Progress Update on the New CD Project …
Some of you have been asking how progress on the new CD Project is going … here is a little update.
We have been brainstorming up a concept and list of songs for the new project … here is the list of songs we started with (if you can read my “chicken scratching”!). We have cut some from this page already, but this will give you an idea of the process.
I want the album to have a cool, modern vibe (like “Glory“) that explores beautiful, simple melodies (rich in meaning) in world music styles, rhythms and instrumentation for a growing multi-cultural audience. My audience as you know is mainly “the Church” (internationally) so the songs we select needs to speak to that audience. The beauty of old and new “hymns” is that the album will have a timeless quality that will cause it to have a much longer shelf-life (like the “Glory and Peace” Christmas album). The messages of the songs also need to be a good fit with Compassion and my ever growing, exciting partnership with them.
Brad Toews (keys) and I had a very productive, fun weekend (May 14-17/09) writing and fleshing out some arrangement and concept ideas. We are using Apple’s Logic Express on my iMac as a recording platform. From this I will be able to print out charts for the band to work from – all within the Logic software. Brad is flying out again from his home town of Halifax on the weekend of June 18-21 to continue this process.
Here are some shots of Brad and I in my new rehearsal and pre-production studio in May:
To view more pics click here.
On June 22, we have a full band rehearsal planned for each player’s input and creative genius. I am very excited about starting this next step in the crafting process. This full band approach early on in the arranging works extremely well for us (as we saw in the success of “Glory”) in breathing life, ownership and authenticity into the music.
Until next time … T