Building a CD

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86207409550178770212011-07-31T04:21:23.354-04:00Building a CDAbout my journey in building a classical CD, the "indie" way. This is my second solo piano CD, a sort of "Volume Two" of Piano Music of Edvard Grieg.Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-56882754367657911762009-06-28T23:11:00.004-04:002009-06-28T23:30:14.693-04:00First Microfunding House Concert

I've just returned from playing the first of my microfunding house concerts. Many thanks to Doug and Eva who hosted a lovely evening in their beautiful home. (If you're not up on this microfunding setup, you'll find the specifics elsewhere on this blog and also on my website.)I really enjoy performing in this type of setting. The intimate nature of a house concert allows for a much more direct

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-51580489574531329762009-06-17T23:18:00.004-04:002009-06-17T23:27:23.601-04:00Listening to Grieg himself

These recordings are quite well known by now, but are well worth hearing. Grieg playing his own piano compositions - this really just gives me chills! "Butterfly" and "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen" are both pieces that will be on my Volume 2 CD. You can also hear "Spring" and part of his "Sonata in e minor" on Youtube.Amazing...

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-70020834017965018472009-06-15T21:03:00.003-04:002009-06-15T22:53:27.602-04:00Happy Birthday, Grieg!

Today, June 15, is Grieg's birthday! Happy Birthday Edvard...sorry I didn't bake you a cake.The title of this blog of mine is "Building a CD", but clearly during the last couple of months, a more apt title would be "Not Enough Time for Building a CD"! This has been extremely frustrating for me. I've been trying to get at the edits whenever possible, but as this type of work really needs decent

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-17637057207452326842009-04-30T10:37:00.005-04:002009-04-30T11:22:00.267-04:00Liner Notes: Exciting News!

April has been a month full of distractions, unfortunately keeping me from making much headway on this project. The month of May will definitely see great progress on all its aspects!The excitement for me this week is that I received the completed liner notes for the new CD from the esteemed Grieg expert and scholar, William Halvorson. (For those unfamiliar with the term "liner notes", I am

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-2893694099225883912009-04-10T21:40:00.006-04:002009-04-10T22:29:51.430-04:00Piano Transcriptions

The most recent work I've been doing regarding the edits has been on some of the beautiful pieces in Opus 41 & 52, with the somewhat awkwardly translated title, "Piano Pieces after His Own Songs". Grieg, who of course is well known for his piano music, was a masterful composer of songs for voice and piano. Of the 181 songs he wrote, Grieg himself chose twelve of his songs to transcribe for solo

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-49606691136928802072009-04-06T13:12:00.004-04:002009-04-06T13:26:01.997-04:00Choosing

This little photo gives you a rough (and backward...to protect the innocent!?) idea of the process I go through as I listen to the various takes of each piece. Lots of scrawling on the score in different colours.I'm nearly one third of the way through this process of choosing takes for the edits. I'm trying not to call it an agonizing process, but it really is not a straight-forward "what

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-16440619240891919502009-04-02T22:08:00.003-04:002009-04-02T22:14:57.617-04:00Gratitude

I just have a few brief words of gratitude. I have received a couple more donations in the last day or two toward the microfunding support of this project. It is so gratifying and yet at the same time very humbling to open those envelopes as they come in the mail. I feel so very moved each time someone gives me such a vote of confidence. Thank you all.

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-87349325935013221282009-03-30T11:53:00.005-04:002009-03-30T12:26:42.043-04:00Flow

A few more observations on the process of choosing from the many takes:During the recording sessions I learned something about how my mind works. My producer's usual procedure has been that once the first take has been recorded he gives me comments and feedback on how he heard it and what he'd like to focus on in the next take. He's a man of great precision and detail, which is absolutely

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-38333385096797257992009-03-26T15:52:00.006-04:002009-04-01T15:05:37.298-04:00The next phase

Back from my little hiatus from blogging. It has now been a couple of weeks since the recording sessions. Last week there was a need to take a bit of a break from the project. I played a couple of performances and tried to take some family time and rest in between the concerts.Now, it's on to the next phase. There are actually two main aspects on which to focus right now: edits and raising

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-40927112058193832432009-03-17T10:11:00.009-04:002009-03-26T16:39:29.141-04:00Grieg Songs

I'm looking forward to the recital performance tomorrow at Grebel. The program includes pieces from the 1st CD as well as some I recorded last week, as well as 6 of Grieg's songs, performed by my good friends Catherine and Mark Gardner.The songs of Grieg are truly the height of beauty. I really look forward to delving into learning both types of Norwegian ("book language" & "Nynorsk") soon, so

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-41193591407083178162009-03-15T21:08:00.001-04:002009-03-16T09:20:20.301-04:00Recording Session Slideshow on Youtube

I just posted a humble little slideshow composed of scrappy photographs taken with a $4 disposable camera. The purpose of the photos is simply to give one an impression of the space and the feel of the recording sessions. As a "soundtrack" you'll hear a couple of pieces from Grieg's Opus 12, which we recorded a few weeks ago when I did a dress rehearsal for a recital. These two pieces are

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-71234022058617548662009-03-14T22:27:00.000-04:002009-03-16T09:21:07.316-04:00Day Off

Took a jaunt to Toronto today and had a complete day off. A nice change of rhythm and focus.Must get back to practising tomorrow already though as I have two recitals this coming week. On Wednesday, Earl will give me CDs with all the tracks/takes and it will be time to start listening in earnest and working on the edits. In the next couple of days, I'll also be working on a little slide show

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-283870662680777482009-03-14T07:44:00.000-04:002009-03-16T09:21:42.243-04:00Day Three (2)

Day Three was a very full day. There was an extra piece to record after the delays of Day Two, and that was on top of a slightly fuller schedule to begin with. When devising the recording schedule I categorized all the repertoire into small, medium, or large designations. I then spread a roughly equivalent assortment of each category across the three days. As I knew that Day Three would be

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-29542781046407442072009-03-13T19:14:00.000-04:002009-03-16T09:22:12.769-04:00Day Three (1)

Ahhh. Phase One is Done. Three days of recording finished. It feels good to have that task accomplished. But at the same time, I am well aware (having done all of this before) of the challenges that are to come: raising the funds, doing the edits, and then the marketing!After a bit of a breather tonight, I'll post some more about how things transpired today.

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-82106912019694034832009-03-12T17:21:00.000-04:002009-03-16T09:22:39.108-04:00Day Two

I am not going to lie. Day Two of the recording sessions did not go completely smoothly. I guess it turned out fine in the end, but I was feeling quite some anxiety when the morning didn't go according to plan.I was doing a little playing on the St. James' Yamaha before anyone else arrived and I noticed a squeaky noise that was coming from the pedal. I tried fiddling a bit to see if I could

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-79763637015794241502009-03-11T19:02:00.000-04:002009-03-16T09:22:58.986-04:00Day One (2)

Day One of recording is done. We accomplished what we set out to do. I had devised a schedule for the entire session, dividing up the repertoire over three days. Today's load was a little lighter than the next two days will be because of course I had to allow for setup time. Perhaps I was a tad optimistic regarding how long the setup would take, so we began about a half hour late. I am happy

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-27081096262135573542009-03-11T08:02:00.000-04:002009-03-16T09:23:15.607-04:00Day One (1)

Coffee, breakfast, and record! Day one will be a lot about setting up, but I hope to get a few pieces recorded by mid-afternoon. Yesterday, I finally had a chance to hear the recording we did three weeks ago in that space and it's most encouraging. The sound of the piano in the space really is wonderful, I think. Producer Earl McCluskie did a brilliant job placing mics and whatever other

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-53346749253179038182009-03-10T10:21:00.000-04:002009-03-16T09:23:59.663-04:00Silence and Sleep

Tomorrow. Recording tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it. Today. I've decided that today has to be about silence. I won't be playing at all today. I will be trying to carve some quiet time out of the day for rest and reflection and to do the mental practising: what I call "hear-see-feel". This type of practising is for me one of the most important parts of the learning process. It's

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-20845367783565254712009-03-09T11:59:00.000-04:002009-03-16T09:24:38.172-04:00Generous Pianists

I want you to read something. It has been around for a few months, but only came into my world this morning. Please be sure to read this address by pianist Karl Paulnack and pass it on to your people. I find it to be right on, and hugely inspiring. It hits the nail on the head regarding the matter of why I do what I do.While I'm here, I just want to thank Chris Foley, another pianist, for his

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-30306338150635568942009-03-08T21:42:00.000-04:002009-03-16T09:26:28.504-04:00Getting Ready

All of a sudden, this project feels VERY imminent...not in a bad way, just in a wow-how-time-flies kind of way. I'm really keen to get rolling but there are still a few practical matters to take care of in the next couple of days. Today I did some of the mundane stuff, which involved photocopying (sh! don't tell) all the scores a couple of extra times for my producer and my production assistant

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-19627134766890717882009-03-07T08:17:00.000-05:002009-03-16T09:27:08.105-04:00Learning

I started this blog as a way of honouring the sacred processes of creativity and learning. My hope is also that by observing my own process, the experience will be deepened.I really love "watching" the brain in action: learning, accepting the data into its files, and integrating. Practising the piano (or any instrument, I suppose) gives one such clear feedback on where exactly in the learning

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-22394429703016137272009-03-06T08:47:00.000-05:002009-03-16T09:25:57.242-04:00Microfunding

I just came across this on a site entitled "The Goal Was So Near" :"Surely there is no doubt to anyone who has been following cultural and entertainment news over the last few years that the music industry is going through a major restructuring. But while the old powers that be are still figuring out how to adapt to the changing landscape, some forward thinking artists are already on top of the

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-28718735976373337432009-03-05T22:12:00.000-05:002009-03-16T09:25:12.683-04:00The instrument

I just want to say a few words about the instrument that I'll be using for the upcoming recording. It's a Yamaha, not quite a full-size concert grand, but this instrument has such a glorious sound and responds beautifully. I really am in love with this piano; what an incredible gift that it lives at St. James' Anglican in Stratford, where I happen to work.And what an incredible gift that the

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-6362821684161641202009-03-05T14:28:00.000-05:002009-03-16T09:27:44.682-04:00Support and Fridge Magnets

I just received another donation toward the costs of producing this disc. A fund-raising campaign was launched at the February 21st recital and I'm thrilled to report that I have pledges and donations totalling over $2,200 already. For the first solo CD I am so grateful to have raised over $5,000 by pre-selling it and through doing house concerts in my home and a couple of other locations. As

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-88281932797433744552009-03-02T21:20:00.000-05:002009-03-16T09:28:38.204-04:00Choices

Today's practice session involved some "fine-tuning" of the repertoire choices, as well as deciding on a program order...these decisions will likely be altered several times before the final product emerges. But for now, the CD will comprise a variety of Grieg's piano music chosen from the following collections: the Holberg Suite, Peer Gynt, Lyric Pieces, his "Piano Pieces After His Own Songs"

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-30233773986416486262009-03-02T08:15:00.000-05:002009-03-02T08:32:29.050-05:00Next week!

The date has been confirmed! We'll be recording on March 11-13. Wow, that's soon, but I do feel just about ready. More and more, the music is getting integrated into my cells. I don't have it all memorized, but that's an intentional choice at this point. I do find I prefer to have the score in front of me while recording, mainly in order to keep track of things when communicating with the

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620740955017877021.post-51438091880980389462009-03-01T20:21:00.000-05:002009-03-16T09:29:12.247-04:00One Thing Leads to Another

This is getting exciting!Many of the aspects of this project are falling into place. My next solo CD is starting to look like it will be a reality quite soon...much sooner than anticipated.I hadn't expected that things would come together quite yet, but...one thing leads to another...Here's the rough outline of how it got to this point, so far:Because "Disc Number One" (SANDRA MOGENSEN: Piano

Sandra Mogensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249382356626522547noreply@blogger.com0