My First CD Recording Experience

Having had the experience of recording my first CD, I thought I’d share my thoughts on the debate of CD recordings Vs. live video recordings.

I’d like to start off with an interesting fact, and that’s that classical music lovers are the lifeline, if you will, of the CD. Every other genre has been caught up in the world of streaming, but classical has remained a physical format for the most part due to the higher sound quality the CD allows for. 

I got to record my first CD recently with a great producer Andrew Keener Not only did he make sure to get the best out of me, but he also managed to tap into my mind - as a psychologist would. He guided me through the process, knowing when to push me and when to pull back. And what I liked about his approach, was that it was very human. 

Playing classical music in itself is very human, and you know what else is profoundly human? Making mistakes. In fact, the most exciting times can be when you mess up at a concert. It becomes like a game almost, a maze, where you’re scrambling to find the exit and hoping no one has noticed. 

And recording a CD offers an experience that nearly mirrors this because it’s live. It isn’t live in the sense that it’s all recorded in one take, but that it feels a lot more authentic, better. There’s less worry about hitting the right chords, bars, finding balance, which is the biggest thing you’re having to tackle when recording a video - as it’s pretty much impossible to mimic the pre-recorded sound. 

Not to mention, videos are recorded in several takes, which is done to achieve the best visual product. Whereas with a CD, it’s all about the sound and delivering the best audio. You can walk into the studio with a bigger scope and just enjoy the performance. 

That’s my experience of recording my first CD.