Blog #8 - Final Reflection

Blog #8 - Final Reflection 

What inspired you to create this project?: 

I've been a musician for almost my entire life so it's been a lofty goal of mine to create a piece of music that I was proud of. I started getting really heavily into lyricism a couple years ago and I've been devouring singer-songwriter's material ever since. By proxy, I also started to write my own lyrics and chord progressions and this project was the first time to evolve off those ideas. The other half of the inspiration was to create an exercise for my producer self. This has been one of the most intense and difficult projects I have ever done in terms of production, but it was a great step towards my future as an AET (Audio Engineering Technology) student and a professional producer. 

What went well?: 

First off: I actually completed it! Even though I had to cut the intro track I planned to record, I think it was a decision that let the rest of the project become better. I used every day as best as I could as well as using nearly everyone around me for constant feedback. I was really happy with the way my recordings sounded, especially for being recorded in what is essentially my bedroom and completely self-produced. The other thing that I'm really proud of is that I became more confident with using my vocals. The vocals on the track sound even better than I thought they would and I'm very proud of myself for getting to that place as a new-ish vocalist. 

Was anything lacking?: 

As I mentioned before, I had to cut and intro track but for the big goals that was pretty much it. I'm not too bummed about cutting that piece of the EP especially because I think it opened me up to spending more time and having a more detailed focus on the full songs. The other major thing that I wanted to do that didn't work out was creating some promotional material. I'm mostly happy with the way everything turned out otherwise. 

What did you learn during your time on the project?: 

Alright, I'm going to split this into a couple of parts.

• Recording: 
• It is very very hard to record when all you have is a sensitive microphone, BUT you can create great music with only 2 mics. I learned to use the natural acoustics of my house and how to position a mic to get the perfect sound. The best example of this is when I recorded the acoustic piano we have. I used two very different microphones, one to capture the close, pure sound and the other to capture the sound of the room, to get a very specific tone that captured the character of the piano and my house. 
• Mixing/Producing: 
• This part is a little bit harder to explain because there's a lot of jargon tied to producing, but I'll try my best to translate. I got really good at using an EQ (Equalizer). An EQ is an audio effect that lets a producer lower and raise the level of specific frequencies of a track. I was able to use EQ to take out very specific frequencies in sounds that didn't sound great on the initial recording, i.e. the acoustic guitar. I also got a lot better at using a compressor, which compresses the volume range of a recording, making the quieter sounds louder and the louder sounds quieter. 
• Songwriting: 
• I'm really happy with the way my lyrics turned out. I've improved a lot with my writing over the course of my academic career and the lyrics of the EP are a kind of culmination of all of that time. 

Advice to rising juniors/seniors about planning a project?: 

Please just do something you're passionate about. It's not about being with friends, it's not about doing something that looks good on the surface, it's about doing something that is beneficial to your growth as a person and the community around you. Everyone can tell if you don't care about your work. I know that sounds harsh, but I genuinely mean it as someone who's used Sparknotes a little too much. As long as you're passionate, your project will be great no matter what. 

Most important takeaway: 

Music is work. I love it, I'm going to spend the rest of my life doing it, but making music is work. Although I love the idea of never feeling like I'm working if I'm doing something I love, I don't necessarily think the world works in that way. I loved making the process, but it was frustrating and exhausting and I definitely need a break. That doesn't mean that I'm changing my major or am all of a sudden going to become a nihilist, it just means that through this process I've gotten to further appreciate the music I listen to and the music people around me create.

The one last thing I wanted to include in this conclusion is a note about my mentor: 

Steve Musichuk is the closest that I have ever had to a role model. He is caring and passionate and nearly family to me. Throughout this entire project, no matter whether he was redoing his entire backyard or in California on vacation, he was always able to pick up my calls and respond. On top of that, he didn't BS me in any way. If there was a criticism he felt necessary to voice, he did and I can't be more appreciative of that. I can genuinely not praise anyone enough for their generosity or kindness or patients as much as Steve, and he has turned this experience from what I initially thought was going to be a roadblock to graduation into a meaningful first step into the journey to becoming a professional musician.