I've heard in a couple of interviews from artists the likes of Sufjan Stevens, that some people have preferred to create and record music in inspiring locations as opposed to the traditional recording studio. I've personally been working on writing and recording my own stuff in the last few months and thought I would give this a try. I was really surprised with the impact it had on me.
I found a location in near East Town, Grand Rapids that was a perfect fit for me. East Congregational Church was built around 1929. Designed by Ralph Adams Cram, a famous ecclesiastical architect, the building holds an ornate, artistic quality that makes you want to be quiet and whisper when you enter. The same church dedicated a small chapel that seats 100 people or so, in 1931.The Chapel itself commands reverence and awe upon entering. It is a small, intimate space with the chairs inside set up in the round instead of the more formal row idea. I set up my Mac and my M-Audio Box in the center of the room. The contrast between the Gothic atmosphere and my computer had a really cool impact on me from the start. I felt like a spiritual explorer invading a peaceful, untouched relic with my modern tools and technology...you had to be there.
I've been in there many days now over the last couple of weeks and one particular discovery has been a real find for me. The heater in the chapel kicks on for about five minutes, once every twenty minutes. At first, this was driving me crazy because I couldn't record for those five minutes and I would have to wait until it shut off again. However, I learned to use the time to review and absorb what I was doing. Basically, I would hit play on the track I'm recording and with my headphones on, and I would lay in the middle of the chapel floor looking up, soaking up the atmosphere around me. Seriously, I felt like I was being transported to another place. I don't know if people will resonate with these recordings the way I have felt recording them, but this has been an experience of a lifetime.
The one thing I've sacrificed here above all else is efficiency. There are places I could have chosen to record that wouldn't have pestering heater noises and would be available to me twenty-four/seven. I guess my question after this experience for myself and anyone that would listen would be, "In a fast paced society that will only get faster as the years go on, where else are some areas where we need to choose inspiration and creativity over efficiency? Is it always important to work faster and live faster, or could we be missing something along the way?" I would love to hear what you think!
6 comments:
i agree mike. the quest for efficiency may be the great mistake of our time. efficiency is great when it comes to furnaces, but as a way of life, it is probably not a safe mantra in all things. one of the things i have learned by being a dad is that when efficiency is the goal, my kids lose. they, by nature, are far from efficient. but maybe that is the point. they haven't been tainted by the cultural quest of "more is more" yet. case in point: wait for a -year-old girl to dress herself. if efficiency is the goal, you will be borderline insane by the time she tries to tie the wrong shoe on the wrong foot for the twelfth time! ok mike, looks like i started blogging on your blog...
The first thing that comes to mind for me actually ties into your last post about out of town friends. The idea that we often allow "online relationships" to take the place of face to face relationships. We myspace, facebook, email, xanga with people, but do we actually take the time to set up face-to-face meetings? This really hit me recently as I began to think I had an addiction to the computer - always checking email and blogs. One day I realized that I all I was doing was looking to connect with friends. It's easier and more efficient to have the online relationships (after all, I can communicate with tons of people all over the world in a matter of minutes), but is it really as inspirational and meaningful?
That might not be what you were looking for, but that's what came to mind.
Love it, Mike! SWEET idea being "on location" for your project. The sacrifice of efficiency is well-warranted, though. I think of recording musicians back in the 70's who were still using ADATs and couldn't cut and paste material digitally like we can. They had to record everything live...VERY time-consuming. That on top of the fact that many artists recorded really long songs, too!
In some ways the modern idea of being "efficient" is more along the lines of things being really quick (the cell phone, for example). My personal opinion says music has to be focused on its authenticity moreso than its efficiency. Don't know how that resonates with you, but hopefully you get my drift. :)
For some reason, I think there's a parallel between writing music and pregnancy. You wouldn't want either of them too short OR too long. I think Adam is right that we've confused "efficiency" with "speed." I don't think it's true efficiency if what comes out is half-baked.
Hey Tatu. Excellent points. Can't wait to hear your current music.
I fight the efficiency battle all the time in custom cabinetry and trim. On this last house that I built cabinets for, the contractor was really pushing things to be done very quickly. That forced rush just seems to cause things to go wrong or forgotten. Its hard to find that balance between getting things done in a timely manner, and building the most quality cabinet that I can. I tend towards "slower with better results." But most contractors don't quite see it that way. :)
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