"Dream Big" and a great voice on the horizon...Katrina Elam

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of checking out a feel-good country music film titled "Pure Country 2: The Gift" at Mann's Chinese 6 in Hollywood. As the follow-up to the 1992 George Strait film, "Pure Country"...

“It’s really a stand-alone project, but it shares the same heart and same feel and that same sort of texture that the first one did,” said actor Dean Cain (TV’s “Lois & Clark”), who co-wrote the script with his stepfather, Christopher Cain, the director for both “Pure Country” films.

In 2007, while working at Roserock Films on the Warner Bros. lot, I had a chance to read the script...still in development. As a story analyst, and somebody who truly loves a good screenplay, it's always a thrill to see a script find its way to the silver screen...and into the hands of the appreciating public.

There was a lot about "Pure Country 2: The Gift" that I liked...but the biggest transformations between the silent printed page and Big Screen experience were the score and the casting choice in the movie's lead, Katrina Elam. This girl can sing. And do expect to see more of her. Katrina Elam's got a voice worth listening to...and Steve Dorff did an incredible job of writing a terrific score as well as producing all of the songs on the 14 song soundtrack.

The first single off of the "Pure Country 2: The Gift" soundtrack, to be released on February 15, 2011: "Dream Big" (Steve Dorff) . This song has an irresistibly sticky chorus...which I couldn't get out of my head for days. Not entirely surprising, however...as Dorff co-wrote two #1 Billboard Country Chart hits for George Strait on the original "Pure Country" soundtrack in 1992 ("I Cross My Heart" and "Heartland")...And...worth noting...Dorff (co-written by Marty Panzer) also wrote one of my favorite ballads of all time, "Through The Years" by Kenny Rogers.

On December 15th, The Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences released its shortlist for the 2011 Oscars...with 41 songs competing for the Top 5 slots...for Best Original Song...and Katrina Elam is on that list - singing Steve Dorff's beautiful ballad, "Dream Big".

Now we're cookin'...The backstory

As a professional mix and mastering engineer and songwriter with a rich background of past creative jobs that range from story analyst, film producer assistant, copywriter - to graphic designer, wine industry professional, lifeguard, ski bum...my interests are not confined to *audio*...and coming up with a Blog concept wasn't hard as an adjunct to my company web site -- I promise to NOT write about mixing. Mastering. Compression. Limiting. EQ....Frequency Analyzers...Delivery specs. Are you asleep yet? Yeah. Me too. LOVE engineering. LOVE writing. Not gonna write about engineering. BUT...what I would like to share is my experience. With music. Songwriting. Some of the cool artists I get to work with. Live shows I've enjoyed. I'll be sharing anecdotes from my time here in Los Angeles. Going into my 8th year here...I'm involved in the songwriting community in various capacities and rooted in the music side of the entertainment business. Though born in Hong Kong and a sucker for world travel, the stage for this blog will largely take place at and around my studio here in Los Angeles, located just north of downtown...Hollywood events...and my mountain studio in Colorado...which I affectionately refer to as the Aspen Grove Studio...

"Now we're cookin'..." isn't a food reference. It's about forward motion. Catching a wave. Experiences that are inspiring and make you think, "this is going to work!"...I meet a lot of talented, creative individuals often...who already have "made it"...or are on their way to "making it"...in their chosen creative field...As an engineer, I work with "up and comings" as well as established artists. Those who are just catching their first break and those who are veterans in their field..."Now we're cookin'..." is a sneak peek behind the curtain; behind the scenes...from the perspective of a working Angeleno.