You Can’t Do This Alone
I consider myself to be an artist and according to Princeton University so does 9.8% of the U.S population. This encompasses anything from drama, film and writing to music and drawing. This particular survey included how many of these people were employed in primary jobs, secondary jobs and unemployed as an artist.
Usually, the first thing any artist is asked in an interview is how they come up with their material and what their inspiration is for creating. Even as an artist I wonder the same thing about some of my favorite musicians. Whenever I discover a new artist’s music that I enjoy, I scour the web for any new music, interviews and upcoming tour dates. I try to find out where the person is from, who their inspirations are and how they go about perfecting their art.
My grandfather, Willie Ward, introduced me to music as early as I can remember. He would play The Beatles all day and night and they would eventually become my favorite band of all time. My grandfather would play music all day from his computer and it would resonate throughout the little two bedroom house. I have very vivid memories of my grandparents waltzing from side to side on the cold tiled floor of the living room to Luther Vandross’ “Here and Now.”
I remember crying to Luther Vandross’ “Dance with My Father Again” after my dad got into a motorcycle accident and became paralyzed. Music had always been the way I spoke up without saying anything at all. The music would speak for me and that’s the reason I create music today.
My grandparents aren’t musicians and aren’t very creative but a lot of people in my family are. My cousin, Joshua Ward, is by far the most musically gifted person in my family. Josh could play multiple instruments including the piano and drums which he taught to himself. Josh could also sing, dance and record his own songs.
When I was 12-years-old I asked Josh to teach me how to make music. At the time, I was writing poetry and had no idea how to put together a song. He taught me his methods for recording and engineering so I started out recording, mixing and mastering songs that he would come up with. These methods included different vocal techniques, adding effects, layering tracks, modulation, reverb, delay, etc. The bond that we had as family helped us become more comfortable recording together. At first, one song would take us around 4 to 6 hours to complete. After a year of recording together it only took us an hour per song.
After a while, I got to use some of my poetry as lyrics to music Josh would create using the piano and drums. Since then, I have written, engineered and featured on about twenty different albums and mixtapes. About half of those projects were written, produced, mixed and mastered by me without any help.
The connection I had making music with my cousin Josh is something I wanted to explore in other musicians and producers.
Joe Glider, an engineer, musician, producer, and writer for Pro Sound Web and Home Studio Corner, wrote “it is important for us as engineers/producers not to neglect the psychology behind the recording process … a session can quickly go sour if you neglect the emotional side.”
Glider is referring to the bond between the artist and the engineer. This may include the critique they give each other, the methods of recording such as punching in and out versus doing long takes and breathing. Some artists prefer not to use presets like auto tune or pitch correction while others may not care at all. Getting a feel for each other will bypass issues later in the mastering process.
I spoke with Woodrow Wilson, 28, musician and songwriter. Woodrow Wilson grew up in Miami, Florida and graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University. Wilson, who just recently released his first studio album with the help of his engineer at ‘EQ recording’, describes his artistry as one of patience and perseverance.
“I started making music in high school as a part of a group with a few friends,” Wilson said. Wilson was always the writer of the group and didn’t make many songs himself but his senior year he decided to give music up, seemingly for good. Wilson prioritized school over his art and decided to stop writing.
Wilson grew up listening to Prince, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Run-D.M.C, De La Soul, N.W.A, Lil Wayne and Ice Berg. Wilson’s album has already recorded over 2,000 plays in the two weeks that it’s been out.
“I really attribute all success that has come my way to stealing vibes,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s biggest obstacle that kept him away from making music was finding a “recording home” and the occasional writers block. Wilson refers to a recording home as somewhere he felt comfortable creating.
“The hardest part was finding a producer or engineer who I felt comfortable with and believed in me,” Wilson said, “someone who just wasn’t doing it for the money.”
Wilson’s focus used to be to get as many people as he could to listen to his music but this hindered him in the long run. Wilson explained that accepting himself and his art is the first step to being excepted by the world. Wilson and his engineer didn’t always agree and often got in arguments but he understands that it’s all a part of the creative process. The two would give each other constructive criticism and the product of their teamwork was Wilson’s album.
“In a world full of trends and hashtags, crafting good quality music you can be proud of is becoming a lost art,” Wilson said.
Wilson currently works at Gartner, an advising company, but considers music his secondary occupation.
