January’s lessons
Ten years ago, as I was getting ready to graduate from college, I had no idea what I was going to do for a job. I knew I loved music, but that I wasn’t good enough to be a professional singer or guitar player. I loved my campus job of running live sound for events, though, so I applied to the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Tempe, Ariz. I got in, which I don’t think was a major feat, but there was a 9-month backlog. By the time I was supposed to be heading out to Tempe, I was working at a newspaper and I loved what I was doing. So I put it aside and forgot about it.
That’s part of the reason I tried to record a song as my first project—to use the skills I once prided myself on. It didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped, but it’s passable, at least, and I learned a lot this month.
First, I miss making and recording music. Years of apartment living and being busy with work have meant I don’t practice very much anymore. That sucks, because it means when I try to play, I have to start nearly from scratch. I think I’ll be playing music a lot this year to keep myself fresh.
Second, I love the editing part of the process. I already knew that, to some extent. I love shooting video, but what I love more is taking the raw footage and turning it into something. That was my favorite part of this month’s project.
Some smaller lessons:
- It takes a lot of work to put together a coherent cover of a song that’s both original and honors the spirit of the song.
- I need a keyboard, even if it’s a cheap USB midi one, to improve synth parts.
- My guitar teacher in college was right: Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.
