Days of Music

This last week has been in one word – enjoyable. Though we’ve worked hard, for around or over 12 hours each day (went to bed around two this morning), you can’t exactly call what we’ve been up to “work”. 

The last week Tom and I have been recording an album of worship songs that’s been years in the planning and making. It’s exciting that’s it’s finally becoming a reality and happening. And already I’m excited about how the songs are sounding – in fact they’re already beyond my expectations.

So basically here’s how we did things.....

the Project:   an album of worship songs called ‘To Him Be The Glory’

the Location:   Creagh Cottage, on the front face of the Crown Terrace near Arrowtown, overlooking the beautiful mountainous landscape. Inspiration guaranteed. Breathtaking

the Vision:   to record and produce and make accessible songs of worship to our incredible God that declare His praise and nature – that are simple enough songs to be taken by churches, learned, taught, and used in congregational settings (so to help in this, the album will include chord sheets, lyrics, powerpoints, etc). This week was just the recording bit

the Gear:   masses of stuff. Two guys with musical creativity and adoration of God in their veins. Guitars of all types, speakers, laptops, keyboard, cables and leads, mixing gear, couches, mics, and so on. A studio space with great acoustics and even better surroundings to do it all. And a Bible. 

the Process:   (we had already laid down some scratch tracks – with the drums and piano, in December). This week it was recording in electric guitars, rythm and lead. Also acoustic guitar tracks, bass guitar, additional piano, synth and pads, a few backing vocals (utilising Jen and Amanda, the girls staying here this week), and of course those lead vocals! Some good hours mixing things as we go, and that was our long but extremely productive week’s work/play

the Additionals:   throw in a good photo shoot utilising the scenery all around, some fantastic meals cooked  by the girls including a brave but beautiful rabbit pie by lantern light at ten at night using bunnies I’d shot and skinned that morning, strong daily brews of freshly ground coffee to keep us charged through the day, a few doses of lying out in the sunshine and discussing life and the future and God and His goodness, some rugby passes, a BBQ on the patio in the sunshine, and late nights – and that’s a recording week for you

the Essentials:   good gear (which we had), a great producer/recorder/mixer (which we had, thanks Tom), good musicians and singers (which we hopefully had), some time reading and thinking about God’s Word, and lot’s of prayer 

And what’s ahead?

We continue up here in Central Otago this coming week, and will spend two to three days finishing the recording process off for the 12-track album. That includes some final guitars, lots of backing vocals to lift up the songs (including working out what most of them are!), and little details to fix.

All the production/mixing will take place later in the year – and the album will be released late this year or early next. Exciting. I just keep praying and praying that God would do what He wants with these songs, and really bring glory to Himself through them. 

Days of music 

It has been

(My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! - Psalm 108:1)