Gatorade

I was taking a nap earlier today and had a dream about Gatorade. Surprisingly, this isn’t really a new thing for me. But it did get me thinking about ways to make artists sound better during a recording. (The connection will make more sense in a minute).

I wound up with quite the list, so a 3 part series makes sense. Today: Refreshments. Next Week: Week: Environment. Later Next Week: Surprise.

First Up, Food

Most everyone eats anything sitting in front of them, especially snacks. I once spent some time with a woman who’d had her stomach stapled and lost over 250 lbs in 2 years. One of the big things she talked about was showing up at every party, wedding or random get-together and looking for the snack table. I do it too, your clients do and we can take advantage of it.

• Avoid junk. No chips, cookies, crackers, Cheetos, fast food and anything salty. They’re expensive and will slow your artists down. They’ll fluctuate insulin levels and you don’t need bursts of hyper and slowness in your drummer, no matter how mild.
• Fruit Trays. People don’t generally think of fruit when snacks come up but they’re cheap and not filling. Except when they are. Your artists will naturally feel full when they’re done but it won’t slow them down. Add in the nutrients and your players will get a little boost. You can find small trays at every grocery store and huge trays at Costco and Sams Club. All precut.

Just having basic refreshments will boost your rep quick. People may not talk about the food you have but they’re happy when they’re eating it and they’ll associate that happiness with you. When they’re talking about you they’ll remember the feeling and you’ll get more business.

Drinks

Here’s where you get into trouble. “Hey guys, we’re all set up back here. Want a drink first?”

• No soda. Let me say that again. No Soda. Carbonation screws with oxygen levels. Nuff said.
• Gatorade. Not too much though. Performing takes exertion but it’s not a basketball game. Get most guys thirsty and they’ll naturally drink just the right amount of Gatorade. You’re generally looking for 2 parts water, 1 part Gatorade.
• Water. Most studios get hot. Mix electronics, exertion, stress and the difficulty of ventilation in soundproof room and it starts to boil.
  • Cold water. I keep Gatorade bottles full of water in the fridge. Wash them in the dishwasher, without any heat boost or heated drying and fill them up. (Tip: Don’t let the bottles get wet while you’re filling them. Wet hands with the ribbed Gatorade lids can really rip up your palms.)
  • Room temp water only for the singer. Cold water tenses up the vocal cords. Keep it warm and you can help prevent his voice from cracking. If he brings his own soda, this is a good excuse to get him to lay off for the session.

Drinks are everything. In the end, dehydration is going to add to the stress and artistic weakness of your group fast.

Finally

Eat this stiff yourself while mixing. You’ll work faster and you’ll catch little things you’d never have heard. New ideas will pop up and you’ll get “in the zone” more often.

Off the job, sure, you should still follow these rules–and it will have an impact on your work overall–but I’m not gonna tell you to do that. If superstars, health teachers and your mother can’t get you to eat right, I’m sure not going to have any luck.