njmp studios california

Here it is May, 8, 2009!

Yesterday, new album "A Forest Lane" was released at CDBaby !!

http://cdbaby.com/cd/nelsonjenstad4

Woohoo! happy that this has come out. It already is getting positive reviews and I'm getting more and excited about an album that is on the meditative side! Sounds of piano and strings in seven works for this album.

It is already out on jamendo.com (see "home page") where you can get free MP3 downloads - but wouldn't you really rather have the wave files and a labeled CD with printed cover for only $9.97? hmm? =)

CDBaby is where to get it.

Thanks to all my readers for your support!

Keep reaching for the light, and reach into the depths.

Music is a road, a journey where you go further and further. One may take many different ways on this road.

You could go from hard rock into classical because you wanted to learn neo classical licks on your guitar and find some beautiful peice by JS Bach, or get caught by the intracacy of a fugue.

You might make a sweet tone on instrument and go looking for more of that and discover jazz guitar. You might learn about heavy gage flat-wound strings on jumbo frets with the bass up and the treble off - and be moved by moods that get into your blood and won't leave you alone.

You might feel the power of a Pink Floyd concert and the underlying current of some ambient work. You might find a new artist that probably should be world-reknown but is too eclectic for the mass media. Too bad for the mass media - they always miss out!

It's all good. Support each other music!

Best to you -

Nelson

All Life as we know it - a hologram?

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126911.300-our-world-may-be-a-giant-hologram.html?full=true

Wow - interesting - and why not?- everything we think we know is merely theoretical -

Sometimes being a music creator, or a "music person" seems impractical. The business is extremely difficult to make a living in, and, it requires TONS of time and dedication to make any kind of appreciable strides.

Then a life event may happen. You lose someone close to you, or some one in your life has a major event and it can shake you up. You may become tempoarily dislodged from your personal musical goals. Hey, well, isn't the whole "music" thing becoming even more difficult to deal with?

THEN, you flip on the radio, or find that CD in your car, that brings solace, reflection and an emotional embrace of sorts. It may bring a release of feelings you've been holding onto. There is a moment where all the dedication to the art makes complete sense. Of course you are involved in the musical arts for the faith of moments when music touched you as nothing else could.

Those days of hard practicing, discouragement, slow progress, and something happened. You may have gained a little musical maturity. You find those scales are not as tough to warm up on anymore. Some of those earlier songs get to be so easy to play, you look for more fascinating challenges.

Find your inspiration.

If it's taking a momentary break, you can rest assured it is just a thought away from tapping you on the shoulder.

Best to you.

Nelson

What's happening with you?

Are you taking steps, even small ones, (and hey!) even a single little thing to move you closer to your creative goals today?

Like what? Maybe you thought about cool guitars to save for. Some effects pedals, what would be the best, most effective thing you could use? Have you thought about getting yourself a recording device? Some of the new digital stuff, is around the price of a medium level guitar - but the clean digital sound quality is amazing! "Old School" rockers from the 70's and 80's would fainted in amazement with equipment this pro-sounding at these kinds of prices. Plus instead of a multi-track recorder being the size of a washing machine and costing thousands of dollars (especially back when) now sounds cleaner, fits in a book bag, and is only a couple a hundred bucks. My gosh - do we not appreciate? You can make "better than "demo" quality if you keep the levels in the sweet spot while you record.

I am currently checking some digital recording methods and equipment. Personally I prefer a stand alone. if you would rather get up on the screen with software using your computer's hard drive as the actual "recorder" that can be fine too. Think about it. Ask if your ok with playing a guitar/keyboard/ singing into a mic/whatever -  in front of your computer -

Depending what type of audio you create may influence what your preference are at this time. For me, I am very happy to bring my recording deck, all loaded with great tracks, and then mix em down into my computer into something Sound Forge, Audacity (a free, open source download) or WaveLab. I wish my old copy of WaveLab worked in my Vista - arrg!  WaveLab - not cheap - but WOW! you can do A LOT with it as a wave editor.

Audacity has less on the importable effects but still works great. SoundForge is what i usually use to mix down my tracks initially (until I get a Vista compatible WaveLab again or something in that league.

BUT and is it a big one? I suppose -

There is an old theory that the more you 'mess" with something, the worse it gets.

I like clean tracks, not gobbed with dozens of treatments, like EQ's Compressors, reverbs, Phaser, sonic maximizers, "trippy" effects - the signal can become buried - I have found that 'digitally' speaking, the entire project can get garbeled up and ruined. A favorite song i did last year (2007) was nearly lost. I had the file in computer, and then, something happened to my computer - a scary reboot, where it "black-screened" and I wasn't sure how many files would make it safe and sound. I found my music files and felt relieved until I click one to play it and it was all garbely sounding. Luckily, I had the clean originals already burned on a CD (you must do this - not only as a back up- I did it simply to hear the music in my car! lol)

Lucky - whew!

But I also noticed some other tracks that had a lot less 'digital' treatments survived a lot better in my desk-top data files. Why - I don't know...? I'll need a computer savvy friend to clue me in for that question...

that's it for now... see ya soon!

Nels