At long last, I am back in the studio again finishing up some demo recordings for a new collection of songs I am very excited about. By next week, I should be ready to start tracking the final tunes, which will all be produced in my home-studio, here in Abbottabad. (Now ~ if only I could find some way of keeping that rooster next door from trying to harmonize while I’m recording!)
This will be the first collection of songs for children I have produced in over 7 years ~ the lyrics and melodies aimed specifically at families with youngsters aged 2- 7. My own daughter (who is two and a half) has been boppin’ along to the demos at home over the past few weeks ~ which is a good sign. Hopefully, other kids will react similarly when all is said and done! We’re talking 30 songs folks! Yes, you heard me correctly ~ THIRTY SONGS! They’re shaping up to be wacky, silly, fun, educational, satirical, sentimental, spiritual and deeply personal to my family. It will be so good to share them with other families.
The publisher tells me that the anthology of new rhymes may hit stores in the early part of 2011 (in the UK at least)… if, that is, I can get all the recording done between loads of laundry, Pakistan notorious power outages due to load-shedding, my daughter’s naps and tending to a strange watermelon plant that grew in my little garden this summer … without me planting it!
Meanwhile ~ on the other side of the planet in Nashville, TN ~ Idris is in studio remastering our 2007 CD “Out Seeing The Fields” for an autumn re-release AND simultaneously developing an alternative “percussion & Voice only” version of the album for release later this year. The “Out Seeing The Fields – World Rhythm Version” will have a slightly different track listing (including some new tunes) and will also feature the talents of our friend Zain Bhikha. With Idris in the USA, Zain in South Africa, artist Qutaiba Mahawili doing the packaging in Turkey, our friend Katie preparing to do replication in Canada and me bouncing between Pakistan, Canada and Colorado over the next several months ~ it truly will be a very legitimate “world music album”.
Keep singin’ `till yur all sung out.
Peace,
davie
An amazing ten days in the United Kingdom sharing some valuable time with 12 talented young artists from Ilford (East London), has come to a close. The Art of Creative Expression was initially conceptualized and developed as a one-day course by my singer/songwriter friend
My time in England was topped off (absolute icing on the cake!) with a performance experience I shall never forget.