"Harmony Unveiled: Crafting Beats, Bridging Barriers, and the Mesmerizing Dance of Artistic Communication"

 I’ve always detested the idea of relying on producers for my beats. I’ve heard stories for years about guys sitting on sessions and stems just because. I even had a lady friend tell me that the producer wouldn't give her her stems because she wouldn't sleep with him! I was also never really good at finding beats on YouTube and beat stores. I’m way better at finding stuff to sample (Shout out to Ilhan Mimaroğlu!) Though I plan on working with more producers and engineers in the future, I’d like to share my experience playing these two roles and how learning about producing as well as engineering can really help an artist COMMUNICATE with producers, engineers, and musicians.

I’m gonna come clean… my music theory is very rough, but as a producer, it helps when the artist knows a little about it. I’ve worked with supremely talented artists who can rap circles around me but didn't have a complete understanding of how to count bars. It’s so much easier to be like, “hey, can you cut the verse 4 bars and make the intro 2 bars longer?” Do you not know how to do this? I’ll send a YouTube link below, but essentially, most rap is 4/4, which pretty much means every bar is four foot taps. Each foot tap is a beat. Four beats make up a bar. Try counting bars the next time you listen to music: 1, 2, 3, 4... 2, 2, 3, 4… 3, 2, 3, 4, etc.

With today's technology, it’s so easy to make beats, especially with sites like Splice. Every purist producer will hate this, but you could literally make your own beats by just using loops you find on sites like https://splice.com/, https://cymatics.fm/, https://www.landr.com/, etc. As long as everything is on key, music theory!, it should sound good. This way, you’ll be able to communicate what you need from your producers a little bit better, having had the experience of actually making a beat before.

My songwriting process is half writing and half editing beats. Being that the words, voice, and music all come from me, I have this sort of creative freedom that one does not have when working with another producer, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. It works for me up until a certain point. I still need feedback, whether I listen or not, from my creative circle of friends. We should always have at least a handful of folks whose taste and opinion we trust, whether that's the producer, engineer, or your homie who has a full-time job but has immaculate taste.

Now, as I continue this musical journey, I've come to realize that it's not just about creating beats or writing lyrics. It's about communication. It's about breaking down those studio barriers and speaking the same language as your producer. Sure, my music theory might be a bit rough around the edges, but it's become my bridge to convey ideas seamlessly in the studio. So, whether you're diving into the tech side with loops or crafting beats from scratch, remember this: learning these skills isn't just about making music; it’s about becoming a communication maestro with your producer. The beauty of music lies in the unpredictable journey, and here's to turning every note into your own symphony. Keep it real, keep it creative, and let your music be the soundtrack to your unique journey! 🎶✨

-Antonio Murphy