by Scott
in Norton's Notebook
on 12/18/09
at 09:09 am
(1) Comments

Get Out of the Studio

I am getting ready to drive the final leg of a 5300 mile trip which involved tour managing and doing sound for the band Son Volt.  It’s the last tour for me this year, and will most likely be the last for quite some time.  Record cycle is over, and it’s time to get back to the studio.

I have been stressed out during these past 5 months, touring for well over half of that time.  Tour managing, and touring in general, can be all consuming, stressful and typically takes a toll on my sanity.  While on tour, I find myself wishing I was home, wishing that I was in the comfort of my studio, playing with my dog while the band listens back to the last take.

Here’s the thing (and there is always “a thing”):  Every time I return from a tour, or an absence from the studio of any kind, I find my love of recording rejuvenated.  I have had the same feelings after taking on the task of getting this web site together.  The challenge of learning to shoot and edit video made me long for the comfort of engineering records.  It doesn’t need to be something as stressful as touring or taking on new challenges.  Even stepping away from the studio for a few days at the holidays has had a positive effect on my recordings. 

While we gain experience, and hopefully an expertise in engineering, it is very easy to fall into safe zones.  My partners here at Headgear Recording have discussed the idea of recording and mixing the same way every time.  We worry that falling into ruts, or comfort zones, potentially prevents us from trying new things.  Although we find certain processes that work best for us, it is always important to keep pushing ourselves.  This is how you might stumble on that great new guitar tone or the best drum sounds you have ever gotten.

Many musicians and engineers that I know suffer from a focus on music that becomes all encompassing.  This is the focus that makes for great music.  My question is this: what happens when you focus exclusively on only one part of your life?  Does the art suffer from the fact that you are not experiencing things outside of music, experiences that you will bring back into your project? 

I worry that I become so obsessed with the process of making music that I lose sight of the other parts of my life.  I question how healthy my focus on any given project can be when I ignore the other facets of my life.  Nothing we do ever benefits from having blinders on, and our recordings are no exception. 

What I need is a hobby.  I need some activity that takes me out of the studio, and refocuses my energy on something new.  I need new experiences that I can bring back to the studio, with a fresh, new attitude, with an excitement for the process of making records.  I’ll let you know how it works.  I’m going to the movies!