CyberMinions.net

The "Painting with Sound" album is live in iTunes

I had a few e-mails inquiries about releasing the Alice in Wonderland Pavillion track and found myself thinking that might not be such a bad idea.

Since I finished "Mangigian" on time, we decided to put together 8 cuts into an album entitled "Painting with Sound." I updated the music widget on my sidebar so you can hear them. We consolidated the previous singles released with the two most requested Life With Wee People cuts and a new song. I like creating songs for my friends. We are having a lot of fun with it and I was a bit surprised to see how fast the "Mangigian" project expanded.

I am on my way into the studio with the wee people to arrange new music, then I have to get our bagels and drop the shorties off at school. We have play-dates lined up today so no real estate issues or agendas are on the table. Just fun, fun, fun, fun, fun (LOL). I am looking forward to sharing a park bench with Stephen and Noah later, enjoying ice cream and ear-buds. :-) 

Gotta run. "Stephen Dance," "Jeka" and "Mangigian" are each turning into full albums so I have a lot of technical work to do. The more I hum the more music I create (Stephen taught me that little trick - LOL).

This is turning out to be a stellar Summer vacation... ;-)

Blog This!

Our latest album single "BlogThis!" just went live in iTunes. I shall have to create an excuse to YouTube something so you can hear the entire song. I don't want to update all of my music widgets until the next single is mastered. We are going to celebrate at Yotveta and Kyoto later today if I behave and pull it off.

Yotveta for lunch to celebrate the release of "Blog This!" and Koyoto is my reward for finishing Mangigian before dinner (LOL). Yes, you can get a lot out of me with good food. Especially Hagen Daz (LOL). ;-)

Gotta run. I have to behave and get my butt back in the studio with the wee people to finish Mangiggly the I-Talian's new song. She may actually wind up getting two tracks because "Mangigian" is a very happy little blues number created for my gal pal Susan Mangigian (who was gracious enough to let me use her photograph for the project), but I keep humming something that seems to be developing into a song I am thinking of naming "Brown Eyed Susan" (LOL).

My sweetie pie has gorgeous brown eyes to match her lovely personality... She's an excellent Realtor and very dear friend. Sometimes it's the little things that inspire great ideas (and my friends frequently inspire me to do all sorts of things - LOL).

Maybe I'll do a Club Chaos Eye Candy tour of homes next and show off my fave Queens County homes to "Blog This!" so you can see where I've been running amok and hear the entire song. After all, jogging and blogging is what I sometimes do (LOL). 

In the meantime, feel free to go checkout the iTunes or Amazon preview while I am collecting my eye candy. In case you were wondering I wrote the song for TLW (LOL). Like I said, it's the little things I find so inspiring. I've learned that from the wee people and she has such a mad cool icon.

I love TLW and BB. I think they are simply amazing. ;-)

I love Jewel and had so much fun watching this... I think she is simply amazing. The shorties like her music and so do I. Stephen is always asking people to dance when she ques on the iPod (LOL). Here's the link to Funny or Die. Have fun over there. Very cool videos. :-)

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/4a87d48fdd/undercover-karaoke-with-jewel

The Alesis i02 Express... The Alesis iMultiMix 8 USB... Hmm... I really, really want one (LOL)

Have you seen this thing? I am a audio gear head and this is mad cool. The specs just made me start my Christmas wish list really early (LOL). I have an Alesis i02 (with the red markings) and I am trying to figure out what the bit rate is on it (because I really did not pay attention to that when I brought it (bad mommy blogger - LOL).

To quote Alesis regarding an overview of the i02 Express: "The iO2 EXPRESS is a compact, audio-recording interface for home studios and portable recording setups. This two-channel USB device for Mac and PC-based systems enables you to record at up to 24-bit resolution for input into virtually all DAW, recording, and performance software. This compact recording interface is small enough to comfortably fit into your mobile recording rig, laptop bag, or backpack, yet contains high-quality components and circuitry suitable for the studio."

Now, if you really want to drool you have to go for the iMultiMix 8 USB by Alesis. It records directly into the iPod.To quote Alesison the iMultiMix: "The iMultiMix 8 USB is a sturdy, compact all-in-one tabletop mixer and recorder that features 100 studio grade 28–bit digital effects, a built–in limiter to avoid distorted recordings and an integrated iPod dock with control wheel transport controls for fast, easy direct–to–iPod recording. The iMultiMix 8 USB represents the first mixer to fuse together professional quality mixing, 3 band per channel EQ, guitar/line inputs and iPod recording in a single, intuitive package. For ultra–clean live recordings of nearly any performance, including home studios, musicians, podcasters, and houses of worship, the iMultiMix 8 USB is an ideal solution. Once recordings are completed simply use the convenient transfer to iTunes feature to move your recordings to a computer with Mac OS X or Windows XP or Vista without need for a special driver or complicated set–up. All channels are recorded down to CD Quality stereo 44.1 or 48kHz. The iMultiMix 8 USB can also playback music from the iPod, and mix your live performance instantly with the iPod."

They are both gorgeous and serve excellent purposes. Having both means I can give away my original Alesis to a friend, give the shorties the small one when I am working on the larger one and expand my portable digital recording studio.

Every time I start recording music my kids kick me to the curb and take over the equipment. They love microphones. The stuff they record sometimes drives me crazy. Seriously crazy. There are days when they just make noise and don't even try to make music. You have no idea how many musical tracks they have mutilated with me driving while they have my laptop or with me stepping away to go to the bathroom and/or kitchen (LOL). I kinda encourage themexploring the electronics because I love the fact that they are trying to make music and are learning the software interface. Nothing beats a try... They like Sony Acid 7 Pro and Motu Digital Performer. By the time they hit their teens who knows what my kids will be creating. Did I mention my kids are crazy? :-)

YouTube iMultiMix 8 USB review by Andrew Cato

Hmm... Interesting... I'm Being Solicited For A Music Deal...

A gentleman I am unfamiliar with sent me an e-mail stating (a) he has an undergraduate degree in business marketing, (b) is working on his album and (c) sent me links to his on-line music wave files so I can hear them.

Wow...

So this is what happens when you start your own record label to make music with your friends, eh? People actually contact you for your opinion, open the door for possible collaborative sessions and/or solicit you for jobs. Dude DJs and dropped some very interesting names in his e-mail. Left me a long distance contact number as well.

My first thought was, "why me?" My second thought was, "Hmm... Interesting..."

I then clicked the links and checked out the wave files embedded at drop.io because I am nosy that way (LOL). I shall forward his e-mail to a couple of my blogging/musical buddies and see what they think. Will keep you guys posted if we sign and/or do decide to hire/represent him.

I have three independent contractors signed and a couple of artists, so I am perfectly happy with my tiny little corner of the digital music world. It's just me having mad fun with some of my talented brick and mortars so I never thought I'd be getting solicited by out of state musicians looking for work. Especially since I have never posted a musical job opening and don't plan to post one anytime soon.

Sometimes life throws you a curve-ball you need to catch. Once the ball is yours, you have to figure out what to do with it. The ball is in my court... I must admit I am clueless... I really didn't see this coming.

Oh well... Time to dig up a dollar for my attorney girlfriends... So much for my looking for an adventure. Seems the adventure found me (LOL). :-)

I have to get back into the studio but I figured I'd pop in and say hello and find out what yall have been up to while I am working. We're planning another road trip, so I have to get all of my backlogged posts up before I go. That is a lot of NY, MD, VA, NC and SC eye candy to chat about (LOL).

Four new tracks are being mastered so I have to get back to my session. We are on a tight schedule. My lead singer is coming in for Thanksgiving so I have to have the music finalized so I can send over the wave files for her review. Sometimes I arrange music in the "wrong key" and have to swap it out for another octave depending upon how she feels about the groove and the range she wants to sing in (LOL). I'm thinking since I owe you guys 5 posts I should see if we can wrap up the 5th song for my gal pal in SC. That would be lovely. I have the lead on 4 of the others so I really need to get my butt back in there and put my headphones back on. I like instrumentals but my fan mail is full of people waiting to hear us sing. So we're writing original content and singing a few public domain covers to keep them interested and happy. My iTunes project is mad fun. You guys should create your own. Seriously... :-)

YouTube is on the agenda for this afternoon (after I get the little minions from school - LOL). I also have clients I need to take house hunting so I may not be back to play until dinner time... Will be lurking off and on in the Rain and serial commenting during break time.

Enjoy your day, sweetie pies. I am having a lot of fun enjoying mine. Will teach you how to monetize your blog with music later. ;-)

Our iTunes project is doing well. So is our MP3 launch at Amazon.com which happens to have the wee people tickled pink because they love shopping on-line for movies there (LOL). We're getting some Internet Radio play and will eventually migrate to the college stations. I think the shorties wont know what to do with themselves when it eventually hits regular radio.

DJ Minions, eh? Gotta love kids... I wonder what we will cook up next... Working on a full album with a bit of help from some very talented friends (when my kids are not making off with the equipment - LMAO). So far it's been mad fun. Will try to return to my podcasting now that Noah and Stephen are both sleeping soundly (LOL). Hubby is playing World of Warcraft and I am answering what appears to be our first bit of fan mail. 

Nice... ;-)