Tear my stillhouse down: An exploration of collaborative studio practice in record production

Tear my stillhouse down: An exploration of collaborative studio practice in record production

The creative production of recorded contemporary music is often attributed to the widely recognised, but deeply problematic concept of the lone genius. This myth corresponds with the invocation of the inspired individual artist engaged in a process of sublime creative production. The reality of record production is however rarely so individualised, nor spontaneous. The music that many contemporary recording artists make is the result of collaboration, often in company with comparatively unknown musicians and technicians working out of the spotlight, in the recording studio. This practice-led research explores how the creative and technical dimensions of the collaborative dynamic influences the production of recorded music, and proposes that through a consideration of creative method and the interpersonal and physical environment shaped by the artist/producer in the context of the contemporary recording studio, creativity and the resulting creative outcomes can be enriched. Specific attention is given to the studio environment and the ways that collaboration proceeds as negotiated, interactive and dialogic. It is with the translation of the initial ideas of the artist/producer in collaboration with other musicians and technicians that transforms the initial musical concept into the recorded musical artefact. While the idea of collaboration as a component in record production has been relatively well documented in books, magazines articles, and documentary films, at the time of this project’s inception in 2017, the majority of these deliberations were non-academic in form, making this a somewhat understudied topic in academic terms. This project responds to this lacuna by theorising–in context of the production of a recorded album of music–the intricacies of collaborative creative production. To question and theorise this process, this project takes the form of a qualitative case study, capturing and analysing a range of qualitative data including, participant interviews, observations, and the resulting recorded work. Via empirical research undertaken during the production of the album Twilight on the Trail, a collection of pre-existing cowboy songs from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, this study explores the processes of musical creativity and collaboration. The findings presented will inform understandings of creative practice and the role of musical collaboration in the production of recorded music.

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