Magical Moment 195, "To Accordion or not to Accordion, that is the Question"

Today was yet another meeting in the pre-production process of recording my EP with Modern Vintage Recordings. We’re at the stage of brainstorming exactly how the musical arrangements for each track should sound - the style, mood, and feel for each song. To do that, we spent the day experimenting with different instrumental sounds and laying down a very crude arrangement in Pro-Tools. This recording is what the “real” musicians will hear and base their performances off of when it comes time to the final recording.

We focused on only one song today (and this should make my dad very happy), “A Builder.” I explained that I wanted a very full, orchestral sound in this powerful song, and with Irish-sounding undertones. After several hours of trial and error, I think we hit the nail on the head. The drums are the foundation for the entire song, keeping the music moving, rolling like the vast green hills of Ireland. The bass underlies and enhances the dark chord progression. And unlikely sound effects such as music box chimes and even an accordion, make the song stand out with unique quirkiness.

However, this basic guide is always up for change, new ideas, and additions and edits. But I am happy to see the skeletons of my music slowly filling out and taking on a life of their own. More updates to come!

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Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-

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