Recording session = torture ?

Subject: Recording session = torture ?
From: Escamillo
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 03:03 AM

I'm truly upset, for once in many years. Our choral group (Lagun Onak) is a prestigious one, we give concerts organized by ourselves and we are also hired by Colón Theatre and others, every year, for major choral masterworks. (Last month it was Haendel's The Messiah with the Buenos Aires Phil.Orchestra). It happened that the production team from Odeon called us to record some choral parts for the most famous folk singer, Mercedes Sosa, and offered 20,000 (twenty thousand !) dollars for four songs. Our association is non-profit, and we are not registered professionals, so this money will be used for improvement of our activity, and was very welcome.
The surprise came out when we were informed that Mercedes had sung and gone, as well as the orchestra, so we were supposed to record on top of them synchronyzing our voices with the original tracks, then were gathered in a large studio where the major part of the room was dedicated to mics, cables and operators passing, while 60 persons crowded against a wall with NO chairs, NO air-conditioning NOR ventilation, NO place to hold clothes or music sheets, NO single bottle of water, full of cables on the floor, on feet for FOUR LONG HOURS with a 10 min break.
We gently asked for chairs for the next session, while leaving the room, absolutely exhausted, and with the convincement that our job was bad, senseless, and stupid, anything except an artistic event.
The second session was identical, except for 12 chairs for 60 persons. It started at 10 PM. At 2:15 AM, I said "good night" and left, forever. I know this may mean my total separation from the choir, even if the director doesn't fire me, I think this is the consequence.
Tonight they are at the third session, I'm at home.
Is this the same in US and UK, for popular music CD making ? Is it possible that a director accepts such an humilliation of his people ? Is it my fault, for being so intolerant ? What kind of junk music do they pretend to obtain from a crowd of tired and upset singers ? Are they only interested in the sampling of human voices for further robotization ?
Please tell me that not all popular production is the same.
Yours, Andrés Magré (future soloist)

Subject: RE: BS: Recording session = torture ?
From: Vixen
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 09:17 AM

Escamillo--

What a terrible experience! I've been recorded professionally in a live setting, and on a four-track at home, and I can say a few things from my experience (and research).

1) It's fairly common to "layer" tracks on a recording. In popular music, for example, often the producer will have the drummer do one track, and the rhythm guitar do another, independently, to establish the "beat" for the song. Then all the other musicians add their parts independently. This gives a very "clean" and "editable" recording for commercial purposes, but in my mind totally destroys the "feel" of the music. I much prefer "LIVE" recordings, where all the sound blends naturally. Individual parts can still be highlighted with post-production manipulation, but not "edited".

2) It seems to me that your choir director and the project producer should have had a long conversation detailing what was expected of the choir and what the choir would need. At that point, the director should have communicated to the choir what the whole set up would be, so all the singers would be prepared for the experience. Finally, if the director thought that the producers expectations were greater than what the choir members would tolerate, the director should have gotten a lot more money for the job or not taken it at all, on the principle that if the group is going to suffer, and possibly lose talent because of working conditions, make it REALLY worth it financially, or don't do it.

Just my thoughts, for what they're worth. You do have my total sympathy. What little studio recording I've done at home has been a fairly miserable experience, though nothing as bad as what you relate! The live recording experience was wonderful, because I didn't even think about what was going on. Whatever you do, keep singing, and find other people to sing with!

V

Subject: RE: BS: Recording session = torture ?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 12:09 PM

Wow! Sadly it's all about "clout!" Mercedes had it. You folks didn't. I'd have been gone five minutes after arriving. Then again, that's probably why I've been a solo act for so many years. Good luck with your new career.
Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Recording session = torture ?
From: Fortunato
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 03:49 PM

Occasionally I hear about gigs for "exposure". I don't believe in them. But if you figure to get big time exposure for your participation in the recording, that is future gigs you really want, then maybe you suffer through. But at $28.00($)an hour you guys are working mighty cheap. Sounds to me like the "famous folk singer" wants damn near free back up singers and thinks you should feel "privileged" to be on the same recording with him. So much for "stars" and other "famous" people.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording session = torture ?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 05:29 PM

When I was gigging around Nashville, a friend used to take me in to sessions at the studios. The GOOD living that the session musicians made was not from the established artists but from the thousands of out of town folks who paid through the nose to have a "hit Nashville sound" record made. I've never heard of anyone who answered one of those "we want your songs" or "we want your poems" or "wanna make an album?" ads in the back of magazines becoming successful that way.
I Think Fortunato hit the nail on the head.
Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Recording session = torture ?
From: Alice
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 07:34 PM

André, obviously your choir is already well respected from the description of your performances. It was not for "exposure" that you were doing this recording, but for the opportunity to keep your choir funded. It seems like the studio mismanaged this by not preparing for a 60 person chorus. I wonder how many other members walked away, too. I hope your director understands why you made your choice. I think you were using common sense.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording session = torture ?
From:
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 08:57 PM

Also worth remembering it is Spring in Buenos Aires and I would not want to be enclosed without aircoditioning. Andres - right on man- Welcome!

cookie nutz

Subject: RE: BS: Recording session = torture ?
From: Escamillo
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 12:51 AM

I really thank you for your sympathy, and for confirming that I'm not so intolerant, after all.
In fact, exposure was not much an issue for us, as Alice says, but FUNDING is really important. When I was told which was the amount to be collected, I said "for that money I will also dance naked at the Golden" (a ladies-only cabaret), and I still would do, but I'm sure that the owners of the Golden would have had the minimal human consideration as to provide us some chairs, or hangers for our clothes!.
Yes, Cookie, it is Spring here and the temperature in that room was really high and appropiate for what the Bible says about "sweating your fronthead", not to mention the proximity of 1 feet among persons.
Thanks Rick, Vixen, Fortunato and all. I'll keep singing, of course, and when I get famous, I will meet and greet my choir and musicians, sing with them, and keep in mind that we are producing an event of art.
Yours, Andrés Magré (come back, Bach! We forgive you!)

Subject: RE: BS: Recording session = torture ?
From: Chet W.
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 12:42 PM

There are much better ways to record choral music. I think the really good recordings of choirs are made in a good-sounding room with just a few microphones. Sounds like the producer was incompetent as well as inconsiderate.

Chet

Subject: RE: BS: Recording session = torture ?
From: Escamillo
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 10:52 PM

Chet, I'm not an expert but I agree there MUST be other techniques to record choral music, but this producer seemed to not care much about the group, but just obtain what I call "samples" of our voices. There was a moment when he said "let's try with few voices", then the director selected the first line of tenors, basses, etc. and formed a small group. 40 people had to wait almost an hour with nothing to do, while the small choir was recorded. In other passage we almost kill him, because he said "hmmm.. it is a little too .. eer.. too ACADEMIC " :)
Yours, Andrés Magré