Archive for Recent Work
“Rise Up” Harrisburg City Beautiful 2.0
An artist that I have been working with for a while now, LouieJoJo, will be starring in a play entitled “Stories from Home: City Beautiful,” put on by Open Stage Harrisburg. The play received its name from a movement in the 1900’s put in place to beautify and improve the city of Harrisburg. This play aims to pay tribute to a group of visionary Harrisburg citizens at the turn of the 20th Century, which you will be able to see for yourself in various performances June 7th-29th.
We are very excited to announce that “Rise Up-Harrisburg” by LouieJoJo ft. Corianne Silvers, will be featured in “Stories From Home: City Beautiful” as the closing song. LouieJoJo was looking for the perfect fit to make this song a reality, when I suggested bringing in Corianne to sing on this piece, along with him. Corianne is a singer/ songwriter that I have previously produced for and between her and LouieJoJo, we achieved an amazing song, and we are very proud to have it included in “Stories from Home: City Beautiful.”
If you want to check it out, performances will be held between the dates of June 7th to June 29th at the Angino Family Theatre at Open Stage of Harrisburg, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8pm, with Sunday Matinees at 2pm.
The Perfect 5th
I did an interview for WITF radio (the local NPR station) a few months back and you can now check it out online. Go to ThePerfect5th.com and at the top, click “Virtual Tour.” (My Part is a little more than ½ way through it.) I teach audio recording classes and do private tutoring at The Perfect 5th and this was part of an interview that the radio station did with a bunch of the instructors there.
My next class will start on April 23rd and goes for 4 weeks – one hour on Tuesdays at 5:30pm. It’s called Audio Recording Basics and covers software, microphones, acoustics, signal flow, etc. Read more about it on the website class page.
Better yet, stop in for the Open House this Saturday and talk to me about it then. Some of the other teachers that I’ve worked with will be performing, including Jeremy Hummel (x-Breaking Benjamin). He’ll be demonstrating during the second half of the Open House. I also just heard that during the first half, Rod Goelz (Groove Jones) will be performing with beatboxer Tony Carreira.
So check it out – free music, coffee and snacks – what else do you need?! The Perfect 5th Musical Arts Center is here in Mechanicsburg at 6240 Carlisle Pike. Contact Terry Selders for more info. He does all the marketing for The Perfect 5th, and also teaches music business and has done some private consulting with some of my clients, including Sixty. He’s my former manager (when I was in Grantham Road) and he managed The Badlees through all of their early independent and major label releases. You can reach him at 717-691-9100 or mail to: Terry@ThePerfect5th.com
2nd Street Anthem – LouieJoJo
LouieJoJo (Louis Bianco) just released his first video and is making some waves in the Harrisburg area. He recently had a blog write up feature on Today’s The Day Harrisburg website and is busy booking shows.
The two of us immediately hit it off when he came in to discuss his ideas of a song about Harrisburg’s 2nd street and we are currently working on his follow up song.
Check out this fun song and video!!!!
Available on itunes now.
Crobot-New Album & Video
Check these guys out!!!
Local band Crobot from Pottsville PA released their first full length record titled “The Legend Of The Spaceborne Killer”. These guys have a sound that they describe as “dirty, groove oriented rock” I did the mastering for them on the album and was very happy with the way it turned out. Here is their first video.
Nathan Veshecco “Sunset Again”
Songwriter Nathan Veshecco’s latest release, Sunset Again, marks a solitary new chapter in music making. After a decade of writing and producing group efforts (with the occasional solo acoustic tune) at outside recording facilities, Veshecco went inward – in every sense – for his latest effort. Spending much of 2012 on the road visiting family and friends, he penned a batch of tunes that examine the state of his life and relationships as he approaches 30.
Nathan and I first started talking about this album about two months before he started recording it. He had expressed to me that it would be a very stripped down, raw, and real album and most likely just him and an acoustic guitar. While recording this he would be traveling on the road staying at various family member’s houses along the way… So he wanted to know what kind of a mobile recording set up and few pieces of gear he would need. I got him set up with a Pro Tools rig and some good mics. After he got the gear in hand, we proceeded to talk on the phone regularly so I could walk him through some recording tips and techniques. He explained to me what kind of tone and vibe he wanted for the album, and I did the best mic placement and engineering possible, for being a whole state away. 
Nathan would send me Pro Tools sessions so I could listen to them and give feedback on what he should do differently or what I really liked about the sounds he was achieving. Slowly, but steadily I received what would become the final sessions, which I used to mix from.
The original plan was to be in the same room to mix when the time came, but, schedules didn’t allow that to happen. We both decided since we have spent so much time talking about this project and discussing ideas together that we were on the same exact page. I conveyed to him I knew exactly what type of mixing needed to be done to this album to finish it, and he cut me loose to mix it by myself. I sat down at 9am on a nice autumn morning in October and by the end of that day I had mixed the entire album, and felt completely satisfied that it had the right sound and was done.
I got a text later on that evening from Nathan after he downloaded the mixes that I sent him saying everything sounded amazing and there was probably only 1 or 2 tweaks he wanted to make before mastering.
Two days after that Nathan was able to come into town to be in the same room to master the album, and we got to hang out and catch up with each other for the day.
I think Nathan has done some amazing songwriting for this project and is starting a new chapter in his career. I am grateful to be a part of yet another album from him and his musical journey.
This process also reinforced how important it is for engineer/producers and artist’s to have very tight relationships with each other. It’s going to help the music grow even more naturally when everybody involved can see the big picture and the vision of the artist.
For more info and updates with Nathan Veshecco check out his website.
Check out this snippet of the album title track and the video below of “Soaked To The Bone”
“Sunset Again”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
“Soaked To The Bone”
Kilmaine Saints
SAINT (noun)
1. a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence.
2. a founder, sponsor, or patron, as of a movement or organization.
KILMAINE (noun)
1. a rural village in County Mayo, Ireland.
KILMAINE SAINTS (noun)
1. Musical group that is equal parts Irish Swagger, Scottish Pride and whiskey. This explosive, high-energy Celtic rock band from Central PA will lift your hearts, your spirits, and your pint when you’re not looking.
I am proud to announce the release of “Drunken Redemption”. This is the second studio release from Harrisburg, PA Celtic rockers Kilmaine Saints. Awhiskey-soaked, bagpipe & fiddle driven juggernaut, this CD proves that they’re not a band to be taken lightly. With a hard-hitting, modern sound more reminiscent of today’s Celtic powerhouses, these five lads & lass have quickly established themselves as a force in the Celtic rock scene. Original songs such as Battle Cry, When We Come To Town and Black & Blue Jig will have you pumping your fists, dancing furiously & singing along at the top of your lungs, while songs such as All For One, Whiskey’s Calling & 57 will make you remember what it means to be Irish – the struggle, the brotherhood, and the pride. They also give a nod to their roots with a few Traditional Irish tunes, stamped with the Saint’s own brand of blood & fire, that even the most traditional die-hard Irish rebel will know by heart. This follow up to their first CD, 2010’s “The Good, The Plaid & The Ugly”, takes the myth of the Sophomore Jinx & tosses it right out the window. With hundreds of shows all over the Eastern US since 2009, playing blistering, high energy sets at venues & Irish festivals from Michigan to Maine, the Saints don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. So raise a pint & give a cheer, this one’s for friends both far & near!
“Band Of Brothers” Event
This past weekend I got to do the live sound production and mix at an event called “Band Of Brothers” that took place at Christian Life Assembly Church in Camp Hill.
The conference included two days of sessions and workshops from four very powerful speakers and world wide selling authors. In between the sessions music was lead by Kristain Walker and a top notch band.
It was an amazing event to be a part of and an honor to work with the talented crew of techs and musicians.
Hot Jam Factory: Update!
I know I always talk about these guys and gal but they are one of the hardest working bands I know from the area and they are making some moves.
Hot Jam Factory just recently signed with Master Key Management based out of Baltimore & Harrisburg who also represent Ducky & The Vintage along with Kingsfoil. This means you are more likely to see them out and about coming to a show near you!!!!
We are also in the process of finishing up some new songs in the studio that are set to be on an upcoming EP release later this year.
Mike Falk Featured on Red 102.3
Mike Falk is a singer/songwriter originating from New Cumberland, Pa. He gains his inspiration from classics such as Buddy Holly and Willy Nelson, as well as some modern artists such as Brad Paisley and Jamie Johnson. Despite this, he refers to his genre of music simply as “Falkytonk”. I had the opportunity to work with him, producing his EP, which was comprised of “She’s Always Right,” “Redneck Heaven,” and “The Dog Song (I Got It All).” ”She’s Always Right” has gained a lot of buzz, being featured on two local FM radio stations, Great Country 107.7 & 98.9 The Pulse. This ultimately lead him to winning second runner up at the York Fair Radio Stage Challenge, and rightly so. His songs offer an element of fun mixed with some down home vocals that will have you singing along after your first listen.
Be sure to catch Mike Falk’s songs being featured on Red 102.3 FM on Sunday, April 29, 2012 from 8 to 9 PM.
She’s Always Right
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Redneck Heaven
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
You can purchase Mike Falk’s EP on itunes here.
Hot Jam Factory
Remember the electrifying “retro/garage rock FREAK OUT” that is Hot Jam Factory? Front man Jordan Trevino, Phil Altenburg and Cristion Rocky have been back in the studio recently working on their full-length album, as a follow up to their EP “Checkered Past”.
They’ve recently made some additions to the band, including Zach Fallon on Bass and Mark Boeshore on Lead Guitar, adding even more depth to their work. They’ve also made the addition of a new vocalist, Cayt Lesher. Her intriguing and emotion driven vocals bring a new energy to the band’s work. 
The first song that Cayt was a part of was “All Family”, a new track for their upcoming album. This song has so much energy, you find yourself engrossed after the first words escape their mouths. The bouncy, spirited vocals are captivating and the instrumentals are right there along with them.
They’ve also been hard at work on many other creative ventures, like their songs “Quick Trigger Finger” and “So Long”, which will be featured on their upcoming album. These guys just keep on bringing it in the studio and I’m sure you are all excited to see what’s next, I know I am.
Check out the latest from Hot Jam Factory…
All Family
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Quick Trigger Finger
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
"Rise Up" Harrisburg City Beautiful 2.0
2nd Street Anthem - LouieJoJo
Crobot-New Album & Video
Nathan Veshecco "Sunset Again"