Produce music from your head or heart?

I love the idea and I think similarly appreciate the information you provided

Thank you for the info on the heart of the matter. My comment: TRUE – 100%. What do I do to get there? For me, a song needs to work in an acoustic setting – just the guitar or the piano. If it works there, it works everywhere.

That’s great advice from a songwriter perspective I write fromm the heart so I agree with you very much.

Thanks Chris. Spot on. "Connection over perfection" every time.

Great reminder and advice, thank you Chris! For people, like me, who are coming back to music after a while, the learning home recording curve is real, so delegation is key while learning to catch up. I love what your saying about paying attention to the elements while creating… part heart, part head.

Thanks for the video Chris, it’s great. totally agree with you, in my case i learnt (and paid for that) how to produce, mix and master a song with the songwriting Academy from Martin Sutton. No need to say how many good tips, advices, master classes ect…. I got from experienced mentors, and the result is not too bad. Saying this it’s an endless way, i will never be perfect , and it’s not a purpose, i just try to learn and use the advices , latest example last sunday during the song review 🙂

This is the "catch-22" with composing Sync music. We hear, "write what is YOUR genre"…."what YOU’RE good at"…"if you write in YOUR genre it sounds authentic", etc. But then people see the genres that are "popular", the ones that the supervisors gravitate towards, and if it’s NOT their genre, or if their genre doesn’t get overwhelming attention, they decide to TRY to write from the head, and not the heart. I LOVE writing old school Funk, and Salsa. I grew up listening to those genres from the 60’s to today. I can compose those genres in my sleep. Latin music is pretty popular in the sync world….Funk, not so much. I’ve had ZERO success composing Funk and Salsa. But I love it, and have fun writing them. I can also write Dramedy. I write that from the head, BUT I’m very good at writing Dramedy. I prefer writing Funk and Salsa because not only can I TRY to get them licensed, but it’s cool to have cookouts and have people play my tracks on Spotify, Pandora, etc. I can’t play Dramedy at a cookout. Funk/Salsa = Heart…..Dramedy = Head. But I have a better chance of success with Dramedy.

agreed. great song beats great production every time. (but getting BOTH is hard to beat)

So good. I totally agree Chris on engaging the head and heart. It has taken me a while to be able to do a simple recording in my home studio. But, I have learned that there are things I am not great at. For example, I find when I record my vocals and live piano at a studio, I perform better and access my heart. The recording engineer is a good witness and sounding board as to how well the emotion was felt. Once again, it’s "know theyself". Thanks for the reminder.

I was in your Backstage program and sadly was only able to get feedback on one song. I paid a pro trio to record my songs. And yes, they could be better, full instrumentation would have been nice but not affordable. Every song I wrote was from the heart but not of a genre that seems popular today or at least to a small ausience. I agree with some of Kirkland’s comments. I wish you could have listened to Skeryanc’s Childrens’ Bedtime song (It’s streaming on all of the sites) just to illustrate a bit of diversity. I have Music programs but prefer to compose at the piano with pencil and manuscript paper. I have not delved into full studio and synthetic orchestration programs at this stage in life. In retirement, one must be frugal. Perhaps, I started too late in life.

Hi, Chris

I learned not long ago that the secret to many of my life successes was to surround myself with those who are better than me in a specific area of a project I am involved in. For example, in songwriting and production, working with those who really enjoy being creative in the technical aspects of a project allows me to put my efforts into the songwriting part of the equation, which will enable me to work from the heart.

I do enjoy participating in the production, but I rely on others who can achieve my vision.
Those who are great at what they do can only enhance the outcome.

Chris,
Thanks for having us in your vision.
Your are so right with your
comments concerning heart,
head and out sourcing.
When ever I get your E mail.
It shows celebs do care.
Love.
S.

Nicely put, Chris. I’m retired from running non-profit organizations. I learned a long time ago to rely on the people who are around me, volunteers and staff. If you want them to do something give them the responsibility and authority to complete the task. Much the same way in creating music. I have 30+ pages of Quips, Lines and Gibberish that I refer to when the creative spirit moves me. When I’ve made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I turn it over to those that know what they are doing and join in the fun of making a 10 course meal. It always turns out way better than I ever imagined. At least at 75, no-one has taken the car keys away from me yet!

I really agree with you I been doing music for 20years every song I wrote and written comes from my heart

Hi,

A great cue for thought. I started recording my own attempts at writing and recording with a domestic Ferguson two track recorder, wedging bits of cardboard between the tape and heads so that I could overdub when I was eleven. Of course, the ‘songs’ were rubbish but there was – to me – still a little bit of magic evident in the finished products. Some 13 years later I was fortunate enough to build by first tape-based multi-track studio – a Tascam 8-80, I think it was called – a Fender Strat, a couple of guitar pedals and a Tascam EQ. The songs were a good deal better, as were the finished sounds, although I still really didn’t know what I was doing technically. That was in the mid 70’s before the ‘home recording’ industry, computers, et al erupted on the scene. During that later era I subsequently also bought a couple of ‘Portastudios’ – Tascam and Yamaha – and then a Sansui 6-track (which I still have despite it’s return from a lengthy loan in somewhat dimished capabilities).

The only reason I am wittering on about that is because although my music/recording adventures improved and I learned a great deal more – engineering/mixing, musically, etc., over the years – and moved into audio/video production, etc., in the early 80s with pretty high grade hybrid equipment in pro studio premises, I have never since managed to match the (subjectively perceived) excitement or massive aural vistas of those early recordings from the cassette Sansui WS-X1. I can do big stuff and analogue sounding stuff, clean and shiny and tight stuff, with its own kind of magic here and there – but not the same.

My conclusion is that there is absoluetly no substitute for genuine unbridled passion in the performances (usually more easily found in the untrained pre click-tracked, pre-twenty year olds) allied to a determined commitment to ‘what sounds good’ in the recording/mixing efforts – rgardless of what the pundits decree (perfectly achievable with a pretty good pair of very familiar headphones).

Crafting with knowledge is a wonderful skill to achieve but so often this enables the masking of mediocre material and performances – gridded, tweaked and LUF’d to the satisfaction of media and accountants’ laws of averages. Of course, we all have to make a living… apparently, and apparently by accepting and supporting the rumoured league of ‘musical’ lemmings.

Heart must always come first and foremost, then a careful, tasteful tweak around the edges of logic should be allowed, but not beyond the idiosynchratic emotional displays of wonderment.

As you will by now have gathered, I am now well passed my sell date, but writing what I believe are some pretty good songs, attempting to perform and produce such with a voice which long since evacuated the building – and loving it. Unfortunately, everything seems to be coming out Country & Western (of which I am not especially fond) – still looking for my Twist and Shout mojo, I think I must have left it with the TV remote.

Funny ol’ World, innit?

Best regards,
Dave

Good video with nice ambiance and sensible words. I just hope I will not need 10,000+ hours to be proficient enough to produce my music. As someone also said, I feel, at least for the mixing and mastering processes, that they relate a lot to the artist vision. They complete the musical puzzle. And I can’t believe it will be necessary to take a very long time to dominate the basics for that purpose when you have passion, resources and you are disciplined. With today’s means we can produce good quality music in home studios, besides all the information available in the net to help going in the right track for that purpose. The only thing missing will be an outside quality assessment for those home productions to check if they are sync-ready, eventually giving some recommendations with that goal in perspective. Fortunately, I noticed that some good mixers/masters are already providing that service. Good days ahead for all creators.

As an audio control freak, LOL! :-), I find it hard to let go of the production process. My skills have improved over the last few years, and I’ve learned to let go a bit and trust the expertise of others, like Sundown and the team. I’m so grateful to Julie, Sarah, and the entire production crew for delivering some awesome songs that my favorite Supes said they love and are working hard to place! Thanks Chris, keep up the good work!

Me again – After watching your video a little more carefully Chris, I
wanted to address delegating. And, I couldn’t have said it better than Michael, Cizmar! That is why I quoted his words here! They are important…
"I learned not long ago that the secret to many of my life successes was to surround myself with those who are better than me in a specific area of a project I am involved in. For example, in songwriting and production, working with those who really enjoy being creative in the technical aspects of a project allows me to put my efforts into the songwriting part of the equation, which will enable me to work from the heart. I do enjoy participating in the production, but I rely on others who can achieve my vision. Those who are great at what they do can only enhance the outcome." [Michael Cizmar]

So, this is exactly how I feel and how I have moved forward. My producer that I work with now… we have NEVER met in person in 5 years. But I like him, respect him and love his work. He does what I cannot do… and he has learned "me," and it is a reciprocal relationship. Going back to the very first time I played my multi-metered, strange little Still Water Woman song all by myself on an out of tune honky tonk piano in a local bar’s talent show at the austere age of 32… and won real money. I could only play and sing 3 songs on the piano, but I realized that this was what I was going to do. I did get off track for a while, a few times over almost 50 years, venturing into other creative endeavors, disappearing to exotic lands, but in music and songwriting, I always sought the perfect pieces of the puzzle, players, etc, eager to add their colors to my palette at hand. As I began to gather musicians and techies, I realized early on that I was performing, recording, producing with folks far more advanced on their musical journeys.. more expertise and talent, better players than I. Of course, that was stressful, often, but I have also been so blessed. I often ragged on myself, "WHY do they want to work with me… they are so much "better" than I." Now that I am older, I get it, finally. I was expressing things that they had felt or hoped to feel again… or opening up new little worlds to them in my words, and my simple melodies. One bassist said to me before a recording session that he loved recording with me because "I gave him the sky." I welcomed him to play what HE thought the song needed.. I couldn’t afford to pay this famous bassist what he usually got paid, but I let him create – I trusted him to know what the song needed. That is why I asked him to record with me in the first place. And that was important to them, the guitarists, the drummers, the engineers and producers and studio owners… It IS ALL ABOUT THE SONG. Everything, everything else, is window dressing without THE Song. The clothes that one places upon the body… It helps to have a beautiful body, a stellar arrangement, great players, in tune, etc., etc…. but without a splendidly pure heart and soul that resonates honesty and truth, all the other stuff is glitter on a mannequin. It is THE SONG that rises above! Delegating, hiring, asking, bartering. I used to feed my band members before every rehearsal – I am a good cook. One super long recording session, with an engineer named Bob St. John (look him up… great mastering guy now!), on Thanksgiving… I brought into the studio an entire Thanksgiving dinner… and we did a 33 hour session, NON-stop. No drugs. I could NOT afford all those hours, but I knew he wasn’t going to have anyone to be with on Thanskgiving, and neither did I… we celebrated and recorded with a Swiss violinist, a famous Andean flautist, and a concert pianist who had just played Carnegie Hall. As famous as he is now, that engineer still talks about that session, just fun, good music and GREAT players. Another engineer I recorded with years ago, Will Garrett, has just been appointed head of the new Bentley Meeker Corp. studio in NYC, as head of studios and artist development. I couldn’t afford his work back then, 1985,, but he was keen on working in the studio I was able to book time in, as the very first and only independent Boston music project invited in, Michael Jonzun’s (with his brother, the infamous Maurice Starr.) then new and famous Mission Control studio. It was one of the very first SSL studios on the east coast. the studio manager liked my songs. If the song is great, and you are polite, open to relegating and delegating with respect, and are a good person, doors will often open for you. And it might be that way with the Supervisors we are meeting. I am sure they would much rather do business, the business they happen to love, with artists/songwriters that they are happy to work with. Inspiration and authenticity, honesty… and heart… They matter.

I feel left behind because I compose songs in a folk, gospel or country genre. Music has changed so much these days. I will trust your comments. It shouldn’t matter, a good song is a good song no matter what style it is or how many instruments used, and it doesn’t have to be perfect.

I totally agree that music needs to resonate from the heart as well as the head. I think that music is similar to visual art in that, if one knows the skills or techniques, one can have the luxury of creating what inspires one, or loves. I struggle with this, like what Anthony said earlier ‘I prefer to compose at the piano with pencil and
manuscript paper’. Personally I don’t own a digital audio workstation, so I am not acquainted with the creation of synthesised music…
Also, as Chris said delegation is very helpful. After all most of the popular music today has come about through collaboration. In fact collaboration has brought most of my musical ideas to life! I have half accepted I will never be prolific.
Fred Kane from AOTSP shared a wonderful quote recently…
"…The wonderful thing about music is it never seems to be exhausted.
Every little idea germinates another one. Things are constantly transforming themselves in musical terms…"
John Williams, the New York Times, August 2011

Thanks for this great reminder Chris. It’s always best to get expert help when needed and a tracks needs to ‘feel’ in the right place with words and melody – it’s a sweet spot and as songwriters it’s our job to hopefully find it 😊

Excellent advise. Much appreciated.

Well stated, Chris. I really enjoy your perspectives!

It’s an interesting balance…I typically write in an American/Rock format, but have recently been drawn to writing children’s music. How does one keep things "real", enimitable, from the heart, while playing in unfamiliar sandboxes.

I believe good composers can do both – Randy Newman and Danny Elfman being good examples – but it’s a challenge!

Love what you do, and what love to be part of your larger group.

Thanks for the excellent info.

Thanks Chris for your circumspect experience, wisdom and sensitivities. The great thing is music moves all of us in so many different ways and it’s great to be a part of it. Great to be going forward with you at the helm.
Jona Lewie

Oui chef! Love that analogy. We have been learning for years now and have gotten so much better but with three kids, it’s just easier to hire out sometimes for the sake of time and energy. We’ve got about 20 tracks that we’ve been “working on“ for the past 10 years. SMH 🤦‍♀️ thanks for the inspo nugget, Chris!