I’ve also been getting everything together for my big album photoshoot this weekend, which will (if everything goes to plan) be a lot of fun. I dyed my hair pink, got lots of wacky accessories, and organized all my outfits. The only photoshoots I’ve ever done have been very small and casual so in comparison this will be wild! You can see a teaser of some of my accessories and a picture of me being an actual human rainbow below.

My blog editor keeps randomly deleting things, so I guess that's my cue to wrap this up! Look out for updates on my photoshoot. I'll definitely be posting about it on my other social media (links can be found at the bottom of this page)!
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<3 Alenni​

What I've been listening to this week: "Heart Hotels" by Dan Fogelberg

Another week of tracking and editing down and another week closer to my playback! I'm starting to feel the impending doom as my release date gets closer (my album's going to be finished in less than two months?!) but I also know I've gotten a lot of stuff done. It's been great showing people what I have so far and receiving lots of support, which I really need right now.

Moving on - thanks to Nick (pictured below) I now have some groovy electric bass on a few songs. Now that those songs have drums and bass I feel like they have a really solid backbone. I also recorded vocals for three more songs and only have three more to do. A couple songs are pretty much ready to be mixed and the rest only have a few instruments to track, so all is going well! If all goes to plan I'll have everything recorded by the end of October and the entirety of November will be dedicated to mixing (or at least telling myself that lessens the feelings of impending doom).

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Over the weekend I got to go on a photoshoot adventure with my friend Amarie for her flute recital. We went to Minnewaska State Park with a super talented photographer. It was super legit and super fun! I've included a pic of me wearing a Bilge Rat shirt (I played a show with them on Saturday, check em out!) in front of a taco shack we went to on the way home.

​The whole experience made me feel a lot more prepared for my own photoshoot that's coming up soon; plus being in nature was some much needed stress relief. Thinking about scheduling everything and making album art and editing and school work and EVERYTHING has been emotionally exhausting! My hope is that my photoshoot will be a really fun thing, though I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I'm not exactly excited to be so on display and feel silly posing for the camera but I am excited to have some album artwork.

Whenever I've had brief spurts of free time I've been working on my program for my album playback, and it's finished for now! You can see a little sneak peek of that at the end.

Thanks for reading and keeping up with what I'm up to! I've really been enjoying writing these posts.

<3 Alenni

What I'm listening to this week: "Animal Spirits" by Vulfpeck

The first day I was there I walked down the main road past all of the famous hotels (see the included selfies) and I couldn't help but feel like I was in some weird adult version of Disney World (because everyone around me was either drunk or half naked). Then when I finally reached the hotel I would be performing at, The Venetian, I was transported to an extravagant Italian palace! Every hallway and side room was decked out in beautiful paintings and gold decorations, besides the very modern conference center I performed in.

The next morning I played viola in front of 5,000 business people and executives attending the LinkedIn Talent Connect conference. It was a really cool and unique opportunity to play in such a professional and classy setting. All in all the whole trip was a nice change of pace from all the tedious editing I've been doing pretty much nonstop.

I had a nice moment waiting for me when I got back to Albany - my song being played on the radio!! Big thanks to 97.7 WEXT and the Local 518 show for playing my single "Ocean Song" on their program again. I actually got to hear it pretty much right after I flew in from Las Vegas so I felt like a superstar.

In the midst of school work, organizing a show I booked, my crazy travel schedule, and my job I also managed to record some oboe and electric guitar tracks as well as a lot of vocals. Conor Grocki lended me his wonderful oboe talents on a couple songs (thanks!!) and Jake Crofoot played his signature noodly guitar licks as well as some improvised studio magic.

Without giving too much away, here's a short preview that shows off Jake's guitar and my vocals:

Finally, here's an adorable bunny town that I found at a pumpkin patch!

​<3 Alenni

What I'm listening to this week: "We Are Not Ourselves" by Foxtails Brigade

The recording never stops!! This week I tracked trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, euphonium, and vocals as well as finished recording violin. It felt good to escape from the confines of my (very messy) room where I've been doing all my editing and mixing and record some instruments I don't usually get to work with. Thanks Adin Kovacik and Judybelle Camangyan for lending me their glorious brass talents (sorry I forgot to take pictures of you!)

Here's a snippet of "Technicolor Sea" that includes all the brass and the last violin parts I recorded as well as Nick Cavin playing drums:

Other noteworthy moments this week were working on my mic techniques when singing live in my artist development class, playing a show in a barber shop, going apple picking, and performing in the Saint Rose symphony orchestra with the one and only Livingston Taylor.

Overall it was a crazy and fun week and it went by in a blur. Here's a happy moment from when I went apple picking with my besties at Indian Ladder Farm: 

That's all for now! Don't forget to subscribe to blog updates in the sidebar if you want your email to be filled with rainbows.

<3 Alenni

What I'm listening to this week: "Sweet Relief" by Kimbra