A Basic Update

When I first set up my raymykrumrei.com website my main goal was to take anyone who wanted to go with me on this journey to getting my first country cut (a song recorded by another artist.) The site has been super useful as it is very easy for me to send folks here who want to hear what I am working on. Somewhere along the way, however, I think I forgot that the purpose of the blog is to keep you all up to date on the baby steps and the triumphs and tragedies (hopefully not too many of those) along the way to my goal. Instead I think I subconsciously didn’t want to write unless I had some deeper comment on life in general. This entry represents a return to my original intent, a simple blow by blow of what has been going on. That is the way I hope to keep it from now on, although I make no promises that a deep comment on life won’t slip in from time to time. Thanks to those of you who read my musings and who have taken the time to sign up for the email list on raymykrumrei.com. 

It is great to begin to see our efforts pay off over time. For me I am beginning to feel the results from the energy that I have put into writing and networking. I am in Nashville on what I think is my sixth trip to the city and it is starting to become my home away from home. In addition to these trips in the last few years I have attended two Durango Songwriter’s Expos and have been to the Hawaii Songwriting Festival three years in a row. I am an active member of the Malibu chapter of NSAI and increasing my involvement with SongTown. These last two are fantastic songwriter organizations that educate and create opportunities for their members. I am having a great time doing what I have always felt made to do. 

Hawaii was very productive and encouraging this year. My writing was very well received by both my peers and the professionals involved with the festival. I was especially encouraged by my favorite mentor Jason Blume, Alan Rich (writer of Whitney Houston’s “Run to You”) and the festival’s founder Charles Brotman. Another highlight was writing my second song with Streetlight Cadence (my favorite band these days… check them out and you will see why) and to find out that the song is scheduled to be included on their 2017 Christmas EP. Apart from Hawaii, I have completed a song with the talented Patricia Bahia called “Heroes.” It was composed with an eye to film and tv and I am very proud of the track. As soon as I have final mixes of both songs, I will post them on raymykrumrei.com. I am also writing with a few others including one of my favorite writers, Warren Sellers. 

So far on this trip to Nashville I have had the opportunity to see Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman as Gary was honored at the County Music Hall of Fame. I also performed at the SongTown three-year Birthday Bash at the Blue Bar and met founders Marty and Clay as well as several others whom I have only known as icons on a screen up to this point. As the week progresses I look forward to writing sessions with some of my favorite writers from that group as well as writers and artists I have met here in Nashville. All in all, things are going well and I always feel immensely blessed. That’s it for now and I hope you also are doing what you are made to do and seeing the rewards of your labor. It is a tremendous feeling. Cheers ‘till next time.

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