Saturday, September 14, 2003 – Entry One

During mid summer 2003, I got tired of playing standard guitar tuning and re-tuned a couple of guitars around the house and office to double drop D and then to G tuning. The basic chords of a potential new song showed up over a couple of weeks as most of the playing took place in my bedroom in the evenings, or by the pool on my Martin Backpacker. The G tuning is a banjo tuning and some banjo licks I had made up over the prior year fit nicely into the chord progression. I had no plans for a song, just the usual messing around with the guitars and chord progressions. Then, one Saturday morning, as she was drying off from a shower after having heard this (been bored by this) for a couple of weeks, Taf walked into the room and she said “I know what that song is! Boulder Bound!!” Obviously it was, I knew the minute she said it!!!

Mike was about to depart for his freshman year in Boulder at the University of Colorado and the five of us had plans to go out to Colorado, hike for few days and then set him up (free ?). About 2 days after “Me Espinosa” said that, I finished the words in 2 sittings, thanks to her encouragement, and started to pull it together. My best friend Drew gave Mike a copy of a John Denver disc with Rocky Mountain High to go with on the trip which was very inspiring. Drew had taken the same album on his trip to Colorado upon leaving high school for Denver at the same age 29 years ago!!!! On the subsequent trip to Colorado, I refined the music in a cabin in Rocky Mountain National Park alongside the Fall River, and then, on the balcony of a hotel in Boulder (in the early morning with coffee and/or late afternoon sunshine.) Upon our return from Boulder, to another week of vacation from work at home in early September, I had some time in the basement studio and I worked up the synthesizer intro and recorded it with my Cakewalk Sonar XL sequencer digital audio workstation software in my basement studio.

Now that school has begun and it is just the 3 of us in the house (sadly), I have put the basic synth intro file on a notebook computer in Justin’s room and I hope to start working on it a little every evening or so. I am waiting for an Edirol USB audio interface I need to come FedEx on Thursday or so to begin work.

Up in Justin’s room I have 3 instruments that I have never recorded before that I acquired over the last 4 years. A banjo, an electric lap steel slide guitar, and a mandolin. The goal is to make a version of the song up there during the fall, debug it, and then this winter, do a final version in the basement studio.

Today I worked up some electric riffs to go from the synth part to the guitar parts. I showed it to Taf as we watched hurricane Isabel in the Atlantic about to go north of Puerto Rico. I’ll note its movement over the next week, the first of this journal!

Tuesday, September 16, 2003 – Entry Two

The last two evenings were taken up with preparing for Isabel, which is apparently going to hammer N.C. Friday morning and move up the coast so we will have some big winds. This meant shutting the whole backyard down for the winter a month early. But it’s over with. Had to be done soon anyway. I also spent time working on the den walls as part of the kitchen/ground floor major renovation of the house being done. It is busy around here!!

Tonight I worked on the Stratocaster intro (and/or, as I discovered tonight the outro?)

Wednesday, September 17, 2003 – Entry Three

Tonight I worked on the guitar chords to get from the last chords of the synth intro out into the electric guitar build up to the song intermittently while working with Jake on the pool cover for the hurricane. Isabel baby!! Glad she’s south, (but Justin is there)!! I documented the chords in Power Chords software. Taf is doing a late clinic and Naughton showed up. Wow!!

Thursday September 18, 2003 – Entry Four

Today I received and set up the MobilePre audio USB interface on the notebook in Justin’s room. Using it I was able to immediately record the electric guitar ending with the synth intro and then the next section of an electric guitar part. I then mixed it all on the notebook and played it back. Pretty quick! Hurricane Isabel hit N.C. and then went on to Va and Md. Looks like we’ll dodge the bullet (or as the weather guy said the “missile”!!!) But Justin got hit. We are due to get hit overnight. Boulder Bound? Next will be some 12 string acoustic Travis picking and full rhythm part.

Friday September 19, 2003 – Entry Five

Yeah, we got hit. The house alarm system went off at 3am from a power surge which destroyed he electronics in the Jacuzzi and the winds were strong. By morning it was over and a lot of leaves but no real damage. Whew!!! Got home early and did some lap electric steel guitar tracks in the afternoon. Justin has no power in Md. as they got hit pretty hard. Went out with Taf on errands and tried to get a new blues DVD 2 disc set of blues guys playing in the 60’s that just came out. Could not find it and came home and ordered it online.

Saturday September 20, 2003 – Entry Six

Early on went to dentist for busted tooth, and then shopping for parts for the first floor renovation. Then Taf and I laid at the pool for a couple of hours (cleaned up the mess from the hurricane). Went up to my Justin room studio (He still has no power in MD) and recorded a 12-string track for the song. It is going pretty fast so far!!! Today I received some digital e-mail pictures of a guitar I had made in Costa Rica from a design I’d made. It is finally done and the guy playing it has offered $1,000 more than I agreed to pay for it!!! (No Way!!!)

Sunday September 21, 2003 – Entry Seven

Took my mandolin to Pop’s house and played a little while watching the Giants game. (OT win over the Redskins). Banjo work next.

Monday September 22, 2003 – Entry Eight

Busy day with Jake’s soccer game (1-0 win his first middle school game as keeper)! Set up the loop points for the bridge part the song and began work on the banjo riffs for the bridge. Organized “Studio B” in Justin’s room. Listened to Muddy Waters during organize time.

Tuesday September 23, 2003 – Entry Eight (and a half)

Spent two hours trying out the banjo over various parts recorded so far without finding something I really liked. I think picking over the initial vocal parts with the same chords will be the way to go after trying to jam the banjo over the bridge to no avail. See why this is so time consuming? Bought the newest Meatloaf disc today and a Son House album.

Wednesday September 24, 2003 – Entry Nine

After setting up some powered computer speakers instead of the ones that were here from Justin’s computer (unpowered), I spent two and a half hours and recorded some banjo parts tonight and for the first time I mixed a Sonar Digital Audio project to wave file internally as an interim demo mix. Click on this to hear it (only on CD):

                             ...\..\..\CakewalkProjects\boulderbound.wav

I’ll put it on a CD, practice the vocals in the car, and then record them next. Doing all this on this notebook computer is confirming my fear that the machine I have in the studio downstairs is totally obsolete. It is going much smoother and faster up here in Justin’s room with skeleton equipment than it does in the studio with major stuff.

Sunday September 28, 2003 – Entry Ten

Busy week. Listened to the mix in the car.  I spent some time Friday night and again this morning working out use of the Virtual Sampler software I have. It is very complicated so I’m not sure if it will be worth all the time it will take to learn how to use it. We’ll see. I also played around with a demo of the Antares Kantos analog software synthesizer to decide whether to buy it or not. It lets you plug in the guitar and play a synthesizer with it. Very cool. (Townsend did this on Who’s Next with hardware synthesizers.) Today I worked on a banjo part for Boulder Bound (while I watched the USGP) that I am thinking about with some Mandolin parts. Right now I’m tentatively thinking about Boulder Bound – Suite.

Boulder Bound Suite:

Big Thompson Canyon- Nightfall

Mandolins and Steel Guitars

Boulder Bound –Walkin’ up intro

Boulder Bound

I also polished some guitars and moved some from Justin’s room to the basement. I need a guitar tech!!!

Monday September 29, 2003 – Entry Eleven

Recorded vocal parts tonight and worked on some banjo riffs for the instrumental Mandolins and Steel Guitars part. Played with some software effects on various tracks. Got a physical today. I was told I need surgery on a hernia in my navel and that my electrocardiogram is not right so I need heart tests. Nice!!!!!

Thursday October 2, 2003 – Entry Twelve

I’ve had a busy week. Tonight Taf is in NYC with brother Sam Eber who had surgery today and I am with Jake at home. I mixed what I have so far tonight. This week I have been watching a documentary about the blues by Martin Scorcese. Not so good but interesting. I’ve been playing slide guitar while I watch.

..\..\..\Cakewalk Projects\boulderbound102.wav

Monday October 6, 2003– Entry Thirteen

Mandolin parts today. Spent the weekend visiting Justin in MD. On the way to MD I found a perfectly good Harmony guitar in my parents neighbors garbage pile!!!! Polished it up, new strings and another guitar joins the fray. Today was Yom Kippor so I had some time off to work. I did all the mandolin parts and mixed the stuff I have so far. 5 hours!!!

Wednesday October 8, 2003 – Entry Fourteen

Intro bass parts tonight and played what I have so far for Taf. Kitchen renovation is almost done. 1 hour.

Thursday October 9, 2003– Entry Fifteen

Remaining bass parts and some mixing tonight. I’ve been looking a lot at E-bay Martin guitars lately and find that I like the D12-35 models being sold. I noticed the Rabbi at the Temple has a D-35 which has an interesting back made of three pieces and only 12 frets clear of the body (vs 14 usually). For some reason the 12 string versions sell for less than the 6 strings. These were popular in the sixties and seventies. I have a major new Martin Roger McGuinn 12 string, but, one of these would be a nice addition as a working 12 string and I would not worry about capoing or tuning it in other tunings.

Friday October 10, 2003 – Entry Sixteen

Jake is away this weekend so the house is empty. Worked tonight on editing and mixing the tracks I have and putting some guitar holders on the wall in the basement studio. 2 hours.

Saturday October 11, 2003 – Entry Seventeen

Spent some time this morning configuring Power Chords software to use in finding chords on the banjo and mandolin. This will make using all the instruments together easier in the future. Went shopping with Taf and took the dogs hiking to the beach. Had dinner out, went to the movies (saw “Lost in Translation”). Came home and edited and mixed the tracks to date. Spoke to Mike who is in a soccer tournament in Colorado.

I want to put some harmony vocals on next and then do a banjo instrumental part for possible inclusion in the suite. Two and a half months into the project. 1.5 hours today.

Tuesday October 13, 2003 – Entry Eighteen

Made a backup of the file on the notebook and took down to the studio to see how it will work on another computer. Seems to be fine. I have to decide when to make the move with the song to the basement studio as there is much more in the way of equipment down there. I’ll at least do some more vocals and fix some mandolin parts here first.

Friday October 16, 2003 – Entry Nineteen

Had an hour tonight so I put on some harmony vocals.

Sunday October 18, 2003 – Entry Twenty

After lots of studio organizing today I sat and watched the Giant game (another frustrating loss by a team that was picked to go very far in pre-season) with my McGuinn 12-string and  worked up a nice riff in normal tuning for some other day, not Boulder Bound. We then went to visit Nan in Brooklyn for 4 hours. I came home and recorded a little more Mandolin. I want to put a little more on and then I think I’ll move it down to the basement studio. Earlier today I also installed the new upgrade of my Cakewalk Sonar digital audio workstation software-Version 3. Of course 2 works fine and 3 is screwed up, but a call to Tech Support from the office tomorrow should fix that I hope.

Monday October 20, 2003 – Entry Twenty One

Cakewalk tech support call. 60 seconds, driver change. Fixed. Cool!

Thursday October 23, 2003 – Entry Twenty Two

I took Jake to Hebrew school, (Bar Mitzvah in March coming up). Extensive mandolin parts for 2 hours and then a 3 mile run! At the end of it all I received a call from Taf while recording was still enabled which I’ll leave on the mandolin track and mix on the final master!!! Oh, the kitchen is almost done, counter tops to go in on Monday. Did I mention the Yankees are in the World Series like I care about baseball? Hope they lose!!! They are down tonight 6-1 in the fifth game of a 2-2 series to the Marlins!!! Jake is finishing his middle school soccer season, Mike is deciding whether he will grace his team and go to the collegiate club nationals, Chris Delmuro (Mike’s friend) is in the collegiate playoffs, and my song needs drums and final mixing!!!!

Monday October 27, 2003 – Entry Twenty Three

Not much done in the last few days. Over the weekend we went to see a Broadway play (that was bad) Saturday night with David and Susan Smith and then Sunday night saw Rick Wakeman who is the most amazing musician and entertainer you will ever see!!! Yes, the Yankees lost by the way. I managed to load the song onto a CD as a bundle file to bring to the basement studio for midi parts and mixing.

Wednesday October 29, 2003 – Entry Twenty Four

Last night I went into the basement and put the song on the studio computer. It went smoothly, but the audio effects from the notebook sound different on the desktop so I bypassed most of them and did some track rearranging so that adding the midi parts and mixing will be easier. Yesterday I had a Thalium stress test and arrived home tonight to the good news they I may have some blockage to deal with. Nice!!! Yesterday I also changed the strings on my D-18CTN Martin as I have continued working on the finger picking riffs I referred to in entry twenty. Yesterday I also bought the new 5.1 surround sound SACD version of Tommy by The Who. As that is my all time favorite music and album, I think I have every version that ever was released as well as bootlegs of Townshend’s demos that he made in his house by himself first. See how they get you? I have the CD version, the remastered CD version, and now this (in addition to the record album, cassette, the Broadway cast version CD, and the demo bootleg. Oh, did I mention I recorded the Overture on a prior notebook computer on vacation in Virgin Gorda and Anguilla?) They’ll eventually come out with ten more versions as new technologies arrive and I will buy them all. Go listen to it!!!!!!!!!!

    

Saturday November 1, – Entry Twenty Five

Over the last couple of nights I did some work in the basement (3 hours) readying for drums and other last parts and mixing. This morning I laid down a lot of drum parts. I’m not happy with how the 12 string sounds on the basement computer. I spent about 2 hours today on it and fixed the 12 string parts.

Sunday November 2, – Entry Twenty Six

Around a trip to Merrick to watch the Giants beat the Jets in OT, I spent about 3 hours mixing and editing in the basement studio. This part of the process is very tedious. You route each part recorded from the computer to the mixer and then determine the proper volume, pan (left and right), sound effects, compression, reverb, and equalization for each part. This is done by listening over and over and changing these settings as you go along for each part. It always takes me forever. Watch what happens

Wednesday November 5, – Entry Twenty Seven

Five hours spent mixing and editing over the last 3 nights. Tedious. See why this takes so long?

Thursday November 6, – Entry Twenty Eight

Spent 4 hours tonight mixing everything using the monitor speakers in the studio. Then, had it almost perfect and played it in the regular speakers, and it sounded terrible. I’m pissed. I’m gonna take a break. The process can be very frustrating. I spent a half hour just because a new drum part conflicted in the software with and old drum part and they both sounded wrong. I guess in the old days people had to be musicians. Now you have to be a computer engineer too. (Like in the old days you had to be an accountant. Now you have to be a computer engineer too) Shit!!

Saturday November 8, – Entry Twenty Nine

Thursday night I swore to put this down for awhile. Yeah right, I was down there mixing last night and all day today. Solved the conflict, added some Tubular Bells (ever hear of Mike Oldfield?)  and a “Grandioso” synthesizer part between the intro and the Boulder Bound start. It actually is starting to sound good. I’m gonna finish this “Demo” as my final version. 4 hours over the two days. Played the current mix for the Geoff, Steph, Heidi, Doug, and the Jackelitch’s at Doug’s house tonight.

Sunday November 9, – Entry Thirty

Spent time relaxing in the studio listening to the Stones today. 1.5 hours.

Monday November 10, – Entry Thirty One

Spent two hours mixing tonight using equalization. Started recording mixes on a CD at the same time as the minidisk I use to listen in the car. That way, when I have one I like, I have a final on CD as well. First big freeze last night. First “Fire of Winter” too now that the house is complete. Taf bought the rug for the den today that pretty much says the renovation is complete. (It takes me longer to do a song than it takes 4 guys to gut and redo a whole ground floor kitchen, den and bathroom. They work  all day though.) By way, Taf and I have lost 40 pounds together since labor day. Tomorrow I get an Echo Stress test. Nice.                                    

Sunday November 16, – Entry Thirty Two (Final Entry?)

Heart results all negative. I’m healthy as a horse. All false alarms. Last entry 11/10 was the 33^rd anniversary of the “Brookside Game” (soccer). Interesting because the cardiologist that did all the heart stuff??? Tom Pappas, my very close childhood friend who played with me in that game!!!  So, 7 hours this week, more mixing. I finally got it right this afternoon in the middle of putting the house back together finally after all the construction. With 12 tries!!!! Too much vocal, too little mandolin, etc. etc. etc. I finally got it as good as I can with my amateur equipment and talent. See what you think!!!!!

We are off to Barbados Wednesday for a wedding, and then return to Thanksgiving week. Justin and Mike home and the family reunited. Five months after Boulder Bound began it is done. And the Boulder Bound young man who now lives there will be home to hear it!!!!! So emotional, I cannot wait!!!!!

Picture by Mike Giffuni (via e-mail).