A sonic palette and the album planning phase.

Painters use a palette. Good producers I have come across do too.

We’re talking about a toolbox and boundaries, basically.

I’m in the thick of making an album unlike anything I’ve ever made. Despite that, I’ve found I do some things similar from project to project. I see no reason to quit doing certain things. An album biggie, to me, is experimentation with the sounds.

I wrote a while ago about how my music room is really a lab. Nothing brings this to mind more than when I’m exploring. I carve out sounds I want to incorporate in new music. I’m so picky. I haven’t been happy with presets for a long time. I have so many options. Before I start tracking a project, I inventory a sound bank.

Production work is making songs sound good when they come out of a speaker. It doesn’t have to be infinitely complicated. It just has to sound good.

It’s basically setting boundaries with what’s available.

I want to get lost in making music, not options or settings. So I’ll make boundaries, or limits. I find I’m every bit as creative limiting myself as I am with tons of options. But with limits, I get done. And usually done fairly quickly. That’s what I like. Finishing.

This device has trained us to scroll other folks’ wares or thoughts all day. It distracts us from finding our own thoughts inside ourselves.

The scrolling frame of mind.

I have no problem saving cool things that aren’t fit for right now for later. But I have to draw lines. Or else I’m just scrolling products forever. I quit scrolling. I don’t like it.

We are good about talking boundaries with family, friends, coworkers.. but what about billionaires and software developers? Why let them have everything when we know they’re just selling shit, or selling our data? So I quit scrolling. I don’t enjoy it. And I don’t like giving them shit.

The goal for me isn’t using everything. It’s finishing something rad.

What this means for me starting out a project is building a toolbox. This benefits the end result for me in that the songs sound together. Some folks don’t enjoy that, but for the concept record I’m working on, I need it. There’s got to be continuity on a story album. Don’t see how it works without it. A cool way of doing that is building the “band” prior to tracking. It doesn’t mean you’re limiting yourself. You’re merely limiting your options for one project. That’s good if you want to finish.

Getting out to open mics means playing 12 bars. Here’s something fun to do if that’s you.

What does being creative mean?

Creating is not making things out of unlimited options and a few charges to the bank account. Creating means making something out of nothing. The closer I can get to that, the more I feel artsy. I’m not digging in menus. I’m looking inward. #Goals.

This was a big project for us. 23 folks. Took a long time. Learned a lot. Super happy to have been involved.

About huge projects and lots of people.

Big projects are great. Been on a few. There’s more options. But if there’s not a producer or songwriter with a vision, it can be sloppy. It’s very tough in big projects to get everyone on board. Minimizing options also helps here. It’s simply easier to explain if there are boundaries. If you tell everyone, “do whatever,” you will struggle with coherence on a multi-song project. Promise.

It’s about doing what you love, not just thinking about it.

I want to finish what I start these days. Limiting options is a way I’ve found to do that. It might not be everyone’s way. But it works for me so I can work. Building a sonic palette is fun stuff, including a sample of some palette-building going on. Good luck on your projects.

Sonic bank work from last night: