My Audio World
Barb Morrison
Everyone in my family was musical, although I am the only one who went on to do music professionally. There was always music in my house growing up. My parents loved big band, classical, and jazz standards. My brothers were fighting over rock vs disco because it was the 70s. So, once punk hit, that was finally music I could call my own.
We had a piano in the living room and a drum set in the basement, plus tons of audio gear because one of my brothers was a DJ. I was exposed to what great audio was because my brothers were obsessed with the quality of sound, always collecting stereo equipment, speakers, and headphones, as well as being pretty macho about who had the best car stereo.
Once the 80s hit and all the new-sounding recordings were coming out - Blondie, Elvis Costello, The Cars, all the new wave stuff that was so slick and shiny - my young ears were totally pulled into the speakers, and my young mind just wanted to take apart what was making all this cool new stuff.
I was a teen in the mid-80s, and there were so many mind-blowing things to listen to. I remember everyone was listening to The Rolling Stones, and then along came Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express. My head exploded.
My attitude towards making music was always just to be unafraid. I got really into avant-garde jazz and experimental music in my late teens. At that time, Sonic Youth, Cabaret Voltaire, and The Residents were happening. Those bands felt so limitless. Listening to them really gave me permission to explore instruments in very unconventional ways - and to record in unconventional ways.
Why play a guitar by the strings? Why not knock on the back of it, record it from the bottom, and see how that sounds? I learned about the German composer Stockhausen and how he put weird objects in his piano strings to create super odd sounds.
I still use those techniques today in film score composing because making music for film is about capturing the subtleties of emotion and taking the viewer on a ride they might not even realise they’re on. The fun thing about applying those same techniques to producing songs - even pop songs - is that I get to create feelings that are unique instead of relying on the same old sounds everyone is listening to all the time.
So yes, I love doing all of those things equally.
Because my brothers were audio geeks, I was constantly getting their hand-me-downs. My first “producer” setup was in 1981, and it consisted of two cassette decks and a DJ mixer. When I realised I could stack sounds by bouncing audio, every single song I ever heard sounded different. It felt like I had been initiated into some secret society or given the key to all the questions in life!
It was as if I’d been handed the most addictive drug ever known to humankind. I’m now in my third decade as a producer, and I still can’t quit it.
I have to say, one of my most memorable moments was at the beginning of working with Debbie Harry. She was in the booth doing some vocal takes, working out a melody we were trying to convey to her. Aside from being a legend and a beauty, she is such a natural talent - a really great ear and a super creative artist.
All of a sudden, my producing partner at the time and I looked at each other, and he said, “Oh my God, she’s doing that Debbie Harry thing we all grew up listening to!” We looked down at both of our arms, and we had goosebumps. It was like the music I’d been listening to growing up was forming right before my very eyes.
One part of the process I think modern-day producers often overlook is the importance of relationships and psychology. Although I’ve made tracks and sent them to people, I MUCH prefer having the artist in the room. The producer/artist relationship can be extremely deep because the artist has to trust the producer to see some of the rougher parts of the process, and the producer has to be able to pull out the best parts for the final takes.
I would never work with anyone I didn’t respect first and foremost, and I’d never work with someone I didn’t want to spend eight hours with. The same goes for my engineers. Some weeks, I spend more time with my engineers than I do with my wife! It’s all about vibes and deep trust.
That trust goes both ways for the artist too. I hear so many horror stories about people working with producers they didn’t trust. It’s a total waste of time and money. If you’re hiring someone who’s going to bring ideas to the table, you better trust their ideas.
Oh, this one came up for me recently: I started asking myself in the third person, “What would Barb Morrison bring to the table here?” Being able to bring every bit of who I am, along with the inspirations that have shaped me and made me the artist I am today, is what makes my productions unique.
Nobody has my life. Nobody has my ears. So, instead of trying so hard to make something that sounds like everything else, I focus on going deeper into my own story. That helps me navigate the reasons an artist chose me to produce their music in the first place.
Yes! During the pandemic, we all had to get creative about how we made music, especially in the studio. I started a one-on-one Music Mentor Program, which meets on Zoom once a week for artists of all levels to really get to the heart of what they’re doing, what they’re trying to say, and what their truth is.
That expanded into helping people sing better and also helping them become better engineers and producers using Logic on their laptops. Once the world opened back up, I realised I loved doing these Zoom sessions so much that I just kept going! Now, I see people a few days a week for an hour at a time, working on new music, songwriting, lyric writing, and more.
I also wrote a book called Bottoming for God and just finished a book tour, so I’m now mentoring writers as well as musicians. It’s been incredible watching people grow from simple ideas to fully realised, finished art.
You can find more info here: https://www.barbmorrisonmusic.com/music-mentor
The first item I want to rave about is the Earshades. I was smart enough to start protecting my ears in the early 90s, and I truly believe that’s part of why my career has lasted so long. My ears are still excellent, and when I tried Earshades, I fell in love. They provide protection while still allowing me to hear important parts of the spectrum.
I sometimes use them in the studio - if I’m sitting too close to the monitors, on a drum day, or when the artist wants to listen back at a deafening volume. I can still hear everything clearly without damaging my hearing. There’s a reason Flare’s motto is LONG LIVE EARS.
The other product that recently knocked my socks off is the E Prototype earphones. The very first song I listened to with them was a Kendrick Lamar track, and my jaw hit the floor. It felt like I’d been driving with a dirty windshield my whole life, and suddenly the wipers worked. Everything sounded crystal clear. It was as if all the frequencies in the spectrum were washing over and through me - a truly beautiful experience.
The gurgling of the coffee maker finishing up. My insides just calm when I hear it, like, “Yep, I’m about to feel better very soon.”
My alarm clock AT ANY TIME.
Seeing Prince perform Purple Rain live at the Super Bowl in the rain. The whole stadium was purple, we were all soaked, and we were all singing the “woo hoo hoo hoo woo hoo hoo hoo” part with him at the end. It was one of the most legendary performances in rock 'n' roll history, and I got to be there. It brings tears to my eyes even thinking about it.
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