4 WAYS T O M A K E
MUSIC PRODUCERS
LOV E YO U

H OW TO P R E PA R E F O R A R E C O R D I N G S E S S I O N
7 STEPS GUIDE

O R L A N D O D . A LVA R E Z
ELISHARECORDSTUDIO.COM
Preface ...........................................................................................................4

About the author ............................................................................................5

1. Be Humble ..................................................................................................6

2. Communicate clearly ..................................................................................7

4 things you should share with your music producer: ...................................................8

3. Be Reliable .................................................................................................9

4. Be Creative & likeable ..............................................................................10

How to prepare for a recording session .......................................................11

1. Rest ..........................................................................................................11

2. Prepare your material .............................................................................11

3. Food & drink: Do’s and Don't ...................................................................11

4. Warm-up ..................................................................................................12

5. Focus ........................................................................................................12

6. Control .....................................................................................................12

7. Perform ...................................................................................................12

Hope you enjoyed this pdf, if you found it helpful, please tell us about it. You can send
me an email. ...........................................................................................................13
Elisha record studio ......................................................................................13
 P R E FAC E

Whether you record all by yourself or in a studio, the content shared here is something
that can be implemented right now. This book touches on what to expect at the studio and
the qualities that will make music producers and managers absolutely love you and leave
them wanting to work with you again.

Depending on everyone’s individual character, we need to adapt and make the best of
the time in the studio in order to focus on what’s important: the artist’s vision, music, and
the final product. The goal of this book is to answer some of the questions one might have
and offer a perspective on how to create a meaningful relationship that will guarantee a
special place and consideration among music producers and fellow musicians.

LET'S BEGIN!
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Before continuing, a little bit of an introduction. My name is Orlando, I've been a music
producer for over 10 years. I've worked with artists with very diverse styles of music. I
graduated back in Cuba at a music conservatory after 9 years of music studies. Percussionist
at my hometown symphony orchestra, played in different bands ranging from popular
Cuban music to classical ensembles with amazing musicians and always had the desire to
produce my own music. I founded Elisha Record Studio back in Cuba and when I moved to
Portland, OR, I restarted my business under the guidance of Graham Cochrane and other
wonderful mentors. Now I offer services of music production, vocal recording, mixing,
mastering, and advice to upcoming artists as well.

ENOUGH OF ME, LET'S DIVE IN!


 1. B E H U M B L E

“I wish all artists treated producers like they treated their favorite teacher growing up.”

- Ryan Searfoss

In every path of life, you're going to encounter people that believe different things or
that act in certain way unlike you. That’s normal. We are not the same. Each person is a
universe of complexity, and those who can appeal to this quality would surely realize that
humility opens a world of doors.

E V E RYO N E L OV E S H U M B L E P E O P L E , B U T H AT E D I VA S .

Divas are known to be arrogant and narcissistic. On the other hand, when one hears
the word humble, most people create an instant image of someone who's trustworthy and
someone they can open to. Humility is technically having a modest or low view of one's own
importance. It’s the quality that disables and dissipates closed minds and creates durable
relationships.

D O N O T H I N G O U T O F S E L F I S H A M B I T I O N O R VA I N
C O N C E I T. R AT H E R , I N H U M I L I T Y VA L U E O T H E R S A B OV E
YO U R S E LV E S .
PHIL. 2: 3

When you go into a studio, make sure you ask questions, be curious, and engage with
your producer the same way you want to be treated. They are there to help you succeed and
reach your goals. Once an artist enters my studio, they automatically become part of the
Elisha Record Studio family, and as part of the family, I'll do anything to make them happy
and to encourage them to fulfill their quest and vision.

MUSIC PRODUCERS LOVE ARTISTS THAT ARE HUMBLE

 2 . C O M M U N I C AT E C L E A R LY

THE FOUNDATION OF A GOOD

REL ATIONSHIP IS GOOD
COMMUNIC ATION .

M U S I C P R O D U C E R S L O V E A R T I S T S T H A T S P E A K T H E I R M I N D F R E E LY

The way we thrive and progress is by sharing information, whether it’s through
speaking or via written material, don’t be afraid to share your fears and speak your mind.
Producers will appreciate it and will take your insights and feedback to make the music that
you want. Part of a producers job is to move out of the way and just suggest changes,
additional ideas, or technical advice, but in the end, the music belongs to the artist. The
producer's job is to take your musical ideas and turn them into your reality.

MUSIC PRODUCERS LOVE ARTISTS THAT KN OW WHAT THEY WANT

Producers can get technical really fast! More than once I've shared awesome news with
artists about a new plugin or gear that's mind-blowing to me and they stare at me with a
blank, confused face saying, “Ok? I don't really understand a word you just said.”

Remember to ask questions! Don't be shy. It's O.K. not to know everything. Next time
a producer starts talking gibberish you don’t understand, please let them know politely.

If you have any change or revision to do with them about your project, please be clear
about it and straight to the point. Although music is an art form, there is still a plethora of
technical parts to it. Communicating with your producer about your distinct desires takes
out the guesswork, and it saves time and money. The more specific you can be, the better.
 4 T H I N G S YO U S H O U L D S H A R E W I T H YO U R
MUSIC PRODUCER:

• Your intended message, the feeling you want to invoke, and the end goal with your
musical endeavors

Most producers will ask about this, but even if they do, don't expect them to read your
mind. Be proactive and share why you got into music in the first place and what your
aspirations are. Any music producer will appreciate it.

• Your target audience

This is critical because you don't want your music to fall on deaf ears. For example, if
you are a hip hop artist you need to know your crowd and what they like and dislike. The
same goes to all genres of music. If you are still trying to figure it out, please share this with
your producer as well. Together you can make a strategic plan about it.

• The platform(s) you use to release your music

This is very important because each platform has its own standards of loudness
optimization for mastering. On the artist’s side, there are also things to consider like how
many followers you have on each platform, which one you use more often, etc.

• How many songs you want to record

Is it a full album? Is it an EP? Is it a single? Each one has its own characteristics and
market. Each one is a different beast. This is something the music producer must know so
they can see the whole picture and make accurate recommendations tailored to your needs.
 3. BE RELIABLE

Nothing says I'm a professional like being exactly on time to your appointments. You
wouldn't go late to a job interview or a date right? In the same manner being successful
depends on how reliable you can be. Being on time also shows how respectful you are. Have
you heard the phrase "Time is money" well, is a reality we cannot ignore. Being disciplined
and courteous about time is one of the biggest components of getting accomplishments and
long-term relationships with everyone in the music business.

BE ON TIME!

Ask any music producer (at least those serious about their craft and business) how
much money they spent on gear and education. Their answer is going to be probably a lot.
There's no success if you are not willing to invest in your career. There's no success if you are
not willing to stop procrastination and start doing. When is time to pay your producer do it
knowing that you are not paying merely for gear and a product, your paying for your
producer’s time, education, experience, and much more. Being a reliable and responsible
customer in this way guarantee that they will for sure consider you an honest and
trustworthy client and will eventually result in more opportunities.

BE RESPONSIBLE!

One of the big mistakes I see upcoming artists do at the studio is thinking that a
recording session is the same as a live show, or that the recording session is the time to
figure things out, or that is simply a rehearsal. My advice in this regard is simple, the more
time you spend on pre-production and rehearsing prior to recording day the more benefits
you’re gonna get from it, more time to be creative, to be free, to have fun because you know
the material in and out. Is always painful to see artists struggling and wanting to succeed
without prior preparation. Do your part and you’ll be fine, the producer is there to help you,
not to offer destructive critics, but to encourage you so you can overcome any obstacles and
move forward. Behind almost every success story are 3 words:

S T U DY, P R AC T I C E , R E P E AT !
 4. BE CREATIVE & LIKEABLE

BREAK THE MOLD, BE BOLD, TRY

SOMETHING NEW, AND DON'T BE
AFRAID.

You can do things that you don't even believe, that's because we spend too much time
focus on what other people are doing instead of what we are doing. Paraphrasing Dr. Jordan
Peterson, don't compare yourself to who someone else is today, but to who you were
yesterday.

Be you, true to your craft, your ideas, but be willing to change, adapt, and learn. Forge
a way of unique art. Producers love creativity but also love working with likeable people. Is
always a joy work with talented artists that can create amazing music and at the same time
are wonderful persons inside and out for the way they act, talk and conduct themselves. Feel
free to do your thing, but invest in people skills more than you invest in gear and fancy
equipment and material things. Let people be your focus and you will start seeing results
immediately.

YO U D O N ' T LO S E A N Y T H I N G BY T RY I N G ,
B E C AU S E YO U N E V E R K N OW W H AT I S
G O I N G T O WO R K U N T I L YO U D O I T.

There are many musicians making really good music on their cellphones and tablets
today, there are literally zero excuses for not being productive and creative. You can do it,
you just need the drive to accomplish what you want, and if you're reading this that tells me
that you have that drive.

There's literally no one stopping you but yourself, you're lucky to have the freedom to
create and the freedom to express your emotions through music. You have a wonderful
talent, don't waste it!
HOW TO PREPARE FOR A REC ORDIN G SESSION

1. REST
Many neglect the fact that deprivation of sleep can take a huge toll on our ability to
perform at a higher level. Make sure you are rested prior to your recording session. Refrain
from extensive practice at least 2 days prior to the recording session.

2. P R E PA R E YO U R M AT E R I A L
Have your music or lyrics printed out, your instruments in good shape (if needed
change your strings if you are a guitar player, change your drum heads if you're a drummer,
etc.) Communicate prior to the recording session with your audio engineer and team or
your music producer what are you specifically recording for the day and write it down. Be
organized and have a plan. This is gonna make things go smoothly and will save time for
everyone.

3. FOOD & DRINK: DO’S AND DON'T

The following tips are specifically tailored to vocalists.

• Avoid dairy and gluten products for at least 24 hours prior to the recording session. Avoid
carbonated beverages on recording day.

• You can have as much tea as you like to keep you relaxed and ready (ginger tea is a great
option). Also, adding honey creates a sort of coating for your throat, plus the yumminess.

• Green apples or apple juice helps cutting down on sticky spit and lip saliva sounds.

• Cold water can tighten your vocal cords, you want to avoid that. Make sure you drink
plenty of water at room temperature throughout the session as needed.

• Coffee is a NO! on recording day (kill me now OR thank me later). Coffee acidic
properties are dehydrating and may have a negative effect on your throat.
4. WA R M - U P
The most important thing before starting the session is to warm up, this applies to all
musicians. There are plenty of warm-up exercises online, a good warm-up can last from 15 -
30 minutes (or more), please do it before you hit the studio, if you don't you're gonna lose
precious time and you'd risk your health by having an injury which could affect your
performance. Also, look for vocalists there's a trick we like to recommend, you can look it up
on YouTube, just type Straw Phonation, you'll be surprised with the results!

5. FOCUS
Leave all your worries at home, I know is hard, but focus on the task ahead. One of the
main mistakes I see young artists and producers do is thinking that if you mess up in the
recording you can fix it later in the mix. Concentrate on giving the best performance
possible. A great recording session goes a long way into getting the sound you want at the
end.

6. CONTROL
Know your parts by heart, this will help tremendously and will help you focus on
intention, character, and feel. Memorize the lyrics if you're a vocalist so it becomes second
nature. Conveying your emotions to the listeners is the main goal and this is achieved by
controlling your performance. This takes practice and dedication and listening to a lot of
music, especially if is in your genre. Study other artists performances. I'm surprised every
time I watch a video of my favorite drummers just before playing a live gig, somehow makes
me a better player just by watching and listening.

7. PERFORM
Finally, perform like you're in front of 30,000 fans. Do your best and don't cut corners.
An outstanding mix and final product depends 80% of what you do at the recording session.

H O P E YO U E N J OY E D T H I S P D F, I F YO U
FOUND IT HELPFUL, PLEASE TELL US
ABOUT IT. YOU C AN SEND ME AN
EMAIL.

I would love to hear from you!

Email: orlando@elisharecordstudio.com

ELISHA RECORD STUDIO

www.elisharecordstudio.com