8.3.23 Journal Entry - The Discouraging part of the Recording Process (pt 1)

 

Hey guys!

I'm back again, but this time I wanted to take a moment to tell ya'll my process for recording videos(it's super professional and complicated and needs detailed explaining).

Here we go:

I pull out my camera, shoot a video, listen to it to make sure it sounds good, and then upload it to my YouTube channel.

So complicated, I know, right?

In all honesty, that's a simplified version of what I do, but I've had some speed bumps along the way which have slowed me down and sometimes have been pretty discouraging when I go to record videos. I'm just going to talk through some of those in this post. In a future one I'll tell you guys about some of the things I've been working on to help eliminate these problems, but for right now, I'm just going to tell you all about my journey in the YouTubing process and struggles that I have had.

First off, the buzzing. The extra white noise you can hear in the background when the volume is turned up a bit higher than normal. It. Drives. Me. Crazy. I can't seem to get rid of it. When I take videos I manage with what I've got and edit it in my video editing app on my computer some, but have not quite figured out how to eliminate that without doing separate audio from the video.

There have been several times I'll write a new song and I am about to record it, but then I remember that and I decide not to record it because I just don't like the way it sounds. I want to give you guys the best I can give, but I feel like that is just not it. 

{here's to the people who have been so incredibly encouraging and have been consistent in watching and liking and commenting on my videos, it means so much and honestly when I hear from ya'll and know how much you find joy in it, I find even more joy doing all this. It makes it worth it}

Second discouraging factor would be the levels of the vocals with the piano, sometimes the piano is too loud, or I'm singing over the piano, or both are too loud and they cut out and then it really sounds bad. The most discouraging moments are when I video a song exactly the way I want it to be played and then I go to listen to the recording and it's so loud that it's almost constantly cutting out.

Third factor would have to be finding times to record when no one else in the house is doing anything loud or that would disrupt the video. Fun fact, on the other side of the wall of my keyboard is a bathroom, and often times when I don't inform anyone in my family, several people use that restroom in the middle of a video. It has happened more than once where I am almost at the end of a really good recording and I hear the bathroom door open and it's too late. 

Fourth aspect, which honestly I hope puts this more into reality and the perspective of it all for you guys, which is the amount of times I record and practice one song. On average I probably spend about an hour trying to get one good take of a song, depending on the length and how intricate the accompaniment to it is. But before I record I spend maybe an hour to a half an hour making sure I can sing the melody steadily and smoothly together and I can pronounce the words clearly.

Even after all this, my videos aren't professional, they aren't studio-perfect recordings all edited and fancy with all the lights and moving cameras. But that's not what I need to share the truth of the hope and the love of the gospel with other people. Sometimes it just takes a camera (could even be your phone) and a keyboard. If you feel discouraged about what you have to work with, keep trying, use what God has given you to follow His calling for you. It's a call to obedience, and when we follow through, God works through that to build His kingdom. Whether that be one person at a time, through one song at a time, or one simple act at a time.

Thankyou so much for joining me again!

Please share if you have had any struggles/funny stories in your creative process when it comes to producing/publicizing, not just with music but other kinds of creativity too!

Feel free to check out my YouTube if you get a chance:

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPxqrUw3t_7QT_8RQrnmWkg 

Just dropped a new song called "Stuck in the Mirror" !!

Further reading: Matthew 25:14-30

God bless,

Emmaline Albers