Why The World "Always" Should Not Be In Your Dictionary

If you want to make great music, you have to get creative. This means breaking the rules. Now, I know it's hard as audio guys to not follow certain rules, but today I want to encourage you to break the rules. Music is a creative art and by its very nature, subjective. This means there is no standard or set way of always doing something one way. We simply decide along the way what we like and what we don't like. It's completely personal and that's what makes it so great. I want to challenge you to approach recording or mixing the same way.

Don't go into your session with the mentality of always.

The world always should not be in your direction. Habit is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to creativity. We should always try to approach any project we are working on with creativity in mind. Now, this does not mean approaching your project without any clue of what you want to do. I'm a huge advocate of being intentional and planning ahead. However, at the same time we need to be fresh and creative. 

How do we be creative when recording or mixing? 

Simply put, try things! Instead of always doing the same technique when recording vocals, use a new mic and record in a different room. Try new mixing techniques and chaining plugins together in interesting ways. The point is to simply get creative and get out of the habit of always doing something the same way. Not only will this help your music and projects become more creative, but it will also help them sound better! When you are using the same microphone and the same techniques on every track, your songs start to lose any individuality. They all sound the same and can start to sound bland. 

What do you have to lose by giving this a try? Next time you record or mix, do something you've never done before. Worst case scenario, you don't like it and you go back to the drawing board. Best case scenario, you find something that sounds original, unique, and creative! 

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