Quote:
Originally Posted by Winfred
Hi Catdaddy!
Thanks very much for taking the time to respond. I might have to give in with technology and have to learn how to use it. I'm not tech savvy, yet I think recording studios are not open with the "stay-at-home" regulations in my state. They say they'll lift the rules April 10th... but I wonder. There is an affordable studio I will email... yet even if they do say they are open I think of how contagious this virus is, actually 10 times as contagious as a regular flu virus they give vaccines for before every flu season. We could just be hitting that exponential spike starting today as I heard a lot more sirens.
So being more tech savvy as you say to record myself in my little apt that has a lot of noises as I live only one block from a fire and police station and other various noises like an argument I'm hearing between two renters now as I type this... If there's a will there's a way though. My longest original song is 12 minutes... but my first song will be 5 or so, a cover song. I guess the most I'll try for is to see if I get many hits on YouTube to see if I'm worth it or not. I think open mic goers are more empathetic as it is an atmosphere of being like "amateur hour" etc... yet a lot of what a pro paid musician told me were to be taken as good signs.
This means learning ProTools, trying to make room for setting up two mics. My laptop has Windows 7 which worries me about compatibility. It's just that things changed fast with CoVid19 as I was in the middle of a kind of juncture with my music when it happened. I think of those in the world now who could only dream of having the minor set-backs I've had compared to being like a homeless person on the streets, or a homeless person left to sleep within painted squares on the floor of some warehouse.
You're right I need to shape up and get social media going. I've had a FaceBook page for years and actually many months go by and I don't go there, or go to like Wix and start a website. I don't know what you think, but I thought if I get tech savvy and create a nice recording here with my own Focusrite Scarlette 2i2 3rd Gen digitizer. I was going to sell it on Craigs List and instead go to what I found to be a very reasonably priced recording studio at $35 an hour, plus he does the re-mastering after the actual recording. It's still tempting to change and go that route, yet the stay-at-home lifted or not... I still risk the virus and also returning to my high-rise and spreading or carrying it to others in my bldg where a significant number of fragile people live. That rule ends on April 10th here... another week. I only want to try one song just to see how it does on YouTube... maybe two ha! One cover to draw maybe attention to lead on to my original. I don't care if I make any money (really making something would be nice, but realize it's not reality ha!) and just see how I do. From your knowledge does that sound plausible? Thanks again for your input. A lot of others to respond to here! This is great, all here, great food for thought!
Carpe Diem!
Winfred
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Hi Winfred!
From what you've described of your music aspirations and your situation, it seems you have reached somewhat of a fork in the road. You can either go the route of becoming self-reliant in a home studio or you can pay a professional to do the recording for you. At this stage of your career where you may not be making much money with your music, paying someone else to do the recording accomplishes only one thing- that being the ability to produce a song (or several) fairly quickly. While doing that can be almost instantly gratifying in the short term, I believe it would be better to avoid that temptation. In the long run, the money you give to someone else is money you could be investing in your own home studio.
Most individuals who are just getting started are in a situation where they have more time than money. If that's true for you, investing your money and time in a home studio will provide you with tech skills that will serve you well at every stage of your career as you go forward. Those skills will provide you with the music career equivalent of perpetual compound interest. Paying someone else to do your recording in the long run will be inherently more restrictive creatively because of cost, and more inconvenient because of studio time availability. Investing in home recording equipment and expertise is a better investment in you and your career.
Whichever way you decide to proceed, it's most important to develop relationships with other musicians, venue owners and fans. Face to face contacts are important, but obviously during these times of a viral pandemic "face to face" is problematic so social media contacts are absolutely essential. Once you have some of your work posted on platforms such as YouTube, facebook, etc. networking with others is a way you can build interest. In fact, without a strong personal social media presence it may not be possible to have a commercially successful music career.
I wish you the best of luck in your quest for a music career. You have a lot of hard work ahead, but you seem to have the energy and desire that will help you to succeed. Once you do have a recording/video that you're happy with, please post it on the AGF for us to enjoy!