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Sound editing is a fine art and I do not master it, but I had to learn a thing or two, just like every independent musician. I must confess to you that it is one of my least favourite parts of post production and, consequently, a task that I usually put off until I can no longer ignore it.

This is the case with more than an hour and a half recordings. They are takes of a very special live concert: the release of my EP So Now, five years ago.

Precisely because it was a concert whose memories keep me warm on rainy days, the usual difficulty of dealing with my recordings increased a lot, to the point where I was already two weeks behind my schedule (!)

Okay, my schedule is flexible, but it is still quite a delay, and it made me wonder why it is so hard to deal with, let us say, my yesterday version.

My first guess is that it is because I am used to doing my chores listening to music or a podcast, with headphones on. However, when editing audios this form of distraction is not possible, that is: it demands on hundred percent concentration and who has such percentage of concentration nowadays? No-one!

This is indeed an important factor, but certainly not the main one. Searching deeper in my heart for the true causes, what I find are a mix of feelings. A bit of shame for possible mistakes and a certain irritation for no longer being able to change them.

However, digging a little bit deeper, I find one more feeling. Perhaps the central piece, without which my puzzle is not only incomplete, but also meaningless. I am talking about nostalgia.

If you cannot understand the reason for my dilemma, you certainly are not familiar with the selective function of memory. Remembering things is returning to what no longer exists in the outside world, but is still alive for and within us. The complex and sophisticated mechanism of memory is not only limited to being a screen where images of memories are projected.

Comparing our memories to scenes from a movie, we could say that our minds have the power of rewriting lines, changing actors, backgrounds and shooting angles, editing and giving the final cut. Now think about how much my mind could have changed my memories of the show over a period of five years. Scary, hu?.

What if I get to the end of the recordings and find out that my performance was not as good as I remember it? And what if the audience was not as receptive as I have it in mind?

The only solution I can think of is to try to deal with the recordings with the detachment that a professional editor would have. It does not really matter if the recordings do not show my A-material. Maybe the night was not perfect, so what?

The important thing is that So Now was able to create perfect memories. This is the real magic.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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I am determined to follow through with my resolution from the end of last year. I promised myself that every victory would be celebrated, every step taken, every milestone. I strongly believe that when we do that, we not only boost our self-esteem, but also our productive capacity. In other words, the victory of today is the fuel that keeps the engine running towards the victory of tomorrow.

Therefore, to be faithful to this self commitment, today I would like to talk about a very special event that took place exactly five years ago: the release of my traditional jazz vocal EP called So Now. The title and intro of the song that gives name to the album both refer to So What, the first theme from the iconic 1959 album A Kind of Blue.

Miles is a character in the song and is even quoted in the lyrics of the story that reports in a mocking and humorous way a date that did not work out very well. After hearing Miles “for quite a long time”, the protagonist wonders if it might not be the right time to order a taxi back home and call it a night.

The launch concert represents, in itself, a milestone in my career, as it was held in a traditional jazz club in the city of Eugene, in the State of Oregon, U.S.A.: The Jazz Station.

The club, set as in the classics of the golden age of jazz has with tables adorned with natural flower arrangements and an extremely polite audience, used to high-level performances conducted by students and professors at the University of Oregon.

Of course there were little problems before (musicians late for rehearsal, for example) and during the show (some technical problems and minor mistakes), but what I really remember is a magical night, with a full house, people stopping at the street to listen, great merch sale and lots of nice comments on my presence book.

I know that memory is a movie set, but in the movie of my memories, So Now started off on the right foot. I will tell you more about this dream-concert on the following post. For now, I would like to invite you to listen to So Now on your favourite platform.

Are you the kind who likes to listen to songs paying a lot of attention to the lyrics? Then you got to check out this playlist.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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How was the first half of the year for you? Mine was busy and productive, thank you. I certainly would like to have a few days totally off, but things are not always the way we wanted them to be, so here I am trying to organize myself in order to get what I planned for the second half of the year done.

It is also time to start looking for some “year from now” deals and opportunities. This is a tiring move, as you have to make plans based on probabilities. However, there is no way to move on to real actions without going through the sphere of intentions. What do I mean by that?

Intentions are all those messages you send that are not always answered. Intentions are also the projects that you put together in your head, but mostly will not survive the shock of reality. I, for example, often put together imaginary tours that work great in my mind, but have little bearing on my budget reality.

For these and other reasons, the second half of the year is a time for desk work, which means hard work, but no visibility. To tell the truth, moderate levels of invisibility are welcome from time to time. They are perfect for health check ups and treatments for the hair and skin, deeply mistreated by stage make-up and curling iron.

The problem is the hard work itself, that is, how to manage it in an intelligent, productive way. More precisely: how to build up an effective work routine without deadlines?

Say what you will about the oppressive nature of deadlines, but they guarantee that the job gets done. Without them, I oscillate between a mindset of “work, work, work and work” and “hey, how about finally watching that movie from your must see list?”

I am not only talking about indulging yourself to a little bit of laziness on a Thursday afternoon, but also about being awere that, well, it is now or never. As soon as the first booking confirmation arrives, the pre-production process begins, the deadlines pop up, and you can forget about finishing that one book that has been living on your bedside for ages, much less watch that 2016 movie that everyone was talking about… in 2016.

Maybe this mismatch between “take a break” and “you have a lot of work to do” comes from my current difficulty getting restorative sleep. I may not be in the position to give you any advice, but what the heck! So here it goes: my five items list of little tricks that usually work:

  1. every time you feel guilty about an afternoon nap, think about how many times you worked on Sundays, holidays, including Christmas and carnival;
  2. do not, I repeat, do not take your cell phone everywhere with you all the time and, if possible, leave it far away from your bed, to avoid falling into the temptation of “quickly checking what time it is”, and end up up hearing the alarm clock go off with your eyes wide open, after pointless spending the night reading posts on socials.
  3. some of the symptoms of a bad night of sleep can be avoided with careful hydration during the following day, so do not forget: drink water!
  4. your energy is not one hundred percent proportional to the number of cups of coffee you drink throughout the day, but maybe your heartburn is, so go easy on the coffee, will you?
  5. mint or lemongrass tea can work miracles in some cases and are woth trying.

Now to that 2016 movie.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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Miss Suéter is one of my favourite songs by João Bosco and Aldir Blanc. The song was immortalized in the voice of the great singer Angela Maria. Its bears the signature of the lyricist Aldir:”Fake blondes fascinate me (oh, the black lingerie)/ With freckles, penciled eyebrows and Coty perfume“.

In her mouth, this attractive lady holds “two pivots so graceful/ among natural jewels” and her eyes resemble “tiny fishbowls/ Of tropical minnows“. Ingenious, bittersweet, totally Aldir!

I hummed the song in my head as I went through a preliminary dental procedure, which (now I realize) will turn myself a bit like the song character, for I will also have two graceful pivots among my natural jewels.

Any alteration in the mouth affetcs directly the way the air moves inside it when we articulate. Therefore, the slightest change may affect the voice. Maybe this explains why I was so worried about the procedure, until I found a professional who knew how to clearly explain all the phases of the treatment.

I felt safe and in good hands and that made things a lot easier. And painless! My face did not get swollen and I did not even need to take the prescribed painkillersis. It is reallly amazing how information is able to assuage our fears and move our lives forward!

Well informed and in the hands of a competent professional, the whole process was much easier than I imagined, which made me think how many times we fail to make the right decisions simply because we are not aware of all the possible options.

How many times do we procrastinate on important decisions because we mistakenly think we will not be able to handle all the implications?

Sure, each challenge in life demands a tailored reaction. Sometimes patience is the secret, sometimes boldness is the best, but the essential ingredient is always the same: information.

Unforeseen events will happen, accidents may occur, but the ability of bodies and ideas to regenerate garantees that the magic will go on.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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I have recently written about the moment of stepping onstage and the frenzy of emotions that happen during a performance. I would like to return to the subject, taking it one step further. Today I would like to talk to you about what happens next. The “day after”, so to speak.

In the case of independent musicians, the next day is usually the time to do the math and organize papers and start thinking about the next performance. They are not exactly creative activities neither fun, but they are necessary steps of the job, and at some point you will have to face them or you will be doomed to forget small details and repeat small failures.

It could be a scenic element that did not work the way you expected, or maybe some part of the costume that needs to be repaired. It could also be a small change in the script, thepoint is: something can always be tweaked and improved. In this respect, show production is a lot like something I recently read in an interview with a spine specialist.

He said that a frequent question asked by patients refers to the best position for the spine. Would it sitting? Standing? Lying down? The answer might surprise you: “The best position is the next position”. Genious! He explained that the best thing for the spine is not to remain in the same position for a long time. Therefore, despite the position you are in, the best thing you can do for your spine is to move yourself.

Movement, that is the trick! The concept of balancing through movement seems perfectly applicable to the universe of independent music production. The analogy between movement and health is as true for careers as it is for bodies.

The way I see it, success is the expression of this moving balance momentum Just like is a healthy spine (the kind that can hold your head up) is just a movement away.

Be seeing you!

G.F.