Happy Easter from the Vampire Bunnys!

On a holiday dedicated to a Zombie, rising from the grave and colored eggs, (for some reason) We introduce the Vampire Bunnys to wish you a Happy Holiday! That is all;)

Born Free...Lance -The Thrill & the Peril

FREELANCE! 

Lets take a little closer look at that word, comprised of two words. FREE : as defined in the dictionary as independent and unrestricted. LANCE: defined as a long spear, or to pierce with a lance.

For those of us who actually live the life of a freelancer, it certainly does (at times) seem like a poke in the eye (or elsewhere) with a sharp stick. It can be a very "feast or famine" affair and your work never ends even though you aren't always pulling a check from the intensive efforts required to keep the gears turning. But despite all the battle scars and tribulations, the FREE part still holds enough compelling appeal to keep us coming back for more. I think a lot of people who might enjoy the "romantic" notion of what a "freelancer" might be, would not fare so well when their lips get dry and full of the taste of dirt and blood from hitting the ground a few times. And that's why it takes a special breed to hang in there and roll with the punches. 

  Speaking of  "punches", I recently read another great article on freelancing by a very funny and talented freelance writer, Chuck Wendig, on his website 'Terrible Minds' entitled: 'Want to be a Freelancer? Just Punch Yourself in the Face, Instead'
In it he brings up one of the more unsung perils of freelancing: Most people who have never freelanced will probably never understand what exactly it is that you do, and you are going to have to be okay with that fact.

   Besides that, you will need to conceal that incredulous look that creeps onto your face when your friends and family start making embarrassingly retarded and backwards statements about your work, of which they clearly know nothing. Chuck's brilliant quote (from the article mentioned above) really captures the heart of the matter with grace and humor! 

   "Nobody seems to believe that freelancing is real. It’s as if you’re playing pretend. “That’s not a real job, is it?” “No, I just made it up. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go hang out with my pet dragon and have a tea party in Narnia." - (Chuck Wendig)

  There is plenty more that can be said on the subject of freelancing (I'll save that for another article) and I could go on and on with a list of stupid crap people have 'unwittingly' said surrounding  the subject, but I think I will leave that for you, dear readers. Any of you freelancers got any stories or examples of the stupid things people have said to you regarding your work? Add your comments here so we can all have a good cathartic laugh,...and then get back to work (or tea time in Narnia, if you prefer;)

Yes I know this isn't Narnia! 
But it's not freelancing either...or is it?
~

Music Producers - Musical Multiple Personality Disorder

Producer's Journal

The Deep Dark Secrets of Music Production 

Nobody Wants to Talk About

Perhaps only other producers will be able to relate to this dark secret of the business, but many of us suffer from MMPD (Musical Multiple Personality Disorder).
   It starts off innocently through study of music and music appreciation, but like a gateway drug, leads artists to want to actually create music in genres outside their natural areas of expertise, to explore, collaborate, innovate, and finally bend and twist genre on it's head...And then, it's too late; you are hooked.
You start to notice it when you hear a track in a genre you never liked and suddenly have a wave of immense appreciation for the songwriting and production, or worse yet, you can re-imagine the song in an entirely different genre/arrangement. These musical "hallucinations" can have far reaching effects, including a sometimes excessive build up of interesting, but unrelated tracks in one's music catalog.
For producers who come from the performing/recording artist/band world it can be even more traumatic.
An artist with a band or specific solo project already has identity issues, often using one or more obfuscated identities to represent their 'creative selves' versus their 'business selves', and their 'everyday selves'.
   For those afflicted with MMPD, the compulsion to analyze music and engage in unsavory acts like: research, study, practice, collaboration, experimentation and ultimately becoming involved with 'foreign' genres, becomes irresistible, pulling countless producers down a long hard road of musical addiction.
For the performer turned producer, coming down from a 'one genre' focus and having to enter a beginners mind in unfamiliar territories can be a challenging transition, but the lure of "mind expanding" musical experiences often proves too compelling for an artist just leaving the exciting world of long hours, late nights and too much cigarette smoke.
   Side effects of MMPD can be a heavy level of appreciation for cultural diversity and an open mind.
Often times artists with an established following can suffer the stigma of being accused of lack of focus or betrayal of genre/fanbase. Without a community of other producers willing to come out and openly discuss this 'seamier' side of the business, an individual producer can feel isolated and lock themselves in their studios for hours if not days at a time.
If any of these symptoms or conditions sound familiar to you, you may be afflicted. You may be a producer.
Until now, it had been thought that the only cure for this affliction was a steady job doing only one kind of music (or in extreme cases, no music at all!) for the rest of their life...For some, that cure is worse than the disease.
I am happy to be able to reveal to you today, that the real cure is much simpler, free, and readily available!
The secret? Having a good sense of humor, a healthy dose of ambition and perseverance, and finding a supportive place where you can openly declare:
" I am (insert your name here) and I'm a Producer";)

Happy Holidays,
T. Reed - Composer/Music Producer