Some Major Realisations
A lot's been happening for me in the last week. Last Sunday morning, I was up early to do media at church, but after that I can't remember what actually inspired me to go open my DAW and start a lofi track. However, that track has been the first domino for a lot of things falling where they need to be.
It's been a while since I made music, I needed a refresher on some stuff like writing MIDI and picking other instrumentation. For all the supposed passion I have for this skill set I don't naturally have motivation or consistancey- I can't alway blame living with autism and hormonal imbalance, but they don't help. So I have been very "out of the loop." I'd now like to share the things I've been greatful to learn since my algorithm changed by music related searches.
"MUSIC PRODUCER"
The people in industry who are really making all the music, Like Benny Blanco... well they do what they do! It wasn't until watching Wall's first intervew with him that I really got cooking on the idea that music producers really exsist. And I should want to work with them.
Production was literally one of the papers I took, yet in the career path I was advised and trained to go down Music Production doesn't exsist. (That wouln'd mix those different programs.) I things had to be taught seperatly, understandable, but sadly it realy confused me.
So we're on the same page, the robot says, "A music producer oversees the creation of a song or album, shaping its sound and direction. They guide the artist, arrange and record parts, choose instruments or samples, and refine performances. Producers also manage technical aspects like mixing and effects, ensuring the final track is polished and cohesive. They act as both creative collaborator and project manager, turning musical ideas into a finished product ready for release."
I realise now, those projects were done with me as the artist and the others as audio engineers, there was never a music producer in the room. That's the missing reason they weren't contributing anything creative. I was the one doing the heavy lifting there. Blanco says his job is like being a spotter for someone who is working out. So I don't know the feeling that support, but at least there could be people out there who could offer it.
My mind is still blown by the idea of a mixer who really sees some creative vision and gives imput including even sometimes writing the majority of a song. I have only gone into the studio with fully written songs, so sure it didn't seem like much imput was needed. I guess, it was my mistake to ask for tracks to be written to fill the song out. I shouldn't have been suprised, there was no differnce between my own demo and the thing they handed in for a final grade. I was disapointed, but I understand now what happened.
There are other roles in the industry. It means something different to be a music producer verses a sound engineer. And when those people are working on a project- it's someone else's job to be the songwriter. The other person involved may be an artist. I have only made music in a "I am the aritst/songwriter/with a vision" and an audio engineer, or entierly DIY. Seperating these roles into a whole team just becomes a future possability for me.
"BEAT"
A music producer very often completly builds a beat. I might have otherwise called this a track. As the robot says, "In music production, a beat is the rhythmic foundation of a track, usually built from drums, percussion, and bass. It sets the tempo and groove, guiding the flow of the song. In genres like hip-hop or lo-fi, the beat often includes layered drum patterns, sampled sounds, and loops, serving as the backbone on which melodies, vocals, and harmonies are built. It drives the mood and energy of the music."
So when Blanco says "Sia is amazing, she can write a song in 5 munutes," that is after he has already done somethings hours of work to build the sound of the whole song. If this is industry standard: songwriters write on an exsisting beat, why did I, as a songwriting major, not have this as an asignment? I happen to have a bunch of downloaded beats and I'm not sure it's fair or 'real songwriting' to use them. It that's how thing often work, I should have experience with it as a songwriting major. Right? I guess that's something I can make myself do at any time.
Plugins and Downloadable Instruments
I finally joined LABS for their instrument sounds. I also got into adding plugins to my tracks to add texture to the sound, and other effects. I work with MIDI more than I do with real instruments so being able to explore that more outside of the basic GarageBand instruments has put a lot of control for the perfect sound back into my hands.
Recent additions to my collection include some things from KiloHearts and CableGuys' Pancake 2. As a paied plugin, I'm looking forward to the releace of cymatics VOXITY.
DAW / Static Mix / Mastering
This really is just me showing my ignorance, I have worked with Pro Tools and Logic and I would have gone the rest of my life happily calling them Music Programs. DAW or Digital Audio Workstation is an update in my vocabulary. I'm also really considering updating to Logic too so let me know if you think that's a good idea; I already know Pro Tools isn't my favourite.
My Demo Mixing will forever be changed, I finally learned how to make a static mix properly; I've never brought the volumes of every track to a balanced cohesion before, and I did not have a clear idea what mastering was. Seriously, I wonder how I was given a degree in music at all. That was always one of the biggest problems for my songs, I couldn't get the vocals to sit right in the mix. Watch for that to come.
The Magic of Collaboration
I dreamed of having those songwriting sessions with other people that go really well. You get into a room together and have fun with an idea and after an hour a song is born. After my experiences, I thought it wasn't normal for that to go well. I need to try again with people I'm comfortable with, and people who are also emotionally generous. Art can't just be a mental practice, collaborating needs to feel safe, it needs to be with people who you want to share with. You share the ideas you come up with, and that time together is sacred. If you're doing it pushed together with random classmates for an asignment, you'd be rolling the dice to see if that worked well. When you really find the right people it's magic. I finally saw as much in Songwriter the documantary following Ed Sheeran as he made [Divide].
Music is Thepahy
As I just said, writing music is art and not just a mental exsercise. It's a great way to express the thing you need to get off your chest, or work through the issue you're struggling with. When it lives in a song you give it so much more emotion and truth. Of course, this is why some songs are really personal and why you aren't ready to schare them with the world, but I have found some songs birthing out of me especially when they're what I would have talked to a counsellor about. I'm actually going to use songwriting instead (hopefully that goes well). Expressing these things musically is so powerful, it's perhaps more similar to my EMDR sessions than talk therapy.
The Keyboard only needs the Printer Cable
Sure there are negatives to it, but if I didn't now have a dependancy on Chat.GPT to ask how things work I'd still be tying to plug the keyboard into my computer through an interface. I can now record MIDI with human hands. It's is absolutely fantastic! And I didn't actually need to buy any new equipment.
I can now record as I mess around on the keyboard. About every ten minutes of playing I tend to develop an idea that could be built into a full song, but I'm just messing around, so I'll move on. Piano was a stim for me, not an instrument to master. I still have that habit of finding something repeatitive I like the sound of and not doing anything else with it.
Actually, today I came upon an idea that sounded like what I was meaning to create next. I hadn't been thinking of that idea at all; it just happened. I started playing in the style of the song I have other plans for and I was able to start a new project and record the idea in five minutes.
Being forgetful is a significant issue with my life, and apparently also with my songwriting. If I could have a constant recording of my thoughts to hold on to what I was meant to be doing that would be great- but finally figuring out how to plug in my keyboard to the DAW is also magical.
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