I am blessed! The picture below shows my home studio. I am blessed to have such a beautiful place to play music in the legendary village of Woodstock. After my morning coffee and breakfast, I walk back to my studio and do my morning prayers or music exercises, depending on how you look at it.
Yes, I do keep the lighting subdued and somber. I want the light from the back yard to come through the window. Sorta like church. I want the atmosphere to be quiet, contemplative and meditative.
I work with headphones on a lot. I play through a speaker when I want the Karoake Queen to sing along with me. I like the phones because I feel wrapped up in the song, and I can build up an intimate feel to the song.
My Kurzweil keyboard is the center of my studio. Love that damned old thing. It could use a few repairs, but who the hell would know how to do that? Too damned heavy to take out to a gig. But, I love the weighted keyboard and the hot grand piano sound. Lately, I’ve been using the Wurli voice a lot, too, particularly for warm-up and church hymns.
Everything goes through the Zoom R-24 on the left, perched atop my now obsolete and mechanically dead Korg CD recorder. It’s pretty easy to switch in the guitar or bass, instead of the keyboard. I’m working, as you can see, with a very good quality condenser mic.
I have the time now to really focus and do a thorough job in my morning vocal warm-up. This changes the whole day for me. I develop a sense of being confident and centered in my voice. Warm-up works in just about the same way as prayer. What I am doing, after all, is daily repetition of a 13 minute long, extremely detailed prayer. I just do it singing and playing keyboard simultaneously. Talk about focusing the brain!
Morning practice begins with some sort of soft and introspective song. I like to start with songs like “House of the Rising Sun” or “Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and Out.” No matter which song I choose, I’ll sing it slowly and softly. The object here is to finish warming up the voice and to develop confidence about being in the tonal center.
Then, it’s on to the church hymns. Church hymns are the foundation of music. Right now, I’m focused on the Catholic mass because I’m continuing to look to improve my work situation there. Soon, I’ll be bringing in Baptist, Pentecostal and mainline protestant (like Methodist or Lutheran) hymns. For now, the church hymns are preparation for playing at Sunday morning mass. The singing style for church hymns is so different than my popular performing style. Big challenge.
I close out the morning session with a new song I’m writing or developing. So, for the moment that is Boogie-Woogie Never Let Me Down. I’m trying to really burrow into the song. Feel within the melodic center. Get the words in sync with the music. Might even have to change one or the other. Flesh out the song toward a recorded version, either solo, or with a one man band studio version, or with the Old Dawgz.
There you go. When I’m done with morning practice, I feel marvelously centered and ready for the action of the day. Right now, that’s taking the morning bicycle ride. Working on my health and body, mind and spirit.
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