Well what a day, probably one of the best days of my life. Just waiting outside was exciting but when I stepped in to the place it was magic. We dropped all our belongings in Studio 2 which is just one of the iconic studios here and then we went to have a big group photo outside at the front of the building on the steps. Then the fun began.
We were taken into Studio 1 which you can see in the photo. This is the largest of the studios and it is where the big film scores are recorded with those big orchestras. I cannot tell you what it feels like to sit there. I suppose if you're not a big music fan you will be thinking 'what are you talking about Sue from the Brew?' I sat there like all my Christmas's had come at once, just like a big cat that had got the cream (not cheap tip top in a can but proper premium stuff). I just kept visualising the many music icons that had been in this very room. We started off with our first track which was Beyonce's 'Halo'. The red light came on, the piano started playing and away we went. It was so educational learning about the actual recording process. We were given headphones and I just felt like a top recording artist with those on before we even sang a note. It's all very technical stuff you know but we got that track done and got stuck in to the next which was Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'. We sang this to the track and it just sounded fabulous. A little weird at first through the headphones but my goodness we were treated to hear all the tracks at the end of the session on the speakers and I nearly lost all my emotions, right there in musical paradise......almost like emotional diarrhoea. We did so well for time we were able to record another song so we added 'Don't Stop Believin' to the mix. This was getting exciting and I was feeling very comfortable in my new role as recording artist. I felt an album coming on if I'm honest. We hadn't sang this song for a while so although it was sprung on us we coped well, we added in air guitars and they were magnificent. We got so carried away with our air guitars (multi tasking like the big guys) there came a moment where we had to do a bit of 'dropping in'. What's that Sue from the Brew? Well my fellow brewsters it is when you just drop into a part of the song and just record a small part of the song that just needs doing again or improving. Wooooah get us - even get the technical jargon......this is so going on my CV. It was just a fantastic experience and we were so lucky to be able to have this chance. The opportunities with Rock Choir are great and just get more exciting. It was worth every moment so a big thank you to everyone at Rock Choir for allowing us to go and most of all to Jennie our Choir Leader who is just the best motivator and inspiration to us all. She gives us so much confidence and without her I don't think we would sound as good as we do. Remember if you think 'I fancy a bit of all this' well you can sign up for a free taster session at any Rock Choir and there are many all over the UK. Just go to www.rockchoir.com and search for your nearest session. Thank you reading today and letting me get all this excitement out....I am honestly still buzzing from the day and it will stay with me for years to come. Join me again tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now....... Take care.
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Well as I'm typing this only 5 more sleeps!! Yes it's only a few days now until I go along with Rock Choir to record at the famous Abbey Road Studios.
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrggghhhhhhhhh I'm so excited! This is Music Mecca isn't it? The amount of famous musicians and producers who have made music here is just overwhelming and I'm going to pop my headphones on and try and follow such incredible talent. No pressure.....and none at all as this is a true chance of a lifetime to absorb this experience and enjoy it. We are going to record two tracks.......Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' and Beyonce's 'Halo'. We have rehearsed and they are sounding fantastic already but they are going to sound even better in the magical surroundings of Abbey Road. For me this is such a big deal, I may have a 'moment' but I'll try and remain professional. I love the Beatles. and this place is so iconic when you're a big fan but there are so many bands that have recorded here, film scores which have been produced such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Raiders of the Lost Ark and finishing touches which have also been engineered here too. I mean Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd - woah!! Just one of the greatest albums ever. I remember these studios when they were known as the EMI Recording Studios before the name changed to Abbey Road in 1985. The Beatles album of the same name made it so famous and the photograph for the cover of Abbey Road was taken on the pedestrian crossing just outside the studios. Now people come from all over the world to take photos on the crossing (which the locals adore) and to sign their names on the wall outside the studios. I have loved being with Rock Choir and the experiences it has given me. I will give you a full run down of the whole day next Monday and I'll take a few photos too if I can. The recording will be available for us to share so I'm sure I will pop that on here in the future.. Eeeeek........watch this space...... Thanks for reading and letting me pour out my excitement. I will be back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now...... Take Care. Ahhh that's what it is now people....the ole Rock Choir thing, it's more than a feeling.....it's a way of life. It is also our new song that we have just finished learning, yes we are about to go into week three of a new term and we already have one song in the bag. We don't mess around.
Boston's 'More Than A Feeling' is good classic rock anthem released in 1976 would you believe? I was only a wee little girl but this song remains as fresh and current today as I approach middle age. My goodness there is nothing like a song to make you feel older, I didn't actually realise it was that old. For me everything seems to live in the eighties, you know...just a few years ago. Glad I've moved on from the perm and fluorescent leg warmers though. So it's taken us Rockies just two weeks to learn this classic, it needs a bit of polishing but we'll get there. Great sounding harmonies if I do say so myself and it will be a favourite to perform I'm sure. When we finish learning a song with fabulous tuition from our choir leader Jennie we then receive an audio download so that we can listen to our own harmony part and also a full harmony part to practice. These are so helpful to be able to listen to them over and over again and help the information sink in a little more. It does as well, after a lot of repetition it suddenly stays there and then you forget what the original sounds like. It's like Rock Choir brainwashing......'you will learn this song' (I actually just said that in a hypnotic voice as I was typing it). You know yourself if you've listen to a song long enough on repeat you get to know the lyrics and probably feel you can karaoke it without looking at the screen. It's how we learn a lot of things, by repetition, I'm actually thinking about recording my shopping list so I remember what I want from the supermarket......always forget the one I write out. So onto week three and another new song......what is it I hear you ask? It is the fantastic 'Human' by Rag 'n' Bone Man eeeeeeeeek.....so excited as I love this song and I think it's going to be brilliant to sing. Will keep you posted anyway on how it goes. Thanks for reading today. You nearly got another post about the tv as I totally forgot what day it was with it being a bank holiday. It is Monday isn't it? Phew. Take care and come back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday. I had a great day yesterday with my fellow Rock Choir buddies as we took part in The Big Sing. This was a chance for members from different choirs to come together and recap over four song which we haven't sang for a while. For some new members it will have been the first time for all these songs so it was a quick whistle stop teachy moment given by our choir leader Jennie. She did a fab job, four songs in three hours and two sessions in the day, this girl needs a medal.!
We had so much fun though and it didn't matter whether you knew the songs or not, I certainly didn't know one at all but hey I got to grips with it even if I need to do a bit go polishing up. You see we need to practice these songs as they will appear in our Summer Concert in July eeeek!! I should tell what songs we sung so big shouldn't I? Well we sang: Higher Love - Steve Winwood Fall At Your Feet - Crowded House You're The Voice - John Farnham and Where You Lead I Will Follow - Carole King Love all these songs so much they all sound amazing. I must admit I didn't know the Carole King song which surprises me as I like a lot of her songs and the millions she's written for other artists too. I need to pay more attention obviously. What a way to spend a Sunday morning and the afternoon for others. There was so many of us I'm sure at one point we may have been close to blowing the roof off the Parish Hall. I can't express how much joy I get out of Rock Choir, you can probably tell as I write lots of posts about it but it just makes me feel really good. If you would like to join your local Rock Choir, go and give it a go. There will be lots of friendly people there to support you and you can have a free taster to see whether you like it. What's to stop you now? Check out the website at www.rockchoir.com If you want to see what fun we had yesterday, and what we get up to generally, go to the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Rock Choir Facebook page here www.facebook.com/rockchoirderbyshireandnottinghamshire/ I even got a brew yesterday too, brilliant!!! I go anywhere for a brew but a brew with fun thrown in well.....there's a party right there. Thanks for reading today......please pop back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now take care. We are warming 2018 up quite well at Rock Choir and after finishing California Dreamin' we are now well into our second song which is Don't Leave Me This Way.
Previously performed by Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes and Thelma Houston it would then became a massive 80's anthem by The Communards. I love it and it's sounding great already, one I hope will get everyone having a little boogie at our performances. It does though doesn't it? Get you moving and a groovin', it makes me smile and I just can't help wanting to release my disco diva. It's enjoyable to sing especially the part where we all love to go......wooooooooooahhhhhhh BABY!! Oh classic. What fun. Yes Jimmy Somerville and the great Reverend Richard Coles as he is now on those keys........what a keyboard player, who knew he'd turn out to be a Rev and go on Strictly. We mustn't forget the awesome female vocals on this version by Sarah Jane Morris, altogether this trio would top the charts in 1986 for four weeks making it the biggest selling single of that year. It was also voted the nations 16th favourite 80's number one in an ITV poll. So we will sing it with pride, have a lot of fun as usual and disco dance to our hearts content. It's going to be a great year I feel with my fellow Rockies, so much coming up which I'm sure I'll keep you posted on. Thank you for reading today, please pop back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday. Take care for now..... Well it's our last song to learn for this year and it's going ok so far. Taking it nice and steady as it's a bit tricky one with it's five part harmonies. Oh get me! I sound like a professional musey person but I think this is going to sound fabulous when finished.
It is of course U2's 'With or Without You' taken from one of their best albums ever, The Joshua Tree. Way back from 1987 and a class tune me thinks. Ah I was only 17 years old when this was released, yes 30 years ago!! Where did that go, only seems yesterday I was playing this on my hi fi in my bedroom. I even had the poster from this album on my wall as well. Memories!! I'm looking forward to performing all these new songs, it's always a bit nerve racking at first but when we have sung them a few times it just becomes second nature. We performed one of our new songs on Sunday, yes 'Don't Stop Believin' got an airing at Pride Park in Derby for the 10 Mile Run. Airing???? More like a freezin'. Us Rockies looked like we belonged in Blue Planet 2, I half expected David Attenborough to sneak up behind us with his commentary. It was a little cold on the corner of Pride Park Stadium but it was a great honour to be able to cheer on the runners to the finish line and give them a sing song too. I can't remember feeling that chilly but blimey I have never wished for the moves that go with our Rock Choir Songs, normally we can take them or leave them but I was taking them and doing them like never before. It's only a bit of swaying, clapping and diva arms now and again but we so needed to keep the blood pumping around our bodies. Well done to everyone who took part, congratulations to everyone who took part in the run and a huge thank you to Jennie our choir leader who sees us through, whatever the weather. It's so much fun and I'm going to say it again as there will be a new term in the new year. A good time to join us, That's when I started, fresh year, a New Years resolution maybe, it will be two years for me in January so if you fancy a free taster go to www.rockchoir.com you'll have so much fun. Keep an eye out for a Rock Choir performing near you and go and support them, take them warm drinks and mince pies!!! They will love you forever but mostly just have fun listening. Thanks for reading today, why don't you join me again tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday, for now though...... Take care. Yes it's back to a new term with Rock Choir and blimey I've missed it so much. It was lovely to see everyone again and get warming those vocal chords up. We have three great new songs to learn this term and true to our name we kicked off in style with the rock classic 'Don't Stop Believin' by Journey.
Air guitars were all tuned up and I have to say for the first week in and a new song we sounded blooming fabulous. I do love this song, it brings back funny memories of a great friend of mine who used to work as a presenter for a local radio station called RAM FM. I used to drive this man mad by requesting this song nearly every day, luckily it was a favourite of his so it became our workplace theme song. I couldn't wait to tell him what we were learning this term, think the conversation went something like, 'you'll never guess what song we are doing at Rock Choir'.......he knew! Not only did we start a new term we also had a gig on Saturday, I know!!! straight in there eh? We had the privilege of headlining, yes that's headlining The Duffield Arts Festival in Derby. We were in great company with The Derbyshire Constabulary Male Voice Choir and Derby A Capella for a Singing Spectacular. It was spectacular too and I was on my best behaviour obviously with police presence in the house.....didn't want the Derby Telegraph's headline the next day to be 'It was Jailhouse Rock for one member of Derby Rock Choir at the weekend' Yikes!!! I have to say a big welcome to all the newbies who came along this week, it was lovey to see so many people wanting to join in the fun. Looking forward to progressing with 'Don't Stop Believin' and hopefully taking part in more performances. It's not too late if you want to join us too, just go to the Rock Choir website at www.rockchoir.com and register for a free taster. We have a laugh as well as singing our hearts out so come along, you'll love it. You don't have to audition or be a professional, just as long as you love music and like to sing that's it! Anyway I'm sure I'll keep updating you all with our antics and what we get up to over the next few months. For now though thank you for reading, I will be back for Teapot Tuesday tomorrow, until then...... Take care. |
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