Today's video is another sit-down and do it style practice. I didn't really have much of a plan going in - its nice to have a structure - so it ended up being a bit of Melodic Development over one of my favorite chord structures. - Daily Gratitude - When your reality isn’t what you imagined: In fact its so much better. Be open to the possibilities and receive your blessings of unlimited potential.

​A song can be four chords. That's not wrong, but if your chord progression is simple, then consider the Principles of contrast to make your song POP.

Where do you put contrast in your song? What are your song's elements?

• Genre
• Hooks
• Metre and rhythm
• Lyrical content
• Instrumentation
• song structure

​Have you thought about how your song is laid out while the concept is fresh? I recommend as good practice to outline a few basic song-structures for the style of music you write. it could look like one of these examples:

or

• A section
  • Intro
  • Buildup
  • Verse
  • Chorus
• B Section
  • Instrumental
  • Verse
  • Hook
• A section
  • Chorus
  • Verse
  • Buildup
• B section
  • Hook
• C section
  • Outro

Helps with efficiency to simply put things into a place where you dont have to worry about structure. Why use this approach? because it takes the struggle out of putting the songs together because that part is already done. Just build the pieces to fit and stick them in. Songwriting En-masse, just remember your Contrast considerations. 

So now that we're fitting the pieces in, I guess you'll need pieces first. This is where creativity and imagination come into play. During your daily (and i hope it's daily) practice, noodle around until you come up with something. Some folks like to play from scales or books for inspiration. others simply jam. The point is to come up with something that sounds good to you. Remember it's music. There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to this stuff.

​Abrupt transitions are not always bad. To me it depends on the characteristics of the genre, some being friendlier to rule-breaking than others.

Practice vlog. I tend to not talk much. That's part of this whole experiment. Get over any nervousness around playing music on camera. At the end of the day, it's not so bad. In fact, It's a lot like those first couple times you go out to play your songs in public. It's a little nerve-wracking at first but eventually, you start to warm up to the feeling of putting yourself out there... Have courage to take the action and learn from your mistakes. Here's my Intentional vocal practice. Question. What did you notice about what and how I'm improvising? if you were practicing music in this way, what would you do differently? Comments here (or on youtube)

Thanks for being awesome.

Hey everyone, Thought I'd share another video practice session of some original music, written with the help of some friends here at Gene Media Productions.

These were songs created in collaboration with friends.
Setlist 1- Check Engine (lyrics by Levente) Levente Is Creating some Videos too. Stay tuned because I'll definitely be sharing his music once it's ready

2- The Wind and the Whistle - (@the way out)

3- Weekend At Jerry's - (@the way out)

The Way Out is a Canadian, Classic Rock / Folk Rock and domestic beer-inspired project with Ol'brother Paul. The band is on break, with no plans to reunite at this moment; however, there are two albums available for digital download (links below)

4- Today - (@Harley) Short and sweet Punk song originally written by Harley while we were teenagers in "A Band In America" -----

If you like this video content, Please show some love by hitting that like button or sharing it with someone who needs to hear it. If you Loved this video, and have the means to contribute to future projects, you can visit www.genemediacreativestudio.com/codygenemusic to find my full discography for 50% off.

​Would you like to work together? Gene Media is now accepting applications for independent songwriters who are looking to take their music to the next level, whether that's getting help with Your Recording and Audio Production, or getting some feedback on your launch-strategy for a more cohesive presentation for your music. Visit the website and Ask how We can help. Cheers! 
​

Short answer yes, but why? As a musician who aims to become more professional, it's important to make yourself visible. Now, we all have our own launch strategies, y'know, those things we feel comfortable doing to get our music in front of our new potential fans. If you're using the internet to reach these ends, how easy is it for your audience to discover you and your work? 

This comes down to the workload you can handle, again if social media is your game, How many sites are you using? do you need to be on every single one? I have the best results using facebook and Instagram. Maybe I'm wierd that way, but even though I sometimes splash things out to Twitter, tik-tok, or youtube. I simply don't get the same results. 

I'd like to take a second to explain the purpose behind the content. Content is used for discovery, but theres more to it than just that. It's also used to create a personal connection, whether you've got an avante-garde orchestral thing with a band, or you're an indie-solo-singer/songwriter. The end goal is the same. Your online presence is akin your exposure, IE, It's the same as playing that open mic and burning gas to get there. The difference is that It costs next to nothing. It's another way you can get discovered by the people who are going to care about your craft and appreciate the music. So how can you connect with your new potential fans? If you are connecting with them and they want to learn more, then how can you make it easy for them to learn all about you and the thing you're doing. 

This is where having a consolidated online presence comes in...

Case Study: Joey has an instagram account. He posts great content, and is starting to grow a little bit of a following by posting great content every day. The link in his bio sends people to a single landing page with the links to his Youtube channel, His Bandcamp page, and each service where his single is available for streaming. His new social-media friends look at his link, and they can easily learn more about him by clicking through to their favorite place to consume the music. sounds simple right?

Compare that to Billy: Billy has an instagram account with a similar size following, but it points to his soundcloud page. He's got a youtube channel with no link to where people can learn more. His new fans want to learn more so they click the link to the soundcloud profile. There's nothing other than his song. Are people really going to take the time to listen to the song? Maybe they will listen to about 20 seconds, then move on, but most people will visit this link one time, and probably won't even listen to the song. He didn't tell his people what they're getting, and he didn't make it easy to learn all about him and his music.

​Have you ever googled your band/artist name to see what pops up? this is called a Google audit. If you're making art, and you have your own website, and you want to use it to reach new fans, It can be helpful to dial things in so that you show up in the right places (ie. the front page of the search engines.)

​Let's go back to the example of Billy (above) Billy also has a website. His potential new fans like the music on soundcloud  (guess he's doing something right) but they can't find a link to where they can get more..., so they punch his name into google. Nothing to be found, so they try again on facebook, a personal profile that's private. Did Billy earn a new fan from this? Nope!

​leave a lasting impression - get return viewers - add value to your audience - bring them back for more - Gain a Die-hard Cult Following.

The easier it is for your audience to discover you, the lower the friction of building that connection, the more audience retention you'll have, and the easier your journey becomes.

Here are some resources for ways you can consolidate your online presence. Simply gather all the links to where you can be found online, and put them somewhere together, so that you can be found. So that you can make it easier for your new audience to discover everything about you. Remember, If this process is difficult then nobody's going to bother. If it's easy, It causes less friction and more attention retention, so you can connect with more people who will LOVE YOUR MUSIC, and you can keep them coming back for more.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Music is an artform, Audio is a science. The two joined together create the magic that is a great record. Certain things are subjective, others are concrete. There are principles behind audio production that can help you to get a better sound on your recording, but the application of these principles will almost never be a 'one size fits all' approach.

So your song is structured out. You've got your go-to tone. that's great. You've imagined your ideal sound and that's probably the hardest part. Now we get into the tricky bit... Laying it down in such a way that the end product matches your initial vision.

I remember my first dozens of songs. I would set out with the intention to make a Punk song or a Dub song, but somehow it didn't turn out the way I planned it to. Why? was it lack of experience? Was it lack of the correct tools or my inability to use them? I may never know. Sometimes the unexpected can be a real treat, sometimes it's just a disappointment. 

In our modern digital age, we've got a nearly unlimited variety of tools to choose from. For example, what kind of microphone is best for a male vocal? answer, It depends on the singer, his pitch, his Timbre (the tone of voice,) the positioning, and the room. 

how do I get a thick-heavy tone from my guitar? it depends on a lot of things, what kind of pickups are in your guitar? what amplifier are you using? settings on a pedal-board? are you using a DI (direct signal?) are you prepared to re-amp your guitar later? do you have the ability to add thickening in the mix?

The same applies to EQ settings. A lot of time, there will be a range that you can approximate where an instrument falls, assuming you're mixing a rock band. Is it the same for classical music? jazz? the answer is it depends. 

On the topic of song-writing. Like, how do I know if my song is finished? Do I really need to add more to this song? Whats the bare minimum I need to have a 'complete' sounding production.

A great productivity expert once said "begin with the end in mind." In this I am a firm believer. When you set off to expand on your new song idea, do you consider the end result you're trying to achieve? Are you writing an alternative-rock song, but calling it Progressive rock? What is the difference between the two? Differences in structure? tone? Why doesn't my song ever turn out the way I intended?

These are all heavy questions. Sometimes the best thing to do if you're inexperienced is to just try it. I remember the first several dozen tracks I set out to record were meant to be something different than the product I ended up with... Sure, they still sounded okay, but why did the end-result not match my expectations? 

Alright, lets elaborate a little more about minimialism in music production. 
What tools do you have available? are you working on a two-track system with limited resources, or do you have access to the worlds top studio facilities? and if you do, how much of that stuff do you actually need?

I am a firm believer in the power of a great performance over a complex production. in Spending the extra time in the song-writing phase + even during the pre-songwriting phase to understand what you want, and why you want it. another creativity expert once said that "restraints can be a catalyst for creativity."  It's not always a bad thing to put yourself inside a box. Sometimes restricting the amount of travel outside the boundaries you create going into the project can allow for more focused and productive creativity within them. 

Are you on your umpteenth mix? have you been tracking this album for over a year now? Do you have more than 6 plugins on each track? is your solution to make it sound better by adding more? I've heard these sentiments echoed many times from many self-produced songwriters. It's hard to detach  sometimes, This album has to get done right, I get it. 

If this situation sounds familiar. perhaps its time to step back for a moment, let it rest and come back with fresh ears. When you return to the project, look at each element of your song and really ask, is this necessary? what was this (instrument, plugin, mix) accomplishing. If i remove that element in this spot of the song, will it be missed? Does my song really need 1000 digeridudes or can i get away with just three of them?

I wish I could conclude this blog by saying "here is your answer, do this and you will be able to get more with less." The problem is that it's music, and in music things are more fluid. It's something we have to discover for ourselves through experience. A wise business man once said "practice is about making mistakes and gaining experience" to me this means, don't be afraid to try to fail and then to try again. We're only human. It can't always be perfect all the time and thats OK. 

Don't be afraid to try and fail
But never be that guy who fails to try!

No man is an island. Even if you think you are DIY hardcore, finding like-minded folks who can help you goes a long way.

A support network

Maybe it's just me but personally, I find it a lot easier to get things finished when they're for someone else. Someone needs help with something, and I've offered to help them, it's a lot easier to get motivated to get the job done than if it was a personal project where I have nobody to please other than myself.

Starting with the easy thing or the hard thing? that's up to you to decide. I'd recommend knocking back the easiest tasks first, the ones that would take the least time to accomplish. The more difficult tasks might require some incubation time, new skillsets, or a network of friends to help you out.

avoiding  procrastination

Something is better than nothing
It doesn't have to be perfect
You'll get better with time

See a door, open a door, you don't have to step through it right away. Check to see what's on the other side. If you see potential there, then start moving.

the decision to take action - It starts with a choice. Remember the words we use in our own minds carry weight.

The language we use in our internal dialoge affects our reality. No seriously. No more of this Someday i hope to ____. A better line of conversation is I am ____. These are called affirmations, and next time you catch yourself using language like hope, want, trying to, etc. Catch yourself and think about it for a moment. Are you trying to do something? or are you Doing it?  

​going through the motions - Consistency of effort

once you understand what you want, the next step is to follow through. How many artists I know don't do this. I was guilty of it myself. It's called Failure to launch syndrome. I get it, it's easier to just push your ambition aside and play some video games. Next thing you know it's 10 years later, and have to bust-ass to make up for lost time. If you're not doing something every day, start with 1 thing. If you're already doing something every-day, then start doing 3 things every day. It'll take dedication and preparation, but you can do it. Start Now.

If you have creative ideas but never actually pursue them, Can you ease the burden by capturing the ideas for later? This is the way I approach blogging and songwriting. When I have an idea, I'll add it to the list (i keep a notebook nearby so i can quickly captue the idea.) Productivity expert David Allen says "the head is for having ideas, not for holding them, so if the muse strikes you, but you don't have time to do it right now, save the idea for later by capturing it.

through a different lens (camera lens example (wide angle vs reg))
​through the lens of 6 thinking hats
through the lens of an outside perspective (ask someone)

With your list of ideas, you can sit down when it's your creative time, draw from the list, and begin to flesh them out. I do this with Blogging, social media, and songwriting. It works equally as well in all these areas. My sunday for example, is blog day. I make a point that no "real work" is done on sundays. They're for me to rest and re-charge. So I kick back with a cup of coffee, open my inbox, pick something and start writing. I'll get two or three articles done in short order because the ideas have been percolating for a while already, and before I know it, I'm already ahead of the game. No more stress thinking "oh shit, I still have to write my blog for the week, but i didn't have enough time."

All those mundane repeating tasks...

Some projects are too big to do all at once, some are slow burners that are going to take time to build momentum. So how do you handle projects like these. Don't panic. I have to constantly remind myself that It's okay, even if it feels like things are moving slowly and as long as I haven't lost hope or given up, I'm putting in the effert that further the project so as long as I continue to put the effort, it'll happen. There's no point rushing and getting stressed about it.