Producer & Indie Recording Artist
![Piano Player [Single]](https://derrekcroney.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/piano-player-a-2-scaled.png)
DAW: Reason (tracking/mixing)
Plugins included:
Mastered with LANDR
Go, the programming language popular these days, has been around since 2009.
I have, since 2015, slowly attempted to integrate it into the software stack within Duke University Libraries (re: The Libraries), with some moderate success.
I assumed ownership of a Perl script responsible for download/fetching a huge amount of data from one of The Libraries vendor partners. As I debugged this script — while refactoring — I watched as the memory footprint grew through the virtual roof of the hosting VM.
It was at this point I elected to adopt a platform with support for compiling, and strict/strong typing (allowing for better memory management).
C would have been ideal for this, but, realistically, I needed an “easy to learn” platform — I found Go to be suitable.
Web servers are very easy to write and spin up using Go. This allow me to move away from Apache/HTTPD.
We leverage Shibboleth/SAML for SSO support, and there are beautiful modules that allow me to integrate SAML directly — no more installing Shibboleth, Apache/HTTPD.
Extending Web Servers out a bit, it’s really easy to build an API service using Go.
One of my biggest passions is building “highly configurable” applications/services, providing access (via GitLab, Github..) to a config file of some sort, allowing non-techies the ability to tweak an application’s behavior.
Of course, this requires very good requirements gathering at the start of a project.
It’s fun to sketch out different types, then ponder how these types interact. It’s also fun/enjoyable to actually compile code — like I used to do in college.
In an exclusive interview with Derrek Lemar Croney, the artist gave us a sneak peek into his upcoming third album, including the release of two new singles.
Derrek touched on the creative process behind the album, sharing the inspiration behind the songs, and what fans can expect from the new music.
He also opened up about the challenges he faced during the pandemic and how it affected his work.
With a unique blend of pop and jazz, Derrek’s sound continues to evolve and captivate audiences. Get ready for a fresh new chapter in Derrek’s music career as he unveils his much-anticipated third album.
Now to some questions…
Title? Yes — “Good Things”.
Release date? — I’m shooting for sometime in March.
Finding my “singing voice”, making peace with aspects (of if) that I couldn’t when I was younger.
I’m very proud of how this one is produced — finally settling on a DAW workflow (Logic Pro X and Reason) and upgrading the VST “toolbox” (like UAD Spark).
My oldest son (drums) was convinced to contribute to one of his dad’s albums.
Finally, I was able to get my sister (the best singer I know) to contribute backgrounds. In fact, the beautiful blend of her and my wife (aka “Bae”) are the focus of the album’s first track.
😊
Sure — let’s get to the track list.
Get Away / Birthday Weekend* / Good Things / Last Shot / Like Heaven / All I Dream / Me & You / Aye / Church Boy / You Are / Showtime / Rejoice*
* – singles available on all the streaming places.
12 songs
Some “Easter Egg”-like callbacks to both the previous two albums are included. (yes, I’m an MCU fan, too)
“Get Away” picks up where “Getaway” (2020) ended. Again, featuring Bae and my sister in a beautiful vocal blend. Get ready to take a drive to your favorite “get away” spot.
Speaking of “callbacks”, if you listened (and hopefully enjoyed!) the Journey album, you’ll likely recognize where “All I Dream” comes from.
I just wrapped up work on “Church Boy“ — this song, I believe, will be the foundation of the next collection of albums.
“…and ‘The Dominos’” – I like to use the term “Dominos” when referring to my recorded background vocals.
“Derrek & The Dominos”
If I have created music that listeners have an easy time singing (without realizing it) then I’m happy.
Inspiring someone, who shares a similar story to mine, to sing and record? I’ll consider that part of my legacy.
The last album earned me a fan all the way in Italy. Let’s see if I can hit either Denmark, Norway or England — places I would happily go and sing in front of a crowd (Editor’s note: More on this later).
Similar to what I did going from “The Maestro Project” to “Journey”, I took 4-6 months to explore — DAWs, sounds, and then song ideas.
I started exploring a “Retro 80’s” style and even recorded some songs (hopefully) for later — with a definite 1985-1987 pop vibe.
Eventually, I put those on the shelf — even though I did keep “Aye” for this album.
The vibe for the album started to take shape in November/December 2021 when I:
One of the biggest challenges is reviewing a song (wearing the ‘producer’ hat) and deciding “this part, or these parts, don’t belong”.
“Rejoice” was a 5-minute song at the end of October. Mind you, I needed to finish it so as to place my CDBaby order so it would be released on time.
So I’m walking on my favorite trail and this voice in my head is calmly saying, “Son, the song is too long.” So I had to cut off about 2-minutes of music and streamline the arrangement.
Then, I had to add more lead vocals. Yep — crazy times. Fun, tho.
That said, only one person has heard the 5+ minute version and I’ll likely keep it that way.
There was no real negative effect.
Since I was confined to “work from home” status, there was definitely more time in front of the computer, keyboards and microphone.
More time to sing out ideas because I could “work” for a bit, then take a break and sing or play some ideas out.
My mom, to this day, tells me, “You got that song in your head, don’t you…?” — because I’m seemingly always singing some idea.
There are songs on the upcoming album I’ve been writing/thinking about for over 20 years — “Showtime” and “Get Away” are two such examples.
Sometimes, all it takes is spinning up the Chord Sequencer alongside any of my favorite Reason Rack instruments to “see what happens”. Next thing you know, I’m recording “Like Heaven“.
It really does feel like God opened a water faucet of music ideas and said, “Go”. 🤷🏽♂️
“Good Things” and “Journey” each have a ‘title track’.
Other than that, “Good Things” is more a sequel to “The Maestro Project” than “Journey”.
Much in the same way I see ‘Oceans 13’ as more a sequel to ‘Oceans 11′ than ’12’.
Trilogy Thread – “Detour” (from 2018), “Journey” (2020) and “Last Shot” (2023) represent a trilogy of songs inspired/evolved from an unpublished song I wrote over 20 years ago. Listen close and one can discover the thread.
Background Vox – I don’t think I used any additional vocals on “Journey”. This time, however, I did call on some good singers to contribute.
Moving Piano Piece – Similar to “Rose” (from The Maestro Project), “Good Things” is a piano-centric moving song.
Those Old 80’s Rockers
“Living on a Prayer” is one of the best produced songs I’ve ever heard. That production influenced how I approached this one.
I recently watched a good bit of the KISS documentary on Hulu and what really struck me is how these cats just wanted to sing and share a talent — a voice — with the world.
That, and I felt like if these cats could scream into a mic, kinda stay on key, and make hits, I can have a future in this thing… 🙃🤣
Billy Ocean
I’m going to record a “Loverboy” cover one of these days. Ocean was the one artist I’ve dreamed of emulating when I was younger.
Watching Cory Henry search for his singing voice continues to push, drive and inspire me.
Snarky Puppy
Because — hello!!! — have you heard these guys on YouTube or seen them live?
No.
I’ve already thought about the 4th album and have already selected a title.
The question I’ll need to answer is, “Will THIS guy be a part of it…?“
Friend, I can barely stand to be in front of 8 people at a time without experiencing panic attacks… 🤣
Seriously, all it would take is to experience success in singing, live, in front of a crowd — from there, “who knows”?
In 2009, I sang “My Girl” on a “Spirit of Norfolk” cruise – they had a “singing competition”, and I looked at Wife #2 (who really didn’t think I could do it) and said, “I’m in”.
So despite an awful case of “head cold”, I did it, and won the competition.
Ten years later, I sang “Blue Skies” in front about 40-50 people for a talent show at a local Methodist church in Raleigh. Bae was there and when I was done, she looked at me in total amazement. It was a great feeling.
So, I can never say “never”.
I have a cousin in Louisville who keeps pleading with me to “Come to the Ville!!!!”
My pleasure.
I’m pleased to announce my new music project — Journey.
A limited number of CDs will be available on September 7, 2020.
Please use the form located at the bottom of this page to contact me about ordering a CD.
Don’t need a CD?
Great, I gotcha covered — order a digital download from my Bandcamp page:
Additionally, “Journey” will be available on the popular streaming services, beginning September 7, 2020
Musically “technical” notes on the songs planned for the “Journey” music project.
Gotcha
Journey
See It In Your Eyes
Road Trip
Blacktop Heaven
Good Woman
Hey
Could It Be (working title)
Ocean Sunrise (working title)
Sequences (working title)
I took the plunge, about a week ago, and purchased Presonus Studio One Producer (v4). I am happy with this investment as I continue the practice of music production.
I started the process of re-evaluating DAWs ever since Propellerhead changed to Reason Studios and announced Reason 11 about a year ago. I wasn’t ready to fork over $$$ to upgrade.
During this time, I revisited Cakewalk, almost bought Bitwig 3, evaulated Reaper (briefly) and evaluated Studio One (hereafter referred to as “S1”).
I returned to Cakewalk as the primary DAW of choice in order to finish producing my “Journey” project — I used it to complete reproduction of “Gotcha” (the first track on the project) and developed a level of comfort from a mixing/mastering perspective.
That said, I continue reading (or “Googling”) about DAW comparisons. Recently, I looked at an article in which I had to agree with its conclusion — Cakewalk has become TOO big and unfocused in its feature set.
It was clear that I wasn’t “settled” on Cakewalk, and I still wasn’t willing to pony up $$$ for a Reason 11 upgrade.
“Studio One Artist” was already in my tool chest since it was included with my Presonus Studio 18|10 purchase.
After reading some good reviews about S1, I visited the Presonus website and saw S1 Pro “Upgrade” offered at a discounted prices (re: SALE!!).
After some considerations about present workflow and future plans, it seemed like a great time to take the plunge.
This is not intended to be a review of S1.
There are plenty of ’em on the interwebs, and you and I have a cup (or pot) of coffee requiring our attenttion, plus better things to do with our time.
These are (briefly) my first impressions of S1 Pro in the ten(10) days or so of using it since the purchase.
In order to acclaimate to S1 Pro, I decided to re-produce “Hey” (if you want to hear a preview, hit me up on Twitter), one of the songs from my soon-to-be dropped “Journey” project that I recorded back in 2018 using Reason 10.
Creating a song based on a template designed for my Studio 18|10 audio interface couldn’t be easier.
Creating a new template based on my normal workflow is just as easy.
Keyboard Shortcuts are very intuitive once you get used to them. I even applaud the developers for including a shortcuts mapping for us Cakewalk stragglers in case we need the crutch.
Impact (drums), Mai Tai (polysynth), Mojita (mono synth) and Presence (everything else) are good enough to use when sketching out a new track idea, and depending on the song, I can use them in the finished song.
Impact + Battery 4 Sample Library = WIN
Compared to Cakewalk (which really doesn’t have a comparable suite), this is a gust of fresh air.
Compared to Reason 10…? I miss Europa (really!) and Thor. If you see me post about upgrading to Reason 11 so I can use the Reason Rack in S1, this will explain it.
As I explore sound design with Mai Tai, I may end up not missing Europa, so there’s that.
The process of creating a track is as simple as pressing “T”. Removing a track is as simple as pressing “Shift-T”. No complaints here.
Adding automation lanes is easy enough.
I had to get used to the drag-and-drop flow when copying clips events, but the process is simple enough.
Slicing clips events is REALLY easy. Press “3”, and start slicing. Press “1” to return to your select tool.
What I also love a lot is the simplicity of “scrolling” and “zooming” — both horizontal and vertical.
This is the feature of any DAW that I scrutinize the most.
FAT Channel XT is a nice “comparable to Cakewalk’s Pro Channel” plugin.
Pro EQ is suitable
(I still prefer the SSL Native X-EQ strip)
Ampire is buggy (as in, when I reopen a song, output from the parent channel is blocked until I remove and re-add the Ampire plugin).
The Limiter is a nice revelation and is almost making me regret buying the Waves L3 stuff.
Room Reverb is ok, but I need to tweak it s’more.
(I still prefer the SSL Native FlexVerb strip).
VSTs (both 2 and 3) are supported. I can use all of my Native Instrument toys to my heart’s desire.
I found life and producing workflow to be an efficient breath of fresh air with Studio One 4, with respect to creating a song from start to finish.
S1s Project Section deserves a post of its own once I fully get used to exporting an entire project without the need of opening Audacity.
-derrek
My excitement is building as I inch closer to releasing a new music project in the not-so-distant future.
I released “The Maestro Project” in July 2018 and (for the most part) the project was successful. It also provided a great foundation as I continue the practice of music production. It is from this foundation that I embarked on a new…
I heard something in “Dance Your Day Away” – a vocal run that I liked, and felt I could build upon.
With that, I reached out to a long-time mentor and started taking vocal coaching (or lessons), with emphasis on confidence and breathing. Confidence started to build.
I started to really enjoy my “voice”. Never thought I’d type these words. It even got to the place were I found myself singing “Blue Skies” before an audience that included my (then) fiancee.
A goal for “Journey” was to explore the limits (or limitations) of my “singing persona”, with these initial assumptions:
From the “music production” side:
I paid several visits to my “production mentor’s” studio for a retreat of sorts – each day we would listen to current-day production styles. We also took a drive listening to “The Maestro Project”. To my mild surprise, he was happy with the production.
While he did call me to task on some mixing/panning matters, he seemed to have no concerns around my vocals.
We took some time to study current-day production styles (pop, R&B), drooled over the fella who played piano for Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood, and spent time preparing a track I hoped to submit for one of his main artists.
While he went to work, I watched. Made mental notes. Went home each day and started song files, sketching out ideas.
The journey was on.
I recorded this catchy jazz track named “Gotcha” several years ago and wanted to include it on “The Maestro Project” in its original form, I decided against it because it didn’t feel a good fit.
However, it was a good song for which to begin the “Journey” project, so I started with an empty song, thought about all I observed during this “retreat”, and started creating…
What follows “Gotcha” is a beautiful collection of music that I’m really proud of.
I took the “production” and “mix” lessons to heart.
I found a happy place with my singing persona.
I found a reason to write lyrics, and I actually talked her into recording a song.
I rediscovered a horn section.
To this day, I can’t believe I released an 11-song project that didn’t include a horn section in any of the tracks.
I produced some impressive music with Reason 10 (Propellerhead), only to switch gears and return to my old standard – Cakewalk. Then I produced some impressive music with Cakewalk.
If you are one of the 10 people who remember something called “Blacktop” that I created back in 2003, you’ll love this.
If you’re one of the people who enjoyed the last CD, you’ll love this.