I was honored to be invited to SXSW this year to speak on a panel of record producers. I hope the audience learned as much as I did. The five of us hung out a bit the evening before or talk then again for an hour or so before the talk. I always find it fascinating to find out how people are making a living by making music in 2011. 

You can listen to recording of our talk here: http://sxsw.com/node/7284

Highlights of my time at SXSW:

Watching Talib Kweli for the first time rocking the stage while rapping about love.

Meeting Aesop Rock after 4 attempts at stalking him that week. My first attempt ended with me introducing myself to a mister Ian Bavitz... his brother.

Unexpectedly meeting the very kind Ian Bavitz.

Watching Andrew WK's one hour talk in a ballroom. He talks about how all parts of making music and making a living from it can be done in an uplifted way. He's doing it.

Learning that points on records can actually matter in 2011. A new friend of mine had just received a $36,000 check from his points on a record that sold 250,000 digital copies. That's digital copies. Downloads that people bought.

Staying in a good friend's home while they were away. It's important during SXSW to have a place where there's no pressure to impress someone. That  pressure is from my own mind, of course.

Seeing Bob Ludwig and Doug Sax on a mastering panel showing such respect and admiration for each other.

Meeting Jack White randomly on the street and finding out he knows about my work. 

Seeing Grandchildren live and feeling proud they're from Philly.

Lowlights of my time at SXSW:

Feeling disrespected and laughed at by an artist manager who doesn't like my work. Did it actually happen? All in my mind? Yet another reason to practice meditation more diligently.

Getting on the wrong bus that was going in the complete wrong direction, figuring it out very late in the process, getting off and trying to find my way home, phone dying, no cabs.

...Non-SXSW Sidebar: there's very little chance I'll ever make another video in my video blog "series" about finding a new studio. I only made one video. So it didn't turn out to be a series. I found a new studio. It's great. I nicknamed it No Nostalgia. That's an aspiration. I will put something up here about it that is informative.