So this is my last week working for Nicholas and Co. They just changed my schedule to early mornings, like 3 am! I'm just miserable getting up at 2 am every day so I'm quitting to commit full time to my family and music, as well as a new concept of combining my love for singing and songwriting with my wife's love for nutrition and health. I've prayed about all this and it's helpful to feel God's support. So now it's time to get to work finding opportunities to publicly appear. Also hoping to get some kind of a radio or audio broadcast of our nutrition and music show. Love to all!

Something's been bugging me for a while. This morning while lying in bed, I started to think of it as the cross I'm called to bear right now. It helps to think of it that way, 'cuz it puts things in perspective. It helps me remember the real burdens I carried in the past, which make this look miniscule. Anyway, I've been angry at myself for not letting my record company produce my last CD. You see, when I signed with them, I had just recorded a CD in my new home studio which I was very proud of, since I played all the instruments, and arranged the music and used what I thought at the time was great equipment. When I submitted a few songs for consideration to the label, and they liked it and offered me a deal, they positively commented on some of the arrangements, which made me feel even more confident in my work. However, when it came time to begin production, they gave me the choice to have the CD mastered or have them produce it from scratch in their in-house studio with professional musicians and producers, and then have me come out and do the vocals. I was religiously listening to the CD and enjoying it, plus getting good feedback from friends, so I decided to just let them remaster it, which they said would make it sound more radio friendly. At first, though I tried to send them the individual tracks, so they could use some of what I had recorded, and maybe redo the bass and some drums, of which tracks weren't always perfect. But they couldn't use that for technical reasons. So I rerecorded a few tracks like drums and acoustic guitar and submitted it for approval. Anyway, in the mean time, they had someone working on graphic design. Strangely, when they sent me a CD with the full design for approval and I saw how professional it looked, that was the first time I started thinking I made the wrong decision, since the recording was sub-professional and it didn't seem to fit. Anyway, now that I'm interning at a pro studio, I see all the cool tricks used to make a song sound pristine, and I regret not letting the label produce it. So now, my only choice is to move 2500 copies to have them resign me for another project. The irony of this all, is that when I first started recording, I thought, "how great would it be to have a professional producer and musicians work on it." I even emailed a well known producer, but couldn't afford his rates. So you'd think that when TMG (my label) offered to produce it for me i would have jumped at it, but I didn't. I was just too lost in the whole experience to remember my original goal. So the good side? Now I am writing down my goals for a few years out, and it helps me see the steps necessary to reach them. So, in the end, it all works out. Peace, until next time.

G'day all, Yesterday, I spent a few hrs in Spiral Studios in St George learning the basic functions of Pro Tools Recording software. Steve Lemmon is a real expert and a great teacher. I really admire him for what he does there: studio musician, engineer, songwriter, and singer, plus touring musician. I aspire to do what he does. Afterward, I went with Darrin of Mishap Studios to Cedar Breaks, that beautiful spot up in the mountains. He's installed their A/V kiosk at the visitor center and needed to fix some stuff. I hiked around and checked out the campground which is really nice. Darrin said he's working on a pilot for the Food Network which got me thinking about ideas for getting my wife's awesome healthy recipes and nutritional knowledge out there. So, we've thought about doing seminars, podcasts, and now a TV show. It might be overly ambitious, but we are ambitious, or at least eager to help people convert to a natural diet, including natural medicine. The benefits are unrefutable. Imagine treating illness effectively without any side effects. Imagine eating food that builds your immune system, restores health and much more. Well, we live it and want to share it with the world. So keep in tune with this blog to hear more about this...and much more!

Today, I got to meet with my good friend and partner, Darrin Fraser of Mishap Studios and talk about my video for Pay it Forward. We listened to the song, watched some footage he took in the studio, and talked about ideas for the storyboard. TMG used the studio footage for the 30 sec commercial they produced and will air to promote the CD. We will release the full video after filming the scenes, which will follow the story of the song. We also talked about other video projects he's working on that he want's me to write and record original music to go with. I was just out in my studio experimenting with drum beats and bass lines. I love pushing myself creatively to come up with new stuff. Tomorrow I go to Spiral Studios in SG to study w/ Steve Lemmon on studio engineering. He is graciously letting me watch him work producing great music and teaching me what all his cool equipment does and how to use it. I guess you could say it is an apprenticeship/ internship. I have so much to learn, but a good foundation on music production so far. I'll also be learning good customer skills and about running a business. Well, enough on that. I have some project goals this next week, like to record and film me doing some Springsteen songs on piano to upload to my websitte in case I ever want to book gigs doin his stuff, which I love and love to sing, though I have to push myself vocally to sound like him. I also want to make some videos to accompany songs from my CD, which I actually tried to do this morning with footage from Angel's Landing in ZIon Nat'l Park. Well, it's a work in progress and I may need to hire Darrin to make it look nice, but I'll give it a go on my own 1st. Over and out.

Today is Sunday. Just woke up. The fam slept in the tent last night after a splendid eve at our neighbor's house, which involved a BBQ, playing swordfights (of which I got my but kicked), waterguns, and teaching their 11 yr old boy how to protect himself from bullies. My left knee is badly bruised from faking a fall during combat. I hope it feels better since I have to work 2day. We were supposed to go to The Music Barn for Open Mic, but my son Todd wanted to go to the neighbors and we just stayed since they were all there. So, thanks to the Jelaine, Dave, Trish, Rocky and the others for a fine evening. We love you. So I've been daydreaming alot about going on the road to share the gifts God has given me. I haven't found the faith to take the leap out of my secure life. I'll talk more on that next time. Peace out!