Drake OranwoodAs a little surprise for Alison Wodehalle and the shire of Hartshorn-dale, my friends and I have thrown together a quick demo recording of “Masters of the Game” for your listening, and for people who want to be able to learn the song.
I got some brief studio time a few weeks ago with a couple of friends: Donal Artur of the Silver Band, who provided guitar and vocals, and Melodia Beaupel, who sang vocals as well. I thought this would be a fun way to finish out the commission. Please enjoy.
An evening geeking and recording with Bird was just what my soul needed this week. They’re extraordinarily talented, but even more, they’re incredibly loving, kind, and open. They bring out my best self, as they do with most everyone I know.
Since they moved to Michigan, opportunities to see them are rare (though there is of course Pennsic). But I was grateful they were able to make time for this session, since I very much wanted their imprint on “Plant Your Feet”, which is a song for and about bards.
We had a blast together. And tomorrow I get to edit and mix Bird’s vocals, French horn, and tin whistle into the song and see what we have. (They also provided a bright beautiful harmony for “Shine, Child”.)
Spent some time tonight re-mixing “We Are the East” for inclusion on the new album. There are some techniques I’ve learned that should allow me to make it just a bit crisper, sharper, richer, and more balanced. Even if most people won’t hear it, I will.
I spent the afternoon with Dave Lambert, best friend, guitar ringer, and recording guru. We’re using the new mic, and trying a different work plan from what I used when we recorded Hidden Gold. These days I put sheet music together much earlier in the process than I used to (I’ve gotten comfortable enough with it to want to transcribe while I’m composing or polishing a song). I realized that having completed sheet music with chords provides some productivity bonuses for home studio recording.
I’m looking to connect with a cellist who is within a reasonable driving radius of Paramus NJ for a recording project. Like all of my albums, this is a donation project, so I’m interested in someone willing to volunteer their time and talent. The timeline is 2019 to early 2020.
Please contact me if you have any information.
Thank you,
Drake
[UPDATE: Found! Thank you.]
It occurred to me yesterday that if I’m starting the marathon that is a new album, I should finally research a new microphone. I’ve had my Behringer B-1 for years, and it is a solid, well-respected mic that gets the job done. But I’ve long been trying to figure out why I so often have trouble with sibilants when I record my singing, and other artifacts on high frequencies that require frequent use of De-Esser plugins to avoid egg-frying hissing and ringing, and some research I did after recording “We Are the East” suggested the microphone was the most likely culprit.
It’s time to get started. I’m assembling concept tracks for four of my newer songs, and reaching out to musicians to begin coordinating. I’m targeting a release for next year, but we’ll see how things go. More updates as this project unfolds. 
I had promised I would share a version of “Concordian Soil” that would be a little easier to sing–sorry it’s a little late. This version cuts the very top notes off the chorus, and should sound fine. It only reduces the range of the song a little, but that is a rather problematic high note that was written for my voice (and pushes me if I’m not warmed up). Please feel free to move the song into whatever key works best for the voice or voices available. (I’ve added the alternate notes to the downloadable sheet music as well.)
Hi everyone! We just got home from Pennsic yesterday, and to my surprise, as we began packing out, I felt a song coming on, and I went with it. So, as my way of thanking all of you for being part of my SCA experience, I’m breaking all my normal “rules” and sharing it with you right now. This is a quick a Capella vocal cut of the song, and it captures my experience of Pennsic this year, which involved my stretching a bit and doing more things that weren’t necessarily Bardic. (No, I still didn’t actually drink, but since the vast majority of adults I hung out with did, it’s still an indelible part of my experience of the War.)
I will set up a standard song page for this later (along with the other new songs I brought to the war, and class notes, and video from the concert–I promise I’ll get to it). But for now…enjoy!
Sorry the posting is still so sporadic. Some updates:
Drake Oranwood