2019 Update

I didn't realize I haven't updated here since last summer! How time flies!!

Well, this is what's been going on since last June. I did not complete the Christmas song (Christmas in the City [reprise]) I was working on. I'd say I'm probably 75-80% done. I still need to finish some small synth parts, guitar parts and the drum track. But since I'm making this song a reprise I have to have the counterpart it's based on. I need a full song called "Christmas in the City." That I have not written yet. So if I plan to release at the very least a single for the holiday season, I feel I should have two songs to do so. It's not necessary, I know. Nowadays you only need to release a single track. But it may be strange to release a reprise song without having the original non-reprise song. Make sense?

The last several months I have been working on an instrumental version of "Stormy" by Dennis Yost & The Classics IV. It's a song I have always loved and I even did a guitar cover of it on YouTube some years ago. I came into a really cool Hammond organ late last year and it's a fabulous instrument. I started getting all these thoughts of doing some organ versions of my favorite songs. I started with "Stormy" and it's not quite done yet either. I really want to finish it before moving onto something else. Otherwise, I will end up with a bunch of unfinished projects. A few other covers I am excited at the thought of doing include "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'll Be Your Shelter". This organ is so cool that I have tons of songs I would like to do but I need to also stay focused on doing my own original material.

It is now April as I write this. What will I be able to get done this year? Will I get an original Christmas album ready? Or one of holiday covers? Or one of non-holiday music? Maybe an EP or a couple of singles. Perhaps a holiday single and a non-holiday single. That might be the most likely thing. Not ideal but that may be what I have to settle for. This is the era of the single. Oh, I should mention that I did officially release my song "If I Told You" late in 2018 through CD Baby, so it can be found there, on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and other places. I did embellish the song a bit with a few extra things so it is not the same version that I uploaded to YouTube a while ago. This song has become one of my personal favorites.

What I really want to do is get back to my own music. As much as I may get excited about doing covers the truth is that most no one else would be interested and of course there can be no expectations of earning any money from it. It's almost like a TAXI type thing--you custom make music based on their listings and submit to them but they don't accept it. That's a lot of time and effort to spend that could otherwise be used towards making original music that you own the rights to. Problem is, I have not written much at all since the last post. A matter of distraction and discipline.

I am going to try to crank out something before it gets too hot in the studio. But even if it does get hot I will work through it. I remember the hot July recording sessions for "Tomorrow" that I toiled through. If necessary I'll do that again.

I have lots of ideas for things to record. Another consideration for this year is to release an album of instrumental recordings. I was entertaining the thought of calling it "The Soundtrack". There are some unreleased tracks would definitely fit in well on this. And I could easily make some more. Also there is still the possibility of recording a minimoog album. Had some ideas for some shoegazing or spaced out music that could make for something interesting. Or I may just merge this project with "the soundtrack" project if I start to lack in ideas or get pressed for time.

2016: Year End Goals

Around this time of year, I usually write about my end-of-year goals for Exit World music. This year is no different except that I don't really have any goals. Well, nothing crazy like the last few years. I would really love to get a Christmas album out there (read: a 10-song collection), but it's not going to happen in 2016. Technically there is enough time if I put together some simple covers. But I like to indulge in my music and doing things quickly is not how I like to work on it. Next year though is a very real possibility. Let's just say that things have fallen into place and I am more optimistic for the coming year than I was for the current one. And definitely more optimistic than the tone of some of my other posts this year.

Last year around this time I recorded a unique version of "We Three Kings." It didn't take me very long and I was pretty pleased with it. It was an instrumental and that has a lot to do with my having completed it rather quickly. Vocals are a weak spot for me and not having to record take after take of lines and phrases saves a ton of time. What I am considering for this year is recording another instrumental cover. I have not written any new holiday tunes nor do I anticipate being able to write and produce one in time. In all truth though the two original songs I did make the last few years were started around this time so I could still do it. I'm not going to place a lot of emphasis on that though and just focus on getting a cover done. I am leaning towards "O Little Town of Bethlehem," as it's a song I've been wanting to do for quite some time.

In my previous post I wrote that I was considering not renewing to have my music available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc. At this point it looks like I will keep it up for at least another year. Recently I was with some people and I wanted to hear my music through a new piece of gear. Not having my iPod on me it was really really convenient to be able to have them find me on Spotify and play my music from there. That was pretty nice. It was also pretty cool to have my music playing there and most people around not knowing it was me. And then seeing how surprised they were to learn it was me. I took that as some small sign that I should continue on. So I'm going to keep my music up and available for streaming and purchase.

I did not do very much musically this year. I guess that's nothing really out of the ordinary for me. Just about two songs, possibly a third coming, and a half-minute rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" which has been played a lot. It's really hard to accomplish a lot when you're working this alone and you don't always have necessary time & space to do it. I could easily become an electronic musician and put out lots more music but I do not want to go that route.

One thing I did do recently was publish a new song on Soundcloud & YouTube called "If I Told You." I had been working on this song for several years. You can look back on some of my posts from some years ago when I first talked about it. Well, it's finally done and it's one of my favorite songs. The recording quality is so good IMHO and it shows how my production skills have really improved tenfold over the years. It is so good to see yourself grow, not old, but in ability, skill, knowledge and expertise.

I still want to remix the song and just tweak it a bit here and there, but I did make a video and uploaded it to YouTube:




This was my pièce de résistance for 2016. Surely this song (in slightly remixed format) will be on my next album of originals. 

In the meantime between now and the new year I will try to churn out a new recording of an old Christmas song. I know many of these tunes are tired and overdone but many people still love Christmas music as do I. I'll just come up with a unique take on it like I did with "We Three Kings."