When doing the PhD, one has to sign up to be a teaching assistant, it’s part of the dental and drug plan justification while at graduate school. Then one attends meetings on how to be a teaching assistant which emphasize how to be considerate, respectful and sensitive. I respond to all the questions in ways each professor hopes I will. I do a good job of hiding how I’m screaming a wee bit on the inside. I have been alive long enough to make being quizzed on how to be “nice” a crazy test of patience. Like being interrupted trying to cross the street by a volunteer using a whistle to stop traffic. I’m good, I can cross on my own, but I understand it’s your job.
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On the first records I produced, my concern was being everyone’s friend rather than meeting my musical needs. It stemmed from first recordings in the studio with Blue Rodeo, who hired producer Terry Brown. He’s a likeable guy but seemed confounded by musicians like me. There was no next record they ever made with him. Ohmygod I used a $60 keyboard with only five presets instead of the ubiquitous 1980s Yamaha DX7 found in every other band in those days. He understood this problem and brought a modern synth to the first rehearsal. There were things I learned from being around people like him, but other parts were cringeworthy even rotten, like disregarding the solos I found best. That seemed especially weird since I was the soloist, and he the one irked by anything veering away from David Foster’s happy place. Those disrespected feelings made me more concerned about everyone’s feelings, and that was my focus in the first records I produced, achieving what I wanted musically often went out the window. It took a few times before I realized everyone liking me has nothing to do with what I want as a producer. Now I feel good about the music and everyone hates me, I’m living the dream.