One of the things I love most about working with musical artists is the honor of being invited into their worlds and helping them bring their their hopes, fears, joys, observations, and personalities into the world in a vulnerable way through their songs.  Being invited into that space is such an honor because it is typically a space that is reserved for very few people until the song is released into the world.

I had the opportunity recently to record a vocalist singing a song that is going to be played at their wedding reception.  This particular vocalist was new to the recording process so they came in with at lot of nervousness and anxiety.  The fact that this performance was going to be used for a once in a lifetime event also increased the pressure.  At the same time, this was a such a special and beautiful moment.  Their heart was being opened up to share a feeling and experience that was so meaningful to them, and they were taking a risk to put it out there in the most public and vulnerable way.

I knew all of this going into the recording session and my first response was gratitude.  I was thankful for being invited into the space with them. Because of that, I went above and beyond to make the experience as comfortable and chill as possible.  First, I wanted them to be at ease to technically sing well.  Second, I wanted them to be able to think about what they were singing and what it was for so we could capture a heartfelt, authentic performance.  In order to do that, I tried to communicate in kind, fun ways.  I explained the process that we would go through to capture the performance, and I reminded them that it's ok to make a mistake and that we were going to need at least a few takes.  Event the most experienced recording artist needs multiple takes so they were in good company!  

We began recording and with each take they became more and more comfortable and each take was better and better.  After each take I would take a moment and check in with them to see how they were feeling and offer some support.  I even got a laugh out of them at one point, which was a win for me because I like to crack jokes, but also it meant that they were settling into the space!  Once we had a couple of solid takes, we said, lets get one more take just for good measure (pun intended).  And invited the vocalist to not worry about technique but to think about the words and be in the moment.  That inevitably was the best take because the pressure was off and they could rest in the moment.

After the session was over, the vocalist was so thankful for the help in bringing their moment to life.  The gratitude was beautiful.  Again, I was so thankful to be a part of it.

And that's what it's really all about.  Yes, I want to make great records and songs.  Yes, I am going to use all my skills to mix it and bring it all to life and make the song the best song it can be.  However, the most important thing is walking with someone through the process of expressing themselves in ways that are helpful to them, but then are inevitably helpful to the rest of us as we get to know them and see the world through their eyes.  I am so honored to be in that space with people.

If you would like to bring your songs to life, I would be honored to walk with you through the process of recording and mixing your songs.  Contact MAGIC ROOM MUSIC today to talk about your next project!