How to
Rehearse and prepare - reasons why recordings fail
Moeneeb Galant | 24 Apr 2014 7:50 AM
The single most annoying thing that happens for any engineer or producer is when the musician / artist shows up to the scheduled tracking session unprepared. For the artist, nothing could be more frustrating than a producer or engineer with a bad attitude and who refuses to listen.
Yes, being late or cancelling at the last minute can also be an irritation, but showing up unprepared, at least for me, has to be the worst. Firstly, it is a waste of the producer's, the engineer's, as well as your (the artist's) time. Secondly, it may affect your relationship with the producer / engineer in a negative way.
Relationship management
This may seem trivial to some, but the way that you manage the relationship with open communication between yourself, the artist, and the producer is one of the most important aspects when recording. Have a breakdown in the relationship and everything ends right there! A bold statement, I know. I have had way too many artists walk through the door and say, “I was working with a producer, but we did not see eye-to-eye, so I left,” or when I meet new producers and ask them about the new projects that they are working on, only for them to say, “I was working with this really talented guy/girl, but he/she didn’t know what they wanted and ended up deciding not to work anymore.”
Do not get it confused, I am not saying that the guilty party is the artist, nor am I saying that the fault lies with the producer. The unfortunate reality is that these calamities happen too often for them to just be ignored. The madness continues in that people now hold grudges and say negative things about one another. This is a reality in our industry and will continue to be present unless we change our mindset and approach.
Why am I writing about relationship management when the title of the article is 'Rehearse and prepare'? Now for my famous words – it’s simple – these are the simple things that we as artists and producers / engineers need to do in order to ensure that the relationship is in tip-top shape.
The starting point
Artists - do not decide to work with someone purely on the work that they have done! Of course the discography of the producer is important, but don't make it the deciding factor. Take the time to set up a meeting with the engineer / producer. Have a cup of coffee, have a meal, doesn’t matter, as long as you get a feel for who the person is, what their personality is like, etc. Call it 'checking out the vibe'. Think about it - if you love their work, but don't like the 'vibe', you will more than likely not work with that person. It is nothing personal, it just makes sense. As an independent artist, you have that choice!
The gruelling process
So… you’ve 'checked out the vibe' and liked it. Both of you (artist/band and producer) decide to work together and set up a day to start working. What now? What do you do as an artist? What do you do as a producer? Here are some pointers:
The artist
- Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse – know your song, know your lyrics, know your melodies, and know what you want it to sound like.
- Have an idea of what you want to do with the song ie. instrumentation, up-tempo, mid-tempo, etc.
- Show up on time, well-rehearsed, guitars tuned, vocal warm-ups already complete. Show up ready to start working.
The producer / engineer
- Make sure that your equipment is on and have a microphone set up.
- When the artist arrives, speak to him/her about the song and also allow them to do a 'scratch' take of it. Ask them about what their vision of the song is etc.
- Make the artist feel comfortable and welcome.
Most importantly – communicate! Speak openly and respectfully to one another.
It is by no means a simple three-step process. Use these as a guide in the music jungle out there. Work hard, make good music and most importantly, be a great human being. We are all in this together!
[Moeneeb Galant]
Moeneeb Galant is a music producer, songwriter & engineer, in the business for almost 10 years. He has worked with artists such as; Jarrad Ricketts, Clint Brink, Lloyd Jansen; Chad Saaiman and Ebrahiem Inglis. Founder of Gimme Moe Productions, Moeneeb focuses on recording, production, composing, voice-overs, editing, mixing and mastering.
