Snow, Cold, and, Gray, S.C.a.G.

IT seems almost too cold for it to be snowing here, but, it is snowing.  As the wood stove struggles to keep the house warm, the Boat Shop Music Studio is more just a cold boat shop than music studio.  No work going on out there, though I'd love to be able to be working there now.
I have been thinking about doing a real conversion of the space into to a dedicated studio, and quit with this hedging.  I'd insulate the walls then finish them inside and loose one of the big garage doors, changing into a solid wall, and making the other into glass opening doors, both for light and for getting larger things in and out.
The winter is such a good time for daydreaming and planning such things.

I am still listening to Joe Pugs podcast, The Working Songwriter
 https://soundcloud.com/twspodcast
and still get very moved with each podcast I listen to as I hear the ideas and experiences of these songwriter/performers that have "made it" and understand completely what they are talking about, and have even had similar experiences myself, of course, on my small scale.
I highly recommend this podcast to any writers or artist especially those who are younger or new to there chosen form of expression.

Available at Soundcloud.com

I've been listening to the demo tracks I have of "Garden of Love", the album.  I've been trying to determine the song order for the album.  I have even been trying to confirm that these songs should all be on this album.  I haven't felt up to sitting down to do more recording and trying to get tracks that seem good enough for release.  The recording process can seem a bit daunting, and a bit lacking in fun.  It seems that every time that red, record button gets pushed, the take I do has some kind of problem.  All the really good ones come when I'm not recording.  Some people thrive under pressure, and I have been one of those kinds of people but in other areas of my life.

As I listen to the demo tracks I have for the album, I sometimes feel like a few of the tracks are good enough.  I try not to be precious about the recordings.  Technically, I'd like them to sound good enough so that nobody questions the recording method.  But as far as the songs go, and my performing of them, I kind of feel like "this is it, this is what you get, no frills, just a song".  I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.  This is probably why a producer is such a valuable entity in the process as an outside, or objective manager of the project.  Oh well.

Played my first Winter Farmer's Market this past week.  It was nice to get the first out of the way.  I still get nervous about the new setting, silly really.  I am glad to be back and playing out.