Comments on: 6 Things To Remember When You’re Looking For A Producer

By: Tony Conniff

Tony Conniff — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 20:31:32 +0000

In reply to Joyce Rogers.

Joyce,
Much appreciated. Thanks for writing.
Best wishes,
Tony

By: Joyce Rogers

Joyce Rogers — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 18:05:20 +0000

very helpful hints all

By: Tony Conniff

Tony Conniff — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 16:17:27 +0000

In reply to Don Celenza.

Thanks, Jon and Don both, for reading! Thanks Jon, for your comments – in a future revision I’ll have to add your points. And Don, thanks for endorsing same.
Much appreciated,
Tony

By: Don Celenza

Don Celenza — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 08:20:48 +0000

In reply to Jon Gordon. Great Advise all around. I especially like and completely agree with Jon Gordon's "two cents" !! "I find it really helpful when artists will share with me examples of records they like, or song references for what kind of production approach they hear." I think that this a great way of getting a good glimpse into where the artist is coming from...and where they probably like to go! " I will often do a guitar/vocal sketch of the song with the artist to a click or loop and build the arrangement out from there." This is also great advice. Although a lot of artist don't understand this at first...untill they see how it works. It really opens many options as to what can and what can't be done in a quicker way.

By: Jon Gordon

Jon Gordon — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 03:42:24 +0000

Thanks for your thorough and thoughtful post, Tony!
I feel compelled to throw in a couple of things, as I do production work on a regular basis:

1) I find it really helpful when artists will share with me examples of records they like, or song references for what kind of production approach they hear. Whether or not we end up emulating those productions, it is very good to get a sense of the artist’s frame of reference.
These days the market is so fragmented into niches that it is particularly hard to keep “current” because there is no consensus on what current is. That’s where getting a reference cut from the artist can save you.

2) I totally second your comment about getting a scratch vocal early in the process. I will often do a guitar/vocal sketch of the song with the artist to a click or loop and build the arrangement out from there. It gives you a hands-on opportunity to get the key and tempo right. It also gives you an idea of what the artist is going to bring to the table vocally. An awful lot of time can be wasted if you build a track for a Kelly Clarkson-type voice, only to find that the artist sings like, say, Nico!

So that’s my two cents.