too much . Maybe the bridge needs to be rearranged for the stage . We ’ ll go over those parts until they aren ’ t scary anymore , then run the song front to back a few more times . The songs will take a different shape by the time they have been toured as well . It ’ s often a slow metamorphosis .
PHOTO BY FERNANDO ARCOS / PEXELS
CM : How do you prepare for recording sessions and / or live performances ?
Bliss : Practice and hard work are my tickets to playing well . I get quite involved with demo recording and working through parts and ideas within my DAW at my home studio , but I enjoy music production , so that process was born out of that .
Comeau : For studio sessions , we ’ ll write and demo our songs a couple times , then spend a day or two tearing the songs apart in pre-production with our producer . Then we listen to the pre-pro version until we ’ re sick of it . Then we track the song and mix . By the time a song ’ s out , it ’ s so embedded in our psyche we can hear it in our sleep . Then we rehearse it for the stage .
For rehearsal , we run through the song a few times front to back . This reveals where the scary bits are : whether it ’ s a tricky solo or we ’ re pushing the chorus
Currie : For studio work , especially freelance work , I try to learn the song very well but not plan a specific part . I ’ ll learn its chord changes and melody and get ready to collaborate on the final part . I ’ ve had many experiences where I ’ ve written a part and become too attached to it , only to have the artist ask for something else . Flexibility is required when you ’ re hired to contribute keyboard parts . For live performance , I do all the necessary prep work in the days leading up to the gig . Then , on show day , I do whatever I can to be in the best possible mood before the show – getting enough sleep , eating well , exercising – If I ’ m in a good mood when show time rolls around , I ’ m ready for whatever twists and turns happen during the show . Sounds simple , but you wouldn ’ t believe how many musicians I ’ ve met who can ’ t seem to figure this one out .
Davis : I recently presented my band and a collection of new works at the Village Vanguard and we recorded the last two days for a forthcoming live album . I ’ d written eight new pieces and chosen a few pieces to cover ( including some music from my last album ), and decided it would be helpful to lay out the set order as to how we would perform the music every night . That helped me step back and see the project as a whole : did I have variety in tempos , feels , improvisation approaches ? How do we move from one piece to another – a clear ending or segue ? Establishing the set list also helped the band learn the music faster on the bandstand and helped everyone to know what kind of mood or vibe was needed based on the flow of the set .
Dourado : By listening to tons and tons of music by people who deeply inspire me . I would love for our work to hold the hallmarks of A Love Supreme or Kind of Blue , and ultimately , functionally , we simply have access to all the tools required to make that music happen .
56 CANADIAN MUSICIAN