Stayin Alive in Hut Number 5

Several events have changed my way of life here.  First, the program coordinator here has hooked me up with my own practice hut (hut#5, stayin alive), and so now I have my own spot to do my thang.  It is great, and I am considering moving in there permanently.  Not really - I know what happens when I sleep too closely to my work.  I am working on a lot of chamber music - Prokofiev Quintet, the Dittersdorf duo for Viola and Bass with my friend Ronnelle, a Handel sonata in c-minor, and of course Astor Piazzolla's Kicho for Bass and Piano, which I am shedding with my friend Catherine from New Zealand, and I will perform in Baltimore with Susan Alcorn and Melissa Huffman in January.  I have also been involved in a Quintet which is performing works by Astor Piazzolla, Cachao, and Don Salvador.  Today I am performing ancient music of the Ottoman Empire with Phaedon, who plays the Kanun.  You can imagine the momentum I have built up with all of these projects.  And what happens?  My bass breaks.

Ronnelle's fiancee, Nigel, is working on it in his workshop.  In the mean time, I am learning many Gospel tunes on the piano.  Since we have had a great success with the Klezmer night, 

I thought I should balance things out and also host a Gospel sing-a-long on Sunday mornings in Hut 5, Greater Faith Baptist Church style.  

Having no bass also helps me re-evaluate my recording projects here.  We had a very successful recording session with the Turtle Boy Jazz Trio of Montreal, which is yet to be mixed.  I am also mixing tracks that were recorded this summer at the International Jazz Workshop.  I had a very helpful listening session for the record we made in Connecticut this summer with Alan Munshower and Emma Stanley, which

 I am mastering here.  I got a lot of positive feedback, and ideas about how to sequence and present the music.  Music producer Mark Willshire (who produced music for Lord of the Rings, and other major blockbusters), really liked the SLCC residency recordings, and thinks I should submit one to the Audio Engineering Society.  He likes it because it uses minimal technology (2 microphones and a laptop), it sounds great, and it is all about the music.  

 Adam Kinner's record is coming along.  We have recorded some vocals on it, and we are going to mix it this weekend.  Last night I was involved in a commercial recording session, where I played bass on "Deck the Halls" for the Banff electronic Christmas card, arranged by another resident here, the multi-talented Mr. Phil Dwyer.  Another commercial session earlier this week was for the Banff 75th Anniversary, which my colleague Dan Porter is producing.  

I have realized here that I am less interested in recording engineering, and more interested in producing.  Playing bass, having sound engineering skills, and producing, all have a symbiotic relationship, and the better I am at one, the better I become at the others.  Right now, my interest lies in bringing my bass playing to the next level, while continuing on my path of making great recordings in collaboration with other artists.  When I move to Montreal in January, I hope to play a lot, but also set up my studio where I can carry on multiple roles - engineer, musician, and producer.  

In the mean time, I am happy where I am at.  I have one more month left here in Banff, and there is so much to do.  I have met some amazing people here, who are gifted in so many different ways.  Teaching bass is a true pleasure, and I am learning a lot about my own playing through passing on what I know to somebody else.  I am delighted that Erika (student) would like to pursue music in university.

Music has the power to connect people, to one another, and to the energy of the universe, whatever you may call that.  How can I facilitate that?  Can I only do this when I am playing in a room with other people?  Can I do this through producing recordings that people listen to in their cars, or in their living rooms?