Square-Zilla's First Recording

This is a page about the making of my first singing call record. I guess I should preface this page with a little information about how I got here.

My approach to my calling career has been to set myself a number of goals. As I accomplish each one, I set a new one, so that I always have something to work towards. From the start, my goals went something like this:

1) Get good enough to call a reasonably good tip.
2) Get good enough that a club would hire me for a dance.
3) Get good enough that a club would hire me as a club caller.
4) Get good enough to be asked to call at local festivals.
5) Get good enough to be asked to make a record.

The remainder of this page is my journal about the making of my first singing call record, the chain of events that led to the opportunity, and the actual recording process.

Once I set making a record as a goal for myself, I started inquiring around about how to go about it. I discovered that there are two kinds of record labels, the kind you are _asked_ to be on, and the kind you can "buy your way" on, if you have enough money. I decided that I didn't want to be a "buy-on". But because of that decision, I resigned myself to waiting a long time before I would accomplish my goal of making a record.

So, how did I get to finally make a record? I went to Baltimore! OK, let me explain. My wife, Kami, and I went to Baltimore for the 49th National Convention in 2000. This was Kami's first National Convention, and my second. The first one I attended was in Portland in 1994, I wasn't calling then, but I had a job on the "Security" committee. Kami and I were very excited about attending the convention. First, neither of us had ever been anywhere on the eastern seaboard before, and second, this would be my first National Convention as a caller.

We made arrangements to go to the convention, and since I was registered as a caller, we were booked into the "callers hotel", the Marriott, about a block away from the convention center. It didn't take us long to figure out that, after the days events were done, a lot of the callers were gathering at the hotel bar to have a little something to eat, drink, and swap stories. Kami and I made sure to attend these impromptu gatherings, hoping to rub shoulders and perhaps glean some useful information from the more experienced callers. This is where we met Mark Clausing, owner of PMDO records.

Mark and I got to talking one night, and I told him of my goal to make a record. I thought he was just being polite when he offered to come to one of my scheduled time slots at the convention and listen to me. To my surprise (and delight), he showed up just as he said he would. Later that day I asked him what he thought. He said that he was reasonably impressed. I asked if he would like to join me at my next scheduled time slot and sing with me. He said he would, and again, he showed up just as he said he would. We had fun calling together, and to make a long story a little shorter, he ended up offering to sign me up as a "staff caller" on the "Desert Recordings" label. I, of course, jumped at the chance to make my goal a reality.

A few months later Mark sent us a tape of music he had collected from various places, all of which he thought might be good candidates for singing calls. Kami and I listened to the tape, and one particular song jumped out at both of us. The title was "Fly on the Wings of Love", and had been performed by the Olsen Brothers of Sweden. I contacted Mark, and asked him to save that one for me.

For various reasons, it would be several months before the square dance singing call arrangement of "Fly on the Wings of Love" would be finished, but finally the day arrived. The music, done by Kelly Bryarly, was very well done. Now it was my turn to do my part. I took a pass at choreographing it, and tried it on my club. There were several problems, so I worked it over and tried it again. It was better, but there were still a few rough spots, so I worked it over a third time, and finally it seemed to dance smoothly _and_ "fit" the character of the music. I have to give many thanks to both the Squaws & Paws of Canby, Or, and the Country Cut-ups of Boring, Or, for allowing me to use them as guinea pigs for checking my timing and choreography.

Now I have to talk about the addition of Jenney Snyder to all of this. Jenney is someone I used to sing with when I was in High School. To make another long story short, she and I bumped into each other again, after 20 years of having no contact at all, just as this record thing was all starting to happen. Jenney has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, and we used to love to sing together all those years ago, so I asked her if she would be willing to do this record with me, as a guest vocalist and "back-up" singer. She agreed. She came to a Squaws & Paws dance one evening with a tape recorder, and taped one of my "choreography adjusting" attempts to to do this song with my club, and then used it as a practice tape. Jenney worked out her own harmony part for this song, and then came to a couple more of my "practice runs" on live dancers so she could sing along with me. I have to send a big "Thank You" to her husband David and daughter Jennah for allowing her the time away from "family stuff" to come and practice with me.

Now, the next task was to find a local studio to do the recording. I "let my fingers do the walking" and found a listing for "Recording Associates", located very close to my home. I called the number, spoke to the person who answered, explained what I wanted to do, and she said she would have Bob Stoutenburg, the recording engineer, call me. Later that same day, the phone rang. It was Bob. I started to explain what I needed, but he stopped me and let me know that he had done some recording work for another caller from my area, and he knew what I needed. This was getting better and better. Close to home, already had experience with square dance music, now what about the price? Turns out he was very reasonable about that, too, _and_ was willing to come in to the studio during evening hours and record us. Talk about a lucky find!

At last, the appointed day and hour came. Tuesday, May 8th, 2001, 6PM. We arrived at the studio, Kami and I, Jenney, David, and Jennah, and my friend Carolyn Stitt, one of the cuers for Squaws & Paws, who came to lend moral support. David brought his digital camera, Kami brought her video camera, Jenney and I brought our voices, and Bob was there with his recording expertise. It took a total of four "takes", to get it recorded. The first was for setting levels on the recording machines, and we weren't actually recording. Second take, I hit a "clinker" (sour note), and we had to start over. Third take, Jenney made a minor mistake and started to sing through a part where she was to be silent, so we started over. Fourth take we made it all the way through, and pronounced it "good". My first record was "in the can".

The rest of this page is devoted to pictures of our day at the recording studio. There are also .mp3 clips available for downloading just below the photos. A big thank you to everyone who helped to make this happen.

A special thank you to David Snyder, Jenney's husband, not only for taking these photos, but for sending me copies, and suggesting that I put them here, on my web-site. Thanks David.

Headphones are on, a little time to "mug" for the camera.

Another "mug" for the camera, a little closer this time.

OK, enough fooling around now, music is rolling, time to sing!

Singing now, while David is taking photos and Kami shoots video.

It was wonderful to sing with Jenney again, it reminded me of old times from so many years ago. She still has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard.

Jenney "giving it her all". She is a much better singer than I am. I wish I had her talent.

And another of the two of us together.

Here is recording engineer Bob Stoutenburg sitting at the "helm" of the recording studio. Bob really knew his stuff. The whole session took only an hour and a half to complete, including mixing and making various copies. Thanks Bob.

And last but not least, is Jenney and David's daughter, Jennah, a musician in the making.