The Making of "So Sings My Strings"

Yay! Matthew has recently finished his second album, "So Sings My Strings"! His first album, "When I'm Happy & I Know It" came out in 2014, so it was high time for this second CD to come out. He has really been enjoying writing his own music, so this album features his all-original compositions.

I wasn't married to Matthew yet when he worked on his first album (he released it the month before we met!), so this was my first time seeing the project from start to finish. It was a lot more involved than I would've thought.

When he decided to write an all-original CD, he had some songs in mind already, but several of them came to him in the process of making this album. Hence arrangements had to be made.

Since Matthew has his own studio behind the garage, he was able to do all of the recording here at home. Which meant there were times when we had to be very, very quiet if we were outside. {smile} There were many a time that I listened outside his studio door to wait for the record button to click off before I opened the door. Where is that red studio "RECORDING" light when you need one?!!! 

Matthew also had a couple of other musicians come in to add their special touches to the album. 

Ben and I had a good time listening to the other musicians work their magic in Dad's studio. 

Once the recordings were finished, we started looking for someone local to mix and master the album. Several inquiries later, we thought we had someone who could get it done in the amount of time we needed it in, only to have it fall through due to a health issue.

So last minute, Matthew got a crash course in mixing and mastering and completed that part of the album himself.

This was the part that really surprised me. All of the features and buttons that can be turned on or off and the differences it makes in the song. Or how to add emphasis to a part or instrument that you want to stand out, or how to cover up a slight noise that came through in the background.

When Matthew first started this album, my ear was not good enough to be able to critique with him or offer much of an opinion. But before this album was finished I was able to hear the changes that needed to be made in the recording process and later in the mixing and mastering, and point out things or offer him my "two cents".  My husband is a perfectionist with his music which is why he makes such a great musician.  So I can't tell you how many CD's we burned and then listened to them in the studio, on the computer, or in the car trying to hear how it would sound on different stereos and listening for things that needed fixing/changing.

While the mixing process was underway, the artwork and album design was also being tackled. Once both of those were finished it came time to upload all of the information to Disc Makers.

Boy, did it feel good to receive all 6 boxes of CD's and have them in hand finally! What a process it is to make an album!