music business

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?

Read the full article on Film Music Magazine here:

Teamsters Say They’re Ready To Help Film & TV Composers Unionize at LA Meeting

450 composers, including many ‘A-listers’, met in Burbank, CA on Monday, Nov. 16th.

In the US, composers are one of the few professional groups working in film/tv that have no representation, in the way that actors have SAG and writers the WGA.  There is a really important and interesting (and HEATED!) discussion going on about composers unionizing and using their collective power to stop the devaluation of music, and “increasingly unrealistic delivery deadlines, punitive working conditions, lack of benefits enjoyed by most workers in the industry, plus the amalgamation of skill-sets”.

Check out these stats from the same article:

“…a staggering drop in composer fees from the 1980s to the present time—as much as an 86% pay-cut on an average movie adjusted for 2009 dollars. Further statistics purport a 240% increase in actual minutes of music used in today’s movies in contrast to those produced in 1980.”

It will be very interesting to see where this leads – it’s a divisive and emotional topic, there are as many questions as there are answers, and a lot is at stake.

UPDATE: Here is a very interesting article from the LA Times that adds some more dimension to the debate.  Consider this – David Carbonara is the composer for the incredibly successful ABC Show, Mad Men.  You’d think, of all working composers, he’d be doing pretty well, but “even after he labors on 13 episodes for a full year, he says he won’t earn enough to support his family.”

There’s something very wrong with this picture!

Photo by Paul likes pics

I wanted to share some of my thoughts on mentors and internships, as my own experiences have been very powerful and rewarding.  Looking back, I was surprised by how little I knew about the value and process of mentoring and having a mentor.

I was very fortunate to take part in the Guild of Canadian Film Composers Apprentice/Mentor Program, and to have been matched with a mentor (the singular Donald Quan) who challenged me in all the right ways.  I spent most of my six week internship in a state of constant terror – I was repeatedly thrown into the deep end of the pool and expected to swim, but had a chance to ‘crash and burn’ in relatively safe environment.  The amount that I learned and the things I experienced in that time could not have been gained any other way, and certainly nowhere as quickly.  It was learning and doing on the edge!  I learned some hard lessons very fast, and discovered holes in my game.  I also learned my strengths, and found out how far I could push myself and the depth of my endurance and perseverance.

My experiences showed me that some of the most important elements in building a career in a creative field are time spent interning, and establishing and building relationships with mentors.  These are certainly very important in industries which require a tremendous amount of time and luck to ‘break in’, and where a single introduction can mean the difference between having a career or not.  If you look at the careers of most accomplished creative people, the odds are very high that they had a mentor (in many cases, more than one) who played a big role in that success.

So -  what are mentors and mentees, what is their relationship, and what is the function of an internship?

A mentor is typically described as a person with considerable experience in a field, who acts as a guide, counselor, and trusted friend.  In many ways, a mentor can also be a coach.  To what degree a mentor is any one or combination of these things depends largely on their personality and style, and what they think they should be providing.  The internship process is very intimate, and the experience can vary quite a bit from situation to situation.  A mentor may give advice, counsel on career direction and big decisions, and help during challenging times.  During the internship they can provide opportunities to see behind the scenes and even to get one’s hands wet doing work at their level.  They can open doors by introducing a mentee to people in their network, and (if one is very lucky!) provide work.

An intern or protege’s role can be as varied as the mentor’s, and again depends on the mentor and what their expectations are.  During an internship, a mentee is there to be a human sponge, soaking up as much information and getting as much experience as possible, while at the same time doing whatever asked of them by their mentor.  How much one gets out of the deal is largely up to the mentee – one has to be willing to trust their mentor and accept what they are shown, and find value in every bit of advice and every task given, no matter how seemingly mundane.  What a mentee provides a mentor might be as simple as assistance in some area (read – grunt work!), anything from clerical to organization to actual creative work.  Further, for anyone that has worked in any capacity as a coach or teacher, you already know there is great reward in helping someone and fostering a career, especially if they are eager and passionate, open, and willing to learn and try new things.

Here are what I believe are some important traits of a successful mentor/mentee relationship:

Trust and openness

One must trust one’s mentor, and believe in them.  One also has to be open to what they have to say and show you.  Some of it may shock you, some of it may seem “irrelevant”, and may even run counter to what you thought was true about the industry.  Be open to a different point of view – you can evaluate your experiences afterward, but if you don’t allow yourself to be open, you won’t learn.  Don’t go into it thinking you ‘know better’.

A passionate desire to get involved in anything

Jump in!  Don’t hesitate!  Say yes!  This is a time to learn and try things out.  You are still in a place where you can make mistakes without terrible consequence.  Don’t say no to things because you don’t think they aren’t valuable or you’ve “done it before” (you might just learn something new!) and definitely don’t let fear guide you.  If you feel overwhelmed, scared, and just a little out of your depth, you’re doing it right!

Active seeking

Show you are looking to learn, looking to improve.  Don’t sit and wait for stuff to happen – get involved and create opportunities.  Think of ways to give back even as you are being given so much.

Awareness

Make leaps of thinking and faith, see how things connect, and be on the lookout for any opportunity.  Don’t let your brain sit idly while someone leads you by the hand.  Things that may escape the notice of someone not aware and processing their experiences may turn into wonderful things down the road.

—-

If you have the chance to experience an internship or you have met someone who is willing to be a mentor, I think you’ll get much more out of your time if endeavor to be the best protege possible, and develop and show the above mentioned traits.  It will also show your level of committment and that you respect and value the opportunity.

Do you have any happy or horror stories to share about mentors, mentoring, and internships?