GoldSpike Blog

Julius Caesar Remixed now on BlueBehemoth.com!

2012-01-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

GoldSpike Audio is proud to announce the release of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Remixed as a digital download on BlueBehemoth.com! You have the option to download the entire album, or any track for just 95 cents. (Plus, you can sample all 20 tracks for free.) Check it out here!

Creation CD giveaway!

2012-01-11T05:32:00.000-08:00

Laurie Bluedorn over at Trivium Pursuit is holding a contest through the end of this week. Head on over for your chance to win one of five honest-to-goodness copies of Creation vs. Evolution: The West of the Story!

COMING SOON

2011-12-27T11:27:00.001-08:00

We changed history in Julius Caesar Remixed. Science will never be the same after Creation vs Evolution: The West of the Story. What next but politics?

GoldSpike Audio announces the ongoing production of Politically Incorrect (working title), a clean, mean audio sketch comedy lampooning the foibles of American liberalism from socialized healthcare to overzealous airport security.

Featuring a cast of professional voice actors like Jack “Cousin of Pat” Buttram and Gary Moore and recorded at state-of-the-art BrightWater Digital Studios by Patch the Pirate engineer Gary Emory, this just might be our biggest production ever.

Some of the sketches will hopefully be hitting conservative talk radio in the months leading up to the 2012 elections, but eventually this is all going on CD. We invite you to check back for updates in the weeks ahead!

-Forrest Brazeal, Producer

A great response!

2011-08-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

We received this encouraging note today from a homeschooling mother of 8:

Dear Mr. Brazeal,

I want to share with you how much we are enjoying [Creation vs. Evolution: The West of the Story]. We are fundamentalist Christians; therefore, we are always searching for good, solid resources for our children that reinforces the truth of God. Creation versus Evolution is such a resource!

The first time we listened to it, it was a Sunday afternoon. We all gathered in the family room, some on the couches, some on the floor, to listen to it. (By the way, our children's ages range from age 16 to 3, with five boys and three girls). I pretty much expected the little ones would lose interest after a short while, and I wasn't sure if it would keep the attention of the older children. It didn't take long to see that everyone was not only paying attention, but they were understanding the puns, play on words, and humor as well as the story line. In addition, WE LOVE the songs. If you can believe this, my husband actually came to bed one night humming, "Sacred cow, sacred cow." We have listened to it so many times since that first day, while washing dishes, cleaning their rooms or the basement, in the afternoon when it's too hot outside to play, when we're in the car for any length of time, etc., I'm afraid we might wear it out! It is the most listened to CD in our house, which is saying a lot as we are very fond of Lamplighter Theatre, Narnia audios, and the like. My 14-year-old daughter's favorite song is "Snake Oil Salesman" and "Sacred Cow", my 13-year-old son's favorite is "Mutations".

We want to encourage you to make more! I plan on buying several more Creation versus Evolution to give as gifts this Christmas and to even have on hand for unexpected birthday gifts. What better gift can we give than God's truth?

Thank you for using the talent that God has bestowed upon you wisely and for the furtherance of his kingdom.

May God bless you and keep you,

...And the Reactions Roll In

2011-06-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

A few early reactions to Creation vs. Evolution: The West of the Story.

I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the production of CREATION VS. EVOLUTION. It is well done in a humorous way with catchy songs and a great story line. Best of all, it refutes the false notions of evolution with Bible truths applied in a logical way. I found myself playing it over and over, learning something new each time!

Glenn Christianson, Producer

Chris-Jan Music, Bible Truth Music

Today I listened through your CD and enjoyed it very much. The story is cleverly written and well executed, and the music is interesting and appealing. I found your clearly stated objections to theistic evolution and your refutations of natural selection and random mutation compelling, and the overall effect was memorable and supportive of the creation cause. I couldn't help but chuckle at the clever humor and creativity.

Dr. Mark Parker

Bob Jones University

Our family found your new CD hilarious! You also did a fabulous job going over all the basic arguments made today for and against evolution, and humorously/innocently presented what the consequences of evolutionary beliefs led to.

My favorite songs were "Sacred Cows", "One-Way Street", "Yom on the Range".

CAMPOBELLO, SC

I have heard the recording several times; my considered opinion: fully awesome, and worthy of being a GoldSpike Audio production! :) I can hardly believe it's done! I am thoroughly impressed and astounded anew at your music and lyric writing abilities; the songs are outstanding!

LAPEER, MI

We enjoyed it immensely! Not often is there something so professionally done in good humor ...and grounded so expertly in truth. Thanks again!

WATERFORD, MI

New Creation Science Quiz!

2011-05-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Take the Julius Caesar Quiz Challenge!

2011-05-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

There's a new Julius Caesar homepage available, and we've created a nifty little quiz to help you remember what you've learned from the recording. Try it now!

"Hopeful Monsters" Bonus Track Released

2011-05-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

There's an all-new original creation science song, "Hopeful Monsters," available at goldspikeaudio.com/creation! Enter your promo code (found inside the jacket of your copy of Creation vs. Evolution: The West of the Story) to download.

Beware the Ides of May..."Julius Caesar" just $7.99

2011-05-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the launch of our new website, we're making our homeschool cult classic Julius Caesar Remixed available for the ridiculously low, limited-time price of $7.99. Don't miss this chance to grab a copy of what Cindy West of Old Schoolhouse Magazine called "a humorous jaunt through the high points of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar[, f]ull of sound effects, musical scores, original music, and witty story lines!"

And...The Wait Is (Basically) Over

2011-05-10T19:09:00.001-07:00

We recorded a session during a thunderstorm in a dead power blackout, running on bus power and batteries and lighting the studio with kerosene lamps.

We recorded percussion on the campuses of two different music schools 700 miles apart.

We created a wildly original soundscape featuring yodeling chipmunks, whinnying trumpets and what may be the world's first harmonized gargling. (At least, a cursory Google search turned up nothing comparable.)

We survived setbacks, delays, failures, collapsing baffles, and a five-month holding pattern while we waited to get the disc professionally mastered.

Now, as this post is typed, the very first copies of Creation vs Evolution: The West of the Story are rolling off our New York distributor's production lines.

Unexpected computer problems (read: a smashed laptop) have temporarily delayed the new website, but that should be up in the next few days as well.

In the meantime, we'd like to extend a special thanks to the twenty-odd people who lent their voices to the cast and their instruments to the orchestra. Don't buy a CD, you guys. There's something coming to your mailboxes very soon.

We apologize for all the delays. We think the finished product is worth the wait!

Edit: It is, perhaps, apropos that this announcement comes on May 10th, the 142nd anniversary of a certain golden spike driven at Promontory Point, Utah. (No, that's really a total accident.)

Update

2010-11-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

If you noticed something a little weird going on with the GoldSpike website over the weekend...you were more observant than we were. Somebody apparently hacked the GoldSpike server directory on Wednesday or Thursday of last week, adding a folder full of malware pages. Hopefully nobody tried clicking on those. They were bad medicine. Anyway, we finally discovered the situation and everything should be back to normal with the site.

In other news...there is finally other news. The blog has been very quiet recently, but rest assured that Creation/Evolution is not abandoned. Look for a name change, a new website and a release coming soon!

Update 8/9/10

2010-08-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

No, we haven't updated the blog in a while, but that doesn't mean nothing's happening - far from it.
CREATION/EVOLUTION REMIXED is speeding towards completion. All the story sequences are recorded and assembled; Forrest is about sixty percent of the way through the rather arduous process of sweetening the sound and adding sound effects. If all goes well, that phase could be completed by the end of this week. Most of the songs are also finished or well on their way to completion.
We're still looking for an actor to play the narrator of our story - a Western serial-type announcer with a radio voice. If you know of anyone who fits the bill, by all means drop a line to goldspikeaudio@comcast.net. We'd love to hear from you.

Recording Begins On "Creation/Evolution Remixed"

2010-03-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

Well, recording is officially underway on Creation/Evolution Remixed! It's very exciting to hear the capabilities of our upgraded hardware and software stable making a difference in the sound. Here's a screenshot of a portion of the score for the song The Missing Links:

New Review of Julius Caesar Remixed

2010-02-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

New review of Julius Caesar from The Cracked Pot, the e-zine of online school The Potter's School!

With a running time of nearly an hour, this production presents a clean, professional-sounding drama full of inventive voices, creative sound effects, catchy songs, and subtle Shakespeare jokes.

The entertainment factor is definitely present. The voices, song lyrics, and dialogues are witty and farcical, at times echoing the Bard's own penchant for ludicrous word play. One of the things I most appreciated was the writers' willingness to let some of their jokes slip by quietly. I noticed this when a crack about Francis Bacon in the opening scene unexpectedly left me chortling: the line makes sense to those familiar with the Shakespeare authorship question but passes too quickly to confuse most listeners. Such moments lend a dimension of subtlety to the drama.

THE NEXT GOLDSPIKE AUDIO PRODUCTION

2010-01-13T06:06:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010! A lot of stuff has been going on around GoldSpike Audio; we’ve retooled our website and posted a short audio production called Any Children, Mr. Bach? which we hope you’ll download as soon as you get the chance. But our biggest news is that we’re ready, after much research, preparation and creative agony, and after major upgrades in almost every facet of production quality, to move forward with our next full-length audio musical – Creation/Evolution…Remixed!

THE PREMISE

Creation/Evolution…Remixed, as currently projected, is a wild new Western adventure, 65-ish minutes long, featuring 11-12 singable songs that capture the basics of the creation-evolution debate in lingo any cowpoke can understand. From the deficiencies of natural selection and random mutation to the case for a young earth, you’ll find your faith strengthened and your funny bone fractured!

THE PLOT

It’s the white hats against the black hats in a bizarre battle to save the town of Worldview, Texas! Will the evolutionists detonate the Big Bang and get away with their nefarious schemes? Will the Lone Creationist make hamburger out of the sacred cows of evolution? Will little Dudley Sassafras ever hang up his gray hat and figure out what side he’s actually on?

Will we ever get this thing on CD so you can listen to it and find out?

THE PLEA

Frankly, it’d be easier with your help. Right now we’re looking for a few more highly talented musicians/singers to flesh out our musical corps, folks who live within spitting distance of southeast Michigan and who’d be available to volunteer for some studio sessions around the spring of 2010. Due to our microscopic budget we can’t afford to pay much of anything, but we can guarantee a pretty fun experience, as well as an awesome little bit of print in the CD credits. (Players of cheesy folk instruments such as banjos, harmonicas, accordions and jugs are especially welcome!)

If you’ve got ideas on this stuff, by all means give us a shout at goldspikeaudio@comcast.net. We’d dearly love to hear from you.

In the meantime, of course, you can diligently check this blog to keep abreast of the latest developments. The goal is to start laying tracks in February, but there’s plenty of stuff going on right now. (And if by some chance you aren’t acquainted with our previous release, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar Remixed, by all means check that out too.)

Exciting times are ahead! We hope you’ll join us!

Sincerely,

Forrest Brazeal, Producer

GoldSpike Audio

HomeschoolBuzz reviews "Julius Caesar Remixed"

2009-10-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

HomeschoolBuzz.com has posted a review of Julius Caesar Remixed (and an exclusive interview with director Forrest Brazeal)! The feature also went out in their weekly e-newsletter.

At some point, Julius Caesar is one of those plays you probably would like your highschooler to read. But what if you just can't seem to find the time to add another book to the list or maybe your student can't get past the Shakespearean language and stumbles through it. Then you may want to try the hilarious musical from Goldspike Audio: Shakespeare's Julius Caesar remixed. Read more...

"Julius Caesar Remixed" Featured In "The Connector"

2009-10-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

The Connector, a national homeschool newsletter, is running a feature on Julius Caesar Remixed and director Forrest Brazeal in its October issue!

The 51-minute CD, which features humorous plot segments in conjunction with nine original songs, takes young listeners on a hilarious “remixed” journey through Shakespeare’s classic play Julius Caesar.
“The goal with all my projects,” says Forrest, “is to produce something that is highly entertaining, but at the same time is geared to educate, or inspire. I knew I wanted to record a “remix” of a subject from literature, and in October of 2007 I decided on Julius Caesar, because the majority of students, study Julius Caesar before they graduate. And there’s very little material out there that gives a fun, kid-friendly introduction to the play.”

They're running a referral contest where you can win a free copy of the CD, and they even have an exclusive audio clip up... You can get the free newsletter and read the rest of the interview here!

GoldSpike Website Gets A Much-Needed Makeover

2009-09-22T05:55:00.001-07:00

Whew! At last that miserable splash page is down and a "real website" is up at goldspikeaudiohh.com. Be sure to check it out...there are some Julius Caesar cast bios, production photos and even a new one-minute teaser-thing which we think you'll like.

GoldSpike Blog Is Live!

2009-09-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

Whether you're looking for the scoop on our new CD, the latest news about our next project or just want to see pictures of us recording vocals upside down (yes, we've done it...we've done about everything), go no further - this is your destination.

Check back soon...big things are happening.