Monthly Archives: September 2010

CD Project Update #8 – Electric Guitar Overdubs, The Fun Begins

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The recording session went very well yesterday however, I wasn’t quite prepared for the time it was going to take to get things done. Right now, it seems like it’s going to take forever to complete this CD.

In a 6 hour period Darren and I only completed one and a half songs and I was really feeling the frustration early on in the day after being so used to the immediacy of live music. I tell you the temptation to just say “yeah, that’s good enough” on any particular guitar track we recorded was high on my list but I remained strong.

I’m glad that we’re taking the time to get this part of the recording process just right.

We arrived at the studio at 9:30am started recording at around 10:30am after Darren finished setting up all of his guitars and amps that he and I were going to use for the day.

We started off proceedings with Billboard Angel

Overkill? I think NOT!

A nice rack

Once we finished Billboard Angel we had pizza for lunch thanks to Fat Pizza and Yiros (staple studio food) and by 2:30pm we started on the second song Back Of My Mind finishing up at around 4pm.

Anthony Stewart loves his pizza

Darren Zaza

I learnt a lot about patience and tolerance yesterday but I also started to learn the fine art of music production and how to use the recording studio as a separate musical instrument. It’s amazing what you can do to change the overall ambience of a song through the layering of sounds on top of one another.

By the end of the day I was absolutely worn out due to the amount of listening and concentration that was put into the session but somehow I had to get home and get ready to run the Open Mic @ The Dan that night.

The recording madness continues next Wednesday…

Peace,

Corey :)

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CD Project Update #7 – Recording Starts Again!

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Me @ Industrial Records Studio 1980
Image by Chris_Carter_ via Flickr

This Wednesday (September 8th) I go back into the studio again and start putting down electric guitar tracks with my good friend Darren Zaza and after almost 4 weeks of not recording I can safely say that I’ve really missed the studio.

I know that at the beginning of my CD Project Updates I said that “…at times the recording process felt a little disjointed” but I’m now getting used to the layered nature of the recording process. I can see why some musicians want to stop gigging and just record music.

What I’m beginning to love about the recording process is embracing the elements of the unknown that exist between what ideas I have in my head and the end result of an overdub.

You really don’t know what is going to happen until you do record the take and that to me, is really exciting.

I’ve also decided on what I’m going to do with the 16 songs that you can still hear on my CD Project page, I’m going to use all of them but, there’s still an opportunity for you all to have a say in what’s going on.

I’ve been asked by SCALA (Songwriters, Composers and Lyricists Association) to submit a song for their upcoming CD release in a couple of months time so one of the 16 songs will be a “SCALA Exclusive.”

I’ve narrowed down my choice to 3 songs

Billboard Angel

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Don’t Turn To Me Now

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Girl Like You

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Have a listen and let me know which song should be the “SCALA Exclusive.”

As for the other 15 songs, I’ve decided to use all of them because I simply can’t choose which ones to leave out and all of the opinions that you’ve put through to me point to that very conclusion as well.

Barring any recording disasters or acts of God, “Out With The Old And In With The New” will be a 15 track CD project and that’s okay, I’m very happy with that outcome.

I’m proud of what I’ve done so far and I’m looking forward to continuing on with the recording on Wednesday.

Now, on to working out how to sell this CD…

Peace,

Corey :)

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Guitar Tuition With Corey Stewart

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A variety of guitar picks

Image via Wikipedia

After many, many enquiries from interested folks I’ve finally decided to get back into teaching guitar again.

What does this all mean for you?

Well, have you ever wanted to:

  • Play the guitar but you didn’t know where to start?
  • Seek out and learn your favourite songs on guitar?
  • Write more songs using the guitar as a songwriting tool?
  • Learn more chords and get more out of your guitar?
  • Play your guitar for relaxation or, maybe as a profession one day?

If you said YES to any of these questions then consider me as your guitar teacher.

As well as being a songwriter I have also been a guitarist for just over 25 years and I reckon in that time I’ve picked up a thing or two about playing the guitar and how to get the best out of it. My experiences and what I’ve learnt on my journey is what you will learn from me.

You’ll also learn everything you need to pick up your guitar and play your favourite song, jam with others, expand on your own chordal and theoretical knowledge or write your own songs using the guitar as your primary songwriting tool.

Each lesson will be customised for you and for the goals you want to achieve, whether it be to play for relaxation or as a step towards playing music as a profession.

You’ll learn at your own pace with someone who is patient, understanding and very knowledgeable.

That would be me!

To make a booking or for more information about my fees and/or what I can do for you and your guitar playing please contact me.

Peace,

Corey :)

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The Truth Really Does Set You Free

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When I started my blog I made sure I clearly stated my reasons for doing it.

So much so that in an earlier post I mentioned that through this blog I wanted to “… build a community of people around me and my music and I’ll be doing that by being me, being open and honest and documenting everything that I’m doing on my musical journey.”

Well I haven’t been totally open and honest with you and therefore, at this very moment I feel like I’ve let you all down.

A case in point and something that I have been called on recently by a couple of people who really know me has been my (so called) review about the Synchronicity Police vs Pure Blondie show.

This post is an example of what I’ve written and what I’ve actually felt being on other ends of a spectrum. I thought I was being “diplomatic” when I wrote the post but in fact, I was being just plain dishonest with you and to myself.

The honest truth is that I hated the night, I felt unprepared for the gig due to the stop/start nature of our own rehearsal schedule and the “doing a duet with the other band” idea that was prosed by the lead singer of Pure Blondie was something that I only tolerated because I didn’t have the guts to say NO.

There, I said it… It does feel good to set the record straight but it has taken me a few days to get up enough courage to write this post.

Why?

Because I’m scared of what people think, I’m scared that people won’t like me, or not take me seriously, or think that I’m a bad person because of this post.

What I have learnt about myself over the last few days is that I have a bad habit of sugarcoating my life, for the purposes of appearing like I am in control. It seemed that every time I wrote something or opened my mouth to speak, the temptation to produce propaganda rather than to tell my truth would cover me like a dark heavy shroud.

It’s amazing how much pressure I’ve put myself under trying to be all things to all people but I’ve realised that I can’t be everything to everybody.

I’m a person who has succumbed to the illusion that life is to be controlled and organised rather than to be spontaneously lived. I’ve also realised that being truly me means that I have to embrace my imperfections and flaws as well as my good points and that where I am right now is the sum total of all my experiences and choices to date.

So, I want to restate to you my purpose for doing this blog, for maintaining my website.

“I want to build a community of people around me and my music. I’ll be doing that by being me, being open and honest and documenting everything that I’m doing on my journey through the many facets of my life.”

I have a long way to go but after being bound up by indecision for so long the truth really does set you free.

Peace,

Corey :)

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