How do you feel?
The music is mixed. This essentially means that the instruments and vocals are adjusted and balanced to make you feel like you’re standing in the room.
Mixing is an art in and of itself. I had no idea just how much thought goes behind it until Brian, the producer, shared how he approached the work. I mentioned in my last letter that the scene of the 60s/70s inspired how we approached recording the tunes. In the same vein, Brian let that era guide him in how he mixed them. He said he took cues from Dylan, Grateful Dead, The Band, and others, to inform how he panned the instruments (where they’re heard in your ears), compressed them, added reverbs, emphasized low end. He sought to make it dynamically looser than a modern mix, giving it a little bit of an off-kilterness old mixes had when stereo was a new frontier.
We took a huge step toward getting the music in your ears.
The music was shipped off to be mastered earlier this week. This is the final stage in audio post-production. The audio is fine-tuned by enhancing clarity, quality, and consistency across all mediums. The way Brian put it is that a common sonic thread is found and weaved through all the tunes to make them all sound cohesive.
Brian in his element
So, how do you feel?
I’ve been asked this question many times. It’s a good question. I like it because at any given moment it makes me reflect on what this whole project is doing to my heart and my mind.
The pursuit of it alone breathes more life into me than whatever end this leads to.
Fear
The beginning of the project shoved me out of my comfort zone. I was so afraid.
Asking people for help is uncomfortable.
Asking people for money is uncomfortable.
Asking people for money for something that I had deep doubts about was especially uncomfortable.
Are the songs even any good? Will they like them? Will they think it’s a waste of their money?
In the kickoff letter I mentioned that these fears were a part of what held me back from this pursuit for so long.
By God’s good grace I pushed through this discomfort and fear of people. The same sentiment from the times of Feelin’ Fine rings true to today. I needed to step out into the unknown, trusting everything would be ok.
Assurance
It wasn’t until after I sent out the initial letter that something started to happen in me. As I continued to share my words with you, received all of your encouragement, and got in the studio, my heart shifted from a place of fear to a place of confidence and assurance, similarly to when I found my voice.
I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.
Doubts and fears still creep in, but an old minister of mine helped put things into perspective by encouraging me to work diligently as unto the Lord for His glory and it’ll be a job well worth doing.
Relief
Feeling like I’m heading in a good direction and sharing a chapter of my story brings relief.
Progress
It feels good to do something. To move forward. To progress.
For the longest time I’ve been an artist with no art; an astronaut gazing at the stars in his backyard.
I don’t know where this is heading. I don’t need to know. What matters is that I’m moving toward something. Even if that something is a conclusion that this isn’t for me, so be it.
At least I’ll know.
At least I’ll have given it a shot.
Otherwise I’d be sitting on these songs for the rest of my life wondering, What if?
Catharsis
The story these songs tell has been bottled up inside of me for a long time. It’s been a heavy burden on my heart.
But each piece of it I shared with you lightened the load.
It’s amazing how that works.
All that to say,
I’m feelin’ fine.
— CLO
p.s.
I want to encourage you in your pursuits the way you’ve encouraged and supported me.
Do you have something that you’ve been thinking about pursuing? What is it? Will you share it with me?
Are you currently doing that thing? How’s it going? How can I support you?
Have you done that thing? Do you have any words of wisdom that you can share with me?
Email me: caswell.lee.orr@gmail.com
Catch up on Boy’s story at the links below:
Part II: Boy Catches Up with Friend
