In previous post we talked about some techniques that will help you to be more productive in your home studio. The second part is not so much about gear or recording tips but we’ll talk about getting things done. Do you know the expression? Of course you do!
Home studio often makes us lazy! I’m very sorry but that’s the truth! In your home studio you feel that you have escaped from your reality and you are to the place you want to be! You turn your p/c on and you feel determined to start recording this song that you’ve been working for the last two months. Or maybe more than two months?! The issue is that you don’t have scheduled what to do and actually you don’t know where to start from. Instead of opening your project, you find yourself watching some interesting videos on YouTube, or replying your emails, or updating your Facebook profile, or searching for some new recording tutorials courses, or your friend John calls you to go out for a drink on Saturday evening and you discuss how your day was. STOP! What are you doing? You’re going nowhere this way! Yes, I know I’m right. I’ve been there and I’ve done that! Do you know how many times I’ve tried to focus on my project but all these phone calls, email and social media notifications on my cell phone destructed me and kept me away from my goal? In the next paragraph I’ll try to give you some tips that will help you to stay focus in your home studio and increase your productivity.
The first thing you have to do before you dive in your home studio is to schedule what you are going to do. Yes I know that I’ve told you that before and I’ll keep saying it until it becomes a habit! Let’s say that you want to record vocals for a ballad that you love so much. If you write it down to your daily schedule then you motivate yourself for this process. You know exactly what to do and for how long. So, in a piece of paper or in a excel worksheet you can make a schedule for your home studio tasks and not only for today but you can program the whole week if you want! In that way you prepare yourself for the specific task you have to do.
The next thing that I suggest is to stay away from everything that can destruct you! You have to realize that if you are focus to something that you’re doing and you answer to an unexpected phone call, then it will take you 20 minutes to come to the state you were. What do I mean by that? I think that isn’t so difficult to understand that if you are trying to write some lyrics for your song and you have some very good ideas for your chorus and suddenly your phone rings and you decide to answer. After hanging up will you still be so focus on your project? No, I don’t think so and you know it too!
So for that reason, before starting writing a song ,or arranging, recording , mixing, or whatever you are about to do, turn off the internet, turn all the notifications from your social media off, and even better turn your cell phone off! These simple steps will help you stay focus on your goal. Your goal for today is to record vocals. This must be your priority for your today’s recording schedule. Try to work fast but the most important! You must have fun!
Home studio is inspiration, is a creative process that you have to love the whole process. Don’t let anyone interrupt or destruct you from your daily schedule. You can’t please everyone by answering his phone call, an email or just a” hi, how are you doing?” message on Facebook. You’ve got to learn saying no! Trust me. You’ll feel much better and you will find more time to spend in your home studio. Either you have a home studio for fun, or a side job the purpose is the same .You have to create. You have to record and FINISH your project!
Try to find out what is holding you back from not doing what you really want. You can’t always blame external factors. There are no external factors! These are excuses! We all have the same amount of time to spend each day. We all have family, wives, children, pets. We all have a life to live. So don’t make excuses that circumstances keep you away from your music. What circumstances? You create the circumstances of your life.
Now, if you apply these simple steps in your home studio, you will get more songs recorded and you will get much better results.