Doing Music

In the studio, where do the technical tasks end and the creative work begin? In this episode of Doing Music, Ebonie Smith talks to Craig Schuftan about her work as an engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. Ebonie's varied career covers a lot of ground, and she describes the influence she draws from cinema soundtracks and celebrates the ingenuity of contemporary hip-hop and trap producers. From the unique challenges of working with spoken word performers to amplifying the voices of Black women, poets and political figures, Ebonie offers unique insight into the top tier of major label production and the artistry you can bring to the most technical jobs.  Explore further: Danny Elfman - The Nightmare Before Christmas OST [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw1e7M5jkz8] 101 Dalmatians OST [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42g1X5etdEE] Alice Randall [https://www.alicerandall.com/] Phillis Wheatley - On Imagination [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52632/on-imagination]  Kris Bowers - Bridgerton OST [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw_KbuVPya8] Kesha Lee & Lil Uzi Vert [https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/inside-track-lil-uzi-vert] Recording Unhinged Book About Unconventional Techniques By Sylvia Massy And Chris Johnson [https://shop.sylviamassy.com/product/recording-unhinged-book-about-unconventional-techniques-by-sylvia-massy-and-chris-johnson/]   Keep up with Ebonie Smith on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/eboniesmithmusic/?hl=en], on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx-cwxiCvetFgo-LZoKruAA] and via her website [https://www.eboniesmith.com/].    Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com [doingmusic@ableton.com] Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton [http://ableton.com]. Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ableton] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ableton/].

When does a technical challenge become an artistic act? In this episode of Doing Music, producer and educator Chuck Sutton talks to Craig Schuftan about the musical results he gets from creative problem solving. As a teacher with a busy YouTube channel, Chuck has lots to say about bridging the gap between accessible information for beginners and compelling insights for experienced Live users. His enthusiasm for the hidden character in the most universal tools made him the perfect choice to make the demo song for Live 12, bringing the newest features to life and squeezing surprises out of familiar devices. Explore further: Susan Sontag - Reborn: Journals and Notebooks 1947-1963 [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312428501/reborn] La Roux - In For The Kill (Skrillex Remix) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpEOErRV-u4] Art FX - Chopping vocals like the pros! [https://youtu.be/dVZD9WgBXsg?si=KjSPu351ZbFVftW0] TroyBoi - Medusa Dayz [https://youtu.be/8_acY8L5gvc?si=yJwciy2nLAeSIY-A] Chuck Sutton - Transform Your Mic into ANY Instrument [https://youtu.be/rM9TH5Lv1pY?si=uP2-GNXXFmpIa5Al]   Keep up with Chuck Sutton on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chuck_sutton/?hl=en] and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ChuckSutton].   Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com [doingmusic@ableton.com] Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton [http://ableton.com]. Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ableton] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ableton/].

How hard is it to break the cultural coding around an instrument and realize its true potential? In this episode of Doing Music, Emily Hopkins talks to Craig Schuftan about her life-long relationship with the harp and her exploration of the instrument's experimental possibilities. Joined by her partner and sound engineer Russ, Emily details the various electro-acoustic methods she uses, the deep well of sound that comes from running her harps through pedals and her desire to inspire with her successful YouTube channel. As a classically-trained player now scoring high-profile soundtracks on her own terms, Emily's story is a relatable quest to maintain her own identity with an instrument everyone thinks they know. Explore further: Edmar Castaneda [https://www.instagram.com/edmarcastaneda/?hl=en]  The Emotron - Life Without Horses [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOR0P_bRvLE] Wah Pedal on Harp is Ridiculous [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnXgaWFgACw] Addi & Jacq [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCacqiU9tmyrlpOhna3myr1A] Zeena Parkins [https://zeenaparkins.com/]   Keep up with Emily Hopkins on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/emilyhopkins], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/emilyharpist/] and via her website [https://www.emilyharpist.com/].   Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com [doingmusic@ableton.com] Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton [http://ableton.com]. Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ableton] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ableton/].

How hard is it to retain the irreverent spark that started a musical partnership nearly 20 years ago? In this episode of Doing Music, MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser talk to Craig Schuftan and Christa Belle about their instinct for the absurd throughout the course of their career. We learn about their roots in musical academia and their love of strange, disgusting music, and their learned experience that the weirdest sound you make might be the best one. From relishing the plasticity of early virtual-analog synths to avoiding over-thinking the creative process, Andrew and Ben take us into what makes MGMT such a psychedelic force in the field of pop-rock.  Explore further: Alvin Lucier [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Lucier] Anthony Braxton [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Braxton]  Situationist International [https://www.theartstory.org/movement/situationist-international/] Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA8Dayy4O0Y] Royal Trux - Accelerator [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tO6l4Timdg] Seeburg 1000 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seeburg_1000]   Keep up with MGMT on their website [https://whoismgmt.com/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/whoismgmt/] and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@whoismgmt]. Their latest album, Loss Of Life [https://mgmt.bandcamp.com/album/loss-of-life], is out now.    Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com [doingmusic@ableton.com] Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton [http://ableton.com]. Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ableton] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ableton/].

When does self-doubt overtake the creative process? On this episode of Doing Music, L'Rain's Taja Cheek tells Craig Schuftan and co-host Christa Belle about the doubt she faces down when committing her musical ideas to a recording, especially when she’s working with others. A New York-based multi-instrumentalist with a mercurial twist on electronic soul, Cheek tells us about the various stages of her music making, from quick-fire voice notes and being alone in busy places to her love of lo-fi sound. It's a fascinating insight into the inner workings of a musician who prizes the patient art of the album to convey her ideas more deeply.  Explore further: National Sawdust Artists in Residence Program [https://www.nationalsawdust.org/mentorship/artists-in-residence] Terry Riley - Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band [https://youtu.be/mgIT5xh1nJE?si=ImKF7hFDLuXw8jTa] Everybody Shut Up by DJ Pacman [https://www.tiktok.com/@drewmorgcomedy/video/7181529834940697902?lang=en]   Keep up with L’Rain on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/turrelljames/?hl=en] and via her website [https://www.lrain.info/] — and check out her music on Bandcamp [https://lrain.bandcamp.com/].   Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com [doingmusic@ableton.com] Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton [http://ableton.com]. Follow us on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ableton] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ableton/].