I finished a new song called "Bedtime Stories" this weekend. I wrote this song last year sometime, and it sort of a random thing that I did one night (most of my songs usually come together at really random times, often after midnight). It was supposed to be a fun little song that I could use as a bonus track or something. I definitely didn't plan for it to be a full arrangement, but I think it definitely sounds better that way! I spent probably about 10 hours putting it together and mixing it (I had to fix it today when it wasn't quite right on crappy speakers). I'm definitely happy with the result. I think I'm going to get better and better at putting these songs together now. It really helps to have my studio set up so that my work flow is as efficient as possible.

I also put up a better version of "We Can Make it". The volume should be more consistent with the other songs now. I also fixed some of the singing, and did some panning/eq work. It's definitely sounding good now!

Hopefully before the night is over, I can get the initial recording done for a couple of other songs that are on the list. I doubt I will finish mixing/arranging them, but I'll do my best!

Oh, and on a side note, I noticed that my lyrics section was broken for internet explorer (stupid IE). I've fixed it now, should it work (hopefully) for every browser.

Well I managed to do what I said! The music page has been finished! The about section contains an overview of my music and the history of how I got into recording, and how I've progressed. I may flesh out this section a little more. The equipment section shows a page full of pictures and descriptions of all the gear I use. The other section needs to be expanded as I gather more stuff, but that's something I can do anytime and isn't directly related to my own music.

Anyways, check it out! Look at all the crazy spending I've done in the name of music!

After hearing feedback that people liked the lyrics to my songs, I decided to update the music page with lyrics. You can now view all of the lyrics for my songs. I also have the infrastructure in place now so that it will be extremely easy for me to add the lyrics to all of the other songs in the future. For reference, I currently have lyrics to 18 completed songs that I plan on recording and posting on my site. When I say these songs are completed, I mean that I have a melody figured out, and either guitar or piano to go along with it. In terms of putting together a full arrangement, that is nowhere close to done

In the next few days, I hope to flesh out the rest of the music page with information, pictures, and links. Here's hoping I can get it done! This weekend, I will be dedicating a lot of time to music (if things go as I plan, which they rarely do), so hopefully I can put out a few more demo acoustic tracks, fix some of my existing tracks, and maybe release 1 fully arranged song. I can dream! Wish me luck!

This weekend was a pretty crazy one for me. A couple of weeks back, I was asked to play in a reverse coed volleyball tournament in Durango, CO on April 11th. Reverse coed tournaments are a little different than most, as the net is at woman's height (about 8 inches lower than men I believe), but only the women are allowed to hit at the net. The men must hit from behind the 10 foot line, so it definitely changes the dynamics of the game. I, having a pretty decent vertical around 40 inches, usually fare pretty well in reverse coed events as they rely on jumping ability quite a lot. I had assumed that it was an outdoor 4's tournament though, as that is the only environment in which I played, but I was way off. It was actually reverse coed indoor six person tournament, which has different rules of its own.

Anyways, I found out that there were a couple of concerning details about how we were getting there - namely that we had to start our drive at 1:30 AM for an 8:30 tournament. I was reassured that I would get to sleep in the back of the car though, so I thought I might be ok to play given that fact. When I arrived at my teammates house, and prepared to pack our stuff up, I discovered that the car we were taking was TINY (this detail hadn't been described beforehand though). The car was a 2-door Celica with rear seats that must have been made to fit cats or small dogs, because it sure as hell wasn't made for a normal sized human. For the whole drive, I was cramped in several weird positions, unable to move more than an inch, and unable to sit up straight due to my head hitting the ceiling. Needless to say, I got very little sleep. To top things off, we started the drive out in the rain, which quickly turned to snow. I was definitely worried about the drive, but my friend handled the weather well. We wound up arriving in Durango a little late, but everything worked out.

Durango is a pretty little town, but still cold in April. I'll have to post a few of the pictures I took (I definitely didn't take enough though!). We played in a pretty nice gym with about 5 other teams. The best part about the tournament was getting to play with and against some very talented and beautiful women. I'll definitely sign up to play again next year! As far as the tournament itself, our team was able to take 1st. After the tournament, we stayed at the house of a player who is a friend with my teammate. There was a fun after party with plenty of beer pong, and I got to meet a lot of really great people. Halfway through the night, we went and saw a dance show being conducted by college students. When we first arrived, we were unsure what we were getting into, and the first act we saw was pretty horrible. We were all getting really worried, but the acts kept getting better and better, and we saw some pretty cool hip-hop routines. Afterward, the party continued at the house well into the night...

Anyways, as you can imagine, I'm pretty tired and my head is a little messed up from the lack of sleep and exhaustion. Luckily, I have a week to recover for my next indoor volleyball tournament.

As far as music goes, I was able to record some guitar for a few songs, but I haven't had time to record a full acoustic version to post. I did repost a better version of Plans for Two though, so at least people can hear that.

On a side topic, I've started listening to a Japanese band called Home Made Kazoku. These guys have such a great style, and I haven't found a song I've disliked yet by them. Here is a sample of their music:

Here's hoping I can post some more music soon!

Well, I've finally put new music up. I made a decision the other night that I think it's best for me to put up acoustic versions of all my songs first, and then put up the fully arranged versions. So I've put up a couple of demo tracks( somewhat rough, and not really finished ). In fact, the version of "Can't Be Wrong" that I've uploaded I only recorded to see how it would sound, and also to prevent myself from forgetting it. It came out good enough though that I think people might enjoy it. "Plans For Two" is a song that I originally wanted to sing with my sister, but this version will have to do for now. It's nowhere close to being done( the version I generated seems to be clipping, ugh), but at least people can get an idea of what the song will be like. "We Can Make It" is pretty much in it's final state. I have a ton of songs to record acoustic versions of, so I'm hoping to bust a couple more out this weekend. Now to get 4 and half hours of sleep before my volleyball tournament. Bah, who needs sleep

I've noticed that my mp3 player is having a problem with lining all of the song names and durations up properly( if the song names are too long), so I will have to fix it. It also doesn't change the highlight when songs change. Too much fun...