I cannot even begin to describe the multitude of emotions and changes that went on this past year. Truly amazing to think about it all.
Let’s see, where do I start? Well, first, I finally bit the bullet and bought a house. In the course of the first nine months of living there, my wife and I have actually made the basement into a very nice recording studio. FactorVision Studios was created just to see if my wife and I could pull it off. In the end we created a great spot for me to write, produce, mix and master music; much more relaxing and fun than the apartment room I was in.
The tones I’ve recorded there, especially for drums and guitar, have been mind-blowing! In addition to creating a great promotional package of music for the Elegant Bachelors (along with a new video), I’ve mixed and mastered the last Lingo Aisle 5 show, a couple of Bumpin the Mango live concerts, and recorded some new tracks with recording artist Takiya. Needless to say, there is a lot more to come in this new chapter of my life.
Next, my wife and I had our most awesome blessing of the year, our first born child on June 6, 2016 – Katerina (Katie) Lee Giordano. The fact that she loves music and is full of happiness and great spirit makes me ever so thankful. She has been my most massive and greatest change in my life, and I could not be prouder to have her as my daughter!
And let’s just say that having a kid is a tremendous change! There are evenings when you are planning to go into the studio and work, but then, you see that smile, and that occasional giggle. At the moment, you forget you had a studio and you spend lots of time with her. When it’s all said and done, and she’s knocked out, you find out there’s not enough time to work on a project, or you are too tired yourself to get off the couch where your daughter lies. My hope in the coming year is to achieve a greater level of balance to be the great father I can be, and also work hard as a musician.
On that front, my musical projects took an interesting turn this year. The Elegant Bachelors, which began as a simple wedding band a couple of years ago, became a more respected, and known project in the Atlanta area. They were also among my first clients to work in my new studio and together we created some really great work.
Then there is Bumpin the Mango. After finally securing our new bass player, Jason Chapman, our original sax man John Sandfort departed the band. However, just as quickly he departed did the incredibly talented Sam Skelton join the group. Now with a new promotional package, videos, and originals being written, the path set forth for the band in 2016 looks very bright and active.
On the flip side, this brings me to a slightly somber note…this year also marked the end of my most dedicated project since Tommy Talton – Lingo. It was a long time coming given the massive changes in our respective directions. But we all agreed if we couldn’t give it our all, then it wasn’t worth continuing to pursue at the current time. Still, listening back to the practice sessions before our final gig in September, I can help but know that there is still a magical connection the five of us have in the same room. I guess, when everyone is in their correct place, and the urge to get together to write comes again, we may be back on that great stage. Until then, we have lots of great shows (more soon to come) to look back at and feel proud about what we’ve accomplished.
So what’s to be expected in 2016? Well, as you may have noticed at the bottom of this site, I have officially LLC’d. That’s a big change in that a lot of what I do now will be extra-official. In addition, a new website will be built, incorporating this website and others – one that will feature my new studio, the other that will feature the music I’ve been involved with over the years and all that I have had a hand in recording too.
I plan to do more studio and recording work as well as continue my escapades with Bumpin the Mango and all the other bands I have had the pleasure of working with. I am also making myself available for any live or studio bookings you may have, as well as any projects who are looking for someone to add to their creativity palette! But most importantly, I expect this year to be when I finally release my new project I’ve been working on that showcases my original material. I’m not wanting to give too much away, but let’s just say that it is something that has been a long time coming, and has only managed to manifest itself in the past year. So unless I get taken entirely in a different direction, be on the lookout next year for this new project to surface in some capacity. It will, shall we say, Factor you!