[musictlk] In's, and out's of the industry

Brad Dunse' lists at braddunsemusic.com
Thu Sep 15 16:16:08 UTC 2011


You said...

I wanted my CD to be a surprise, but instead, he made me record an
instrumental album, that was all thrown together.

Sorry for that experience. Please don't take this wrongly , but no 
one can really "make us" do anything as such. In reality you let 
yourself be talked out of what you wanted at the time. I don't mean 
that  to sound "mean" and yes you were 17 and checking things out, 
but you are not 17 now. We have an equal responsibility to take 
"responsibility for our decisions", just as we are to in our playing, 
writing, etc. That said however,  from listening to you here, I think 
you may well have, through this process, learned to  "believe in" 
your own music and your own sound/project to a point of saying "no" 
to that sort of treatment in the future. .  Consider that a $400 
course in artistic confidence, only a hundred dollars a year,  and 
you will be much the better for it on your next one. This is 
whether  you record your own project or not. You'll eventually run 
into fellow musicians and etc. who will give input. If you are 
strong, not strong headed or the like, but strong on your own 
artistic vision, you can kindly and respectfully  decline . Now, that 
said, this person indicated you're project sounded monotonous. I have 
seen many artists locally here that are very good players/writers and 
indeed they might have done well to look at their project to mix it 
up some. Humans can be quite impatient and get bored easy so mixing 
up songs on a project is good. I'm not suggesting you "needed that" 
but as much of an, untactful way of saying it, let's put it that way 
that this person was, stand back and honestly look at it and see if 
there was any merit to his point. Just because he did you wrong by 
your own project wishes, insulted your playing, which he ought have 
done neither, you're paying him, even if he ticked you off a bit, he 
could have a point Don't let his unfiltered personality get in the 
way of a truth that might help in the future. These are lessons I've 
learned as a songwriter over the years. I've had folks rip in my 
songs being quite blunt or insulting, and yet "what they said" was 
right and I learned to appreciate that since those days. Had I tossed 
out "what they said" for "How they said it", I'd been the loser not 
them ahah. Incidentaly, I grew up   with influences of classic rock, 
metal, progressive rock and so forth and my playing and writing is 
nothing in the same realm of that. So while a person's influences do 
shape them, it does not make them a better,  more dynamic, worse, or 
similar  player. My name is Brad but I neither look like Brad Pitt 
or  sing/play like Brad Paisley *big grin*. Be yourself, and make you 
better than the  you, you were yesterday. If you put out an album 
that has a rock tune next to a folk, next to a country tune, next to 
a ragtime... or whether you put out one with all similar tempoed 
sounding songs, either way it says who you are at the moment and no 
one has the right to take that away. A right to make suggestion yes, 
but not to take over your message/plaing/musical vision.

Best of luck.

Brad


On 9/15/2011  09:31 AM Joshua Lester said...
>Hi, it's Joshua Lester.
>I've been reading alot on this list, about recording.
>I have learned alot, about independently recording my music, and as
>soon as I get my own place, I'll invest in some of the equipment, I
>heard about on here.
>This all started after a negative experience, when I recorded my CD, 4
>years ago.
>I was 17, and didn't know any better, so I took this new guy in town,
>up on his offer, to record my music.
>He was the youth pastor at a church, and had his own digital recording studeo.
>He's a tallented guy, (who plays 6 diferent instruments.)
>Anyway, when it came time for the recording, I was expecting to be
>able to sing, and play the piano, on the CD.
>Well, I got sick, so I couldn't sing.
>He said, that people only knew me, for my piano playing, because at
>the time, I hadn't sung anywhere, but at my home church.
>I wanted my CD to be a surprise, but instead, he made me record an
>instrumental album, that was all thrown together.
>After the recording process, he asked me to tell him what order I
>wanted the songs to be in, on the CD.
>I gave him the list, but, when I got the finished product, he had
>changed stuff around, and didn't abide by my wishes.
>I asked him why, and he said, that my piano playing was monotonous.
>I've been playing, since I was 5, and have been influenced by the
>likes of Floyd Kramer, Anthony Burger, Roger Williams, Dino, Henry
>Mancini, and Ferante, and Teicher.
>How is that monotonous?
>Oh yeah, did I mention that I was a fan of Yani's music?
>His style also influenced me.
>Anyway, I listened to the CD, and I found out, he had messed up the recording.
>I played, "I can only Imagine," in the correct beat, but when I heard
>it, he sped it up, (by his computer.)
>The songs weren't the way I wanted them, and I was ripped off!
>$400, I paid for that terrible recording!
>I had no artistic freedom, whatsoever!
>I learned an important lesson, during that ordeal.
>I'd rather not have a national recording contract, I want to record my
>own stuff, so I can be free to do whatever I want, on my recordings.
>It's a Joshua Lester recording, not a Joe Schmo recording!
>Blessings, Joshua
>
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Brad Dunse

The greatest composer does not sit down to work because he is inspired,
but becomes inspired because he is working

http://www.braddunsemusic.com

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