Recording is one of those things that used to be very difficult to do, and now it is incredibly easy. This shift in access and ease of use has been a real opening of the floodgates to new musicians. The value of this shift happening can’t be under-estimated. It has been huge and it is a big part of the artistic process.
Aside from actually writing a song, I don’t know that there’s anything more important to the creative experience than recording that song. I look at recording as kind of the litmus test, if you will, to seeing if a song really will work. Recording is the medium by which the song can change into anything. The ability to come up with a part, track it, and then put your new song to it is invaluable. This allows us as artists to keep tinkering until we find just the right sound we want to accompany our words.
Another key aspect of recording our musical works is so that we can listen back to them. It’s like keeping a journal of your life, but in a multi-media format. Being able to hear old songs and witness our growth is a really powerful tool to have as we continue our progression as songwriters and musicians.
I imagine that as with my take on songwriting, I am biased due to my own experience: But were it not for recording software and a computer, I probably never would have become a musician. This incredible sense of creation and inspiration came over me the first time I was able to sing into a microphone and put music along with it. Wow…takes me back.
As a closing thought I’ll say this: Recording gives us a window into where we’ve been and where we’re going. We can take our recordings and place them right up along our favorite songs and measure where we’re at in our own personal music goals. This to me is one of the most valuable assets a musician and songwriter can have.
If you would like to learn about recording or have my help in getting your songs recorded, please…
