Trip to LA Recording September 2009

This is our memo of our trip to Los Angeles from September 19 - October 1 to work on songs with Jeffrey Weber president of our label, and producer, Jim McGorman, co-writer of 3 of our 4 songs to be released on our label, renewed by the leadership of Jeffrey Weber.

Saturday, September 19 - Shelley and Kevin drove the morning of september 19 stopping in Santa Nella for a night. Since she was pregnant, we left room in the back of the towncar for her to have a bed so she could lie down. Their drive went well, and they plopped down at Oakridge Toluca Hills.

They were upgraded to a two bedroom apartment because the one they had reserved was not ready, so it was a huge blessing right away! Kevin had his own bedroom and bathroom instead of a rollaway bed to sleep in.

Night one - they went to El Toritos for a late lunch, and then got all moved in. Then Denver and Shanie came over to visit and they went to bed.

Monday: Day one - they went to Jim McGorman's studio and Shelley recorded Change and Maybe all in that first day. it went great. Jim is a pro, and a super nice guy. He has a collection of Gibson guitars, and vintage keyboards at his house. His wife and he have a rescue dog, and Kevin and Shelley felt right at home. They were warm and welcoming. Shelley was able to sing the songs the way she felt, and she really had a great time. She made a lyric change that we all love.

Tuesday: Day two - By then, I had written some new lyrics for Something Goin' On for it to be even more Christian based, and shelley liked them. she sang it, Penny came by, and loved the new lyrics. We are all ECSTATIC about the new stuff!!!

Jim is doing an 80s band, and he played one of the songs they are doing. It is great. Kevin had the idea that they open the show with the line from 'Mean girls', involving the word 'awesomeness'. Jim is going to use that, because the band is called 'the awesomeness' and he said to Kevin - you get full credit.

Wednesday: Day three, Shelley did back-up vocals

Thursday: Day off. Shelley made them breakfast, went to the pool. Kevin drove around. They then went to Northridge and went to the mall, Hyakumi, guitar center, Jamba Juice and went home. Cal arrives that night at 11:30

Friday: Go to Jim's studio and Cal records the bass on Something Goin On, Change, and Maybe.
The gang goes to Bob's Big Boy to look at the classic cars and eat. Early night to bed after that.

Saturday: Day off. Swim in the morning. Watch Oregon Duck's beat Cal on TV and have a blast. Kevin goes around looking at guitar stores.

Sunday: Go to In His Presence Church to the 11am service, and see a bunch of friends. Talk to all the folks, Pastor Mel, Sheila E. and Lynn, Mike, Samantha, Denver, Shanie, Greg, Christine, Hollie, Scott, Mo, Ace, John Mink, Dennis Dodd.

Went to lunch at Cheesecake Factory with Jim and Jenny from Walnut RV Park

Went downtown to photoshoot at 4 with Julia Galdo. Done at 7. We tried to find a Daphne's, ended up at Mimis, because the Daphne's was in a mall and we didn't want to go there.

Monday: Went to Clark Germain's house. He was most gracious, and friendly. We sat up on patio and went down stairs past his gold records of U2 Joshua Tree, and Bonnie Raitt, Nick of Time and into his control room to listen when he was finished. It sounded really amazing!!! He was so complimentary the entire time we were there!!

Cal had to get on the shuttle to the airport at 4. Cal rode to LAX flew to San Fran, and then to Eugene, to arrive at midnight.

Tuesday: Shelley and Kevin go back and forthe to Clark's house listening to the next song Something Goin On. Shelley calls Cal to say it sounds amazing!!!!

Wednesday: Shelley and Kevin go back and forth to Clark's house. He's mixing "Maybe" now. He loves the songs. While they are on a break with him, he tells them stories of how he was recently in Italy recording Sting's new album at his Tuscan Villa. He said there was a moment when they were sitting in Sting's living room, and he was hanging out playing "Fields of Gold" on his acoustic!

Our Upcoming Mission To Beijing

Agents of Unity to China - We are heading to China Feb 24 to March 10 for a trip to perform, and minister to the Chinese people. This is a lifelong dream coming to fruition for both of us. For as long as either of us can remember, we have had visions of traveling to far reaches of the world to perform and bless people with music. Music transcends culture and language, and we love the joy and thrill that comes from sharing the healing power of connecting with music.

Although we involved with a record label that is opening the doors for us to go, it is not a major label that has deep pockets to afford every expense in the world, yet it is a small ministry minded organization. We signed to the label knowing this, and we have no problem still doing some of the work required to get music out to the masses. It is actually our joy to work hard to do what we do. Some of this work on our end involves booking shows, getting and maintaining our equipment, and covering expenses when needed. We have no illusions about the costs involved with getting cases for our guitars, and luggage that will handle an overseas flight, plus the many many different expenses that come up with a large trip. I am not ashamed to divulge that we are not personally endowed financially to easily bankroll this for ourselves. I would gladly spend my own money without a second though for everything if I had it available. The fact is just that I don't.

We are not really asking you per se, just letting you know of the opportunity to give to our ministry. We do what we do for the love of spreading a message of love and unity to people. We can't describe the excitement we feel about being able to do that in Asia. If you have any desire to make a financial gift you can send it to 1430 Willamette St. #313, Eugene, OR 97402 - Make checks out to either Callan Coleman or Shelley Coleman or Shelley James whatever you prefer.

We love you all, and thank you for your constant support for what we do.

Shelley & Callan

An Inspired Week - Inauguration week and Martin Luther King Celebration all at once

Inspired by the events of this week. It's January 18, 2009 and we are getting ready to usher in the presidency of Barak Obama. The entire country is buzzing. We just watched the pre-ceremony in front of the Lincoln Memorial and it was awe inspiring. There were performances by Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, John Mellencamp, Mary J. Blige, the sound was stunning and the performances were too.

There were also speakers, and Tom Hanks presentation reading Lincoln's quotes with the orchestra playing was absolutely amazing. We will be playing for the opening of Rosa Parks square tomorrow, and at the Martin Luther King Celebration tomorrow night. We feel so honored. We just played and put on the MLK Assembly at North Eugene High last Friday, and we just learned that we will be going to China Feb 24 - March 10.

Favorite Bible Passages

Some of my favorite verses with my thoughts...

Won't you revive us again,
so your people can rejoice in you?
Show us your unfailing love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.

Psalm 85:6-7 (New Living Translation)

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (New International Version)

* One time pastor Mel Ayres told me and Shelley that we were "house people". He expressed that he felt our gifts were good for building the church and the Body. It really blessed us, because while we love playing out as evangelists, we also love being in the House of the Lord with his people encouraging, praying, worshiping with others who love and honor God.

Just Because Bad Things Happen, there's not need to live in fear that it will happen to you

got newz for ya, it's still just as awesome and hip to believe in Jesus as it ever was, it's a calling that you hear and henceforth answer within your own spirit that is a deep need for forgiveness and blessed assurance of eternal life and Holy Spirit Power here on this earth in this Kingdom under Heaven.

Just Because Bad Things Happen, there's no need to live in fear that it will happen to you. Seasons come and seasons go. Times change. There's always times for peace and times for trouble, that's nothing new under the sun. We all have trials and challenges on this earth, one and all, regardless of belief or faith in God. This is why we need Him. It's OK. He is. He is our Heavenly Father. We are not ashamed of such a loving God that would want to be in communion with us through His Son Jesus. It's still very OK and more than ever to believe in Him and let him rock my life with His power and help every step of the way. My life is abundant in blessing because of it. It's obvious to those in my life. There is no denying.

BECAUSE HE IS, we are.

We are living this blessed life because He is. WE ARE OK, cuz we're in communion and peace with Jesus, Him, The Great I Am.

Talk About Webcasting

This article came out. I thought it was interesting.

Here

We started webcasting in the summer of 2007. Our first 'cast was in a backyard party. We didn't do another one until May 14 2008 at the SHEDD Institute for the Arts. We didn't get a recording of that show though. I really wish we had.

Starting in August of '08 we started 'casting at least one show per week. I found Mogulus.com and have been trying that. It allows me to have a continuous stream of what we have broadcast and recorded straight to our studio.

Live Music Webcasting Starts Making Sense in 2008

By Eliot Van Buskirk 12.24.07

With ticket receipts soaring and online music more popular than ever, why is live concert webcasting -- which sits squarely at the intersection of these trends -- still lagging?

After showing early promise at the turn of the millennium, webcasters' path to success was slowed by three major roadblocks having to do with technology, audience and record labels.

The good news for music fans is that all three will likely give way in 2008.

"You're never going to replace live music in terms of being there, of feeling the bass on your chest, and the smells, and all the other things that happen there," said Arik Berquist, founder of Synchronicity Live, which lets bands stream their concerts free.

Berquist is right, but his company's core assumption -- that there's a large, hidden audience for live online music -- is almost certainly on the money as well. Although the online experience of a show doesn't come close to being there, you do get to chat with others who have tuned in from around the world, and the only cost is your time. (Beers from your own fridge are cheaper, too.)

The technological roadblock that hampered the industry as it waited for efficient webcasting tools and increased broadband penetration has already crumbled. Today, nearly a third of U.S. internet connections are broadband. As of June 2007, that meant 66 million potential viewers domestically and a total of 221 million broadband users worldwide. Meanwhile, the online media explosion has fueled the growth of content distribution networks, or CDNs, run by companies like Akamai, AT&T and Level 3 that are capable of streaming shows in real time from concert venues.

The nature of live webcasting requires the signal to be distributed to viewers around the world in more or less real time, and sometimes one CDN isn't enough. According to Justin Chapweske, founder and CEO of Swarmcast, these networks can be combined to provide an experience that's "basically the same as watching television."

His company's streaming solution switches between content distribution networks in real time based on how they are performing for an individual viewer. Chapweske claims that Swarmcast was able to webcast a six-hour musical tribute to Nelson Mandela on iClips Network this month "so that the user (could) stay tuned in for hours and hours on end and never see any sort of interruption, jittering, rebuffering or anything like that."

The audio on these webcasts is far from optimal; live mikes and streaming compression see to that. But the video quality often surpasses much of what's available on YouTube.

If the technology issue hasn't been solved yet, it's damn close. But like the proverbial tree that falls unheeded in the forest, a glitch-free webcast doesn't count if nobody sees it.

Luckily for webcasters, the second roadblock -- wrangling viewers -- is disintegrating. The booming popularity of social networks provides an easy way for webcasters to reach music fans, who tune into live concerts for an hour or more (as opposed to the seconds or minutes usually spent watching video clips). The extended time commitment makes music fans that much more attractive to sponsors.

"Last year, we realized we're never going to get the whole world to come to Fabchannel.com to watch the shows there," said Justin Kniest, CEO of Fabchannel. "We have to go to all these communities where the fans already are -- MySpace, Bebo, Facebook or fan sites -- and let them promote the artist. It's working very well for us." Likewise, SyncLive.com plans to launch a widget in a matter of weeks that will allow fans to embed live shows on social network profile pages.

Live webcast directory NowHound takes a different approach, one that could cultivate a huge audience, both for the service itself and for live online music in general. The recently launched site provides centralized listings of current and upcoming live events from around the internet that could become a crucial part of the music webcasting scene (the site also aggregates news and other live online programming).

"Imagine sitting at work in the States and flipping around through a couple hundred live concerts going on in Europe that second," said NowHound founder C.C. Lagator in an e-mail interview. "Because artists performing live online are so scattered across the internet, they're essentially preaching to the choir, with only their own fans able to follow them. In order for this space to grow, and for this to become a viable promotional tool for artists, there needs to be a way for live webcasts to be seen by new fans."

Nate Parienti, co-founder and chief strategy officer of iClips, called the directory concept "extremely interesting."

"I think something like that could be really helpful in alerting the mass market," he said.

With the technology online and the audience on tap, the remaining roadblock is, as with so many other new ideas in music, the record labels. These days, they tend to own some of their artists' publishing rights, so they have a say over whether shows can be webcast live.

Parienti said the rights-clearance process for a music webcast usually takes weeks. Even worse, webcasters must clear rights worldwide to cover their global audiences.

"It's no use to me working with the Dutch sales office of Universal, I have to go the London and the New York offices to get rights… It's mind-boggling," said Fabchannel's Kniest, who webcasts about 800 bands per year from Amsterdam's two leading venues (Paradiso and Melkweg).

Although Kniest has had more luck with indies over the past eight years, he said major labels -- especially EMI and Universal -- have become more amenable to live streaming in the past year. Fabchannel has also begun offering labels a share in revenue generated from 10-second ads (pay-per-view pricing is not seen as a good option, because it restricts the audience even more than a 30-second ad would). The company hopes to expand Fabchannel's live webcasting service to venues in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Still, webcasting negotiations could be moving too slowly for a music industry in desperate need of new revenue streams.

"It's taking so much time that sometimes you wonder, 'How much time do you think you've got to create new models?'" said Kniest. "New models take time to become big and get profitable, and I don't think the record companies have two years left in the form in which we know them now."

Whether the big labels come on board gracefully or not, 2008 looks like the year live music webcasts will take off.