The connection between the recording artist and music producer is essential for creating a piece of music that captures the imagination and attention of the listener but what if the artist and producer are one in the same? I have been recording and producing my own music now for over ten years and the one thing that I had to learn and master, was to be able to separate The recording artist Stephen from the producer Stephen. Here is an example of an instrumental piece that I recorded titled Piece by Piece. I recorded each track as a musician first, putting in everything that I thought the piece needed. Check it out.
Piece by Piece Version 1
Then, I stepped away and put on my producer hat. One thing that I have learned about producing music, is that most of the time, small changes in arrangements and tempo can take a good piece and turn it into something greater than the sum of its parts. Check out the Stephen Producer version of the same track and see if you can hear what I mean.
Piece by Piece Version 2 Producer cut