$1,300 - 2008 CD Sets Record!!

All sales have been accounted for and it's now official: our CD raised $1,300 for our charity, making this year's effort our most profitable of the three year's we've run the project. The business office is cutting the check and we'll be sending the check to CHILDREN OF FALLEN SOLDIERS RELIEF FUND any day now.

Katie Stahl Hears from Nashville Producer!

A few weeks before the break I sent an mp3 of Katie Stahl's track, "Christmas Is So Much More," to Nashville area producer Jim Danecker. Jim plays keyboards for Christian contemporary recording artist Michael W. Smith and runs his own studio, The Whine Cellar. I brought Jim up to Parkland to do a workshop with our students a few years back and he was gracious enough to agree to check out Katie's music. As it turns out, HE LOVED IT! In fact, Jim, Katie, and I spent an hour on the phone with Jim discussing the possibilities for the future of this song. Katie is waiting to hear back from Jim with options for professionally producing it down there so it can have a life after our CD. Jim also encouraged Katie to keep writing and shared with her some great insights on the way the music industry works.

Way to go, Katie! We'll keep you posted on what happens :)

Make That....$1250!

It seems I spoke too soon in my last post when I predicted the money this year's CD had raised. WE DID EVEN BETTER! After accounting for our last sales deposit before the break and some over-the-break sales, it now looks like we'll be sending a check for $1,250 to the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund. I'm very proud of all my students efforts on this year's project - both musically and in all the extra-musical chores that producing a CD entails.

Way to go!

$800 for a Great Cause

It's Christmas eve and our official sales period has ended. To date, we've earned approximately $800 for the charity "Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund" -- WAY TO GO! For those of you who wanted to buy the CD but still haven't, we do have more CDs and we hope you'll still consider buying one (or more) in the following ways:

1. CDs are on sale right now via AMP Recording (click the link on the right sidebar). AMP will mail your CD for a very reasonable fee.
2. The entire CD, or individual tracks, can be downloaded from the iTunes Music Store right now.
3. If you are a student at Parkland High School - or know one - CDs can be purchased directly from Dr. Watson (or anyone in the Music Production class) at PHS in Room A120.

We'll be sending a check to CFSRF early in the New Year. Blessings to you and yours this Christmas. Peace and Joy in the New Year.

Regards, Dr. Watson

"Season for Giving" Now Available at the iTunes Store

Just in time for Christmas our CD, "Parkland: A Season for Giving (2008)," is up and available for download at the Apple iTunes Store. If you'd like to download tracks, the entire album, or just want to check it out, visit the iTunes store and search for "Parkland."

FYI, the music was submitted about five weeks ago to the iTunes store through a service called Tunecore.com. For a small fee, Tunecore helps with the details of establishing an independent label, getting track files in the correct format, and submitting them to the iTunes store. Then, it takes weeks for Apple to review all submissions to be sure they meet the specifications.

BTW, our label is called "Music 4Good" and reminds us that we use our talents to make a positive contribution to the world in which we live.