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Newsletter - 23rd December 2009

Well, what did I say the last time about making assumptions? True to this year's form the mastering hasn't been straight forward. Actually it hasn't even got started, due partly I guess to an oversight on my part. The good news is, as has been the case throughout this year, that not only have individual problems been solved but their resolution has had a ripple effect elsewhere. An example of that is that all the tracks sound even better now (and that's before mastering). Maybe I'm just being philosophical and positive but after my experiences this year I'm starting to think if things don't work out as planned then it just means there's something better round the corner (but you have to dig deep and solve those problems and it's not always a pleasant experience). Anyway, enough of these ramblings of a fool. I just wanted to give some plausible explanation for the broken promises of material being available before Christmas.

The site will be having a few cosmetic changes over the next few weeks and to save you wasting time trying to work out if anything is "really" new (such as me actually getting some music out) we can now alert you to any significant news via Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/shearermusic.

And, the MySpace page has been resurrected and can be found here:

http://www.myspace.com/andrewshearercom

(Pleeeese by my friend - God knows I need some (:-) )

(I might actually put some premastered clips up there in the short term - I'll notify you via Twitter.)

Finally, I know faith and patience in me is understandably waning (interestingly faith in myself has increased though this combatitive year) but once again I want to thank those of you that show interest, support and generosity. It never goes unnoticed and won't be forgotten; hopefully you'll be rewarded in January and will like "At The Water's Edge". Have a very happy Christmas and a very happy, healthy 2010.

With Best Wishes,

Andrew

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Newsletter - 30th November 2009

Today, at last, the mixes for the fourteen songs for "At The Water's Edge" album have gone off for mastering. Visitors to the site will know I had originally planned for everything to be released in February but it's all taken much longer than I had anticipated and the year has also been dented with technical difficulties. But we've got there in the end and I'm really pleased with the way the album sounds and hopefully some of you out there will like it too.

Assuming the mastering will be straight forward (you'd think I'd learn from making such assumptions), I would hope to have clips of the songs on the website within the next couple of weeks. Everything else is almost in place with respect to the logistical side of things: artwork, cd pressing, online shop etc, but I am a bit concerned that it's just getting a bit tight before Christmas. We'll see how it goes. However as a small thanks and tribute to the "Crackerjack Crowd", whose interest, support and generosity have continued over the past couple of years and is much appreciated, the "delux" final version of Crackerjack will definitely be available for free download before Christmas.

I know there are some regular visitors to the website and I want to apologise for the scant information over the year but you really didn't need to know how badly it was going at times and I just had to concentrate on trying to get to the end. In time perhaps the experience will be distilled into some form of writing. On that front actually there is some other news. I recently came second in a writing competion! Unbelievable, I don't usually win anything and this was the first piece I had ever submitted. (Beginner's luck anyone?) I'll let you know when it's published. (It should be on the Writers' News website in February).

Anyway that's it for now, you can take this as official notification that I've rejoined the land of the living and that a little bit more activity here is imminent.

Bye for now,

Andrew