If you're a professional musician looking for a new recording venue or a wannabe cutting a demo, you should check out Letthead Productions in Houston, Texas. I spent about 8 hours there on Friday (many of them in the studio green room, pictured at left), along with almost 40 of my extended family members.
Alan Lett, owner-producer-engineer, was a delight to work with both personally and professionally. Professionally - he really knows his stuff, has a true musician's ear, and was a thoughtful and helpful coach for our session. I haven't heard the finished mix yet, but I'm sure he'll make us sound even better than we really are.
Personally - Alan was gracious, patient, and cool under pressure. Believe me, when that many people show up for a recording session, it can get crowded - and when it's family .... well, you know there's a potential for things to get contentious!
My sister, Laurie, served as musical director and crowd controller. She also recorded three solos and sang on several group numbers. I only sang once (not too close to the microphone!) and played piano for Laurie on one number. I believe there were a total of almost 30 singers, and the others joined us for a catered lunch that our hosts, Dave and Carla, had provided.
What a memorable day it turned out to be! We managed to record 15 songs in just under 8 hours - a major accomplishment - and had a truly fun family reunion in the process. Photos, videos, and a CD of family singers, dubbed by my cousin Thunder (David) as the Morgan Chubby Knuckle Choir, will be keepsakes for posterity.
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