Touring Studios and other Musical Adventures

As you know, I’ve been researching recording studios in the Pittsburgh area. I was kind of surprised by how many there are–it seems Pittsburgh does a lot of recording for really legit artists! For some reason I always think my city is smaller than it actually is.

Recently I found a studio that looks great online and seems like it could be a really supportive environment for beginners (like me!). I won’t give you the name yet because I’m not committing to anything, but I’ll be touring the studio tomorrow, and I have high hopes.

Since October I’ve been devoting at least 6 hours per week to a combination of song writing, learning covers, practicing, self-promotion, and performing live. For the next month or so I’m streamlining my process and devoting those six hours to nothing but practicing my five songs.  I need to be completely and utterly sick of these songs by the time I record them. ^_^

If all goes well, I hope to do most of my recording in late May/early June. I still have no idea how long production usually takes, but I’ll keep you posted as I learn more!

Wholesome Sweeteners

My latest food obsession is Wholesome Sweeteners, a Fairtrade Certified Honey! I know it’s not chocolate, but it is delicious! I love it on tea, on peanut butter sandwiches, or just by the spoonful.

While honey isn’t slave-grown like cocoa, a lot of beekeepers face financial problems because “[they] depend on local middlemen to buy their honey. In a weak bargaining position, beekeepers often sell their honey at a fraction of the real value.” (Quote from http://www.fairtrade.net/honey.html.) Fairtrade honey cuts out the middle man to pay beekeepers fair prices. You can learn more here and here!

 

10,000 Words

Today I hit 10,000 words in one of the books I’m writing. The average YA novel is 60-80,000 words, so I still have quite a ways to go, but I thought I’d share this milestone with you. 🙂

Some day I dream of sharing info about release dates and author talks, but those are all a few years off. In the meantime, I’ll let you know about small milestones like this one.

Updates: Stories, Doodles, and More!

I FINALLY posted some things I’ve been promising for a very long time! A new short story about a dragon, some doodles about doodle-y things, and a cartoon about the Rapture!

I also added my old contemporary Christian song “Shine” to my youtube channel. The video’s from a few years back, but it sort of got lost in the ether so I’m reposting it. Give it a listen!

April Performance Dates

April’s dates are up! The library performance is a private event, unfortunately, so I may schedule a third performance for the public. Or not. I’m not sure. The world is full of surprises! :3

Tues, 4/7 @ 9 pm – Bloomfield Bridge Tavern’s Open Mic Night
Wed, 4/29 @ 1 pm – Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Staff Art Exhibit Reception

(Note: The times posted are when the event starts, not necessarily when I’m onstage.)