Hey Dreamwalkers out there,

Here is Tink, Patrick's cat. She fiercely upholds and protects the sanctity of Alpha Ear Studio. 

Debbie Stern and I went into Alpha Ear Studio on Thursday and had quite a fantastic session. We worked on three songs, Debbie's "How I Love To Love You Lord," and "Good To See You Gone," and my "Silence Between The Worlds." We were able to complete the lead vocals as well as doubling on all three, and finished the harmonies and background vocals on "How I Love To Love You Lord" and "Silence Between The Worlds." What a sweet and wonderful journey.

Debbie is just a genius at harmony and background vocals. Her voice is such an amazing instrument. The creativity in the moment is breathtaking. Once again, I was able to do things I didn't think I could do, which is always welcome. I had never sung Debbie's song before and I had to jump in and do background and was able to do so efficiently. I'm finding I am enjoying singing background and harmony, especially on Debbie's terrific songs.

We only have background and harmony vocals on a few more songs and we will pass the baton to Tony Sheppard for lead guitar. Then we mix and master and have an album. 

Peace, 

Tink. . . well actually Dr Dreamwalker

Hi all of my Dreamwalkers out there,

I thought I'd share a little bit of our prep for the gig. Rehearsal on Monday was reserved for tightening up any loose ends, and making final decisions as to what we are planning on playing. Once final decisions were made, I came up with two sets we will be playing. 

Then everyone has to put together the book. It consists of song sheets with each song in order so we don't have to look around for the songs. Personally, I do my best to commit songs to memory, but there are a lot of songs, so it's nice to have backup.

Lights are ready, cables, PA system, music stands, booms for microphones, microphones, tables, water, extra strings, tuners, batteries are among the items needing to be packed up. We have engaged a sound person and a video person. Our good friend, Jessie Lipman is there to help me put everything together. 

The band is very excited to get out and play. Hope to see you Sunday.

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

Hi to all you Dreamwalkers out there,

So there is good news and bad news regarding our gig on Sunday. The bad news is it might rain again. The good news is we are playing indoors so it's ready, steady, go. 

We had our last rehearsal prior to the gig and everything is in place. The rehearsal was spirited and good, but thankfully not perfect. Don't want to leave our best stuff in rehearsal. Daniel was really strong on drums tonight, he is so much fun for me to play and hang out with.

Debbie and I worked out our singing parts for "Boys of Summer," one of my favorite songs. Although Don Henley made the song famous, it was written by Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Imagine being so filled up with good songs you can pass that one on. Debbie is a musical genius, especially with voice. 

Sure am glad to have Tony Sheppard wailing away on guitar. He can play any style and is a compendium of so many songs in his head. IMO, His playing has never been better.

Dave Ross is steady on the bass guitar. He was singing up a storm last night. 

Finally, me, you own Dr Dreamwalker. I am really proud to be part of this band and can't wait until Sunday when we begin to share our spirit disguised as songs. I believe in our original songs and love the covers we have mindfully chosen. The songs are balanced, the sound is ready, and we are expecting a forecast of great music and fun on Sunday.

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker 

Hey friends of Dreamwalkers Band,

Well, as they say in Florida, "We need the rain." Unfortunately, after a string of beautiful days, Dreamwalkers Band gig in Siesta Key was rained out. As it turned out, we made there right call as the venue had some flooding. We are energetically looking for a place to play on April 25 and will let everyone know.

So I think we had a little more energy to put into rehearsal Monday evening and it was just a fantastic reconnect. I was pretty tired at the end, but it was really fun and we played great. Can't wait to play out.

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

Hi Dreamwalkers,

We are continuing to record vocals and are getting to the last few songs for our album. Today, we brought in our bass guitar player, Dave Ross, to provide a low end voice for harmony and doubling. 

Never having sung in a studio environment before, Dave was thrown in at the deep end of the pool. However, with some encouragement, he began to swim and did well. We worked on Debbie Stern's songs "Tricks On Me" and "Don't Give Me A Second Thought (Let Me Be Your First)" and my original song "Music Is The Ride."

Debbie's lead vocals were marvelous on her songs and I was able to sing harmony on Don't Give Me A Second Thought. I'm still somewhat surprised I am able to pick up the harmonies so quickly. I'm learning a lot in these sessions. Patrick guided us through the process and Biggie was around for moral support and unconditional love.

We have a few more songs to complete and have some more vocal spice to add to our album. Then we will hand off the baton to Tony Sheppard and his brilliant lead guitar playing to finish the laying down of tracks on the album. Then we mix and master.

Remember, we'd like to see all of our friends out there this Sunday, April 11 6-9 PM for a Celebration of Live Music on Siesta Key. 6250 Midnight Pass Rd. Parking Code 0411.

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

Hey Dreamwalkers out there,

It's a busy and exciting time for the band. We've been moving through the vocal section of our album, while preparing to play out. 

Last Thursday, Debbie Stern and Patrick Russini guided me through the vocals on my songs: Two Insomnias; Everything Is Changing; and Music Is The Ride. The singing was great fun and equally challenging. Listening back to it was quite an experience, as the songs began to truly take shape right in front of us. Debbie Stern put vocal magic on the songs, both in terms of the harmonies as well as using her voice as an instrument. What a unique and amazingly gifted singer. Patrick had idea after idea as to how to spice things up and there will be some vocal surprises on the album. We are so blessed to have him producing the album.

So, with our Siesta Key Celebration of Live Music set for Sunday, April 11 from 6-9 PM, we rehearsed Monday night in preparation of the gig. It was another strong rehearsal, not perfect, but very satisfying to play in. We have Debbie and my original songs prepared, and there will be some cover song surprises. We are going off the high dive several times during our setlist, doing things other bands would likely not attempt.

Dreamwalkers Band take manifesting our dreams seriously. This is one of those times when we are playing out because we are intent on revealing our dreams in real time. We will dream out loud for you, so come out and join us. It's a gorgeous spot and we all need to celebrate the return of live music, our vibrational life blood and healer.

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

P.S. Our celebration of live music will take place Sunday, April 11 from 6-9 PM, 6250 Midnight Pass Rd., Siesta Key. Leave a comment here with a way to contact you and I'll give you the parking code. Or you can e-mail me: dr.richardschulman@yahoo.com; Facebook IM; or text 941.348.4740.

While our Heartbeat, Daniel Polyak is out of town, we have been getting together for what are supposed to be vocal rehearsals, and technically they are, but what they really are is us singing songs we love and having fun. Yesterday evening, Dave, Debbie (with Joey), and Tony came over and we had some pizza, and then pulled out a few guitars and began to make music.

We began our musical evening with "The Shape I'm In" a classic song by The Band. This one moves along beautifully and fits our vibe. Dave sings lead and there are fun harmonies, led by Debbie. Tony gets the guitar solo and it's just a great vibe.

Of course Joey wants to be a part of everything, and he gets activated by the music until he runs out of energy and then can settle down. We played Debbie's "Tricks On Me" and Dave got the harmony part down. Imagine a bass guitar player who sings harmony. . . what a great deal. Then we played Boys of Summer, the Don Henley classic, and I just love that one. I get to sing the lead. We went through Space Oddity, my own Music Is The Ride, the great Steve Winwood song, Can't Find My Way Home and ended the evening with some work on The Beatles tune, With A Little Help From My Friends. What a fun way to practice.

Then ICE CREAM!

Joey didn't want Tony to leave, but as George Harrison once said, "All Things Must Pass," and Tony needs his sleep.

A reminder. . . we will be playing out Sunday, April 11 6-9 PM on Siesta Key. If you'd like to join us, please contact me at dr.richardschulman@yahoo.com, through Facebook IM, on this page or by text 941.348.4740. I'll get you directions and the parking code.

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

Hey Dreamwalkers Out There,

Vocal recording day at Alpha Ear Studio. We completed vocals on three songs, Debbie's Call Me Love and I Think I Think Too Much, and my Magnetic North. I've got to tell you, it was such an incredible thrill to sing backup on Debbie Stern's songs. Her sensitivity and feel for the songs are wonderful and the idea I could contribute to the sound was amazing to me. The support I felt from Debbie and Executive Producer, Patrick Russini created such a comfortable atmosphere for the day. 

Debbie Stern is a consummate professional. She creates gorgeous soundscapes with her voice. Debbie's songs are heartfelt and her lead vocals are wonderful in expressing the emotions of the songs. Her harmonies and other background vocals are out of this world. She has a gift for hearing the harmonies, but also works very hard to get it right. I know if singing is being recorded, it needs to be excellent.

I was a little nervous going in as I never sang harmonies in a studio setting in the past. The knowledge I gained from studying singing with Debbie bore fruit today. I felt I had been launched into a new world. I was able to sing the harmonies effectively and double my own vocals fairly easily. Doubling vocals is a John Lennon technique in which the singer sings the song again, attempting to sing it a second time and get as close to the original as possible. The tiny differences create a fatter sound. Patrick and Debbie seemed happy with both harmonies and doubling, so I was relieved. Singing my own song revealed a depth and confidence I had not felt before today. Wow.

I've got to say what a privilege it is for me to sing and play with Debbie Stern and have Patrick Russini at the controls. The lead guitars of Tony Sheppard have not been recorded yet. At one point Patrick turned to me and said, "All those guitars are you." Singing backup on Debbie's wonderful songs was a thrill. The most amazing thing is how well the Dreamwalkers project is going. We should have an album for everyone by the end of May. 

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

Hi to all those Dreamwalkers out there,

We admit it. We love to sing. With our Heartbeat, Daniel Polyak, unable to make tonight's rehearsal, the remainder of the Dreamwalkers crew decided to have a vocal rehearsal led by Debbie Stern. Debbie is a wonder when it comes to singing. Some of her suggestions turned into lessons, which is okay by me. We were joined by Debbie's new puppy, Joey. The little guy seems to respond strongly to music, either relaxing deeply or howling with us.

Dave Ross and Tony Sheppard added their voices to our songs and we are in process of becoming a more vocal oriented group. Debbie chooses the harmonies carefully, although at times, I'd say I can't remember them without a lot of practice, and I've actually spontaneously come up with a different one that fit. Harmony is an art form with a bit of vibrational science on board.

We worked on harmonies for End of the Line, Wild Horses, Don't Give Me A Second Thought, West LA Fadeaway. We also began to rehearse Dave's suggestion of The Band "Shape I'm In."

The night was great fun, and at the end ice cream with chocolate syrup made it feel like a music party, which in essence it was. 

A reminder. . . we will be playing on April 11 6-9. If you'd like to attend please contact me: dr.richardschulman@yahoo.com; 941-348-4740; on the contact page of our website; or send up smoke signals, any way to connect with us. It should be great fun as we have been aiming for it for a while.

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

Today was my day to begin vocal recording on my own original songs, "The Outsider" and "Suggestion By Echo." The experience of doing so with the support of Debbie Stern and Patrick Russini at Patrick's Alpha Ear Studio was just spectacular. The key was to have fun and be myself and after getting rid of few jitters the fun and flow began in high numbers. 

Debbie is so amazing at harmony. Her ideas are just off the chain wonderful and she is able to back it up. Patrick is already putting his engineer's expertise to the recording and processing. I know enough about this to be in the ideas room and I think he was tickled when I told him "so you are doing New York (Parallel) compression." 

The sound is just crystalline and gorgeous. I'm in awe of the process and the experience. There is a Dreamwalkers sound emerging.

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker