Back to Bedside Studio tonight to lay the bass & drum tracks for my upcoming EP (no name as of yet so open to suggestions). A few songs that will be on this recording are in very rough form on YouTube: The River Runs, Three Guitars, & Rock the Water. The rest are new and I can’t wait for you to hear them all with a band backing it all up!
Time to go lay the beat!
Posted by Raito in Studio and tagged as bass, bedside studio, Drums, EP, lay the beat
Well, I’m heading back into Len Milne’s Bedside studio an hour from now, to start recording 4 songs for my pending album, and just finished devouring a quarter pounder and cheese, side salad and water (NOT a tea drinker)!
Got me to think, “What should you eat and drink before you sing?” I fear the answer may be, “Whatever you do Don’t eat McDee’s!” 
Love to hear what other folks do.
Posted by Raito in Misc, Studio and tagged as bedside studio, recording, what to eat before singing
So my 5 year old daughter Grace was not only the inspiration for this song, but as well the videographer! She blows my mind every day not only because she is beautiful & amazing, but she can work a Flip video camera. A little shaky here & there mind you, but HEY she’s in kindergarten so cut her some slack
Posted by Raito in Video and tagged as beautiful sky, i made you, raito
Here is a new song I’ve been working on called ‘Rock The Water’.
I hope you quickly have your own connection to the song, but for me it is about the ultimate strength we have in our own mind. Our thoughts are our own & nobody can take that away from us. Oh, and there are a million ways to rock that boat
Posted by Raito in Video and tagged as raito, rock the boat, rock the water
I hate to admit this, but tonight was my very first Open Mic Night… ever!
Literally, just minutes ago I got back from Bellavista’s Wednesday Open Mic night, where I got a chance to perform Three Guitars, Super Woman & a new song I have been working on called Rock The Water. I have spent so much time this past year writing and thinking about the studio, I almost forgot how much of a rush it is to perform live. Such an amazing diverse group of local performers were present; blues, folk & pop just name a few genre’s… really cool!
When I was asked what my genre is I again stammered my usual answer, “I don’t know what I am!” Honestly, I don’t care what genre I will eventually be labeled with . I just write my music from deep down in that place only I can go.
Anyway! The night was a blast and as it came about on such short notice, sorry I wasn’t able to get an invite out to anyone.
Mucho thanks to Tim Butler for getting me on the docket early enough in the night that I won’t be bagged working tomorrow. Also a big thanks to Rick for pushing me to go & not actually being there
Until next time…
Posted by Raito in Gigs and tagged as bellavista, open mic, tim butler
So on February 3rd, 2011 I handed in my application for Level 1 funding at Manitoba Film & Music. (If you are a Manitoba artist and haven not checked out the various funding programs… you should! WARNING- It is a pretty intense application process!)
So what does this mean?
Well, if the two songs that I submitted along with a detailed application, marketing plan & two pounds of flesh are approved by a jury of music professionals, then I will receive funding assistance (up to 75%) to go back into the studio to record a few more songs. I’m going to make my 1st album happen, one way or another, but MFM will be a good resource to have on my side going forward regardless of their immediate decision. I am definitely itching to get back into Len Milne’s Bedside Studio…
Either way, wish me luck as jury decisions are made in about 2-3 weeks!!!
Also, have a few more updates coming soon! So stay tuned…
Posted by Raito in Studio and tagged as manitoba film & music, manitoba music, music funding
Here is a song that I have been working on called ‘Three Guitars’. I’m just starting to experiment with video, so bear with me as I start to work out the glitches. Maybe Santa will be good to me and get me an HD video camera
I fear what this song means to me, and why I wrote it, people may either not understand or think I’m pretty weird when they do! Either way my wife doesn’t like the premise behind the song, as I wrote it as a wish to be fulfilled when I die. I want my ashes built into Three Guitars and for these guitars to be passed down to my three daughters.
Posted by Raito in Video and tagged as raito, raito music video, raito youtube, three guitars
Sorry it has been so long since I have sent an update on the fate of ‘One & The Same’ & everything else musical.
I am very happy to say that ‘One & The Same‘ made the top 55 in in Canada out over 700 songs for the David Suzuki Playlist for the Planet Contest. Unfortunately, it wasn’t selected to make the final top 11 in Canada. I am so pleased it did as well as it did… and couldn’t have done so with out the help of all my friends voting every day on CBC Radio 3. Thanks again!!!
This qoute sums up my feelings:
“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” ~Michael Angelo
On to my update for today. This afternoon I attended the Canadian RadioStar Songwriting Workshop held at the Park theater in Winnipeg. Not only did I receive a live panel critique of ‘One & The Same’, but as well took away some amazing songwriting tips from Dan Hill. For those of you who don’t know Dan is one of Canada’s true songwriting geniuses, who has penned songs for the likes of Celine Dion, 98 Degrees, Brittney Spears & 100′s more. The advice I received WILL make me a better songwriter and I can’t wait to show YOU some of the stuff I am working on. I also was able to meet Renee, of Keith & Renee, the artist(s) whose song ‘The One‘ ended up being one of the Playlist for the Planet Winners. Congrats again Renee and it was great meeting you.
Lastly, I have selected my next two songs to go into the studio with; The River Runs & Three Guitars. These are two very different songs that will reveal two completely different sides of my writing! I will be trying to get into the studio over the next several months and so look forward to updating you soon.
Thanks a million for your support and make sure to post your thoughts as a comment and or send me an email to stay in touch.
Cheers,
Lee
Posted by Raito in playlist for the planet, Studio, Workshops and tagged as cbc radio 3, dan hill, one and the same, playlist for the planet, radiostar, songwriting
(In about 20 minutes) 06:30 am PST Wednesday, September 1st Round two voting for David Suzuki’s & CBC Radio 3′s Playlist for the Planet officially gets under way. Please keep reading as I need YOUR help over the next week (explain more at the end)…
With over 750 songs entered in the contest & after all your voting in round one, ‘One & The Same’ has made the top 5 songs in Manitoba & with your help this week it could be chosen as the number one environmental anthem in Manitoba, and be put on the Universal Music album being released this October! All proceeds from the sale of this album will go to help saving our planet through the David Suzuki foundation. Our children deserve to inherit a healthy planet!
For the next seven days please vote once per day to help ‘One & The Same’ go down in history as an environmental anthem next to such great artists as Joel Plaskett, Bruce Cockburn, Broken Social Scene, k-os, Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Bachman (with Sarah McLachlan and Nikki Yanofsky), DOA, Tom Jackson, Johnny Reid, Raffi, LIGHTS, Jessie Farrell, Rush, the Trews, Great Big Sea, and Tanya Tagaq.
Here is how you vote:
1. Please go here & vote once per day for ‘One & The Same’ until Wednesday, September 8th: http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/polls/?pollId=73 (Login if you have already registered as a free member or take 2 seconds to signup)
2. If you want me to keep you up to date & hear how this all turns out please enter your name & email on the left side of this site or select the ‘Become a Fan’ button this page: http://radio3.cbc.ca/play/band/Raito/One-and-The-Same
3. Please share this with anyone & everyone you can..
Lastly, I can’t thank you enough as I couldn’t have come this far with out you & all my other friends!!!Now, lets go & win this thing!
Posted by Raito in Misc, playlist for the planet and tagged as Broken Social Scene, Bruce Cockburn, david suzuki, DOA, Gordon Lightfoot, Great Big Sea, Jessie Farrell, Joel Plaskett, Johnny Reid, k-os, LIGHTS, Nikki Yanofsky, one and the same, playlist for the planet, Raffi, raito, Randy Bachman, Rush, Sarah McLachlan, Tanya Tagaq, the Trews, Tom Jackson
Did you write One and The Same specifically for the Playlist for the Planet contest?
Yep. June 25th, 2010 I started writing the song while my daughter Grace was in the bathtub (It’s our semi-regular Daddy Daughter routine & where I have written many of songs)! I have no doubt that my three daughters, and thoughts of my my future grand children, are the reason this song came together so quickly. Within 5 minutes, I immediately could hear the violins, female duet & everyone singing along in my head.
I made the decision right then and there that I would do whatever it took to get the song completed for the contest. From there it took a little less than 4 weeks of part time studio work & an awesome producer engineer by the name of Len Milne (Bedside Studios, Winnipeg) to bring One and The Same to life.
Who is that amazing female singer that comes in after the first verse/chorus?
That would be the amazingly awesome Samantha Rech. She is my voice coach, who just happened to owe me about an hour & a half of back lessons. So I convinced her to sing on my song instead of rescheduling more lessons. I’m so glad she agreed!!!! You can find out more about her on her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/samantharech
Who are all the people singing along in the last half of the song?
I love the fact that almost every musician that played on the song also lent their voice for the gang vocals (truly amazing musicians & Winnipegers). The most amazing part is that I was also able to get my Mom, Dad & Mother In-Law to participate in the group sing along (more stories about that for another time:). It’s one of those small things that I can pick out in the recording that makes me smile. If we are going to save the planet, just like this song, we have to all take ownership, regardless of race, generation or gender, and come together and have fun saving ourselves! I truly believe we can do it.
What musicians play on ‘One and The Same’?
Lee Raito- male vocals & two acoustic guitar parts.
Samatha Rech- Lead Female Vocals
Len Milne- Electric Guitar, Egg Shaker, Engineer & Producer Extraordinaire
Blaine Badiuk- Violin
Todd Lesage- Drums
Travis Hauge- Bass
As more questions are asked I will be happy to answer them. I’m just so happy that people have connected with this song and want it to win Playlist for the Planet. Regardless of whether or not it wins, this song makes, and will continue to, me think every day before I make decisions that might impact our environment and planet earth. This song & our earth are part of your an my legacy! You and I really are the world, One and The Same, it is up to you I to sing along and save her.
Posted by Raito in Misc, playlist for the planet and tagged as cbc radio3, david suzuki, faq, one and the same, playlist for the planet, radio3
0 Comments / Leave a comment or question