It’s All in the Mix

I always listen to the in-ear mix when I work with an artist, it's rarely good.

And by “good” I mean - it’s working against them. The artist has reasons why they want the mix that way, but it's also usually creating some issues they don't realize. One artist, after 3 years of touring, was not having fun anymore, not feeling inspired. I had his mix in my ears and was sitting at the soundboard. The music in the house was amazing, such a great feel, but when I put in my ears, the groove went clunk clunk clunk as the metronome took over. It was the loudest part of the mix, his voice second, drums and everything else fairly low. No wonder he wasn't inspired, he wasn't hearing music anymore, he was hearing a computer click.

We discussed it together – why is the click so loud?

I want to be on time.

How's your drummer? Does he keep good time?

Yeah!

So why not rely on him + play with him instead of a heavy click?

Why is your voice so upfront?

I want to make sure I’m on point. Pitch perfect.

Then bring up the guitar + keys – those are your reference points for pitch.

By putting his voice in his own spotlight, he was criticizing and checking himself all show long - not having fun or being expressive. He wasn't inspired because he wasn't hearing music and he wasn't doing what he always loved - sharing himself emotionally through songs.

Your focus changes everything. What are you listening to when you sing? What do you want to accomplish? What do you want your experience to be?

This is what is meant by it’s the journey not the destination. HOW you get where you want to go has a tremendous impact on your experience and can dramatically change the destination!

Choose your WHY + your HOW to accomplish your goals.

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