Lately I have been producing a few up and coming artists, who now are enjoying the success of our collaboration. (Keith Andrew’s single hit the top 20 and Al DeGregoris’ single is most added this week) I guess word got around and I got requests by some artists to write for them. I have written for artists before, like George Benson (Keep Rollin’) , Brian Simpson and Nate Harasim featuring Dave Koz. But I had to think about this for a moment. Usually when I write for an artist, I produce the track, unless the artist has an established name. The reasoning I outlined in my blog post “Is songwriting a dying art?”, is that as things stand today, the songwriter is not being compensated for his work like he used to be.
And the only way I am going to see any considerable additional income from my creation, is when it becomes a hit. Which brings me to the production aspect. And I realized that with the production tools becoming so readily affordable, a lot of young artists are thinking I can do this myself. But just because you can buy a cheap microphone, doesn’t make you a good engineer. And just because production software like Logic Pro, Cubase , ProTools etc have come so affordable doesn’t mean everybody is a good producer. Which brings us to the question:
What does a producer do anyways?
I like to use the analogy that a producer in music is what the director is in film.
Like a director needing to get a great performance out of the ensemble of the cast, the music producer needs to bring out the best of the artist. He needs to tell him when things don’t quite work. He might also have to deal with band egos,.
And just like the director needs a vision for his movie, the music producer has to have a vision of what the song can accomplish and a plan of how to get it there.
He knows who to hire to get the desired result. Not every musician is good at everything. Your buddy might be a great drummer, but lack in understanding of a certain style. A producer can tell you, if your buddy is the right musician for the job or not. He also has access to great musicians to help enhance your material.
He has the objective ear and tells you, if the track is cutting mustard or not. Friends and family are often not a reliable source of constructive criticism in that regard.
So I compare a new artist producing his own CD to a rookie actor acting and directing his own movie. As a screenwriter, I’m not sure I would let him have my script and as a composer I am reluctant to give that artist my song.
I understand that sometimes the reality dictates that you do things within your means and can’t afford to hire a producer. And I always advocate to create rather than to wait until the situation is perfect. But if you really want to compete in the radio market then hiring a producer, even for a couple of songs might be a wise investment into your career. Ultimately your goal should be to get to the next level and gain recognition you did not have before. With that comes the ability to sell more CDs or downloads and opportunity for more work, like being invited to perform at festivals etc.
When you look for a producer, you should first have a conversation with him. Find out if you feel comfortable with him personally. He is going to be an important part of your music and sometimes he might have to tell you things you don’t want to hear. Ideally you want someone, who has a track record on radio, so you know he has his finger on the pulse of what’s going on.
He should push you to be better, than you even imagined you could be. Finding the right producer can be the best thing an artist has ever done. The artist needs to look at it as an investment in his career.
By the way I realize that I use “he” referring to the producer. There is no reason why it could be a “she” of course.