Wasted Recording Session?
Last night I engaged in one of my infamous midnight recording sessions. It’s definitely my favorite time to record because I love the peacefulness; just me and my furry friends, dim lights, rockin’ my PJs, and best of all being distraction-free. I have laid down some of my best vocal performances at that late hour, but last night was a different scenario.
After spending an hour or so recording, I sat down to listen to the results, and although I was pleased enough with some of the results, it just didn’t vibe the way I envisioned. Something was definitely missing in the performance that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was tempting to resist scrapping a whole nights worth of work, but that’s the conclusion I ultimately had to reach when I woke up this morning and listened with a fresh ear.
Initially, I simply wanted to chalk it up to a wasted recording session, but to accept that perspective is highly frustrating indeed, as no one likes to feel they wasted their time and got nothing out of it. But as I listened to this so-called wasted recording, I began to take account of what worked and what didn’t. I could hear things that sounded natural to me as I was singing them last night, now come off as odd and out of place. I could also now see that my choice of tone was not effective in properly expressing the feeling behind the song. I sounded too cold.
I now had the ability to step back and assess my performance, so I could move forward and make the necessary changes to accomplish a productive recording session next time around. Therefore, I conclude that last night was not a wasted recording session at all, but an excellent opportunity to learn, grow and gain insight. Sometimes the best results are born out of our mistakes.
“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.”
-Dale Carnegie
