Opinion and advice on VU Meter Shield Project

Hi everyone, I haven't done much with my arduino, but I decided to jump in with what I think it quite a reasonable project.
I want to eventually build a stand-alone VU Meter.
If anyone has done this before, or wants to follow along, please do read the blog post on my website. =]

I'll be following this. And notes on your journey thru DSP land will be eagerly read.