Well, two of us ain't slackers. Me, and the one guy who wrote with encouragement and specific advice.

Quote:

I have two weeks from Wednesday, April 8 to prepare my studio for co-production.



I did it in five days. I built the DAW, installed a sealed copy of Win XP Pro and my music software. My landlord gave me the use of a Studio RTA "Creation Station" studio desk. I was given a "bad" Behringer MX 2004A 16-channel mixer by a friend who is a heavy smoker. I fixed the two unusable (and all scratchy) faders with a can of contact cleaner and have it patched into my system. (Big improvement over the fully professional, but wholly inadequate, TASCAM M-106 six-channel Hi-Z mixer I was using before.) Now I'm pulling out the manuals for the rest of my gear and finding out that it doesn't matter how little I know as long as I consult higher intelligence. But I thought I knew more than I am discovering I did . . .

The deal with the collaborator didn't pan out, at least not yet. As a successful songwriter, he now says he is looking for someone pretty much on his level with whom to co-produce new works. But he isn't ruling me out if I can create some worthy material. More motivation.

In those same five days I also scheduled two jams and will be auditioning tomorrow as a bassist for an alternative folk act. I have continued to scour the craigslist Musicians ads and forward mine to likely prospects. I have created an e-mail address for "Ryszard": sonic-sorcerer@hotmail.com. (If you would like to be on the "Music & Art News from Ryszard" mailing list, let me know. That way there will have to be some, lol. I also promote artist and musician friends of mine.) I've posted another craigslist ad to broaden the likelihood of playing live. It doesn't need to be an ideal situation yet, I just love doing it. It's an energy thingy, something to do while I Paint My Masterpiece.

I still need to create a website, or at least populate some of which I am already a member (myspace, Indaba, mixposure) with new material. Or some material. I might have gotten some of this done, too, but Life Kept Happening, like spending two hours on the phone with Microsoft one day to help sort out my father's PC.

So much to do, and finally, a feeling of urgency about it. For those of you who are agitated because it looks like I'm using this as a personal blog--maybe I am. This isn't for you. It's for me, and to the ones both on and away from this forum whom I trust to encourage, advise and, Deo volente, pray me into the success I've said I've wanted for so long. For the ones who will Pay It Forward. You know who you are. I want to prove myself worthy of you.

Richard

"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."