andrew dodson

I’m pleased to take full credit for winning over a new blogger - the JMB’s very own Derek Hughes.  See… I can take full credit because I’m the one that started the JMB blog!  Face it folks.  You want to blog.  All the cool people are doing it.  Just like Derek.  Go on.  You can start your own blog too.

Derek’s blog

I haven’t blogged about XM radio for a while, so I figure it’s time for an update.

I’m still loving XM. More than I thought I ever would. The newest reason why? They listen to listener feedback. I’m assuming they were receiving a lot of negative feedback in regards to their selection of Christian channels. Formerly, they had a Christian rock channel (harder rock), a poppy Christian channel (you’d never hear Tomlin, Crowder, or much of anything modern), and a black gospel channel.

This lineup has been revised. They now have a channel that rivals K-Love and Air One, playing a mix of Christian pop & rock. I have a feeling I’ll be listening to this channel a lot. They’ve kept the black gospel channel, which I’m sure has always been well received. Now, they’ve added a southern gospel channel (this may be enough to win over my southern-gospel-lovin’ friends!)
I imagine this lineup of Christian channels will be very well received.

On another note…

While at work, I listen mostly to The Mix, which is an adult contemporary rock channel, playing newer songs.  It’s fairly repetative, so I occasionally have to turn the dial to something else for a while.

In a move that makes me scratch my head a bit, they’ve added “Flight 26″ which is, essentially, The Mix combined with the 90’s channel.  Hopefully, they’ll realize this, and create a more unique channel in the future.

I’ve been able to start crossing a lot of things of my Yahoo calendar’s task list this past week - mixing the JMB album, taxes, mailing out CDs, working on websites, etc.  Always good to feel a sense of accomplishment.  It’s looking like I’ll have a week or two of not-so-much-to-do, so I plan on doing a lot of reading, journaling, and hopefully…exercising!  Getting back to the gym on a regular basis is high priority right now.  I may try to find some time for PlayStation, even.
Tonight’s agenda?  A thorough apartment cleaning.  Let the games begin…

I’ve spent the majority of my free time the past week or so mixing the new JMB album.  At this point, I’d say it’s 90-95% done.  I handed copies off to the rest of band tonight to get their input on the mixes.  We’ll see what they have to say.  A select few others have heard it, and it’s getting some positive feedback so far (either that, or they’re just being nice to me!).  We’re in good shape for our April 29th release date!

I didn’t really think it would happen.  Even as a five year old, I knew it was far fetched.  But, it can’t hurt to dream, can it?

While attending Summit Elementary in Cincinnati, it was common knowledge that I was a serious Reds fan.  Much to my surprise, one of my classmates was the daughter of Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman.  Yes, the Hall-of-Fame-best-broadcaster-in-the-business Marty Brennaman.

Each day when he would pick up his daugther from school, he would say, “Andrew, I can get you any autograph you want.  You name it, and I’ll get it for you.”  Sorry, Marty.  Not good enough.  I’ve never been a fan of signatures on paper (or other memorabilia).  What’s the big deal?  I’d rather meet the person.  I’d rather get my picture with them (a la my picture with Johnny Bench, who, ironically, autographed the back of the picture).  I’d rather hang out with them, if even for a few minutes, and talk to them.  To make a short story long, I passed on the chance to get Eric Davis’s autograph.

“Nah, I want you to bring them to my house,” I said.  I pictured twenty-five Reds players - in uniform - standing around in my front yard.  It never happened.

Last week, while listening to the Reds game on XM, I emailed this story to Marty in the booth.  In the middle of the game, I was quite surprised to hear Marty say, “It was nice to hear from Andrew Dodson down in Frankfort, Kentucky.”  He went on to tell his own rendition of the story, and concluded with, “Andy, I’m afraid you made a big mistake.”

If everyone gets fifteen minutes of fame, I felt like this was mine.  Hearing Marty tell my story to listeners across the nation was quite an experience.  All I could do was laugh.  Thanks Marty.  You’re the best.

Last night, I started mixing & mastering the new JMB album - Not So Easily Pleased.  I’m three songs in, as of right now, and I’d give the mixes a B at this point.  Everything’s sounding good, but it still needs to be tweaked to sound great.  I’m somewhat disappointed in the snare & tom sounds that ended up going to tape, but there’s not much I can do now!  That’s the glory of the mixing process though - I can EQ and compress and do whatever needs to be done to get the desired sound.  I take pride in my mixes, and I’m going to be very picky about this album!!

I’ll use this week to finish a “first draft” of mixes for the entire album, let the band hear it, and go from there.  We’re trying to get it completed by the end of this month.

Most of my free moments in the coming days will be spent on this project…

I’m surprised at how this story has touched me. By all accounts, Coach Dixon was a tremendous human being that impacted the lives of everyone. I feel for her brother - the “other” Coach Dixon (Pittsburgh men’s basketball coach). The world needs more people like her…

Army women’s basketball coach dead at 28 - NCAAW - Yahoo! Sports

New Wall Decorations

Originally uploaded by AndrewD300.

Check out the new wall decorations. Like ‘em? Go to Corinth and get some for yourself. They’re FREE!

IMG_0254.JPG

Originally uploaded by AndrewD300.

Aside from being a nosy little dog, Bailey really, really wanted to go up to the attic with me. This was as close as he got…

I’ve been busy redesiging the Saxton’s Cornet Band’s website.  I have to say, it’s looking really good.  Thanks to CSS, of course.  I was going to upload what was completed tonight, but it has been so long since I’ve FTP’d anything to the site that I’ve forgotten the login information.  Once I get that, we’ll be good to go.  More soon…