Enséñame a hacer tu voluntad, porque tú eres mi Dios;

As we’ve discussed, each producer will have a watermark or range of watermarks for types of material. It is important to note that the watermark can work in two ways. It can be a statement, or sonic identity, of a particular producer’s style. Or it can be an application of certain tools for a desired outcome.

Some producers will have a distinct, intrinsic, natural style. It could be argued that Phil Spector is one of these. His wall of sound became one of the most notable watermarks in production history. Not only is it permanently linked with Spector, it is also simply the most famous producer’s watermark, often imitated. Not every producer has the benefit (or disadvantage) of such a distinctive watermark. Too distinctive a watermark can equate to pigeonholing, which might lead to being branded for certain limited styles of music or artist. Having no watermark can leave the producer indistinct and unable to stand out from the crowd.

We talk in this book about watermarks being a sonic musical outcome; however, a watermark can equally be a reflection of your professional reputation. Long-standing successful producers such as Trevor Horn continue to enjoy great success producing a variety of styles of music. He is seen within the industry as not only a pioneer of music production but also as a “safe” pair of hands to insure a relative amount of success from a project. Horn has continued to develop a reliable team of professionals at the top of their game alongside his wife Jill Sinclair to develop contributory projects such as ZTT, Sarm Studios, which all feed back to support his production work. We also talk in this book about being a business, as this can become equally important as the toolkit that defines your sonic style discussed in this chapter.

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What is Music Production. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-240-81126-0.00003-2

© 2011 Russell Hepworth-Sawyer and Craig Golding. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Being a music professional is quite different to being an accountant or some other trade. Our work days will usually involve being in front of a set of moni- tors (both the loudspeaker and screen variety these days!) listening, composing, recording, mixing, or mastering.

This is what we do. However, most people that relax at a pub/bar after work will listen to music in the background. Then they may amble off home to watch a DVD with a film score included.

Music is all around us. Therefore our work is all around us! Do we ever get a break? Actually most of us will not mind this intrusion, but it does make us music professionals different. We’re always on duty, we’re always listening, we’re always analyzing. To some extent we’re always working.

This chapter introduces you to the skills and attributes that a producer has. By no means is this a job specification for some imaginary post, but a peep at the lifestyle and activities undertaken and important areas for attention as you build your career.

communIcatIon

Producers need to be fantastic communicators who have depth and consider- ation for their artists’ views. It will not always be possible to pander to them, as producers have to take executive decisions. Gaining trust from the artist will allow for any necessary experimentation. The ability to listen, and listen with empathy and in detail, will ensure better understanding.

If we were to read that mystical job description for the role of the producer, part of the list would no doubt request honed listening skills, good communication, diplomacy, charm, modesty, and humor, in addition to being a good politician as required.

Producers have to manage their relationships with their artists on many differ- ent levels. The music recording studio can be a close environment within which to work for many a long session. Being someone who can make the session

flow using a blend of skills is important. You will need to be, in part, a friend, a colleague, a counselor, and in some extreme cases a psychiatrist.

Consider the situation where a musician is bearing their soul in a song about lost love, death, or something deeply personal. This may leave them feeling exposed and perhaps less confident, or emotional as a result. You are the pilot of the ship known as the recording session, and keeping the artist in a produc- tive frame of mind is essential.

An example of this is Quincy Jones speaking of a time in the recording of Off

The Wall where Michael Jackson, while singing “She’s Out of My Life” was actu-

ally crying, partly because of what he felt, and partly to deliver the tone of the song. Managing and funneling this emotion into the song is very important. But as a producer, how do you move on from this? Do you abandon the session for the day? Do you mix the track? Or do you move to another emotionally charged track on which the lead vocals need recording?

Your decisions and the way in which you negotiate them through communi- cation will be the leading light required for the furtherance of the project. The style of communication will also be key to getting along with the artist. Some artists of course have a certain style about them and perhaps a certain genre-spe- cific language which you will need to be aware of. You may need to pitch your communication to each different audience in a slightly different way. Gaining a sense of the vocabulary used in the studio, and in the genre, will assist the trans- lation of ideas between the production team and the artist.

Given the emotional flow of an artist, they may choose to discuss the back- ground to their music and their life. This can be important information, how- ever tedious at first it might seem. Getting to know your artist will provide you with valuable information about what the song or album means and how it might shape up.

It’s all part of being a good listener, which is an essential skill as a producer. Tommy D before a songwriting session with an artist takes this one stage further, to be prepared. He takes time to learn about what they have been doing and “where they’re at in their life.” “I always try to have a couple of [musical] ideas together before they come in. I’ll go online and read about what they’ve been up to, and I look at their Twitter feeds and Facebook updates and see what they’ve been doing and where they’re at.” This allows Tommy to begin to engage with his artists from the get-go and perhaps to consider lyrics and music that might resonate with them.

In a similar vein to genre-specific language, the art of communication is not sim- ply about what you say and how you say it, but a number of other factors too. We have been at pains throughout this book to illustrate the role of the producer as someone who guides the artist and the music through the production pro- cess. The producer is a breed of person that is unique and highly skilled in many a communication method concurrently. One of these skills is communication and another is how they handle themselves.

compoSure

Body language

It’s not all simply about what you say, or even how you say it. It’s also about how you are. Body language can be incredibly important in getting informa- tion across. As a producer, not only do you need to be measured in the body language you provide, ensuring it sends positive messages, but you also need to be alert to the body language offered from the people around you.

Understanding the body language of others can determine what they are really trying to say and from this you may be able to develop a plan of action that hon- estly fits, as the verbal communication may not stack up. You can imagine the scenario where a band is in the studio and the singer (the writer of the material) does not really like the way in which the guitar part is being turned into a rock guitar solo from the ‘80s. While the singer’s words might be “sure, let Johnny play what he wants,” the eyes and general slouched shoulders might tell another story.

How you attempt to alleviate the situation might be various. You may choose to use diplomacy and negotiate a simpler guitar solo in keeping with the indie rock of recent years, or to use multiple guitar tracks, harmonically arranged to pro- duce a retro Brian May from Queen style solo, adding texture to the song, rather than a ripping ‘80s rock solo.

By the same token, you will need to temper your body language accordingly. There will be those album tracks you’re not so keen on and you may not be able to say so for various reasons; perhaps it’s the only track the bassist has written and hence has to have a place on the album. Anyway, you may choose to appear as keen and professional toward this track as the three No.1 singles about to fly out the studio.

attire

Producers can often be flamboyant individuals who have a style of their own. For example, P Diddy has a ‘look’ as does Mark Ronson these days. They have a style that looks confident and is just as much their image as the music. The same can be said for Dr. Dre and Timbaland in the urban genres.

The way you dress may be to impress and elevate your status, or it simply might be the way you are. Many producers and music professionals straddle a line of comfort (as you’re in the studio for long periods of time) or style. We’re not sug- gesting that you have to dress to impress, but you may choose to develop a style that is yours and that may convey the musical image you’re after. We’ll leave that up to you.

confIdence

The interviews and discussions we’ve enjoyed in the research for this book point toward one overriding common trait: confidence.

What is confidence? A good question to begin this section, we think. Producers are a funny breed insomuch as they are leaders, not in the military sense of the word, but in terms of respect. They do not have the ability in most sessions to dictate the music where they want it to go. Naturally there are exceptions to this, but on the whole, the average music producer is simply confident and an excel- lent interpreter and communicator of ideas.

In order to succeed in the industry, it is necessary for a producer to be confident in their decisions and outcomes. It is not always that easy, but many artists will be looking to the producer for confidence, a strong guiding hand through the process. If you like, an insightful interpreter.

In this chapter we’ll take a look at the confidence that a producer typically pos- sesses and how it manifests itself, how it can be increased and how to manage this development. Some do indeed say confidence is something you are born with, but it can be developed and enhanced for display, whether you believe it or not! Producing is about modesty, humility, creativity, and, of course, confidence.

What is confidence?

Confidence can manifest itself in many different ways. Many of the producers and music professionals we have met over the years are some of the most mod- est and lovely people you could hope to meet. They are good at listening and very good at suggesting their views on music and its direction.

Producers are good listeners, as their job is to interpret artists’ ideas and help them realize them on a record. Their ability to suggest is not driven by an arro- gance, but usually experience. There is an air of confidence that suggests they have a way of doing things which might, or at least should, work.

inner confidence

External confidence is the ideal outcome: gaining trust and then exuding an air of confidence in the session. This usually can only be created honestly from internal confidence. Internal confidence is something of a different ball game altogether and something that the self-help book industry makes millions from each year.

Confidence is not something you wake up with one day, and overcoming a lack of confidence can take considerable effort.

The reality is that the producer requires some form of inner confidence which is based on skill firstly, whether that is musical, engineering or a combination of the two, or in some cases business acumen. These are all fairly core skills in the studio today.

To develop this confidence comes from experience, many suggest. This can be experience in turning that skill and knowledge into practice, creating new and exciting outcomes for the artist. Or the experience of working with a range of artists and bringing their visions to fruition on a multitude of projects.

Having inner confidence is essential as this will provide external confidence, leading to an ability to empathize, be diplomatic and reactive to the emotion- ally charged situations in which you’ll find yourself in the studio.

Being confident in your own abilities as a producer is a huge necessity in the studio. Being able to acknowledge your weaknesses and use them to your advan- tage in the session can help. For example, it can be helpful to collaborate with a partner as part of a production team. Finding a collaboration which works for you can assist in ensuring you’re able to deliver aspects of the session, the album which alone you’d not be able to achieve. For example, a fantastic programmer to work with your fantastic orchestration skills, or songwriter to work with your skills in managing the session.

For example, you will collect a list of preferred musicians and engineers you choose to pool from; something we cover in Chapter B-2, Your People. Having a team that you trust implicitly will improve your confidence and ability to deliver on the recording session and ultimately the production. The artist may have come to you to produce her album, but it is your team behind you that is also called on.

external confidence

Confidence being displayed and hopefully engendered in your musicians will come from you making good and insightful decisions based on their needs and ultimately delivering the goods. It also comes from solid communication as previously discussed. Being able to listen, use diplomacy, and steer the process to a final record will be managed by an air of authority in the studio.

If they, as artists, believe in you and the guidance you provide, then they will also have trust in the vision for the music and where it is scheduled to end up. However, external confidence is not simply about how you deal with musicians, but also how you conduct yourself in business too.

Music and musicians are forgiving; they know what they think they want, but because they spend much time perfecting their skill and their parts, they can lose a little focus on the whole, and gain considerable benefit from the guiding hand of the producer. However, they’re placing strong trust in the producer to take their music and make it better, more what they envisaged, and make it sell (a tall order).

Working with a producer can be a learning curve for many musicians. Bands can be very precious about their music and what they have developed. It is, after all, their art and their craft. Musicians might find it difficult to manage to change their paradigm to involve and embrace an external person to the production process with new and seemingly conflicting ideas.

This is where the diplomacy and confidence that a producer displays can be beneficial. The confidence a producer exudes can allay fears within musicians and allow for ideas to be explored, where they might not have been accepted in

times previously. The music needs your guidance and the artist must believe in you and your confidence.

attItude

It’s all about attitude. Many producers we’ve interviewed have said that they expect their colleagues (engineers and assistants) to have a “can do” attitude, being responsive and one step ahead of the game. They must be able to antici- pate what’s about to happen by the series of cues they pick up on from the artist or fellow production team member, to make the process go smoother.

As a producer, you will no doubt exude the same can do attitude, listening to your artists’ ideas and views and trying to calculate a way of making it happen. However, should you not agree with a course of action or decision, you will need to use your aforementioned skills in communication to discuss and diplomati- cally agree on a solution. There’s always one good way of sorting out any argu- ments, time permitting. In these days of nondestructive editing, it’s often a good idea to try out even the ideas your artist insists will work. If you think they will not work and are proved right, at least you’ve given the artist a good, honest hearing. Having the right attitude, like trust, can come from experience and a desire to be productive in the studio environment. Your attitude should reflect that you are passionate about music, the art of music production, the artist, and the music they’re creating. A positive attitude will make the session go well, but will also be fun! Remember they’re long sessions; fun will make the whole thing a lot more enjoyable.

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