Starting today, I will be recording five newly-commissioned compositions that I’ll record during the next five days at Colorado State University’s Griffin Hall. I am working with the fabulous team of Arts Laureate–the same team that recorded my first album, Refracted Light.
I’m looking forward to this, and I thought I would post my top ten things I like about doing a recording.
- You can focus on the details. This isn’t a performance, so you can take much more time to get the musical details right.
- You can optimize the trumpet sound. Working with different equipment, setups, distances, you can capture a personalized sound concept.
- Chops get better. With so many takes during many days of recording, you get stronger AND more responsive.
- Confidence goes up. With so many takes, you begin to focus more easily.
- The music gets an archival status. You may not be definitive, but you can get pretty close.
- You understand what you really sound like. With the best professional equipment, you have a clearer idea what your strengths, weaknesses and peculiarities are.
- You set aside everything else in your calendar. Your schedule is fairly open!
- Your work helps bring unknown repertoire into the public awareness.
- Recording represents one of the highest points of creative endeavors of musicians. It’s a very cool thing.
- You bring closure to all those months of preparation. You don’t have to play this music so much any more when it’s over!