I had my final recording session the other night before baby comes. 9 months pregnant and recording. I love my life. I can’t wait to tell Patrick someday of what things were like just before he was born. He’s already been so many places and been a part of so many things. What a fun way to enter the world. I hope he agrees!

I’d like to portray the session like I was Carly Simon in this picture. Looking pretty comfortable, lots of light, controlled environment. Carly has it good. It’s all squeaky clean. This is not usually the case.

See, the life of a regular musician is one that is filled with sketch-ball scenarios. It’s seedy. It’s dirty. It’s honest and doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. Now don’t get me wrong. This is what I LOVE about this business. I’ll never forget my first bar gig when I was 19. It was a biker bar in Olney, MD.  I was singing “Sara” by Fleetwood Mac, a very soothing song. A fight broke out and some guy got thrown out of the bar by his belt buckle and boot straps. It was straight out of a movie. I was hooked. I have never met more interesting people from different walks of life than I have in this in this business.

After we finally were able to get a date together for recording, I received the email with directions to the studio. “It’s hard to tell you exactly where the studio is, so just park in the liquor store parking lot and call one of us to come get you.” If I had not been working with Dan for 4 years, I might have been shakin’ in my boots. If this was a first encounter, I’d definitely think twice about going… at least alone! But I know the guy, and went along with it. He’s never lead me astray, and I knew had nothing to worry about. But I loved the sketchiness already.

I got to the liquor store parking lot and reached for my phone. 1/2 to no bars reception. Perfect. I drove around the lot until I had one bar. I texted Dan as it wouldn’t let me call. I tried to call the studio owner. Call dropped. I decided to just sit and wait. I watched a groundhog snacking on grass and running in between construction equipment. I may or may not have heard the song from Deliverance in the distance.

After about 15 minutes of groundhog and people watching, some guy in a station wagon pulls up to me. He kind of looked like if Matthew McConaughey was playing the part of a liquor store parking lot studio owner. He pulled up next to me and said, “Are you Megan?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “I’m Cliff. I have to go do something real quick and then I’ll show you where to go.”  “Okie dokie.” He drove to the other side of the parking lot, said something to someone, came back and I followed him behind some dump trucks next to this sheddish thing. It’s kind of like 2 sheds put together to make one big shed. Or maybe one half garage. Any way you slice it- sketchy. And I like it.

I’ve already been laughing at how funny this whole scenario is. I think of how my mom would be clutching her purse if she were me. No, she would have never gone in the first place. Or if she had, she would have never gotten out of the car. But, no, not me. I got out of the truck and follow him behind the shed,  like a dumb girl in a horror movie. We get to the door of the studio and walk in. It’s like the most awesome room ever- 70’s Central with afghans on the walls for extra soundproofing, drums set up, a Rhodes keyboard and crazy synth on top ready to go, a wall of ALBUMS. Who has a wall of albums?? This guy! He had a huge board, and an analog tape set up, at least 12 tracks. Maybe 16. (Not my bag, baby.)

It was all very relaxed. Cliff and I talked kids and music. Dan got there shortly thereafter. We caught up a bit and came up with a plan for the night and pretty much got straight to work. Of course, we had to shut the AC off whenever we were recording, so it was getting a little hot in there for the 9 months pregnant chick. Even though I’d stood all day at work, I had to continue to stand for the session. They tried to get me to sit, but between cutting off my air passage and causing a possible sciatic outburst, I knew I had to stand, tired as I was.

We all had a ton of fun, lots of laughs and really got through a lot pretty quickly. Thanks to Cliff, who was just great at what he did, and to Dan for coaching me through some changed parts on the fly. And thanks to both of them for not abducting me and selling me to the highest bidder.  ; )

So I’m done with all my music duties until after the baby comes. Feels very weird not having to prepare for anything music-related. Now it’s all about baby. “My God…. how did I get here?”