3 ways to improve your musical productivity

I was mastering an album for the best part of the day on Wednesday. Now, I don’t know about you, but if I’m not careful, I can get really lost in what I’m doing and hours will go by without me realising.

In this case, I was so involved in what I was doing that I forgot to eat. That is very unlike me because I love my grub! After the hunger pangs really set in, I got some food in me, went back to the tracks and got stuck into some more fun work.

Again, I started to lose track of time and this time I was monitoring at a slightly higher volume, so ear fatigue began to take hold. I probably could have pushed to get another track finished but I was starting to second-guess some of my decisions that I knew I was happy with earlier.

I had an evening meeting set up with a producer (hi Luke!) and it was nearing the time I had to get ready to make a move. He got in touch to say he was free a little earlier, so that was my cue to finish up.

I could easily have stayed put and met at the original time we had arranged but I’d be fighting a losing battle with the mastering work.

When I was travelling in, I chose not to bring headphones with me. The noise cancelling function makes them amazing for the tube and blocking out all the extra noise that pops up but I had listened to enough music for the day. My ears needed a break so they could be fresh for the next day.

By knowing when to quit, I saved myself and my work from going down a potentially negative route. I also got to switch off and chat with a like-minded producer. Meeting up with someone who is so passionate about their work and their life left me in a position where I felt excited about the work to come the next day. I didn’t want to race back home and squeeze in another few hours on the mastering work. I was happy to rest and get back to it the next day.

When I did get back to it, I noticed some things in the tracks that needed to be fixed in the mix. As I didn’t mix them, I needed to go back to the producer/writer and have a chat about it. If I had decided to power through, would my ears have picked up those little edits that needed fixing? I don’t think so.

So, how does this episode of “Stephen’s Story Time” benefit you?!
 

Well, now I’m going to tell you…

 

1. Aim to take frequent breaks

   In the past, I’ve been guilty of not doing this and intentionally pushing through to get to the finishing line. Nowadays, I find that when I’m in a flow or a rhythm, I lose track of time. I really love what I do, so it pulls me in. If you’re like me and have real difficulty taking breaks, schedule them in your calendar. I’m a firm believer of “if it’s not in your calendar, it doesn’t exist”.

   I’m like Ron Burgundy and the teleprompter. He will read exactly what it says on the teleprompter. I will do exactly what my calendar says. If it’s not in there, then it’s not happening.

2. Avoid ear fatigue
   If you’ve hit ear fatigue, then it’s probably best to take a break. Even if you have a deadline, the work you’re doing at that point is most likely going to be counter productive. If you’re monitoring at low levels, then you might just need to listen to some other music, like your reference set.

   A change in the material you’re listening to might give you the inspiration and impetus you need to keep going. You can then return to your own work with a fresh perspective. But if your ears are hurting (hopefully not!) or you’re struggling to concentrate, then it’s best to give them a complete rest.

3. Don’t leave your time open-ended
   Schedule something in your calendar at a set time so you know when you’ll be done. If you know you need to be done by that deadline, you’ll either be done or you won’t! A task will grow to fit the time you’ve assigned to it, so make sure to keep the working window tight. That will also help you cut down on ear fatigue.

 
The main point I’m trying to get across is that the three things I’ve listed above will help you get more done. We always need a plan for our work and breaks should be part of that. Whether structured or unstructured, taking breaks actually helps you in the long run. It might sound counterproductive, but by taking a short break from your project, you’ll feel more energised to return to it.

It’s like what most people say about meditation… “I don’t have time to meditate.”

The truth is that meditation and mindfulness actually increase the amount of time you have available because you’re more present and in the moment.

In my case, I took the rest of the night off so that I could return to my work in a more productive way. The conversation I had and the time spent with another producer who loves what he does, helped me feel even more inspired to push on and keep working on my project the next day.

The album is now at a point where I can sit and work with the artist on making sure it’s exactly the way they want. I travelled down to see him last night and it was so much fun playing his music back to him in person and hearing his reaction.

Rather hilariously, that very artist called me on my way down to ask me if I wanted some dinner on arrival. He said he would cook something for us all, which was a lovely gesture. I met him at an event he wasn’t scheduled to play at but he got up and gave us a few songs.

After that, he tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Oh yeah, I never got anything for dinner. I got caught up in writing a song this afternoon and lost track of time.”

Sometimes, you just have to laugh and roll with it!

 

Now, I’d love to know…

What do you do to make sure you stay productive? Do you schedule your music time?
 
Leave a comment below!

  FREE GUIDE: Learn how to use the one hack that guarantees a unique,
professional sounding mix every time...

 

Download the guide (Worth $17 - FREE TODAY)