Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that this has been a fantastic year for you. Those that I have had recent contact with – I know that it has been.
David Rochester, Robert De La Garza, Damian Rodriguez:
Thanks to three men who have molded, shaped, sculpted this studio, & my brain to a point that is much farther along than I ever thought possible before I met you. You men have made a profound contribution to my musical life and to the success of this studio. Sometimes I am ashamed of the fact that I have taken you & the help you have given me for granted.
Sean Sankey: thanks for being here in a pinch when your services were needed. I still owe you man — you need to call me!
Mark Little: Thanks for being willing to return for a second album at Windmill Valley and for shooting the video tour. I think it turned out well. I think it has already helped me land some more work. See you Tuesday for mastering !!!
Russel Norlie, Mark Little, Fernando Davil: Thanks for your guidance, going on long trips to see pianos, testing, & inspecting them. I would be so-o-o lost without the work you put in. Your work made it possible for me to make what I think is a great upgrade to the studio.
Wow, Gents & Ladies – what a difference a couple of years & days make. There are now 2 pianos (temporarily) in the main room (Moon room) & nothing in the Bat cave (see attachments) while I make the newly acquired (Yamaha C6) piano session ready. Russel Norlie will be tuning, transferring the damp chaser, and midi (pno scan module) to the new (used – 1999 model) piano. This piano plays well – sounds great – a little darker than the Young Chang. The hammers show a lot of wear and Russel will be replacing them some time this coming spring along with other things as we sort them out.
My next piano job is a 2 day session starting the day after Christmas. This will be a CD by Dennis Lambert (an Air force musician). Wow Dennis (two pianos to choose from). Wow Bill – you got me another job! (Christin & Dennis) thanks for this.
After this session & verifying that all is well with the Yamaha C6 (maybe months later) – the Bat Cave will be filled to the brim again with a work horse of a piano. When this move happens the Young Chang will go on consignment somewhere to be sold, and I will once more be ready to house large sessions. I need this to happen before April for the High School bands that will be coming in.
Robert DeLaGarza has brought in at least 6 projects to the studio since June 2012.
Band members (High school band directors) in the church band I play in have provided several projects that I have done in the last 18 months.
A couple of country bands have come through in that same time period.
I am told by a customer of mine that a band his son is in called (Rosehill) will be coming to produce a new CD at Windmill Valley Recording in January. They have 2 quality albums under their belt. http://rosehillcountry.com/ I am really looking forward to this session.
It has been almost a 6 month struggle, (purchasing a bunch of new hardware & software) but now the upgrade from PT HD 10 to PT HD 11 is almost complete. Just a few details of testing with Damian remain. As I heard Mark Sinko once say, I feel like I am on the “bleeding edge of technology”. Ha – Ha !!!! I am so energized about the fact that this studio is on a consistent path to being & becoming more of a robust, well functioning studio with a small but quality array of tracking space, isolation gobos, mikes, mic preamps, control room monitoring, recording hardware, software, & comfortable break room facilities.
I am not able to for-tell the future but I believe that there will be decades of nothing but quality output from Windmill Valley Recording.
God is truly the author of all that is good, for He through his Son Christ Jesus has created all things. The most important being the offer of life forever in his presence to all who choose to accept Jesus as God, asking him to come personally in & take control of your life, turning away from sin. Knowing that Christ has paid for my sin & that I don’t have to (because I have asked and accepted him into my life), brings peace to my life. Because of this I have no fear of the future accept when I forget who I belong to.
Christmas is truly a wonderful time because of who it points to (Jesus the Christ). I hope that all of you continue to be blessed by God as I know I have.
Merry Christmas to all — hope to hear from you soon !!