Introduction to Music Evolution
Music has evolved significantly from its nascent stages in the Paleolithic era, where primitive sounds were created by banging rocks together and vocalizing. Today, technology has revolutionized music production, allowing us to create complex and polished tracks using just a laptop. This technological advancement has made music production more accessible than ever, enabling even those without formal training to produce radio-ready tracks from the comfort of their bedrooms.
My Musical Background and Motivations
I have been writing songs for as long as I can remember, but my knowledge of music production is practically nonexistent. For the past three years, I have been fortunate to collaborate with producers who have helped bring my songs to life. However, this process has its challenges. Explaining my vision for a track without understanding the technical aspects of production often leaves my ideas unrealized. Additionally, hiring a producer can be quite costly. Given my interest in production, I decided to take matters into my own hands and learn the craft myself.
The Plan: Learning Music Production
To kickstart my journey into music production, I enrolled in Andrew Huang's online production course on Studio.com. Over the next 12 days, I would learn to use Ableton Live—a digital audio workstation (DAW)—and cover various aspects of music production, including laying down tracks, applying audio effects, mixing, and mastering. A huge thank you to Ableton for sponsoring this endeavor and providing me with the tools to pursue this skill.
Day 1: The Beginning
Initial Excitement and Overwhelm
I began the course with immense excitement, eager to dive into the world of music production. The first day involved completing a lot of introductory content, including three video lessons and one project. Although I was already a day behind, I was determined to catch up and build momentum. Andrew’s initial lessons focused on ways to start a song and gather inspiration, with the first task being to lay down the chords for a project.
Emotional Rollercoaster
At around 3:28 AM, I found myself overwhelmed and stressed, even shedding a few tears. It had been years since I last took a course or worked on an assignment, and the pressure was getting to me. However, this emotional release seemed to help, as I soon came up with a chord progression that I was happy with. Figuring out Ableton while learning production was challenging, but I was slowly getting the hang of it.
Day 2: Adding Elements
Expanding the Track
For the second assignment, I had to submit my initial loop for the song. This required incorporating the first four elements of arrangement: foundation, pads, rhythm, and leads. I experimented with drums, percussion, bass, and other elements, despite my unfamiliarity with them. Alvin, my go-to guitar player, would have been handy at this stage, but I pushed through and managed to lay down a simple bass line and lead guitar.
Days 3-10: Progress and Challenges
Continuous Learning and Feedback
Over the next several days, I continued working on the song and took the video courses wherever I went. One of the highlights of the course was the ability to connect and interact with peers, receiving helpful feedback and advice to improve my project.
Stuck and Seeking Help
By day 10, I found myself stuck on the track, unsure how to expand it. I was already one project late, so I sought help from my boyfriend Amir, an amazing producer and musician. He suggested giving the track some frequency expansion and pacing the introduction of elements to create a more dynamic and engaging composition. This advice was invaluable and helped me move forward.
Day 12: Inspiration and Completion
Finding Inspiration
As the course neared its end, I realized I needed inspiration to complete my track. I began exploring different tracks on platforms like Spotify, Epidemic Sound, and YouTube, taking note of elements I wanted to incorporate into my song. One such element was a chimey bell sound with reverb, inspired by Sarah the Instrumentalist on Epidemic Sound. This approach of drawing inspiration from others helped me piece together my track.
Final Stretch
With renewed motivation, I focused on making the track interesting by gradually introducing and removing elements, as Amir had advised. This process of building and deconstructing the song helped me see it come together. The final stretch was both exciting and challenging, but I was ultimately able to produce my first fully completed track.
Reflections and Takeaways
Embracing the Beginner's Mindset
Being a complete beginner at something can be refreshing. It allowed me to be easier on myself and free from the burden of past comparisons. I rediscovered the simple joy of creating and learning without self-judgment.
Encouragement to Others
I hope my journey inspires others to pick up something new, be it music production, art, cooking, or any other interest. Don't be afraid of messing up and being a beginner. Embrace the learning process and enjoy the creative journey.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for following along on my music production journey. If you enjoyed this content, let me know by dropping an orange heart below. Until next time, happy creating!
[Music]
By following this structured plan and embracing the learning process, I was able to complete my first fully produced track. I encourage anyone interested in a new skill to dive in and enjoy the journey, no matter how daunting it may seem at first.