Blog
We had our workshop - SO YOU WROTE A SONG, NOW WHAT? Had a full house and a great time. Greg Alan's tune, LETS GO MAKE SOME is moving up the Texas Charts-at # 78 this week. Go Greg! Recorded, produced, and most parts played by yours truly!
Robert Baitinger, a client from Germany, has found a label and will release tunes from his Helping Hands album. I will be the featured artist on the first release-Desperate Moves. Thanks, Robert. A very good month so far.
We are very excited-our musical "What's Up Zak" did get a nomination for a Dove Award. Our first play and the only indie production in the field. It is great to get such a positive response from all the hard work that went into writing and recording Zak. Going up against major publishers with major resources can be done. Just got to believe! Keep those votes coming-maybe we'll win!
We will be doing 2 summer camps this year-have not yet set the dates. I encourage writers and artists to come on in and work on those songs-we will help you finish them as well as record and produce them. No need to wait for summer.
There has been some great talent coming through. Country Artist Greg Alan cut 5 tunes. Just heard 1 of them-"Lets Go Make Some" is charting. Its up on my music page.
Dalton Rapattoni and Fly Away Hero cut 5 tunes in December-Great young band, and Dalton is currently in LA working on tunes for Simon Fullers Boy Band project. Working on a CD for a Christian vocal group called Evergreen-5 talented female singers and some great tunes.
I will be judging the pop and rock catagory for Dallas Songwriters Assc. song contest-get you submissions in now. It is one of the older and more established contests-good one to enter! Looking for some votes for our play "Whats Up Zak" to get a nomination for the Gospel Music Association Dove awards. If your a member, vote for us-catagory 5. Check out http://openheartmusicals.com.
Not last or least, I cut 20 new tunes for my mother, Genia Milton. She is 84, and still an amazing piano and organ player. Check out WFAA's recent story on her.
Lots has happened in 2010
First off- I had the good fortune of meeting a wonderful and talented woman named Kim Ingram, who brought me on board to do the music for some songs to a Christian children's play she had written. After an inspiring performance at her church, she decided to do another, and we again collaborated on the songs.
"Whats Up Zak", the second one, was published almost immediately, which involved a huge recording of the entire play, both music and dialogue. Experience in film and TV sure did help me during the recording process. With the extraordinary success of "Whats Up Zak", we revisited the first play, which was renamed "Breaking News-Baby Born In Bethlehem", and was picked up by Kimpke's and JW Pepper publishing before the recording was even finished. Now we are "Open Heart Musicals", and we have a wonderful group of young and very young singers, who are being heard around the country, and hopefully, the world. Visit http://openheartmusicals.com and have a listen.
Amber Carrington from Rockwall did a great job singing all the guide tracks for "Breaking News" and parts in most all the songs. She is also featured on one of my songs, "I Wont Cry" which is on the music page.
2010 has brought a lot of younger talent to Jo-Musik, not only to record, but also for help in song development. We offered 2 summer camps this year-songwriting and production, and studio recording for singers. We are just beginning to offer an ongoing artist workshop which combines songwriting, production, and recording with some guitar, piano and voice.
