Be Your Own Producer
1. Intro
2. The Roles of a Producer
The Problem With Music
1. Music Simulation
2. Music is Art Not Science
3. Mechanical Humans, Human Computers
How to Build Your Creativity
4 Steps to Develop Your Creativity and Gain Confidence in Your Ideas
Everyone is capable of creativity. Everyone. The real question is not whether you can be creative, but whether you want to be creative. If you want to be creative, you can and will be. I will show you how to develop your natural creativity and build a lifestyle that nurtures individuality and imagination.
There are 4 simple steps to building your creativity.
1) The Process - Understanding What Is Creativity
2) Who Are You? - Embracing Your Individuality
3) Find the Time - Making Time to Develop Your Ideas
4) Write it Down - Documenting Your Ideas as They Come
Step 1: The Process
Understanding What Is Creativity
The most common roadblock that I see is a misunderstanding of what creativity is. Many people see creativity as a mysterious, magical process where one moment there is nothing and the next moment - brilliance! That is simply not the case. Creativity is not magic, it is a skill that can be learned with a little effort and a little patience.
It is important to realize that creative people do not dream up massive ideas or schemes out of thin air. Creativity is a process of baby steps that tip-toes from small idea to small idea. Over time, the build up of these numerous small ideas creates a large and powerful idea. This is the essence of creativity - the consistent development and accumulation of small ideas.
Don't be fooled by the seeming ease of the creative people you know. Be assured that they expend significant effort under the surface, when no-one else is watching. They work and work when they are alone. All you see is the end product; the grand conclusion that is the result of hours and days and weeks of development. They are like the graceful swans that seem to float on the water, while underneath, out of sight, their feet are pedaling like mad.
If you understand the process and are willing to travel the road of creativity, then you have taken the critical first step.
Step 2: Who Are You?
Embracing Your Individuality
If you look in the dictionary, creativity is defined as `the use of imagination or original ideas.` Creativity is you, and developing your creativity starts with understanding your own individuality. Individuality is the mother of creativity.
If we were all alike, no one would think or do anything worthy of distinction; we would all be the same, think the same, act the same. It is our differences that give us our value. There is no one like you, plain and simple. Individuality is something that we were all born with whether we like it or not. You have unique experiences and unique perspectives. If you can acknowledge this - that you have singular traits and singular ideas, your creative output will explode in both volume and distinction as you embrace who you are.
Remember that every great idea in history was thought of by a person. Did your mother used to tell you that everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time? Mine did, and she was right. What that means is that you are as capable of having great ideas as anyone else.
So repeat these words: `I am capable of having great ideas.` Again: `I am capable of having great ideas.` So what if you're an accountant? Einstein was a patent clerk, yet he was capable of great ideas. So are you. Say it again: `I am capable of having great ideas.` Make this your mantra. Say it ten times per day. One hundred times per day. Say it like you believe it. Say it until you believe it, because it is true.
If we learn to embrace our individuality and nurture the `quirks` that come naturally to us, we begin to develop ideas that are unlike any others. But it's more than that. If we develop our individuality, we will have ideas that are so unique and quintessentially `us` that there is no possible way they came from someone else.
Step 3: Find the Time
Making Time to Develop Your Ideas
This step is the core of your creativity; it is where the creativity happens. All the other steps are facilitators of this step.
If you respect and embrace your own unique perspective, you need to make time in your schedule for nurturing it. Like a plant, your individuality will grow if you water it and wither if you neglect it. You are surely very busy as you juggle responsibilities between work and family. And as a creative person, you likely struggle with your obligations to other people as you try to find time for yourself. I surely do.
Try to schedule a regular time when you can be alone with your thoughts. Half an hour after dinner or during the lunch hour or a walk in the afternoon. I, personally, prefer the peace and quiet of the early morning before anyone else is awake. I find that the sun, the mist and the emptiness really encourage my mental wanderings.
Make time so that your mind can wander and ramble. No idea is too small or too big. Write them down (see Step 4) and follow where they lead you. Don't let reason or insecurity squash any flights of fancy. These flights are the raw materials for big ideas.
If you feel stuck, read the thoughts that you wrote down yesterday or last month or last year. They will inevitably surprise you and stir new ideas.
You can start with as little as ten minutes at a time. Once you get the hang of it, increase your time allotments. Try twenty minutes a day, or ten minutes twice a day. The more time you are able to devote to your thoughts and ideas, the quicker they will develop, accumulate and bear fruit.
Remember, making the time for your thoughts is the most important step in the creative process. It is where we grow into who we are as creative individuals.
Step 4: Write it Down
Documenting Your Ideas as They Come
Documentation is the final step in harnessing your creative powers. Now that you are able to recognize the value of your small, unique thoughts, it is equally as important to recognize that these thoughts and ideas often go as quickly as they come. Sure, you will remember some of your ideas, but the process of creativity relies on being the sum of small thoughts, and these thoughts are often small enough to forget in the tumult of everyday life.
Do not be fooled into thinking that you will remember your ideas later. They will seem too significant and wonderful to possibly forget, but who knows when you will have the opportunity to write them down or revisit them. It could be days or weeks. Your best bet is to write down the ideas when they are fresh in your mind. Write them down with as much depth, clarity and context as you can. It will help you pick up the thread at a later time so you can build on the idea.
Many a great idea has been lost by neglecting to write it down. I, myself, am guilty of it on a regular basis. I will be going about my business, checking my email or reading, and I'll get an idea. I think the idea is great and significant, so significant that I couldn't possibly forget it. But, come the next morning, after I've answered a handful of emails, balanced my checkbook, talked with a friend, watched a gripping movie about Chinese history, and dreamt about losing my legs in a battle with a horse who recited Shakespeare, I have somehow forgotten my train of thought from the day before.
I tell you this not to bore you but to illustrate the complexity of our lives and how they demand our mental concentration. It becomes very easy to forget things, especially when they are as transient as our own thoughts and ideas. But if we write these ideas down as they come, we can revisit them and build upon them. They become the building blocks of larger ideas.
Creativity is a process, one that makes use of the accumulation of small ideas to create bigger ones. These small ideas come from our unique experiences and perspectives. They grow and develop when we make the time to follow where they lead. We write our ideas down so that we may revisit and develop them at a later date. We are all capable of having great ideas.
topBe Your Own Producer
As recording equipment gets more accessible and affordable, musicians and groups are making their own recordings. What used to be at least a three man job - with an engineer, producer and musicians - is now commonly tackled by one person. Usually it is a musician who has adopted the tasks of the other two. (I have yet to see an engineer pick up a guitar and try to make a record.)
It is increasingly common for musicians to buy a microphone or two and take recording upon themselves in their bedroom, basement or practice space. Aside from the technical skills that are necessary in order to record - understanding microphones, preamps, compressors, equalizers, reverbs etc - there is an enormous amount of psychological and artistic responsibility.
A recording musician will have to play the roles of musician AND engineer AND producer. I will not go into great detail about the technical aspects of recording or being a studio engineer. There are plenty of great books out there that cover this topic. What I am concerned with is the role of the producer.
You may ask - What does a producer do? It is a common question. There is no single role that the producer plays. There are several, and I cover them in Part 2 of this series. The main role of the producer is to be a sounding board for the musician. An objective outside opinion. When the musician takes recording upon himself, he is assuming that he can be both passionately involved (as the performer) and objective (as the producer).
With this series of articles I hope to provide some insight and direction to the independent-minded musician. If you insist on doing it all yourself, it is important that you understand the value that the producer brings to the process. Once you understand you will be better able to produce your own recordings.
topThe job of a producer is elusive and changes from project to project, but it inevitably incorporates some very important responsibilities. The elusive nature of the producer is one reason that so many musicians now think they can record without one.
Let me shed some light on what the producer provides.
3rd PARTY PERSPECTIVE - The producer's simplest job is also the most important. He is there to listen to the performances of the musician and tell her which are good enough. Anyone who has ever tried to judge the value of her own performances knows the importance of an objective listener. There is a Buddhist saying - "a man can know everything, but he cannot know himself. Just as a knife can cut everything but cannot cut itself and a fire can burn everything but cannot burn itself."
A lot of musicians choose to ask their friends, family and colleagues for their opinion. This accomplishes a similar goal, with two significant drawbacks.
The first is that these people probably know little or nothing about music and even less about making records or creating great performances. A producer has likely made dozens or hundreds of records. He has seen a thing or two and knows very well the difference between just "okay" and remarkable.
The second drawback is time. It takes days or weeks to get your recordings to your network and to receive their feedback. Then you have to go back and change what needs changing before you can send it back out for another round of feedback. A producer will be in the studio with you giving you feedback. This saves time and energy.
UNIFIED VISION - Any musician who has recorded knows there is a lot to think about. Too much for one person to do well. The musician is responsible for things like practicing her instrument, practicing her songs, generally being prepared to give a good performance. The musician is also responsible for being focused and directed during their performances. No small feat. That is plenty for one woman to think about.
It is the job of the producer to keep his mind of the grand scheme and scope of the project. Is the performance quality consistent from song to song? Are the songs and arrangements effectively communicating through the entirety of the album? Is the singer evoking proper emotion in her performances?
COMMUNICATION - Have you ever tried to explain an idea to someone who spoke a different language? It is a lot like that when a musician tries to talk to an engineer or vice versa. The musician thinks in terms of G chords and verse/chorus. The engineer thinks in terms of kHz.
The producer has to be able to communicate with everyone. He must effectively interact with the artist, the engineer, the musicians, the arranger, Everyone. The producer must understand music, technology, songwriting, lyrics, instruments, Everything.
The producer has to know when a different microphone will improve the recording. Or when a violin will work better than a viola. Or when one word will work better than two. And he needs to be able to communicate these things to the concerned party to make the record better.
INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE - It is very common for producers to also be great performing musicians. Many play one or more instruments on the records they produce. When you hire them as producer, you are also hiring a studio musician.
ARRANGING - Some producers have enough musical knowledge to write string or horn arrangements or work out complex vocal harmonies.
ENGINEERING - Some producers will double as the recording engineer, especially in a situation with a limited budget.
CONNECTIONS - A great asset of many producers is their little black book of musicians and other musical connections. They know great singers and players of practically every instrument. When you hire them you also get access to every player that they can call.
Most of all the producer is there as a second set of trustworthy ears so you do not have to go at it alone.
topThe Problem With Music
People don't play together anymore, especially in the studio. The drummer will play alone, followed by the bassist who will play alone. Then the guitarist, alone. You get the idea. They all play with headphones on, listening to a recording of a metronome and whoever played before them. This is how more than 90% of music is recorded today.
Needless to say, there is very little give and take between the musicians during this process. All the subtleties of interaction are simply gone. Is it any wonder that so much of today's music lacks emotion and personality?
What we have developed is not music, but music simulation. It sounds remarkably like music, but it is not. Like a flight simulator that tricks your senses into believing that you are flying, music simulation tricks us into believing that we are listening to music.
topMusic is art but we have begun to turn it into science. We study its forms; we copy what has worked in the past; we create general rules about how it should be made and how it should sound. This scientific mindset is directly contrary to the artistic nature of music.
As humans, our logical brains have brought us far throughout history. We seem to have an innate need to deconstruct objects, people and situations so that we may better understand them through their parts.
But music is an art. It is a human expression. It relies upon our individuality, our imperfection, our strength and our frailty. It relies on our immediacy. We must take care lest the science (and business) minded of the human race replace our individual expression with structure, predictability and profitability.
top3. Mechanical Humans, Human Computers
Click Tracks (a fancy word for a metronome) are creating musicians with more precision and less feel.
Musicians rely heavily on click tracks to provide rhythm during practice, rehearsal, recording, and even live performance. Drummers have largely traded the concept of groove for precision. What was once lovingly referred to as the "pocket" is all but extinct.
With musicians relinquishing their control over the rhythmic aspects, how long will it be before we start to rely on computers to sing for us too. Wait - we already do that.
As humans become more mechanical, computers are making great strides to become more "human." They apply uneven subdivisions, customized dynamic patterns and even randomness.
top
