Do you work with a big smile on your face?

[Dave Martin]

An acquaintance just sent me Aretha Franklin's "One Faith, One Lord, One Baptism", which was recorded in 1987 at the New Bethel Baptist Church by David Hewitt and Remote Recording Services. I'd suggest that the CD is worth buying simply for Aretha and Mavis Staples' version of "Oh Happy Day", but that's not why I'm posting.

Here's the question - when y'all are recording something that much fun, do you sit in the truck with a big goofy grin on your face, or do you essentially try to concentrate on the recording process rather than the music?

[Mike Tholen]

I'm smilin' the whole ****in' time!
I love my "JOB".

[Ruphus]

It mustn´t even be that perfect for me to be with exactly what Mike said.
I am recording a duo not so totally perfect, but with love and passion in their playing and singing.

I could embrace them all the time for their harmonies.

Luckily we found to fit great together, so we are expecting still a lot of project time to enjoy.
Yeeeah!!


Ruphus

[Remoteness]

It's hard not to smile when you're having THAT much fun.
For me, a "big goofy grin" about the music goes hand in hand with the recording process.

[robmix]

Sometimes I get swamped in technical details or taken out of the zone by a problematic client. But for the most part, when the music is great you can feel the buzz in the air and I've got a huge smile on my face !!!!! I've been driiven to tears, in a good way, many times in the studio. I love what we do, but I have to remind myself once in awhile.


Rob

[Mike Tholen]

after many mistakes I found that the music is KING, not to worry about the technical shit too much.
It's not good for the vibe...you also look pretty damn unprofessional.

[Remoteness]

Yeah, I'll take a great musical take with an OK technical situation over perfect tech with a bad performance any day.

[Inky Goddess]

I believe that whenever one works directly with clients in any situation and any industry, it’s important to maintain a positive game face.

If the vibe is rockin’ and you’re not, the client is bound to feel like your attention is divided or that you’re having a problem. Regardless of your final product’s quality, your attitude could very well put them off using or recommending you in the future if your reserved demeanor translates poorly and rattles their confidence in you. In the case that Mr. Martin put forth, a goofy grin says to the client that it sounds good or better…what harm could come from that, considering that the engineer is realistically just as integral a part of that sound as anybody else there?

If the vibe is suckin’ for any of the myriad reasons it could suck, your sincerely positive game face and enthusiasm might be the only glue keeping the project from collapsing. In the true American Capitalist sense, any service provider might feasibly squeeze a few more billable hours out of a less-than-ideal situation by stirring a little-bit-o’-shugga gently into the batter, if it can be done without feeding the existing discordant vibe or setting yourself up as the new target du jour.

Unless my client was just plain curmudgeonly, I’ve never had any problems arise out of expressing positive vibes during any phase of a project. Smiling, whether in the style of the Mona Lisa or goofy grinning or anywhere between, usually makes everyone’s experience more pleasant. I consider an apropos smile an indispensable tool in sales and service, and I don’t leave home or speak to a client over the phone without it.

[Midlandmorgan]

Most of the time...sometimes the smile is a suppressed outburst of laughter from some "Freudian slips" and Spoonerisms singers sometimes make.

[fifthcircle]

I smile all the time when I work.... I love my so-called "job." You can bet that when I'm in a cool venue listening to great music, I'm enjoying every second of it. Last week, I was paid to spend the week up in the mountains above LA "working." In a few weeks, I go to Sydney, Australia to record at the opera house... Such work it is

--Ben

[Ruphus]

Wow, Ben,

That is crazy life!

Lucky bastard

Ruphus

[Jules]

Thing is, I think 'the smile' is a repeatable trick with these remote recording guys. At least I know it is with Steve Remote, our moderator of this very forum.

A smile is what was on Steve's face as he brought up the faders on an Aerosmith live mutitrack he played me and some engineer chums in his truck!

[Remoteness]

I must say, I was a blast hanging with you guys playing those tracks.

That was a fun night... We should do it again sometime soon.