Holiday Music Production Underway

I have been working on Christmas music this year. Yay! This is the longest into the new year that I have ever worked on holiday music. So I am really serious about doing this in this new year.

So far I have been recording one song. I am envisioning it as being the last song on the album. The working title is "Christmas in the City" which was inspired by the Marvin Gaye instrumental of the same title. Basically this song's lyrics are, "Christmas in the city, looking so pretty." And it's just that repeated over and over with some occasional breaks for instrument solos. Originally, I planned to write this song with more lyrics--and I still may--but this version has turned out to be a reprise of sorts. So if I do still write another with the same title there will be more lyrics and the music will be slightly different. But I am having a great time with this one. I'm going for that late 60's/early 70's funky sound and thus far I have some Wurlitzer piano, a couple electric guitars, electric bass, sleigh bells and vocals. This will also mark my first song that features four-part harmony. Still plan to add some organ, minimoog and horns. Ahh yes, and drums. I would like to believe that I'll have the large majority of this song completed sometime this month. I really cannot afford to spend too much more time on it.

Which brings me to my next point....

Do I realistically have the time to present a full-length album by the holiday season for 2018? I have a solid 8 months to get it done. However I don't have another 8 or 9 songs all written and ready to go. That's where I need some improvement. Also, the summer months is usually when I don't do much recording because of the extreme heat of my upstairs studio. I am strongly considering having a small window-unit air conditioner installed just to keep it comfortable enough for me to do my work there. But I need to do as much as I can before that scorching heat arrives, as adding an a/c unit is nice but also another expense.

The good news is that I have ideas for songs. I just need to build on them. I have a tune I started working on last year which is where I first got the idea for doing some 4-part harmony. There are also two winter season songs I wrote quite some time ago and they would fit in nicely on this album. As a last-minute effort, I could make new versions of my two previously released songs and include them as well. That's an idea that just came to me now so I haven't given any previous consideration to it. But it may work. Actually it's a very real possibility!

One thing I have come to realize is that it's not very hard to work on holiday music once the holidays are over. It is just music like any other and as long as you stay focused and it does not feel irrelevant or out of season. I am just as enthused working on this as I would be on anything else I make.

There is plenty to do. Let's keep our fingers crossed that everything goes well and I can accomplish this labor of love this year.

New Song - If I Told You

Here is another video of me performing a new song I'm working on. Just another 1 minute or so clip:

I'm pretty excited about this song and the other one I posted a few days ago. I just have to finish writing them and then come up with arrangements for them. Both this song and the other one, "Call On Me," were inspired by early Bee Gee's music. These 2 songs just came to me as I was working on recording another song right around the time Robin Gibb was deathly ill. I had originally envisioned both this song and 'Call On Me' to be sung in my Robin Gibb-imitation voice even though I did not sing that way in the videos. I have not yet decided what tone I will use for the actual recording but that is still a long ways from now.

It is already mid-October and I absolutely need to finish the current project I'm working and get at least 1 more song recorded before the year is up. And that would make 4 songs I complete this year. But first I have to make a final mix & master of the song I've been working on for months now, "(Doesn't That) Blow Your Mind." I should be working on that right now. Off I go....

What is 'Exit World'?

This blog is about my musical endeavors which I produce under the name of 'Exit World.' I will talk about the projects that I have worked on as well as those I am currently pre-occupied with. This will include the videos on my YouTube channel. I will also have some of my tunes and tabs available for download here eventually.

So in essence, Exit World is a band but it is a one-man band. It is me and only me. I work alone. All the music I have created and recorded over the years has all been my very own effort. From the initial stages of writing the lyrics, through playing all the instruments, singing melody and harmony(s), mixing down and mastering it has all been me. And the reason it has always been only me is because that has always been my goal. I've always wanted to do it all on my own. At least on the musical side. I definitely wouldn't mind help on the mixing down and mastering side of it all. I'm more about the creativity and not so much about the technical but of course I do want everything I make to be sonically great. But the musical side has to be all mine. I need to know that I did it all. Like Paul McCartney's debut album from 1970. He played every instrument on that album from start to finish, with only some help on vocals from wife Linda.

I should have started up a blog about this a long time ago. But trying to earn a living does not only take away much precious time from doing what one loves and was meant to do, but it can also leave one so mentally and physically drained to the point that any free time left over is quickly consumed by much needed periods of rest.

My goal is to make a living in the music industry. And I do mean as an artist. I have something genuine and unique to offer. I, like many others, do what I do for the love of doing it. The joy and satisfaction that comes about during the process as well as upon the realization of a finished product are the only rewards. And I will continue to do this as longs as my heart and soul are fully immersed in it. But as you all know, one cannot live on joy and satisfaction alone. Until I am able to earn a regular income through my musical passions, my ideas and work shall be confined to the leftover time afforded me by the mundane and survivory (?) obligations of day-to-day life.

Being a recording (or studio) musician can be a real challenge. You either need to have your own production gear or buy studio time which is very expensive. If however you do have your own gear, you need a place where you can house it in and record in. And that usually means having your own place or at least one where  noise disturbance will not be an issue.

Therefore, I would like to add that if you are interested in supporting an independent, unsigned and unknown musician such as myself; or if there is anything here that has any worth to you or that you find enjoyable, there will be a link that you can click on in order to donate as much as you can or want so that I can continue to work on the musical projects of my life's calling without interruption. Who knows, you may someday hear my work on TV, in the movies, on the radio and/or in a video game. And you can know that your financial support helped make that possible. Thanks in advance!