When you pick up a CD or download music, it is not very often that you think about the creative process that was used in order to make that music come alive in a recorded format. “It’s just music!” you think, “What more do I need to know?” and you slam on your headphones and turn up the volume so you can be on your merry way to getting your brain synapses rearranged by an artist you enjoy, nothing more, nothing less, right?
But I beg to differ. When I listen to music, I think long and hard about who made it, who wrote the songs, what they were thinking when they came up with this or that lyric and what sort of technical process was used in making those songs immortalized forever in an MP3, compact disk or vinyl.
But I beg to differ. When I listen to music, I think long and hard about who made it, who wrote the songs, what they were thinking when they came up with this or that lyric and what sort of technical process was used in making those songs immortalized forever in an MP3, compact disk or vinyl.
The recording of music may not be like what you have envisioned or have been shown via TV or movies. The making of recorded music is not all about sex, drugs and rock and roll. In truth, it’s about tedious nit picking of songs; it’s about long hours in the studio going over and over and over the same couple of minutes of music for hours on end until all the players get their parts just perfect.
It’s not like live music either, where the artists or bands can be free to jam or improvise and make mistakes with a chuckle or grimace from their band mates. Making mistakes is not really an option when you are paying top dollar for your engineer and the time in the studio.
It’s not like live music either, where the artists or bands can be free to jam or improvise and make mistakes with a chuckle or grimace from their band mates. Making mistakes is not really an option when you are paying top dollar for your engineer and the time in the studio.
Hanging out for the day at Opus Studios in Berkeley, CA with engineer/producerJohn Cuniberti and the Americana Rock band San Geronimo was an eye opening experience. Seeing these accomplished and professional musicians spend hours working on 2 songs in order to get it right was an intense but incredible experience. If it wasn't right the first time, the second time or third, the band would have to play it again…..and again….and again….
Even with today’s amazing technological advances in sound recording, where songs can be spliced and diced and half-second licks can be replaced at the click of a button, recording an album of 5-10 songs can sometimes take weeks or months to finish.
Even with today’s amazing technological advances in sound recording, where songs can be spliced and diced and half-second licks can be replaced at the click of a button, recording an album of 5-10 songs can sometimes take weeks or months to finish.
Recording is work. Hard work, tiring work, frustrating work. Literally it is a band’s blood, sweat and tears that creates an album as well as their talents as musicians.
But most musicians are striving to create a physical format where their music can be easily distributed to their waiting fans, so to them, all the hard work pays off when people buy the albums they have worked so long and hard to create.
So maybe think about all this next time you pop in a CD or flip over your vinyl. Hopefully you will have a deeper and more profound compassion and knowledge of what it takes to make the music you love.
But most musicians are striving to create a physical format where their music can be easily distributed to their waiting fans, so to them, all the hard work pays off when people buy the albums they have worked so long and hard to create.
So maybe think about all this next time you pop in a CD or flip over your vinyl. Hopefully you will have a deeper and more profound compassion and knowledge of what it takes to make the music you love.
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