A Little Aural Inspiration

One of the tasks I've attacked from my couch is to get my media library in order. I've made rumblings about getting to it before, but since the thing got so screwed up by both Windows Media Player and iTunes, I would get some of it started, then abandon it out of complete frustration and lack of time. 

I mean, I have music, sound effects, sound bites and podcasts, and among the three types, I have over six thousand files. Some of them are corrupted, and although they say they're 3:43, they actually only play :08 seconds before cutting off. Many of them have been duplicated four or five different times. Many of them have had the "info" changed on them, and don't get organized into the same album or artist. And honestly, I have to go in and uncheck all the Christmas music and random chainsaw noises!

It's maddening. I'm not a tech genius to be able to figure out the "shortcut" for this, and I think that flat out, sometimes you just have to listen to see if something's wrong with the file.

I went over to CNET to get instructions on how to completely delete my iTunes and start over, and I've been re-loading and deleting ever since. I'm on day five, now, and the end is in sight!

While I was going through my files (one by one!), I ran across some of my favorite Hallowe'en soundscapes, which I've used both in my haunt and to mellow out while I'm working in the studio. I've posted about it before, but it's definitely worth a re-post so you can enjoy these through the build season.

J.P. of The Haunted Gallery blog made these soundscapes over the last few Hallowe'en seasons. His blog is only active around that time--August-ish through November 1st:

Active during the Halloween Season (August - October), The Haunted Gallery is a repository of spooky artwork, music, writings, and miscellanea.
Optimum visiting hours are just before bedtime, or more preferably, on the stroke of midnight... especially with the lights dimmed and no one else in the room. We believe that if one focuses strongly enough on the supernatural, one of the many phantoms within the gallery will look upon your state of mind as an invitation to come through your computer screen and enjoy a midnight visit...
"Enjoy, enjoy! and we hope you make it to daybreak."

If you go through the archives, he's made some great contributions to the Hallowe'en atmosphere. No cheesy squeaking bats, just the wind soughing through the graveyard or the crackle of the fireplace in the dark of the Victorian Chamber. He made his own soundscapes available for free download, which I think is wicked generous, considering how much work it must have been to put them together. He's got a YouTube channel for your listening and viewing pleasure, which is definitely worth checking out.

Well, back to re-building all my old playlists...