Master of My Own Destiny

Mastering is all about attention to detail.  It's about listening to the things that most people don't even realize they are hearing.  When you're in the mastering studio you don't really know what the engineer is doing but you can hear the difference once it's done.  It's pretty amazing.

The moment I stepped into João Carvalho's mastering studio I knew I had come to the right place.  It's a gorgeous building with gorgeous people working inside it.  It reminded me of my time in Canterbury Studios - I just love being surrounded by people who have dedicated their lives to making music.  Heather, João's right hand woman, is this marvelous mix of wit and organization.  She made getting the digital files to the studio a breeze, even when we had little glitches.  Big thanks to Heather and to Karen Kosowski, my producer's partner and a killer musician in her own right, for managing the files from the hard drive on the other side of the city!

That morning I had discovered this wonderful little spot Altitude Bakery on Queen and I arrived with plenty o' baked goods for all to enjoy.  Like me, João must believe that everyday that starts with a yummy breakfast leads to happy productivity because my tour of his studio began with an introduction to his fully stocked kitchen.  You may be wondering what all this talk about scones and such has to do with making a CD but honestly, all the best recording and mastering sessions are coupled with good food.  When Marc and I were deciding on a recording studio Canterbury's proximity to roti and phở was almost as important as the studio's vintage recording equipment.

Every singer who decides to share their music with the public must admit they have a bit of an ego but even if you're a complete narcissist it's not easy to focus on your own voice for 10 hours in one day.  Fortunately with a pro like João Carvalho leading you along the day becomes about shaping the sound of the album and feelings of self consciousness go by the wayside.  João has an incredible ability to enter into a zone where he can pinpoint the frequencies that need altering or the timbre that needs warmth for hours on end.  His concentration is infectious and the first half day of our work went by in the blink of an eye.  No wonder he's the go to guy in Toronto.

I'm so happy with the sound of the album!  Check out some tracks for yourself on myspace.
 

Comments

[Mike]

Mmm... Altitudes Bakery is literally up the block from our house. Their delightful yummies would inspire anyone to creative heights. (Hummingbird Cake - seek it out.) What a nice egotistical musician you are to treat the producers!