How are you REALLY doing (the check-in thread)

[krheate]

Awesome. I’m sort of an online course collector. If they could eventuate to objects, like old rubbish and mementos, I’m sure they’d be piled all over my house. Then I could be featured on a tv special, complete with a family intervention and a brooding soundtrack.

“Tommy, you can’t keep living like this. You’re never gonna have a practical use for bootlegged videos on social psychology. We can’t walk in here without tripping over your “great moments in bystander effect” tapes. There’s no applicable certificate for this direction. It’s time to throw this stuff away.“

That’s a lot of multitasking going on with you. Might I suggest LOTS of coffee?

(Spoiler: I do suggest lots of coffee.)

Might I suggest LOTS of coffee?

Haha nope! I don’t drink coffee; sweets are more my fuel. I bake some special food almost every other weekend, and boy does it taste goooood!

[damooch916]

I am glad to see you are back on the Fiverr Forum and providing a much-needed entertaining thread. I just checked out your profile as I have not done so in a very long time. I was pleasantly surprised to find out you are now a Pro Seller! Congratulations on that achievement. When did that happen?

Eat less, move more, and have the discipline and self control to maintain eating less and moving more. That’s it.

That is what losing weight boils down to, isn’t it!

As for me, March is special for two reasons. I turned 70 on March 25th, and I had the honor of being chosen as a TRS. Hoot, hoot!

Like @vibronx and @enunciator, I too lost weight, 50 lbs total, but with Miss Rona’s entry, I gained ten back. But now, the COVID stress is less, and I am ready to get on the weight-loss bandwagon. My knees will thank me, I am sure!

Being a TRS, I have thankfully seen an increase in orders. My largest buyer account at the beginning of the year chose to take a Fiverr break, so January and February were rather slow. Now things are on Fiverr are looking up. Also, I joined the Seller Plus Program and have a fantastic manager, which has helped tremendously.

As for my family, I am thankful to live within a two-hour drive of my children and grandchildren. I am also thankful that most of them have not gotten COVID and those who did had mild cases. That includes my younger, by 11 days, husband, who had a heart attack 3 years ago in July and has diabetes and asthma. We both were a bit worried when he first came down with the ‘Rosna,’ but he coughed for now night and otherwise had body aches and was tired for a week. The tiredness remained for another week, and he is fine now! Now that was something to celebrate! 🥳

I was pleasantly surprised to find out you are now a Pro Seller!

Thank you SO much for your kind words. I went pro a couple months back. It was a long process that kept getting shelved due to my own workload.

That also fits into my periodic abandonment of the fiverr forum - sometimes albums come up and I have to fly to various environments to help pitch material, or finalize arrangements. Sometimes road work comes up that is too beneficial to my songwriting career and I’ll be out there abusing the keyboard for hours a night.

Covid was the perfect opportunity to center my work life directly at home. I’ve made the choice to operate remotely in all circumstances, with the exception of moderate live performing. So, it was the right time to convert my account to pro - because I’m not going anywhere.

[damooch916]

When you look around, factoring in all the physical elements of the room, can you successfully tell yourself, with absolute truth, “I have coffee in this cup?”

Absolutely! And that is a great way to look at it.

Good for you and your steadfast routine. I’m on a five day routine, heavy body part emphasis, cardio three times per week, yoga stretch hybrid and protein overload.

Have you ever witnessed swanky musician, muscle head, word selling, alpha male types in the act of downward dog? It’s ugly stuff.

Sounds like a great routine! This reminds me to get some yoga into my routine again. It did work wonders for football (soccer), but I will be doing it at home where no one can see my downward dog! 😅

And let’s just all agree to finally do those preposterous gigs that keep eluding us. It won’t be today, but soon I’ll have available for purchase:

1). I will listen to your horrible music and capture my reaction.

2). I will pretend to like your music

3). I will prepare you for booking shows by talking down to you and not calling you back

(This is for the beginning crowd, you see)

4). I will find an app to replace you

Wonderful ideas! 😂 @eliiclaire is right: you are an awesome writer!

Upon review, I didn’t expect my post to stick out quite as much as the others here.

The fact that you were looking for solutions instead of giving up when faced with those kinds of news is inspiring to me. I definitely enjoyed reading your post.

Wonderful ideas! 😂 @eliiclaire is right: you are an awesome writer!

I just know that writers write. I don’t see a magnificent contrast in what the “creative writer” does versus what the “songwriter” does. Nor, the copywriter. No difference at the professional tier.

A professional writer is just that. You identify the temperament, demographic, social rules and find the rhythm. You’re either good or you’re not good. Chances are, this will apply to the entire field at large.

Professional songwriting is target writing. It’s creative writing. It’s copy. What isn’t?

Sure, mine is a specialized field - and I don’t think everyone should be all things, to all people - but at the end of the day, writers write.

[damooch916]

Honestly, being someone who was often in ‘writer’ circles growing up (even if I’m one of the few who stayed a writer) I can see that. I feel like my personal issue is the fact that once I am ‘the boss’ - I want to do too much too quickly - I want to publish my books but also keep up commissions, keep my fanfictions alive because I miss the fandom, do 2341232 other things - and obviously when I can’t, I end up heading into a writer’s block (or something nastier).

That being said - I feel like that’s the curse of, as you’ve said, wanting to do something that doesn’t fit into the ‘norm’. When I was nannying (as unconventional travelling like that was) it was simple - wake up, kids, sleep, repeat. It didn’t let me think about what I wanted.

I think I’m still working it out. Something that helped me a lot was realizing that we all fail sometimes. As bad as that sounds, things happen - learning to embrace it instead of crying in the corner has helped me a lot.

(and yes, tea is a fantastic source of caffeine which definitely helps me out a lot. And it smells great, too so that’s a huge plus :D)

being someone who was often in ‘writer’ circles growing up (even if I’m one of the few who stayed a writer)

I would highly recommend avoiding any physical interaction with these “circles” at all costs. They’re a forlorn, mania peddling, gruesome brood; casually wielding sharp linguistics and belching out all sorts of irresponsible pseudo-poetry…

… and be cautious of that one in the center. He’s a danger to the normal flow of herd optics and a menace to congregational thought.

That’s me. I’m that one in the center.

[rainbowchazer]

Well, it’s almost the end of my dayjob contract, and I have loved every minute. I’ve worked from home for a year thanks to the pandemic, which has suited me fine. I am not a people person and it’s much easier to make my own plans around work requirements. My manager rocked up to my door earlier with several bottles of wine and a wonderful hand made thank you card. Having spent yesterday in the dumps due to the end of the contract, I almost burst into tears again.

This place is deader than a long-dead dodo at the moment, order-wise, so I’ve been grateful for something to distract me. Really not impressed with it right now, but sticking it out for one regular buyer.

Easter soon, four days off work, thank goodness. Ebay listings are stacked up everywhere in this room so it’ll be a good chance to photograph and list a load.

Thanks @damooch916. Hope your musical mojo comes back soon. My internal jukebox has also switched off as well so I’m blaming the clocks changing.

[mattboa]

Ah, sh… if I were to to speak about everything wrong with me and my life it would take too much. Right now IRL I’m just working on fixing my room as I wrote at the start of this year… the rest will have to wait. That’s all you need to know about the real me, I’ll keep this strictly about work.

Now… March has not been my worst month so far, but it has surely been my most disappointing one.

The good:

• Launched a very nice gig – hired a talented friend for the thumbnail – which netted me my second largest order ever in just 2 days after its opening. It got as much favs and clicks in less than two weeks as my best selling gig got in, like, half a year.
• I saw how some of the logos I worked on have went online!
• Am in the process of getting a tad more serious and expanding both in ventures and places. Might send a gig in the rubbish and add more music-related gigs.

The bad:

• Had my first cancellation (luckily I managed to word and arrange it well with Support to keep everything to 100%, but still: people are clueless about your gig fitting their needs even if you make it obvious. Slightly mad and afraid at the chance of this playing out again).
• Had some orders accumulate before the start of the month and a nice, large prospective order get pushed back because the client needs to get some other assets done first for the draft to be handed to me (I appreciate this, better than to add a lot of stuff peppered through the script mid-project and ghost a seller), and on top I just plainly rejected some.
• I spent a lot of effort while taking part in a logo contest with a hefty prize and my worst fear, along with what I had initially joked about, took place: not that of losing, but of losing to work far poorer than mine. Everybody hated the winning proposal. I also still like my entry better than each of the non-winning shown ones which adds to the injury.

Luckily April will be better by virtue of the above, and it could be my best month yet. :man_shrugging:

[damooch916]

Unnecessary thread update:

For those of you intending to produce my A&E biography, I swung by the ER to have a rapid covid test done.

I’m not symptomatic or anything … I just really enjoy taking tests.

Okay, maybe I was short of breath and dizzy, with a reoccurring headache and I keep hearing Doc Holliday narrate my movements. Which is not right at all (normally it’s Ric Flair).

Turns out, I’m fine. Also - I’m going to learn that preworkout, 6 espresso shots, 12 coffees and heavy weight lifting is a totally different routine at 40 than it was at 25.

While obvious exaggeration is part of my normal forum vocal style - I’m not inflating those numbers. I’m just adhering to the rules as provided by the “freelancers guide to getting things done.”

Section 1, part C clearly states: If you own a coffee maker, you’re gonna need a backup.

[benedictrm]

Right now I am listening to my best of The Sweet.

I have a headache. Started this morning after some hipster doofus chose to misquote me to make me look like a bully. Why i do not know. When I pointed out how that was him bullying me he got all post-manners and made out he was the victim of me. People, so worth it.

I did this today:

Does double duty as it is a new piece of music for something, maybe the next album, and it helps me to show how I am not just another kid with a DAW putting formula plugins all over things.

It explains how a song as silly as The Sweet “Wig Wam Bam” can be so bloody brilliant despite having no plugins at all on anything! If you believe most, that is not at all possible, like bro sister sweetie dude if there aren’t 47 compressors, distressesers, and assorted impressers on every Track, Bus & Multi-Banded all over the Masters it just isn’t possible to make any song.

Well riddle me this Wunder Kid how about The Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz” which is more awesome in a few minutes than anything I have heard this side of “Backstreets Back” and still no DAW, no Plugins. And… post DAW and probably using plugins The Sweet “New York Groove” which neatly includes the Jay-Z+ Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind” chorus is just a joy. Kinda says to me that talent and songwriting may have some sort of use. Then…

@mattboa I know all about comps and losing to things that are far poorer. The more the comp says “be creative” the more you have to use whatever the careless/thoughtless formula of the minute is and avoid all style, taste and originality. I don’t mind losing when I can see I was bested (as I was once by an underleg fiddler in fine form) but, like you when it is to things that are cliche copy & paste, it makes one wonder why one has risen from bed at all as nothing makes sense for days.

Good news is I got a message from a private student who has been awol for months and he wants to pick back up. Yay. Proper pay and someone who values what I do and how I do. Double Yay.

I have a publisher talking to me about picking up my “The Indie Musician’s Guidebook”. That will be nice as it always felt wasted on Amazon.

🙂

Update, I just got a payment advice for $133.56 for synth sounds. I have had three payment advices from this place already but they don’t actually pay until you reach a threshold. Thankfully this puts me over so finally the pay advices are not just wet paper bags. Yay.

[wordsfire]

Biannually I create a thread absent of my normal ridiculousness (partly absent perhaps) and we check in with each other:

For reasons that could only be filed under “cosmic amusement,” my eyes shot open at 7:45 this morning.

I was puzzled. The sun set lower and beamed an orangish call through my window.

“Oh my god,” I thought, “I must be the day version of Batman or something. Clearly Gotham needs me.”

It was at this moment when I realized that I was seeing the fabled “morning sun (pronounced: Baaack tooo bedd)”.

As a musician, you meet plenty of people willing to share fairytales of day jobs, commutes and an insanely humorous tall-tale called “soap operas.”

(Apparently, it’s an inside joke between morning people, where they convince third shifters of early afternoon shows featuring bad acting, bad writing, bad cinematography and awful plots that actually stay on the air for 40 years and have huge followings. No one’s falling for that, day jobber)

I come to you today with enticing news and pajama pants. Fellow Fiverrians, The morning sun is real. What was once considered a myth, has become reality; it’s watching a rumor physically materialize … like witnessing the waring Athena, or utilizing a college degree.

7:45 is no place for a musician. My studio lacked its normal mood in the cheery light. The collection of thrown together cables looked more like days old pasta rather than a palace of chaos and emotion. Songwriting is a fickle sport already, the last thing someone needs at the top of the day is some weird soundtrack to narrate their pre cognitive experience…

“Coming to a streaming device near you, K-Groove presents “Waking Up’s greatest hits!” Yes they’re all here. Such classics as:

1. “Is that my breath (or did I swallow a squirrel)”

2. “Give me Coffee or I’ll kill You” (piano version)

3. Love me like it’s 2pm

4. “It’s always night time in my eye lids” (featuring Stevie Wonder)

Anyways.

So that’s me. It’s been a full day of studio rearrangement, musical arrangement and coffee derangement.

How are you? How are the kids? Did you ever get that “thing” looked at? Is a toe even supposed to grow there? How has your freelance been going? Are you working completely for yourself and do you love it? Are you learning to love your boss more… or is your relationship strictly platonic?

Tell me some wild freelance stories. Or tell me some routine tales of working for yourself.

How are you really doing…

How are you? How are the kids? Did you ever get that “thing” looked at? Is a toe even supposed to grow there? How has your freelance been going? Are you working completely for yourself and do you love it? Are you learning to love your boss more… or is your relationship strictly platonic?

I’m doing quite alright compared to the same time last year. In the past month alone, I have opened two more income streams and I’m working on a third one; so the overall business is going good.

However, Fiverr seems to lag when I cannot get the time to log in daily. I had to turn down a few buyers, and the one guy I wanted to work with, he decided to hire someone with a lower quote (at least, that’s my understanding).

It’s always fun to read your posts though, @damooch916 . I think I still remember a conversation between you and – the favorite – emmaki.

Xx

[damooch916]

Yes…

I date back to a time when artists were posed in the fiverr forum like window dressing. Open dialogue seemed usual. The language was mostly casual and satire hadn’t been completely snuffed from the world lexicon at large.

There was a distinct tone difference between members. It was in that space where I began this strange Hunter Thompson meets Dennis Miller meets pseudo smart, time-puncher with a library card. Some weirdo living in absurdia with “other than” delivery.

It was just a bunch of work-for-hire artists, living behind their screens, turning our brains to mush; all in the hopes to crank out a five dollar order (which was required) with some nice extras. I just aimed to give those folks a laugh and damn if we all didn’t need it.

I’d get home from some regional tour and return to freelance between projects … Everyone already here like clockwork… Like some weird local bar that bordered on sacred Ivy League grounds… We weren’t University, you see, but we were damn sure the bar next to it.

Somewhere, that timepiece must have stopped working.

So, shame on your foolish monkey-tongued memory. Ahem, I was favorite.

(Actually, If you’re referring to the person I think you are, we missed each other almost entirely on both sides of my years long album projects)

We’ve traded that defined forum personality for expansion and excess. For every one former die-at-the-desk, writing lifer-type, we now have 1000 unlicensed moderator members; all of whom feel that their sole designation requires unilateral thread “contribution” and pasting similar themed threads onto some new kid’s first post… and they can’t possibly see the irony in complaining about the redundancy.

Which is fine. I certainly wouldn’t entertain returning to the 2013 pay structure.

Fiverr has grown so much. Why, I remember when it was just in onesies and having it’s terrible two’s at three.

I dug it then. I dig it now.

[damooch916]

Right now I am listening to my best of The Sweet.

I have a headache. Started this morning after some hipster doofus chose to misquote me to make me look like a bully. Why i do not know. When I pointed out how that was him bullying me he got all post-manners and made out he was the victim of me. People, so worth it.

I did this today:

Does double duty as it is a new piece of music for something, maybe the next album, and it helps me to show how I am not just another kid with a DAW putting formula plugins all over things.

It explains how a song as silly as The Sweet “Wig Wam Bam” can be so bloody brilliant despite having no plugins at all on anything! If you believe most, that is not at all possible, like bro sister sweetie dude if there aren’t 47 compressors, distressesers, and assorted impressers on every Track, Bus & Multi-Banded all over the Masters it just isn’t possible to make any song.

Well riddle me this Wunder Kid how about The Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz” which is more awesome in a few minutes than anything I have heard this side of “Backstreets Back” and still no DAW, no Plugins. And… post DAW and probably using plugins The Sweet “New York Groove” which neatly includes the Jay-Z+ Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind” chorus is just a joy. Kinda says to me that talent and songwriting may have some sort of use. Then…

@mattboa I know all about comps and losing to things that are far poorer. The more the comp says “be creative” the more you have to use whatever the careless/thoughtless formula of the minute is and avoid all style, taste and originality. I don’t mind losing when I can see I was bested (as I was once by an underleg fiddler in fine form) but, like you when it is to things that are cliche copy & paste, it makes one wonder why one has risen from bed at all as nothing makes sense for days.

Good news is I got a message from a private student who has been awol for months and he wants to pick back up. Yay. Proper pay and someone who values what I do and how I do. Double Yay.

I have a publisher talking to me about picking up my “The Indie Musician’s Guidebook”. That will be nice as it always felt wasted on Amazon.

🙂

Update, I just got a payment advice for $133.56 for synth sounds. I have had three payment advices from this place already but they don’t actually pay until you reach a threshold. Thankfully this puts me over so finally the pay advices are not just wet paper bags. Yay.

I did this today:

I got three minutes into your video and I think it’s important that I comment.

Speaking from the world of contemporary, rock/pop, country genres and pitch writing perspective…

… You have no earthly idea how often I’m taken aside by producers and thanked for my arrangements.

Okay… Obviously, massive egomaniacal connotations aside, I’m not saying this to throw a parade in our honor. I’m directly commenting on what your video suggests at the beginning; that “good songs are good because they are good - not because a brand new 300 dollar VST can actually make your vocals sound like R&B vocals.”

The way that’s phrased in songwriting circles is, “you can’t produce the bad arrangement out of a song.”

When I first started my staff writing and publishing career, there was a very common understanding that good songs should be good acoustically. For this reason, many artist’s channels only received acoustic/vocal demo submission. The consensus was “you don’t have to teach a professional as to when the drums come in.”

Furthermore, this was true of the touring world as well. I was insanely spoiled on pro hired guns, studio mega weights and amazing utility guys. There was nothing that you couldn’t throw at them. They had pure understanding of genre, era and touch. A skilled musician can bring a band in on the second verse just by leading the root bass notes with ascending or descending emphasis. If you have to talk about it, chances are - you’re not as skilled as you think you are.

It was my understanding that this was my job too.

Somewhere - that all changed. I remember distinctly when live performers started asking what the number system was … or how to read a chart … or the chord changes of standards. In my world, if you didn’t know your standards, you weren’t performing.

In any event, all this has boomeranged back into the songwriting world in a major way. So much so, that world renowned producers will look at you like you’ve got two heads when you present them with a full and sensible arrangement.

I was told by a fairly well known producer that, “I’m so happy you understand that arrangement is your job and not mine. Now we make magic.”

That isn’t the first comment in that direction either. Simple things, like keeping your mid toned instruments in different octaves. Variating the swing patterns on your verse after the chorus. Creating space through rhythmic elements that don’t compete with the melody. Intentionally writing each riff as a variant of the chorus hook or bridge (what you might call the middle 8). Having reprisal themes as solo choices. Simple simple pop stuff.

Every contracted writer that I know understands that there’s a beauty to the formula of genre. Only amateurs decry formula… because they can’t possibly understand working within a framework while also finding uniqueness. That takes years of study and single-minded, knuckle cracking dedication.

I think your video speaks to that first problem. Writers (artists, mostly) aren’t skilled in the art of arrangement. They’re compensating with ambient noise and synth theatrics because they haven’t studied space enough. 10 thousand hours to learn a craft? Try 60,000.

Space makes a good musician. Space makes a good writer. That’s how the capitol writers that wrote on scale with my Father explained it to me. It was true then. It’s true now. Anyone that doesn’t understand that as an idea - hasn’t spent nearly enough hours listening, playing, listening, playing and listening.

When writer’s ask me how to get their song pitched, or how to purposefully craft material that gets noticed - what they’re really asking me is, “how can I be a better arranger?” Yes, there’s many, many tips that can help you be a “better” writer. Or get your song “reviewed” or maybe even pitched … but none of that will matter if you don’t know how to present it. That doesn’t happen in the studio. That happens during the writing process.

My job as a songwriter is to deliver you (the producer) either through the artist or as team, a completed three structure idea, with complimentary three-act accompaniment, with material that builds-pivots and builds, centered around the core concept of the hook, with melodic hooks that vary but recognize the chorus hook, while saying different pieces of information lyrically that all crystallize the chorus in a more complete manner - ultimately resulting in a finished puzzle. That gives you room to produce to the core strengths of the material - and it allows the space to make your choices count.

That’s the job on paper. Then, there’s a million little tricks inside of every genre and every era that create a sonic familiarity to a listener - and I should have those tips in my carry on, if I know what I’m doing.

That’s the fundamental problem that you’re speaking to in my estimation. Because that’s where it really begins.

[wordsfire]

Yes…

I date back to a time when artists were posed in the fiverr forum like window dressing. Open dialogue seemed usual. The language was mostly casual and satire hadn’t been completely snuffed from the world lexicon at large.

There was a distinct tone difference between members. It was in that space where I began this strange Hunter Thompson meets Dennis Miller meets pseudo smart, time-puncher with a library card. Some weirdo living in absurdia with “other than” delivery.

It was just a bunch of work-for-hire artists, living behind their screens, turning our brains to mush; all in the hopes to crank out a five dollar order (which was required) with some nice extras. I just aimed to give those folks a laugh and damn if we all didn’t need it.

I’d get home from some regional tour and return to freelance between projects … Everyone already here like clockwork… Like some weird local bar that bordered on sacred Ivy League grounds… We weren’t University, you see, but we were damn sure the bar next to it.

Somewhere, that timepiece must have stopped working.

So, shame on your foolish monkey-tongued memory. Ahem, I was favorite.

(Actually, If you’re referring to the person I think you are, we missed each other almost entirely on both sides of my years long album projects)

We’ve traded that defined forum personality for expansion and excess. For every one former die-at-the-desk, writing lifer-type, we now have 1000 unlicensed moderator members; all of whom feel that their sole designation requires unilateral thread “contribution” and pasting similar themed threads onto some new kid’s first post… and they can’t possibly see the irony in complaining about the redundancy.

Which is fine. I certainly wouldn’t entertain returning to the 2013 pay structure.

Fiverr has grown so much. Why, I remember when it was just in onesies and having it’s terrible two’s at three.

I dug it then. I dig it now.

So, shame on your foolish monkey-tongued memory. Ahem, I was favorite.

Well, that’s certainly I meant to say. I confuse my favorites all the time.

I joined only in 2016 (and left in 2017), I never had to deal with the $5 deadlock. But it was still fun and only beginning to turn into something else. It was shocking to see most of the regular members banned from the forum when I rejoined the platform this December.

Anyway…

Reading your posts still brings back the good monkey-tongued memories. And that’s the best part. I’m sorry I had to sleep on it for so long so I could calm down and write something that at least makes sense.

Xx

[benedictrm]

I did this today:

I got three minutes into your video and I think it’s important that I comment.

Speaking from the world of contemporary, rock/pop, country genres and pitch writing perspective…

… You have no earthly idea how often I’m taken aside by producers and thanked for my arrangements.

Okay… Obviously, massive egomaniacal connotations aside, I’m not saying this to throw a parade in our honor. I’m directly commenting on what your video suggests at the beginning; that “good songs are good because they are good - not because a brand new 300 dollar VST can actually make your vocals sound like R&B vocals.”

The way that’s phrased in songwriting circles is, “you can’t produce the bad arrangement out of a song.”

When I first started my staff writing and publishing career, there was a very common understanding that good songs should be good acoustically. For this reason, many artist’s channels only received acoustic/vocal demo submission. The consensus was “you don’t have to teach a professional as to when the drums come in.”

Furthermore, this was true of the touring world as well. I was insanely spoiled on pro hired guns, studio mega weights and amazing utility guys. There was nothing that you couldn’t throw at them. They had pure understanding of genre, era and touch. A skilled musician can bring a band in on the second verse just by leading the root bass notes with ascending or descending emphasis. If you have to talk about it, chances are - you’re not as skilled as you think you are.

It was my understanding that this was my job too.

Somewhere - that all changed. I remember distinctly when live performers started asking what the number system was … or how to read a chart … or the chord changes of standards. In my world, if you didn’t know your standards, you weren’t performing.

In any event, all this has boomeranged back into the songwriting world in a major way. So much so, that world renowned producers will look at you like you’ve got two heads when you present them with a full and sensible arrangement.

I was told by a fairly well known producer that, “I’m so happy you understand that arrangement is your job and not mine. Now we make magic.”

That isn’t the first comment in that direction either. Simple things, like keeping your mid toned instruments in different octaves. Variating the swing patterns on your verse after the chorus. Creating space through rhythmic elements that don’t compete with the melody. Intentionally writing each riff as a variant of the chorus hook or bridge (what you might call the middle 8). Having reprisal themes as solo choices. Simple simple pop stuff.

Every contracted writer that I know understands that there’s a beauty to the formula of genre. Only amateurs decry formula… because they can’t possibly understand working within a framework while also finding uniqueness. That takes years of study and single-minded, knuckle cracking dedication.

I think your video speaks to that first problem. Writers (artists, mostly) aren’t skilled in the art of arrangement. They’re compensating with ambient noise and synth theatrics because they haven’t studied space enough. 10 thousand hours to learn a craft? Try 60,000.

Space makes a good musician. Space makes a good writer. That’s how the capitol writers that wrote on scale with my Father explained it to me. It was true then. It’s true now. Anyone that doesn’t understand that as an idea - hasn’t spent nearly enough hours listening, playing, listening, playing and listening.

When writer’s ask me how to get their song pitched, or how to purposefully craft material that gets noticed - what they’re really asking me is, “how can I be a better arranger?” Yes, there’s many, many tips that can help you be a “better” writer. Or get your song “reviewed” or maybe even pitched … but none of that will matter if you don’t know how to present it. That doesn’t happen in the studio. That happens during the writing process.

My job as a songwriter is to deliver you (the producer) either through the artist or as team, a completed three structure idea, with complimentary three-act accompaniment, with material that builds-pivots and builds, centered around the core concept of the hook, with melodic hooks that vary but recognize the chorus hook, while saying different pieces of information lyrically that all crystallize the chorus in a more complete manner - ultimately resulting in a finished puzzle. That gives you room to produce to the core strengths of the material - and it allows the space to make your choices count.

That’s the job on paper. Then, there’s a million little tricks inside of every genre and every era that create a sonic familiarity to a listener - and I should have those tips in my carry on, if I know what I’m doing.

That’s the fundamental problem that you’re speaking to in my estimation. Because that’s where it really begins.

“you can’t produce the bad arrangement out of a song.”

Amen. Amen to everything you wrote actually but that would make for a very long and repetitive post.

I miss those days where you could turn on the radio and hear musical intelligence as per the likes of Fogarty, Wilson, Bacharach, Carpenter (Richard), Campbell/Webb, John/Taupin, Steinmann, Stewart (Dave)… While I have no purchase in their lofty domains, I know I can make a work beautiful if the basics are there.

🙂

[shireen_mcf]

Thank you for making this thread. I’ve struggled with mental health my entire life and whenever I talk about it, a lot of people don’t take it seriously or refuse to help…

I’m doing very well at all… I’m in a lose/lose situation. I lost my job last year June due to the pandemic (I haven’t been able to find a new one since), the Fiverrs changes has affected my main gig (even after updating) that I haven’t had work in over 2 months (I have other income streams but it’s barely minimum wage).

I still live with my parents, there is stuff going on that has been affecting my mental health for my entire life and I can’t get away from it. Not having enough money or being able to travel or get away for a break from my situation has taken huge toll on my mental health; all I can do is hope my situation (and the pandemic) improves over the next few months.

I try to always be optimistic and hide behind my smiles but that isn’t realistic anymore. I should also say, I’m not the only one in my family in this situation, we’ve put up with so much BS.

I’ve been thinking about using some of my savings and going to a hotel for a week or so not too far away, just to give myself a break…