HOMEGROWN MUSIC. . .AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS!

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Even homesteaders need to relax and enjoy themselves from time to time, right? And almost everybody these days wants to cut his or her cost of living. So how about a little do-it-yourself entertainment?

And that's what this column is all about. Down-home music that you can make . . . and the instruments (which, in some cases, you can also make!) to play that music on.

The important thing is that this is your column. If you like it, write to me and let me know. If you have some ideas for this feature, let me know that. I'm open to any suggestions or information you care to contribute. I'll even try to answer your questions about down-home music . . . but — b oth for the benefit of all MOTHER's readers and to ease my correspondence load — I'll deal with those questions, whenever possible, here in this column . . . rather than in personal letters.

Address your correspondence — for this column and this column only — to Marc Bristol, 31722 N.E. 180th Place, Duvall, Wash. 98019.

recording homegrown tunes

There have probably been times in your musicmaking career when you've felt that a certain tune or collection of songs was worth preserving. Perhaps you just wanted to hear what the total sound of your group was like (since it's often hard to tune in to your partners while you're concentrating on your own instrument), or maybe you needed a demo/audition tape to send to producers and club managers. Then again, perhaps you wanted to have an album on hand to sell at your band's gigs.

Well, whatever the reason for the urge to record, you'll be glad to know that it's easier to "preserve" your music than most folks think. In fact — for all practical purposes — you can even do it yourself in your own home!

Although most people believe that superior recordings can be produced only in a professional studio that's equipped with the latest high-priced gizmos, the fact remains that excellent recordings can be made under much simpler conditions. (In fact, some of the best tracks I've heard were taped in home settings, using borrowed equipment!) Technology has advanced so quickly in the past few years that a person can now make a better-quality recording on his or her home stereo deck than was possible on even the best commercial equipment that was available 20 years ago!

Now it's true that musicians can hear themselves better in a studio environment (and may be inspired, as a result, to turn out a more enthusiastic performance), but the same "professional" setting can easily bring about a tense recording session. Since they are paying an hourly studio rental fee (which can range from a reasonable $15 to as high as $100), performers in such a situation are bound to feel rushed . . . and therefore may find it difficult to produce their best music.

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