Back To Work

This is my first post in quite a long while.  The last month has been a time of waiting. The project sat idle with very little progress being made.   Back in August, most of the basic tracks were recorded.  Scheduling a time to continue work has been difficult.  Although I would love to see things moving along a little faster, it hasn’t necessarily been a bad thing.  I’ve had the last month to practice singing with the tracks and also work some more on the lyrics.

But now the waiting is over and it’s time to get back to work.  This week is extremely crucial as I will be recording all of the lead vocal tracks.  This presents some unique challenges.  I have a very limited amount of time to complete these tracks.  If I can’t complete them, then I will be looking at a third trip out here.  What adds to the difficulty is the fact that the human voice has  limited stamina.  I can play a guitar all day long, and aside from keeping it in tune, it can continue without having to rest. Unfortunately, my voice isn’t so resilient.  The recording process is much more complex than most people realize.  Recording a three minute song doesn’t take three minutes.  It may take  a couple hours just to do the lead vocal.  This takes a heavy toll on the voice. 

Simply put, if I can’t physically sing the songs, I can’t finish the recording.  Of course God knows this.  I believe that He is sovereign in my life.  Either He will carry me through this week or He has other purposes that may be outside of my limited understanding.  I’m asking for prayer that my voice will not only hold up, but that I will sing well.  At the same time, I’m not going to stress over it.  God’s timing is always best and His deadline is the only one that really matters.  I will try to keep you updated, but I will be pressed for time, so please understand if I can’t post every day.

Thursday, Day Four

Thursday was the final day for recording basic tracks.  Specifically, the day was set apart for doing the piano songs.  The piano player is a veteran of several successful albums and tours.  He really is an unbelievable player and I am so thankful that he is playing on the CD.  The basic tracks were finished by about 5pm or so.  Once again everything went really well.  After the basic tracks were finished we worked until about 10pm doing some editing and overdubs.  The software used by the studio is amazing and provides an enormous amount of flexibility. 

Now that all of the basic tracks are done, I’m very pleased with what has been accomplished.  I wish we had another few days to do vocal tracks, but being able to practice for a couple weeks and refine the lyrics will be beneficial in the end.  Right now the plan is to return in September to do vocal tracks.  I will have a rough mix within a couple days to practice with.  I am excited to hear it.

I’m amazed at how much was accomplished in the four days I was here.  Having done a little recording several years ago, I was skeptical that so much could be done in so little time. A lot has changed over the past decade.  Of course it helps when you have really good musicians.  If everything goes well, we are looking at having a finished product late in October or early November.  It’s going to be a long wait, but prayerfully it will all be worth it.  Specific prayer points are for God honoring lyrics, strength and clarity for my voice, and for Joel to mix it well.  The vocals and lyrics are the most crucial part of this project and that part is still yet to come.  So please don’t stop praying!

Wednesday, Day Three

I’m publishing this a day late.  I’m sorry if you came by earlier and didn’t see a post for Wednesday.  Wednesday picked up right where we left off on Tuesday.  There were no setup problems so things got started quickly.  The goal for the day was to record basic tracks for four songs.  These guys usually get the basic tracks in one or two takes.  Then they do several passes where they double the guitars.  This is how professionally done recordings get that really full sound.  The amazing thing is that they play these multiple parts so precisely that they sound like one guitar.  As I said in my previous post, it would be very difficult to get these results locally.

I wish I could say that the recording sessions were more like worship services.  That hasn’t been the case.  Instead they have been more technical and business like.   Although it wasn’t corporate worship per se, there were some special worship times for me. During one song in particular, the lyric came alive to me… “Holy sovereign God, Your ways are not our ways.  We wonder at Your judgment and marvel at Your grace”.  God is so high and lifted up.  His greatness is beyond our understanding.  We are all deserving of His wrath and judgment, but for those that are His, we have received grace that is also beyond our grasp.  When that song was coming through the studio monitors, I just sensed the glory of the Lord. 

I don’t know what will come of all this when the recording is finished, but I’m still kind of amazed that God would open this door for me.  I’m the worship leader at a small church in a small town.  My talents are small and in many ways I feel so out of place here.  I’m almost afraid to put my voice on the project in fear that I will mess it up.  There is still a long way to go.  I appreciate your prayers!

Tuesday, Day Two

Tuesday started a little slow.  We started a bit later than planned and then had a technical problem which turned out to be a faulty cable.  The first hour was essentially lost, but in the end it didn’t really matter.  The remainder of the day couldn’t have gone much better.  We still finished on time and met our goal of recording 5 songs.  It only took a few minutes into the session to realize that the decision to go with a producer and a professional studio was a good one.  While it’s true that I could have recorded much cheaper if I’d done this locally, there is no way I could have matched the quality that I am finding here. 

Good musicians are hard to find, but it’s really really rare to have the opportunity to play with the kind of guys that are working on my project.  I have to say, I felt so humbled today.  If it’s not obvious on the CD, it sure was in person.  These guys are like machines.  They don’t make mistakes.  They don’t hit wrong notes.  They don’t speed up or slow down.  They are just rock solid.  It would have taken me a week to do what these guys did in a day.  I don’t want to speak too soon, but things are going well.  I sensed God’s blessing today. 

If there is a down side, it’s that I won’t be able to finish the vocal parts this week.  This isn’t unexpected and it may turn out to be a blessing because I will have additional time to practice and also to fine tune the lyrics.  It just means I will either have to go back to Nashville or I will have to bring Joel (the producer) out to Roswell.  Please be in prayer that all of this works out according to God’s will.  My highest desire in all of this is that God would be honored by this project.  I appreciate your prayers.  May the Lord’s name be praised!

Monday, Day One

Things are off to a good start.  All of the travel details went off without a hitch and I arrived in Nashville Sunday night at around 10:00pm local time.  I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep.  I guess my mind was too active in thinking about the week before me.  This morning, I got a quick tour of the area and then it was off to the studio to get to work.  The studio is located in an old historic home.  There are several gold and platinum records hanging on the walls from various artists.  It is a very comfortable setting which is conducive for creativity.  We spent the rest of the day doing pre-production.  All the song tempos and chord charts were finalized.  The instruments are all mic-ed and we are ready to roll tomorrow morning. The goal for Tuesday is to record basic tracks for 5 songs.  This will include drums, bass, and acoustic guitar.  It will be a full day.  Although I’m playing with some incredible musicians, my confidence isn’t in their abilities.  I pray that the Lord gives us His blessing and causes us to have a fruitful day.  I appreciate your prayers as well.

Where the Power Is

A couple days ago I received an email from a friend wanting to help support the CD project.  At the end of the email he made the statement, “I will be praying for you and this venture, as I know that is where the power is”.  It’s a simple truth and yet altogether profound.  It’s something that I know and teach, but I fear the reality often averts us.  God used my friend’s simple words to remind me of one of the most fundemental aspects of the Christian life.  For the rest of the day, and beyond, I continued to think about how prayer, and the lack of it, affects our lives.  So much of our serving seems so anemic.  Could it be that this is due to an absence of prayer? 

Before I go to Nashville, it seems that there are a thousand things still to be done.  There are travel plans to be finalized, lyrics to be written, and musical arrangements to be completed.  Not to mention that I just need to practice singing and exercise my voice to prepare for hours of continuous singing – something I’m not used to.  As a worship leader I think about all of the technical aspects that go into preparing for a time of worship.  We need to prepare for these things.  The problem is that we make the practical things the priority and we fail to really pray.

All of this draws me to the account of the battle of Rephidim found in Exodus 17.  This was the first battle faced by the children of Israel after coming out of Egypt.  It shows us the relationship between prayer and the practical.  Neither is exclusive.  It was necessary for Joshua and the fighting men to wield the sword.  They had a battle to fight and couldn’t leave that aspect undone.  But their success wasn’t dependent upon their equipment or training.  It was determined by the prayers of Moses who was on the mountain overlooking the valley.  With his hands lifted upward in prayer, Israel would prevail, but when Moses grew weary and his uplifted hands began to fall, Joshua and the fighting men also began to falter.  As Moses rests upon a rock (Christ), he is aided by Aaron and Hur who come along side him to hold up his tired arms.  There are tremendous types and pictures here of Jesus Christ, our great high priest, and the Holy Spirit, who make intercession for us and help us to pray.  There is much more there, but the point of the passage is that the victory is won through prayer.   

All of this to say, I so desire your prayers for me and for this project.  There are a thousand practical things that cannot be left undone.  I need to attend to them, but the greater priority is that  my hands would not fall.  I desire that this CD would make an impact – even if it’s just in a few lives.  Ultimately however, if it is successful, it won’t be due to the quality of the recording equipment or the skill and talent of the musicians.  It will be because God answered. If you truly want to support me in this project, please keep me in prayer.  It is where the power is.

Do we really need another CD?

I have pondered this question over and over again.  Making a recording of my songs is not a new thought for me.  I have been writing songs for more than 20 years.  Early on my dream was to be a recording artist, but God has a way of changing our dreams.  I realized that much of my motivation was selfish.  I was looking for worldly success and all the things that come with it.  Over time I put those desires aside and just sought to follow the Lord.  I have been asked several times over the years, “When are you going to record a CD?”  I have always answered this with a vague response because in truth, I didn’t really ever know if it was something I would do and at the heart of my wrestling was the question, “Do we really need another CD?”

With improvements in technology and so forth, pretty much anyone with a guitar and a pulse can record their music and burn it to a disc.  There are thousands of worship leaders and Christian artists out there peddling their latest recording project.  Do we really need another one?  Of course there is always room for an artist or recording that is truly groundbreaking.  Some albums are truly set apart and have a significance that demands that they be heard, but there are only a handful of people with this kind of talent or insight.  For every project that rises from the crowd, there are thousands more that never really take off. 

If this is true, why should I go to the trouble and expense of recording  my songs?  It’s not because I think that I’m bursting with talent or insight.  I don’t expect to receive any accolades or awards and I don’t figure to get rich either.  In fact, on a practical level I can’t really give you a good reason why I should move forward with this project.  And yet, I’m moving forward.  The simple reason is that I’m trying to follow the Lord’s leading.  A door has opened for me to step through.  I could stand there and give a thousand reasons why I shouldn’t walk through or I can walk through.  I have learned that not everything God has for us makes sense in the moment.  Perhaps it will one day. 

The Bible is filled with examples where God did a lot with a little.  I remember the story where a boy’s small lunch fed a multitude after it was blessed by Jesus.  I could hope that He would do a similar thing with my small talents.  However, the outcome isn’t what I need to be concerned about.  Our part is simply to be faithful.  The outcome is determined by His sovereign will.  Do we really need another CD?  I can’t say for sure, but I don’t want to be the servant that buried his talent and failed to bring even a meager return for his Master.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog.  Ever since I announced the opportunity before me to record a CD I have received dozens of questions about the project.  I decided that the best way to inform my friends and family was to create a blog dedicated to following the journey from beginning to completion.   The wonderful thing about this media is that you, the reader, can also post comments or questions.  I really do welcome your feedback.  Obviously, I’m just getting started.  Right now it’s pretty scarce around here, but don’t be discouraged at the lack of content.  I’ll try to keep it updated and post a new entry every couple of days.  A lot has already happened over the past few months so I’ll try to bring you up to speed on those things as well.  

I am so thankful for by brothers and sister in Christ.  Your encouragement has been such a blessing to me.  Without it, I don’t think I would have ever started down this road.  I hope that this blog becomes a means of sharing my heart with those of you who are interested in coming along on this journey.  I really do appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Phil

CD Update – July 21, 2009

July 21, 2009

Dear Church Family,

Back in May I announced that I had been given the opportunity to record a CD in Nashville.  Since that time, many of you have asked about the needs and how you can support the project.  I first want to thank you for the encouragement.  One of the big questions going into this was whether or not I should even begin down this road.  The positive response from our church has been overwhelming.  More than that, several of you have told me that you have sincerely prayed for me and for the project.   As a result of both your encouragement and my own conviction from the Lord, I have continued to take steps.

It is my desire to give you an update on where the project stands.  I have been working closely with a producer who is organizing the project in ways that I would not be able to.  Back in June, he came to Roswell to begin working on the material.  He has since assembled an incredible group of studio musicians – some of the highest regarded amongst the Christian music community in Nashville – who will be playing on the recording.  It is an honor, but also quite humbling to play with people who are far more talented than I am.

As it stands, I have booked studio time for the fourth week of August.  I will be leaving Roswell right after church on Sunday the 23^rd. Recording is scheduled to begin the following day on Monday the 24^th. I am planning to record 12 songs.  By the end of the week most of the recording should be done.  If necessary I may have to make a second trip to Nashville to finish things up.  Once the basic tracks are recorded additional overdubs will be done as needed and then it will all be mixed down.  After mixdown the final process is called mastering.  This balances the EQ and volume from song to song and gives it an overall polished sound.  Once the recording is mastered I will have a finished product that is ready to be duplicated.

The process is actually quite lengthy with several steps and several people involved along the way.  It’s easy to understand why it is so expensive.  In my first letter, I estimated the total cost to be $40,000.  The good news is that it looks like it will actually be less than that.  I should be able to finish it for $30,000 or less.  Obviously, this is still a lot of money and I do not take likely the financial support I have received thus far.  If you would like to support the project, the greatest need is for prayer.  I need direction for the many decisions that I will have to make.  It is my desire that this would be a recording that not only brings glory to God, but also a blessing to His people.  I don’t expect to become well known or to sell thousands of CDs, but I do hope that the few it reaches would be impacted and drawn to see the greatness of our God.  Of course, I hope that the CD eventually pays for itself, but even if it doesn’t bring an earthly profit, I pray that it will bear eternal fruit.  I appreciate your prayers for this!

Some of you have asked specifically about making a financial investment into the project.  From the beginning, I have purposed in my heart not to ask for money.  Instead I have simply sought to present the project and the costs involved.  Unless the Lord has given you the desire and the means, I would ask that you not give financially.  For those who do feel led to contribute, I am hoping to offer more detail about the financial needs.  Rather than just announcing the overall cost of the project I have been asked to break it down into more manageable chunks.  Here are the estimated costs:

Airfare, Hotel, Rental Car and Meals $1,000

Studio, Recording and Musician’s Fees $2,000 per song – $24,000 total

Mastering $1,000

CD Duplicating and Printing $2,500

Copyrighting and Legal fees $1,500

These are only estimated costs.  The actual amounts could vary.  Those wishing to contribute may do so toward any of these areas.  There are essentially two ways to donate to this project.  One option is to donate directly to me.  This will not be a tax deductible contribution, but I will aim to repay the funds out of the proceeds from sales of the CD.  Pastor Jim Suttle and Jeff Harvard have agreed to provide financial oversight and accountability in this area.  It is important to note that I cannot guarantee I will have the ability to repay any contributed funds.  Therefore, if you need the money to be paid back in full, it is probably best for you to not make a financial contribution.

The second way to donate to this project is to make a donation thru the church.  The church board has graciously decided to stand behind the project and count it as a ministry supported by the church.  This makes your gift tax deductible to the full extent allowed by the law.  Simply designate in the memo area of your check or offering envelope that the gift is for the music ministry.  Please note that gifts given thru the church cannot be treated as both a loan and a tax deductible donation.  Therefore, donations made thru the church will not be repaid.  If you have questions about this, please speak to Pastor Jim or a member of the servant team.

Finally, I realize that you may still have unanswered questions regarding this project.  Please don’t hesitate to talk to me about them.  You can reach me on my cell at 575-910-1117 or email me at phil@calvaryroswell.com.  I look forward to hearing from you.  I have also set up a blog where I will be giving regular updates on the status of the project as well as sharing my heart and talking about the inspiration behind the songs.  The blog can be found at www.philquintana.wordpress.com/.  Bear in mind that it is brand new and very little content has been added so far, but more is coming! You are invited to take a look.  You can even ask a question or leave a comment. In closing, I want to thank the Lord for all that He is and all that He has done for us.  May He place a new song in our hearts!

In Christ,

Phil Quintana