effectiveness

Living on the Edge by Giant Ginkgo

If you are suddenly charged with landing a plane after the pilot collapses, and you are talked through the process by air traffic control, I’ll bet those fast-learned skills will be permanently burned into your psyche.  Not to mention, a successful landing would give you a tremendous confidence.  Well, alright, maybe you’d have to throw out your pants and never fly again.  (Boy, extreme metaphors can get you into trouble!)  At any rate, this would be an example of learning on ‘the Edge’, where you learn by doing, jumping in, getting your feet (and probably most of your body) wet.

Step a little closer… closer…

‘The Edge’ is a situation where you barely know enough to make it by.  It’s where you are trying to keep up and learn from those vastly better, faster, smarter, and more advanced than you.  The Edge is jumping in the deep end of the pool, sink or swim.  These can be situations find yourself in, but even better, situations you cultivate and covet.

In some ways, you are requiring yourself to move faster than thought.  You don’t have time for self-doubt – roadblocks and restrictions have to be lifted by necessity, and sometimes, you just have to drive right through them.  You take chances without over-thinking outcomes – there is no choice, and you ignore fears which might hold you back because fear is not a luxury you can entertain.  Your brain can operate in some surprising ways when forced to, where no other option exists.

Okay, brain. You don’t like me, and I don’t like you, but let’s get through this thing and …

I have a story of my own that illustrates this idea.  I’m a guitar player, and as the cliche goes, a horrible sight reader (I’m in a 12 step program).  I was invited, last minute, to sit in on a recording session where the bass player was suddenly unavailable.  I figured they knew me and my shortcomings (and this was on bass, not my main instrument!) and I thought it would be a session with simple charts and improvisation – no problem.  The “charts” turned out to be quick grand-staff print off’s from a sequencer, and required me to sight-read in the bass clef (WHAT?).   I was surrounded by some incredible musicians, true veteran session players – it was a nightmare situation!   Because it was on a tight deadline for a TV show, there was no time to ‘figure it out’…  it just had to get done, now!  I tried to stay calm, but I felt like a dump truck had parked on my chest.  At some point, I realized I was either going to play, or run out of the studio screaming, wreck any reputation I had, and forget a career in music.  The choice was not really a choice after all – I grimly focused on the sheet music sitting on the stand before me and accepted my fate.  It was pretty embarrassing, but something quite remarkable happened after a few cues – I just ’started’ reading in the bass clef.  It was as if by accepting and letting go, my brain said ‘Ok, let’s just learn this bloody fast then!’.  It was by no means a heroic turn, but once I was able to think back on the event without cringing so hard I’d hurt myself, I marveled at this sudden ‘ability’.

I’m sure we’ve all been in situations where we were on the Edge.  We committed to doing something that we perhaps weren’t quite ready for, where you had to learn on your feet, where you got by just by the skin of your teeth.

And now for a contradiction…

Sometimes, you want to avoid the Edge.  There are times when you have to perform perfectly, and where a mistep could result in disaster.  However, the one thing the Edge makes you prepare for is – anything.  You get good at being agile, flexible, adaptable.  Thinking creatively on your feet, making hard decisions fast.  It also makes you build and maintain your ‘lifelines’ – those you can call on when you know you are up against the wall and you need saving.

This is perhaps the best lesson you can get from the Edge – that you need to prepare for the Moment.  If you arrive somewhere and your big chance arrives unexpectedly, and you aren’t ready, that might be the last chance you get.  Imagine yourself at the place you want to be, and that place being the Edge – will you survive?  Succeed?

Late July Session at Q Music

Producing. One of the least understood gigs in the music world.  Just what is a producer, and what is their role in the making of music?

Definitely, maybe…

First, let’s get some definitions out of the way.  Although they share the same title, a Film Producer has very little in common with a Music Producer.  A Film Producer “is someone who creates the scenes and conditions for making movies.. [he/she]  initiates, co-ordinates, supervises and controls matters such as fund-raising, hiring key personnel and arranging for distributors.”  Film producers rarely have a whole lot of creative control – this is the realm of the Film Director.

A Music Producer has a lot more creative influence on a project, but the amount that a producer can affect the end result of a musical product can vary a lot.  Simply put, a producers job is to take the raw materials rendered by the artist to the point before recording begins, and help guide the shape of how those are turned into a final, coherent, artistic form.  Their role is generally collaborative, working alongside the artist (and sometimes the label) to best represent their vision.  A producer might also serve as an intermediary/advocate between the artist and the label, attempting to move a project to a point where both parties are happy with the results.  Producers should see the project from both perspectives – the artists vision, and the requirements of producing something that will be accessible and ultimately critically and fiscally successful.  The producer aims for balance.

So, what exactly does a producer DO?

Here is a shortlist of some of the hands-on work a producer might engage in.  I’ve kept this to the confines of a producer working with an artist on a record, but it can be more or less applied to other situations as well.

Mentor/coach the artist – help them maintain a healthy and productive mental state, improve on weaknesses while maintaining their confidence and the morale of the team.  Push for more when needed, know when to back off.  See the threshold of an artist or situation – what is the best that can be achieved?  How much is too much, when does pressure becomes detrimental?

Help select the best material from the artists long-list of work, suggest collaborators and/or other material to fill in any holes.  Artists may bring a massive collection of songs and sketches to the table, and that needs to be mined for those rough diamonds.  Sometimes, there might be a shortfall, and they need to be encouraged to write more, or find alternatives such as covers.  In some cases, the artist may benefit from working with an additional collaborator – another songwriter or lyricist.  This is a very delicate situation, where the artists confidence is in jeopardy.   A producer is like a doctor – what is their bedside manner?

Help develop the material/artist, improve arrangements, define a direction.  Some songs might still be sketches, need a chorus, a bridge, a hook, or some other X factor – a sound effect, or production style.  The material may be in a very simple sketch form, and the producer will help arrange it for band, and suggest instrumental parts that enhance and define – a brass section or string quartet for instance, or even decide it should be for voice and guitar only.

Help determine (and then maintain the consistency of) the sound of a project – what instruments, styles, materials and methods are going to be used to achieve a specific result?  A Death Metal band will require vastly different production styles and materials than a Bluegrass band.  The producer has to have a big-picture, overarching view of the project as a whole.  A producer’s mind is an encyclopedia of techniques and technical knowledge, as well as an idea factory that can problem solve quickly and effectively under pressure.

Guide performances – create a situation that brings out the best in an artist.  This involves more coaching – knowing the psychology of your artist – knowing what they’ll need and providing it before they ask.  This might involve creative problem solving to make them feel more comfortable in the sterile studio environment, or finding an amazing instrument that helps their playing.  It also means saying “don’t worry – it’s all taken care of”, and putting out fires, handling problems, and generally making it seem smooth, seamless, and fun.

Bring it together -  Select the appropriate studio(s), players, collaborators, equipment and instruments, engineers, which will help to contribute to that final sound.  Great producers are very well connected, and have a vast network of musicians, engineers, and resources to select from.  Once you have great material, and great people to perform and record it, very little can go wrong.  On the other hand, the wrong person for a gig can sap time, creative energy, morale, and money from a project.

Perform on the record – many producers are also excellent artists and musicians in their own right and can leave their mark on a record in a very tangible way by contributing musical material.

Oversee the entire record production process from tracking to mastering, and make hard decisions when something isn’t working to toss out, move on, re-invent, overhaul, start-over, salvage, etc., while maintaining high morale and creative effectiveness.  If something isn’t working or can’t be saved, the producer’s ‘bedside manner’ is incredibly important – the artist and the team must never feel that all is lost or that something horrible has happened – it has to feel like a positive part of the process, and that progress is being made.

Stay out of the way when necessary – sometimes, a producer’s job is to shut up and stand back – let the process happen on it’s own and only gently course correct as necessary.  To much messing around can destroy natural organic performances, and too much control can crush the creative process, and the ‘happy mistakes’ that you want to occur.  The producer must also be able to see those for what they are, and jump on little opportunities that others might miss.  They have to know what take has magic in it, and not overtax the artist with too many options or extra work that doesn’t need to be done.

That’s a take!

There are so many variables in the making of a musical recording.  What I’ve talked about here is based on some of my experiences, and many conversations with those much more experienced then I.  What do you think the role of the producer is/should be, and what are your experiences in producing or being produced?

Red Pill or Blue Pill? by Gary Martin

Back in April, I did a guest post on StudioManifesto.ca called Voodoo Your Creative Flow, which dealt with using rituals to help maximize your creative effectiveness.  Wired magazine recently published a very interesting article that talks about the mysterious Placebo Effect, and it got me thinking about how this might be applied in a similar fashion.

The Placebo Effect is an absolutely fascinating phenomenon, and interesting on it’s own even outside any possible applications to creative work.  It was originally discovered after a WWII nurse injected a wounded soldier with saline instead of morphine, basically out of desperation in the face of shortages.  She reported to the anesthetist she was assisting that despite the fact that he did not receive an actual does of morphine, the soldier nonetheless experienced all the effects had one been administered (his pain was relieved, and the effects of shock were offset).  Since then, standard practice requires all pharmaceuticals must undergo rigorous testing in order to show that they considerably surpass the placebo in effectiveness, before they can put them on the market.  Another point of interest:  I have heard (though I have no specific citation of this) that a person taking Valium must know that they are taking Valium for it to be effective – if they are unaware that it is being administered, it has no effect. Recent studies show that the placebo is becoming more and more effective, and it’s becoming more and more difficult for new pharmaceuticals to beat them.   Crazy, huh?

At any rate, the Placebo Effect is another pretty amazing indicator of the power and potential of the human mind, and I think as creative people, this warrants some consideration.  I don’t have any specific suggestions on how you might apply this – a sugar pill that makes you awesome? – and I would love to see some dialogue and discussions.  If it’s possible that simply believing in the efficacy of something can yield measurable physical results, I think we are currently vastly underestimating how much creative problem solving is actually possible.

Check out the full article here, and then come back here and post your thoughts!

The Spotting/Cue Sheet in progress...

Being organized is glamorous and sexy!

… well, maybe if you wear a sequined dress while filing (remember to shave your pits if it’s strapless, gentlemen)…

The spotting session is one of the first things a director and/or producer will do with the composer on a project. During this session, which usually lasts 3 – 8 hours, you watch a fine cut of the film. Scene by scene, frame by frame, the filmmaker will talk about what they want in terms of music – the style, genre, mood, emotion, dynamic, and importantly the function of the music in a scene. The composer takes detailed notes, usually saying quite little, unless asked for input.

Whadda I do with this chicken scratch??

Something I learned while apprenticing was the value of creating a Spotting Notes/Cue Sheet document. This document is the distillation of your notes and lays out the detail of every cue: for each act, for each reel. It contains all the ‘vitals’ including timecode IN and OUT points, length of the cue, format and output notes, and notes on what the director wanted, as well as your ideas. When you are finished, it is your Holy Bible for your score on this project; at any point, you will know EXACTLY where you are at, and what you need to do. You’ll even know, pretty much exactly, how much music you need to write.

Spotting notes should be transcribed as soon as possible, while still fresh in the mind. If left too long, there may be trouble interpreting ones own notes, and one doesn’t want to appear flakey by calling and asking what the director wanted over the speedboat chase with the explosions again? Solo oboe?

Here are some things you’ll find on this type of Spotting/Cue sheet:

Cue Number – more details on this in a moment

Cue Name – something that will bring to mind what is happening and what the cue is for. Some composers are famous for their hilarious cue names.

IN and OUT points – when you review the film, make sure you tighten up your IN points to the frame!

Time - the total length of the cue

Notes – what the director said… what you thought of – your brilliant musical ideas. The scene – what’s happening? Function – what is the music supposed to do – from the mundane to sublime.

Other things – A/B reel indications, Stereo/5.1 etc., and Type – source, library, location, song, etc.

When you are in the heat of creating music under a deadline, this little bit of non-creative housekeeping can save you time and mental strain. You can forget about keeping any data on how a cue relates to something two acts down the road, because you already made detailed notes on this. You know that you have finished 12 cues and 23 and 1/2 minutes of music, and have 7 cues and 16 minutes of music left to write. You made a note that cue 2m06 will be mirrored in 3m01, so you should write that now which shouldn’t take long since it’s just a slight variation. The cue sheet is key to freeing your mind to do the creative work of writing music, while making you efficient and organized. I personally believe it will make your score better, because you’ll have laid out the framework of the WHOLE score, and can see it from a distance. This helps you keep track of how the score fits together as one musical thing, as opposed to a procession of unrelated cues written without a solid plan which was thought out in advance.

Do you use something like this when you work?   Any other time-saving, insanity-offsetting practices you employ?