The Pros and Cons of Recording an Asynchronous Record
There are a lot of reasons why you may choose to make an asynchronous record. Maybe you want to cut down on recording costs or maybe you want to collaborate with musicians who don't live nearby? I think it boils down to the age old question of what is worth more to you: time or money?
There are a lot of reasons why you may choose to make an asynchronous record. Maybe you want to cut down on recording costs or maybe you want to collaborate with musicians who don't live nearby? I think it boils down to the age old question of what is worth more to you: time or money? It is no secret that the cost of recording in a professional studio can quickly eat up your budget for a project, however, you need to invest a lot of your time in order to record something yourself. Making an asynchronous record might be the route for you if you have the time, a DIY personality, equipment, and want to collaborate with musicians that may not live near you. As someone who has recorded both in the studio and asynchronously, here are some pros and cons to consider when taking on an asynchronous project.
Pro: There are endless possibilities for collaboration.
The main reason why I chose to record an asynchronous record was because I was living in a different state from the musicians I wanted to collaborate with at the time. Recording asynchronously allowed us to work together even when we were far away from one another. This allowed me to eliminate the cost of travel and lodging for the musicians I wanted to record with. Most importantly, the process of making this recording helped me feel less homesick when I moved away from my hometown because I was still able to make music with my friends. Isn’t the point of making music to bring people together and play with your friends?
Con: You may miss out on the energy of collaborating in person.
This is the real kicker when making an asynchronous record. You can miss out on the energy and feedback of playing together in real time. Of course, there are ways around this. For instance, on my last record we recorded the drums last to make it feel as though the drums were responding to the rest of the group. I also tried to be strategic about where I was leaving space in my solos so that the piano part that was recorded before mine had moments to come out of the texture. This gave the illusion of us interacting with each other and a lot of people after listening to the record didn’t even realize that we weren’t playing together live. Although I believe we did our best, the final product didn’t quite mimic the sound and feeling of playing together in real time.
I also want to note that jazz is a collaborative art form so I felt as though this was something that was missing from my record; however, if you play a different genre of music this may not matter as much.
Pro: Fewer recording costs.
The cost of recording in a studio can quickly eat up your budget. Making a home studio allowed me to bring this cost down significantly. Yes, you have to invest some money into gear but, then you are able to make as many recordings as you want once you have invested a little bit into your home studio. I even borrowed interfaces and mics from other people. If you are a student, you may be able to borrow equipment from your school. Cutting down on the recording costs can significantly free up your budget and you may even be able to budget more compensation for the personnel on your project.
In my opinion, setting up your own home studio is a worthwhile investment. This will allow you to make an infinite amount of recordings and you can even take the time to hone in your recording and mixing skills. The possibilities are really endless once you have your own home studio setup. You can help record other people’s projects, make beats, learn how to produce, learn how to mix, and even record your instrument or voice for another person’s project.
Con: Asynchronous recordings are time consuming.
When it was all said and done, it took me about two years to finally finish my project. Making click and cue tracks and detailed arrangements was very time consuming and I had to wait a while for others to record their parts.You may be a go-getter person yourself but unfortunately you are up to the discretion of other people’s schedules. It was hard for me not to feel like I was pestering others when reminding them to get their parts done. You also have to be pretty self motivated to work on a project like this. I created a lot of deadlines for myself and tried to stick to them in order to stay on track.
Pro: You can take your time!
For those of us who have recorded in a studio it is hard to shake the feeling that you could have gotten a better take if you only had more time. With an asynchronous recording you can take as many takes as you want and as a result you can be sure to have tracked something that you can be truly proud of. On my last recording, I was working on pretty difficult music that I don’t think I was ready to sing at the time I started the project. The amount of time that it took to complete my project gave me the opportunity to work up to the difficulty level of the music I chose to record. I am grateful that I was able to work my way up to recording this music rather than jump into recording something I wasn’t ready for.
In all, any avenue that you choose to record your music and share it with the world is a win in my book. The technology we have nowadays that allows us to collaborate with one another even if we are far away is unbelievable.
Have you recorded an asynchronous record before? Please leave me a comment, I would love to know how it went!
Listen to Lora Sings Markley here.
Photos by Lora Lula Photos
Lora Sings Markley Release
A project that is nearly two years in the making, Lora Sings Markley, will be available on all streaming platforms November 4th, 2022.
Opportunities for Women in Music
Grants, Residencies, Performance Outlets, and Professional Development Opportunities for Women in Music and Women in Jazz
The hardest part of applying for a grant or applying for a residency is finding it in the first place. I wanted to supply a resource for women in music and women in jazz to find opportunities that could help them advance their careers.
This page will be updated regularly as new programs and grants are discovered and application deadlines are released.
Do you know of an opportunity for women in music or women in jazz that is not mentioned in this article? Post it in the comments!
1. Dee Dee Bridgewater's The Woodshed Network
Application Deadline: TBA
Application Fee: Free
Who can apply?: All persons who self-identify with womanhood (trans, cis, non-binary)
The Woodshed Network is a two week long residency program that provides professional development opportunities for women in jazz. Their mission is to "shift the culture and environment towards one that equitably embraces, celebrates and supports women who have and continue to contribute so much to this unique art form."
2. Jazz Education Network's Sisters In Jazz Combo
Application Deadline: October 15
Application Fee: $20 app fee and a JEN membership
Who can apply?: Full-time university students identifying as young women or non-binary jazz artists ages 18-29
The Sisters In Jazz Combo is an auditioned group of collegiate women who, when selected, have the opportunity to perform at the annual JEN conference and will be mentored and directed by an established woman musician in the jazz industry. The Sister's in Jazz Combo was created to "support JEN’s overall commitment to represent and cultivate diversity and inclusion in jazz."
3. Chamber Music America Performance Plus Grant
Application Deadline: TBA
Application Fee: Free
Who can apply?: U.S. women-led jazz ensembles
Chamber Music America’s Performance Plus provides grants to U.S. based gender minority and women-led jazz ensembles to engage an experienced jazz artist-educator for six evaluative listening sessions with the goal of enhancing the ensemble’s performance. The listening sessions will culminate in a recording session resulting in a high-quality demo for use by the grantee ensemble.
4. Women in Jazz Organization's Mentee Program
Application Deadline: TBA
Application Fee:
Who Can Apply?: Full-time university students identifying as young women or non-binary jazz.
The Women in Jazz Organization's (WIJO) Mentee Program provides mentorship for up-and-coming collegiate women in jazz. If selected, participants will receive private lessons and guidance from an established woman in the jazz industry and will also have access to the many programs and services that Women in Jazz Organization has to offer. WIJO's mission is, "to help level the playing field in Jazz, so that women and non-binary people have equal opportunity to participate in and contribute to Jazz, leading to an improved and more rich, diverse and successful art form."
5. The Leeway Foundation's Art and Change Grant
Application Deadline: Closed
Application Fee: Free
Who Can Apply?: Women, trans*, and/or gender nonconforming artists and cultural producers living in The Greater Philadelphia Area.
The Art and Change Grant (ACG) provides grants of up to $2,500 to fund art for social change projects which includes disciplines such as visual arts, music, literary arts, media arts, and performing arts. Projects must be supported by or in collaboration with a Change Partner (a person, organization, or business that is a part of the project in some way). For more detailed application guidelines or to see if your project meets the eligibility requirements click here.
Application Deadline: TBA
Application Fee: $20
Who Can Apply?: Female music groups or female fronted bands
Founded in 2012, The Ladybug Festival continues to be the largest celebration of women in music in the country, with a 100% female-fronted lineup, proudly empowering and giving platforms to women in all areas of music event production. The festival takes place in Milford and Wilmington Delaware every summer.
Photo by Moon Loop Photography