How NOT to make a career as a DJ
How to not make a career as a DJ
If you are currently among the 100′s of thousands of bedroom DJs working your ass off to become the next big DJ. Stop
Or at least pause for a moment
You are most likely focusing on the wrong things that will end up working against you and your DJ career.
I want to share many of the mistakes that I’ve made as a DJ in hopes that you don’t take a similar path.
Learning to say no to gigs
Although I started DJing in 1991, I didn’t really get into beatmixing & full electronic sets until 1999. I’ll get into the back story in another post, but let’s talk about from 1999 forward.
When I started out, I would play anywhere I could & I really thought that this approach would take be up the ladder to bigger & better opportunities. For a starting DJ, it is good to try to get some live experience under your belt, but be selective, even in the beginning. For most gigs I got offered I would be told to “do what I do best”, but that would almost always change pretty quick.
Within 20 minutes I’d get approached to play a music genre I had no intentions of having to play. This only stands to put you in a catch 22 situation. If you stick to your guns, you look like an asshole because you’re probably playing to the wrong crowd, most of which don’t dig your vibe. If you play for the crowd, even though it’s not at all your style, you may make some people happy, but you’ll be building a reputation for playing music you don’t like. This will only lead to more opportunities to play gigs like this. From first hand experience, this is a path to shitty gigs and a lot of frustration.
Don’t play for friends who don’t “get” what you do
Another mistake I made was playing gigs in all kinds of different genres at different parties & accepting bad sound systems & worse promotion. Now this isn’t bad if you want to build your reputation as a party DJ who will play anything to get the crowd going, but if you think of yourself as an artist with a specific vision, this could really hurt you in the long run.
Your reputation will build by word of mouth & pretty soon you’re going to be asked to play all your friends weddings & backyard parties. They might love what you play at the party but the second you try to invite all these new fans to a gig with your unique style, it’s going to be a mess.
Some people are going to come for Disco, others for top 40, some for 80′s & then there are the rockers, the goths & funk fans. Welcome to Jukebox city. You now have a reputation for playing music you don’t even particularly like. Nothing against any of these styles, but if you have a musical vision, this is not how to build a following.
If you are only DJing for the money, this is probably the best way to make it easily. These people usually don’t require a whole lot of finesse. They just want to hear their songs. Easy gig if you are familiar with a lot of music.
If you want to be the next Sasha, Richie Hawtin, Skrillex or Armin Van Buren, this is not the path to get there. Choose your gigs wisely. Play with likeminded artists. Choose your style & stick with it, even if you have to say no to a lot of opportunities.
Be careful about taking these gigs on the sly as well, because while you’re digging for the clean versions of all the new top 40 hits, your competition is digging for the new dancefloor gem & spending her time promoting her unique sound. If you take your focus off your ultimate goal for too long, you’ll find it tough to get back in the groove.
I’m almost embarrassed to say this, but with some crowds I played for, they didn’t get beatmatching at all & would complain that I was “just playing the same beat all nite” even though I was mixing several styles. I would purposely have to trainwreck some of my songs just to let the crowd know it was ok to cheer for the next song. True story. When you get in the habit of dumbing down your skills & just playing the hits, you’ll find that your skills won’t stay as sharp as you’d like when you really need them.
Peer pressure
Don’t judge yourself by the opinion of those who don’t understand you. More importantly, make sure to associate with more people who do understand you.
I found myself in a sticky situation as a DJ because most of my friends knew me best as a guitarist playing indie/alternative music. I had a lot of success as a member of a few rock bands, so those were the people I was surrounded by when I chose to set down the guitar & pursue electronic music. When I made the switch, almost none of them got it.
I battled to make my passion for electronic music palatable to my old fans but it never worked. I was just watering down my vision. I ended up putting my electronic music passion on hold & playing more 80′s/indie gigs. I enjoyed playing music I liked to my friends & getting paid but I started to lose the big picture.
Every time I steered back toward electronic underground music, there seemed to be a backlash. I was slowly being trained to believe there was no future in the music I really loved. I was my fault though. I should have spent more time seeking out people who were into my style & promoting myself unashamedly as the artist I wanted to be known for. Taking the lazy path will never get you the hard results.
Poor equipment/Bad sound
This should go without saying, but it’s really important that you know what equipment will be supplied at a gig & how good the soundsystem is. You might be able to get away with “ok” sound if you are playing popular songs to a drunk crowd, but if you plan to challenge the listener with unfamiliar music, you’re going to need clean sound and good subs. There is really no shortcut.
If you are asked if you have a sound system that you can bring, there’s a problem. It’s going to most likely be a backyard party potluck of barely working equipment. On top of that, they will likely be turning everything up to 11 just to fill the room with sound. It’s going to sound terrible & you, the DJ, are going to be remembered as very unprofessional.
Now I’ve done plenty of DIY parties with less than stellar equipment, that ended up being a lot of fun, but I was generally playing safe familiar party music. These parties will likely do nothing for your career, so make sure you don’t get associated as someone who doesn’t generally have high standards.
Get out while you’re on top
If you are lucky enough to score a regular paying gig, playing what you love & getting paid for it, congrats to you. Enjoy it while it lasts, but always be scoping out the next hot spot. Overstaying your welcome at one location is a sure way to spoil your reputation. I learned the hard way that although you might be treated like a king while things are hot, eventually every hot spot cools down. If you stay beyond your expiration date you’ll notice that you’ll recognize fewer & fewer of your supporters showing up. As you lose supporters, they are replaced by a new crowd that probably aren’t coming for you. If you are playing music that is at all challenging to the average listener, expect trouble.
Typically what would happen with me is, I’d get a gig playing for free or cheap until I built the night up enough to ask for money. This would usually work out well in the beginning & I would end up playing a few nights a week, playing what I wanted to play & getting paid pretty decent for it.
At this point, I would be feeling great & there would be free drinks & high fives all the time. The problem comes in usually within 6-9 months. Your club doesn’t want to turn away any business, especially if you have a slow night here & there. Unfortunately, if you are playing underground music, the venue is only going to support your vision when the money is good.
Clubs get scared though & instead of reinvesting in this unique & dedicated crowd you’ve built, they start wanting you to play more for the masses, adding top 40 to your sets & basically playing for the people who walk in off the street instead of your devoted fanbase.
Soon enough this shift starts to scare off your intended crowd and bring in a less educated audience who just wants to hear pop music. At this point you should have seen this coming in advance. Hot clubs can only stay hot for so long & if you overstay your welcome, you will become a mockery or a sell out to your biggest supporters and when that happens, good luck getting them to trust you again.
I made the mistake of sticking around until I was playing to a crowd who could care less about my passion for music & would probably be just as happy with a jukebox. By the end I lost all the respect I had gained & I was finally fired.
The club would also accept private parties on my night in a completely different style of music. This would make money for the club in the short term, but it also confused the people who come and support me for a specific reason. If this happens to you, be prepared to contact everyone you know & tell them the night is cancelled until the following week.
I didn’t have the confidence to say no to easy money and I put up with my “art” being watered down more & more until it was unrecognizable from my original vision.
Do not make this mistake! Get out while you’re on top & use your current reputation to get into another club willing to pay you well to do your thing. If your timing is right, your crowd will follow you. If you wait too long, you’ll be lucky to make $50 a nite. They just won’t trust you if your last gig ended up a flop.
DJing Vs Producing
Popular opinion would have you believe that by practicing hard at your beatmatching & programming skills & accepting every gig you can get, you will climb that tall ladder towards success.
Though this may have been true at one time, that time has passed for all but a very lucky few. The art of the DJ has been demystified, and without mystery, there is no draw. Everyone understands how it works and everyone is doing it these days.
I’m not suggesting you give up your passion but rather to change your focus so that you can aim yourself in the direction of success once again.
Let me get to my point and not mince words. If you want the big gigs, you’ve got to build a big name, and if you want a big name, you’ve got to produce compelling unique music that people connect with & remember. Only then will you have an opportunity to put yourself in front of the right audience for your style.
If you aren’t producing your own tracks or remixes, you have very little chance of breaking into the larger DJ market, so you better get used to getting underpaid at your local bar, playing to people who don’t appreciate your unique style & skills.
Lets be honest. How many unknown DJ’s do you support on a regular basis? I can honestly say that if I haven’t heard of you through something you produced or remixed (and I don’t know you personally), I’m not gonna pay to see you. Nothing personal, but I’m more likely to spend my money on a sure thing.
The only chance you’ve got is if you’re opening for another DJ, and even then, your job is not to put a spotlight on yourself. Your job is only to set the mood for the headliner. This isn’t a terrible thing per se, but it will hardly give you the visibility you are probably hoping for. It’s not like rock bands where the opening band has the chance of stealing the show & being praised for it. If you steal the spotlight from the headlining DJ, you’re an asshole. If you’ve read my post of DJ etiquette, you would already know this.
Unless you’re in a big city, being a resident at a local club might not get you much visibility outside your city, although it’s possible that you might be able to leverage your position to open bigger doors.
The fact of the matter is, although the big clubs want to stay current, they aren’t going to take a risk on a “no name” unless you have friends in high places, willing to put their ass on the line for you. If your name is mentioned to a club promoter, you better hope he’s heard of you, because there is a long list of people fighting for your position.
Once you start making music & remixing artists in your field, you’ll find the doors open more easily, even though there is still competition. Getting top DJ support of your music is a huge way to grow your name. You stand to get much further in this business producing your own stuff & building relationships with DJ’s that play your stuff. This will raise you to a new level in people’s minds. Ironically, you don’t get gigs based on your skills. You get them based on how many asses are going to fill the club for your sets. A skilled DJ in an empty club is not a risk any club promoter is going to take.
Your job as an artist is to negotiate well. Don’t accept the first opportunities that are put in your lap. Learn to say no & tell them to come back when they can offer you something appropriate. Meanwhile practice your craft so you’re ready when the right gigs start coming your way.
Know who you are & what you like and don’t accept gigs that are going to taint that vision. Of course you’ll have to build your way up the ladder, but make sure your ladder is propped up on the correct building before you start climbing. Don’t try to fit in by becoming something you’re not or you’ll find yourself in a trap that is hard to remove yourself from. Especially if there is money involved.
Socialize with likeminded artists, even if you can only find them online. It’s going to be extremely important that you keep in contact with others in similar genres. It will make what you are doing feel more relevant, even when most people you know don’t get what you do.
Lastly, don’t let anyone try to tell you who you are as an artist or what you should be. Don’t change who you are by chasing someone else’s dream. Put passion in whatever you love, whether it’s ambient, electro, polka or whatever. You & your passion are enough. If you don’t start believing it, no one else will.
Be kind & please share this with any aspiring DJ’s you know. You might just save them years of struggle & they will thank you for it.
Here’s to your prosperity.
Jason
p.s. – If you are interested in diving deeper into DJing & want some great tips to help put you in the creative flow when building sets, make sure to check out my ebook for Kindle.
Instead of focusing on all the technical aspects or DJing, I come from an angle of mindset, organization & inspiration. By doing certain things in a certain order, you can dramatically improve the results of your DJ mixes. If you’re a DJ, do me a favor & check out the link below. You can download a free sample of and if you like it, it’s only $2.99. Comments & feedback are greatly appreciated.
Mixing with your mind: How to make your best DJ mix
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Tweaking the familiar
Boosting musical confidence by tweaking the familiar
So you sit down in your studio with a blank slate. You open your DAW software and consider the task ahead. You want to make something incredible, but you’d be happy just to make something that’s not crap.
What are crap ideas & what are good ones?
I have my one definition for sure & although I’m sure several of you would agree with me, a lot of you define “good” in a totally different way. That’s completely fine. At the end of the day, you are making music for a specific audience in mind which is probably completely off my radar. The real question is, how do I define what is good for my style?
Where do good ideas come from? When you hear a good song, what does it have in common what other songs that you consider good? I have a theory & I’d be happy to share it with you now.
True originality or an idea without “roots” is probably going to fail. When others listen to it, they will most likely not “connect” with it. That connection conjures up emotions, and your emotions tell you whether something is good or is absolute dog crap.
We can go on a tangent arguing all kinds of obscure & original artists who we consider to make “great” music, but I would argue that the ones that truely stand out have a combination of familiar tones, rhythms or melodies. It’s almost impossible to escape. We thrive on music that is rooted in the familiar, even if it takes you on a wild and strange journey. I’d argue that of all the songs you create, the ones you like most remind you a bit of something else you respect & the ones you like less don’t make that connection.
You can use this to your advantage.
I’ll share with you something I do when I am stuck for a musical idea. The concept is simple, but some people are better at executing it than others. Before I play a single note into my software, I think of a song I think is great and play around with it in my head. I usually focus on a simple riff or rhythm that I feel captures something amazing. Then I try changing the rhythm just 10% & maybe changing a note or 2.
What I am attempting to do is get something with the same kind of magic without giving away the influence so easily. If I change something in my head I am pretty easily able to tell if the change will work or if it loses the vibe I’m going for completely. Only when I’ve created something in my head that feels good do I start the process of laying down the idea. It’s ok to tweak a midi part if that is easier for you. Simply recreate a midi part with a simple sound and start rearranging notes a bit until things start to “click”.
It’s best to start with a basic instrument like a guitar, organ or piano, even if you plan to use completely different instruments. Getting something to sound good on one of those instruments insures you are creating something musical. It’s not that songs created other ways aren’t musical, it’s just that it can sometimes be a crapshoot. You don’t really need to play anything complex, in fact, even better if your idea can be broken down to a few simple chords or notes. Tweaking simple ideas is the easiest way to make something that others will connect with. Even if it will eventually be layered into something complex. It’s not about copying, it’s about seeding your music with an inspiring idea. When the foundation of your song moves you, you will be more likely to layer this idea with more inspired ideas & authentic emotions.
Writing this way can also be a confidence boost. If you are playing something that reminds you of something else, it’s easiest to think of your own music as good. If something similar was good enough, surely yours has a better chance of being well received, right?
At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what others think. What matters is you gained a new skill that helps you write more music that you are proud of.
How do you distinguish good music from bad? Leave a comment & let me know!
Happy music making,
Jason
P.S. – Don’t forget to comment & tweet (down below) & “like” (up above). All your feedback & support is appreciated.
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The Top 10 causes of Writer’s Block & How to break the cycle
The Top 10 causes of Writer’s Block & How to break the cycle
Writer’s block is a creativity killer that we’ve all run into time & time again. Sometimes these periods can last days or months. In my case, it was years. Sure, I still toyed around with new programs & made a few decent ideas, but nothing was completed or released during this time.
The sad thing is that it’s easy to use writer’s block as a crutch so we define every creative obstacle as a form of writer’s block & give up. Many of us don’t even bother to try to define what writer’s block even is.
Lack of inspiration?
Lack of Motivation?
A creative black hole?
All of these definitions could be accurate, but let’s start calling it by it’s real name. Fear.
Fear is something you can face & overcome, unlike something as impenetrable as Writer’s Block. Sounds like a disease with no cure but to wait it out doesn’t it? It’s not.
Let me try to shed some light on the subject & hopefully set you back on the path of creating right away. Below are habits & belief systems that have lead me to the dreaded Writer’s block & some ways to crawl out of that hole.
Avoiding simplicity – A huge obstacle many people have is that they are trying too hard to impress themselves & their peers. Every idea that they come up with seems too obvious, too simple or both. Sound familiar?
It’s important to remember though, you are writing a song, not a riff. The only way a song can work is when it lays on top of a simple foundation. When you let go of your ego & just bang out a few chords you’ll find that more complex ideas will come to you as you play those simple parts back.
Complex parts are always derived from a more simplistic idea, so don’t be afraid to start simple & add layers until you hear something interesting. If you come up with a better idea later on, you can always scrap your simple parts later. More often than not though, it’ll be the simple parts that will give your song it’s backbone.
Don’t over complicate. Start with something you might consider overly simply, obvious or amateur if you have no other inspiration. Keep building the idea until something interesting comes of it. If it doesn’t turn into something you love, don’t sweat it. You’ve pushed past the fear of simplicity & survived.
Avoiding sucking – This is a huge one. Anyone is capable of sucking & we don’t want to be in that anyone category, so instead we hold out for genius. This can be a very long wait. During this time, you get more & more out of practice, so your current skills start to get rusty. The longer you wait, the harder it is to jump back on that horse. It’s a much better idea to challenge your fear of sucking head on every time. If you can’t make genius, make soemthing that sucks just for the hell of it. Have a laugh. Do you have any idea how much genius was created this very way?
Why are you so afraid of sucking? Tell me one thing you are good at now that you weren’t worse at when you started? Everyone who has created genius has a lot of suck in their closets that you haven’t heard. Don’t sweat it. Your job it to choose which of your creations are the best ones to share. Never stop creating altogether because you are afraid of sucking. Anytime you push yourself outside of your comfort zone, you are going to have to face the fear of sucking. Might as well get used to it now instead of later.
No Feedback – This is a big one these days. We create for ourselves, but if we are honest, we also create for the reaction & feedback of others. It’s why we all got into this.
When all you have to do these days is make a clever post on Facebook to get “liked”, this instant gratification becomes a curse when you are writing music. You want to know as you are in the process of writing whether something is good or bad.
The excitement of others fuels the creative process, whether it be friends, bandmates or family (although, you’re family will rarely tell you you’re work is genius). It’s good to look over your shoulder for some feedback when you are unsure. Not having it can put you in the fearful position of having to think through a creative block on your own, not knowing if you are building on an idea that doesn’t have a good foundation to start with.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes you are gonna have to grow some balls & be willing to say “I like this & I’m willing to take the risk that you won’t”. To always rely on other people is going to hinder you from finding your own unique way & that is what the world wants from you anyway.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t work with other people or get opinions. Just always be prepared to accept criticism & go your own direction anyway. It’s liberating.
Creative beliefs – A big part of writer’s block is the belief that some people have got it and some people don’t. What you spend your time doing is figuring out which side of the fence you are on. This is a trap. Nobody can be inspired if they hold the belief that whatever it is that makes someone a true artist, they don’t have it.
You are going to have to reprogram your belief system to the understanding that there are some people that preserver through their creative challenges, and those who give up.
It’s pretty easy to know which side you stand on with that belief & the remedy is crystal clear. The it is something that comes from putting so much time into your craft that you no longer fear it.
Social media – This is really similar to having no feedback in our creative lives. The first thing we want to do when we feel insecure with our creations is made a clever post on your social network of choice. This gives you your “fix” of approval.
The downside is that it becomes so easy to get approval this way that doing real creative work takes a backseat. A good way to break this pattern is to intermix creativity & social media by announcing your creative goals & putting up your progress for those who support you.
It’s really important to create partnerships with other musicians of a similar vibe or style. These are your “go to” people when you want feedback on an idea.
Get yourself a Soundcloud page & post private links to people you trust to be the most constructive & honest. You may also want to make a separate page on your Facebook or Google+ strictly for your music. If you are going to be on those sites, you might as well use them to build your support team.
Brand yourself as an artist so people will expect work from you. This should help break the pattern of instant gratification. Also, never forget that you are in the driver’s seat. You can ask for directions, but never hand over your car.
Tutorials – It may seem taboo for a guy who makes tutorials to inject this into one of his blogs, but I think it’s important to realize that tutorials alone aren’t likely to build your songwriting confidence. In fact, if you aren’t putting what you learn immediately to use, these tutorials won’t likely do you much good. If you only consume information & dont put it to use, you’ll lose the habit & motivation to write. Then you’ll become afraid to write, and that’s exactly what writer’s block is.
Sometimes watching people way above your skill level can inspire you, but other times it can make you feel unqualified & unprepared to make music.
Don’t let yourself fall into this trap. Put on a Sex Pistols album & rebuild your confidence by making something within your current skill levels.
I personally like albums made by less talented musicians, because I feel like I can hear that angst in the music of not being able to fully express themselves. Have you ever read somebody writing about something that affected them so much that they struggled to find the words? That is powerful & should be embraced.
I don’t mean you should lower your standards. Instead except that the genius isn’t in the complexity of things. It’s in looking at simplicity from a different angle & layering these simple ideas to build something new.
Too many choices – This is something I know all too well about. When I played guitar in bands, life was simple. I have my Guitar, my amp settings & a limited amount of guitar effects. From there, I had to come up with something that meshed well with the other players. In all honesty, I probably had about 6 settings I used regularly. This made it super easy for me to just focus on writing.
When I started using drum machines, samplers & synths, the options were exciting, but it took ages to choose a sound palette. By the time I got ideas laid down, I had forgotten the original inspiration, leaving me with an uninspired set of sounds.
I’m not blaming the choices. I’m blaming myself for not having the foresight to know my own sound & search for those few patches that sounded like me.
I encourage you to take the time to build some go to sound patches, drum kits, etc. These are patches that already sound good & inspiring to you. These should be the first sounds you go to when starting a new track ( a guitar or Piano is also a great place to start). This way you can bang out something that sounds good as the ideas come to you.
You can always change things later, but you’ll have the advantage of solid ideas to give you direction when exploring unfamiliar sounds, synths, samples etc.
If you want to bust your writers block, have good sounds ready at all times or your favorite instrument at arms reach. Would you be surprised to know that Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode/Yaz/Erasure) starts all his songs on guitar? He saves all the noodling on synths til after he knows he’s got a song worth writing. Something to keep in mind.
Past failures – So you write a song or a few songs you are excited about & the reaction you get it less than enthusiastic. This one is tough. I’ve been there myself. After sharing this music you’ve worked hard on, your motivation to continue making music is shattered & writer’s block sets in.
The thing you need to realize is that everyone does stuff that isn’t up to par.
Everyone.
Secondly, you’re friends will rarely share your excitement. Sometimes they just aren’t into your style. If you aren’t directly copying another artist, you’re likely to come across people who just don’t get it. People tend to praise the familiar, so if you’re getting a lot of praise from people close to you, be cautious. You might not be very original.
Now let’s say this person who isn’t into your stuff has a point. Have you exercised that constructive criticism muscle lately? It’s time you start.
Here’s what is great about constructive (or even critical) criticism. When you are put in a situation where you have to defend your work, you are putting your conviction to the test.
The people who challenge your work are the only ones who will give you an opportunity to defend it. Most likely, you’ll discover the parts of your work that you are most proud of because the criticism won’t bother you as much. It’s the stuff you aren’t as confident in that really bites you in the ass. To hear someone point out these things is just confirming what you already know, you’re not quite there.
Would you prefer to release something that is substandard because no one challenged your work? Every Major artist who works with an engineer will hear “maybe not so much of that, it’s not really working”. That’s what they are hired for (I think George Lucas could have used more of them with his last few movies..”You nuked the fridge? really??”).
To have past failures doesn’t mean you suck, it just means you haven’t written enough music. You should look forward to criticism, it’s a form of quality control that every artist needs. We aren’t talking about perfection here, we are just trying to get it to a higher quality standard. In the end, perfection doesn’t end up sounding good anyway. It’s like quantizing everything you do 100% to a 1/16th note grid. Life=gone. Imperfection gives life to your music & art.
Past successes – This can be even worse than past failures & is something I’ve had to deal with myself. After having some success with my tracks in the progressive house field, it first made me question what I was doing right & how to repeat it. Then my ability to write was hindered by the fear that my new tracks would sound amateur & ruin the reputation I had built. This led to literally years of not finishing tracks.
It took a lot to get myself back in the game & by that time I had lost some of my chops & the tracks weren’t as well received. Now I realize that had I not stopped, the quality of work work would have likely been better, but even if it wasn’t, I’d get over that hump and on to new tunes soon enough. It’s a hard lesson that I hope you don’t have to go through.
When you have success, take note of what you did well but move on & do something new quickly. Don’t sit too long feeling good about yourself or you’ll become crippled & not able to move. Try to ignore the fact that you were well received & just keep making music you like & have fun making it.
There are bands that have made brilliant albums later in their career that will always be known for 1 hit song early on. Radiohead – Creep for example. Just imagine what a loss it would be for music if they stopped after their first album(deal with it haters). They did the right thing by pushing outside their comfort zone. Creep might be their most popular song but I certainly wouldn’t consider it close to their best.
Don’t stop writing, don’t get comfortable & don’t conform for success. It could be the end of you if you do.
Chasing the dragon – So many musicians are searching for a shortcut. That 1 tune that will change everything. So instead of listening to their own creative intuition they are constantly searching for friends, charts, radio & tv to tell them what they should be doing.
The problem with this of course is that it’s very rare to build a career by doing what is currently popular. By the time you finish your perfect dubstep album, the trend is over-saturated & played out and of course, since you were putting your focus into following trends, you lost your ability to have confidence in your own ideas. Now that style is toast & you look for another trend to follow.
This habit of chasing the dragon will likely get you nowhere & you’ll likely never build your own sound. Your new goal is to make songs that sound like songs other people have already made so that your friends will respect you.
Now I have no problem with being a fanboy of some sort. It’s pretty much how we all start. We hear something we connect with & think “I want to do that!”
Fair enough. Just make sure you are ready for the long haul & that you are injecting other influences that excite you, not what you think others will like. It would be hard for me to think of a more sure way to give yourself writer’s block than trying to please others.
Want to break this habit real quick?
Write something you like that you expect your friends won’t. Do it on purpose just to freak them out. Don’t purposely make a song that sucks, just pick an influence of yours that is less popular & have fun with it. Stop asking what others would do & start asking “what would I do?”. It might not be your best work, but it is incredibly liberating. And who knows, maybe your friends will end up liking it anyway.
Gear envy – Sometimes I wonder if we are music makers or just purchasers of toys. I’d say I am a bit of both, but I’ve leaned too far on the gear end before.
You’ve got this amazing song idea in your head, but you don’t want to start it ’til you get that new gadget. You saw someone going apeshit with it on YouTube & you now consider it the holy grail. This is exactly why your music hasn’t been up to par!
You get it home, love it for a month (but never actually make a song with it), and then you’re back to YouTube looking for another piece of kit, sample cd, soft synth, plugin or whatever.
Stop!
All you are going to do is spend a lot of money, have some bragging rights but never get anything done. You, my friend, have become a gear hoarder(they will soon make tv shows about you). Plus you haven’t even learned what your current tools are capable of.
I promise you, you can write a great tune with what you have now. Let’s be honest. Think of the best tune you ever wrote (or the best unfinished idea, if you aren’t there yet). Was it the gear that made it great? Are your newest tracks with your latest toy always your best? I’m willing to bet there is something else. Something not so tangible that makes it good.
It can be maddening to see these popular musicians with craploads of gear filling up their studio, but I guarantee what got them there wasn’t the gear. It was good ideas & doing the best with what they had. Even u2 started small, and some people would argue that their best albums were before they had every toy known to man. Luckily, they aren’t hindered by the gear. At the end of the day it’s a guitarist, bassist, drummer and singer jamming things out that makes good songs.
If lack of gear is giving you writers block, then just tell yourself you are making a demo with what you have & will it improve later. I think you’ll be impressed with your results. Any result is better than no results.
I hope this article, which turned out to be a pretty long one has given you some food for thought. Writer’s block is simply fear disguised as other things. It’s certainly not something that is out of your control. Make creating a habit, even if it’s for 15 minutes a day. Whatever you do, never stop because of fear. Take a break on your own terms when your confidence is high.
Happy music making
P.S. – Don’t forget to comment & tweet (down below) & “like” (up above). All your feedback & support is appreciated.
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Looking back, Looking forward
Looking back, Looking forward
New City
2011 was a heck of a year for me. A lot happened.. some good, some bad. I won’t bore you with all the details, but I’ll tell you some major stuff.
The most significant change was that for the first time in my life I moved out of California. It was time for a change & my relationship couldn’t handle the strain of a long distance situation any longer. Also catching a roommate on camera going through your stuff & stealing from you is a pretty big wake up call that it’s time to go.
I now reside in Iowa City, Iowa and am finding it to be really nice even though the climate change definitely takes some getting used to. This city is small but it’s more hip than you would expect. They have a great college station here & nearly every show has something interesting to offer. The one thing I miss is good mexican food, but thankfully I’m teaching myself to cook a mean burrito from scratch.
In making this move I had to conquer a pretty huge fear that I haven’t really shared with many people. 1 day on my way to DJ a friends’s wedding I had a major panic attack while driving on the freeway. Since that day, it’s been a pretty serious battle. Driving across the country was a pretty huge step even though the highways were pretty mild compared to southern California. I still haven’t quite kicked this, but I’m getting there.
I also went from living with roommates to having my own place. I’ve found this to really help me focus on music without being interrupted. It’s surprising how much more you can accomplish when you don’t have to stop what you’re doing to handle a roommate situation (and towards the end, there were many). I’ve carried new habits into the new year that are giving my great results as well.
The “Fall Through’s”
Like we all do, I had some “definitely gonna happen” scenarios fall through. I was supposed to work with a band that I won’t mention who were interested in bringing me aboard as a producer & Ableton tech guy for both the studio & the road. We had several conversations that seemed pretty definite but they ended up feeling a bit out of their comfort zone & decided to focus their budget more on upgrading the image & show as opposed to the music. At the end of the day, it likely would have been a mismatch for me to devote too much time to this project & put the rest of my work on hold, so there is really no harm.
I also had some highly anticipated affiliate partnerships fall flat this year. It’s possible things might rise from the ashes in 2012, but I’m not holding my breath. I won’t turn my back on integrity. It’s just not worth it. I live cheaply & thus sleep more soundly knowing I haven’t sold my soul for money. By delivering something of value consistently, the money will come anyway (what a concept huh?)
The main reason I mention this at all, is that I want you all to know that shit happens to all of us. For me, more things have fallen through than I can count, but i’m still here focusing on what’s important. I don’t let it stop me from going for that next thing…and the next. Remember that life will give you as many opportunities as you’re ready for, it doesn’t just knock once.
Blogs of 2011
I developed new habits over the year that have really stuck as well. I made a point to write more regularly during the last half of the year & I think I delivered some pretty good value. If you’ve missed any of my blog posts, here are what I’d consider to be my top posts (in no particular order).
Ableton 101: The Most Ableton Tips Packed into 1 Video
Most important Habit for Finishing Songs
Extracting Chains in Ableton’s Drum Racks for great drum programming options
The New Year
In the new year I took on another music making experiment by challenging myself to write a song completely from the contents of a short porn video clip without it just sounding like re-edited porn. This was right after creating a song out of loops you guys submitted. I documented the whole process at this link below (don’t worry, it’s PG-13 at it’s worst). I ended up with an interesting Minimal Techno vibe:
http://www.musicsoftwaretraining.com/blog/2012/01/07/song-made-from-sampling-a-porno-clip/
Not wanting to lose my momentum of completing tunes, I took on a remix for a friend & am really happy with the results. You can check it out Here. I rarely use my voice in songs, but I think the addition worked well with the tune.
Picking up the guitar again
Directly after that, I contacted some members of an old band of mine Negative Image about banging out a 4 song E.P. It’ll be the first time since ’96 that I’ve written music primarily as a guitarist. Making rock music still seems to come to me pretty easily & I’ve have a number of song ideas bouncing through my head for years. If this E.P. ends up being fun, I could imagine making more.
The way I am approaching this is by making some demos with some raw guitar tracks, drums (mainly drums loops sampled from another song & edited slightly) & then making a bassline by playing the part on guitar & dropping it an octave in Ableton. Then I record some rough vocals to give the singer an idea of how I picture things going. Once I get the vocal takes back, I can share the results with the other guys to lay in proper bass, re-do the guitar & drums.
I find this approach to be more efficient than trying to get everything perfect from the start, I like to present a rough draft to make sure everyone agrees the song idea is worthy of taking to the next level. Another advantage I find is when I’m not worried about “tone” or perfection, guitar riffs, leads, vocal ideas & harmonies come so quickly that the songs largely write themselves. When I’m just doing what’s easy & adding layers, the collection of these parts create a depth & richness that tends to have a better vibe then sitting there trying to impress yourself. It’s also nice to have a whole EP demo done in a week or so, to listen back to with the other bands members to get further ideas. If all goes well, which I expect it to, I’ll share the results.
I’m also considering making a video collection specifically for Bands. I’ve been asked by guitar based music makers how to approach non-electronic music in Ableton. I’d love your feedback if you are in a band & have questions regarding how to accomplish things in Ableton.
Rebranding
Finally, I plan to do another electronic side project making a minimal techno E.P. (or at least my own version of what I think minimal techno is). The reason for not putting it under my current production names (innerstate, Jason Timothy) is that I already have a reputation for making progressive house, so it will be harder to get signed to labels of a different style than what I’m known for if I keep the same name. Better to clean the slate and start fresh. This is basically an experiment of rebranding myself. After I’ve made 4 songs I’m proud of, I’ll go through the process of shopping it to labels. I know I’ll have to start with the small labels & build a reputation there before I can expect the bigger ones to take an interest. Fair enough, I can work toward the end goal patiently.
What IS the end goal you might ask? I’d like to be traveling as a producer/DJ playing properly equipped & promoted gigs & the door is simply not open anymore for DJ’s who don’t produce. If your name alone can’t sell tickets, it doesn’t matter how great you are. Luckily, I love making music as much as DJing, so this shouldn’t be an issue. If you run a club or know someone who does (nationally or internationally), get in touch.
To wrap this up, I plan this year to be pretty damn productive & I’m really excited. As opposed to resolutions, I’ve opted to create new lifestyle habits. Most importantly, making music everyday. Some days you win, some you lose, but if you don’t set aside the time & space, you can’t ever expect any magic to happen.
Happy Music Making,
Jason
P.S. – Don’t forget to comment & tweet (down below) & “like” (up above). All your feedback & support is appreciated.
I recommend the sites below:
Logic Courses
Reason Courses
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