by Isabella Fong

Produce an original song.​ It’s been at the top of my bucket list for as long as I can remember.

I picked up songwriting at 15, began learning the guitar at 16, and started producing music at 17. Still, I never considered myself a musician because I wasn’t an established professional in the industry. For years, my excuse for never exploring the music industry was that I didn’t have the time. There were too many distractions––work, school, friends. It was easy to blame my barrier to success on others rather than to acknowledge the hard truth: I had no confidence in my music.

Then, COVID-19 hit, and Toronto went into lockdown. Suddenly, I was stripped of all the distractions that had kept me from music. There was no excuse to avoid it any longer, so I grabbed my laptop, found a DAW, and had a change in perspective.

‍The Art of Inspiration
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‍In high school, I spent hours writing songs on my bedroom floor. Inspiration flowed through me because I wasn’t aiming for perfection; all I cared about was writing authentically. The issue with authenticity is that you’re putting yourself up for judgement. There’s nothing to hide behind. Over time, my confidence waned, and I hit a wall. I grew overly critical of every note and couldn’t seem to find inspiration where I used to. This made me even more hesitant to consider myself a musician because, obviously, musicians never struggle to write.

The early months of lockdown had one advantage: it gave me the time I needed to have a shift in perspective. If I wanted to make good music, I had to start thinking music in the right way. Making music isn’t something reserved for celebrities. It isn’t just an opportunity for profit. And it definitely isn’t exclusive or unattainable. It’s art. I found comfort in referring to music as art, and I began to view myself as a music artist as opposed to a musician. Musician was a loaded word, and carried my preconceived expectations of experience and success. Music artist opened the gates to a whole new wave of inspiration, because I finally felt unrestrained. I suggest any developing artist should develop a good relationship to their craft. Heading into the industry with confidence in your art will make it that much better.

‍The Art of Production
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‍Music production is like putting the paint on the canvas. You take your inspiration and transform it into something audible. If you want full creative control over your music, production is a must-have skill.

Thanks to the internet, it is easier than ever to discover other music artists who have full creative control and produce their own songs. Some are teenagers starting out, some are full-time producers making beats. Some songs are overproduced, some are very laid back. Some have amazing vocals, some... not so much. This does not make them bad songs. It makes them art.

Pre-pandemic, I travelled to New York City. Whilst there, I visited the Whitney Museum, and there was this painting. A single vertical red line drawn down the middle of a white canvas. In the moment, I couldn’t enjoy it. It didn’t fit in with the other complex works. Why would someone choose to create something so incomprehensible?

What the minimalist painting and music have in common is that regardless of others’ views, the artist was probably very happy with the final product. They had the confidence to put their work out there and the museum curator saw something I didn’t. Simply because I didn’t like the red line doesn’t mean that it wasn’t good art. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to like it.

If you’re like me, you’re thinking, “I can paint a red line. I guess that makes me a painter.” If you can write lyrics, play guitar and piano and have a passion for music, why would that not make you a musician?

I spent months during the pandemic learning about production. I finally had an outlet to practice building confidence in my music. My advice to artists is to hone in on your artistic view through production. There’s no shame in releasing a song if you’re happy with it. If you, the artist, put it into the world with confidence, others will feel the same.

The Art of Perspective

‍My perspective of and relationship with music has transformed since I was a teenager. It wasn’t (and still sometimes isn’t) easy to have the confidence to say “I am a music artist,” but it’s something that has improved over time. To both emerging and established artists, I urge you to find comfort in the fact that music does not require you to have one story. Your music is whatever you make it to be.

My excuse at the beginning was, “but, I’m not a musician.”. No matter how badly I wanted it, it seemed like other musicians had it so easy, and I would get nowhere. The problem wasn't my environment––it was my mentality. It wasn’t until I started to think like a musician that I became one. I believed in my abilities. Regardless of where you are in your journey, it is never too late to try something new. If you have the inspiration and motivation to make music, you're already a musician. ■


Image: Voice of Fire by Barnett Newman