daily artifact log: timcoalman: February 2009

Saturday, February 28, 2009

with zoom h4 recorded failing battery sound of kid audio book. the sound chips are horrid and the sound shrill but when the power starts to fade the volume comes down, the pitch goes everywhere and unusual sounds are generated.

(yesterday) More on the Jones' conversation. The hundreds of edits and blend of cut wave forms have taught me much on basic comp skills. Nearly finished and the monologue frightening and sincere. Finished Appetite for Self-Destruction. Reading about music subscription service led me to Rhapsody. Listening to Tom Waits' "Jesus Gonna Save Me"

(yesterday) sent copies of book to two previous teachers through inter-district mail system with note. each had seen earlier version of book and thought to offer the new one.
(yesterday) editing jones conversation of cutting arms open with steak knife. strange to hear his voice again telling of the police shooting him and the blood stains on the carpet - so many years since I saw him last. the conversation might have been one of our last. left word with dad, who avoids a call from him once or twice a year looking for me, to pass along website. might send him the book and music with his piece. over one hundred edits, 20 minutes long, and the tape hiss nearly unbearable - had used a standard tape recorder and line out of phone to record it. the tape recorder became very loud after a few years.

(yesterday) mixed musical cues, sounds, and accompaniment from students' play. the freedom to practice tracking and editing free from my own book soundtrack is liberating. the end product not my music (although it still is to marked degrees in arrangement and production) but is being driven by outward goal of the plays' structures - many decisions are already made.

reading Appetite for Self-Destruction and the plays to own, consolidate, expand, control, and leverage the catalogues of music. the creator's looking initially to have interest and be included and always a measuring of loss of some ownership to be swallowed up. and i on the other end, creating piles of material that goes here and here, wonder in what way it finally will makes roads and the precarious plans of keeping it from running a distance without me. a recurring fantasy of my sons making some use of it long without me and pleased they can do whatever they please as it is all theirs.

(today) Comping and editing old tape of Jones' retelling Schizoaffective episode of cutting inner arms with steak knife and being attacked by protective police. Working to remove all of my responses and have just his narrative. Revised website www.timcoalman.com source material to clean out a few mistakes and add links to this log and myspace music page.

(today) Tracked two sounds in and of the house with Zoom H4. Listened to one for years, the other months, before making time to capture. This artifact log insists such acts be carried out whereas they would otherwise marinate indefinitely. Wrote dream of two days ago, captured well because of promptness.

(today) Tracked with Zoom H4 the musical accompaniment, cues, and advertisement jingles of two reader's theater I have class performing as old radio plays. Had tracked the students' parts and sound effects prior, all completed with materials in the room.

(today) Wrote dream of early February - delays change the account to summary instead of visceral reliving of the events, always a disappointment. Outlined two straying ideas in notebook. Finished hardship letter, shared with Kelli who corrected the age of Beckett hospitalization.

(during the last week) With Zoom H4, recorded vocals I'd been working up for some time using living room with natural reverb, 15x20 and wood floors; Beckett crawled nearby and can be heard on the track. I will keep it but odd disconnect as writing and singing share little. Not sure where it will fit on book soundtrack or if it will be relegated to some other sound project. Wrote hardship letter to mortgage company. Hours to set up the intro and keep tone intelligent and endearing to request lower monthly payments. If they don't we will lose house. The entire effort completed under a feel it will eventually be viewed as financial artifact by small niche audience.