SOUNDMEISTER BLOG

2-22-17  AM BACK AGAIN  

It has been awhile since I last wrote.  

I have been busy in the extreme.  

Have been setting up a number of business enterprises

located several hundred miles apart.  

Have been working feverishly for past 6 to 8 weeks.  

I bought the entire 3d floor of an office condo

during this past year,

one chunk at a time.  

At same time am opening a country store

in San Simeon, California,

along with reopening a 40 plus year old

American Indian trading post.  

Complete with two tipis

being built by a tentmaker

from the Chumash Nation.  

Have already made good connections

at last year's Tucson  gem show.  

Am intending on making more inquiries

at Quartzsite in Arizona,

as well as other locations.

Needless to say,

this has not left much time for music.  

I feel confident enough,

going forward,

that I have begun preliminary studies

for my next compositional efforts.  

I have a wonderful team of sound engineers who,

I am hoping,

can help me to figure out

how to make that ephemeral

"orchestra in a box"

for which some of us

have been seeking for many years.  

It seems very close.  

In that regard,

I have hooked together eight synthesizers

and am figuring out the logistics

of using all eight at once.  

The goal is still for ten,

if I can fit them all in one room togeher.  

I hope to explain why, later.

Also, am choosing the songs

for the next set of audio masters,

for the next album.

Should be interesting.

Am also figuring out

how to record several sets of tubular bells

for atmospherics

upon which to build sound montage

for deep inner thought and healing.

Right now I am up in the middle of the night

doing some housekeeping.  

Hopefully will have more to say, soon.  

Have to travel, again,

in a couple of days.  

vw  

2-22-17  

3:30 a.m.

Wednesday

 Ventura, California, USA

1-17-17  JUST BACK FROM MEXICO, CHECKING IN  

122316_TAHITI2012_masters

I just posted the high quality mp3s

for this album.  

Has been a lot of work

and taken a lot of time

to finally get these pieces

in a final order.  

I have been working on stage directions

of a ballet version of this music.  

It is being presented as an

fantasy for harps, strings and chorus.  

I have been matching times

with changes in dance

in stage directions.  

Helps to be an avid lover of the ballet,

which I most certainly am.

Speaking of which,

the Bolshoi Orchestra ripped

on the Nutcracker Ballet.  

They just keep getting better and better.  

An entire orchestra of virtuosos.  

Every single one of them.  

Are one of the most spectactular orchestras

I have ever heard

(that would include most major ones).  

Very inspiring.  

Lots of tears.  

Has been an inspiration.  

Hope you enjoy this music.  

We hope to be mastering material

for a new album

as soon as finished with this one.  

I am learning what I need to know

in order to be more efficient

each next time around.  

Hard work.  

But should be lots of fun.  

I hope to add the titles

and stage notes shortly.  

Right now am too busy

finishing writing them.  

vw  

12-23-16  

Friday  

11:40 p.m.  

Ventura, California, USA

MY BDAY PRESENT TO YOU _ 11-18-16  

It is just a few minutes after midnight

as I am beginning to write this.  

Tonight I am posting the first song

of the Tahiti 2012 album.  

It has to be recoded to mp3 format

to play on this site.  

About 90% of audio data is lost.  

Still sounds pretty good.  

Dave D. of dnamastering.com

is in the middle of working on this right now.  

After finishing the accompanying five songs

he will rethink matters and make any final tweaks.  

In the meantime I thought it would be nice

to share his work with you.  

I know these songs as well as anyone,

and am about as tough

and knowledgeable a critic

as one is likely ever to find.  

My hat is off to him

and to his work.  

Thanks a million Dave.  

We all owe you, bigtime.  

Hoping for a good new year.  

Looking forward to Nutcracker Ballet tomorrow.  

The Boslshoi Ballet Orchestra plays this piece

much faster and more aggressively

than non-Russian players.  

What I always thought to be

rather tepid and boring

turns out to be just played too slow.  

At the higher tempo certain songs,

first thought to be boring

turn out to be pretty good,

after all.

vw

11-18-16

Thursday 

Ventura, California, USA

11-17-16  ONE MINUTE AFTER MIDNIGHT  

I am wrapping things up for the night

and getting ready to call it a day.  

Am one day away from my bday.  

Time for quietness and reflecting.  

I got to get all seven synthesizers

running together last night.  

It was truly incredible.  

Overwhelming is the the word

that comes to mind.  

I had to move things around

so that there is

a square of racks and hardware,

with me in the middle of it all.  

Takes some getting used to.  

Am trying to figure out

how to read sheet music

in such a configuration.  

Must have at least two sets.  

One in front of you

and one behind you,

for when you turn around

to play the keyboards

which are located there.  

I am like an expectant father/mother

as I wait for more audio mastering

on the Tahiti 2012 album.  

Dave D. at

dnamastering.com

is being kind enough to help me out.  

His credits are deep and wide.  

Is considered one of the best

in the business.  

When we finish with this

I can finally begin putting together

the next album.  

The most recent work

and the best of the recent past.  

I have been playing

lots of master works

during the interim.  

Love to study compositional technique

just prior to my next compositional efforts.  

Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.  

The Three B's.  

Good foundation to build on.  

Add Chopin,

Tchaichovsksy,

and Rachmaninoff,

and you are really starting to cook.  

The Bolshoi Ballet is being kind enough

to broadcast The Nutcracker Ballet

on my birthday.  

I have seen them perform it before.  

Very good stuff.  

I should be found in my usual seat.  

Hoping for best for all of you

for whom I care,

immensely.  

vw  

12:12 a.m.  

Thursday  

Ventura, California, USA

11-14-16  GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE  

Yes, I am FINALLY finding

some modicum of normalcy,

if but for a few minutes.  

It has been eleven months

since I located the property 

which I have been working on,

non-stop,

since that time.  

I have one property with 8 offices in it

and a second one with five offices.

Owned outright. 

Needless to say,

it took a lot of work

to get to where we are right now.  

It has tied me up with a vengeance

for nearly an entire year.  

Add to that the work that I am doing

200 miles away from here,

up north,

and can see why few persons

have heard from me for awhile.  

One of the offices is now a nice,

working music studio.  

During past few days I nearly completed

the photography processing

and 4k video editing studio

(complete with custom built

super-computer),

which overlooks the Channel Islands

and Pacific Ocean

with spectacular sunsets

on a nearly daily basis.  

Hope to get back up into the air,

shortly.  

I miss flying

the little flying cameras

("drones").  

Much to learn.  

Lots of incredible video and still footage

coming off those machines.  

The huge library is all in place.  

I am nearly ready to start

ongoing production.  

Am working more and more

with the audio mastering aspects

so that we will have

commercial quality products

being produced with relative ease

at ridiculously low cost.  

Have been making field recordings

of storm seas and surf

during past weeks

to use in atmospheric recordings.

Make soundscapes.

I think we will put

a four or five person film crew together,

shortly.  

And then hit the streets

and try to avoid getting arrested

or shaken down

(not real good at either).  

Should be fun.

Am looking forward to it.  

As usual, gotta go. 

vw

8:54 a.m. 

11-14-16  

Monday

Ventura, California, USA

11-10-16  ECCLESIASTES

and EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS

ARE POSTED

I have been ridiculously busy

and on the road more than normal

during the past several months.  

I did manage to get Ecclesiastes

and Epistle to the Hebrews

recorded and posted.  

I also have a newly mastered song

from the Tahiti 2012 album.  Are working on the masters for both discs.  This is the first song to be mastered.

DNA Mastering is handling the job.

dnamastering.com    

I believe is one of best set of ears in this business.  

Am honored to be able to work together.

While the final tweaks are not yet completed,

I intend to turn it into an mp3 and post it, here.  

Then will replace it with final master,

when it is completed.  

Should be fun.  

Will tell more,

at some other time.  

Have also been out making nature recordings,

again.  

Lots of heavy surf,

in this case.  

Also am making Greek "study tapes"

of Matthew chapters 5 through 7,

the Sermon on the Mount.  

I finished Chapter 5

and started Chapter 6,

yesterday a.m.  

Also, have been practicing concert pieces

to get my compositional juices flowing freely

v w

2:08 a.m.    

Ventura, California,

USA

11-10-16

10-18-16  NEW SETUP IS UP AND RUNNING  

I finally completed the new configuration.  

Ended up with

3 Roland hardware synths,

one Nord,

one Oberheim,

and one Yamaha.  

In addition, I have a Yamaha 88 key controller

to run choir and other sounds

off of software synths,

and a Behringer mixing board

with seven stereo inputs.

Made first compositional test recording last night.  

Have bounced to disc and converted to MP3 format,

but no time to post, just yet.  

Have been ridiculously busy for past month.  

Lots of stuff going on here.  

Several business start-ups.

One is extra large and complex,

involving numerous private and governmental agencies.  

Am very excited about possibilities.  

Lots of negotiating,

without knowing whether to put money in or not,

until all players are working with one another.  

I completed audio recordings of

Ecclesiastes

and

Epistle to the Hebrews.  

I am now working on

all of the Messianic prophecies

from the Hebrew scriptures,

in context.  

The written passages having already been posted,

several years ago.  

Is incredibly difficult to do.  

Requires continuous self-examination

and questioning of inner motives.

 ALWAYS be very suspicious of self,

I am thinking.  

I have to leave for Glendale,

right away,

to meet with one of my accountants.  

Very important to me.  

More to come.  

Just as soon as possible.  

Will try to get new song posted

tonight or tomorrow.  

vw  

10-18-16

8:39 a.m.

Ventura, California, USA

9-21-16   SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY  

I have just a few minutes to write.  

I set everything up

with five hardware synthesizers

and two controller keyboards

that can run hundreds

of software synthesizers.

I normally use four or eight

soft synths at a time.

I like to use them with choir sounds.  

Multiple layers of sopranoes is ok by me.  

Countered with tenors,

but of course.  

At any rate,

as I was doing sound checks

and sound balancing

I suddenly realized

that I had a need for

five stereo channels

on my mixer.  

Now, that is a serious problem,

especially since one of

Oberheim's latest

hardware synth creations

is on the way as I write.  

That means that I will need

six stereo inputs,

not five.  

Now, here is why

that is a problem.  

As I did a lot of looking

and searching

for years,

I came to find out that

almost all smaller mixers

only have one or two stereo inputs.  

Start to go to higher end

and you will only get four,

at most,

which is what I already use.  

Means one has to make

a separate submix,

out of several keyboards,

which would then

have to be bounced to stereo,

thereby reducing multiple signals

down to only two

= completely unacceptable

to a longtime purist,

as I am.  

Will lose control,

fast.  

So, I went out again

and talked with various

knowledgeable people.  

Conclusion - "you will need

at least a 30 channel mixer

to get more than four stereo inputs".  

How could that even be ?

I keep asking myself.  

As I kept digging deeper

into the internet one night

I found out why.  

I am the ONLY one

recording in stereo.  

That is to say,

electronic keyboards,

and few of them, at that,

are the only instrument  

in which one can

and does

compose in stereo.

Almost every instrument

and most vocals

will be monaural lines

on a mixing board.  

Single lines.  

Any stereo will be added later,

by combining the various tracks

in various different ways

through any number of

commonly used filters.  

Mine is done live.  

On the fly.  

There is no fake anything in it.  

I use equipment designed by

the best sound engineers on the planet.  

All stereo is happening live.  

Tbere are no effects, whatsoever.  

Just combinations of the masterwork

of several of

the best sound people

there are in existence.

I just take it

and run with it,

as a composer, 

and as a player

of nearly 50 years

of intensive experience. 

So, after years,

weeks,

and hours

I was finally able to locate

the machine I was looking for.

Seven stereo inputs.  

Just arrived on Monday.  

I have not had time to unbox it.

Hope to get to it tonight

or tomorrow night.  

What I have heard so far,

with the five synths,

plus two controller keyboards,

is nothing short of spectacular.  

Trying to take atmospheric music

and ambient music 

to a whole new level.  

We shall see.  

vw  

9-21-16  

12:40 pm

Wednesday  

Ventura, California, USA

ps

Jeremiah is completed,  

but not yet finished with posting.  

Am working on Ecclesisastes,

right now.  

Bittersweet ?

I love all of Solomon's writings.  

Gives one a lot to think about,

from one who knew,

first hand,

what he was talking about.  

Unlike most of

what passes for knowledge

and understanding

today.

9-6-16  POSTED JEREMIAH CHAPTERS 32 - 37  

Has been a long day,

with an even longer one tomorrow.  

Long traveling.  

Have managed to get

these several chapters recorded

during the past several days.  

Will keep on pushing ahead.  

There are 55 chapters.  

Has been very illuminating for me,

as I have to read

and then reread

and then reread,

many times.  

Not allowed to make one single mistake.  

Or, maybe, just one.  

But no more.  

Will have more to say on these matters, later.  

I forgot to mention

that I have begun handwriting

in my journal, again.  

I have taken on a very tough subject.  

One that everyone simply takes for granted,

ignorantly and stupidly.  

What is "the Gospel" ?

What does the word even mean ?  

And why is it used instead of "good news",

and such like.  

That's right,

another one of my infamous diatribes.  

I think I lost every last single friend

or potential friend

during my last several rants.  

Freedom of expression

does have a price,

after all.  

vw  

10:58 p.m.  

9-6-16  

Tuesday  

Ventura, California, USA

9-2-16  MORE READINGS POSTED  

I have been working on reading Jeremiah,

the same way that I did Isaiah.  

This is so that one can listen

to the entire book all in a row.  

It is VERY IMPORTANT to do so,

with thuis particular book,  

because it builds on

the Torah,

David's Psalms,

the stories of Elijah the Prohphet,

the Proverbs,

and Ecclesiastes,

and finally,

on Isaiah, itself.  

Echoes and quotations

and allusions

can be heard all over the place

to those who are intimately familiar

with these writings.

I decided,

on the spur of the  moment,

to read Romans 1 through 8.  

Is an old favorite of mine.  

Have never closely studied it in the Greek,

but have always wanted to.  

Hope to soon.

8-27-16  MORE READINGS POSTED  

I posted the story of Elijah,

and the text of the New Covenant,

as written in Jeremiah 31:31-40.  

Am working on the Scroll of Jerlmiah right now.  

Have recorded chapters 1 thrrough 7.  

Unable to post because

must leave to go on road,

right now.  

Will hope to continue recording

and maybe even post

from location

I will be staying at.  

vw  

1:48 p.m.  

Saturday  

8-27-16  

Ventura, California, USA

8-25-16  PROVERBS OF SOLOMON, chapters 1-9 POSTED  

It is 1:10 a.m.  

Just finished uploading files

and making new web page.  

I recorded this during the beautiful sunset,

over the Pacific Ocean,

which was made scorching red

by smoke from brush fires

burning throughout the region.

How appropriate.  

The last lines were read in nearly total darkness

as the final rays of the afterglow

were finally receding.

vw  

1:23 a.m.

8-25-16  

Thursday  

Ventura, California, USA

8-21-16  NEW STUDIO SETUP COMPLETED

I finished setting up everything and doing sound checks last night.  

Lots of tangled wires.

By the time I was done at about 3 a.m.,

I was too tired to write.  

Excited, but too thrashed to do anything about it.  

Have to leave in a couple of hours to take care of unusual business up north (ABC licensing).

Hope to be back on Wednesday.  

Then more compositional efforts.  

vw  9s:08 a.m.  

8-21-16 

Sunday  

Ventura, California, USA 

8-20-16  ISAIAH 61-66 POSTED  

Finally finished.  

Went much faster than I expected.  

Is because I know the text very well

for very many years.  

I often speak of

"true religion"

vs

"commercialized religion".  

Isaiah is true religion.  

John the Baptist is true religion.  

Nearly everthing around you

which passes for religion,

is, in fact,

the utter nonsense,

of which it is so often

accused of being.  

ALWAYS trying to hide behind

this facade of religiosity.  

Not dissimilar to the roles

that sociopathic narcissists

like to take on.  

One that can easily be recognized,

even in caricature.  

Everyone thinks they know

what a "man of the cloth"

should look like.  

Has become so stereotypical

as to become material

for dark comedy.  

That's what you

DON'T WANT TO BE,

kids,

just in case

I was not clear.  

I hope to record and post

Proverbs 1-9,

and then the scroll of Ezekiel.  

It is another book

that I have known well

for many years.  

I expect it should be fun

to read and record.  

And, of course, Jeremiah,

and then the twelve so-called

minor prophets.  

This is an educational endeavor

on my part.  

Both for you

and for me.  

Both learning together,

I hope.  

I will have some comments

on Isaiah,

after I listen to

the entire book/scroll

several times through.  

Am trying to bring out

the continuity

between the different sections

i.e. what unites

the thoughts and propositions

together.  

Still wrestling with wiring up

the new synths.

On my way to get more

of the highest quality cables.  

Gotta go for now.  

Music soon,

I am hoping.  

vw  

2:48 p.m.

Saturday

8-20-16  

Ventura, California, USA  

8-19-16  ISAIAH 53-60 POSTED  

That leaves 5 chapters to go.  

I hope to link these passages up

with the Book of Revelation,

at a later time,

to show just how much of Revelation

is a combination of the throne scenes

in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.  

And how much of the language

has been borrowed from here.  

Of course,

there are good reasons for this,

but that is for another time and place.  

I did not mean to cause offense

with the ending of my last post.  

I was just too tired to finish it.  

I was saying that

I make these for myself,

such that I do not care,

even in the slightest amount,

what anyone else thinks.  

If it benefits someone,

fantastic.  

If not,

they are free to go elsewhere.  

I should say, in this regard,

that I am not only

one who has no desire to proselytize,

I am opposed to such.  

No pearls before swine.  

Those who have ears will hear.  

And the Lord God Omnipotent

is who they should be hearing,

and listening to, 

not me.  

Or anyone else on this earth.  

All equally worthless and useless,

when it comes to such matters.  

I am setting up three,

or maybe four more

hardware synthesizers

to the 3 to 4 I use regularly.  

Should be fun,

once it is all up and working.  

The never ending quest

for the thicker texture,

without overdoing it

too much.  

vw  

3:58 p.m.  

8-19-16  

Ventura, California, USA

 

8-17-18  ISAIAH 42-51 POSTED/4th ANNIVERSARY  

Today is the fourth anniversary of my near death-experience at Mykonos.

I have little or nothing to say at the moment, other than that I am glad to be alive, even if not for my own sake.  

Am plowing through recording of Isaiah.  

Have really been enjoying studying the entire book as a unit.

I think Isaiah pretty well nails down what the problems are and what to do about them.  

A manner of living, as it were.  

My manner of living, as it were.  

vw  

8-18-16  

2:06 a.m.  

Ventura, California, USA

8-15-16  TWO DAYS AWAY FROM 4 YR ANNIVERSARY  

I have been in a strange doldrums

during the last several days.

I have been musing and reminiscing,

as I try to make sense

of things that really do not make sense.  

While one surveys the highs and lows

of one's life,

one tries to make it into an coherent whole.  

Which it probably is not,

and never can be.  

I was thinking back

about different events in my life

which were quite literally life changing.  

I already told about events

during my first two years.  

I will not fully explain just why it is

that I was repeatedly giving up the spirit.  

You may trust that all was not well.  

It was not.  

By the time I was about five years old

I got bitten by what is believed to have been

a spider.  

It turned my entire little foot

into gangrenous tissue,

with associated sepsis

(they called it blood poisoining, at the time).  

My foot rapidly died and was falling off.  

Thanks to a very caring physician

it was not cut off,

as many would have done.  

Instead, we spent one very long summer,

every morning at dr.'s office

having dead tissue removed.

I find it hard to believe

just how central this event became

in my life.  

Major psychotrauma in a young child,

in a world,

which for the most part,

simply does not care.  

The bite put me into a deep coma

from the poison.  

The best I can tell,

most all memory on the other side

is gone.  

There is very little that I am aware of.  

But from that point forward,

it becomes quite vivid.  

My memory is far too good.  

Especially when it comes to grievous events.  

I remember every little detail

for long periods of time.  

So, this unfortunate event

became a sort of a turning point

for me.  

You might say that

I was far more aware of my mortality

than most of my peers.  

I was already hanging by a thread.  

It's seems kind of silly,

but I do wonder

what that venom may have done

inside of me.  

From that point forward

one has a sort of a love/hate

with the spider world,

not to mention an especial fascination.  

Never has stopped.  

The first five years of life are formative.  

Much of the hardwiring in the brain

and associated circuitry

will have been completed.  

Because I had to be hyperalert,

in order to survive,

I am hardwired that way.  

There is nothing I can do about it.  

Although some claim otherwise.  

Only they aren't the one's

actually dealing with the reality,

but are, rather,  

nothing more than theorists,

from where I see matters.  

I don't get to theorize.  

Only adapt.  

Constant adaptation.

4:53 a.m.

8-15-16

Monday

Vedntura, California, USA

8-14-16  BOOK OF ISAIAH 1/2 COMPLETED  

I have been making recordings

of Old and New Testament passages

for many years

for my own education and edification.

At some point, a number of years ago,

I decided to start posting them

for any other/s who may be blessed.  

They are crude and unpolished recordings

made on a high quality stereo digital recording device.

They are, typically, made

in my car at the beach

or in parking lots

as I wait for others to finish shopping,  

Listen extra closely

and you will hear trains passing by

and motorcycles

and trucks

and even people, at times.  

I try hard to get at

the underlying rhythms

of these writings.

They are poetry,

through and through,

and such can easily be seen

in the original Hebrew text.

Although much gets lost in translation,

the central message/s still come through

strong and clear.

And the King James translators

seem to have tried hard

to get some of the feel

of the original meter

in the Hebrew text.  

I call it a "pulse".  

The famous pulse

found throughout J.S. Bach's music,

no less.  

If you as conductor or player

are not aware of and staying within

the confines of the underlying pulse,

all else will be lost.  

You hear it all the time.  

It is irksome to me.  

But only to me, probably. 

I set up to record last night,

but then fell asleep on you,

while still relatively early (for me).  

Moving

and emptying

and sorting

and shelving

the contents of numerous boxes.  

Are finally getting toward the end

of this gargantuan move.  

Am just beginning to see

the outlines of what I have created

during these past 30 years.  

And it looks REALLY good.  

There were lots of complaints

during initial moving

that the books were so rare and interesting

that the workers kept finding themselves

stuck between the covers of a book,

instead of boxing or unboxing them.  

The finest compliment I think I could ever receive.  

I am finally getting to begin other projects,

now that some of my time is FINALLY!

becoming available TO ME.  

I am lining people up

for management and implementation

right now.  

Lots of looking,

but very few chosen,

so far.  

I don't send out ads for applicants, etc.  

I go on the street and I find them.

That way I am able to watch them in action.  

Can tell a lot by watching

how one person deals with different customers.  

Especially me, the customer from heaven,

or hell,

depending on my mood

and your demeanor.  

Love you all.  

Hoping for the best.

Please DO NOT despair.  

We are a long ways from that need.  

Things often seem to take too long,

when it is really a matter of

the complexity required

to make apparent miracles happen.

That has been my main lesson,

which I have been FORCED to learn

during my short, brutal, wicked lifetime.  

Don't be fooled by appearances,

I think they say.  With love from above.

vw  

10:18 a.m.  

8-14-16  

Ventura, California, USA

8-13-16  ONE HALF WEEK AWAY AND ALL IS STILL  

You know, I never want to be a downer, but some of the subject matter of real life is disturbing, whether you or I like like it or not.  

Since my last post I have continued to work as non-stop as possible, trying to finish up this huge move I am caught in the middle of.  

Probably 85% done.  

Nearly six months from start of project.  

I am tired.  

And badly in need of rest.  

But, it just isn't going to happen, from the best I can tell.  

So, I just go for it.  

As I have always done.  

Having no idea how, or even why, or whether, for that matter.  

I have been in a strange state of mind since that last auto wreck. Almost non-stop prayer state.  

It is especially appropriate, given my immediate circumstances. It was only about six weeks ago that my 88 year old mom was pronounced dead by a local M.D., following full obstruction from meat in airway at a nice restaurant.  

Myself, and one other, pushed him aside to do what needed to be done and managed to save her life (fourth time for me).  

That alone has given me massive PTSD.  

So, let's just lay it on even thicker and thicker.  

Why not ?  

I am emotional wreckage at the moment.  

Especially with this strange anniversary approaching.  

Just for laughs,

I badly broke my jaw,

my right great toe,

and every single rib on the front left side.  

In addition,

I dislocated both acromio-clavicular joints.  

A large camera lens hit me hard on impact, directly on my spleen.  

I was gashed from head to toe, and had a nice big chunk of my chin ripped off.  

After falling, head first, thirty feet, onto rocks at beach.  

I was literally knocked out of my body into spirit and transported I know not where for 45 minutes.  

I was pulseless and apneic following impact  = dead.  

Remained so until help could get down from above.  

This is not something you just forget and walk away from.  

If the kill doesn't kill you, the sepsis will, from all of the blood coming out of the multiply fractured bones.

It took 2 1/2 years for the bulk of it to drain on it's own.  

Am still having effects from it, but am much better.  

Only thanks to my Spartan lifestyle and belief system.  

That's right, I got up after being killed and went directly to Sparta and to Delphi and to Thermopylae, and to Mycenae.  

All with smashed up rib cage and collar bones popping in and out of joint, for an entire week.  

Almost killed me.  

But, what a way to go.  

Am only telling all of this to put into persepctive why I am unusually silent.  

Just seems to be right way to be at the moment.  

All is going well.  

Everything is pulling together quite nicely, so far as I am concerned.  

As usual, hoping for best.  

vw  

3:11 a.m.  

Saturday  

Ventura, California, USA

8-10-16  ONE WEEK AWAY FROM 4 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

The anniversary of my most recent clear cut case of being dead and out of body takes place one week from today.  

I fell to my death without even knowing how.  

In front of 25 witnesses who couldn't believe what they were watching.  

Had to be brought back by prayer and resuscitation.  

Those who know me best tell me that I am VERY different.  

In a good way, I hope.  

They always claim that they do not no what exactly it is.  

But is profound and definite.  

I DO know what it is.  

I have thanked God,

from the bottom of my heart,

for every single second.  

Not brought back for MY sake,

but for YOUR sake.

As I was pondering the matter

I realized that I have been in

two full blown immuno-breakdowns

(like HIV; but caused by

large pool of blood in abdomen).  

I cut off a toe,

which caused me to

drastically finish changing my diet

and lifestyle.  

Lost 30 pounds in about 30 days,

followed by another 50 during the next 11 months.  

For a total of 80 pounds.  

How ?  

Cut out the gluten the day (May 22, 2015)

I was told that the toe wouldn't reattach

given my current level of blood sugar.  

Very poor prognosis, at time.  

But all went well,

to the amazement of not a few.  

It took five months of working around the clock

moving heavy boxes

to finally break me.  

Very little food,

water,

or sleep.  

But, when I broke,

on this last labor Day,

I went into a septic coma

with another complete imuuno-breakdown.  

Body just simply overwhelmed by E. Coli,

in this case.  

It's there all the time.  

But your immune system keeps in check.  

Mine collapsed.  

Was in a comatose and semi-comatose state

for 5 1/2 days.  

After finally getting to the hospital

I was told that 24 to 48 hours tops is fatal.  

They agreed that I must have laid in a "state of grace".  

I am telling all of this,

only to tell that times have been difficult.  I want to say that I have a short life expectancy. But then I realize I have no life expectancy at all.

I am a revenant,

after all;

multiple times.

My life expectancy ran out before I was even a teen.  

I am told that I died at birth.  

Then died again at two years old.  

I was miraculously saved from annhilation

in a high speed auto collision

(into another car

and then telephone pole,

with head through windshield),

a couple of days before my 17th birthday.  

NOBODY could believe that I lived through it,

mostly unharmed.  

I have been choked to death under water

when a young teenager.

Strangled to unconsciousness,

rescued before dying all the way.

Suffocated to unconsciousness,

rescued before dying all the way.

And I have an entire catalogue of such

hits and near-misses.  

I can never feel very secure.  

Is just a fact of life,

and always has been,

for me.  

So when I went off the cliff in Mykonos,

it was just more of the same,

to me.  

But, as each anniversary approaches

I can feel the fear of the Lord upon me

more each day.  

But, that is an whole other story, altogether.  

Now, I reflect.  

As I reflect I think of the man in his car,

burning to death,

in the top of a tree,

where none could help,

just several months ago.  

Followed by the girl who skirted between two massive trees

as her car rolled down an embankment at high speed,

destroying everything in it's path.  

Except for her.  

Tiny little space in the passenger compartment.  

One little scratch on her arm.  

That was just a couple of months ago.  

I drive by it almost every single day.

I would burst into tears every single time,

for weeks,

after realizing just how close she came

to being mercilessly wiped out,

at her own hand.

And now this head-on in San Simeon.  

One can see why it resonates so deeply,

on top of all else.  

I am thinking maybe I should just climb under a bed

and stay there.  

Still probably not safe.  

Au contraire,

as a matter of fact.  

At any rate I am in a deeply troubled state

as I ponder the deeper things of life and death

and work hard to try to make a future

for the next generations.  

And maybe even show how to get out of the mess

we have gotten them into.  

I can show the way.  

But am the only one I know who can.  

All of the big mouths are clueless.  

Pure and simple.  

A fool is known by his many words,

after all.  

And we have turned into a society

willing to prostitute their own children

for a morsel of bread.  

And who refuse to take care of their own parents

during their time of need.  

Me, me, me,

is what it is all about

to these.  

That is a problem.  

Gotta go.  

Love you all, intensely.  

Am working on wiring in two more synthesizers,

and then will have more to say about music,

I am hoping.  

In meantime,

may God bless, abundantly,

and with great mercy

and longsuffering

toward us.  

Remember love = self-sacrifice.  

And love is said to be what it is all about.  

By which they mean the limbic system.  

I mean self-sacrifice is love.  

Or as the Baptist put it,

"more of Him, less of me".  

To paraphrase further,

"more for you, less for me".  

I like that, as a way of life.    

vw  

7:28 a.m.  

Wednesday  

8-10-16  

Ventura, California, USA

8-5-16  NEW SONG POSTED  

Sat down at consoles at about 10:30 p.m. to write 080516a. Objective was quiet, meditative song.  

In major key,

in order to not be so depressing.  

While still being very contemplative.

vw  

11:29 p.m.

Friday

Ventura, California, USA

8-5-16  

072716a_rrr(levels) POSTED  

The very first song of this bunch,

072716a, was recorded at a very low level,

as I was working out noise issues.  

While sitting here a few hours ago

I suddenly realized a way

to easily repair this problem.  

Tried some tests.  

Were successful.  

I have not remixed or altered the signal

any other way than straight amplification

i.e. strengthening of signal.  

Sounds good on the massive

1000 watt Yamaha NS-SW1000 subwoofers.  

Quite literally rocks the room.  

Hope I don't start another earthquake.

People are starting to ask questions.    

vw  

1:27 p.m.  

Friday  

8-5-16  

Ventura, California, USA

8-4-16  NEW SONG POSTED  

I wanted more quiet music.  

So, at about 11 p.m. I composed 080416a.  

I am still in a very unsettled mood,

as I am known to be

after being the first one on scene,

alone,

or nearly alone,

at a remote head-on wreck scene.  

Way too many parallels with my own life.  

Eerie, in the extreme.  

I only tell this to give clues to what you are actually hearing. And why it is serious music.

You can only begin to imagine just how inappropriate Boogaloo Bob and his ilk are.  

No dance music when disaster strikes hard and swiftly.  

Trance, NOT dance.

vw  

8-4-16

Thursday 

12:40 a.m.

Ventura, California, USA

8-3-16  NOT ANOTHER ONE !  

I just got back into town a few minutes ago.  

Had lots of much needed (forced) rest during past several days. Plus got much work done.  

I am sitting up by beach cliffs this early afternoon when I decide it is time to get moving.  

Hundreds of miles of driving ahead.  

But a still, small voice told me to stay for just a few minutes longer.  

I did, having no idea why.  

Finally, when I felt the time was right I began my southbound journey.  

Hadn't traveled two miles and I can see that there has been an horrific auto collision, which, you guessed it, happened during those several minutes, such that I came up on the wreckage, instead of being a part of it.  

Northbound white rental jeep turns right in front of southbound white rental jeep car coming down highway at high speed. Basically causes a head-on collision, with lots of lateral kinetic energy.  

I am three cars back and stuck.  

I am second on scene, along with local park rangers.

That's how close.  

Two Australians northbound, two German parents with two teens southbound.  

Thankfully, it seems all were saved by air bags.  

They took a rib breaking thrashing.  

But nothing compared to the misery and death there would have been without them.  

I saw three of the German tourists laying on the ground within several feet of me, two of them with gashed heads, lined up neatly as if waiting for the yellow blankets.  

Happened right in front of entrance to one of our properties. Property is in background left of photo on San Luis Obispo Tribune on site right now.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article93565297.html

I have eyewitnessed over 20 serious wrecks in my short life,

and have been first on scene of so many that I lost count long ago.  

Was almost killed several times, myself, in serious collisions (always as passenger).  

First eyewitness was at five years of age,

head-on with a decapitation,

right in front of me,

with an entire vacationing family wiped out.  

Just the first/start of many, thereafter.  

I only tell that to say that I get extra rattled from having seen too much.  

Which is how I am right now.  

I wept uncontrollably for an hour

after seeing the young teen boy

laying there on the last day of his vacation,

as it turns out.  

We will hope and pray for a speedy recovery.  

vw  

9:58 p.m.  

Wednesday  

8-3-16

7-30-16  NEW SONG POSTED  

Am on road next several days.  

Wanted to get one more song composed before leaving.  

Wrote 073016a this morning at about 5 a.m.,

as the sun was just starting to come up.  

Continue to be very busy.  

Hopefully will get a quiet spot toward end of next week.  

Am hoping to have some extra interesting news upon my return. Information gathering.  

Until then,

may our good Lord be with you all.  

vw

8:20 a.m.  

Saturday  

7-30-16

Ventura, California, USA

7-29-16  NEW SONG POSTED  

This is the next attempt at getting a cleaner sound with loudness. Seems good to me, through headphones.  

Because this song, 072816A, was written at 4 a.m.,

I have not heard it through loudspeakers yet

to check for exactly how much noise there actually is.  

That will be for later.  

In the meantime,

hope you enjoy.  

vw

 

5:34 a.m.  

7-28-16 

Ventura, California, USA   

7-28-16 (second post)  SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO  

o.k., here's one for all of you math wizards out there.  

What happens when I have a baseline level of noise and I want to get rid of it.  

Answer: increase the percentage amount of signal, without increasing the noise.  

Hence, the all important signal/noise ratio.  

So, why am I talking about this ?  

Because it is what you are here hearing me deal with.  

In last recordings, prior to this most recent one, the noise increased dramatically while the signal remained constant.  

This happened for a number of reasons.  

Some explicable,

others not so much so.  

The best music seems to come during the most electrically turbulent times.  

The noise portion of the ratio will uncontrollably skyrocket. There are times when I know that it is coming off of me,

and other times when I am not so certain.  

Man and machine are able to uniquely bond,

when it is a sound wave generating machine,  

and you guessed it,

YOU ARE MADE OF SOUND WAVES !!  

Don't think so ?  

Then put your ear up against my chest and listen to my heart beat.  

What do you hear ?  

And where did it come from ?  

And how ?

And from whose body ?  

Yes, there it is.  

Soundwaves coming out of my body.  

And that is but one tiny example

of a widespread phenomenon.  

So, I got a nice clean signal last night.  

But the overall volume is far too low.  

It is always the tradeoff.  

Yes, the signal/noise ratio tradeoff,

just like you thought.  

Now I must increase the input level

while trying to keep the noise floor to a minimum.  

Yes, signal/noise ratio.  

More signal = good.  

More noise (right now) = bad.  

And there you have it.  

Let's see what we can do.  

Should be interesting.    

vw  

11:59 p.m.  

7-28-16

7-27-16  SONG TIME !!  

I just finished getting speakers all working with one another at 15 minutes after midnight.

Have been trying different wiring configuarations during the past several hours.

I thought I was about to lose my mind, for sure, and just give up. But, just kept on persevering, instead.  

Finally, that sound.  

What it is all about.  

The deepest tone I have ever heard coming off of my synthesizer board, and clean as a whistle.  

o.k. I am thinking to myself,

I could get used to this.  

So, it is finally time.

I have told before how gnawing performance anxiety makes me just want to turn and run away.  

And to never return.  

My emotions getting the far better of me,

for the moment.  

But, once my fingers touch those keys

and I hear that incredibly deep and clean tone,

I am mesmerized;  

and I am hooked.  

Must rest, right now.  

Been a long and productive day.  

Maybe will get up in middle of night.  

Or be forced to wait until tomorrow afternoon, or evening.  

We shall see.  

In meantime,

good night to all. 

w/love.  

vw

 

12:31 a.m.  

7-27-16  

Ventura, California, USA

7-24-16 - BRIEF UPDATE  

I have been working on a number of other very urgent matters during the past several days.  

Equipment is up and running.  

Sounds fantastic.

Have done a little bit of scale warm up, but that's it, for now.

I just got the huge sub-sub-woofers 2 days ago.  

Got them unboxed yesterday, and hopefully will set them up today.  

Not necessary for composing and/or recording, but are helpful for the lowest end sounds.  

The ones that you feel,  more than you hear.  

The ones that make you "FEEL THE MUSIC".  

Hope they're not disintegrating me from the inside out.  

Never can be sure.  

Hopefully will rock soon.  

vw

7-24-16

7:52 a.m.

Sunday

Ventura, California, USA

072116 - SETUP ALMOST READY TO GO       

Got all of wiring done on new studio setup.  Completed sound checks and balancing of all instruments with one another.  Was ready to start composing, except that keys on keyboards were filthy and grimy.  Will clean those this am.  And then will be ready.   I will start by practicing all major and minor scales with associated chords.  That seems to be a good mental exercise to get the old juices running again.  After that, we will just hope for the best.  vw  3:47 a.m. , Ventura, California

071816 -FIRST ENTRY

Am finally finishing setting up an entirely new studio.

Got my first sound through reference monitors just a few minutes ago.

Time now is 9:19 p.m.

Star date is 7-18-16

Beaming out from Valentine Road office/s in Ventura.