Hard to believe that a year ago, in January 2013, the studio recording of A Roadkill Opera was only a plan. The initial plan was to jump into the studio for an afternoon and knock out a demo. That changed completely once we got in the studio with recording engineer Jeff Gruber.
Jeffrey Dokken leading the recording session for A Roadkill Opera in January 2013 at Blue House Productions
At Jeff’s suggestion, we laid down the instrumental tracks in the main studio, and the vocals on a guide or “scratch” track in the control room. This would allow the vocals to be isolated and allow for each singer to record their best performance.
Vocal guide or “scratch” tracks were laid down simultaneously with the orchestral tracks for A Roadkill Opera
Everyone who would participate in the released recording was there the first day, with the lone exception of the cello soloist.
Jeffrey Dokken conducted cello soloist Natalie Spehar in one of the final sessions for A Roadkill Opera
It would take multiple sessions from January to June 2013 to get all the tracks mixed and vocals laid in. Ultimately, Jeffrey Dokken (music director and conductor), Jeff Gruber (recording engineer) and Stephan Alexander Parker (librettist) received producing credit for the studio album of A Roadkill Opera.
The producers of the studio recording of A Roadkill Opera (left to right) are Stephan Alexander Parker, Jeff Gruber, and Jeffrey DokkenHatch Show Print provided the poster for the June 2012 workshop performance. Pictured at Hatch in March 2013 is Jim Sherraden, manager, curator, and chief designer of Hatch Show Print, advising on how to best incorporate the poster design into the covers of the CD and sheet music for A Roadkill Opera.
It was a proud day on July 4, 2013, when the CD was released–Independence Day! Lashof Violins in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was the first brick and mortar store to carry the CD. Lashof also carries the sheet music for string instruments, as well as Parker’s book released on Groundhog Day, February 2, 2013, If You See Roadkill, Think Opera.
Lashof Violins in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was packed with customers in September 2013. A Roadkill Opera CDs can be seen in the center of the photo; the sheet music and If You See Roadkill, Think Opera are visible to the left
Pop-up sales venues for A Roadkill Opera were seen in Chicago; New Jersey; Frederick, Maryland; and Alexandria, Virginia.
Chicago street musician Reginald Conyers hosted a popup display in Daley Plaza in September 2013 promoting A Roadkill Opera as well as If You See Roadkill, Think OperaDavid Timpane, who created the role of Stephan in A Roadkill Opera, stopped by the pop-up store (above) at A Night of Requiems put on by the Symphony Orchestra of Northern Virginia (SONOVA) in October 2013. Eight of the performers at the SONOVA concert (see below) including David Timpane and Laura Wehrmeyer (she created the role of Holly) also performed on the studio recording of A Roadkill Opera
Thousands of art lovers saw the display for A Roadkill Opera at Artomatic@Frederick 2013 in Frederick, Maryland
A viola case is used for transporting and displaying the CD and books associated with A Roadkill Opera and If You See Roadkill, Think Opera
