (2) recordings:  Porch Pickin' Old Time and a Kids Recording.

Here is a demo sample of the Old Time:  Kitty Puss (that I learned from my friend Don Pedi in North Carolina.

And here is another demo sample of a one of the Kids' Project tunes.
Old Black Cat Couldn't Catch A Rat is another traditional tune I learned from Don Pedi.

However, when I play this with kids in my Early Childhood Classes, they can't figure out why the cat couldn't catch the rat.

So we started to make up verses and came up with a pretty good tale of explanation!  (The Folk Process at work!)

The recording, listening, adding, subtracting and editing are a part of the creative process that I so fully enjoy, it is hard to find words to describe it!

So, let's play!            (photos by Russ Hopkins)