Live Sound & Recording Engineer. Producer. Musician. Singer. Songwriter. Photographer.
This is a video of women watching themselves being transformed into cover models with Photoshop. I expected them to gaze in wonder at how beautiful they could be, but instead, they gained more respect for themselves as they are. They felt the transformation was unnatural, and the resulting image bared little resemblance to how they really look ...... (continued)
Read MoreIf you ever catch me complaining about my "troubled" life, please remind me that there are others who are way less fortunate than I am. This is something that hit me twice tonight as I drove home from my sound gig.
First was when I gave some spare change to a young kid asking for money at a gas station. I'm pretty certain he was on something and that he wasn't going to spend the money on food and shelter like I had hoped. As I was about to drive away I hesitated, then decided to get out again to give him the bag of leftover vegan chili someone had given me earlier. Could I have done more? Deep down, he had a good heart - I could feel it. I wish I had looked him in the eye, truly connected with him, and let him know that I cared about his well-being. But I felt uncomfortable and avoided eye contact. Maybe next time I will be braver.
Second, while sitting at a stop light on Gerrard Street in Regent Park I heard what sounded like a gunshot up ahead. My heart raced! I quickly drove on when the light turned green, ready to duck or speed up at the first sign of more fire. I can only imagine what affect this has on those in the middle of this kind of environment every day. It must be so disheartening.
These things happened while returning home after making money using a sound system that I own, doing something I truly love. I discovered two amazing musicians that I wasn't familiar with (Karen Savoca & Pete Heitzman), and found more inspiration for fueling my desire to get serious about playing music again. To top it all off, when I walked into the hallway outside my new apartment, my generous and kind landlord had created the perfect spot for me to store my gear. After a week of having it clutter up my tiny space I am truly grateful to him. And after what I learned tonight, I no longer have a reason to gripe about how small this place is. It's a home. Not everyone is lucky enough to have one.
I know we all have legitimate complaints and concerns in life, but perspective, is a good thing.
Welcome to the new home of Crystal Clear Sound, a sound company based in Toronto, Canada. This new site also comes with a new domain name (www.jasonlaprade.com). As the domain name suggests, the site isn't just about the company anymore. It is in fact the new online stomping grounds for me as a human being, sound guy, producer, musician, photographer, health nut, and whatever else I feel like promoting or sharing on a regular basis.
Please visit often as you'll soon find a lot more content here. As a recording engineer I'll be showcasing some of the artists I've recorded. As a musician you'll hear some of the songs I've played on, along with some original compositions of mine. As a photographer I'll be posting photos of various genres as I explore art of a different kind .... from behind the camera lens. From time to time, you may even find a new blog post or two.
I'd love to hear what you think about the new site and I'm always open to dialog on how I can improve things. Thanks for stopping by!
Sincerely,
Jason.