Body of Work: Education

Admagination's "10 Minute Choir" actually takes about 30 minutes...truth be told!  Many times we've needed to add the big choir sound to jingles, live production tracks and original songs. Needless to say, we don't have the budget or the room AND we need it yesterday!  This technique uses only 1 female and 1 male vocalist!

SCROLL DOWN for diagrams & score of our technique, and to watch our short, fun video demo!

Here's a short example of productions we've used this concept in:

Ever notice how every Christmas album pretty much has the same songs?  Of course!  Christmas only has so many carols and songs which leaves it to an artist to figure out how to produce a song differently...and here's what we did to the classic "Little Drummer Boy".  

To be a better musician...you need to have better ears. Developing relative pitch (relative to the key, not as a leap from the note before) is the best way to understand how melody, playing tune and transcription works.

Relative Pitch in this topic is NOT the same as relative pitch as taught over the decades in classical studios.  Any note, diatonic or not (in the primary key or not) has two main functions.  It's either a tension note (a note that wants to move or resolve) or a resolve not (or sometimes refered to as a release note).

Knowing this AND hearing it unlocks the entire world of melody.  Pretty much anyone can develop relative pitch and this topic tests you and gives you the basics on how to gain this great tool

Click on the image to view this 6 minute topic on building relative pitch

Sometimes people push back when you start talking about songwriting as a "craft", as opposed to referring to it as some type of a divine creative consciousness only certain people have.

There can be an automatic repulsion from some when you mention writing formulas, techniques, tools...Saying that there are formulas and techniques smacks of conformity to some people, and they will often mention the similarities found in something such as country music.  They would get no argument from me if their goal was to write purely for their own gratification in hopes they have a breakout song that is unique in everyway!

But what ABOUT conformity?  What about these formulas?  Why do they exist if they are so abhorrent to the creative process?  Simple: follow the crowd.  These formulas are actually another name for style.  Pandora's Music Genome Project exists to help define and recognize traits that are unique in all the genres and sub-genres of music.  Any particular song or production can have as many as 200-400 traits that define it's appeal.

Because at the end of the day, songwriting is the very same process you followed when you learned your instrument.  Your first note wasn't very pretty, but as you practiced over and over, repeating the same excersises, followed mentors and took lessons...and listened to your favorite performers hour after hour, you became good, then great.  Write everyday!  If you're stuck, pull out the "tools" and finish the song.  Become good and then great!   

"The most creative end of the pencil is the erasure" as the saying goes.

Why, because anyone can put pencil to paper and write, it's the one who can step back, critique their work, erase it and make it better that wins in the long run.

1. You don't have to erase all of it
2. Take what you erase and save it as inventory
3. Challenge yourself
4. Allow an idea to incubate
5. Invite others to collaborate or just bounce it off them (be thick skinned)
6. The creative process is constantly going on, whether (a) consciously set in motion (b) an example of unconscious creation (c) control is necessary (d) and that creation is first spiritual, then mental. (Thomas Troward, The Creative Process)

October 28th, 2016 was the perfect night to hold this capital fundraising event to benefit the Ford Idaho Horse Park Foundation.  The event was set and held in the massive Horse Park facility, a world class equestrian property that is home to many local, regional and national competitions including the NFR and the PBA

Our job as producers was to put together all the elements (video, several performing horse groups, the orchestra, the script) and the call to podium of dozens of talking heads.  God bless wireless ClearCom