Remote Session Musicians

Comment

Comment by Lisa Smolen on May 10, 2009 at 9:22am

I've learned from my experience in the last 2 1/2 years of remote recording that:
1) the files that I return to the composer MUST be professional quality but devoid of most production, and

2) i have to treat the composer & his/her direction the same as I would a conductor, relinquishing my right to embellish or interpret beyond the permission given at the beginning of the session.

It's important to remember that the composer is in charge - I am no less the "performer" than I would be were I sitting in an orchestra. My performance reflects upon me AND the composer. It's imperative that you have a way to line up tempos AND intonation without autotune - just as you would in live performance.

If your performance doesn't add to the quality of the composition/production, then don't offer your services or the track. Likewise, composers, don't feel locked into having to use someone if their tracks are less than up to your standards. Business is business, and in music it's ALWAYS about putting your best work forward.

Comment by Chris Alpiar on May 10, 2009 at 9:04am

Well with Phil's session while it did require 6 weeks of my focused time, it was an amazing time getting intimate with his scores. Its rare when you get the honor to work with someone as understated and monumental as Phil Kelly. His charts are world-class pops orchestra charts that truly stand the test of time, I learned so much from these sessions

Comment by Switch Theory on May 10, 2009 at 8:45am

I think the beauty of scoring with midi is the ability to instantly transform it into a written score. Then once you find a suitable session artist, you can send them the sheet music for them to record on the actual instrument and capture as closely as possible the nuances you envisioned for the part. Also, with the sample players and orchestra libraries available today, it is quite possible to create a mock up in midi that is indistinguishable from a real performance.

Comment by Chris Alpiar on May 10, 2009 at 8:30am

Mike - just adding to it ;-)

Comment by Mike Torr on May 10, 2009 at 8:22am

Chris, I have to ask - were you disagreeing with my comments about MIDI, or were you simply adding more information to the discussion?

Comment by Chris Alpiar on May 10, 2009 at 8:12am

also, please skip all the hype and credits in the ROSTER, just put the info asked for, this is a roster not a promo, and anyone looking for your instrument will easily be able to click through to your CF page and as a result to your website and learn more about you, if you are the right person for their recording.

Comment by Chris Alpiar on May 10, 2009 at 8:03am

I think the idea is 'remote session artist' - which means you can produce in your studio remotely, whatever instrument (or orchestra) that sounds professional, CD QUALITY. The gig I am working on for Phil is digital realization of his finale pops orcherstra scores. The gig I did for Mike Torr and am doing this week for Doug Lauber is live saxophone. This isnt for experimenting, so please only post what you can and have experience with creating that: professional CD quality recordings ;-)

Comment by Mike Torr on May 10, 2009 at 7:08am

Hello and welcome to all the newcomers!

Andreas, I think one big reason for this group is probably acoustic instruments that add realism to a sample-based mockup. However, that does not mean that MIDI performances would not be of value. For example, I have just played electric piano on a funk/pop style song for a friend of mine, and I did it by getting the MP3 from him and a note of the tempo used, then recording my performance as MIDI and sending him that. There are many nuances that can only really be achieved from a human performance, even when looking purely at the MIDI and not at the acoustic factors.

I am not a concert pianist, but I do play certain keyboard styles well, and I think a MIDI recording is of value to some people who cannot replicate the "feel" of, for example, Blues Funk or jazz by playing it themselves, or by entering it in a MIDI editor (the very thought makes me feel weary!)

So, I think there is definitely room for MIDI-based recordings here, of keyboards and perhaps other instruments (do we have any wind synth players?)

Comment by Andreas van Haren on May 10, 2009 at 6:38am

Hi!
I would love to help making recordings as far as my possibilities go. I am a classical orientated composer, piano is my instrument. I don't have music experiences with electronically or pop music. So maybe I could help out with piano parts. I am still trying to get good recordings of my own music. I assume that the idea is that the parts are played on real instruments and not a string orchestra played on a midi keyboard?

Comment by Malcolm Lindsay on May 10, 2009 at 4:56am

Hi I can offer jazz/funk or acoustic guitar.
Check out www.jazzreaders.com .
Have large Gibson guitar collection dating back to 1930s :-)
So most sounds are possible.
Thanks
Malc

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