We recently connected with Tyler Spicer and have shared our conversation below.
Tyler, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
As a music producer creativity is essential to what I do, it’s what people trust me to bring to the room! I have to be creative every day, I have to bring ideas that take the artist’s work to the next level – or even better somewhere they’d not even imagined – and I have to do it quickly. I’m blessed that, as a producer, I’m almost always working in a collaborative role, trying to build on someone else’s initial idea, and bring it to life. This fuels me in two ways:
a) I’m always working on something new and b) I thrive being able to bounce ideas around and fulfil my need to socially interact, simultaneously.
A typical start of a session might look something like this:
The artist arrives to the session with an acoustic guitar, a sheet of lyrics and maybe, if we’re lucky, some chords scribbled above them. They sit on the cream sofa at the back of the room (the client sofa is a quintessential fixture of any studio!) and I’ll ask them to strum and sing their way through the song – if they haven’t already sent me a rough. As soon as they start playing, my brain starts whirring and I start hearing what different instruments of the track could be playing.
Where it comes from, I couldn’t say specifically. It’s like having any other idea, except I hear sounds and rhythms. What informs what I hear each instrument doing? Again, I’m not sure, but somewhere between the strumming of the guitar, the rhythm and pitch of the melody, and the catalogue of songs I’ve heard and built up in my mind over the entirety of my lifetime, my brain puts together the equivalent of a photographic scrapbook, full of musical ideas. All of this with the aim to build up the track so that the artist walks out of the studio with something that sounds like it was played by a band in a room, and is ready to be played on radio.
So I’ve had my ideas, the artist has finished the play-through, and normally, looked at me for some kind of approval, they’re artists after all! I’ve more than likely complimented them on something I like about the song and relayed a couple of the things I was ‘hearing’. Then, I ask a question that could go in almost unlimited directions, like travelling through space: ‘What were you ‘hearing’?’
As I say, this could go anywhere. We musicians often describe sounds using a bunch of adjectives which is a truly terrible way to communicate and describe sound. The famous cliché “writing about music is like dancing about architecture” is not far from the truth, and not many adults are willing to make onomatopoeic “zzzzzzzz” or “waaaaaah” type sounds. Although in a very excitable moment, you may find me doing just that!
The answer comes back: “I was hearing stabby piano”. Okay, I wasn’t hearing that. However, like a detective, I’m taking that information and feeding it into the ‘case’ for the song. There needs to be stabs, so maybe that’s stops, maybe that’s sharp short rhythms. And the artist is hearing piano, so they probably see that instrument as essential in there.
So the day goes on, and it’s my job to take these ideas, reinvent them and re-contextualise them so they make sense. I’m problem solving and piecing it together to create what is still their idea, but built on my musical foundations and experience to get to the end result quicker.
It’s really within boundaries and the narrowing down of options that I find my creativity. For my tastes, pianos played aggressively rarely work for a track, unless you’re Elton John, but that doesn’t mean to say that an electric guitar couldn’t still offer the stabbing character that the song needs, whilst the piano adds sustain and it’s own, unique, timbre. After all, we still have stabs and piano. In that way, each part is doing something different, but also in my opinion, playing to the instruments strengths.
I’m constantly taking my own rules and philosophies about how music best fits together, and applying them. But, the artist might want to break those concepts and my advice, and I’m going to go along with that. Why? Because being open minded about my own philosophies to music and arrangement takes me outside of my comfort zone to try and make the track work for the artist and their vision. The beautiful thing about it? In the modern era it costs us only minutes of time to try, and one click of the undo button to go back.
This, collaborative way of working, combined with constantly listening and analysing new music, keeps creativity fun, keeps me reinventing as well as refining my creative process, and ultimately keeps my creativity alive!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Working as a country pop/rock producer is pretty special, up there with being a football (I’m English!)/soccer player in the dream job category for me. My average day feels like a blessing as I get to combine all the skills I developed as a touring musician, playing different instruments, alongside a genre I love, country music, and all under the guise of doing my hobby, everyday, without fail. It’s very special to be able to develop a connection with an artist and to be allowed to be so invested in a song, effectively taking care of their babies for them. I love that personal side, seeing how we connect with our different tastes and where our musical influences line up. There’s always an artist we’ve both shared a love for, and it’s fun to be able to dig into that on a session, make the most of that shared artist’s aesthetic choices, and bring that to whatever track we’re working on that day.
I love building that connection, and I’m currently working on building out a structure to allow country artists an easier starting point. Working 1 to 1 with a producer can be quite an intimidating and expensive experience for someone starting out, so I’m putting together a step-by-step process to both help guide artists starting out their career, whilst also connecting with them to help them hone their craft on professional level tracks. When they’re ready and confident, they then have the option to step up to work more closely with me, on a tailor made track. I’m in the early stages of that now, so by the end of the year, it should be ready to go on my website www.tylerspicermusic.com! And of course I’ll continue to work with the great artists I’ve already been working with all over the world, making great music, and perhaps connecting with some new artists too? Ultimately, the most important thing for me is to have been able to help move every artist’s career forward, in some way or another, with every track.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Again, I think it’s the personal side of things that makes the difference. There are plenty of amazing musicians that can do what I do, both on the technical side, as well as the playing side, but maybe they don’t know how to get out there and connect with artists in a way that’s appealing to them. This is something I’ve had to work hard at, as I work in a primarily North American marketed genre, so I have to use all the routes possible to connect with artists.
Therefore my first skill would be communication. It’s a skill that permeates the role of producer, whether in a session or communicating about revisions. I’ve learnt over time that how I suggest a change, or respond to an artist’s feedback, is much more important than the actual change itself. The music industry is unusual as it’s almost entirely subjective. People can feel very passionate about their vision, and it’s all about being a patient negotiator and knowing when, and where, it’s worth digging in your heels. Not every decision is critical. Being a Producer is like being the manager of the project, it’s important that everyone in the team felt like they played a part, and managing your communication is key. The best way to improve it? Take a moment before you speak or respond, and always have the artist’s perspective in mind. Being a creative is vulnerable, empathy needs to be felt.
The second critical skill for me would be a willingness to learn. As a musician you’re in a constant state of growth, there’s always something at which you could be better. That could be with an instrument in hand or on the technical side, knowing how best to use your tools. Ultimately, nothing is more valuable than time spent on your craft, but there are so many resources to help with any question you might have. So whether it’s finding a specific shortcut for your DAW or learning a production technique from industry leaders, it’s all out there, online. The most important thing is to keep open minded and keep improving. There’s always something you can improve. Listen to the best in the business, they know how to succeed. Read about their route through the industry as well as their techniques, and you’re sure to be in good stead. One of my longest-term clients recently said to me: “that’s one thing I like about working with you, you’ll do your best at the time, but always know how you want to improve. Not every producer is like that…”. As long as you keep open minded and willing to learn and improve, you’ll survive in this ever-changing industry.
My final skill, or maybe quality, would be resilience. If I took a look at all the other students that graduated next to me from my degree in music after 1 year, perhaps 20% were actually using those skills in the music industry. If I look now, 6 years later, perhaps 3% of my class is still working in music. It’s a hard industry. But that doesn’t mean it’s an impossible industry, and I always look at it like this: every day I keep moving forward and keep improving, another person drops out. Eventually the number of people with my skills and experience becomes very small, and that makes my chance of success so much higher. Of course I have moments where I have a tough few projects, imposter syndrome starts to take hold, and those voices of doubt we all share, start to creep in, but I’ve dedicated too much of my life to music to quit. Reaching the top is the only option now! I’ve also found that my resilience is tied into my momentum. Imagine a boulder rolling down a hill. The further it rolls the harder it is to stop it. I imagine myself as the boulder and even if I’m having tough day, simply taking the first tiny step is sometimes all it takes to get that boulder rolling down the hill. Whether that’s sending off an email to connect with someone, or ticking off the first tiny thing on the to-do list, that first motion starts the boulder rolling, and helps keep you both consistent, and resilient.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I have two suggestions for books that have had a big influence on me, if I may?! Funnily enough covers of both editions I read are black, red and white, maybe I’m simply drawn to books that look like that! The first is Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown.
Applying the ideas within this book is a constant work in progress, but for someone like me who’s always been fortunate enough to be capable in a few areas, this has really helped me narrow down and focus on what will help me succeed. Its main theme is about only doing those things that are essential and unequivocally going to progress your career. So maybe rather than saying “yes” to everything related music in my case, which may include teaching, performing live, or writing, I take a moment to pause and reflect. Is playing live going to help me as a producer? Well, it’ll exercise my playing skills, but it’s not going to lead me to an artist I specifically want to produce. After all, they’ll think of me as an instrumentalist rather than a producer, that’s why they’ve hired me. And what about the time it took for me to learn the parts? It’s relevant to that artist, but doesn’t carry forward any value, it’s a one time thing. I could have instead spent time marketing my business, creating production-centric content, or working on tracks that will further my career and evidence my ability as a producer. That’s probably a better use of my time, and gives me a lot more focus as a business owner in building my career. That’s been huge, and that focus, whilst difficult to maintain when people are in flatteringly in demand of your skills, has really helped me grow my career.
The second book is in many ways is related and it’s The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin. It’s exactly what it says, a book to help you work out when what you’re pursuing, is really not worth it. One of the most impactful moments in this book was in a chapter that focussed on a knowing when to make a change. This particular anecdote related to an employee who had made their way through the company from low level management to mid level management and then plateaued. He was constantly waiting for that move even higher up the chain, but was never offered it. Ultimately, he had spent so long in the company that no one saw him as a viable option to be any more senior; they were all too familiar with him and felt they knew his limits. The chapter then goes on to talk about the best time to change your job being not when you’re bored of your current job and desperate of another, but when you’re perfectly comfortable and in no need of another. This is often the quickest way to progress, and I easily apply this to running my own business. If I’m feeling comfortable, maybe it’s time to make or contemplate the next move, before I’m forced to make a change. Being out of your comfort zone is a surefire way to grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tylerspicermusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylerspicermusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TylerSpicer/
- Other: Spotify Production Examples Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4mhirnapbvSSsDBTqj7F4z?si=d569952eaac94529
Image Credits
Erin Fligel
