Tag: behind the scenes music journey

  • We Won ProMax. Then I Went Shopping at NAMM. Now It’s On.

    The new year is getting off to a bang. Robert Navarro and I are putting the finishing touches on a new project right after coming off the heels of winning the Audience Choice ‘Battle Trax’ live promo competition at the 2009 PROMAX UK show. A track we wrote and produced called ‘Ripper Deck’ is the winner.

    I’ve been extending feelers for new remixers to start work on another one of my new songs. Now that the library is getting underway, I’ll be putting my efforts into finishing all the songs I’ve currently got in pre-production for the next CD.

    NAMM show was a great time. New relationships have begun and I look forward to putting new toys to use on all the projects I’ve got coming on my plate.

    Stay tuned and may your year be off to a great start!

  • From Blackjack to Breakdowns: Finding Songs in the Chaos

    What a wild a crazy weekend. I spent some time off with some friends out at the Colorado River on the border of Arizona and California in a town called Parker. Actually it’s been sort of an annual thing for the past 6 years I think, at least for me. Some of them have been doing it for a while longer. Anyway, it was as usual, eventful. In fact just a couple of blocks from starting out, the boat trailer got a flat tire. Yikes. Without boring you with all the details, I got a nice sunburn, learned to wakeboard and wakesurf, and got stuck for an extra day out there when my ride’s car broke down on the way home. The bonus was playing some black jack and winning some money at the Blue Water Casino.

    In music news, I’m currently in talks with several PR and Radio firms. I’m working on getting Practical Insanity released with or without the Business Plan Funding. So far the reaction from all the firms I’ve talked to have been highly favorable. I’m going to be weighing their strategies to see whom I like best. So stay tuned.

    I’ve also started mapping out the songs that will make up the first two (out of 3) of the Christmas CD’s that will make up my first Christmas release. I spoke about this back in December or January, so check out the archives for the story on that. But at least it has gotten started. As well, I’ve also been demo’ing new songs for the follow up to Practical Insanity. Geez, do I ever stop?

    Movie Pick of the Week: The Longest Yard. Here’s a simple review of a simple movie. Don’t expect cinematic greatness. In fact, don’t go in expecting anything at all. Think in terms of mindless entertainment and you’ll likely have a good time watching this movie. I liked Adam Sandler, I didn’t really get why Burt Reynolds was even in it. Chris Rock was being restrained from really being Chris Rock, and some of the dialog was kinda cheesy. Otherwise there are funny, laugh out loud moments and I did find it fun.

    In case you missed the Music Connection Review, here is the repost from the previous news entry: In the latest issue of the Music Connection Magazine. I received some kind words and a total of 7 out of 10. Quoting from the Music Connection:
    “Whitesides is a singer/songwriter whose performances and material show lots of skill and craft without scrificing heart or conviction. the lyrics for All The Things and Days of Our Lives have a knack for depicting the imagery of everyday life in interesting ways. Electric guitar licks lend a hard rock backbone to the tunes, while the artist’s soulful voice acts like fine-grain sandpaper that gives his rough-hewn subect matter some compelling contours.”