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Citywalk Studios Works Miracles for Act of God
Branson-based Citywalk Studios is in the final stages of the production of the music for the new Christian show Act of God.
(PRWEB) August 31, 2005 -- Branson-based Citywalk Studios is in the final stages of the production of the music for the new Christian show Act of God, said Mark Owen, Executive Producer of Citywalk Studios. The live recording which began two weeks earlier was enough to challenge any workaholic with sessions often going as late as 3:00am.
As the title suggests, the show Act of God has acting in it, but there are also ten original songs in the show that augment the four Carol Burnett style skits and dramas. The music used for the Act of God live performance is very good, but synthesized orchestrations can often force you to compromise, says John Lindsay, writer/producer of Act of God. The key of a song in one instance limited the use of synthesized horns because of where it fell in their range and a jazz flute was incorporated in its place, but the flute, as good it sounded, didn’t have the desired punch and consequently changed the overall feel of the song. No one would notice that anything was wrong, but if you did a side by side comparison between the live musician’s recording and the synthesized music you’d notice in seconds. It’s like walking into a wax museum. There’s a big difference between looking alive and being alive.
There’s no question that synthesizers play a role in reducing the cost of a recording. Citywalk Studios, in addition to its pool of world class musicians, has sampled instruments available. Sampled instruments are preferred above most synthesized options in that they are actual digitally recorded tones played by professional musicians. Once the live piano, base, drums, guitar bed is recorded, layering sampled instruments is a cost effective solution that won’t compromise the quality of a project, says Mark Owen. You have the best of both worlds with the synergy of live human beings and the clarity and precision of the New York Philharmonic.
It would have been preferable to do it right the first time, says Lindsay, but the Act of God ministry didn’t have the funds to produce something of this magnitude. We wouldn’t be where we are now if it had not been for the generosity of the Ozark Christian News and Citywalk Studios who donated time and valuable resources to this endeavor.
It’s a great thing to realize a vision, continued Lindsay, but there’s an unexplainable satisfaction when a group of individuals exceeds your expectation. In the studio, the musicians followed the solo vocal until the song settled into a uniform style enhancing both the direction of the lyric and the melodic phrase and inflection. But the Act of God recording could not have been brought to its current level without each musician’s intimate knowledge of the skills and proclivity of the other musicians. These guys knew each other so well that when they played, the pieces to the puzzle simply fell into place.
There’s nothing that compares with what humans can do when they’re working well together. When four voices are singing in perfect alignment in pitch and intonation an overtone may be heard. An overtone is an acoustical phenomenon where an additional fifth tone is heard above the other four. Ask any Gospel or Barber Shop quartet and they’ll tell you that overtones are rare and don’t come without considerable rehearsal. Evidenced by noticeable yet unexplainable signs and wonders, could it be that God has designed us to work together in harmony? If so, maybe we should consider getting back to basics. As far as the human element stands, musically or otherwise, there’s no substitute for the real thing.
Act of God is a non-profit corporation which hopes to use proceeds from the performances of uplifting original Christian entertainment to fund other ministries that support those without resources such as orphans, battered women, etc. You can find Act of God on line at www.actofgodbranson.com. For reservations call (417) 336-1828. The Act of God show is currently being performed at the Circle B Chuckwagon, 200 Jess Jo Parkway, Branson, MO 65616.
For Citywalk production rates and booking information call (417) 336-1600. www.citywalkstudios.com.
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