Hello to all my Dreamwalkers out there,

Thanks to the genius of Patrick Russini and Debbie Stern, we have completed the keyboards section of our new album. It is such a joy to hear the songs filling out. We worked on four of my songs today, Magnetic North, The Outsider, Silence Between the Worlds, and Music Is The Ride.

Once again, I am most amazed at the process by which the songs themselves become almost like living entities and tell you what they want. There is a vibe created between Patrick, Debbie, myself and the song to create a "Dreamwalkers" sound. This has evolved organically, as the original intent was only a starting point. The sound is full and lush. Patrick ensures we include the entire spectrum of sounds and sounds don't step on one another. Debbie's amazing ear ensures the sounds really work together. My intuitive skills seem to be amplified under these circumstances, as I "hear" internally what will help express the soul of the song and it's been uncannily on target. What a thrill to work with these amazing musical geniuses. 

Magnetic North started with a rock piano and Debbie's insights as to how it fit made the song really begin to rock. After she laid down the piano track, I heard an organ. The synthesizer had several to choose from, and we settled on an organ called "Progressive." it reminded me of a 1960s Young Rascals sound and it fit perfectly. We went over the song in great detail to get it right. Both Patrick and Debbie worked on intensively on this song and I could hear the brilliance as we finished up. I am so grateful to them for their efforts.

The next song we tackled was "The Outsider." It's my Johnny Cash meets the X-Files song. This song asked for a longer build. So we did not bring the piano until after the first chorus. Then we found a mystical sounding pad from the synth and everything just fit together. Patrick had the insight to modulate the volume while it was being played and he jumped up and did it in real time with Debbie playing. Such creativity and great fun.I was so happy with what I heard at the end.

Silence Between the Worlds was originally written as a soft mystical song. As the band played it, the song transformed into one of my anthems. We decided to "calm down the song," as Pat put it, by using a concert grand piano sound and then bringing in a small ensemble of strings. The song accessed it's power right before my ears. 

The final song of the day, and the last one needing keyboards was "Music Is The Ride." This is the song the album is based upon. It tells the story of bringing my younger son to his first concert, Bruce Springsteen, when he was 12 and seeing the event through his eyes. I can still see that cherubic face looking up at me and exclaiming, "This is an amusement park where MUSIC IS THE RIDE." The experience reminded me of the magic of rock and roll and the amazing effects my first concerts (The Beatles, Young Rascals, The Who) had on me. The song has some tricky rhythms but Debbie found the groove and put a rock piano and electric organ on it efficiently. It sounds great.

We are now ready to put rhythm electric guitars on the tracks. This project is so enormously creative and satisfying. I can't wait for what comes next. 

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker