I believe the dedication to the direction of the artist is an important aspect of what The Record Shop has to offer. We have all the fancy equipment, but maintaining a clear vision of what the artist is seeking to achieve through their recording is invaluable to the process. I start every project with a series of pre-production sessions where we discuss the sonic vision of the material, work out arrangements, and allow everyone to get a feel for the studio. By the time we begin recording, everyone is on the same page, and we are able to focus on capturing the best performance. I take the time to get things right, so when we run the playback, the artist hears exactly what they were hearing in their head when they envisioned the material.
Goosebumps...the moment when the last note of a song is ringing out and I look around the room at everyone standing there with chills, knowing that we just got the "magic take" What a feeling! I had the privilege of recording vocals with a legendary artist a couple weeks ago, and as I glanced through the glass during the final take, I felt the emotion radiating from his performance, I was reminded of why making records is the only thing I've ever wanted to do with my life. The ability to spend every day creating something that will live forever is truly a blessing. I often refer to a quote from philosopher William James that sums it all up, "The best use of life is to use it for something that will outlast it."