Album Release: Ten Whole Minutes

Over the past couple of years I have been working towards something that I have always dreamed of doing... creating an album.

I have always been interested in music, which is why I eventually ended up at the University of Lethbridge studying for my Bachelor of Music (Voice). Over the summer of 2010 I branched out of classical music and started writing songs of my own. I got a guitar, taught myself how to play it and songwriting soon filled my every waking moment. No matter what I was doing or where I was, I always found myself writing songs in my head. I was constantly whipping out my phone or scrambling for my notebook, writing in new lyrics or song ideas that intrigued me.

That summer, I tried my hand at recording for the first time in my friend's basement, and I loved it so much I decided to release those songs on iTunes. 

Through the school year, I continued to gain stage experience as I performed like my grades depended on it (they did), and I also performed my own music when I had the opportunity. As much as I loved singing on stage in a pretty dress, I knew that my love for songwriting, guitar and playing my own songs made me happier than singing Italian arias ever would.

That year I met Garth, we got married and he helped me realize that I had to pursue my ultimate dream, to be a musician and a recording artist. I had the opportunity to open for Peter Katz in Lethbridge and that was the exact night I realized, this is what makes me happy.

After that strong realization, we made plans to record an album. I continued to write songs and we researched different recording studios and producers. To make a long story short, we found the perfect producers who could help turn my songs into the album that I dreamed of making. I plan on writing a whole other blog post about the recording process/making of this album later on.

After 2 years of balancing pregnancies, babies, songwriting and recording...

Mulling over lyrics, demos, album art, name changes and cd manufacturing...

Through all the ups and downs of the most incredible learning process...

We have my 6 song EP...

 Ten Whole Minutes.

All these songs that I wrote for the album were written during the craziest time of my life, where so much was happening and changing.  The only way I knew how to deal with everything was to write about it. It was like therapy for me. The idea of my album title "Ten Whole Minutes" is the thought that in Ten Whole Minutes, everything can change.

One thing I knew I wanted to do along with this release was to have a release concert/party along with it. I have had so many supportive friends and family who have been encouraging me and waiting patiently through out the whole process so I thought that there would be nothing better than getting to celebrate this album with all of them.

The week leading up to the concert was incredibly fun and busy with lots of planning, practicing and frequent trips to Long & McQuade. It was also incredibly stressful! I was fighting through sickness and pregnancy hormones, the weather turned for the worse causing over half of the rsvps to cancel.

In the end, everything worked out amazing and despite all those people that couldn't come, I was ecstatic about how many people did make it out to support me that night. I had the most amazing time finally being able to share my songs off the album as well as some others.

To end off the perfect day, I found out that CBC Radio 1 played my single, Sparks, on their show, The Key of A. 

I couldn't be happier that I have made my dream a reality and I am so grateful for Garth who did everything he could to make this happen. I will always look back on this and remember when we were students in school, with a son (and one on the way) and how he worked his butt of every summer and sacrificed so much to make this possible for me. 

I will never ever forget it.

If you are interested in hearing my EP, you can find it by clicking on these links to cdbaby or

iTunes.

Now that my music is out there and ready I can't wait to start performing again and sharing it with everyone, just like the very first time I did and realized this is what makes me happy.

-A.

Our Gigantic Piano, Return of the Grandparents & Lights

November was an extremely busy month for both Garth and I. He was finishing up papers and assignments for his final semester while I spent my time preparing for my concert and the release of my EP. 

Part of the chaos that ensued during the month of November was due to our frequent trips to Calgary. We love going to Calgary to visit friends and family but it was so hard to manage getting everything done this month while travelling back and forth endlessly. 

We are so lucky and blessed to have been given this beautiful piano. My Aunt and Uncle moved out of their house and they said that if we could take care of getting it out, we could have their piano. Anybody who knows me knows that this is a dream come true. I have missed having a piano around since I first moved away from home about 6 years ago and I couldn't wait to finally have one in my own home.

The whole moving process was one of the most stressful experiences. We looked into piano movers, but the problem was it was way too expensive to move the piano from Calgary to Lethbridge. After lots of frustrating phone calls, it was decided that we would borrow a truck and a trailer and drive it up to Calgary, load the piano in and bring it home. My grandpa hired some piano movers to get the piano from the basement to the trailer in Calgary and we took care of getting lots of people to help move it into our house in Lethbridge.

Sounds like we had it all figured out right? 

Wrong.

We showed up in Calgary and went over to look at the piano, it turns out it was way too tall to fit into the trailer. Since that was literally the only weekend we could get the piano we had no choice but to either give it up or somehow find an available U-haul in the city in the next hour before the movers showed up. After my meltdown, we managed to find a huge U-haul truck that was way too big for what we needed but we drove out to go get it and made it back to the house as the movers showed up.

When the movers went to look at the piano, they said it was way too heavy and they would need 2 more guys to move it, which would charge extra. Garth offered to help so then we waited another hour for an extra guy to show up and help us move it.

The piano is very old (1918) and extremely heavy so the only way it could be moved was out of the walk-out basement, through the backyard, around the back pathway to the street. 

(The next section is written by Garth, his firsthand account of the retrieval of the piano)

"Unfortunately, the night before we went to get the piano, a heavy wet and white blanket fell upon Calgary, so moving the piano across the snow, which only hid the wet grass underneath, proved to be quite difficult, especially considering the style and weight of the piano. So the movers and I strapped the piano to a piano dolly and us four guys hoisted and gently bulldozed the piano across the back lawn, traipsing through the snow, dodging unwanted lawn tools and unseen divots, finally arriving at the bike path."

"This path, that ran behind the house, would be, on any other day, during any other activity, a wonderful place to stroll as it sits along the edge of the valley with a view of the city of Calgary, resting beneath. It just so happened that on this day, it had been warm and the snow had not been cleared. It was apparent that the locals do indeed use this path, more likely for leisure than transportation,  made evident by the plethora of footprints left in the snow. This however meant that now that it was dark and had gotten considerably colder, the path became a seemingly endless thoroughfare of landmine-esk-once-melted-now-frozen-and-trampled snow."
"The soft ringing coming from the vibrating internal organs of this gorgeous piano echoed through the darkened back way as the piano jumped, dipped and snagged on the snowy path below. As the resting place for the piano came into view the two front wheels on the piano dolly, that had been supplied by our Russian speaking movers, lovingly fell off. This meant that us four, now cold, exhausted men, each experiencing varying levels of HAVS, had to simply carry, unassisted, the 700lb musical dead weight to the truck. 
Luckily that was the hard part."
(End of Garth's account)

Once the piano made it safely into our U-haul we rushed home, picked up Grant and then I drove the truck and trailer home with Grant, while Garth drove the U-haul home to Lethbridge. Luckily, once we got home, everything went smoothly and with the U-haul ramp, and the help of some awesome guys, it was super easy getting the piano into our house. 

Even though it was one of the most stressful days, and it cost us a lot more money than we were expecting, both Garth and I said it was worth it as soon as we saw it in our house. We both couldn't be happier and I have had so much fun playing the piano again, when Grant will let let me of course haha. 

Another reason we went to Calgary was for our big Ikea trip. We wanted to get the boys room ready and organized before our baby arrives. We bought a new chair, a new dresser and a new mattress for Grant's "big boy" bed. I will post pictures of their room once it is complete, but for now I will just say I am so happy with it, and my boys have such a cute room!

With new furniture comes big boxes...which ultimately means forts!

While we were in Calgary, we got to go to the mall and visit Carissa at Chapters AND I finally found red Hunter boots that I had looked all over Denver for. It was a very successful shopping trip to Calgary.

We were so lucky to be able to spend some time with Devin before he left on his 2 year mission to Tahiti! We knew we wouldn't be able to make it to his farewell so it was so nice getting to say goodbye in person. He is going to be amazing and I am so excited for him.

Speaking of missions, Garth's parents completed their mission in Ireland and came home November 11th. We all went to the airport to greet them, it was such an incredible day. They left for their mission a couple weeks after Grant was born so we were excited  for him to meet his grandparents again now that he is older.

It didn't take long for them to become best friends. Grant really loves spending time with his Grandma and Grandpa.

I feel so grateful that I get to spend so much time with both my boys during these winter months, and it has also been so nice getting to go on dates just the two of us as well. 

Taking pictures on our "downtown" outing

Poutine...mmmmmmm

Date night to the theatre 

Waiting to watch Eric kill it in Guys & Dolls

 This month our date nights consisted of going to see our friend Eric in "Guys & Dolls" which was so entertaining! We also went to see Lights live in concert and I have to say, I have been listening to Lights since her first album and I never expected to experience what we did. Her vocals were insane! Garth and I were so blown away.

Here are some pictures of Grant, because he is the cutest thing. I plan on doing an update all about him because there is just so much to say about his spunky self.

Seriously, how did I get so lucky?!

-A.

I Wanna Be Sedated....

Since we basically got home from our trip and Halloween was practically here, we had to think up a costume idea for Grant really quick... and I love what we came up with! We thought Grant would make a pretty cute rockstar.

Garth made Grant a custom Ramones shirt and changed one of the names to "D W GEE" (dwgrant). 

We bought some blue hair dye but it only wilted his mohawk so we had to scrap that and redo his hair. Grant hated us putting on the temporary tattoos. He was in a really bad mood as it was and then we were sticking things all over his arms which made him really mad. I couldn't get as many as I wanted on him but it worked and got the point across. Surprisingly, he loved it when I put the black eyeshadow on him. He loves watching me do my own makeup, so I think he felt special that I was doing his haha.

He did a really good job at portraying his character. He looked very angst and emo the whole time.

Okay, not the whole time.

We went over to Jace and Vicky's new house to go trick-or-treating with the cousins. It was the most beautiful night I have ever seen trick-or-treating in Alberta.

Grant had a hard time keeping up with the other cousins so Garth carried him around all night.

After awhile we headed back and Grant had the best time hanging out with Lizzy, Hayden, Zoe and Mary.

When we took our rockstar home for the night, we gave him a bath and rubbed him down with baby oil, which took the tattoos right off. The makeup took a bit longer to completely wash away. He looked a little scary for a couple days haha.

It was such a fun Halloween night and Grant enjoyed trick-or-treating for the first time. When we were done and he realized what was in his bag, I think he loved it even more!

-A.