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12/24/02
Have I ever mentioned that I have no luck with instruments? Whether it's finding one or keeping one in working condition, there just seems to be problem after problem. This latest story is a beauty! I'll start at the beginning. Everybody remembers that I had ordered a Goodall from a dealer in the D.C. area, right? Recall that it was a replacement for the Thompson because that guitar's braces were coming off. The dealer had no problem giving me credit towards the Goodall for the full value of the Thompson. After all, the Goodall was a couple more thousand dollars and he wasn't losing anything. When it came in, I couldn't even play it for an hour without being in pain. We figured that was because we had left out the neck width measurements when the guitar was ordered. The dealer was great about it! Since the guitar was one that he wanted in his store, he assured me that he would have no problem selling it to someone else - it was a fine instrument and it broke my heart that it didn't work for my hand/wrist. He agreed that I didn't have to purchase it and we decided that it would be best just to give me my money back and I'd try to find something else. Months went by with no money from the dealer. I would call every once in a while and he would promise that the money was on it's way, but somehow it never came. So, I'm down two guitars and several thousand dollars. I started to feel like I was going to lose everything, and, since we were near the store anyway, I decided to stop in and try every guitar that he had in the store one more time. I was holding out hope that something he had would work and that I would get my money back. I played everything that was reasonable, but nothing felt right. However, every Goodall that he had sounded GREAT! The necks weren't right, but they sure sounded good. He gave me some money back that day and talked me into ordering another Goodall. He had already sold the original one that we had ordered a couple of weeks previous to that visit. He told me that he would need a couple of weeks to work out the details with James and that he would get back to me when he was ready to start the order. I waited for 2 weeks before I contacted him. Nothing had been done, and he said he needed some more time. So, I waited another 2 weeks. Since I still had not heard anything from either one of them, I decided to write James Goodall himself to see what was going on. A few more days went by, and I hadn't heard anything from either of them so I wrote them both again. Then I get an email from James Goodall that I'll NEVER forget. He DIDN'T want to build me a guitar!! What the?? He was fairly upset at me for sticking his dealer with a guitar that I had refused to accept! What? I couldn't believe it!! One, how did he know that I didn't take the guitar? Two, there was no refusal on my part - it was an agreement between myself and the dealer. The dealer was more than happy to keep the guitar for his store and knew he would sell it without any problems (at least that's what he had me believing). In fact, if you look at the time line involved here, the guitar had already been sold to someone else months before James' "I'm not interested" email. So, what did he care if the first one didn't work and we wanted to try this again? Here's the real kicker - ends up the dealer had NEVER paid James for the guitar!!!! He used the sad story that the guy who was to buy the guitar had stuck him with it and he couldn't sell it. In fact, even though he had sold the guitar, he still had not paid James for it. So James was upset with me because essentially he felt that I yanked his dealer and him personally. What a crock! The dealer finally paid James and then talked him into building another guitar, but I was never comfortable with James after that. He seemed to have an attitude problem and all but refused to answer my questions during email exchanges. I politely backed out of the whole mess. Guess I'll never have a Goodall guitar! Because I was worried that I would never see the money that the dealer owed me from the original Thompson, I tried to encourage him to pay me back by offering him some money for his troubles. I'm happy to report that he did finally pay me (after several more weeks and phone calls). I can finally put this ugly chapter in my musical career to bed!

10/06/02
It's been four whole months since I've updated this page. You probably thought I had given up and threw in the towel! Believe me, I came close. I had actually quit playing for a while and what was really scary was that I didn't even care!! I'll try to keep this entry short, but there's a lot of ground to cover. I'll start with the good news since this page needs some of that...

The best news is that I haven't quit. I've got a full tank of musical gas again. Thanks mostly to my friends and fans who have encouraged me not to quit and by the almost unbelievable kindness and generosity of one man! He felt that I needed some cheering up so he sent me one of his dobros to play because my guitars are sick. Len Nicholson from Michigan builds Steel Driver dobros in his spare time. He also plays them. It's a GREAT toy and the BEST music gift anyone has ever given me. I'm enjoying it. Someday I'd like to write and record some tunes with it.

So, what happened with the Goodall? Well, it was a great sounding guitar, but the neck was just too wide. I couldn't even play it for an hour without my hand hurting more than it has with any other guitar I've ever played. It was weird, the profile was custom, but we feel that the width should have been specified along with the profile so that James could have built a neck that feels like my H&D. That's why we're going to try this again! It's in the discussion stage as I write this. I'm hoping that there won't be any problems ordering a specific neck width and profile, but I haven't heard from James or the dealer yet saying that the guitar has been ordered.

More good news.... The H&D is just about back to normal. There is only one song that has been lost due to the nut change. I can play the song, but there are a couple of tricks in it that just simply will not work right. I don't know what to do, because I really like the song and don't want to give up on recording it. I might have to record everything but that tune and then try swapping the nut out again.

And, I got a very nice review from the folks over at LeftOffTheDial.com. I had forgot that I even sent them a CD. Good reviews always put fuel back in your tank! I've updated my reviews page for anyone who cares to see what they had to say.

Now for the bad news.. I've developed some type of a problem in my sound chain. It's either my amp(s) or my effects box. It started yesterday with the sound freaking out. It sounded like a short; good one minute rotten the next. That went on for 10 or 15 minutes or so and then it stopped and just snuck back in here and there. I thought it was the battery in the Webber going dead on me. So I left it plugged in on purpose so that it would completely kill it. I came back about 4 hours later and tried it and it was still working good. So much for that theory. Then an hour or two ago when I was playing the H&D (completely different sound path except for the effects and amp) it started again. I'm losing bass and the sound has little to no sparkle at all. Not good! I hate crap like this. It takes a while to isolate it and 9 times out of 10, it costs money to get rid of it. I'm hoping it's just a chord going bad, but I wiggled everything and nothing changed. Crud... There's always something....

Anyway, I'm back with a better attitude and still hoping to get things going the right way, get my second CD recorded, and start to play out again - the sooner the better!

06/05/02
I don't have ANYTHING good to say. I know that there is a saying that if you can't say anything good, then don't say anything at all - well that's what I've been doing. And, since I'm not playing again tonight, I figured I'd update my site.

I'm afraid that it may almost be time to give up. My hands are NOT getting any better and neither is my back. I don't have one guitar that is in good working condition (don't get me wrong, they are playable, but they are lacking things that are VERY disturbing to me). I'm waiting for the Goodall, and I'm as impatient as hell! I don't know if I can last until July. My skills are slipping and my songs are fading. I'm also questioning why I should continue since, realistically, I'm just throwing away money that could be spent on things that I really need.

I think the bad luck started just before the Nashville trip when the Thompson went to hell on me, and nothing has gone right since then. I couldn't get used to the setup on the H&D because the nut was too high. I bought some tools and lowered the strings a little (they could probably stand to come down just a tad bit more), but now the saddle is too low. Mark had lowered it to compensate for the new nut height (which was perfectly fine except that I took the nut back down). The harmonics are no where near what they used to be like on the H&D and some of my tricks that are used on specific songs are completely gone in the current setup (they were gone when I first got it home and plugged it in).

It's just getting too freakin hard to keep going. Don't be surprised if you try to come to my site sometime soon and find that it's been removed...'cause that's how I feel right now. I just feel like I've been whipped by all the bad luck. I've all but lost my drive to push on. Not what anyone wants to hear, but this is how I feel right now - I just want to scream!

04/06/02
Well, I guess the thing with good news is that there isn't ever enough of it and it NEVER lasts long enough! The trip to Nashville didn't exactly go as planned. It was cool to see the place (it was a pretty whirlwind like trip though so it's not like I was able to soak much of anything in), but the bad luck started even before I left. As I was cleaning the Thompson and getting ready to pack everything up, I noticed a valley in the body of the guitar just behind the upper-side of the bridge. It didn't seem right and it was a little troubling, but I didn't really know what it was from. I figured that I'd just ask Joe about it before we got started with anything. I dropped the Huss and Dalton off in Mark Dalton's capable hands after explaining to him what I thought it needed to get back into playing shape and proceeded on to Nashville. The next morning I met Dave (one of Joe Glaser's technicians) and explained to him my concern over the dip in the wood. He informed me that Hunter (another technician that works with Joe and is a builder himself) would need to look at it to be absolutely sure of what was going on inside the guitar. Hunter put a light in the guitar and with a mirror discovered that the bracing was pulling away from the guitar. Nothing that serious, really, but enough to scare me pretty good - I mean, come on, the guitar is barely 2 months old. That type of problem is not common for new guitars (it apparently does happen once in a while on new guitars and is more usually seen with guitars that have been around a couple of years). Well, that pretty much killed the idea of putting in a pickup or doing any setup work on it. I called the dealer where I bought the guitar to see what could be done and was fairly distraught at that point.

That morning I had already been to Cotten Music as there was two different guitars that I wanted to play there listed on their website the Monday before we left. I had never played a Santa Cruz, but had heard that they were real good fingerstyle guitars. I really wanted to play that one. But my cloud of misfortune that seems to follow me around was in full force. The guy working behind the counter said that the guitar had hung in it's spot for 3 months and not one person had so much as looked at it. The day before I got there someone came in, played it, and bought it right on the spot! The other guitar I wanted to try (a Collings) was shipping to a customer that morning so I couldn't play it either. So that was a bust. Since my Thompson had just died, I was back to being two guitars down. I was hoping that a trip up to The Guitar Gallery would help. With as many as ten guitars on my list to try (all high-end pieces) surely I'd be able to find something. That didn't work very well either. Several of the guitars on my list had already been sold. I was able to play some very nice (and expensive) guitars, but only one really said anything at all to me. Robin has a Dell' Arte that was made for the Heldsburg Guitar Festival as a display/show piece. It was nice and has a very fast, bright sound. I didn't buy it though since it didn't completely just knock me over. Did I mention that it's VERY difficult for me to find a guitar that I like?

I picked up the Huss And Dalton from Mark the next morning and headed up to the dealer's store to return the Thompson. The dealer was VERY cool about returning it and understood completely about my concerns/fears that something else could go wrong with the guitar. I played everything he had and nothing was "right" enough to bring back home with me. I did, however, put in an order for a Goodall. The ones I played had such a sweet sound compared to everything else he had. So, right now, I'm still down two guitars and don't really know what to do about that. This is like the never ending story of guitar hell, bad luck, incorporated!

03/10/02
How 'bout some good news to kick this entry off? My hands are finally starting to get better (it's about time, eh?). I've been seeing the chiropractor once a week and it certainly has helped. I can't play 3 hours everyday just yet, but 2+ hours is no problem. I'm trying to get all of my current unrecorded songs tuned up and ready to record. That's a tall order since I have 27 new songs right now with a couple more that are just pieces.

After watching Stephen Bennett's performance a couple of weeks ago, HGAS (Harp Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) set in pretty bad again. I have thought about getting one several times before. The thought of having those extra bass strings and resonance that sounds like a grand piano is very enticing! I went up to Richmond and visited with Ron Spillers (the dentist who made one of Stephen's harp guitars). We talked about him building me one so it looks like it is going to happen. I don't have time for one right now, but it will take him a year and a half to two years to complete it.

I have a new guitar. After taking the guitars up to Steve, I learned a couple of things. First, my Guild needs to be sent back to Fender to get the bridge glued back down. Secondly, in an attempt to help amplify my Webber's sound, I bought a Sunrise pickup and had it installed. It replaced the Highlander mic in the dual system that was in it. I'm not very pleased with the sound though. It's a little too unnatural and sounds too much like a neck pickup for my tastes. Since the Guild is going to have to be sent back, I looked for and found a replacement. I bought a Thompson T1. The only potential problem that I have noticed with it is that it seems to have cheap parts. That is, the nut, saddle, bridge pins, and tuners appear to be below what you would normally find on a high end guitar. That shouldn't be too bad since, hopefully, I can just replace the parts with better hardware as they wear out. It certainly has a good acoustic sound and it's a cannon! I need to get a pickup in it and I'm thinking about going with B-Band. They are supposed to be the best UST (under saddle transducer) that money can buy and they no longer have installation or balance problems. Since I'm not happy with the Webber's sound, I'm currently looking for a replacement for it.

EC-5 (the fifth East Coast Gathering of the RMMGA group) is just around the corner. I'm really looking forward to it. We had a great time at EC-4. Tons of high end guitars and friendly people. I wish I had a guitar that was stage ready. Maybe I'll have to skip Open Mic Night this year. We'll see.

I'm also planning a long road trip that will include a stop in Staunton, VA and ultimately wind up in Nashville. There is a setup guy there (Joe Glaser) who is supposed to be THE best around. I'm going to see if he can install the B-Band and then do any setup work on the Thompson. I'll also get a chance to go to Cotten Music and The Guitar Gallery to look for a replacement for the Webber. Then back to Staunton to get my H&D. Mark is going to investigate whether or not it needs a new nut and do a complete setup on it so that it's ready to start recording. Phew.... There's a lot going on right now....

01/02/02
Happy New Year! I'm on vacation so I thought I'd better update my site while I had the chance. I'm still trying to get back into playing regularly. I played for almost 2 weeks straight before my hands finally gave out on me. I'm determined to get through this even if it means finding a specialist that can figure out what's wrong. I have a couple of resources that may be useful from a book that I've been reading. Most are out of state, but if that's what it takes.....

My guitars are getting pretty bad too - they are in dire need of tune ups. Especially the Guild - it is all but useless. Except for the Guild, they haven't been adjusted in a couple of years and it's starting to show. Shouldn't take Steve long to get them going again, he's a fine technician. The only problem with technicians that are that good is that they are always in demand. Getting in to see him is like scheduling an appointment with a doctor - it usually takes a little time!

I was nominated for two Just Plain Folks awards in November. One for Solo Instrumental Song and one for Solo Instrumental Album. I didn't win, but then again, I don't even remember entering... Not too bad, "Whistle While You Walk" was one of the top songs from over 35,000 entered, and First Of All was one of the top CD's from over 2,400 entered. I can hardly wait for folks to hear my new stuff!!

11/17/01
Man how the time flies. So much has happened in the last couple of months. Unfortunately nothing much musically related. I'm trying to get back on the horse. I've finally put together five days straight where I played my guitars! I'm starting out slow - I've only been playing one hour each day. Well, it might go over a few minutes now and then. ;-) All the time spent on the house totally killed my playing. I actually have pain in my fingertips when I play sometimes - that hasn't happened in a LONG time. And that tells you just how "out of it" I really am. The good new is that I didn't forget any of my songs - still don't know how I remembered them without playing for so long. Now, they aren't in good shape by any stretch of the imagination, but they are at least in the ball park. I've got a whole lot of work to do before I'll be able to record anything, but that is the plan. Work my way back into shape and get my new stuff recorded.

I did write one song right after 9/11 happened. I guess it was the emotion from it all. After staring at the TV for hours on end, mostly in complete disbelief, I guess it was how I felt coming out of the guitar.

OBTW, I didn't move. There is no new house. The events of 9/11 took all of that away. We have all (the entire world) been changed. Someday I'll get out of here and have a real house, but in the mean time, I've got to get my second CD recorded.

9/04/01
I put up another review that was done a while ago (they didn't notify me about it until now). I've also got my MP3.com radio stations just about right. I did put links to them from the links page. When they are working correctly I'll start advertising them. Hopefully that will give the artists on them (myself included) a little more exposure.

I just got back from the chiropractor. Sadly, things still aren't improving much. It's starting to become an old story. If I can't get my body back into good enough shape to perform regularly, I'm at least hoping to be able to record the songs that I have written.

The house is nearly complete. Shouldn't be long now and then there will be even more chaos. I hate moving! I just want to get settled and try to get things back to normal. Start playing at least 2 hours everyday. This 1-1.5 hours a day just isn't getting it done!!

I've been listening to Don Ross's latest release. I really like "Thin Air" (even though it's not "pure" - shame, shame, he allowed a bass guitar to play with him on the song) and "Midnight March". Both are excellent songs and Don at his best!

8/10/01
Man how time flies - even when you're not having fun! I haven't been playing much lately because we've been house hunting. It has kept me away from my strings for quite some time. I also haven't returned to 100% yet either. I did see another Chiropractor, and he has helped, but I'm not back to where I want to be. I'm beginning to think that things won't ever be completely right again.

I have written a couple more new songs so I've got 22 that need to be recorded now. I also had a review in an Italian magazine (can't read any of it, but it was neat anyway). I also found out that some of my tunes are being played on an FM station in Richmond. That's cool since if I get healthy enough to play out again, I'll probably start in the Richmond area. I came in 3rd in the Battle of The Bands contest - a Rap band won. I figured 3rd wasn't too bad for someone who can't even play out.

I had a GREAT time at the RMMGA gathering. It was a whole lot of fun. I performed at their Open Mic Night, sold a couple of CDs, played a lot of guitars, met a lot of people, and had a nice little vacation in a cabin. A good time was had by all and I'll definitely go again next year!

I'm sure I've left a lot out, but I'll keep this page a little more up-to-date when we get settled in to our new abode. 'Nuff for now....

5/02/01
It's been a tough couple of months! I was mentally prepared to play out, but my body just wouldn't agree. The Chiropractor that I was seeing basically took all of the money allotted by my insurance and I didn't seem to get that much better. My hands and wrists are MUCH better, but when I can't stand and play with the guitar strapped on for 15 minutes without being in pain, there is NO way I can play out. That took a toll on me mentally as well. I thought REAL hard about quitting. In fact, I don't think I'm over it yet. A couple of good reviews came in so that helped a little and Music Dish wants me to compete in their Battle Of The Bands contest. It's amazing how some positive things like that can perk you up a little and get you going again. I think I needed a little vacation from music too. I have been giving everything and I mean *everything* that I have left after working an 8 hour day to music for almost 3 years now. It's been nice to go for walks in the parks and just hang out with my best friend. I think folks need that down time to re-energize them and get their focus back. Mine is slowing coming back.

I'm going to try a different Chiropractor as soon as my insurance rolls over to the new year and we'll see what that does. From what I've seen to date, he might just be the one who can fix things. It's so *damn* hard to take knowing that you can't get to the next level when you want it SOOOO bad.

Don't worry, I haven't given up YET! I came awful close, but I've got 19 new songs that are just dying to be recorded!! And I really have to find out what it's like to play on a stage.

3/03/01
I've been experimenting with my new amp. It's an Ultrasound and it is very nice. I've also been playing around with my Q20 trying to find a sound that feels right. I think the combination of amp, extension cabinet, and effect processor will ultimately form a more signature sound for me - it is very impressive (almost like an affordable PA).

I've still got more reviews pending and some new ones are expected soon. I must say though that I am a little disappointed with some places I sent my Press Kit. I mean, these places act like I've got nothing better to do with my time and money but to give them free CDs. If they FEEL like listening to it they will. I don't get that attitude. I can handle the "We love it, but it doesn't fit our format" statements, but when they don't even plan on listening to it, that's a little upsetting. Oh well, that's all part of the music business. I guess when you are first starting out, you want to satisfy the whole world, but then you quickly realize that it just isn't going to happen.

2/11/01
I've been discovered! I'm an "Undiscovered" artist for Guitar Nine this month. Very Cool!! The Guitar9.com site is one that I respect. I have ordered CDs from them in the past and it is THE place for instrumental guitarists to be. So it was an honor to be selected. They are going to be selling my CD from their site too.

My hands and wrists are still bothering me. The Chiropractor I'm seeing thinks that it will take a couple of weeks to get my spine correctly aligned. Hopefully, I'll be playing out again before then. I've been limiting my practice time to about an hour (sometimes I can get in an hour and a half) so that's killing me too.

I got a check from mp3.com for almost $600.00 last week! I'm going to buy a new amp with the money. One that should work great on stage and in the studio. I'll likely order it this week.

1/28/01
I was all set to play out tomorrow night and my wrist went out on me again yesterday. I guess I pushed a little too hard. One of my new songs is pretty much at the limit of what I believe is possible on an acoustic. It is extremely fast with lots of pull offs and hammer-ons and a cool groove, but it is at my technical limit. The notes are so fast that I have to slow them down to hear all of them (that's not very cool). If I pick all of the notes, then I can get them in, but using the pull offs and hammer-ons, they tend to just blend together. What I would give for a pair of 19 year old wrists, hands, and tendons!

I got a Q20 for X-mas and I've been playing with that a little too. The songs just keep on coming (not that I'm complaining), but with the amount of practice time I have, I'm at my time limit trying to get them all in everyday. The Q20 is cool, but I haven't found the one effect that does it for me. Which means I'll have to program it to what I want. It does have some real cool effects though.

My review in 20th Century Guitar was very cool! They even sent me 3 copies of the magazine. I've got an ad in the January and February issues and that's pretty neat too. I'm fit to bust out and I'm mentally ready. I just hope my body is in full agreement soon!!

12/16/00
There's been a whole lot of stuff going on since the last update! I was a winner in a music contest (NOMA - Unsigned America). My music is being played on at least one more FM station and another internet broadcasting station (IndiePort.com). I found out that my CD is going to be reviewed in 20th Century Guitar magazine. I have an online review and I'm expecting several more within the next couple of weeks. My debut CD First Of All is now available on Amazon.com. I also created an online store where I'm selling T-Shirts, Sweat Shirts, Mouse Pads, Mugs, etc. (pretty cool). Lots of things that have been keeping me at the keyboard and away from my strings. I have been managing to get in right around 2 hours per day though, and I've been practicing my OMN set standing up everyday. It's weird how when you haven't played standing, for who know's how long, that trying to do it again is not so easy. It has been coming back pretty good, and I expect to play out very soon. Sending out Promo Kits is starting to pay off. Let's hope the good news continues!

11/24/00
I've been expanding my Internet coverage lately. I've joined several different websites as well as put links on lot's of others. This should make it easier for folks to find me in the www jungle! I also started sending out Promo Kits. I'll be sending out PKs during the next couple of weeks to radio stations, national and local press publications, Internet sites, etc. where I can either get air time or a press review. The BIG news is that I played out - Look Out! The sound on stage was terrible. I could not hear myself and that made for a real difficult time. The audience seemed to really dig it even if I didn't think it sounded very good so that part of the gig was cool. The other cool news is that I spent a few hours with RLJ Tuesday night! I went to his show at the Kennedy Center in D.C. and hung out with him before and after the gig. It was WAY COOL to hang with him - definitely made my week!

OBTW, I'm over $500.00 on MP3 now - not too shabby....

10/14/00
I've got my on-line Presskit done! The real Presskit (actually it's only a Promo Kit because I don't have any official reviews yet) is proving to be a little more difficult. It's seems almost impossible to find someone who can handle the photograph. Everybody tells me it's easy and one place told me that it wouldn't be any problem. So I let them give me some examples (which took a week just for that). The examples were TERRIBLE! Geeze, do I have to do everything myself?? I've got logo stickers now too - they turned out pretty good.

I had one of my songs played on a radio program in Michigan! I was pumped and bouncing off walls for a while. It was on a Grassroots program on a college radio station. Very cool! The D.J. played "Whistle While You Walk".

I'm doing pretty good on mp3.com and I'm on over 30+ radio stations there. If I keep on my current pace I should break $100.00 by the end of the month! Cool! :-)

9/24/00
I've been getting some great reviews on mp3.com so I've put some of them up for you to see on my Reviews page (check it out, it's head swelling stuff). I've also been busy creating DAM CDs and a channel on mp3.com. I will have 3 DAMs when they are approved (Nibbler I, Nibbler II, and Full Byte). I love the titles - they're so computer based. ;-) I've also been working on my Press Kit and have a technical writer (thanks Marcia) producing a solid bio for me. Man, I sure have a whole bunch of sticks in the fire....

9/16/00
My MP3 site is up. It can be viewed at: http://mp3.com/stevendillon
I've been getting quite a bit of traffic and have even made a couple of bucks already. I've updated my Hear Me page with the link to my MP3 site too. I'm still trying to get back into the practice groove (I get in a couple of days in a row and then I miss a day or two). I did write a new song this week though (it's another jam) entitled Hammerhead (because of all the hammer on notes especially harmonics). I've already got enough material for another CD! I've also been working on my Press Kit. It is so important to get that done. I'd love to start sending my CD to on-line places, radio stations, TV stations, newspapers, and magazines. I think that's when the fun is really going to start! All right, enough for now - back to work!!

8/23/00
My first official CD is being released today! WOW! I finally did it... I would like to thank everyone that helped me in any way. I hope you enjoy First Of All. The web page has been updated with 3 songs from it, how to purchase it, the song stories behind the music, and a new page. The new page, Guitar Heros, has some pictures of me with guitarists that have influenced my playing with a couple words about them and/or their particular skills. Check it out, it's in the About Me section.....

8/12/00
The CD is done! Yay! It is in production at Disc Makers right now. It should be back by the end of this month. As soon as it gets here, I'll rip some songs from it and put them up.

I haven't been playing as much as I would like lately. I've got to get back into that 3 hours per day routine. Just so much stuff to take care of around here that was ignored during the final stages of the CD.

7/14/00
I ripped my Real Audio files at a little higher rate. They still don't sound fantastic, but they are acceptable. I hope you enjoy them. I'll change them around every couple of weeks so if you keep coming back you can hear different songs from the demo. Then when the CD is finished, I'll put up a couple from it too!

Speaking of the CD, I've still got 3 songs to go. I've been recording, but I don't have any keepers yet. I did send in two songs for the RMMGA CD II. I sent them "Jed's Place" and "Time Gone By", and I have confirmation that they arrived.

I've been listening to NetRadio.com at work - GREAT TUNES! I've heard quite a bit from Alex DeGrassi and every time I hear his stuff it catches my attention! I can see that I am going to have to buy some of his music and spend some time soaking it in.

7/8/00
I've got a new web hosting company. I put everything up yesterday and so far things are working pretty good. The Real Audio files had some problems transferring up, but at least I was able to get them to my site. They don't sound right though. I guess I'll try ripping them at a different speed.

Mixing is HARD! I've got 8 songs recorded and most of them have final mixes as well. I have to pick two of them to send to the group's second CD (RMMGA CD II). I've decided to pare down the CD to just 11 songs. I wanted to do all 16, but I'm not going to get there in time to make my deadlines. So I've got just 3 songs to go!

6/10/00
The first site I tried to use for hosting did not work. Don't waste money going with webhosting.com if you want to put up Real Audio files. They never were able to fix things so that I could build my site. I canceled my account with them after 10 days of trying to upload my files.

I've been recording, but still having problems. Last week my headphones died. I couldn't replace them because they don't make that model any more. I tried a couple of different pairs, but nothing sounded right. I ended up going with the '98 model of the headphones that died. I've now got 4 songs done! Yayyy - I'm 25% of the way there!.

5/29/00
I've been transferring files up to my web site so that I can officially kick this thing off. I'm having problems with the Real Audio files... It appears that the site hosting me keeps disconnecting before the file transfer is complete.

This was a 3 day weekend so I had planned to get LOTS of recording done. I may have a keeper or two, but my left hand and wrist went out on me Friday (5/26) and I've been taking it easy since then. I'm trying some different warm-up techniques/exercises and taking anit-inflammatories so I can avoid a repeat of this in the future (hopefully).