THE MUSICIAN
by Jennifer Terran
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Photo
by Terry Payne 2000 |
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The Musician is like a play within a play. It is a concept record, moving beyond the tradition of slapping a bunch of songs on a CD and calling it an album. It is comprised of music that belongs together, with a picture being painted, with a story being told. It's a multi-leveled entity to be uncovered and felt, with the use of time and reflection by you, the listener.
Those of you who are looking for instant food, just add water and go, Britney Spears whatever kind of music, I'm probably not for you. But who knows. I'll let you figure that one out. All I know is that my job is to dig down deep and put it out there, naked, real... no bullshit, just my honest truth and my total love, expressed to my best ability through the music.
For two years I stopped doing public performances and promotion. As an independent artist, I had gotten to the point where the job of getting the music out there was getting in the way of me creating and playing the music. So I decided to disappear from view, get back to what was real and put all my energy into making a recording that would really speak for me. And that is essentially what went down.
I spent two years reading technical manuals, asking a zillion stupid questions to everyone who seemed to know anything about recording engineering- and through much perseverance, I recorded, mixed and completed The Musician at home... in my own creative space... and on my own terms. Happily modern technology was making it possible for me to get better results sonicly than what I had captured in the finest recording studios paying top dollar. But most importantly by recording at home, I was able to express my own vision... my own painting, stroked and detailed by my own hand in a very personal way. And that is something that the best engineers and producers in the world couldn't have done for me.
The songs weren't played for anyone except for the musicians on the album as I was recording them. Whether good nor bad, I didn't want to be burdened or distracted by peoples' opinions. I just wanted The Musician to be pure and to simply present my own vision... so it made sense to rely on my own intuition to guide it.
Anyway, the journey of making the album was a very good one- sometimes paved with bliss and inspiration, sometimes paved with utter hell and sadness. And if I seem overly dramatic here, I'm sorry, but what can I say. I had never worked this hard for anything in my whole life! My drive and commitment to making this CD was ridiculous high. I suppose, because I knew I was getting down to what was really important to me in this world. And I knew I was engaged in something very special, if not for just myself, but for the people who could potentially understand.
But enough of that. The real point now is that The Musician is finished, to be praised or rejected, ignored or adored. It's out there. It's done. And I hope it reaches you.
- Jennifer Terran
November 20, 2000 |