All of the sudden there was someone else who felt the same way about music that I did. However, Rick was far more open-minded about it. 

I began to identify with certain songs that I’d always considered garbage. I found myself loving songs that I’d never listened to before because they were “too mainstream.”

Looking back on all this, I could easily call it Mr. Miyagi’s school of “How to Listen to Music”. I can only assume that everything Rick did was intentional, and he genuinely wanted to “save” me from being a terrible engineer.

One afternoon he asked me if I would be interested in mixing an E.P. of his main band’s songs. I jumped at the chance, but was a bit nervous considering our last outing wasn’t so good.

We discussed it and I confessed to having doubts about doing the songs justice. He just laughed and said, “let’s get to work.” 

I think every engineer has one session that is a major turning point in their life, where things start to fall into place, where your confidence of running a session, as opposed to it running you, emerged.

This session was my turning point.

I had never heard the seven songs I was about to mix. As each came up for the first time I found myself sitting back and listening, taking in every drum hit, every guitar note, every vocal articulation. I listened to each a few times, moving the faders around and getting a feel for the tracks.

After I felt like I had the idea I would turn to Rick and discuss my thoughts with him.  We would talk about the song and how we thought the mix could help it. Only after we figured out direction would we begin.

When the E.P. was finished, we sat around the studio, drinking a beer, and Rick said something to me that has forever changed my attitude toward artists and bands:

“As an engineer, you hold an artist’s hopes a dreams in your hand. Everything they have ever wished for, everything they have ever wanted to be is right there. No matter how great the band really is doesn’t matter a bit. What does matter is that true feelings and emotions can be found inside every song. It’s your job to serve the song and the band.  You are a music lover, not a specific genre promoter. Love the music for everything it is, for everything it isn’t, and everything it can be.”

Next time you hear two bars of a song you don’t like, stop for a minute, open your mind, put your opinions aside and just listen.

Let it hit you in the chest before you pass judgment. Let it bounce off of you and then take a look at what is right in front of you. Pick through the surface value of what you just heard to find its motivation.

Art, by design, is meant to speak to us in various different ways. We have to be willing to listen.

You can’t mix a song until you learn to honor the song. You can’t honor a song until you leave your agenda at the door and listen.

j. hall is a veteran audio professional and the moderator of Indie Rock In Practice & Theory in the ProSoundWeb RE/P Forums

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