* GULP! * *HOLY COW! * *OH MY GOODNESS!*

Oh boy oh boy oh boy...

(alright, round boy... enough with the exclamations. Get on with it...)

Sorry...

We got the "final approval" disc today - how the disc will sound, now that it's all mastered and tweaked and whatever else they do in that process. I was instructed to listen to the entire disc, without interruption, to evaluate it. This is my last chance for input, so it's kind of the point of no return.

And we were a little nervous. It's a few hundred dollars to have the entire mastering process done, and we were trying to do what would make the CD the best it could be, without wasting money. So we debated a long time about spending the extra to have it mastered.

The result? Worth every penny. No question. :-D The detail of the sound is so clean - everything in its correct "sonic space," so you can hear the layers of sound in the songs. You can pick out the textures of the different instruments, and it all sparkles like a polished diamond. It sounds amazing - and for me to be saying that about my own music is something indeed. :-D

And, when we play it on our DVD system in the living room, the titles of the songs show up on the TV. It's a geek thing, but it's REALLY cool. :-D

Having heard the final result, I am very proud of it. It's been a long trip to get here, but we're almost done. Tentative ship date for the CD is November 14th, and when it finally gets in our hands, you'll be able to hear the shouting all over Grand Rapids.

Wow.