“What started as a love of the electric guitar, and then evolved into an fascination with how music was created, was totally transformed into an obsession with the recording process when, as a teenager in a band, we booked a weekend session in a commercial recording studio. I hadn’t a clue what any of the equipment was, or how it worked, but I knew I’d found ‘my thing’.
It kind of didn’t matter that it was just a local studio with some pretty basic gear (we were a pretty basic band so it was a good match!) because for teenage me, it was one of those life-changing moments. For better or worse, that first studio experience helped define a large part of who I now am….. a recording nut with a passion for music and recording technology and a love of how that technology enables a musical idea to be created, composed and captured…..
So, if you want to talk about music for your next project, or some aspect of the music and recording technology world, then just ask….. and join me in my happy place…..”
John Walden
Daft Dog Music
To have creativity at the heart of what you do every day is a very fortunate thing. Whether it’s composing and recording music for a client’s project as a music producer, working out how best to summarize what’s great about a new product as a music tech writer, or trying to help out those just starting out on their own music technology or recording journey as a teacher, it always feels great to flex the creative muscle….
That creativity becomes much easier if you can also bring an experience and pragmatism to those tasks though….. a combination of the right tools for the job, clear communication with the client, developer or student about what’s involved, and a healthy dollop of common sense are all key elements to a productive workflow. Bring the creativity but also hit the target, hit the deadline, and hit the budget….
Over the last 20+ years, John has combined producing music for a variety of media applications (for example, creating production music for use in film, TV, advertising, and online use), working as a music technology journalist (he is a regular contributor to Sound On Sound magazine) and teaching at a number of universities within the UK higher education sector.
The experiences gained from each of these different working contexts compliment each other in some obvious ways….. and provide a broad skill set suitable to tackle almost any type of composing, writing or teaching project.
Daft Dog Music operate out of our own dedicated studio space and, while gear is not an end in its own right, there are some truly amazing music and recording technology products currently available.
So, with thanks to the brilliant minds that sit behind all the companies and products that populate our studio to make what we do possible, whatever the task in hand, it’s always easy to find a source of inspiration.