Recording Generations!

Recording Generations was a year long adventure for us!  Once we as a group had decided on what tune sets we wanted to put on this album and had several rehearsals to work out arrangements and such, David and I (Stephanie), made several Saturday trips to the studio (The Attic) in Nashville in August and September of last year (2023) to lay down the hammered dulcimer and guitar tracks.  The Attic studio is our recording engineer's (Greg Magers) studio.  Greg has recorded every album since Morgan Song for us - which all the albums we are still offering for sale. (The first album, Friday Night Favorites, which was recorded in the band's very early days and was rather primitive, is no longer for sale!)  

Over the year, we went into the studio in groups of 2 to record everyone's individual tracks, and playing along with what what was already recorded y hearing in headphones. The next two to record after Stephanie and David were Melanie and Michaela,followed by Toby, Nate (unfortunately no pictures exist of Nate - Sorry!), and Kim for the bonus track, Gloomy Winter.  

Greg edited and mixed as we progressed and as he always does, provided great recommendations on tweaks and mixes!   We do call him our invisible 7th member!

Then off for mastering, album cover photos by David, album design by Stephanie, and submitted to diskmakers for production.  Whew - the album arrived early December, just in time for our December gigs!

This is the first album that Toby, Michaela, and Nate are on.  And they absolutely rocked their recording sessions.   This is an album that we are all super proud of!

David, recording in the isolation room

The dulcimer, ready to record!

Melanie, recording in the isolation room

Michaela, recording in the big room

The session with Melanie and Michaela

Kim, recording in the isolation room

Toby, recording in the isolation room

Stephanie and Toby recording in the big room

It's time to resurrect the Red River Breeze blog!

 It's a bit embarrassing - but I haven't posted to the Red River Breeze blog since (gulp) 2012.   But a new year is almost upon us, the band is the most amazing it's ever been, and we just released our newest album, Generations.   I am also volunteering Michaela Allemand, my amazing whistle and flute player, to help make this blog something folks want to read.  So stay tuned!

As mentioned, our new album has just arrived from the manufacturer!  We will have them available at our gigs throughout this month of December and we will announce an official release concert early next year.

The band website is being totally overhauled as I write this and there will be more information here and in the website on how to purchase physical copies as well as streaming opportunities coming soon. This is the bands 6th album since it began in 1999 and we have 5 available for sale.   This newest album reflects who who are today and we are so very proud of how it turned out.   The title reflects the fact that we are a band of six musicians that span the entirety of the living generations in ages!  And yet, we are more than a band, we are a "family" as we care deeply for each other.   I honestly believe that sense of family and community can be heard in our music.  Everyone is not only an amazing musician, but we all care for each other as well and we are committed to the music we make. 

More to come.   So check back often!