Natris Morris

Natris Morris: Reading Critically

Natris Morris is a business owner and a musician. He has written, recorded and released his own music, some of it on his own record label, and has also made it available for download form iTunes and other Internet-based music services.

He also likes to spend his spare time reading, and probably reads now more than at any other time in his life. He says that the older he gets the better reader he has become. He has learned to read critically, but is quick to say that this does not necessarily mean that he tears a work of literature apart and analyzes its structure for strong points and weak points. What it means, he says, is that he has a much better understanding of what the author has written, and is able to evaluate the work as a whole.

One of the things that Natris Morris pays attention to when he reads works of literature is the language that the author uses. This can be one of the great pleasures of reading, and as someone who writes and records his rap music he has a keen understanding of the power of the rhetorical use of words. He enjoys more than ever the turning of a good phrase, or the use of expressive language like similes, metaphors, and personification.

The structure of a good novel also has a great appeal to his sense of critical reading. Natris Morris knows that authors often tell a story out of sequence, not following a strict chronological path. The use of flashbacks or foreshadowing can greatly enhance the storytelling experience, and enable the reader to understand the linkage of the story's different elements.

Natris Morris - History Can Be Lively

Natris Morris says that too many people believe that history is a dry subject that is bound to put them to sleep if they delve for too long in a history book. But in his experience, history has many different levels, and can be a lively and seductive pursuit. There is so much recorded information about the countless generations that have preceded the present one that he thinks it is in the interest of everyone to study the past, to help them understand the present.

Everyone has their own interests and tastes, says Natris Morris, so there are past eras and events that should be of interest to just about everyone. It's a question of finding a niche. Some people might be fascinated by European and American history, and equally fascinated to discover that historical points of view are constantly evolving as new information is discovered and comes to light. Others might be interested in African American history and the experiences of the estimated twelve and a half million Africans who were kidnapped and forced into slavery. Still others, he says, may find themselves intrigued by the history of Native Americans and what is known about how the original inhabitants of the Americas came to modern-day North, Central and South America.

All of it can be endlessly fascinating, according to Natris Morris. And one of the interesting things about it is that there are often conflicting opinions about these and other historical issues; nothing, it sometimes seems, can be known for certain. And that is just one of the reasons why reading about history can be such a lively and seductive pursuit.

Natris Morris: Recording His Music

Natris Morris launched Cross My Heart Records after the release of his first album, also called Cross My Heart, which was released by Shatter Dreams Music in 2000. His second album Me & My Guys was released on his own label in 2004. Because he owned the label he had a lot more creative control over the final product.

Recording and releasing his own music was an expensive proposition. It has never been easy, but recording technology was not yet as simple as a software package bundled onto a laptop computer. As Natris Morris knows, the most important part of a good recording system is a high quality condenser microphone and preamplifier combination.

Really good ones can cost thousands of dollars, but an acceptable quality microphone and preamp combination can be had for about one thousand dollars or less. Natris Morris says it's a good idea to buy good cables and a pop filter.

Having a high quality microphone is an important first step, but Natris Morris says that it won't mean much unless it is properly placed during a recording session. A good idea for home recording is to have a small room, or even a walk-in closet, and line the walls with foam panels that soften the sound waves that bounce off of them and result in a much better sound.

During the actual recording, Natris Morris says that it is important for the rapper to stay still. Don't jump around or stomp feet or clap hands, because these things will make sound picked up by the microphone and ruin the vocal track. He says to save the energy for a live show.

When the time comes to mix the recording tracks, he says it is important to have good vocal compression. This is a process of reducing the dynamic range of the recorded voice, which will give them a much punchier feel. A good compression to start with is in the 2:1 to 4:1 range, with an attack of 7 to 10ms.