Tony Endieveri has been working hard lately to create new designs for Dan Workman Music. Our business cards are derived from the website header and look super cool! So 'thanks' Tony! We also took some new pictures for the www.sugarhilltudios.com site, (see the photo album).

I have been in a new place for me, production-wise, lately. I am waiting. And waiting. (you get the idea....). Normally, I am rehearsing bands, doing editing, engineering, vocal preproduction, etc., etc. Right now, I am an administrator: helping Logan (she doesn't really need much help), and writing budgets for future productions. Mostly, I'm on pins and needles waiting on the next installment of Kevin Ryan's work on Sarah Sharp's songs, (which is ALWAYS worth the wait). Soon, I will have a few of the arrangements nailed down enough to do the ancillary recording and vocal pre production that will put me smack dab back in the middle of my normal comfort zone.

Other projects that are cooking to critical mass are Eileen Faxas, (waiting on arrangements by Rainel Pino), and Avalon & the band, Goddess.

So.

My office is fairly neat. My calendar is somewhat clear. My promotional efforts for the new company are underway. Life is in more order than I can ever remember it being,...... so why am I so antsy?

the somewhatimpatientlove,
Dan

Monday at the SugarHill and I am in a great place.

First, the news about my secret industry function last week. Christi and I were invited to a private showing of Beyonce's new movie, "The Fighting Temptations". Beyonce's management company, Music World Entertainment was putting on the show, and we were honored to be asked, SO we got gussied up, put on the dog, (so to speak), and hit the trendy theater.

Yeah, we got to see Beyonce, and we spoke to our favorite Music World buds, Beyonce's dad, Matthew Knowles, and Huy, (pronounced, 'we'), Nguyen who is the A&R Manager for Music World Music. Huy used to be an intern at SugarHill many moons ago. We were the proud parents. We also ran into Errol 'Poppi', one of Beyonce's track producers. Errol says he's making the move to LA. Good luck Errol!!! (he won't need it, cause he's the man).

As for the movie review, it was a fun flick, and Beyonce got to sing up a storm. Oh yeah, Cuba Gooding Jr. is pretty funny. Plot wise, it bears a bit of a resemblence to 'The Music Man.' The fun part was being in a theater with a bunch of audience members who were not afraid to speak their mind out loud and often during the movie. I am hoping that Dan Workman Music will be able to score some new work from Music World. (I'll keep you informed).

Sarah Sharp and I spent some time high-concepting our plan to record vocals on her album. We went to lunch and were served by the world's nicest International House of Pancakes waiter: Mario. Ask for him by name. Sarah and I are basically in a holding pattern while Kevin Ryan continues to 'cook the songs'. We did get to plan out how we are going to record the vocals, and I got Sarah to sing some of the songs a cappella for me so I could make a few decisions regarding vocal arrangement density. (She sang great).

I met with Eileen Faxas, her husband (& executive producer) Jorge, and their dog, Callie yesterday along with arranger/pianist Rainel Pino. Rainel is Cuban (like Eileen & Jorge), so the Spanish was flying thick and fast, (which I think is cool--who needs to listen to me, anyway?). I think that Rainel is going to arrange and get studio players for two of our songs. I am VERY happy that Rainel is working with us. He has the vibe and the chops to pull it off.

On a more personal note, Mark Ellis, frontman of Mark Needs a Chick, and I have a standing lunch date each Friday these days. I've always liked Mark a lot, and it is cool to have a relationship away from work with him.

Check the Photo Album and the Sound Board this week. (Logan wants me to put up some pictures of stars, so I'll rotate a few in).

thelove,

Dan

I've been away from this page for almost two weeks, thanks to a server change by my IP. (drat!) Anyway, I'm glad everything is working and I've got a bit to report.

First of all, Craig Byrnes song, "Fight This Time" is mixed and it came out really great. I was almost finished with the mix when I realized that I had not used ANY reverbs, delays, or unnatural ambience at all. I liked it and the mix withstood the next day's review. We master tomorrow. For those of you industrious enough to see this song listed on my soundboard, yes, I know that it is not loading correctly. The patient desigeners at www.mustdesign.com are busy making sure the page works great, so hang in there, and you will be rewarded.

Tonight I get to go hob nob with some big shot music industry heavy weight dudes and dudesses at an event so secret that I am barred from mentioning it here at the moment, BUT I will report. This will be really good, so stay close to the studio log!

more tomorrow!
thelove, Dan

Finished vocals on Craig Byrnes' song 'Fight This Time' yesterday. Craig
sang for 5 hours straight and sounded suprisingly consistant over the entire
time. We got a good vocal take down, and I mix tomorrow.

Kevin Ryan, Sarah Sharp and I kibbizted today and the progress is good.
Kevin is incubating some great music and Sarah and I are about to start work on
vocal arrangements. We have kicked around the idea of recording a live
string section for a song entitled, 'Time Capsule'. The string part is
amazing already, and Kevin is pulling out the stops on getting the score
done.

I heard from Graham Guest today. Moses Guest is back from their August tour and there is
talk of doing some more work together. Needless to say, I'm pumped about
that.

In the 'You Will Only Read It Here' category:

I won the Houston Press Music Award for Best Producer of 2003. "Where is
the link to the article so I can read all about it?", you might wonder.
Well, there is none.

It's like this: I found out about winning when a friend called me while I
was vacationing in Lake Catherine, Arkansas last month. He told me he was
at the awards show and they had just announced that I had won
the category, but nobody was there to accept for me. I was thrilled, then
baffled that I was not notified in advance.

When I got home, there was no message from the press waiting for me, so I
just waited two days for the Music Awards issue to come out. The issue was
published and guess what, every winner was given a short story EXCEPT ME. I
wrote the editor asking what was up, and he called me personally to say that
he was sorry--that he had edited the article with last years' category list
and that there was no 'Producer of the Year' category then, so he sort of
forgot it this year. Hmmmm. I understood him to say that it would be
published in the next issue, but (you guessed it), NADA.


So, there you have it. I was thrilled to win, but baffled at the
(accidental?) lack of love by the Press. But now you know!

thelove,
Dan