Recording - April 2020 - 4

publisher:

Thomas Hawley
Brent Heintz

associate publisher:

FadeIn
When I started to consider how to kick off the April issue of RECORDING, I
assumed I would wax poetic on what it means to be a singer/songwriter in the
21st century, with all the cool new tools and gear that songsmiths have at their
disposal. There's a ton of software and hardware that can help take the melodies
and lyrics in your mind and, with a few turns of a knob or clicks of a mouse, turn
those ideas into full-blown finished songs-many in this very issue.
As I started to collate and read through this issue however, I began to see
themes emerge that focus more on how we work rather than the things we work
with. Part of this realization started as I finished my book report on Musician's Survival Guide to a Killer Record, by engineer/author Eric Sarafin AKA Mixerman.
Whether you're a songwriter, composer, sound designer, or you fall into the
current catch-all of 'content creator', chances are good that you spend a lot of
time working on your own. That can be cathartic, creative, freeing, and fun. It also
carries with it several potential pitfalls, roadblocks, and other issues.
Author Joe Albano tackles these subjects head-on. In his monthly column, Inside the
Box, Joe addresses tools, techniques, and considerations for solo songwriters working
in the studio. Joe also authored this month's Fade Out, where he navigates tunnel vision,
going stir crazy, and other travails of working alone in today's do-it-yourself music world.
There's no better illustration of all of the above than in our interview with Maia
Sharp and Anna Schulze, who perform and release music as Roscoe & Etta. Despite a
20-year separation in age, bringing with it with differing musical backgrounds, working methods, and experiences, Maia and Anna are perfect examples of the modern,
professional singer/songwriter and what's possible through trust and collaboration.
If you want to talk DIY and work ethic, Maia and Anna also exhibit an incredible willingness to continually learn new skills-even the non-musical ones needed
to survive in today's musical marketplace. Before you read the interview, search
out their self-titled album Roscoe & Etta, or its follow up EP, Blessings, Curses,
Anchors & Wings, on your favorite streaming service. As you listen to the music,
realize that they recorded the music in their home studios, played most of the
instruments, and then Anna learned how to mix music as she mixed their albums!
Of course, this is RECORDING Magazine, and this month's issue is also filled with
copious amounts of gear. Maia and Anna talk about their gear and studio setups. You
can check out what your fellow readers are using in their studios in this issue's Readers'
Tracks with Marty Peters, and Mark Hornsby talks about the gear and techniques he
used to record singer/songwriter Jonatha Brooke. Of course, in addition to our book
report, we have a dozen product reviews in these pages as well. Rounding things out,
acoustician James Lindenschmidt talks about building a vocal booth, and there's more...
As I wrap this up, I think what I'm feeling,
after reading all these stories, articles, and
even reviews this month is inspired to make
music, and isn't that the point?
Enjoy the issue and be inspired!

Cover photo by Erick Anderson. Erick is a Nashvillebased music photographer whose work has graced
our pages for many years. He is a true talent and we
are grateful for his contributions. Check out more of
his work at www.eafoto.com.
4

RECORDING April 2020

EDITORIAL
Paul Vnuk Jr.
associate editor: Alex Hawley
copy editor: Mike Scheibinger
músico pro editor: Rodrigo O. Sánchez
editor:

CONTRIBUTORS
Joe Albano, Mark Hornsby, Bill Stunt,
James Lindenschmidt, John Czerwinski
SOCIAL MEDIA
Brent Heintz, Paul Vnuk Jr.
ART & PRODUCTION
Colin Courtney
production manager: Colin Courtney
art director:

PLAYBACK PLATINUM SERIES
Lorenz Rychner

editor/producer:

CIRCULATION
Tiffany Sepe

circulation manager:

ADVERTISING SALES AND MARKETING
director: Brent Heintz
classifieds manager: Colin Courtney
ADMINISTRATION
Thomas Hawley

accounts receivable:

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Thomas Hawley
vice president: Brent Heintz
president:

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RECORDING MAGAZINE
(ISSN 1078-8352; USPS 002-298)
is published monthly, 12 times per year
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Email: paul@recordingmag.com
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Recording - April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - April 2020