Day 3. Sweet T.
Terry Byrne, muliti-instrumentalist, takes us through Day 3.
“You have to know the rules in order to break them.”
– Ryan
We are moving along at a clip. The band is working diligently and patiently. We came into this project with months of preparation. These songs have been ingrained in our conscious for quite some time. Due to this, making significant changes to song structure, melody, and style could prove difficult at first. When you’ve worked on a song long enough to the point where your part becomes second nature, it is certainly not the easiest process breaking the habit to which you were accustomed.
The first few days have been a revealing experience for me. That being said, it has been an experience which has left me truly grateful to be in a working relationship with this group of people. As an alcoholic in recovery, remaining open to suggestion, practicing humility and patience, are all behaviors which I need to practice on a daily basis. What baffles me is that each member of this band possesses these qualities, perhaps even more so than those of us working a program a recovery.
We came here to make an album, plain and simple. If we got down here, played our parts, and Duane said, “Everything is perfect,” there would have been no need to leave Chicago, or enlist the help of a talented producer. Now that we have begun dissecting each song and making rearrangements, the songs seem to have taken on new life. The running theme of tracking the rhythm section has been a search through each part and leaving behind only the notes that serve an essential purpose. The approach to recording the album in general is to find the parts that best suit the song as opposed to the player. Ultimately, I feel every member of this project is putting forth their best effort to serve the band rather than the individual. Operating within this mentality opens up endless possibilities, both musically and otherwise. If we continue to operate with trust, devoid of ego and pride, I believe we are onto something truly special.
