The Getting to Know Each Other Game Edition #4

It has now been nearly three and a half weeks since the last Getting to Know Each Other game, and during that time life has been moving in several unexpected directions. A lot has unfolded over these past few weeks—some of it heavy, some of it exhausting, and some of it surprisingly inspiring. It has been a season filled with emotion, reflection, and a renewed sense of how quickly life can shift beneath your feet.

To begin with, a very good friend of mine passed away. Losing someone you care about is never easy, but what made this loss even more heartbreaking was the additional news I received at the same time. When I learned of his death, I also learned that his ex‑wife had been in a horrible accident and has spent the past year in the hospital on life support. I had no idea any of this had happened, and hearing it all at once left me stunned. I felt devastated—not only for him, but for her, for their families, and for the strange, painful timing of it all. I have visited her twice and both times left me with tears and a deep emotional sadness. Moments like that remind you how fragile everything is, and how quickly life can turn in directions you never expect.

Not long after receiving that news, my mom and I both became very ill with a stomach virus. It hit us hard. Mom ended up in the ER twice, and those were long, stressful nights. Taking care of her while I was also sick was incredibly difficult. There were moments when I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep going, but somehow I did. I pushed through the exhaustion, the nausea and diarrhea, the worry, and the endless cleaning and caregiving that comes with an illness like that. And by the grace of God, we made it through. Thank you, truly.

Amid all of this, I have also been working on a new music project—one that has actually been in progress for about three months now. This project is very different from my recent work because it involves real musicians from my past. I’ve been digging through my old cassette tapes—rehearsals, live performances, and recording sessions from my first band, GreenHouse. We were active and productive from 1984 to 1991, and those tapes hold a huge part of my musical history.

So far, I’ve been able to extract nine songs that were salvageable. I repaired the audio and then worked with the tracks using the Suno AI app. To my delight, I was able to clean them up so thoroughly that they now sound like fresh new recordings. My original lead vocals are still there—off‑key moments and all—and Jose’s guitar parts, with his unmistakable chord progressions, are beautifully preserved. You can also hear the contributions of several other musicians who were part of our journey during those years.

Jose and I wrote all of these songs together. I handled the lyrics, and he created the melodies. The AI tools didn’t replace anything; instead, they enhanced what was already there. They cleaned up the sound quality, added a few tasteful instrumental layers, and strengthened some of the original parts. On certain tracks, I added effects to my vocals—vocoder, echo, and a few others—to give them a modern texture while still honoring the original performances. I also added backing vocals and double‑tracked some of the leads to give the songs more depth.

I am genuinely excited to share these nine songs with the public. They offer a deeper look into who I was—and still am—as a singer and songwriter. They capture a version of me that existed decades ago, yet still feels alive today in the music.

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This edition of The Getting to Know Each Other game is a little different. What follows are ten rounds (plus a bonus round) of This or That. In this game, you are presented with two options and you choose one—or sometimes both—depending on what feels right to you. After making your choice, you can briefly explain why you chose what you did.

Remember: do not look at the comments below until after you’ve written your answers. That way your responses remain authentic and uninfluenced.

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So, as always, let’s do this. Let’s have some fun.

The Game:

1. Sunrise or Sunset?
2. Casablanca or Citizen Kane?
3. Coke or Pepsi?
4. Coffee or Tea?
5. Early bird or Night owl?
6. Cats or Dogs?
7. Ocean or Mountains?
8. Dine in or Take out?
9. Batman or Superman?
10. Cake or Pie?

BONUS: Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall?

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That’s it for this edition of The Getting to Know Each Other Game. But never fear—edition number five is right around the corner. Until then, remember to walk with love in every step you take. It is that love that carries you through even the roughest seasons of life.

Blessings to you all.

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With Love, RHC ❤️