by Joce-17, 16 July 2009

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For all of those who have ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of music, from my one-week work experience at a Music Studio in Hong Kong, I’m here, blogging this month, to tell all.

Behind all the glamour of the music industry, the music studio and office is hardly comparable in extravagance. It is definite though that the each business is divided into two – the actual studio and the administrative office. This is both physical to the office (they are on two different floors) and operational.

For the office, other than a lot of incomprehensible technological devices and perhaps a slightly more high-class interior design than other offices, I found that for the most part, the office’s running is typical. Regular working hours and organizational chores that is loosely related to the actual music are amongst the ‘normal’ factors.

The studio is a whole other story.

During my week there, I can conclude that it is for the nocturnal.

For those of you who are aspiring audio technicians, be prepared (taken from a real life example), to not sleep for days on end, wait on late divas, eat a lot of take out for lunch and dinner and forget the existence of regular holidays. Yes, the music industry is severely demanding. However with that said, from my week there, I can safely state that it is also very rewarding. Whether it is appreciating the final mix of a song or tearing down the studio set up after a long day of recording, or even just seeing music you helped create through the media, there is a sense of completion and achievement unlike other feelings.

The Worker
The first half of the first day there was probably the only day where anything ‘regular’ was experienced. To ease me into the office life, the first day was spent performing administrative chores. Inputting data of important contacts and filing papers where examples of such jobs. However, true to my real interest there, I was able to go down to the studio after a take out lunch, to witness some tuning and mixing.

Due to the fact that while I was there, a medley was being produced and there was a great deal of exposure to many different types of singers and musical styles, there are a few unspoken conventions that I discovered during the rest of my week there as a techie, or rather, following the audio technicians. Firstly, there are many singers who can’t sing and it is generally understood that for them, the recording process is merely a mannerism. The rest is up to countless hours of tuning efforts from the technicians. Although that is not to say that there are no real singers here, some may require little or even no tuning and an immense sense of relief is felt as they grace the studio with their presence.

Secondly, although there is a lot of room for creativity in the studios of Hong Kong, sometimes, if working in a specific field, for a specific company/singer, more often than not, your own musical opinion and tastes may not matter, unless you make it big, as ultimately, it is for a certain client and not yourself. This however, may not be true for the music industry elsewhere.

The Techie

If, like myself, you are an aspiring musician, whether it is for the technical aspect or performing aspect, I believe that I can safely recommend to you that, although it may not sound so, simply observing the happenings in a studio is more than enough fun.

Naturally, getting in on the action was even better. Helping to set up the studio for recording, witnessing the actual recording of local artists, choosing the singer’s takes, helping with the tuning, learning how to use programs like ProTools and Audacity, and creating the final mix-down of the piece were all amongst the many interesting jobs I experienced as a techie. The late working hours, practically living at the studio, spontaneous projects and the late artists with attitudes were all worth it.

The Performer
As a compulsory music project for school, I needed to record a self-written acoustic song and I was fortunate enough to be allowed to do so at this particular studio. Compared to the amateur Garage Band projects at home, the studio, although not immensely large in size, was overwhelming to a first-timer. Trying to play my guitar and after that, recording on a different track and singing over my own less than perfect guitar playing while the hearing was muffled by the large earphones was, to say the least, nerve wracking. However, once over this initial sense of fright, the experience was possible more enjoyable than anything else. It is also, to me, second nature to appreciate the efforts of the technicians, patiently waiting and recording for the artist until satisfied. As a performer, being able to enjoy your own music and knowing that it exists is euphoric.

No, the music industry is not for everyone.

Some may hate the erratic lifestyle, while others may indulge in the excitement that I personally think comes with it. Some may find spending countless hours in the same studio tedious and dull, while I personally find it a musical haven and enjoy the surroundings. Some may find that being part of the production and knowing a song from scratch takes away the feeling of exhilaration when listening to a piece that an outsider would feel while others may feel that the breakdown of the song is where the excitement is. For me, I embrace this industry that comes with the power to create.