Alone but Together ...

[Tony Hardie-Bick]

On 21/03/11 13:35, Gert van Santen wrote:
> Op 21-3-2011 14:23, Tony Hardie-Bick schreef:
>> On 21/03/11 12:18, Romain / rXg wrote:
>>> But maybe people on the music bar have some experiences ??
>
>> Tell the producers to f*ck off.
>
> So what do you think of a friend or a music-bar member as a
> producer, just because you are interested in the best results for
> the music, no money involved?

I guess, what I mean is that, someone who is a great producer, like Tony 
Visconti, for example, genuinely enjoys, studies and celebrates the music and 
people they are working with, and I think this is absolutely necessary. In a 
way, it doesn't matter in the end, if the music isn't perfect, because the 
process of working with, and learning from, people you respect, have fun with, 
share something of life with, will infect the music and music-making with 
something more than sound.

In this respect, and in others, the music bar is a very lucky place.

The reason I get *so* annoyed by the words and practices of music-making, is 
that they reduce the music to a process, and musicians are seduced by this, 
because the involvement of people with money rightly gives them confidence.

However, if you don't have Tony Visconti, or Gert Van Santen available, then so 
many times I've seen people "bring in" a prfoducer, to make the product sound 
more polished.

And this process is complete nonsense, destroys the fun and the joy, and if 
music is about anything, it's about sharing those values.

It's a fine line. You may meet a stranger who can indeed change your perspective 
on music in a brilliant way.

However, the talk, the word "producer", is devalued beyond belief. I have to 
talk about specific people, rather than use that word.

Sound, music, performance, is sheer delight. If those values are shared with 
someone you are working with, then you will do fine, no matter what you are 
doing, but it's particularly necessary to share those values, if the things you 
are working at, together, mean something to you personally.

Tony (HB)