Home Recording Studio

Ladies and Gentlemen, we live in a world where anyone can have their very own home recording studio.  As a matter of fact, not only can you have a recording studio, you can even bring it with you all the way to Germany!  

Fritz had a conference in London for three days this week, so while he was presenting his research over there, I stayed in Frankfurt and made my very first music video.  

A few years ago, my friends gave me an awesome USB microphone which I brought with me to Germany.  I found my guitar at a flee market for 35 euros the first weekend we were in Frankfurt.  And computers these days have all the programs neccessary for an amature production. 

So there you have it, all the makings for a home studio!  

The last essential part of a home recording studio, is a perfectly silent room.  This was actually the trickiest part of the whole opporation.  We live one block from the busiest section of railroad in Frankfurt.  Our bedroom window goes right to the street closest to the tracks.  A clattering, squealing background cacophony is not exactly what I was going for, so the bedroom was out for a plausable recording space.  

Monday mornings, the housekeeper is in the building and you can hear her vacuuming from about 9am to 12:30pm.  So that meant no recording on Monday morning.  Then there is a guy who diligently practices the saxaphone from about 10am to 11:30am every single day without fail.  I am completely amazed at his (or her) commitment.  I have played musical instruments almost my entire life starting with the piano at 7 years old, but I have never been as conscientious about maintaining a practice schedule as this person.  Perhaps if I had, I would be a better musician.  Oh well.  Kudos to you Mr. Saxaphone Practicer!  Kudos! 

The last sound that I had to battle with, was the obnoxious and constant buzz of our refrigorator.  I tried angling the mic away from it.  I tried recording in the far opposite corner of the living room.  But our appartment is just too small to escape the off-key drone of the fridge.  So, I unplugged it.  I may or may not have forgotten to plug it back in once or twice during the process... but I think everything is still more or less edible.  

So that's it!  I recorded everything with Garage Band, then used iMovie to edit a few differnt clips of video footage that I took in the apartment.  I learned that it's a lot harder to lipsync than the celebrities make it look at the Super Bowl.  Seriously, I don't know how they do it! 

I recorded the song "Dona Nobis Pacem."  My mom taught it to me when I was little and we would sometimes sing it in rounds during car rides or when we were hiking in the woods as a family.  It's one of my favorite Christmas songs, although I think it's appropriate for any time of year.  There are only three words in the entire song, with three variations on the same melody.  Out of simplicity comes complexity as the three melodies are woven together.  The words mean "Grant Us Peace."  A beautiful wish for the world we are living in today. 

I've posted the finished product on youtube.  You can watch it by clicking here if you'd like.