PREPARING FOR THE CD...

Accomplished something, for a change. I figured out the reason why “Ben,” our 1999-vintage PC at the Arts Center, wasn’t playing music any more was the onboard sound thingie had died (it’s one of the first things to go on older computers). Installed a soundcard from my Endless Stash of Computer Parts, and Ben has sound again. I miss being the IT Guy…

Got the master for the Deathgrass album. Yes, it is good. Very good. These guys (band and sound engineer both) do impressive work. I need to stop listening to the thing over and over and get busy with promotion. There is a lot to do.

I’ve alerted the radio station people I know personally (two in Tillamook, two in Ashland, one in California, and one in Georgia), and thus far all but one of them have said they’re potentially interested. Thought of a couple more I know (one in Astoria, one in Canada) to contact, too, while I’m at it.

Label’s done, now that I have times for all the songs; so is the cover. I insisted on keeping the cover to three panels—front (with the famous skull-with-dreadlocks icon), inside front (with the songs info), and back (photos of the band, and the dedication to the late Dick Ackerman). Last two are backwards from how it seems to be usually done (I have a bunch of commercial CDs for models), but I did want Dick’s picture where everybody could see it.

Yes, it’d be great to include more—but I expect I have way more to say than anyone would want to listen to. (That may be true of most writers.) I’ve seen commercial CDs with five or even eight panels—but most of them don’t come across as professional as the simple ones. I’ll go simple. I want our product to be equal to or better than anything out on the commercial market, and I think as it sits, it is. (I am not expecting anybody to hire me to design their CD covers, though. It’d be nice—but I am not holding my breath. It is sufficient to be able to compete with the Big Boys on their own turf—at a fraction of the cost.)

One of the radio stations I’ve contacted is doing a Request Day Saturday, April 2, and I would like them to have the CD in hand for that, so people can call in and request songs; I can prime people in the area to do that—and I can get the station a CD if I have to make it myself. Sounds like April 2 ought to be Splash Day. Means I need to get the CDs replicated right away.

I’ve been assembling the list of news media; I do know rather a lot of reporters (and even a few editors), but very few are in a position to write anything about the CD. At best, maybe a few can pass it to someone they know who can write a review. Personal contact is essential, just like it was 30 years ago when I was distributing Dodson Drifters singles; like Nashville songwriter Bobbie Gallup put it, “It’s not who you know—it’s who knows you.”

Rehearsals Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday for TAPA’s play Southern Hospitality, and Saturday’s an all-day editing session for the video class; that trumps music for every day except Sunday (when the music’s in the evening, and rehearsal’s during the day). Two films to master—the “Sleeping Piggy” puppet show and the middle school’s production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—and my own filming to do, for my part of the documentary in Wil Duncan’s video class. Wait—wasn’t I supposed to be offered a job when I got too busy? I’m ready…

Joe