Homeward Bound

The recording project is finally coming to a close. I will be done at the end of this week with the final mixes, and then Friday the 15th I will be mastering at Seattle Disc Mastering. We should have the CD back in early May. I'm also doing final edits on the artwork (which looks amazing by the way), and Ed is having his 'welcoming quote' edited by Stefanie.

I'm feeling a bit like Samwise towards the end of the Return of the King, well at least the end from the books, not from the film... and a bit from the film, I guess. 3 or 4 chapters towards the end of the book, they're heading home from everything: having cast the ring into Mount Doom, seen the battle at the field of Pelennor, said goodbye to Aragorn. They've gotten through the "hard" stuff, but they still have to make it to the finish line, which for Sam is returning home. He doesn't realize yet that there is hardship still ahead to reach his beloved Shire, namely from the waning powers of Saruman and Wormtongue. There is a sense of relief that rest is just around the corner, but a knowledge that perseverance is still the duty for the day.

I've kept saying that "the CD is almost finished", "it's almost done", "just a few more things to get to tape". Well, that's been going on at least since January. I've probably recorded the better parts of two-thirds of the CD (well, the parts that make the songs unique, in my opinion). And mixing, don't get me started! But as of this week, there are only a few pieces left, and they are very manageable. I have been very blessed by the work on this project, I hope to recount those experiences more on this blog in the future.

For now, I'm on the road home, I'm not there yet, but it's only a few more bends till I can rest contentedly in my Hobbit hole, relax with my wife, perhaps with some fine pipe weed, and a great many stories to tell.

("Homeward Bound" is also a great Simon & Garfunkel song, which has been a musical inspiration here in rounding 3rd towards home... but that would be a whole different metaphor for a whole different post!)