I got an email from someone who hears Texas Sky on RadioParadise.com. Here is an excerpt:

"I was incredibly impressed when I heard Texas Sky....what a great song! I've turned a lot of my music loving friends on to it, and posted a comment on it at the Radio Paradise website. I'm curious as to how the CD project is going. Any progress? I think there's a large number of people waiting for it, but from what I see at your website, there's no news."

Well, I am terrible with keeping my website current but I will try to change that. Here is my response to this kind person:

" Thanks so much for the email. It came at a great time.

I am still working on the CD and have several new tunes that I hope to include. I have run into several snags though. My music computer motherboard died. It was a great setup and I am having a very difficult time replacing it with something that works as well. It is not easy as I am working on a shoestring budget.

Texas Sky was produced on my PC using Cool Edit Pro and a Turtle Beach Pinnacle sound card. That card was ISA and I felt I had to get rid of it because it limited my ability to upgrade to a faster motherboard and processor which would not have an ISA slot. I went through an EMU APS Card, then a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz none of which had the sonic quality or instrument samples that the TB Pinnacle had. I sold my Pinnacle to get the cash for the Santa Cruz.

Fortunately after several months of looking I found TB Pinnacle card on half.com and bought it. I found a motherboard that supports up to a 1ghz processor and and has 1 ISA slot. I got my music computer up and running again this weekend (10/19/2002) and will be hot recording again.

One other thing that slowed me down was that in the process of messing with my machine, I lost the master tracks of everything I have recorded to date. 2 years of work....gone. I have the mixed down versions which you hear on Radio Paradise, but no masters. This was devasting and I am just now feeling like I can start working again. What a sissy I am :).

I have not posted any of this to Radio Paradise because I don't want to create the appearance that I think everyone is waiting for my album. I appreciate your kind words. I will post something to RP today to let people know where I am at. I will also take portions of this email and put it under a new heading on my website called WASSUP or something equally clever.

I am excited about these new tunes. One is a 9/11 song from a different perspective called All Over The World.

Have you heard some of the other stuff at www.mp3.com/valdavis?

Thanks, Val "