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I am not very good at putting things together, but I am great at finding the information I need. This is the reason why, no matter what I do, there will somehow be research involved in it.

Recently (or rather “finally”), I have acquired a microphone stand and a portable recording booth. The purchase happened after a lot of research on models, features and, of course, prices. After a long while, I believed to find a suitable model for my needs. Purchase made and received, it seemed like the end of the story. Big mistake.

Why? What could go wrong?, you may ask yourself. And the answer is quite simple: the assembly. Apparently, the producers think that everyone knows exactly what to do, when it comes to puting the pieces of their products together, and the precise place my unskilled fingers should place each so-tiny-you-can-barely-hold-it piece of metal.

Only a solid belief in the abilities of others can explain the lack of an instruction manual. I looked for information on the box. Nothing. Then I tried the official page of the manufacturers. A lot of bad pictures, but no information about the assembly. At these times I feel terribly embarrased, you know? I mean, I have a PhD, for crying out loud! It should mean something! Okay, my thesis is not about assembling and disassembling sound accessories, but still.

I thought about calling for professional help, but first there was one last thing I wanted to try. The ultimate way to go. After all, I was ready and willing to go to the last consequences to assemble my new appliances! The approaching end of the trying period also counted a little, I might add.

So I decided to go there, rock bottom: I looked for tutorials on Youtube. Nothing against tutorials, in principle, but the fact is that in order to save time, a lot of time is wasted.

This happens because the number of videos whose content does not match the title is huge. Sometimes, it is even worse: the title and description are ok, but the video does not add anything new to your precarious knowledge about the subject. Let us face it: this is a lot of useless content out there.

But bravely I waded through all the click baits and pubs, until I clicked on the one video that actually helped me. In gratitude, I subscribed to the channel and left a sincerely grateful comment. Later, I felt tremendously smart after seeing my stand and recording booth all set up.

This little adventurous got me thinking a lot about the dynamics of the relationship between fans and artists.

Just as I never would have landed on the right tutorial if it were not for a series of more less random search results (a video suggesting another etc), in the same way many people may come to my work (and to yours) through indirect ways.

Will they jump my content or become regular listeners and (ultimate blessing) true fans? There are lots of reasons involved in such a decision, but it also partially depends on my ability to solve a problem they have at that very moment.

An eastern proverb says that a friend is a person who knows how to play the strings of our heart. I think this comparison is beautiful and quite true. Did my song strike the right chord in your heart? Then, a bond emerged between us.

Despite of all the algorithms and paid tricks to get more likes on socials, I still believe there is a kind of fan-artist relationship that is purely instinctive. The kind that, luckly, does not need any intructions to be assembled.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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Sound editing is a fine art and I do not master it, but I had to learn a thing or two, just like every independent musician. I must confess to you that it is one of my least favourite parts of post production and, consequently, a task that I usually put off until I can no longer ignore it.

This is the case with more than an hour and a half recordings. They are takes of a very special live concert: the release of my EP So Now, five years ago.

Precisely because it was a concert whose memories keep me warm on rainy days, the usual difficulty of dealing with my recordings increased a lot, to the point where I was already two weeks behind my schedule (!)

Okay, my schedule is flexible, but it is still quite a delay, and it made me wonder why it is so hard to deal with, let us say, my yesterday version.

My first guess is that it is because I am used to doing my chores listening to music or a podcast, with headphones on. However, when editing audios this form of distraction is not possible, that is: it demands on hundred percent concentration and who has such percentage of concentration nowadays? No-one!

This is indeed an important factor, but certainly not the main one. Searching deeper in my heart for the true causes, what I find are a mix of feelings. A bit of shame for possible mistakes and a certain irritation for no longer being able to change them.

However, digging a little bit deeper, I find one more feeling. Perhaps the central piece, without which my puzzle is not only incomplete, but also meaningless. I am talking about nostalgia.

If you cannot understand the reason for my dilemma, you certainly are not familiar with the selective function of memory. Remembering things is returning to what no longer exists in the outside world, but is still alive for and within us. The complex and sophisticated mechanism of memory is not only limited to being a screen where images of memories are projected.

Comparing our memories to scenes from a movie, we could say that our minds have the power of rewriting lines, changing actors, backgrounds and shooting angles, editing and giving the final cut. Now think about how much my mind could have changed my memories of the show over a period of five years. Scary, hu?.

What if I get to the end of the recordings and find out that my performance was not as good as I remember it? And what if the audience was not as receptive as I have it in mind?

The only solution I can think of is to try to deal with the recordings with the detachment that a professional editor would have. It does not really matter if the recordings do not show my A-material. Maybe the night was not perfect, so what?

The important thing is that So Now was able to create perfect memories. This is the real magic.

Be seeing you!

G.F.