It has been an amazing process watching the professional team do sound design while mixing an album.  The raw materials (recorded tracks) are shaped and sculpted while tone and panning and effects start to reveal the jewel that lies within.  The producer working with his engineering team guides the process while making sure that resources and time is maximized.  Truly an amazing and unique talent set.  Especially with the combined years of talent here at Skywalker Sound and producer, Ray Cooper!

This afternoon I'm leaving for Skywalker Studio to spend 4 days and 4 nights mixing my 3rd album "Sacred Graffiti". What does Sacred Graffiti mean to me? Well Graffiti is the italian word that literally means "Writing." For me I love the juxtaposition of things that you would not normally mix together. We usually associate Graffiti with the familiar art work so bountiful in the urban landscape.

"Sacred" is something that is not only associated in the religious sense but in a personal sense as well. Something personal that you have a loving association with. For me it is music and the often sparse moments of poetry that I write.

"Sacred Graffiti" = Personal writing=connected to the message or the sound.

Out in the real world, the Graffiti that you see out there is also personal, and in many ways lovingly crafted.

It's amazing to see the time and energy that went into "tagging" a wall space in a short amount of time.

Often times it's a quick message expressing a state of mind or contexts of the heart. Some are beautiful, some are desperate. At times all you get is an Avatar or a signature.

Bumper stickers are another mode of "Sacred Graffiti". Someone else wrote the message but the person

who has fixed that statement on their car associates with that message: It has personal meaning for them.

The compositions on this album are a reflection of my inner world and how I see and hear the outer world.

At times my world is idyllic, sometimes bucolic and other times I cannot deny the world outside my door constantly penetrating my mind, my spirit or my art. It is a balance of the Tempest and the Grace.

And it is the first day of my blog here on Passion Star Music.  My first thoughts are to talk about my experiences recording Shining Bright in the studio.  I learned about "punch-ins" - if one wants to replace a word or section in a song without recording the whole song.. and I learned that this creates a different set of issues while solving others.. namely - tone matching by the singer (me).  I would say it's almost harder to match the tone than sing the song again!  

Stay tuned as I post more insights into this recording - including headphone mix, singing in another language and more!  

Take good care,  Lisa 

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