[Harp-L] A fun but humbling studio session

[Robert Loomis <ukulelebob39@xxxxxxxxx>]

Went to friend Kevin Fagan's recording session last night and learned
how fantastic digital recording can be ... it was my first time in a
real, well-equipped studio with two engineers (a husband and wife
team) who really know what they are doing. All my prior studio time
was back in the day of analog tape recording. It's a whole new world,
as many of you already know.

I blithely tried to lay down a solo break on straight harp in D on my
friend's love song and discovered just how rusty I am after several
years of basically having forsaken serious harp practice/playing. Time
to get back to work! The tune was in D, and I used a low D harp, which
sounded really good, but my playing was messy, and it took me way
longer than it used to to come up with even the beginnings of a decent
solo. Lawdy!

I just had to share this ... I learned you can't just pick  up where
you left off without staying on it ... which of course I really knew
already, but hoped naively to be able to experience one of those
sessions where after a layoff you play way better than expected. That
might have worked if my layoff had been a week or two, but not after
years of only playing intermittently.

It also was a humbling lesson in how big the gap is between where I am
(even if I had been playing my most-skilled-on instrument, flute) and
real pros. Plus I learned a little something about digital recording,
something I've dipped into a few times over the past 3 years but been
dismayed at the steep learning curve. It's time to get some more
practice and  instruction in both playing AND in recording. The local
community college may be helpful with the latter. Time to get serious
or get out ... or just keep on being the hamateur that I am! And even
with the above, it was a great, fun session. Just wish I'd played
better.

I get another chance tonight when I jam with Kevin and some other
folks including a Bay Area rock guitar legend of the '60s who are
toying with forming a Celtic band. At least I know I can play some
flute with that and some tremolo harp ... or so I think beforehand.
Stand by for the further humbling of Grampy Bob.

Brave smile ... :^)
Harpy Webtrails, Bob Loomis
Concord CA USA