The piece below is an article I wrote, published this week in Sonic Scoop magazine (http://www.sonicscoop.com/), an online mag mainly for Producers and Engineers. This was written to the Producers  [(c)SonicScoop2015]. I thought this week you might enjoy looking at things from the other side…

Talking with an artist about their songs is an exercise that’s fraught with the potential to create distance between a producer and a songwriter. But it can also be a way to solidify that bond while making better music.

Though some songs may benefit from the tweaks a producer might suggest, it’s important to remember that the artist’s songs are often the most intimate part of what they bring to the relationship. Writing songs is not easy—technically or emotionally—and to work well with songwriters, we have to keep this in mind.

Of course, some artists may not want any feedback about their songs, while others are completely open to reworking their material to the producers specs. But I would argue that most artists fall into the middle ground: They’re open to input (at least theoretically) but it has to be handled with real tact and a delicate touch. I’ve found that through my experience on both sides of the glass—as a producer as well as a committed songwriter and recording artist – that some themes come up again and again, and are often reinforced in the regular songwriting workshops that I run.

With that in mind, here are 6 things to consider before talking to an artist about changing their song:

To continue reading the article please click here.

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