NovaChild & Michael Moore

So I was really nervous finally going into studio to work with NovaChild because I love their style of music, but I've spent the last 1.5 years working with a rap group. Problem #1 being that most rap music never uses real drums and NovaChild relied heavily on the strength of the drum sound. On Saturday, I spent all night setting up, recording, and tearing down the drum rig and the 16 microphones that go with recording it. The NovaChild guys are brilliant and I'm happy to be working with them. Eight hours later, we had some clean drums recorded that sounded okay. I spent this morning mixing and looping them and in the end had a HUGE sound. I got Brad and Liz from NovaChild to listen to them and they loved the sound and the loops I created along with the live drum sounds. That made me feel great. Maybe my future isn't as hopeless as I thought.

Speaking of rap groups, me and the Urban Derivatives guys had a huge arguement/fallout over trust in one another. Shortly afterwards, a professor at this school began attacking me via e-mail and defaming me to random students around campus because she needed to get herself out of trouble. The Urban Derivatives guys went to bat and until Thursday, I can't say what happened, but a big decision was made. Along with the big decision another agreement was made between me and the Urban Derivatives guys: we were starting over with a clean slate. No matter how much I was hurt by them and how much trust we lost, we were giving it one more go without the retarded professor. She's going to be in a world of pain, because I didn't do anything wrong and she came at me. I don't lose when I'm right. Hopefully we can restore the excitement and trust we had for eachother in the beginning...

I just finished watching Michael Moore's Farenheit 911 and this is all I have to say: I don't know what to believe and I'm not officially politically afiliated because all of them are liars, but not much was a surprise. Politicians are dirty and self-seeking, people try to get out of their mistakes even if it means ruining or ending someone's life, people fear that which they don't understand, people of all walks of life are retarded, and America is about image...no surprise, I've dealt with Wal-Mart and bad girlfriends too. Just watch this with caution and be sure to rewind to the parts you didn't catch...even if you agree, they talk so fast you don't catch it all before you agree to the ends.

So it's time for bed, thanks for your support everyone, God bless,
-Rod

You just don't have...

Have ever not cried in years, and then something happens and you cry so hard it hurts, and you can't sleep?

Clarification

This is a clarification of the last post that I think upset Faith...

I'm not saying girls are whores and all the guys need to band together...it's just on this issue (which happens to both genders) I write from my POV because that's what I've got...it's about a girl because I've never dated or had interest in guys...so I wrote this song from a guy's POV getting messed over by a girl...this is one of those things where you gotta take in the whole deal to grasp the concepts...if I ever get a chance to finish it, there's a song called "Your Tragedy" I'm psyched about finishing...I can't quite nail it down though, I've been working on it for almost 2 years!...it's a song about a girl who is continuously abused and keeps running to the wrong guys and how the right guy can start leading the road to recovery...the main line being "If he was your tragedy, I'll be your understanding...if he was your broken dream, I'll be your happy ending..." So I understand there are issues on both sides...it's just taking life one song at a time...

Sorry about the confusion,
-Rod

You Will Learn To Fall In Love Again

So I'm working on the mix of "Since There Was You And Me" and it's getting better...I guess that's what I'm learning...it all takes time...and I talked to Brian a bit Saturday about it and he was like, "You're gonna have to work like in anything else and when you work in the real world, you'll be learning more than the school studios' setup." That and the slice of humble pie I've been swallowing this week has been helping me live life...I'm discovering some friends were just using me to help their band move forward...other friends are really friends...some loves don't work and some do, you've just got to wait for your time and be okay if it never does...there's more to life...

While "Since There Was You And Me" is getting better in the studio, I'm putting the finishing touches on a new tune in the practice room...and it's looking like I've topped myself yet again...this one's called "You Will Learn To Fall In Love Again"...it's about friends taking care of eachother when relationships fall through. I started writing this about a year ago when I woke up and opened my door and a good friend of mine was passed out on my doormat. He found out his longtime girlfriend was pregnant with someone else's kid. He had remained faithful to her and chaste, and she proved to be a whore. He tried to drink the pain away but it still hurt so much he tried to find someone to talk to and didn't want to wake me up and passed out while deliberating. Later, another friend's bride-to-be left him 3 days before their wedding. I could tell the next 5 stories, but it'd be depressing. Long story short...I wrote this song about all of us guys who had to be there for eachother when the whores we once called girlfriends broke us. Here's the rough lyrics so far:

You Will Learn To Fall In Love Again

R.Kim

I wake up to a nosiy street,
pick you and your bottle off the floor.
I try so hard not to stand there,
and wonder what happened the night before.

She left you...
you left there...
and somehow ended up at my door.

If you need to get away,
know that you can stay,
beyond this doorstep anytime.
If you need to cry away,
all the hurt and the pain,
get back up and walk...
you will learn to fall in love again.

There's more lyrics but I can't remember them right now...

Anyway, back to my psych essay, and then a Western Civ. video response paper...then a digital photo project...AH!

Later,
-Rod

Since There Was You And Me

I finally got in the studio with the Lambert twins and T. We recorded vocals for "Since There Was You And Me" which has to be one of the best songs I've ever written. Hearing the performance was magical. The four of us really brought out a deeper meaning than most pop love tunes. I know everyone says that, but with bittersweet lyrics and four voices speaking all of their own experiences in long lost love, I think we made something special.

The performance has me excited, but I'm feeling discouraged because I'm mixing this thing and doing an aweful job at it. I won't lie and says it sounds like crap, it sounds good, but does it sound like a senior recording major? Beyond that, am I messing up capturing the magic moments we had in the studio with this song? Last weekend when I was in Chicago I got reminded of the pros in recording and felt smaller than Stuart Little in Time's Square. Am I cutting it to do this as a profession? I'm stressing about this last year in school because I want more to show for it than some recording and music skills...I need to be ready for the pro realm because I know learning is going to be hard from here on out. I feel like I'm using school as a crutch and I don't know if I'll be able to stand on my own. There's this song and the lyrics always find a way to apply to me in times like these...this time it's this part:

"...I went to bed on top of the world
today the world's on top of me...
I'm trying my best, but it ain't good enough,
shunned by the world if I don't succeed,
because I ain't good enough,
But He still loves me."
-He Still Loves Me from "The Fighting Temptations"

So what am I going to do? I'm going to take a deep breath and pray...I'll get what I need to get done today and at the end of the day go to bed and get a good night's sleep. I'll wake up and do the same thing the next day and will continue that and have faith that God will do what He wants with me. I can't say how long that'll last, but I'm trying...I need to be patient in what He has for me...as well as realize I need to work for that too...okay...step one: deep breath...

g'night everyone, thanks for your prayers...
-Rod

On the road again...

So I barely caught the college's bus back to school. I took the city bus to where the church was but there were two problems: 1. There was a marathon in town and all the buses were being rerouted. 2. The bus driver told me he'd drop me off at 71st and Ashland and I'd only have to walk half a block...wrong...the church was over 3 miles away! So, by the graciousness of Prof. McPeak, they came by and picked me up at a gas station. Meanwhile, the entire bus full of students is thoroughly confused as to why I'm stranded in Chicago...

Anyways, I made it here on the bus and on my way back...I'll write more later...thanks everyone and God bless...

-Rod

Sony Urban Music in da house...

So I woke up this morning and spent sometime with Brian at his workplace, Spank! Music Productions, and learned a lot of stuff as well as got to see a lot cool equipment...and play a Bösendorfer piano! I'm so proud of that guy, he really made things happen for himself. He just finished work on the McDonald's commercial where the lady is talking to no one about not giving up her chicken. There's also a whole catalog of cool commercials and ads he's worked on.

After hanging with Brian, I made way to the showcase and saw some really talented acts. If the Urban D guys want to compete, they'll have to kick it up a few notches. There was everything from rap to gospel, a 10-year-old rapper, and a rap group with a blind leader. The 10-year-old was amazing despite the weak stage name, either way, check him out...(warning: weak webpage as well...) UniquE' his website is: http://www.chicagoismykindofsound.com/UniquE'.html he also ended up winning the crowd's vote for favorite. There was a group that was absolutely phenominal called Poetree Chicago (also a weak name, I know.)

The whole showcase was awkward from minute one...the Urban D guys used to tell me that I didn't know how it was to walk into an atmosphere where I didn't fit in...after tonight, they have no rights to say that. Everything hip-hop was happening...and I was in the middle of thousands of hip-hop fans, artists, and execs. I walked in and asked for my meeting with the Sony Urban Music A&R I was promised and was told to leave a press kit and that he may get to me after the show...I was a bit disappointed but went to my seat anyway. I then conversed to the guy next to me about all that I was doing to promote this band and how I didn't fit in here...but I did promise I was going to do all I could...so I mustered up some courage and handbilled 500 flyers to random people I didn't know and started talking with everyone. I also handed out CD demos and some press material. After the showcase, the Sony A&R rep walked onto stage to congradulate all the great acts. The guy on stage was definately the guy sitting next to me who I was talking to. Afterwards I found out the dude sat next to me to find out who I was without me trying to impress him because of who he was. He admired the hard work and how I still worked the crowd despite my fears. He told me he'd be keeping an eye on me. So that was really cool even though I think I may have been a total dork around him. I also made many other valuable connections that hopefully helped the Urban D cause as well.

When I was on my way back to Brian's apartment, Kelly called and told me her grandmother had passed away. Pray for her and her family. Although this leaves me in a bind: I don't have a ride back to school! After hours of searching for the cheapest train or cab, I realized that the college had a class trip to Chicago this weekend and with the help of Nick, I nailed down the hostel they were staying at and arranged to ride back with them tomorrow! I know, my life's a sitcom...

Getting back to Brian, hanging out with him this weekend has made me think about bad decisions I'd made...I wouldn't trust good friends like Brian but I'd trust a record label (ha!), I'd take a great roomie like Nick for granted but trust a band! The list goes on and on. Thinking back, even though I had a skewed view of Brian, he'd always come through when it was important. He'd save my butt in sticky situations. Like when the school record label failed to get me an internship, he got me one. Anyway, lesson learned, I have great friends like Brian, Nick, Kelly, etc...but I never really noticed it...shame on Rod...

Anyway, I'm really tired and have to get up early...so off to bed it is...thanks for everyone's support...
-Rod

Made it to Chi-town...

So I made it to Chicago fine...thanks to the wonderful Kelly Condron (I caught a ride up here with her) and am staying with the great Brian Calhoon. For those of you who don't know why I'm in Chicago, be praying, I am attending Sony Urban Music's Showcase this weekend and hopefully opening some doors for the Urban D guys. There, I am meeting with Sony and have the opportunity to create some connections with many other urban record labels.

On the way here, I was jamming with Kelly to some Angie Stone, Rachael Lampa, Harry Connick Jr., Jamie Cullum and more great music. I had almost forgotten how great some songs can be...

I'm realizing more and more the people I can trust and can't trust...and it gets more difficult to have faith in someone, but I'm discovering people from my past who really don't care what I do as long as I'm happy. Sometimes bands you work with try to get something out of you and then you're left out to dry...but real friends, like my roommate Nick, Kelly who gave me a ride up here, Brian who is although sometimes seems lacking in responsibility always comes through for me and has really made me proud of him in the past years growing. Then there's anyone back in Indy (like Jeb, Pamn, Cory, April...etc.) that knew me before all this and would still be the same if I were a success or failure.

I'm in a hurting stage right now with some people I was trusting, but the Man Upstairs is reminding me of those who might not always be able to cover my back, but will always try.

So, anyway, I'm about to crash on the most comfortable blue couch in history (thanks Brian) and prepare for a whirlwind day in the world of the hip-hop music industry.
Soli Deo Gloria,
-Rod

Rod's Apple iPod Marathon

So if I get 5 people to sign up for BMG Music Club (or Columbia Movie or something else) then I get a free iPod...so, if you love me and want to support the arts...hehe...click here and sign up!

-Rod

Trek to a distant land...Indy

So Urban D cancelled their show on Saturday and got me in a s**tload of trouble with the promoters and venue. They don't care because it's easy for them just not to play and burn it on me. Anyways, it works because my brother turns 17 this weekend and I wasn't going to be able to make it.

I drove to Indy as soon as I could and made it in time for Peter's party. I surprised him by getting him an XBox and he freaked, so that was good.

On the drive to Indy, I was rediscovering some really great music. Jill Scott is great, but Angie Stone is classic. I listened to that CD from start to finish and felt better about life...my ears thanked me for the experience.

Download Jill Scott.

Download Angie Stone.

Anyway, back to the party, so I'll write more later.
-Rod