Debbie & Friends Remix Contest

Calling all Kids (and their Parents): Create a Debbie and Friends Remix in GarageBand and enter your remix to win some great prizes!

Here’s a chance to try your hand as a record producer. Between now and April 4, families can play around with the tracks of “Willy Won’t,” a new song from our forthcoming CD, More Story Songs & Sing Alongs, to create their own version.

It is easy to enter the contest at http://debbieandfriendsremix.ning.com/.

Contestants may download the Garageband file to the song “Willy Won’t” from the contest site, and load it into their GarageBand app on their Mac computer. The family mix engineers can then record additional tracks, raise or lower the volume on existing tracks, add special effects, and add their own special touches to create a unique version of “Willy Won’t.”

Contestants must submit their remix entries by Sunday, April 4th, as instructed on the contest site.

All entries will be considered, and the winner will be announced on Monday, April 5th. The winners will receive great prizes from Debbie and Friends including CDs, music instructional books, t-shirts and other great gear. The winning remix will also be featured on this blog.

Here’s the original version.

Let’s hear what yours will sound like! Good luck!

MEDIA CONTACT:
Beth Blenz-Clucas, Sugar Mountain PR
(503) 293-9498 beth@sugarmountainpr.com

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Bob McGrath and Me

Here’s a sneak preview to the Debbie and Friends’ duet with Bob McGrath, “Until Next Time,” currently in production. What an honor to record with Bob!

Special thanks to Berklee’s David Mash who is featured on classical guitar. I hope you enjoy the song! It will be part of the new Debbie and Friends’ CD, MORE STORY SONGS & SING ALONGS, to be released in March 2010.

Until Next Time, duet with Bob McGrath by Debbie and Friends

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Song Inspiration: My Newphew, “Will”

I have a nephew named “Will” who is a major source of inspiration for my Debbie and Friends’ songs. As many of you know, when Will was 3-years old, he told the story of the Three Little Pigs with such enthusiasm one day that it inspired me to write a story song. That led to a series of story songs and I’m so grateful to Will for his creative spirit and for being such a source of inspiration.

Will is now 8 and continues to inspire. He’s got a great sense of humor. In fact, he went through a stage of making silly faces every time his picture was being taken. Even his school picture!

Of course, I had to turn that into a song!

And so, “Willy Won’t Smile for the Camera” is slated to be on our new CD in January. Here’s a production version of the song featuring Will himself singing the bridge (where he tells us why he does what he does).

“Willy Won’t” featuring Will - In Production by Debbie and Friends

And now, a new music cartoon for “Willy Won’t” is in development. It will feature Will and his whole family in cartoon form. Here’s a preview of what they look like on the big screen!

Stay tuned for the Storyboard version of the cartoon. It will be posted in a couple of weeks. Then, in January, the real cartoon will be released.

Thanks Will, for being my inspiration! You have a very proud Aunt (actually several of them!)

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In the Recording Studio with Debbie and Friends

Debbie and Friends’ second CD, More Story Songs and Sing Alongs is going to be released in January 2010, and we’re having so much fun recording the songs. Many of you have asked about the recording process, and so I thought I’d share how we constructed our new song, “So, So Happy,” in the studio.

First, let’s listen to the whole song. Then we’ll listen to the individual parts (or tracks) we recorded.
So So Happy - in production by Debbie and Friends

With our producer Mike Carrera guiding the way, we recorded the rhythm section tracks for “So, So, Happy.” The rhythm section includes Drums, Bass, Guitar, and Piano.

Let’s listen to each individual rhythm section instrument we recorded for “So, So, Happy,” and meet the players.

Drums with Bill D’Agostino.

Drums - So, So Happy by Debbie and Friends

Bass with Danny “Mo” Morris.

Bass - “So, So Happy” by Debbie and Friends

Guitar with Kevin Belz.

Guitar - “So, So Happy” by Debbie and Friends

Keyboard with Dave Limina.

Keyboard - “So, So Happy” by Debbie and Friends

Kids: My nephews and niece had a lot of fun making cheering, clapping, and shouting sounds for the chorus parts of the song.

Even though we captured each instrument on its own track, the parts were recorded at the same time, as a band. That’s why, when you listen really closely to the drum track above, you can hear a hint of guitar coming through the drum mics.

Now that you’ve heard the different parts, listen to the full song again and see if you and your family can pick out the individual instrument parts when they are all mixed together. It’s fun to do this with other recordings you listen to as well!

For an added challenge, click on the individual instrument tracks in this post, one at a time, and take turns guessing which instruments you are hearing: either drums, bass, guitar or piano.

Have any of you had any experience recording music? Please post your comments, or questions, below!

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