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Dedication to My Art

I just drove 1400 miles in order to be a part of the demo recordings of my newest anthems to be released by Shawnee Press/Hal Leonard. That, my friends, is dedication to one’s art, is it not?

The 1400 miles was round trip. (Almost exactly 700 miles from my driveway to the Embassy Suites in Orlando.) Two full days of driving. $250 in gas. $450 in hotel bills. Toll fees, meals, and a sore backside from 22 hours behind the wheel. Real dedication, yessir.

And before you ask, I drove rather than flew because flying has become such a completely wearisome, tedious and dehumanizing activity that I would rather drive eleven hours than put up with two hours in the air, plus all the attendant ignominies the TSA throws at you these days. I try to avoid politics on this website, but if anybody wants a preview of what our healthcare system will be like once the government completes its takeover, look no further than the airport experience with the TSA. It won’t be pretty.

Rant over. Back to my dedication to my art…

So, why go to Orlando for three days to hear five pieces of music recorded? Because there is simply no substitute for hearing real people sing your music to know whether or not you got all the notes and words right on the page. It enabled me to make a couple of small but significant changes to the pieces, as well as catch a handful of tiny errors in the music. Expensive? Definitely. But, worth it, I believe.

The “value added” part of my trip (besides the fun of wondering whether Hurricane Irene was gonna hit Florida or pass us by) was that I had time to catch up with Joe and Sue Martin, Heather Sorenson, and James Barnard. (James is the editor/operations man at Shawnee.) I also had the pleasure of getting to know the “Shawnee Singers,” a group of talented folks who hail from the world of Disney and the Voices of Liberty. They did a wonderful job with my music.

So, kids, take it from me: If you wanna show true dedication to your art – you gotta be willing to drive across the country into the face of an oncoming hurricane. Or – put up with a TSA pat-down.

I chose the drive. Now – if the sessions ever move to Los Angeles, I may have to re-think my whole stand on flying.

Joe & Heather in the control room.

 

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