Instrumental Invasion, 4/29/20 April 30, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Animation, Audio, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
The April 29, 2020, Instrumental Invasion show on WCWP was the fifth to be mixed and recorded between March 25 and 30. It was the last show with hours dedicated to one year.
The playlist was made on March 23 with annotations the next day and while recording on the 29th, exactly one month before it aired.
The way I said “Spoons” while talking up Eric Marienthal‘s song was a reference to The Tick‘s catchphrase, established in this scene from the episode “The Tick vs. Arthur’s Bank Account“:
I missed an opportunity to call back to Gerald Albright‘s bass work on “Sassy” by Bobby Lyle while backselling “Highway 70” in the 2010 hour.
Click here to download the aircheck MP3 or listen below:
Instrumental Invasion, 4/22/20; Show banner April 23, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
The April 22, 2020, Instrumental Invasion show was the fourth to be mixed in Adobe Audition 2020. The talk breaks were recorded March 25, but I had to pad a few out during the mix on the 28th. David Benoit coincidentally hosting a show on another 88.1 FM – KKJZ-FM – had to be acknowledged. I was listening to it while writing the first draft on April 1.
I made the playlist on March 23 and annotated it the next day. I made additional annotations while mixing and re-recording.
After recording this show, Dan Cox, WCWP Director of Broadcasting, informed me that my show would be airing weekly starting the following week. He suggested I should also record a promo:
The excerpts I included in that promo were inspired by what I had played:
- “To the Top” by Adam Hawley
- “Feel It Still” covered by the aforementioned David Benoit
- “Tidal Wave” by Nelson Rangell
- “When We Dance” by Ken Navarro
For the second week in a row, the show aired flawlessly. Click here to download the aircheck MP3 or listen below:
Four days earlier, on April 18, WCWP‘s social media handler, Kim Brander (a.k.a. The Original DGunboats) suggested I make a logo or banner for Instrumental Invasion. After 45 minutes in Adobe Photoshop CS2, I came up with this:
The keys are from my Yamaha YPG-625 located in the basement, which I photographed with my iPhone 11. The WCWP logo is from the icon toward the bottom of the station’s website homepage. If you right-click “view image,” you get this. From there, you can “save image as” or just do that directly from the homepage without opting to view it.
Kim is another male, just like the ones I referenced after playing female Kim Scott‘s “Take It to the Rink.”
Instrumental Invasion, 4/15/20 April 16, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
The April 15, 2020, Instrumental Invasion show on WCWP was the third I mixed between March 25 and 30, but the fourth show I recorded talk breaks for.
Like the first three shows, work on the playlist began March 22 with annotations on the 24th along with the other five.
I’m proud of the anecdotes about listening to “Heartbeat” by Spyro Gyra on the way back from my sister’s college graduation and Jessy J writing my name and then signing hers for my copy of My One and Only One. I also liked the allusion to Batman while talking up Jessy’s “The Tango Boy” and quoting Chieli Minucci’s March 7 Facebook post. I regret forgetting to say his last name, forgetting that I played Jeff Lorber in the first hour while talking up “Right On Time” in the second, and not acknowledging the Pat Bianchi Trio’s album, A Higher Standard, while talking up their song and signing off. I got wrapped up in the “from the bottom of my heart” segue.
The show was correctly programmed into automation and aired flawlessly. Click here to download the aircheck MP3 or listen below:
Instrumental Invasion, 4/8/20 April 9, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Radio.add a comment
The April 8, 2020, Instrumental Invasion show on WCWP was the second I mixed between March 25 and 30, but the third show I recorded talk breaks for.
I made the playlist on March 22 with annotations on the 24th and while recording on the 26th. It seemed like a good idea to share my love of that Gil Shaham recording that I first heard on The Weather Channel 25 years ago, but it’s such a long title. As I said on the air, I’ll just stick to jazz.
Due to a technical error, the April 1 show initially reran. I got in touch with Dan Cox, WCWP Director of Broadcasting, and he corrected the error after the second segment of the first hour.
Below is the show’s aircheck (or click here). The ones from the first two segments and the start of the third are directly from my mix with the broadcast multiband compressor effect applied. The rest is from the FM stream.
New header April 6, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Personal.add a comment
I changed the header and about photo to reflect my current setup. Here’s the header:
Instrumental Invasion, 4/1/20 April 2, 2020
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The April 1, 2020, Instrumental Invasion show on WCWP was the first of six shows I recorded from March 25 to 30. My foolhardy plan was to livestream my recording of talk breaks for all six shows on March 25. It took way too long just to record the first show’s talk breaks. Not only that, but few people watched the stream. So, I abandoned it before recording a second set of talk breaks, which became the fourth show. That was as far as I went.
I encountered issues in Adobe Audition 3.0 while recording the second aircheck of the first show. The program constantly froze. I had issues recording with my USB interface before, but that was the last straw. So, I subscribed to Adobe Audition 2020 and the problem went away.
I was only able to mix multitrack sessions for this show on March 25. I’m required to record three segments per hour, six in all. I used one of Audition’s templates: Radio VO with Music Ducking. It was the only time I’ve used a template, so this show will sound different from the ones to follow.
Work on the playlist began on March 22 with annotations on the 24th and while mixing and re-recording. I miscalculated time remaining in the second segment of hour 2. I had to replace “Sorceress” by Return to Forever with the shorter “No Mystery” and redo the talk break coming out of it.
Unfortunately, each show has the potential to have anywhere from part of a segment to none of the show airing. The last few minutes of this show were cut off. I’m glad that was it.
Click here to download the aircheck MP3 or listen below:
4/24 UPDATE: I recorded the May 20 show yesterday, which included another song from Chet Baker’s She Was Too Good to Me album: “Autumn Leaves.” I turned don’t know why my brain turned “to” into “for,” but I realized my error yesterday. I missed the error with “It’s You or No One” in the premiere.
Instrumental Invasion to air weekly on WCWP! March 30, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Audio, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Radio, Technology.add a comment
Wednesday night will mark the beginning of my first weekly stint at WCWP since the Evening Jazz era a decade ago.
Instrumental Invasion with Mike Chimeri began life on WCWP in 2015 as a new name for my annual Homecoming Weekend show. I’ve done two shows a year: a live one on Fridays and a prerecorded show early on Sunday mornings. The name Instrumental Invasion was recycled from my WGBB-AM show in the mid 2000s.
The closure of WCWP during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a call for alumni to create original programming to run while the station was entirely automated. After receiving the blessing of WCWP Director of Broadcasting Dan Cox, I planned out six shows to record. I’ve been recording since last Wednesday and will record the last of the initial six today.
Two days ago, Dan gave me a regular slot: Wednesdays from 9PM to 11PM for at least ten weeks. I am thrilled to be given this opportunity and I thank Dan very much for it.
Make plans to listen to WCWP every Wednesday night starting April 1. If you can receive the signal, you can listen on your radio at 88.1 FM. Otherwise, go to WCWP.org or the WCWP app for iOS and Android.
In case you’re wondering, here’s my setup:
I use an Audio-Technica AT2020 XLR condenser mic with a compatible windscreen by Whisperteknik. (If that windscreen is unavailable, get one by VocalBeat instead.) The mic is connected to a Koolertron shock mount which attaches to a Neewer boom scissor arm stand. A six-foot AmazonBasics XLR male to female cable runs to a FocusRite Scarlett 2i2 USB interface. I’d been using Adobe Audition 3.0 for 12 years, but it does not take kindly to USB, regularly freezing while recording. Adobe Audition 2020 does not have that problem. I subscribed to the software early in the recording process. My shows are recorded in multi-track sessions. Airchecks are recorded and music and liners are added. The duration of an aircheck depends on how much time is left in a segment or to the next song’s post. Audition 2020 lets you record files up to 48 kHz and 32 bits, but I stick with 44.1 and 16.
Guest reading at my old elementary school: Year 5 March 5, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Books, Education, Personal, Photography.add a comment
Other guest reading posts: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
Monday simultaneously marked my fifth National Read Across America Day at Leo F. Giblyn School in Freeport (where it’s known as Guest Reader Day), and the fifth anniversary of my debut.
I was unable to attend last year as I was in South Florida for my cousin’s wedding, but Meghan Carney allowed me to read to her class a month and a half later.
Unfortunately, Lori Downing, the teacher who first invited me to be a guest reader five years ago, couldn’t make it this year due to a death in the family. She graciously lent me her classroom as my home base for the day. I hung out there between reading sessions.
This year also had a theme: Be Kind, based on Pat Zietlow Miller’s book of the same name. The day began with an assembly for students in the cafetorium (cafeteria/auditorium), hosted by Gina Newcombe. There were separate assemblies for kindergarten through second grade, and for third and fourth graders. I attended the first assembly.
An introductory video featured messages from faculty – including principal Amanda Muldowney and assistant principal Amy Lederer – and slides, the latter of which can be seen here:
Next, Lisa Eisenberg presented a few scenarios based on book excerpts. They were acted out by Larraine Brown, Stephanie Huggard, George DiGiovanni, and Wendy Connelly. Each scenario had an unkind and kind version, prefaced by Mrs. Eisenberg.
After the first assembly, I returned to Mrs. Downing’s room. I hadn’t received the schedule yet, so I didn’t know who I’d be reading to or when. Mrs. Huggard provided the schedule once the second assembly was over.
In the next five hours, I read ten books to six classes (denoted in parentheses), mostly by Dr. Seuss:
- Green Eggs and Ham (Gilbert Hernandez)
- The Cat in the Hat (Jaclyn Dinelli)
- Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog? (Sue Caravousanos)
- Maybe You Should Fly a Jet! Maybe You Should Be a Vet! (Caravousanos)
- Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? (Meghan Carney)
- There’s a Wocket in My Pocket! (Carney)
- Fox in Socks (Carney)
Fox in Socks, my last book of the day, was quite a workout. It was an epic, riddled with tongue twisters.
The three non-Dr. Seuss books were:
- Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller (Emmy Nicholas)
- A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams (Nicholas)
- The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman by Darcy Pattison (Kelly Nicholson)
There was mutual admiration. The students and faculty love me and I love them back. I’m grateful for the opportunity every year to act out the books I read, putting smiles on everyone’s faces. Thank you all.
Until next year, I’ll leave you with a collage of candid photos all the teachers took as I read:
Lisa Hilton at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall: The one I almost saw January 9, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Music, Personal, Photography, Travel, Weather.add a comment
Successful trips to Lisa Hilton performances: June 2011, January 2014, January 2015, January 2016, January 2018, January 2019
This site has been quiet since my recap of Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber just before Christmas. I would have had a recap of Lisa Hilton‘s annual Weill Recital Hall show on January 9, but circumstances beyond my control before showtime prevented me from seeing it. It was very disappointing. The worst part is I began drafting the recap in advance. I’ve been sitting on the draft for weeks, opting not to delete it. Now, you get to see how the recap would have gone:
Thursday marked the sixth time in the last seven years that I saw Lisa Hilton and Friends perform at Carnegie Hall‘s Weill Recital Hall.
It was my second show in three weeks, having seen Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber at The Iridium on December 19. That was a mainly electric performance. Lisa and her friends performed acoustically in Weill Recital Hall’s natural sound system.
Lisa’s friends were JD Allen on tenor saxophone, Luques Curtis on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums.
Together, they mostly played music from Lisa’s latest album, Chalkboard Destiny. The album’s message is that we don’t have predetermined fates. We can make our own paths. That doesn’t keep me from regretting the paths I haven’t taken in my life, but I digress.
If I only knew the words I wrote would ring true that night.
It was cold on the platform at Wantagh’s LIRR station, but bearable with no wind. The 5:55 train was on time and my section of the railcar was quiet. I arrived at Penn Station at 6:56. I wasn’t going to attempt subway trains from Woodside this time. …
The show began at 8:??. As I said, Lisa, JD, Luques, and Rudy mostly played music from Chalkboard Destiny, except where noted:
(Describe songs)
After the show, I gathered my belongings and met Lisa in the lobby where we caught up with each other and posed for our usual pic:
“Our usual pic” would have gone here.
I took the C train back to Penn Station and the 10:?? Babylon train back to Wantagh.
That’s as far as the draft went. I would have added to it on Friday and published it Saturday, but my chalkboard destiny didn’t call for that.
The impetus for bringing this draft to light is a newsletter Lisa e-mailed on Monday night. The subject was “Behind the scenes at Carnegie Hall.” It led with this photo by professional photographer Ryan Nava:
Here’s what followed:
Are you curious what it’s like to perform at Carnegie Hall?
One thing for sure is that it was a LOT easier the sixth time than it was the first time, especially with an enthusiastic audience, so this year was my favorite year so far. The fact that I had friends JD, Luques, and Rudy all there this year just warmed my heart – we really have been playing together a while and it’s just getting better for us.
OK, back to the question, what is it like to play there? Every room has a unique energy, as well as advantages and disadvantages – but these days, I only perform in rooms that I like. Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall has perfect acoustics and an amazing 9′ Steinway D, so that’s way up there in the advantages category for a pianist, of course, since I only get to play a piano like that maybe 2-3 times a year at best. Just imagine my favorite thing to do – playing the piano – on one of the finest instruments in the entire country. It’s like a Ferrari to me – a high-performance vehicle – that’s what it’s like! You can see the piano practically overwhelms the stage – it’s huge – the big “engine” has longer strings with the ability for a greater range of sound, as well as dynamics. So, I get to enjoy the thrill of the sonic beauty, the easy “touch” which allows quickness and clarity, but I also try and “milk” the room and piano with contrast in volume – playing very, very softly as well as really pretty loud, all magnified naturally by the design of the room, so no microphones are needed. That’s definitely cool. I also like that it’s a “treat” for most of us to go to Carnegie Hall, so there are positive expectations with the audience. The room and stage are very pretty and live up to those expectations – lots of chandeliers all around – and I like being a part of a special experience. As an artist, I like playing up to those advantages – so yes, the room is inspiring.
OK, what’s it like to play Carnegie Hall?
It’s absolutely soooo much fun! We had an awesome time! I think we’ll be back January 10, 2021!
That would be a Saturday, a first for Lisa at Weill.
Below Lisa’s commentary was a collage of Ryan Nava’s photography with the Chalkboard Destiny artwork in the center:
I hope I’m able to redeem myself next year. Redemption is always sweet. Thank you to Lisa, not just for your explanatory newsletter, but for your understanding.
I’ll conclude this post with last year’s “usual pic”:
11/18 UPDATE: There will be no redemption in 2021. Due to the ongoing pandemic, Carnegie Hall canceled the show (per Lisa’s latest blog post).
MikeChimeri.com 
Audiobooking 5 April 1, 2020
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Audio, Audiobooks, Comedy, Commentary, Film, History, Media, Military, News, Personal, Politics, TV, Video.add a comment
In light of my practically apolitical audiobook streak since I impulsively quit the “Audiobooking” series, save for the right end of the spectrum, I chose to bring it back. Here’s what I’ve been listening to while exercising since September 2018:
2018 humbled me with the unexpected political turns in the memoirs I listened to, not to mention Kevin Hart’s endless tangents. It taught me to choose the audiobooks I buy carefully. If the author is politically active from the left on social media, chances are it will come up in their book. Eric Idle was the last mistake in that respect, which is why I haven’t bought John Cleese’s memoir. Thankfully, Neil Ross only had one political sentence in his book: deriding right-to-work states. I wonder what Goldie Hawn’s memoir, released in 2005, would have been like if it came out today. Never Play Dead and The United States of Trump weren’t exactly choir music, either. The books reminded me of the political stories I missed while avoiding current events. Nevertheless, they were worth listening to, as were the rest of the audiobooks listed above.
Whenever Andrea Barber mentioned her son Tate in Full Circle, I thought of a running gag on the Game Sack YouTube channel involving TATE Mode, the vertical screen orientation for arcade games. It’s generally pronounced “tah-tay,” but host Joe Redifer pronounces it phonetically, an acceptable alternate pronunciation. Whenever a game is featured with TATE Mode, he’ll get facetiously hyperbolic.
I have three more audiobooks to listen to in my Audible app after I finish Full Circle, and you’ll see what those were in the next “Audiobooking” post. Until then, happy listening.