How’s the album going? I must hear this question ten times a day. I love it. It means a lot more people care about how the album is going than just me and the five amazing people I make listen to it twenty four hours a day. Thank you. I appreciate you and want you to keep asking, caring and praying!
Seriously, we have been listening to the album a lot. That is my job. Listen to the album. Listen again. Listen at home. Listen in the car. Listen from another room. Listen with headphones. Listen without headphones. Just listen. That has been my job until now.
The album has been mixed without any notes from me (and my dear husband). I now have these beautifully mixed tracks of all eleven songs. Mixing of each song involves detailed attention to every note, every instrument, every moment and putting them all together to get the exact sound and feel we’re after. It takes 12-14 hours to mix each song. My album is being mixed by an incredibly talented sound engineer, Craig Alvin (Gungor). I am blessed to have him working on my record.
I’ve been listening to the first mixes for several days with an open mind and now I’m listening with a critical ear and giving my notes of any changes I’d like to hear. The changes are things like “more reverb,” “less reverb,” “less BGVs,” “more BGVs,” “softer feel,” “more driving” etc. It is really exciting and stomach-hurting nerve wrecking fun.
I had a few minutes to myself tonight at Starbucks, with headphones and a cup of coffee. I made it through two songs before receiving a text that one of the Els was refusing to go to bed. I texted back “tell him to go potty before bed. I’m on my way home.” Five minutes later I was home and he was already asleep. Momma is really not that scary! :-) But, at least he knows I mean business.
I will update you all when I get to the next step. I can’t wait for you all to hear the album. Once mixes are approved, the album will go to a master house in Nashville to be “mastered.” woo hoo!
Much love to all of you.
Rebekah Maddux El-Hakam
“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, so good to us!”
