Veronica Elsea, Owner
Laurel Creek Music Designs is a music production and publishing company, licensed in the city of Santa Cruz, California, maintaining publisher membership in American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, (ASCAP).
I chose this name because it sounded different and would hopefully
bring me the type of business I wanted. I am not running a recording
studio for the general public. But oh, how I love composing, orchestrating,
recording and marketing a complete product. Okay, so it's true;
I'm a control freak! Besides, when working alone, musical ideas
can flow as quickly and noisily as the little creek that runs
behind my home and studio. Yes, you guessed it! I am referring
to Laurel Creek.
So, it is a natural! With this name, I can write and distribute
everything from orchestra scores to major albums. But most important,
I just like it!
Laurel Creek Music Designs is dedicated to the creation of unique high-quality music which its listeners can really experience!
Lately it seems that music has been mostly functioning as environmental
wall paper, covering up silence, private conversation, loud thoughts
or deep emotions. Small chunks of it stick out here and there,
but most of it is hidden by the noise from lighting, costumes
and video scenes. I aim to change all that!
To that end, the first important feature of my music is the attitude
of the composer. I have a great deal of respect for you, the recipient!
I hate stupid lyrics! Every word is there for a reason, not just
as filler. I also believe in the importance of simplicity. Just
because I can record 16 tracks or more does not mean that each
musical creation must show off that capability. I believe in leaving
room for you, the recipient to fill in your own experiences. It's
about your emotions, not just mine! I want you to laugh, cry,
think or carry on about the content before you ask about the process
or the tools.
The second feature is the upholding of high professional standards
of performance and engineering. Like most of you, I'm not rich
either! If I spend my hard-earned cash on entertainment, I don't
want junk! So as I'm prooflistening, I try to put myself in your
shoes and make sure you get your moneys' worth. Besides, excellent
products are much easier to sell!
The third feature of my products is accessibility with a bonus!
On all of my recordings, the liner notes are read by the artist
on the final track. All cover and disc art is described as well.
In addition, sometimes other fun things happen during the reading
that don't appear in the printed material. Yes, it's even better
than the toy hidden in the cereal box. Your hands don't get sticky!
The fourth feature is customer service. Yes, service! I ship orders
promptly, answer E-mail and phone calls as quickly as I can, and
speak to you as I would want a business person to speak to me.
I try not to take myself too seriously. You should have fun listening
to music and that includes the process of buying it. I cherish
clear communication, integrity, availability, levity and respect.
Finally, I just love it! I love the work! I love seeing your reactions
to it. I enjoy sharing any software innovations with other musicians
who can use them. And yes, I enjoy the walks to the bank too!
But don't worry! The only stock that concerns me is shrink-wrapped,
in boxes, on the floor! I want it to go out! Out! Out! So I invite
and encourage you to stock up! The pay- off is a priceless listening
experience!
I compose music, record my performance of it, work with other
professionals and ultimately produce complete recordings. I handle
the publishing and marketing of the CD's and cassettes through
direct sales, catalog listings, sales in stores in which my music
belongs, and through this web site.
Occasionally, I design and produce custom music. If your special
person or event deserves original music, consider Laurel Creek!
If you have the money, I have the time, and it sounds fun, some
very unique music could be created!
As a blind composer and performer, I do face some extra challenges in order to remain competitive in today's technology-driven market. Many of the standard tools of the trade are just not accessible to me. Therefore, I must find the time, energy and creativity to either learn how to use standard equipment without visual information, join other blind musicians in encouraging hardware and software manufacturers to make their products as accessible as possible, or simply create tools that are specifically designed with my needs in mind. To that end, I am extremely fortunate to have a studio which is designed and maintained by Peter Elsea. Yes, Peter is my husband! He also happens to be Director of Electronic Music Studios at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He has helped me learn standard synthesizers and recording equipment and has written software which gives me the spoken feedback I need in order to compose quickly and control many different aspects of the recording and mixing process. If you're interested in the complete details, please feel free to visit the link to my studio and have a look around! Besides, it's where you're most likely to find me. I just love it there!
Okay, here's where Laurel Creek wants extra time and money
to flow, when you've bought sooooo many CD's and cassettes! I
want kids of the future to have the same chance to experience
music that I've had. This means putting music back in public schools
as well as making composing and performing accessible, affordable
and fun!
It would be nice to help create reliable professional software
designed for use by blind composers and musicians, which sighted
musicians would also want. Finally, it would be really fun to
just have eager audiences who have places to hear good music in
person, and open ears and minds for listening! Sounds good! Doesn't
it?
In the meantime, this company is definitely interested in your
feedback on this web site or on any of its products or services.
Feel free to call us toll-free at 877-607-6407, e-mail to:
veronica@laurelcreekmusic.com
or write to:
Laurel Creek Music Designs
1306 Laurel St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060-3519
Web site contents copyright © 1999-2010 by Veronica Elsea
