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Onceyouvebeenaroundtheblockafewtimesandtastedwhatsuccesssoundsandfeelslike,youllwanttorecordyourownCD.Peoplearedrawntomakerecordingsformanydifferentreasons.Sometimesit'stoadvance(orstart)acareer.Sometimesit'stogivelifetonewsongsorsharethemusicwithawideraudience.Onapersonallevel,itcanbeamemorablecreativeexperience.

Choosingwhattorecordisnotthesameasselectingmusictoperformonstage.

Yourstagehowisasmuchamatterofstyleandtasteasitisimageanddirection.Concertsareaboutentertainmentandexposingyourmusic.Itsaboutrapportandapplause,givingandtaking;buildinganaudienceyouhopewillonedaybecomeafollowing.Concertspromoteyourmusic.

Recordingisdifferent.ACDisamusicalpainting.Withoutthevisualbenefitofliveperformance,itcomestomattersofhearingandlistening.Technologymakesitpossibletorecordandmarketyourmusicatanaffordablecostespeciallyifyoudecidetoself-produceyourrecordings.Thatcanwork,uptoapoint.Theproductionprocessandstudioyouselectmustliveuptoyourexpectationsandthoseofyourfans.

Ivehadmorethanafewrecordingexperiences.Myfirstencounterwaswithajazz-blues-rockgroupcalledCelebration.Wecouldntaffordtorecordbutwewerewri

tingoriginalmaterialandourfanswereaskingustorecord.IndesperationIsuppose-bettertodosomethingthannothing-wesetupatwotrackrecordingsysteminanoldchurch.Theacousticswereincredibleandtheatmospherewasterrific.Lookingback,welookingforandexpectingamiracle.Wewerefinishedinafewhours.Deliveringthemastertapetoanindependentrecordpressingfactory,amonthlater,wesoldoutthefirst500copiesovernight.Thesoundwasawfulbutsomehowwemanagedtocapturethespiritandintentoftheband.Therewasntasinglecomplaint.Still,forobviousreasons,wedidntmakeanymorecopies.

Itsacommonlyheldbeliefthatallyouneedisacomputerwithasoundcardand

a'multimediamicrophone'torecordathome.Inasensethatstrue.Ahomestudiocanbeassimpleasacassettedeckandaninexpensivemicrophonesetupinthecornerofyourbasement.Roland,KorgandYamahaofferall-in-onecombinationdigitalmixer/harddiskrecorder/effectsunitsthatareasclosetoatrue'studio-in-a-box'asyoucanget.YoumaynotbeentirelysatisfiedwiththeresultsanymorethanwewerewithCelebrationsfirsteffort..

Movingupintheworld,afewyearslaterwerecordedattheoldMastersWorkshopstudioonafourtrack.Thesoundwasalittlebetter.ThedifferencewasthatIhadfewexpectations.TherecordingwasademotobeplayedforaCapitolrecordsA&Rman.ThequalitydidnthavetobethereorsoIthought.Regrettably,Iwaswrong.Hefailedtobeimpressedbywhatheconsideredtobeanunprofessi

onaleffort.Thesessionwasoverinthirtyseconds;amissedopportunitytoimpresssomeonewhocouldhavedonewondersinlaunchingmycareer.Therewereotherexperiencesandgoodlessonslearned.Dontexpecttoomuchfromahomerecording.IfyouwantaprofessionalCDgoodenoughtogetradioairplayortosellinstores,you'reprobablybetteroffmakingaprofessionalstudiorecording.Theonlyproblemwiththatisstudiotimeisexpensive,unlessyouhavemoneytoburn,youregoingtohavetolivewiththefinalrecordingforalongtime.Itsatoughdecisiontomake;certainlyfoodforthought.

Onabaddayyoucantseethestars.Cloudscoverthesun.Theairistoughtobreathe.Everythingseemstogowrong.Nothingfeelsright.Youllneedallthehelpyoucanget.Youvegotnothingtolose.Youllbereadytotryanything.ThehottestnewBritneySpearsrecordingwillsellofftheshelfinnotimeflat.Youwo

ntfinditthateasy.Musicindustrydumpstersarefilledtooverflowingwithmusicthatfailedtosell.Youlltakewhatyoucanget;evenarecordingcontractifitmightgiveyouthechanceofgettinganywhere.

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Onagoodday,thebirdssing.Theflowersbloom.Everythingseemsright.Itsajoytobealive.Nothingcanharmyou.Yourestrongandboldandbeautiful.Youbelieveinyourselfandknowwithoutadoubtthatyoucantlose.Youlldoyourbesttogoitalone.Massmerchandisingisafoolsgame.Sometimesitseemsthattheonlyoneswhomakeanymoneyareretailers.Eventheymakeverylittleinspiteofhighvolumeo

fcashandmerchandisechanginghands.Therearenoshortcuts.YoullneedtosellyourCDoneatatime.Ifyourelikeme,youliveinarealworldwithrealproblemsandrealopportunities;aworldthatdoesntcare.Whetheryousucceedorfailisofnoconsequencetoanyonebutyou.Todayisthefirstdayoftherestofyourlife.Onlyyoucandecidewhatkindofdayyouregoingtohave.

Asyourmarketgrowsgeographically,coveringmoreandmoreterritory,youllfindmorethanafewindependentmusicandbookstoreswillsellyourCD.Itwillgetalittleeasierallthetime.Whoknows,maybesomedayamajorlabelwilldiscoveryouandmakeaofferyoucantrefusetorecordthemusicyouvebeenplayingallalong.DennisWalsh

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