Artist Interview

Last week I was interviewed via email for an artist spot on the Christmas music blog Merry and Bright.

Here's an excerpt:

"Q: With two Christmas albums released in two years, it's clear that you love Christmas music. How did this develop? Was Christmas music a big part of your childhood?

A: Actually, I pull out Christmas music by July! With the recordings for these two albums, I have been able to enjoy Christmas music production year round. My family has always included music with Christmas. On Dec. 23 or Christmas Eve, my family carols to our neighbors and people in the community we want to thank for their contributions to making living in our town better. We bring baklava and other family favorites to share. Sometimes my sister brings her soprano sax home and accompanies us..."

Read the rest of the interview at Merry and Bright! Check out Jazzy Christmas to You! and Jazzy Christmas to You II.  Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Eve and Pumpkin Bread

I love Christmas, as you can tell from my two albums Jazzy Christmas to You! and Jazzy Christmas to You II, but you may not know that I also love Thanksgiving!

In 2007, my sister, Amy, bought me some bakeware from Williams-Sonoma as an "after-performance" gift when I sang with a big band. Ever since, it has been a yearly tradition for me to make a pumpkin spice bread in one of the ceramic dishes!  Below are the results.

Just out of the oven...

Just out of the dish...

Just glazed!

You can see in the background, the book, Thank You, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson and illustrated by Matt Faulkner. It is recounts the diligent efforts of Sarah Hale lobbying, writing letters, and promoting the importance of a national holiday dedicated to gratitude. The book is also hilarious! I highly recommend it!

Did you know that it took Sarah 38 years of pursuing approval by the time Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln?  Four previous presidents did not support her efforts.  I am grateful the United States of America has a day of gratitude on Thanksgiving each year!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve from me to you! Save some room for pie! My dad likes Pumpkin Chiffon Pie.  My mom likes Raspberry Blueberry Pie.  Amy likes Coconut Cream Pie or Pecan Pie.  Erik and I like all of the above!

Heart Monitoring and No Technology

This past week I had a heart monitor on.  Don't get too worried, it was just to check some things.

It was a surprise to learn that I couldn't be near anything magnetized.  This meant I couldn't be near technology, microwaves, etc. for very long!

At first I thought this would be something manageable.  I even thought that maybe it would be good for me to have a break from working on the promotion of Jazzy Christmas to You II and writing blogs and doing homework and not warming up my own food!

I could only use my phone for very short amounts of time.  I felt as if I'd been cut off from the world!

Fortunately, it only lasted a day, though it seemed like an eternity.

I am grateful for technology.  I am glad things like heart monitors are able to measure irregularities.  I am very grateful I don't wear one every day!  I have a profound respect for those who are limited in their activities due to having to wear monitors.  It is a good thing to be able to accept our limitations and also appreciate the limitations of others so we can help them.  This experience taught me greater gratitude!

Masterclass from Bruce Leek the Mastering Master!

Erik, Bruce Leek, and Jordan

Me, Bruce Leek, and Erik

Last week Bruce Leek came to record the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra and, fortunately for us, he also taught not just one masterclass, but "mentored" students for three days! (Click for Photos.)

Bruce is one of the first mastering engineers having mastered Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, and many other artists.  He is a master at recording and mastering.  He shared with us so many lessons that are already invaluable as we are recording and mixing our next albums.

Erik's favorite thing he learned is Bruce Leek hates compression--so does Erik!  Unlike what many sound engineers like to believe, compression DOES change the sound.  Of course it does because compression makes the sound louder, so it's going to be changing things.  To quote Leek, "Compression sounds like crap!"

Erik learned that instead of using compression he can use a limiter and an expander.  That allows for individual control on the high end and the low end.

Working almost 20 hours besides his regular job at BYUB and going to school, Erik helped unpack and set up Leek's equipment.  Erik is an old hand at setting up and striking audio equipment--well, just about any equipment really!

I was able to go learn from Bruce on the Saturday morning when pick ups (sections of the music that are recorded to be spliced back in with the performance) were being recorded.  I learned so much by listening and observing!

I had to borrow Erik's work gloves...sensitive hands!

The funniest part of all this is I helped pack up his equipment.  Do you believe it?  Yes, me!

I am so grateful that Bruce Leek enjoys teaching the rising generation of audio engineers.  He gave us priceless gifts of knowledge that can only be gleaned from a master.

Doing it for the Team or Meeting the Ungas

"I'm doing it for the team."  That's what we say in our family when we do something we usually do not do but do anyway because it is important to someone else in the family!  Late Saturday night, my mom did just that!

My sister, Amy, LOVES BYU football.  I don't think she has ever missed a game.  That's our Amy!

Erik, the other half of the Jillaine Records team, is the audio mixer for the live broadcasts of BYUtv's Countdown to Kickoff  pregame show and the BYUtv Sports Postgame Show  for away games.  Naturally, I was tuned in during Countdown to Kickoff.  So was Amy, who texted my mom asking if somehow a "Harvey Unga" autograph could make it onto some Chaston BYU gear!

Being a creative problem solver, my mom realized that she might by chance see Harvey after the BYUtv Sports Postgame Show  while she waited to give Erik a ride home from work.  I collected a couple of BYU presents set aside for Christmas for Amy and my older brother, Keith William.  I grabbed a BYU hat of Erik's and put them all in a bag for my mom to take with her to pick up Erik.  I also double checked that the black Sharpie wasn't dried out.  I kept her posted on the progress of the Postgame Show.

Harvey and Keilani Unga

As you see, my mom got a picture of Harvey and his wife, Keilani, who is on the BYU Women's Basketball team.  What a beautiful couple--and so gracious to take the time to visit with my mom!

Actually, a few years ago Keilani, Erik and I were all in the same performance psychology class. Keilani even remembered Erik and me from class, that I was a singer, and that I had performed in class as part of a presentation.  I remembered her but did not expect her to remember us!

And thank you mom, for "doing it for the team!"

There's more! It was great seeing Harvey as a commentator on the Pregame and Postgame Shows. Being an on-air co-host for a radio morning show for an internship (read my previous posts Birthday, Voice Tracking, Internship and Saying Goodbye... and Radio and Ann Romney), I know that the quality of the voice is supremely important.  Harvey has such a mellow, smooth voice that still allows the intensity and urgency of his comments to connect with the audience.  He is articulate and smart about what he says. He did a great job creating audience interest and contributing to the November 17 Dave McCann and Jan Jorgensen team!

His bow tie was a stellar way to be distinctly himself!  Thanks to Harvey for his guest appearance on BYUtv's Pregame and Postgame shows yesterday!  Be sure to follow Harvey on Twitter!

Review of Jazzy Christmas to You!

Merry and Bright Blogspot just reviewed Jazzy Christmas to You! (2011).

Der Bingle gets right to the heart of why I sing.  He also recognizes my love for unique arrangements.  He knows I love Christmas music. I want you, too, to know how much I want you to revel in jazzy Christmas music!

All right, here's a secret!  Jazzy Christmas to You III is almost all tracked, including "Frosty, the Snowman" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain."  Release date is set for October 2013!

Stay tuned for Der Bingle's promised review of Jazzy Christmas to You II.

My Hair: The Long and Short of It

The short: I loved my spunky, short hair...

I've had my hair short since I was 17 and have been coloring since then as well.  I've had some length creep in there through the years, but I always ended up cutting it shorter again.

The short hair has never really had a "style," it was just short and somewhat wild.  It had some spiky phases (not punk by any means, but it had some soft height).  I liked that it was different and people always knew who I was just by referring to my hair--the girl with the short, spiky hair streaked with red, blond, and brown.

The long: a little more sophisticated!

The other reason I kept my hair short was purely aesthetic--my hair always looked awful when it was long.  It was bushy, thick in the wrong places, too thin in others.  Not that my hair is thick, it's actually very fine, but I have a lot of it!

Then I made a discovery while I was trying to let my hair go as long as possible without a cut or color: my hair looked nice longer!  Granted, it didn't have the same "shock" factor of my shorter hair, but it was more elegant.  So I decided to let my hair get longer and see what would happen.

So now my hair is long!  And I'm going to keep it long.  Sometimes I reminisce about my short hair, but then I look in the mirror and realize I really do love it long.  In fact, I find myself wishing it would grow faster so it would be even longer!

Now, ironically, that was a long explanation for a short story...I've been getting the CD inserts for Jazzy Christmas to You II printed and noticed the difference in the cover from earlier CD album covers: that lovely long hair!