Auralex to the Rescue!

As some of you may know, my wife and I are expecting our first kid in June. It became clear pretty quickly that, as our second bedroom, my writing/recording room was to become the nursery. Thankfully, we had some space in our basement that showed potential for becoming a devoted space for creating music.

There was really only one main problem: with concrete/plaster walls, the room basically acted as a rectangular reverb chamber. It was obvious that something needed to be done to address the acoustic situation. This is where Auralex came in.

Here are some pictures of the basement room before I brought in my recording equipment:

We decided to start by repainting the walls a more vibey green color (these pics were taken while the paint was still drying):

Here's where the Auralex came in, along with my recording setup:

My new man cave!

My co-writer's seat

The vocal booth, enclosed by movable Auralex ProMAX panels

The Mopads were the perfect thing to separate the monitors from the stands, isolating the vibrations

I suspended the foam from the ceilings with these gold hooks

Eric Smith from Auralex

Not only does the new setup look cool, it actually encourages creativity. I've been told that it's easier to focus when there are less rogue sound waves bouncing around the room, and I've experienced that to be true. I've never heard the stereo image like I have in the past couple months. My mixes are improving, and I'm enjoying listening to music more now than I have in the past couple years. 

The room's acoustics are so tight now that, one day, I noticed what sounded like a static problem in my left monitor only to discover that I was actually hearing a candle burning on my desk. That's a good sign of an accurate acoustic environment!

If you have a dedicated space for writing/recording, I highly encourage you to invest in the room's acoustic treatment. If you can't accurately hear what's coming out of the monitors, you'll have trouble competing with those who have a proper setup. Check out Auralex.com for ways that you can turn your room into a space that serves your creativity. Treat yourself to proper acoustic treatment!

Keep writing (a treating acoustics), 

Ben

Leading or Following?

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

- Steve Jobs

 

The Rest

The best jazz soloists know how to utilize the power of space. The notes they play are enhanced by the space that surrounds them.

In the same way, I believe it's important to take time to rest in the rhythm of work. Here are some ways I try to incorporate rest into a busy work schedule:

Daily - take time to read or take a walk outside
Weekly - set aside one day to
Monthly - take one weekend to get out of town
Yearly - step away from creating for at least two consecutive weeks twice a year

With consistent rest comes a renewed enjoyment of creating.

Keep writing (and resting),
Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Risk/Reward

This week I'm reminded about how much art and creativity, especially when paired with business, is based on opinion.

What is a good song?


What is a great song?


What is a bad song?

To be a creator in such an environment takes courage and resilience. The songwriter must, must, must pour their entire heart and soul into each and every song they write. Nothing can be held back in fear. The easiest way to hold back creativity is to rely on a tried and true form (or formula) of creating. This is where originality is abandoned in hopes of safer ground. Be bold and don't be afraid. There is treasure to be found.

Keep writing (and exploring),
Ben

Quote of the Day - Camus

"The society based on production is only productive, not creative." 

- Albert Camus

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Creativity, fulfillment and flow

Say that name five times fast.



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Quote of the Day - Jobs

"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things." 

- Steve Jobs

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Fast Company: How to Lead a Creative Life

See full-size infographic here.

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

The Extra 10%

For most people, the eight hours between 9am and 5pm doesn't necessarily feel creative. I'm continually reminded of all the daily encounters with tasks I am obligated to complete -- the car needs an emissions test; the lawn needs mowing; the basement needs cleaning. And to be honest, it's easy to spend all of my mental energy on completing those things.

We've all heard the "give 110%" speech a hundred and ten times, so that's not what this is. What I am encouraging you to consider is that, speaking from experience, creativity often comes to life or dies after the 90% mark. You've completed all the things that need to be done that day, and you'd like to do nothing but just hunker down on the couch. I believe those who use the last 10% of their energy on creating are the ones who will have the greatest number of opportunities for their art. When you're at the crossroads of calling it a day or checking the creative mailbox for inspiration, always get the mail.

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Aiming at the Right Target

I've had a lot of conversations with other songwriters lately about how exactly one should approach writing songs. In general, one of the best ways I've found to think about it is through the concept of archery.

Only by having a clear understanding of my own abilities and weaknesses will I know at which target I should aim. Instead of only taking into account distance, consider the different directions you can aim. Sometimes your appropriate target is not what you first think.

My wife and I are currently working on an album of kids songs. Six months ago, I would have told you there wasn't a possibility of us doing such a thing, but here we are. If I had been only aiming at the conventional targets in front of me, I would have missed out on one of the most creatively fulfilling projects I've ever worked on.

There are so many more ways to exercise the gift of writing songs than just trying to get music onto the radio. Where else are you able to use your music to impact people?

Keep writing,

Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Elizabeth Gilbert: A New Way to Think About Creativity

Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of the recent book (and Julia Roberts movie), Eat Pray Love.



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Fingerprints

Photo by Kevin Dooley. Used with permission.

We all have unique fingerprints. If we are true to our individual creativity, then those fingers will play melodies and write lyrics that reflect that uniqueness.

Sure, we are influenced by others, but we all have the ability to see the world as no one else has ever seen it before.

When creating art, we learn by doing. Setting out to write a song that’s original and “you” means that part of the process is figuring out what does and doesn't work (more on this later). Conventional rules should not apply.

On our way, we will come to forks in the road. We can either:

a) write what we believe in, or
b) write what we think someone else expects us to write.

Don't be afraid of trial and error. A lot of time we learn more from our "errors" than we ever do from our successes.  

Keep writing,

Ben

Timeless Art in a Fast World

There is a fun app on my phone that allows me to take professional-looking pictures in almost no time. I can make the most menial object look epic, without having to pay a professional photographer. That's a blessing and also a possible hazard.

We live in a fast world, and we want high-quality things, quickly. A picture program like this is appealing because it cuts out cost and time. But that also means that a tool like this could potentially take away work from photographers.

What does this look like when it comes to writing songs? With professional-quality microphones and recording equipment cheaper than ever, anyone and their mom is able to get an album onto iTunes. The real issue when it comes to such available technology is that we are tempted and able to hit the recording button too soon. Instead of carving on and reshaping a lyric or melody, we attempt to make up for any deficiencies in the song by making a sparkly and shiny recording. But a great recording of a mediocre song is still only a mediocre song. Few will remember hearing it.

When more people have access to create timeless-looking art, the challenge is to encourage all to participate, while still preserving and passing on the integrity of the craft. The reality is that with everyone taking photos on their phones, we are potentially only adding more noise to the craft of photography. It becomes easier to be average, and more difficult to be exceptional.

In the end, time is what separates the good from the mediocre – in a photographer's photos and in a songwriter's songs. If we create something true and good, it will stand up ten years from now. But if we only write something that sounds like what’s currently on the radio, then it’ll just sound like that "other" song. And who just wants to blend in?

Keep writing,

Ben

A Week on the Links of Utopia

The truth about pursuing a craft like songwriting or a game like golf is that inevitably there will be days that you feel like you come up short. But our identity as creators is not in the quality of our most recent song (whether good or bad) or how long it’s been since we’ve even finished one. We use the energy of our artistic potential to pursue the craft rather than an individual song. As a result, we can enjoy the process without becoming victims of the foul advice of our own “shoulder devils.”

That’s what I liked about reading Dr. David L. Cook’s book (not a cookbook), Golf’s Sacred Journey – Seven Days at the Links of Utopia. It’s written in novel form, and is currently slated to come out as a feature film in 2011 (starring Robert Duvall and Lucas Black). I highly recommend this book to anyone who:

a) loves golf,
b) loves Texas, or
c) struggles with finding their identity in significant and fulfilling places (all of us).

The book emphasizes the importance of stripping away interference in our lives so that we can learn how to trust and rely on our instinct. There’s so much noise in the world around us that we often don’t take any time to thoroughly reflect on life. Gandhi is quoted as saying, “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Very true.

As in songwriting, Cook emphasizes the importance of a golfer swinging with rhythm, freedom, balance and patience. We create the best art when we are drawing from our most natural place. The goal of this book is to help the reader break out of the box of fears and doubts that restrict us from being who and what God creates us to be. And there is nothing more exciting than signing off on a song that truly feels like it came from a natural place of integrity. Those are the successful songs, whether or not they ever hit the Billboard charts.

Keep writing,

Ben

Nurturing the Creative Soul

Creativity is organic. It needs to be tended to as if it were the most delicate flower in the bouquet. And here's proof that God invented Tie-Dye:

"Passion Flower" by Deepa Photography. Used with permission.

One of the important things I took from walking through The Artist's Way book (see "Reading" link above) was the fact that our creativity is a living thing. And that living thing deserves and needs to be taken care of. Protected, not neglected.

I tried my hand at gardening last Spring, and pretty quickly realized that tending to so many plants is quite a commitment. We only had two 4x4 raised garden beds, so I figured I'd better pack in the plants to get the highest yield. I didn't honor the fact that each plant actually needs its own significant space in order to receive its nutrients from the ground. Also, I didn't exactly give the necessary time to pulling weeds, pruning the plants, and watering that I should have. Some plants did fairly well, but the overall result of the garden was a tangled mess of half-grown vegetables.

Toward the end of this past year, I felt the same thing that the garden bed must have felt in August. With the good intention of being as productive as possible, I packed my schedule full and put my creative well-being in the passenger seat. My hope is that the quality of the songs didn't suffer, though that usually is the direct result.

One of the great things as we write more songs is that we learn how to read ourselves better. I know what it feels like to be creatively drained, and I know how pointless it is to try and push myself to write just one more song. Sometimes the best thing I can do for myself is stop. When we give ourselves the space to breath, freedom again shows up, along with the joy of creating.

Keep writing (or take a break),

Ben