What inspired Gary to record a compact disc?
"It was probably due to VORTEX becoming successful over a period of time. We weren't 'brand new' anymore. We had the support of the COMMUNITY PARK DISTRICT OF LAGRANGE PARK and the ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL. We also have a loyal and continually expanding patron base. Nearly all of our productions have made profits, so there was no longer the necessity to write original, royalty-free plays for the group to produce. I wanted to fill the summer of 2000 with a new creative endeavor."
"I had always secretly desired to record a compact disc. With a few well-received musicals behind me, I felt the timing was right. It also helped to have a stash of money set aside for the project."
"I buried myself in books about the music business, became an ASCAP member, and launched GET IT NOW MUSIC, my own record label and publishing company. I knew very little, however, about how to begin the recording process. Nobody I knew had done a professional recording before. I didn't want to make cold calls to studios from the Yellow Pages, so I gave Kate Nir a call."
Kate Nir had been the musical director for LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL, a musical Gary had written, and which VORTEX had staged in 1999. She had mentioned that she had some studio experience, and offered to find the right recording studio and musicians.
The entire DARE TO BE KIND cd was recorded from August thru November 2000. After mixing, mastering, artwork, and insert design were completed, the debut release on the GET IT NOW MUSIC label became available in August 2001.
"It's been a long, hard road, but DARE TO BE KIND has been worth waiting for. It was recorded by a patient, talented, and well-respected engineer, the musicians on the album are sensational, and I'm proud of my vocals and the supporting vocalists, one of whom is my sister, Linda. Hearing my music performed in a studio setting erased any lingering doubts I may have had about whether I had done the right thing. Even as I wrote check after check, at the same time I thought, 'What took me so long?'"
Nearly all of the 16 songs on the album had prior lives in Gary's musical plays, but the new arrangements and revised, "genericized" lyrics have given them a renewed vigor on what he describes as "an eclectic, country/pop- flavored" offering. Gary hopes to garner some radio airplay, and he definitely envisions some live performances once things begin to take off. The first single, "Every Day Should Be Mother's Day" is a tribute to all of the mothers of the world. It was released to radio in May 2001.
"I've heard it said that an artist's first album takes a lifetime to write. I'm an 'average Joe' who should appeal to the musical tastes of most adults. It's difficult to describe your own musical style, but I've been compared to artists as diverse as James Taylor, Neil Diamond, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, the Smithereens, and John Denver. I'd like to think of it as 'Music With A Message.' I have something to say with this CD, and I hope listeners enjoy the music and the message."
"This experience has made me realize that all humans exist for a purpose. Countless friends and family members have encouraged me throughout the process. Nobody told me I was crazy for doing this. I have no idea what compelled me five years ago to write a full-length musical about the history of my hometown; if that hadn't been written, staged, and wildly successful, I am certain there wouldn't have been any more musicals, and probably no CD."
"We need to recognize the situations that cry out for us to assist others. It may involve volunteer work, or helping somebody out financially; it may be as simple as giving someone a kind word of encouragement, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or a tender hug. Be a friend or stranger who can be relied upon. We all have a reason for living on this Earth; there are angels in all of our lives, and we need to be angels for others as well. I am indebted to the angels who have touched my life."
God bless, and DARE TO BE KIND!
Gary Charles Metz
August 2001
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