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I just wanted to give you all an update as to what’s happening with the SongMachine Studio build.

In an earlier post La Casa Di Mara – The New House I mentioned that…

… the shed out the back is too small and has no power to it so it will need to go and a new purpose built structure will take its place in the new year.

Well, fast forward about four months and this is what has happened so far.

  • Organised the final shed quote with Stratco Goolwa
  • Old shed was dismantled and taken away leaving the slab
  • Yankalilla council approves the new shed build
  • Remaining slab is cut up and prepared to be removed

Here is what is should be happening from now on (barring Murphy’s Law and life getting in the way).

  • The slab is to be removed in about 2-3 weeks
  • Ground to be prepared for slab after shed construction
  • Shed components to be delivered around about the same time
  • Shed to be erected about 4 weeks after delivery
  • New concrete slab to be poured soon after

All things considered, the new shed should be built and ready to go by the end of July which is when the real fun begins. 

Power will need to be connected, wall linings built, soundproofing installed and lastly, all of the musical and studio equipment that’s currently filling up the two extra bedrooms of the house will need to be moved in, set up and tested to see if it’s all working the way it should.

Phew.

Along with trying to re-establish myself plus my music and web businesses in a whole new environment, this new office/studio/creation space has taken up a lot of my time and focus. I suppose I’m creating for myself everything that I’ve always wanted for me and my music.

A place to play, create, develop, compose, rehearse and record. My happy place.

I feel like everything that I’ve been working for is moving towards a single point of time and that is the time when SongMachine is finally operational.

Right now, thinking about all of the possibilities excites me. It gets me out of bed in the morning and I just can’t wait to share with you all the fruits that this SongMachine tree has to offer.

All I can say is “watch this space” as there will definitely be more news to follow.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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Right now I’m sitting in front of my computer typing out this blog post and on the other screen is an open project on Logic Pro X and I’m really, really torn between completing this post and just doing some more recording.

However, there was a time not that long ago, that I couldn’t have imagined this scenario because back then, the thought of setting up some sort of home recording studio absolutely terrified me.

But what was I really scared of? I suppose I was scared that…

  • My music would sound crap and not sound like what’s on the radio
  • I couldn’t do it (record from home)
  • It would take too long for me to learn
  • My end product would be judged harshly by others
  • People won’t like my music (and therefore, not like me)

Of course, these irrational and illogical fears were a result of an unhealthy combination of way too much perfectionism, not enough confidence and a dash of low self esteem thrown in for good measure

I remember when I purchased my first iMac way back in 2009, I had included in the purchase a copy of Logic 9 (I had some experience using Logic 4.2 – before it was purchased by Apple from Emagic) and when I installed it onto my new system I left it sitting there all alone on my desktop, unopened for a very long time.

Eventually, curiosity got the better of me and feeling a bit brash one day, I opened it up and started to muck around with it.

The more I used it, the more I gained confidence in my ability to learn about and operate a piece of software that was almost like learning a foreign language. Then I discovered that YouTube had heaps of Logic 9 tutorials that enabled me to integrate more knowledge that I could use in my recordings.

It was around about this time that my decision to start collaborating with other songwriters in a big way took place and my new found knowledge of recording music at home had some sort of outlet.

Then Logic Pro X came onto the market. When I got that onto my system everything had changed. Now I’m a home recording studio junky and there’s no stopping me now.

The main thing I love about recording from home is the sheer convenience of thinking of a songwriting idea and then being able to flick on a switch and have everything at your disposal at a moment’s notice.

Don’t get me wrong… I still use and work in other recording studios big and small, professional and amateur, and feel that these facilities provide a much needed service however, with my home recording setup I am no longer at the whim of somebody else when it comes to recording my songwriting ideas and developing them towards a completed product.

Through this website, I’ll be sharing with you my home recording experiences, what I’ve learnt from taking a leap of faith into the land of home recording plus curating some fantastic content that I’ve found that has helped me along the way so watch this space.

Okay, now I’ve got that out of my system, I’m getting back to my recording…

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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Hi there, my name is Corey Stewart and I am a Songwriter, Musician, Producer and Blogger.

I wrote my first song at the age of 13 and ever since then, I’ve written hundreds of other songs, performed in countless bands, played in far too many gigs to remember and experienced all of the highs and lows of being a performing songwriter and musician in Australia.

As you may have guessed, I have a deep love and passion for the craft of songwriting both for myself and in the encouragement of other songwriters to be the best that they can be.

You’ll find out how deep that passion is for songwriting through this blog where I will also talk about the music business, home recording and everything else that makes up the complex character of ME.

As well as being a songwriter, I have been an active participant in the music industry for over 35 years and throughout that time I have judged many songwriting contests and band competitions, taught guitar and bass, been a musical director for touring bands and worked in numerous recording studios as a session musician for hire.

My latest love affair has been with SongMachine, my very own home recording studio and I’m perpetually fascinated with how the songwriting and the recording processes overlap each other.

I used to be scared of the recording studio and my ability to work in it but nowadays, I certainly look at the recording studio the same way as the great Brian Eno does… As a stand alone instrument to be manipulated in infinite ways.

My overriding goal is to write more songs, play more gigs, meet more like minded creatives all over the world and generally take every opportunity that comes my way for me and my music with both hands and ride the wave that is this new music business.

Personally, I have no idea where I will end up but it’s sure going to be a lot of fun finding out and Corey Stewart Online will be my document to that journey.

Contact me and say hello, it’ll be great to meet you and I hope you can come with me for the ride.

Peace,

Corey 🙂