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| In the recording booth with Cedille Records' producer James Ginsburg and engineer Bill Maylone. |
The key to an efficient, successful recording session is
preparation. The musicians rehearse the piece prior to the session, the
producer pores over the musical score, and the engineer ensures that there are
enough microphones, stands, cables, and computer equipment. Composers aren’t
always present at recording sessions, but if they are, they should prepare as
well. Here’s what I recommend:
• Schedule a
few rehearsals (or, better yet, one or two performances) with the musicians in
the weeks or months leading up to the session. These rehearsals are best in person, but can be handled remotely
if need be. The musicians can record themselves and email the composer audio files,
or even a Skype rehearsal session will work if the musicians are using a good
external microphone (using a computer’s built-in microphone isn’t a good idea
as it tends to distort the audio).
• Know exactly what
you want for every detail of the piece before the recording session begins.
Do all of your experimentation of the piece’s details with the performers during
the rehearsals. Should a string passage be played with extreme sul ponticello? Or is it better with
tremolo instead? Attempting to use the recording session to make decisions that
easily could have been made beforehand squanders valuable time and the
performer’s energy. If you waffle between choices during a session, you will
come across as unprepared and unaware of how much time,
effort, and money go into a session.
• Study your score
carefully. This sounds obvious, but it is easy to think that since you
wrote it, you will remember all of the piece’s salient details. As performers
are quickly laying down take after take, you might discover that you’re really
not sure what tempo you want the performers to play, how much of a diminuendo
is needed to get into a new section, or if one of the performers is playing the
correct pitches. If it takes you several run-throughs of a section to realize
that the musicians are playing something not to your liking, then – again –
you’ve just squandered time and energy, since everyone will have to re-start
the process over of laying down fresh takes (it is ideal to have multiple takes
of each passage to choose from rather than just one good take).
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| The TV in front of us shows the stage where the Avalon Quartet is recording my String Quartet No. 4: Illuminations |
• Check in
advance if the engineer will have an extra pair of headphones for you to listen in on
the session. If he/she doesn’t, bring your own. Find out from the engineer
what types of headphones are recommended, as well as if you need to bring an
adapter to plug in your pair.
• Bring
a music score, notepad, and pencils/pens, and learn the shorthand that
producers use. Ask the producer or engineer to
show you how they take notes during the session so you can quickly record each
track number, starting and stopping measures, and any comments you have on each
track. Occasionally confirm that you are on the same track number as the producer
and engineer. For comments, I note particularly good takes as well as problem
spots, along with a quick note on the nature of the problem (for instance,
“tuning” or “alignment”). I also mark these problem spots on the music score.
For instance, I write “-2” above a measure in which there was an issue in take
2. If the performers fix the problem on take 3, I mark “+3” above that same
spot. Honestly, a composer might never need to refer back to these take sheets,
but these can be very handy when you’re reviewing a master copy of the piece
and hear a problem in a spot that you know got fixed in another take.
• Listen vertically as well
as horizontally. We typically listen in performances for the long lines and
overall shape of phrases; in other words, we are listening “horizontally.”
While that’s still important in a reading session, you also need to catch how
things line up vertically. Did everyone start together, or did an instrument
speak late? How was the tuning of each note in each chord? Did someone’s bow
inadvertently tap a music stand, or was there a loud page turn? I find
“vertical” listening to be the most challenging skill to master, but essential
for getting the cleanest takes for the final recording.
• Be supportive throughout
the session. Let the performers know when you find something especially
beautiful; help them to shape moments that aren’t quite there yet. Your job is
to be an additional set of ears to help bring out their best performance of
your piece.
• At the end of the
session, show your appreciation. Thank your performers, producer, and
engineer. I personally like handing out chocolates to everyone, but you can get
creative with this – thank you notes, homemade cookies, even a round of
beverages at a nearby pub – whatever feels appropriate.
I try to attend every recording session that I can to help guide
the performers and shape the piece, as well as to work on my own listening
skills. If a session has gone well, everyone is tired but happy with the day’s
work. The proof is in the final product when the CD is commercially released.
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| With the Avalon Quartet post-recording session |
