Studio Blog 19
Date: July 22nd, 2010
Looking back, the first part of 2010 went very smoothly. I crossed paths with an old friend who is working out in California doing all kinds of engineering type of work along with performing, writing, and so many other music related things. Somehow he has been able to add mixing my CD along with the many things he is juggling at present. Two songs are now completely finished and he is working on the 3rd.
Meanwhile, I was back in the studio this past Sunday to review the last vocals I did on the next song that is soon to be mixed. The hard part is that I’m really not a singer and I’m just not certain what else to do on this particular song. I did the main vocal and added a second one on the chorus. While Tracy the producer is saying, “There’s one more vocal track that needs to be added.” Tracy the musician and novice singer just doesn’t know what it is. Maybe I’ll come up with it before it’s ready for mixing but Jeff and I went ahead and started editing it. I hate the thought of sending it off when there’s still even one more thing that needs to be there but… I just don’t want to hold this thing up anymore.
So.. what’s the delay now? Why are we half way through 2010 and still no CD? Well, it’s been quite the year let me tell you. At the end of 2009, the always health conscious but never actually trying to be healthy me… was really making the effort to get that exercise that middle aged Traceman needs so badly. I was in the pool and clocking in 3 to 4 miles per week. The weight was coming off and I was feeling good. At the end of the year I got pneumonia. If you’ve ever had that it lasts forever…. literally. I kept going back to the doctor and he kept putting me on antibiotics and it just never seemed to fully clear up. Then in April… yeah, April… my cardiologist had my lungs x-rayed again and put me on some butt kicking antibiotics and I was back in the pool that month. Then… an unfortunate accident at work (even if you ask I won’t tell) messed my left leg up pretty bad. I played the tough guy and acted like nothing was wrong. Five days later I was in the emergency room with a disgustingly infected leg getting antibiotic IV’s. I also had to start frequenting a place called “The Wound Center”. I referred to it as “The House of Pain”. I learned many things at this place. I learned that (according to them) mother was wrong when she said not to pick your scabs. Apparently… there is less chance of infection if you let it heal from the inside out instead of the outside in. I also learned that people can smile and be so friendly as they are inflicting the worst kind of pain on you. Gosh they were nice. And CRIPES did that hurt. I also learned about an “instrument” they used to inflict such pain on me. Picture a coke (cocaine) spoon with a long handle. Then imagine taking the spoon end of it and scraping a scab off. They said the first time is always the worst… and they werent’ kidding. Childbirth couldn’t have been much worse than that. This became a weekly ritual. While the swelling went down there was a “knot” in the middle of my shin that just wouldn’t go away. The nice doctor determined there was something in there and nicely injected my shin with novocaine and then lanced it. I’ll spare you any further details. Eventually it did finally clear up but I didn’t get the nod to finally start being able to swim again until early June. Half the year gone and between pneumonia and the leg injury, I’d only had a handful of times in the pool. And obviously trying to lay down vocal tracks when I can’t inhale deeply without coughing was impossible. However, with my friend Ron on the west coast mixing… progress has been made on the CD and again, two songs are completely finished with one more currently being worked on.
The good news during this time is that my daughter, Samantha, came home from Germany at the end of May. It’s been wonderful having her back and I enjoy every minute that we spend together.
The bad news is that in early May we learned that Mrs. Traceman, my wife Patty, had a baseball sized tumor in her chest that had partially collapsed her right lung and was pressing against her heart. The biopsy showed that it is Lymphoma. If you MUST have cancer, Lymphoma is the type you want to have as it is very treatable. They began her on chemotherapy almost immediately and as of today… she is in her 4th session of chemo. At the end of July, they will do another cat scan of her chest to see how much the tumor has shrunk but at this point… all looks as well as can be expected. We have had no real “bad” news since the initial bad news. She will have to have a total of 6 treatments of chemo. There is a chance she will have to have 8 but they are thinking it will just be 6. She also may need some follow up radiation. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
And during all of this… my oldest daughter Megan got married. On July 10th, Megan and her beau since 9th grade, Taylor Hannon, were married. The ceremony was wonderful and Megan somehow was able to present herself even more beautiful on that day than what she already is. Walking her down the aisle was such a proud and unforgettable moment. All five Stiles children and the one grandchild were all in the wedding. It was adorable. Both the ceremony and the reception went off flawlessly. A week later, (and currently) Hugh Jackman was in Leslie filming a movie on location there. Leslie is very small and everything is a mere stone throw from everything else. Two blocks from where they were filming is the reception hall Megan and Taylor got married. The film company currently has rented it out and is the spot where the cast and crew has their meals catered. If either of my older two daughters tell me one more time that Hugh Jackman is a hottie with a body…. I’m just going to snap.
So… while things have came up this year that have just been outside of my control that has slowed down the momentum, and while I have quit giving myself deadlines, know that I really am pushing to finish this just as soon as I can.
I was recently asked if there will be any new clips from the CD. Well… probably not. At this point I just want to surprise everyone with the finished product. The 4 that are on there now give a good idea of how the music has evolved and the only real difference is that vocals have been added. Although… hearing the two finished products after Mr. Ron Gallagher has done his magic is….. well.. magical. I can’t wait for everyone to finally get to hear it and I hope everyone finds it worth the wait.
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