First House Concert at Innovation Station Music's New Home - 7/23/16 w/Emily Henry and Dave Ihmels!

We are excited to announce the first house concert at our new home/studio location in Annandale, the 2nd installment in the "Music Is Life" House Concert Series - this time featuring music from Emily Henry and Dave Ihmels.

We're excited to host this series in support of our friends in the local music community, and provide a comfortable, intimate setting for artists to showcase their talents and form a direct connection with fans old and new.

A portion of this event's proceeds will also benefit Innovation Station Music, our award-winning recording studio. As co-host Alissa Moore writes, "A champion of independent musicians from the DC area, Dave is giving his studio a state-of-the-art upgrade at its new location in Annandale, VA." When completed, Innovation Station Music will be an exciting new hub for local music, offering world-class music production facilities, business strategy for musicians, and events designed to bring the greater community into the music creation process. To receive more information on this project, please go to www.supportdavesstudio.com

We encourage you to purchase tickets in advance, as space is limited. Tickets start at $15 in advance, and will be $20 at the door.  You can buy tickets at musicislife.bpt.me.  Note: Concert location will be provided with ticket purchase - if you plan to buy at the door, please contact the host for the specific address.

Light snacks and refreshments will be served, however you are welcome to bring your own food and beverages.

We will open our doors for folks to socialize and meet the artists at 6:30pm. There will be two sets, one at 7:30 and one at 9:00pm.

About the Artists:

Emily Henry is a Virginia-native singer-songwriter who grew up listening to the country-folk and pop-rock music of her parents (both musicians themselves). Emily's own songs are somewhere in the middle - a blend of pop and folk that focuses on thoughtful, complex lyrics and catchy melodies. She has been writing her own songs since age 14 and performing them regularly in the DMV area since 2010. Emily released her debut EP, "Matchsticks", to a packed house at IOTA this May, followed by a performance at The Birchmere opening for Australian chart-toppers Boy & Bear. Her album is available on every major platform and can be found, and along with more information and upcoming dates at www.emilyhenrymusic.com.

Dave Ihmels is an experimental folk-rock singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Alexandria, VA. Dave's approach to songwriting is to put a sparkle around the mundane, as demonstrated in his critically-acclaimed sophomore album The Severe Angels, produced in collaboration with Dave Mallen and released in November 2015. Ihmels offers a unique brand of folk music that brings to life idiosyncratic characters, abstract dreams, and heady concepts within lush, sonic landscapes.  He easily hops across musical styles to create songs that are both fun on the surface, and rewarding for the deeper dive. You can find more information about Dave at www.daveihmels.com.

Thanks, we're excited to share this series with you!

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Ultimate Studio Monitors Purchased, Design Challenges Create Setbacks

Well, you win some, you lose some.  First, the good news.  Last week, just on a lark, I checked the DC area Craigslist for any gear I might be looking to purchase for the new studio.  To my surprise, someone had listed the monitors I would buy if I had the money - the ATC SCM150ASLs (over $20,000 new!) - at a price I could actually afford!

Now, I was planning on going with a great set of monitors, the Neumann KH420s, at less than half the retail cost.  But when I saw that the ATCs were being sold at an amazing price, I had to follow up on this.  Turns out, I knew the guy selling them (I shouldn't be surprised by this, I guess).  He had recently been over to the house and even helped me envision the layout for the new space!  So, right away, my normal anxieties about buying high value items on Craigslist disappeared.  I got the cash, trekked out the boonies to his farmhouse/studio, where he had them set up for me to demo.

WOW.

I had never seen speakers this massive (35" x 20" x 25", I believe), and the sound was equally massive.  The bass was huge, yet super tight and controlled (the frequency response goes down to 25 Hz with its 15" bass driver).  The 3" dome midrange was incredible clear and revealing.  The highs were not harsh, yet honest, and I instantly noticed a fast transient response.  Apparently, the tweeter is a special prototype ATC made to further improve upon the design!

My friend and musical brother Dan Fisk was kind enough to swing by with his truck, and before we carted them away, I played the record I produced for Dan - and it never sounded better.  SOLD!

Getting them in the track was no easy task, and then we had to slowly travel down miles of harsh gravel roads in Leesburg, VA to get to my friend's house nearby, where we stashed them for the time being.  All in all, a very exciting day, and very exciting opportunity to pick up these dream monitors!

Well, that was yesterday.  Today, I had a call with my designer Wes, and found out that no progress had been made on my plans due to the still lingering decision on what to do about the support poles I talked about in my last post.  I was disappointed to find out that this one piece was holding up the works.  I knew ahead of time there would be unforseen delays, but I didn't think this would be one of them.  So, I'm trying to get the final design from my structural engineer, so I can provide it to Wes and he can start working in earnest.  The only problem is, it will take 6 weeks to do the initial set of plans, and that falls smack in the middle of my honeymoon in Hawaii (I know, boo hoo...).  But it also means I would have to be getting contractors involved to bid on the work while I'm in Hawaii, which wouldn't be good for any number of reasons.

This week, I've been telling myself to accept the things I can't change or control.  But it's hard.  Especially when you're someone who's worked independently for so many years.  But I have to take the long view on this and realize that all the consternation will ultimately be worth it, as I will have the studio of my dreams in just a few months.  On to the next challenge...and back to work!

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Awaiting Structural Design, Acoustic Treatment For Floors Above Studio

This week, I'm waiting for Shashi, my Structural Engineer to finalize his design for moving the "lolly poles" in the basement.  That's a new term for me!  They are the 3 columns supporting the i-beam in the basement, and well, the whole house.  In order to maximize space and maintain the integrity of Wes' studio design at least one of the poles needs to be moved or removed entirely.  This requires careful planning to reinforce the i-beam (presumably with additional beams) so that the load can be shifted and the house doesn't collapse!  This is already adding cost to an already costly project.

Another cost we didn't bargain for relates to the treatment of the floors on the main level, above the studio.  In order to minimize footfall noise (people walking around upstairs) coming into the studio, a special acoustic underlayment (rubber mat) needs to be installed under the hardwood floors.  It's frustrating, but because this is a production home, the builder seems unwilling to let us install the underlayment during the initial flooring install.  It would raise the floors at least a 1/2 inch, and there are more impacts than might immediately be apparent.  Moulding around the front and rear exterior door frames would need to be cut, quarter round moulding would need to be cut into around the vents in the kitchen island, and appliances would need to be raised, among other things.  One problematic issue is that raising the height of the floor would decrease the height of the first step leading to the bedroom level.  This is potentially a code violation and trip hazard, so we have to see what the code says about it.  If we can't install the underlayment first, we will be forced to rip up all the flooring, put down the underlayment, and then put the flooring right back down (not as easy as it sounds, and quite possible not doable at all).  Either way, the cost to take up the floors in a way that doesn't damage the wood will add a few thousand dollars of extra cost.

Both the structural changes and floor underlayment install will have to be done before my wife and I can move into the new house, so we have to figure out the solution and find contractors very soon.  Hoping something goes our way!

                                       (Pictured: poles connected to i-beam in future studio)

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PLANS UNDERWAY FOR NEW, LARGER, STATE-OF-THE-ART STUDIO!

We're excited to announce that Innovation Station Music will be building a brand new, state-of-the-art recording studio, relocating in early 2016 to nearby Annandale, VA!  We've hired one of the top studio designers on the planet, Wes Lachot, to develop the plans for what will be a world-class recording facility.  Notably, Wes' portfolio includes studios at Electric Lady (originally Jimi Hendrix's studio in NYC) and the Fidelitorium in NC (owned by R.E.M. Producer Mitch Easter).

There will be two studios running in parallel: Studio A will feature a beautiful control room, a 400+ sq. ft tracking room, and a large isolation booth, big enough for a drum kit or horn section.  Studio B contains a smaller control room and adjacent isolation booth, both of which will be tied in with Studio A for even more flexibility with live band recording.

Wes will be on site next Sunday, Oct 11 to take detailed measurements and begin work on the blueprints.  It takes about 3 months to develop a set of about 25 plans, and the buildout will take another few months.  Our goals are to achieve complete isolation between rooms and to the outside, with musically accurate mix rooms and sweet-sounding live spaces.

This week, we discovered there were 3 "lolly" poles attached to a support beam in the basement that needed to be moved.  Wes recommended I retain a Structural Engineer to see if and how the poles could be moved so as not to conflict with the studio design.  Yesterday, the engineer came out to the space and we got Wes on the phone - looks like we have some options, but it will require shifting the load and reinforcing the support beams to move/remove the problem poles.  We should be having a pow-wow on Monday to discuss further.  Just one of the many challenges I'm sure we'll encounter as the project progresses...

Here's a sneak peek of the proposed layout below.  Stay tuned for progress updates! 

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Joan and Joni - feat. Kipyn Martin and Allison Shapira - Release Show Jan. 14!

Happy New Year to all!  I had the good fortune to work on an amazing project with local folk singers Kipyn Martin and Allison Shapira, paying tribute to Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez (respectively).  I produced a 5-song EP containing breathtaking performances of some of the legendary folk artists' best songs.

"Joan and Joni" will perform their first concert on Wednesday, January 14, at 7:30 pm at Seekers Church, 276 Carroll Street, NW, Washington, DC (directly across from the Takoma Metro). This is a show you don't want to miss.  It'll also be your first chance to pick up a copy of the EP, which I'm incredibly proud of!

For more info, go to www.joanandjoni.com. Tickets may be purchased in advance here, or at the door. Thanks for supporting this amazing project!

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Rising Star Nia CC Sings For Healthy Kids, Releases New Video

I love when Nia CC comes to the studio.  The 15-year old Singer/Songwriter always comes with BOTH her parents, and often a sibling or two.  This is one of the most supportive families I've ever encountered, and it's no doubt one of the reasons why Nia CC is so talented, beyond her years, and delightful to work with.

A few weeks ago, the family surprised me with an amazing MTV-style music video they shot with a New York City-based director for the first song I produced for Nia, called "Forget".  I nearly fell out of my chair!

Then, last week, Nia showed me another video, this time of her performing for a Healthy Kids event in New York City.  The way the kids responded to the music and looked up to her filled me with immense joy and pride!  So I just had to share.

This is definitely one young artist to watch.  Visit www.niaccmusic.com for more info!

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DC Deputy Mayor Convenes Task Force to Promote DC Music + My SAW Article

On Friday, I participated in an important meeting near the White House featuring representatives from the DC Deputy Mayor's office and the Washington DC Creative Economy Partnership (WDCEP).  As part of a new Task Force convened to work with local government to elevate the DC Music both in the region and nationally, I was excited to see so many music community leaders present, discussing the various issues and opportunities before us.

The primary focus was on a pressing need - how to curate and promote a lineup of the best musicians and bands representing DC area music that will perform at an official DC showcase at SXSW in the Spring.

Several points of view were discussed - some felt we should be giving rising stars the national exposure as well as create a "home away from home" for festival attendees from DC, while others felt we needed bigger names, artists with DC roots who may no longer be based in the area (like Trouble Funk or Dave Grohl), in order to draw a more diverse crowd.

It brought up a larger issue, in that we need an infrastructure in the DC area that supports and nurtures musical talent, and allows them to stay here even after they've achieved national or international success.  My thoughts on staying local and investing the local music ecosystem were publicized in a recently article written by Nicole Belanus for the Songwriters' Association of Washington (SAW).  You can read the article here.

I'm confident, with a Task Force comprised of artists, forward-thinking venue owners, community organizers, producers, managers, and more - all working in partnership with the DC government, we can assemble a fantastic group of artists and bands to play SXSW.  More challenging, however, will be tackling the broader concerns about how government can help facilitate public and private sector support (financial and otherwise) for the local music economy - one in which the high cost of living and transient population make it challenging for music professionals.

Another challenge: teaching musicians to becoming astute businesspeople - learning how to maximize their potential from all available revenue streams and advocate for fair, but more favorable deals with venues as well as corporate partnerships.  In the meeting, I offered to find a way to take elements of the Music Business Strategy I provide my clients and offer them to the public as a government resource.  Business education is key for musicians to achieve greater exposure and attract outside investment.

Also, we need to continue building the local music infrastructure - creating synergies amongst music creators, supporting industries, local government, and private companies - in order to build a more thriving music economy in the DC area - and keep the talent here!

One of the attendees suggested doing a SWOT Analysis (look it up if you don't know what it is).  It got a few chuckles, but for some time, I have had all my consulting clients do this type of analysis from the artist perspective.  We highlighted some of the challenges facing local musicians, and I asked the DC Deputy Mayor's committee if it would be willing to help remove some of the barriers facing the music community today - parking restrictions outside venues, noise ordinances, official festivals that don't pay musicians, busking restrictions on the Metro, etc.  I didn't get a real response, but it was just our initial meeting, and these things will take time to sort through and address.

Overall, I'm optimistic about how this group might be able to foster a better local music economy.  It has to be based on a win-win scenario - the recognition that arts (and not just fine arts a la the Smithsonian, but an indie music scene) are a proven driver for the economy, but we cannot pay lip service to the musicians driving it - there must be real, tangible investment in the music scene if this is to work.

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