We began a new recording project yesterday!

I was hired by a production company to oversee the audio recording of a dozen or so "art songs" by a prominent composer. The style is a sort-of crossover from classical to legit theater style and the songs are lovely tonal settings of powerful and emotional poems.

It's the first time any of us were able to get back into a studio. Everyone involved has been fully vaccinated but we're still taking obvious precautions.

For several logistical reasons, I decided we had to record the works using multi-tracking methods. Accordingly, we're first recording the vocalists with the composer's original piano accompaniments. These tracks are sonically isolated so there's no "bleed through" between the tracks. When the vocals are finished, edited and mixed, we'll start to record the instrumentalists 1 or 2 at a time in order to build the orchestra. The band will consists of 2 woodwind players (each doubling on several instruments), French horn, strings, percussion and guitar. When all of these are recorded, edited and mixed, we'll remove the original piano parts and be left with the vocals accompanied by the orchestra.

This is hardly a new technique but it's an effective way to economically and safely record the project.

It's really great to be working with musicians in person!