Getcha Some Productions Podcast Episode 38

Buy the Book here: Unlocking Creativity by Michael Beinhorn https://amzn.to/3B9f458

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A podcast covering all things related to music production: from the first note to the last fan and everything in between.  We create music and inspire others to do the same.  Every episode is a live business meeting between me and Dan (me and Keith) as we build this media empire right before your very eyes/ears.

In this episode we discuss:

Getcha Some Productions Book Club

Buy the Book here: Unlocking Creativity by Michael Beinhorn https://amzn.to/3B9f458

My special guest today is Justin Wertz. Apparently we changed each others lives.

Justin was quite “hot-to-trot” for a long time. He and I were both in a band called Oliver’s Musical Genius (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6iRajenI2SUKsiRtxMzlHQ). Then he was in a phenomenal band called Trademark. After that he was in Cheryl’s Magnetic Aura (http://www.pukekos.org/2009/04/sheryls-magnetic-aura.html) and then after that he was in Maneguar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meneguar). All fantastic bands and they got better over time so the worst of them was probably Oliver’s Musical Genius.

The quarantine, for Justin, gave him just enough time to breathe and slow down in his life to start writing music. Again. To start writing music again. Even though he hasn’t released a lot of this material, it’s really quite good. He and I have been sharing songs back-and-forth and Justin’s songwriting has really improved substantially. I’m actually envious of this point because he’s become such a great songwriter.

Ever since his last band, Justin hasn’t put a lot of music out. The last thing he really put out there was Blank Baby (https://blankbaby.bandcamp.com). Which we will link to. But it’s actually a lot of instrumental type stuff and not really the full songwriting experience that he’s really getting into right now.

We start to discuss the book and what we hope to get out of it. I hope that reading it together causes us to become more mindful about how we work together and makes us more productive and better at working with each other so that we can create more music together.

Justin starts talking about how we already have been collaborating and sharing ideas back-and-forth and we do have our own method. However this guy Michael Beinhorn has a more expansive method perhaps than we have. His method is very systematic and scientific (or so it seems).  Justin says we should put some of his stuff into practice right away. I agree with that.

Episode 36 was the first episode where we reviewed this particular book. Dan and I went over the intro of the book and went over some quotes we thought were important to discuss.

So, part of our process actually the whole process, is that we pick out quotes that we think are interesting and we read them on the air and then we discuss them. So that’s what we start doing now.

We discuss the role of a producer and the different roles that a producer can take and the different skill sets that are required.  Justin highlights the role of record producer as being like the Art Director of the process. Or the curator.

The thing that keeps coming up as we read through the book is that there is a competing agenda between the role of the producer as a transparent vehicle or vector for the artists expression and the producers own artistic agenda. It’s almost like those two things are competing forces and as a producer you want to get out of the way and let the artist blossom into their fullest potential but you also want to input some energy into the system so that they are Fueled to grow as artists or to realize their fullest potential. But, by putting any energy into the system to spur the artist on or to support the artist and lift them up to their highest or even higher potential you are taking some directive action. You are influencing the final product by choosing where to put that energy. So you have to be an artist as a producer to a certain extent because ultimately you will influence the final product.

Justin brings up the book the art of Zen mixing which is perhaps a book we should read next.

This book gets my mind going big-time. Is the frame part of the art?

There’s more to songwriting than just songwriting.

We always have to be striving for something that’s greater than…. We have to have passion and we have to make true art. Whatever the hell that is.

Don’t miss the point. You have to go deeper than that.

Record production is spiritual and nurturing and mentoring.

Justin started talking about the Rick Rubin and Johnny Cash relationship and how poignant and powerful that all was.

I’m always looking to unlock some creativity.

The producers chief skill is wisdom.

We have to break down walls.  But these walls don’t go down with force. When space opens up they become integrated with space. They just dissolve.  Newtonian fluid.  Safe space.  Go with the flow. Amplify yourself. Work with your strengths.  The lonely travelers. Distant lights. Elements. A wave. A force. An energy. Oh. A particle.  A beautiful burden. A generator. Vector. Flashlight.  Calling.  Chromatic

One day I’d like to make a list of every music related movie. Don’t forget this.

I’m glad we went long and we opened it up to some free forum discussion because Justin highlighted one of the most important aspects of the book and the process of record producing. It’s that of the safe space. A record producer must, above almost everything else, cultivate a safe space.

Justin says that Nirvana and Pearl Jam and sugar ray were shoved down his throat. I find it somewhat hilarious that he puts Nirvana and Pearl Jam in the same category as Sugar Ray. That is highly controversial.

Justin says that Pavement and/or Superchunk were way more raw and honest and better and his opinion.

Then, Justin he says some more really powerful and poignant stuff. He gives us a slight preview into the future chapters of the book by talking about what an artist is. I guess he says that one of the essential elements of artistry is that it’s a calling. It’s just something you have to do. Justin says that his life would be so much easier if he didn’t have to pick up the guitar. So your artistry is a beautiful burden in a way.  What he closes with is the idea that whatever comes out is worth putting out there.

Justin talks about the album Superunknown by Soundgarden and how that one was an elevated piece of expression in his opinion from the other especially earlier records. So he can he’s making the inference that there was some kind of elevated artistry that was imposed by the production of Michael Beinhorn. Then he goes on to talk about how he produced of Violent Femmes record and but it was a compilation and that’s how Justin came to the conclusion that the description of the record producer as art Director or curator is also appropriate.

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