THE MUSIC PRODUCER AS ARTISTIC  CO-CREATOR

My artistic research project is about a music producer's artistic co-ownership in relation to production of music within the confines of a recording studio.  It explores the continuum between the roles of a music producer as both facilitator and initiator. Through the in-depth engagement with real-world scenarios in professional music production, I observed the dynamics and nuances of how these roles negotiate, intersect, and shape the final artistic outcomes. 

The underlying research focus was to explore how the role of the music producer is changing in modern practice and what implications this has for the broader collaborative landscape.

The core topic is in itself very interesting and is not only relevant for music or music production but can be found across all artforms where collaboration is taking place. I began by researching my own previous experience and I looked at the role of music producers in relation to taking part in the creation of music itself. I also delved into understanding the essence of fusion in music.

In past projects, my involvement in a diverse range of projects has seen me oscillate between being the primary creator to a co-creator. My primary role has often been aiding other artists in realizing their vision. Nevertheless, my influence is palpable in the final productions, underscoring any projects' detailed benefits of my participation. To do the artistic research on co-ownership, I've created two distinct subprojects with unique artistic works, have had thoughtful reflections on the process, and I have developed a detailed catalog that breaks down various musical and music production concepts. 

Music production blends creativity and technique. To me, it starts with an basic idea – something that catches your attention - and then a developmental process starts. The recording phase captures the sounds and the mixing phase emphasizes clarity and balance and the overall expression comes out - mastering is the final stop before it is finished. Though the process has clear steps, it's a blend of art and skill and there is no set recipe. Every project is different and the decribed process is linear which most of the time is not the case… 

The methodology used in the project is rich and bold. Apart from mapping my own experience, I conducted a series of interviews with professionals in the field and I established the two separate subprojects. The two subprojects were fixed on the two opposites: the initiator and the facilitator. 

The first subproject was a collaboration with an ensemble and was undertaken in cooperation with the Danish National Radio. It was an interdisciplinary art initiative called ‘Streger & Toner’. The project integrated drawing, live-drawing, and painting from various periods with a live musical performance of newly-composed music. My role as the music producer was pivotal in translating the compositions for radio and television broadcast, ensuring optimal sound quality, technical aspects, and guiding the post-production. Despite the project's complexity my artistic leeway was relatively limited due to the somewhat conservative nature of working with acoustic classical music.My artistic co-ownership as a music producer was in essence more traditional with a clear structure and set role definitions. The role of the music producer in this subproject was as a facilitator of the artistic process of others.

In the second subproject I took on the role as being both the music producer but also the composer and artist. In this part, the expectations on the musicians and engineers invovled was – in a sense- also traditional but the scope of my artistic imprint was without any boundaries. It involved an intricate fusion of bossa nova/samba, and country music. I invented this project and the challenge was to merge these culturally distinct styles. The process included recording similar compositions with two different groups of musicians in two countries. Questions arose regarding how I could push boundaries or conventions around negotiation the artistic authority in collaborations. This project brought about discussions about cultural appreciation versus appropriation and the somewhat raw power dynamics in a musical production. It is clear that subproject two was definitely the most challenging one but also the part of the project that provided most insights and discoveries. In subproject two I was the initiator – the one who comes up with foundational artistic idea.

Every project hopefully retains some of ‘me’ and it is deeply personal, even if some choices are more consequential than others. As facilitator this personal ‘something’ can be very vague or hard to pinpoint whereas as initiator it is far more obvious. It is what I believe people often associate with what an artist is. 

An intriguing element in the creation of something new, is discerning the origin of an idea, be it a chord, melody, or lyric, and nurturing its potential. It's essential to embrace the idea authentically, without force-fitting it. My past works demonstrate a spectrum of roles and degrees of artistic co-ownership, ranging from simple contributions to laying foundational soundscapes for musicians to explore. While I have been crafting songs and lyrics since my teenage years, I've primarily centered my efforts on refining my aptitude as a sound engineer and music producer. So being outside of performing music is what I do most, what I have crafted my skills towards. Taking on the ‘primary artist’-role in this artistic research project has helped me understand the implications and pitfalls associated with that position.

When I work with music my primary goal is authenticity and I strive to be part of creating music that resonates deeply with myself initially and it is my intention that others also are affected by the music. From the artistic research project I also found it useful to figure out what artistic qualities are important to me: what my aesthetic consists of.

The second subproject’s foundational idea was the basis of merging two distinct genres into a new singularity. The idea and the implementation of it fostered the need to be acutely aware of what negotiations in art is while also touching on how to exhibit extraordinary cultural sensitivty – subproject two was recorded in both Rio De Janeiro and in Nashville.

The music producer makes a lot of decisions and while still being sensitive to the participants and culture, I have also experienced the need to figure out the hierarchy of decision making. It is a fluid dance between both my aesthetic and the people invovled but the hierarchy of decisionmaking is not the same during different stages of the process of creating music. In the beginning of a project I believe it is essential to not use judgement at all but be open. When it comes to recording it and bringing in other people it is time for more precision and thus concrete agreements and communication. Once you begin to finalize it – to gather all the parts and combine the elements into a new entity you are confronted with judgement. Not only by what you think of what you do but also what you think others will think: you have to free yourself of the constraints of being subdued by egotistical attitudes or the imaginary presence of the what the contributors of musical contributions would maybe think / how will they percieve ‘me’ if I do something to their contribution? Just because it was recorded doesn’t mean that it will make it to the final work and the shape or appearance may also change in the detail-orientated refinement process.

So in light of the negotiational aspect of the project I believe negotiation in art in itself is an artform that is about understanding, connecting, and harmonizing different perspectives.

A succesful negotiation often depends on the willingness to adapt and evolve by everyone involved. Negotiating in familiar circumstances is often easier because of the imperative trust is already established and the common goal is the search for clarity (of decision making).

In subproject one the composers and performers were naturally given the spotlight as what we percieve as the artists. In subproject two however, I began it with not having an artist decided upon from the get-go – I imagined that person would materialize later in the process. At a late stage – and by encouragement from fellow music professionals – I decided to actually become the artist myself. The absence of your typical primary artist was very fruitful during the creation and recording of the material but of course it developed the entire research to also explore what implications there is when the artist is also the music producer and vice versa.

In what I normally do, I often see myself as a collaborator but not the primary artist. In this project I’ve exposed myself totally and done what the people I normally work with do themselves… but containing both the initiating and the facilitating part of the artistic process in me.

The differences between the two subprojects

However, music is fluid, with roles frequently shifting. A music producer's primary objective is to champion the final artistic expression. This exploration led to a comparison between the roles of a traditional classical music producer and a modern music producer who also contributes to the composition.

In essence, while the traditional classical music producer takes on a more guiding role, ensuring fidelity to the original composition, the modern music producer engages more deeply with the creative process, even influencing or coming up with the composition. The described differences highlight general trends, acknowledging that individual experiences might vary based on genre and producer. 

So, the projects research question, the catalogue for negotiating artistic authority, and the musical works of the two subprojects is to be found on this exposition. 

When writing my application for the project I decided to make it into a podcast as an integrated part of the dissemination strategy. This choice was made for several reasons: It's worth noting that this research project at its core is about music. Music and text are two different media, and while text can describe musical concepts, it cannot convey musical essence or feeling. Therefore, a text-based dissemination risks being out of context with the music itself and the focus of the research. The podcast format allows for a more authentic representation and understanding of the music in its natural formand how the project played out. I would say that a podcast allows for coherent dissemination of complex ideas and sound examples. Unlike a traditional text where the reader has to switch between text and separate audio files, the podcast creates an immersive and integrated experience.

Podcasts are accessible and can easily be shared, making them an effective tool for dissemination to a broader audience. This is particularly relevant in music production where the auditory part of music and the dissemination of it can create a confluence that tries to create resonance with the listener.

While the podcast is rather long – about 3 hours – I do hope you will listen to it and can gain significant findings that deepens your own understanding of the artistic journey of yourself or others.

Enjoy !

/ Morten Büchert – November 2023