#BuildBetterBrains Project

Making Music Makes You Smarter
Two sets of handbells and a piano are ready in a studio.

This music education project has taken a long time to get rolling.  There were a lot of life hurdles —  not the least of which was a big move that upended everything.

Finally though, I'm in the studio doing what I love: Making music.  It has been a long time.

I'm a soloist, right? so you'd think that being self-isolated for a month wouldn't be a big deal.  

Well, actually, I don't really think of myself as a soloist. I prefer to partner with other musicians in small ensembles. Even when it's just a pianist or organist, I look for music that is as interesting for them as it is for me.

So that threatened to derail this launch project, which is a handbell duet with piano.  Around here, it's just me, myself, and I.

This has made a bunch of extra work, but the final product is fun.  And it won't be a Brady Bunch-style virtual ensemble.

This isn't my first multiple-track recording of my own performance, but it is the first time I've done it where I've been 3 musicians, 2 camera operators, sound engineer, and editor.

As always, limitations nurture creativity. I've been reading posts from illustrator and all-around creative guru Doug Drexler, of Star Trek fame.  His work on the 1990s-2000s shows is fascinating — much of it predated whiz-bang computer-enabled effects.  If the script called for something to appear on screen, you had to build it and make it work, on time and on budget. The challenges they overcame to create a convincing view of the 24th century are impressive.

So, inspired not only by Doug but by the healthcare workers, teachers, and parents who are all working with all sorts of limitations, I am chugging through the challenges to try to brighten this corner of the world in the one way I can: with music.

To make sure you see it when it drops, subscribe to my YouTube channel at youtube.com/danielmreck.

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