A Pro Musician Answers Your Questions About Professional Music

[Master Cthulhu]

It is fairly easy nowadays to get a professional sounding recording from your own home.

But know which programs to use and how to use them BEFORE recording, because it is a real pain to have to go back and re-do everything.

[Trilby]

My son Danny (17) wants to know how important is it to be able to read traditional music? Danny reads tone-notes.

And he wants me to say that he thinks you're bad ass for being a pro musician.

[Scriveyn]

Originally Posted by Brianna

My son Danny (17) wants to know how important is it to be able to read traditional music? Danny reads tone-notes.

And he wants me to say that he thinks you're bad ass for being a pro musician.

I never really learnt to read music and music education at my school was lousy and next to non-existent. I have been interested in seriously listening to music (jazz) since I was 14. But it was only my mid-thirties, when I struck up acquaintance with my favourite musicians, that I wish I had had a better music education.

[Scriveyn]

Here is where my friends record for a number of years now: Jon Hiseman's (of Colosseum fame) studio:

http://www.temple-music-studio.com/

That certainly looks pro to me.

[smoothmoniker]

UT is right on the money with this one, especially if you are making a "band" record, where the players are all working for free. Self-produced albums take less money, and a lot more time. If you have to pay the players, the money you saved by self-producing gets eaten up by paying players to sit there while you figure out how to make a record.

I think everyone should at least attempt to produce their own first album. You will learn more about music, about your own playing and songwriting, than almost anything else you could do.

Then, I highly recommend getting pros involved on the second go round. You'll appreciate the difference.

[smoothmoniker]

This is my thumbnail sketch of a budget for producing a pop singer/songwriter using everything pro, with the intention of getting songs placed on TV and Film, and major radio airplay. This is an indie budget, and includes no marketing, distribution, or even manufacturing budget.

Primary tracking (6 days)
Studio: $5000/ week (lockout with assistant engineer)
Engineer: $4500 ($450 per day)
Rhythm Section: $18,000 ($750 per day, 4 players, 6 days)

Vocal Tracking (3 days)
Studio: $1350 ($450 per day, including engineer)

Overdubs
Guitar: $1500 (2 days, his studio)
Keyboards: $1500 (2 days, my studio)

Mix (10 songs)
mix prep: $750 ($75 per song)
mix standard: $9600 ($1200 x 8 songs)
mix singles: $6000 ($3000 x 2 songs)
mastering: $3000 ($300 per song)

total: $51,200

This is what it would cost to make an album that could compete musically, sonically, artistically, with anything out there. This is hiring the best players around (maybe not the best known, but still top tier guys), great studios, high end mix, everything.

[Master Cthulhu]

I hate the factor of money in music.

The words "music" and "industry" right next to each other sickens me.

[Flint]

Money just provides access to necessary resources, as it does in any other area of life.

In the most basic scenario, a musician spends money on a better quality instrument instead of other things.

[Trilby]

So, I guess I'll just tell Danny you didn't respond to his question.

ok.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Master Cthulhu

I hate the factor of money in music.

The words "music" and "industry" right next to each other sickens me.

Ah yes, the old "art shouldn't be whored out for money" crap. Ask yourself why a song contains more "art" than, say, a masterfully-architectured building, and why the architect ought to be paid like any other job, but the musician should somehow belong to... what? Some completely different society where they are just taken care of, for being so special?

[Master Cthulhu]

Music is different. If someone is getting paid a lot to do music, then they are likely popular. To maintain the popularity, the record label dumbs down the sound for the mainstream masses, which only enjoy simple, catchy tunes. Every single mainstream album has one or two good songs on it, and the rest is all filler crap. All they have to do is promote a single song, make an MTV compatible music video for it, and wala. They make money, but the music sucks. But, hey, they're making money so they have to be good, right?

Or you could just put your voice through an auto tune, the mainstream music fans today love those.

[Clodfobble]

How is that different from the factor of money in anything else? Music is not different, it is exactly the same.

[Scriveyn]

Originally Posted by smoothmoniker

This is my thumbnail sketch of a budget ...

Thanks, that is very illuminating. The sum total is about the price tag I had from a discussion years ago. So, having the individual components spelled out like that, I understand much better now.

Edited: Having said that, it is still completely beyond me, how musicians who don't go down the dumbed down pop chaff producing lane can make a living. They are certainly welcome to the money I spend on their concerts/albums, as well as lottery funds and such. - MC, I'd rather say "The words 'music' and 'pop' right next to each other sicken me."

[smoothmoniker]

Originally Posted by Brianna

My son Danny (17) wants to know how important is it to be able to read traditional music? Danny reads tone-notes.

And he wants me to say that he thinks you're bad ass for being a pro musician.

Ooops! Sorry Bri, I skipped over it the first time.

It depends on what he wants to do. For serious session players, it's essential. You have to read or you don't work. If you work mostly on band projects, and ear is much more important.

On about 50% of the projects I play for, I never see an scrap of written paper. I go into the studio, listen to the demo once or twice, then go sit down at the piano and play something that feels right. I have a system for sketching out a basic rhythm chart while listening to a song for the first time, so that after one listen I can play it. That matters more, most of the time, than being able to read traditional piano music.

And tell him thank you. I feel pretty bad ass. Here in my khakis and polo. Driving a jetta. To Gymboree.

[smoothmoniker]

Originally Posted by Master Cthulhu

Music is different. If someone is getting paid a lot to do music, then they are likely popular. To maintain the popularity, the record label dumbs down the sound for the mainstream masses, which only enjoy simple, catchy tunes. Every single mainstream album has one or two good songs on it, and the rest is all filler crap. All they have to do is promote a single song, make an MTV compatible music video for it, and wala. They make money, but the music sucks. But, hey, they're making money so they have to be good, right?

Or you could just put your voice through an auto tune, the mainstream music fans today love those.

What you're ranting against is how the industry worked 10 years ago.

Labels are becoming irrelevant. Every year, more and more of my work is for artists who have bailed on the traditional label structure, and who are making a living doing music that they own instead. They may release an album, or more commonly these days they record one or two songs at a time and release them online. They get placements on TV or film, those are the big chunks of money, the rest comes from merch and concerts.

10 years ago, anytime I talked to a younger artist, they all asked the same thing, "How do I get signed?"

Now, none of them ask that. They don't care. They all ask, "How can I make a living doing this"? If you can appreciate the significance in how different that question is, you can start to appreciate how much the industry has changed.

I think that's a really, really good thing. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE playing on big budget label albums, where everything is completely 1st class. But almost always, the music is unbearable. I love much more being in the room with an artist who is really, truly and artist, and where I get to become part of their thing for a little while, and make truly good music. Music I can be proud of.