Black Violet Act I CD Recording

I've always been amazed at just how many man hours it takes to produce a new show or series. We work tirelessly in rehearsal, but our collaborators are slaving away at their art as well. It can be mind boggling. And then we did our first studio CD. I mean, really. I had no idea how work intensive this process would be, but it happened! Black Violet the album has emerged into the world, and is being bought by... well... YOU!!!! (thanks for that, by the way.)

We recorded this album well over a year ago, just at the end of the 09-10 season, at SPACE. You may remember our very cool venue where Black Violet premiered? And what did I learn? How important it is to factor in absolutely everything when budgeting time for recording. Things I never noticed while rehearsing and performing there became real issues... like the fact that we could hear thunder and rain in the studio. How bout the day the road construction was happening outside? Even with good sound insulation, there was no way to drown out the tearing up of cement. After many takes, and many rescheduling of days, we finished. Phew!

But wait; there's more. Working with an amazing producer is always a privilege, and Jonathan Schultz brought amazing expertise to the process. But we still had to go through all the takes (and there were many) to make our selections as we pieced together our recording. I've gone through this process with solo piano before, but when you have up to 9 people playing, it's a little tougher to find that perfect take! And, if I'm being completely honest, it is thoroughly painful to deal with this when you are one of the players. Naturally, your ear goes just to you, and you want to pick the take where you think you sound the best. But... it may not be the best overall take. It's a frustrating choice to make, for sure. I had lots of help in this process, and people from the group lovingly donated hours upon hours to assist.

What's the product? An amazing snapshot of our group. I'm very proud of our first recording, but amazed at how much we have changed already. I love having Matt in the group as our new hornist, but I also enjoy having DeAunn with me on this recording, her important contributions and years of commitment to 5HE are all in print for all to hear.

I hope you enjoy the album! It combines a bit of everything, as our programs usually do. Not too many CDs feature young composers next to Brahms and Piston, but that's how we roll. Congrats to all involved in the project, and if you don't have the CD already, click HERE. (hint... hint).

From Carole: Our CD recording of Black Violet Act I: The Leagues of Despair can be purchased on many different platforms.  You can download MP3s or order the CD directly from our website.  You can also download it on iTunes and Amazon.com.  Or you can go directly to the cdbaby website to download the MP3s or order the CD.  Lastly, you can buy the CD in person at any of our upcoming performances!