Sun sets on producing

 

Well, I've been through the writing phase of Fusion Inspire and it was a havern ...

 

a quiet, thoughtful and creative place which enabled me the space to find The Dragon Tree

And now the sun is setting on producing the film scapes, arts installation, songs and narrative

 

whilst the new day brings the final phase of my production: REHEARSALS!

 

And not just of other musicians!

It may sound odd, but I don't actually know the songs even though I've written them! I have recorded whilst writing and so will need to re-visit all the tracks and story lines many times to get them to sink into this over crowded head of mine!

 

I still haven't finished the tracks but I think I could probably work on them forever and still want to add things like the bells I've recorded at our local church, or the Gwilli train pulling off, or the turning of the water mill ... but with the Tour starting in January I really do have to be strict with myself and start setting deadlines! I have LOADS of studio time booked in with the sound engineer and WILL be finished recording the songs and narrative end of October! 

 

I can't thank The Arts Council of Wales enough for their tremendous support. My life feels complete whilst I have this creative space. It's like returning to myself, re-finding myself and that re-birth is almost autobiographical in the narrative of the production; Dafydd's quest is a reflection of my own journey throughout the creative process.

 

 

Secret Writing Shed

 

The Coastal Path encasing West Wales is an absolute joy; it must be maintained with love and passion by secret fairies, who make sure it is a trail through nature's blood viens without us ever seeing them working their magic.

A hiding  place for me to find my own piece of 'Writing Shed'

 

 

 

where I can work my pen until my fingers bleed!

Dolphin Daze

 

As you know, I have been working with 2 Dolphin Research Centres in New Quay collecting the voices and images of dolphins to include in

Fusion Inspire: The Dragon Tree

 

While I was filming, Lyndon Lomax who is a volunteer for Friends of Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre, was taking photo's.

 

And what AMAZING photo's they are!

Thank you so much Lyndon,

 for sending them to me.

 

 

These are the dolphins that came to play with us and were recorded by Sarah Perry,

Science Officer.

 

 

And so these are the dolphins who will feature in my film scape to go with the music composed around their voices.

 

 

The recordings used within the music have kindly been given by Sea Watch Foundation.

 

Oh My Giddy Aunts!

 

 

Oh my giddy aunts, I've been editing the Fusion Inspire films and watching them grow into a collection rather than individual pieces and it is quite honestly like looking into the inside of my head!

Watching the films grow from clips with the songs that have grown from ideas with the narrative of

the developing story line ... WOW!

 

 

The whole has always been in my head but to see it coming to life now as I put away my writer, then director hat and pull out my producer one ...

Not long now and my performance hat will have to be brushed off along with my Artistic Director one and the live performances pulled into shape ...

Truthfully, I didn't expect to be quite so overwhelmed. I suppose because I have been doing things in pieces I haven't quite realised the overwhelming number of people who have taken part, how they have trusted me and come out of their comfort zones to make something created from within myself ... to be shared with them during the tour but also to be shared with YOU!

 

 

Only one thing, I wish I had better technical skills. I am pushing all boundaries creatively and my computer is almost on meltdown.

 

She sighs and says, 'Sorry, that's one edit too many. I did warn you last time that if you didn't save, I'd have to spit the whole lot out.'

 

And spit she does! Right back into my face reminding me that I am so engrossed in the creation that I forget the obvious ...

 

PUSH THE SAVE ICON

AT REGULAR INTERVALS!

 

I should write this on a sign and stick it on the top of the computer! But even then I probably wouldn't remember because I am too wrapped up in re-living the dolphins surfacing a foot away from me, or more than 50 children lost in Tai Chi, or the darkness of the castle dungeons, or the cows moving behind the street dancer, or the seas waves caressing the actor's feet, or the pearlesque wings of the dancers in the sunlight, or the steam of the Gwilli Train billowing, or the mirror shots in Dylan Thomas bedroom at Cwmdonkin Drive or the ukulele players dressed in costume or the ... or the ... or the ...

Right now, I have just recorded the background track for the final song in the production Chasing Circles with no vocals so that I can fuse it with the welsh language voices for the bi-lingual Arts Installation to go with the production. And as I sit here typing, I can hear the computer generated music I composed, cut up with my Djembe and ukuele .. now with a beautiful solo on ukuele laid down by Jeff Beer. He's mixing it upstairs in the studio.

 

 

This week I've got Heather Summers coming in to lay down fiddle on dance of the ribbons and Mandy Painting to lay down some piano ...

 

 

 

 

I

 played back the films that are finished in the edited sequence that makes them whole to Jeff today. He actually had tears in his eyes! I was so taken aback! We have been working together for over 25 years and I can tell you this hand on heart, Jeff doesn't do tears in his eyes! Me, I am an open book. Whatever I'm feeling is what you get there and then, Jeff is a quiet soul and doesn't let his feelings leak usually.

 

'Oh my giddy aunts, Jeff,' I said, 'Are they tears?' and they were! Not like rolling down his face or anything, just eyes filled up type tears.

 

'That is some body of work, love,' he replied.