Music Production

Music Production can be understood as different things in today's "industry speak".

When I say I'm producing a song... I mean, I am owning the outcome of the project. This means I'm using my opinion and experience in order to create something that's mutually pleasing to both, the client(s) and myself.

My favorite music involves great composition AND lyrics! I enjoy working with bands and writers, and I enjoy working with talent to create great music. 

Now that we know what I consider music production, let's move on to how I go about it.

Generally, I want to find out what the mood or feel of the song(s) should be. This might involve me delving into the lyrics or melody ideas the client already has. Next, I run ideas by them to make sure I'm grasping the idea. Then, I'll usually start creating a "template track". For bands, this is often just a click track that matches the groove of the song.

This is the foundation from which we will build the rest of the song from. Usually, I'll ask for the band or writer to lay scratch tracks over this "template". My intent, is to build the actual instrumentation once the song has been completely organized. For bands, that are well-rehearsed the process is often a little different. I might record the majority of the band together and track the vocals separately once everyone is good with the song's arrangement.

The approach varies widely with each artist and band, but the end goal should be to do whatever is best for the music. Nothing more, and nothing less.