climbing the mountain - nice view!!

OKAY, where am I on the big projects... after some procrastination I finally got the lead out and achieved a few things. Here's my progress report... in no particular order! If anyone's at all interested, LOL

I COULD DREAM - Dean Taylor (lyricist) & Lucian Blaga (composer)
- re-record bridge vocals, musical theatre version
- work on recording vocals, pop version -DONE!
- paperwork -DONE!

CAN WE START AGAIN - Lloyd Kyrk (lyricist)
- paperwork -DONE!
- complete rough cut

ONE TEAR AT A TIME - Bob Lazzar-Atwood (songwriter)
- paperwork -DONE!
- complete rough cut

*BLUE COLLAR MAN - Michael Kavanagh (lyricist)
- get music & lyrics to session singer -DONE!
- rough cut with vocalist

- final production

LONG DISTANCE LOVE - David Van Camp (singer/songwriter)- download MP3 -DONE!
- record back-up vocals for approval -DONE!

WRAPPED AROUND MY FINGER - Nicholas Billings (lyricist)
- musical & lyrical ideas -IN PROGRESS!
- rough draft
- paperwork


*WAITING FOR THE BUS - Michael Kavanagh (lyricist)
- production -IN PROGRESS!

NEVER GOIN' BACK TO GRAVITY - Dean Taylor (lyricist)
- paperwork -DONE!
- production -IN PROGRESS!

*SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE - Michael Kavanagh (lyricist)
- production

SUNSET STARSHINE - Diane Rulliere (lyricist)
- paperwork -DONE!
- production


DEAD THINGS IN THE SHOWER - Joe Wrabeck (The Collaborators)
- waiting for ref track
- then do piano track
- vocal track

3 spacey songs - Dave Walton (musician)- touch base- discuss ideas

SCENT OF YOUR BETRAYAL - Rebecca Peaden (lyricist)
- touch base -DONE!
- production


ON OPEN WINGS - Richard Larabie (lyricist) & Marvin Perkins (musician)
- paperwork -DONE!
- production

LYING - composer, Matt Hirt
- session singer fees & work for hire- final cut

SEND AN ANGEL - Billie Spencer (lyricist)
- paperwork -DONE!
- complete rough cut

possible collabs:

Sandy Patten, lyricist (country)
James Mitchell, composer (pop)
Erin Simms, singer/songwriter (duet)

My new duo has become a trio, and we have our first rehearsal this Sat!!

Oh, I posted a professional remix/master of one of my favourite ballads... not considered "commercial" but very close to my heart - Still I Dream of You - http://www.soundclick.com/vikkiflawith See what you think :-)

lagging way way way way way way behind

Ah well, the best laid plans, huh? Just a couple of weeks ago I said I was determined to work through the backlog of projects and get myself caught up. I was going great guns, too. Then suddently my Dad got seriously ill and was hospitalized... and I dropped everything to go up there and be with my step-mom & visit with my Dad. Just got back after a week away, and am still pretty tired... and I have a huge list of things to work on.

Yesterday, I did do the back-up vocals for 'Walkin to Nashville' - posted on soundclick at: http://www.soundclick.com/thecollaborators I'd thankfully managed to get them a piano track before things fell apart last weekend.

Here's a list of the projects I'm currently working on, besides catching up with my students...

in no particular order:

Client #1
- minutes of meeting
- article submissions
- Dec time sheet / Jan06 hours

Client #2
- Jan06 hours

I COULD DREAM - Dean Taylor (lyricist) & Lucian Blaga (composer)
- re-record bridge vocals, musical theatre version
- work on recording vocals, pop version
- paperwork

CAN WE START AGAIN - Lloyd Kyrk (lyricist)
- paperwork - complete rough cut

ONE TEAR AT A TIME - Bob Lazzar-Atwood (songwriter)
- paperwork
- complete rough cut

*BLUE COLLAR MAN - Michael Kavanagh (lyricist)
- get music & lyrics to session singer
- production

SO LONG LOVE - David Van Camp (singer/songwriter)
- download MP3
- record back-up vocals for approval

WRAPPED AROUND MY FINGER - Nicholas Billings (lyricist)
- paperwork
- musical & lyrical ideas
- rough draft

*WAITING FOR THE BUS - Michael Kavanagh (lyricist)
- production

NEVER GOIN' BACK TO GRAVITY - Dean Taylor (lyricist)
- paperwork
- production

*SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE - Michael Kavanagh (lyricist)
- production

SUNSET STARSHINE - Diane Rulliere (lyricist)
- paperwork
- production

DEAD THINGS IN THE SHOWER - Joe Wrabeck (The Collaborators)
- work on tracks

3 spacey songs - Dave Walton (musician)
- touch base
- discuss ideas

SCENT OF YOUR BETRAYAL - Rebecca Peaden (lyricist)
- touch base

ON OPEN WINGS - Richard Larabie (lyricist) & Marvin Perkins (musician)
- paperwork
- production

LYING - composer, Matt Hirt
- session singer fees & work for hire
- final cut

possible collabs:
Sandy Patten, lyricist (country)
James Mitchell, composer (pop)
Erin Simms, singer/songwriter (duet)

* these are songs that are going on the EP I'm working on.

Besides this I'm supposed to be preparing repertoire for my new duo. It's a big list but I know if I put my energy to it I can get these things done. In the meantime, I can't really - as much as I would like to - take on anything else! Easy to say, harder to do, when there's so many great folks out there with inspiring projects to work on!

uploading new mix

As mentioned in a prior post, I've been working very hard at producing a decent mix of "I'm Gonna Survive", a collab with my steady co-writer, Mike Kavanagh. I'm uploading it now to get some feedback - I've listened to it so many times I need some fresh perspective. I think it's fairly good, anyway. Other than that, today I taught, went downtown to bank & had lunch with my mom, and then walked home & spent the afternoon with the headphones on... then taught again, had dinner, and got back to the song. Here it is after midnight :) oops. I'm supposed ta be goin' to bed early. Also talked to my girlfriend in Tofino, she might be comin' down next week for a couple days - be great to see her. I also heard that my Dad was released from the hospital this morning and was happy to have a 'good meal' at home :) that's a relief!

http://www.soundclick.com/vikkiflawith
look for "I'm Gonna Survive"

productive day

today I:
-taught some students;
-did some housework;
-paid some bills; :)
-completed tweaking the lyrics & doing a rough draft recording of the song Bob Lazzar-Atwood and I are working on ... emailed Bob and am awaitin' his reaction;
-completed a (hopefully) final take of the lead vocal for "I Could Dream" by Dean Taylor & Lucian Blaga, just emailed that off!

Whew - finally gettin' caught up on some of these musical projects! If you're one of my collaborators, don't worry, you're next!!!!! :) :)

working away feverishly!!!

I have spent this weekend working on M U S I C .

- re-working 'I'm Gonna Survive' for the upcoming EP. I recorded a rythm acoustic guitar track, doctored the live drum track provided by my friend Vic Bonner, am editing an electric guitar rythm track & lead g track done by Ron Woods, recorded the lead & harmony vocals, and worked on sequencing some midi horns, piano & petal steelish stuff. It's come a long way but I still have some editing/tweaking to do. Hope to have it ready to play for my co-writer, Michael K., on Thursday am.

- recorded the lead vocal for a rock version of Ave Maria (Gounod)... took me a few tries as it is set too low for me so the low notes were graveley & harsh and the high notes too hot. But I got something fairly decent laid down. Sent it off to Johnnie Jones, he seemed to think it was alright :)

- I'd recorded a student singing 'What Child is This' last week, I built the back-up with midi & live guitar, and recorded some harmony vocals & mixed it the best I could. She picked it up yesterday - just two copies, one for Mom, and one for Dad :)

- also did a quick midi setting for Natalie Cole's 'Angel on My Shoulder' for a student who wants to sing it in church & wanted a recording with melody to help learn it effectively.

- been working on Bob Lazzar-Atwood's song, 'One Tear at a Time'. I've been working on developing the chorus - I like what he has but you can sing the verse to the chorus melody, and I've learned that's not good. Trouble is it sounds real nice just the way he has it. So I've been struggling to get the chorus with a different meter & chord progression to establish some contrast. It's coming along.

- I also provided a piano track & back-up vocals for Cliff Hitchcock's song, "Go for a Ride". It was a project of "The Collaborators" - you can listen to it at: http://www.soundclick.com/thecollaborators

- The Collabs are workin' on a new piece by Vonee Rose now, I'll probably do keyboards & back-up vocals for that too

- I also worked a bit on resetting my song, 'Wilted Heart'. It's not working the way I want it to. I'll put it aside for now.

I have 3 or 4 other collabs that need attention, especially the Dean Taylor/Lucian Blaga song, "I Could Dream". I have to admit, what with sickness, trips, holidays, my Dad being ill, etc... my voice has gotten out of shape and I've been scared to try it. But now I got 'Ave Maria' happening maybe 'I Could Dream' won't be as bad as I think.

I hope to work away at this until I get all my o/s stuff done!!! Hopefully by the end of the coming weekend!! :) :)