Sparks from the Fire

Dmitri Shostakovich

I spent last evening with the Missus in what has now become my favorite place to be on the planet – Carnegie Hall.  Inspirational music rose to another high point with a visit from the Philadelphia Orchestra to our fair city.  The Missus and I were given gift tickets (better n’ Christmas) and though we sat up in the nose-bleed section, 4^th Tier and no place for vertigo sufferers, I was amazed once again by the acoustics of this wondrous concert hall.

When I first came to NYC back in my early twenties to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater, I got a job at night selling orange drink in the tiers of Carnegie Hall and then eventually bar tending in its intermission café.  Though I made decent money in pay and tips, the real payment for me was the fact that for two years I got to see every concert presented in the main hall during that time.

I could fill a book with the stories and memories of those evenings and matinees.  It was certainly a huge and unexpected part of my education as an artist.  I had a place where I would stand in the back of the main floor and knew all the ushers who dubbed that spot, “Pete’s Place”.  In those two years I saw and heard a lifetime of great performances.

Since then I have had the great fortune to visit this hallowed hall many times and often had great seats.  Last night was, in fact, the first time I’ve ever watched a performance from the 4^th Tier.  But I must say I loved it.  There you sit above the orchestra looking down on the body of players and instruments and can watch the bowings of the strings and the bassoonists prepping their reeds and the timpanist tuning his kettle drums and the bass bassoonist endlessly counting bars of rests waiting for her big moment. (more…)

Every once in a while I just have to stop and be grateful for and appreciate the incredible tools I get to work with creating Inspirational music here in the 21^st century.  I’ve been working with a software system for about 15 years now that was first developed by a German company named Emagic in the early 1990s called Logic.  In 2002, Apple, seeing that Emagic’s Logic had probably the most powerful engine of the various DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) systems, bought Logic from Emagic and has produced this industry leading tool ever since.

Coupled with a hot Mac computer and a few other relatively inexpensive pieces of hardware, this software system has taken the place of the entire recording studio of yore amazingly for the price of $499.

For 25 years I owned a major recording studio here in NYC and operated 3 rooms for various recording spending, over time, a couple of million dollars on equipment to keep up with the times and keep the shop running.

Today all that has changed dramatically.  Today I record symphony orchestras in my son’s converted bedroom in my apartment.  Of course I’ve put some serious money into the acoustics of the room including an isolation booth that fits five, but essentially, I’ve got everything I ever had before and more, for infinitely less. (more…)

Julia Wade

Last night it was business as usual at the WFM Listening Room.  Both La Tanya Hall and Julia Wade and their Inspirational music ended our week on the perfect notes – notes that soared, notes that calmed and notes that enlivened the soul.

These Fridays are crazy busy for me.  I wake up in the morning on show day and immediately know I’m in for it.  It’s a day of go, go, go until I flop down in my chair at the end of the day.  I won’t bore you with the details, but rather assure you that that’s just what it is – a day of endless detail.  It never stops.

When I get home at night, it’s all I can do to just crawl off to bed.

I’ve been doing this all my life, but it doesn’t get any easier.  Thank God for a great staff and a most professional venue.

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Closing out the 2010 Series of the WFM Listening Room was Jenny Burton with guest artist Kevin Osborne.  A magical sold-out night indeed!  Actually, we sold out 2 weeks before the gig itself and even had to move the show to a larger venue to accommodate the demand.

As it was, many people were disappointed who thought they could get reservations at normal times.  There are no longer normal times.  Get ‘em early!

You’ll be glad to know that we’re planning many more Listening Room concerts in the coming year with Julia Wade, Jenny Burton and a host of other terrific talent.  Stay tuned.

Kevin Osborne kicked things off in great style.  Accompanied by David Keyes on acoustic bass, Al Fritsch on piano, and ­­­­­­­­­­­Keith Robinson on acoustic guitar, the whole group tore into Orleans’ infectious 70s hit Dance With Me, and immediately got the room rockin’. (more…)

The Accidentals

Last night Christmas and the Holiday season came to NYC in the form of The Accidentals and Julia Wade.  The WFM Listening Room produced its fifth concert in its experimental laboratory.  What has evolved is a dedicated audience coming back again and again to hear good and great music simply presented.

We’re most happy to say that the experiment works.  Two standing ovations last night – the first for The Accidentals and the second for MS Wade – proved that people don’t need all the hoopla that often accompanies the musical performances of the 21^st century.  What they really want is just good music with inspired performances. (more…)

I’ve known Jenny Burton for many moons now.  And during those many moons, we’ve made a lot of music together.  Watchfire Music is one of the leading companies in the world today in the genre of Inspirational Music and you might say that Jenny and I discovered and developed this genre together during one of those moons.

I first met Jenny when I saw her at an, at the time, famous NYC club called Reno Sweeney’s.  She came out of the audience as a plant and sang James Taylor’s Fire And Rain and I got so excited by her performance that I ended up standing on the table during the crowd’s standing ovation for her.  I’ve been standing on that table shoutin’ her praises ever since. (more…)

Julia Wade is presently serving her sixth year as soloist of The Mother Church, the First Church of Christ Scientist, Boston, Ma.  We caught up with her recently following a recording session in New York City where she lives and is presently completing a new Inspirational CD.  She gladly took time out of her whirlwind schedule to meet with us and talk excitedly about her forthcoming album, Every Day.

1. Your new CD, Every Day, is due out for Christmas.  Word has it, it’s a bit of a change of direction for you.  Is that true, and if so, would you please explain?

Well, yes!  My producer, Peter Link, and I set out to broaden my reach — stretch the borders of the music I have been singing in these last 8 years or so.  I love singing sacred and inspirational music, but I also wanted to record songs that reach beyond strictly sacred music and deal with social and world issues as well.  The idea of this CD is to apply the sacred to all parts of our every day lives – both on a personal and a universal level. (more…)

Yet another great evening of music!  Last Thursday at new and expanded venue Shetler Studios Penthouse 2 both Julia Wade and guest artist, Jimmy Roberts, established a splendid new look and feel for this revolutionary laboratory entertainment.

Not only did the new venue prove to be a giant step in the right direction, but also the audience continues to grow faster than we can expand and CD sales at the show beat all previous records.

The new space has less of a “house concert” feel and more of a concert atmosphere with theatrical lighting and NYC mid-town accessibility – 54^th Street right around the corner from the Dave Letterman show.  Two doors down from the storied Studio 54, the world famous disco in the 70s and 80s and now the home of the Roundabout Theater, there couldn’t be a more prestigious location. (more…)