This is Only the Beginning

     Well this is my last "required" post. I enjoyed typing to myself. Soon the previous sentence will sound weird to you. A lot has happened to me in the past 3 months of starting this blog. I'm looking forward to the next 2 months because I know the following major milestones for my music career will happen.

1) An EP by the band "The Rovers" will be released sometime at the start of the year. This is the first project with me as the Producer, Recording and Mix Engineer. This is my first step into this world. I will not having to worry anymore about only talking to potential clients, rather instead I'll be letting them hear this EP.

2) My own EP will come out next year. In 2 weeks time I'll be able to put my full attention to completing this. I'll put these into Libraries and create more marketing techniques to get the EP out there. This may attract other potential clients because of my sound.

     With these two simple projects being put out in the first part of 2016 will be a huge stamp on my name and will show people the talent I'm capable of. I'm not in this industry for fame and never will be. I'm in this for a chance to make my own footprint in music.

My name is Patrick McConkey and this is only the beginning of this blog.

Also, here is my last tip till 2016!

Only Guidelines

     Music is about creativity that should have no boundaries but we can get lost in making sure certain mic positions look exactly what it says in a book, etc. It may seem like a joke that some people will follow these guidelines on recording, mixing and more but you'll be amazed at how unwillingly people will be to step outside of the box. With this being said, instead giving tips you'll read in every book, here are some weird creative choices I've made when recording instruments in vocals.

     Drums: "Put a shirt on." The sound of a tight drums begins with deadning the drumkit. Taping on a shirt, tea towel or in some instances a pad (look in CVS and you'll know what I'm talking about), will help achieve this tighter sound. At first it won't sound as great in the live room but in the control room, the drummer will see the difference and a good drum sound is a good first impression to have with a band.

    Guitars: "Small, Medium or Large." Believe in the power of small amps. I've used those belt hook up amps for a guitar solo in a song and man the tone sat well in song. Cabinets sound amazing live but you'll soon realize how a little 5 inch Silvertone Amp can sound bigger than a Marshall Cabinet. 

    Vocals: Not much on this one because all I want to say is to find the right mic that fits. Don't let prices of mics sway your judgement. I've seen a $300 mic beat $10,000 in a shootout because the vocalist sounded better in the cheaper one. Make the "glass shoe" fits. 

I wish I had more but I've only started breaking the guidelines recently.

Barbossa even knows this....

4am

    For this post, I want to step away from talking about the music I'm working on for myself and other artists. Let's talk about time in relation to scheduling and how selfish should you be to people when they ask for your assistance.

    For me I wanted to have an EP out by now but it's weeks since I've worked on anything related to the EP. I find myself tonight at 4am regretting how much I say "yes" to so many people. By this, I mean saying yes to assisting students at my university, assisting engineers and artist in Atlanta and a lot more similat music tasks not related to my own work. I come home a lot around 11pm and feel the need to work on my own music or play guitar because if I don't then I feel as if I did nothing today, even though I did an ungodly amount.

   Now all of this relates to you in some way or another. There will be a time in your life when you're doing so much for other people and then you start to realize you're unhappy. At first you'll brush it off as nothing but being tired. Slowly, this feeling of unworthiness will gradually creep up on you when you see you have nothing to show for what you did for a span of time personally.

    Just like you, I try to fit everything I've said "yes"to in my schedule regardless if this means disobeying my body. I've learn to accept this "tipsy" like feeling I have throughout the day. Please! You must draw the line before this happens.

   We are humans. We are not capable of staying up and being equally productive throughout a 24 hour day. Yes, you'll have sprees of this no sleep life but make sure you're still reaching your end goals!

    I want to end with this statement. I miss making music without having to worry about having to drive all over God's creation in the next hour. I miss the feeling of listening back to something I've created. No drug can ever substitute this bliss moment when you blast what you created. Finally, understand to say no. Be selfish sometimes, and let the angry responses from those people come as you have smile on your face getting lost in your world away from world creating music.

I feel this picture I took fits well with the vibe of this post