I’ve been blessed to produce music for a little over five years. Before that, I was a DJ and a remixer where I would remix popular songs that I liked and wanted to see how the crowd would react to a different version from the original song. Prior to that, I would credit my parents for introducing me to so many different types of songs whenever they would throw house parties.
It was a lot of fun growing up. On a special holiday or just a random weekend, my parents would fit between 3-400 people inside our house with food, games, and lots of music. It would range between salsa and merengue songs to Motown, disco, and funk.
As I got older, I danced professionally and used either the top-line melody to influence my mood for a particular part of the choreography or the downbeat of a kick drum to let me know when it was time to transition into the next part of that particular song. I then got into radio and began DJing and promoting at night clubs.
It was when I met a close friend and mentor, DJ Rick Wyld, who introduced me to DJ Edits, party breaks, mashups, and production transitions. Since he lives in Dallas and I’m based in San Antonio, it was never possible for me to just sit and watch him create. So I took it upon myself to study how he arranged his edits together and try my best to replicate them. I would say beginning at making DJ edits taught me a lot about arrangement and sound selection.
Fast forward eight or nine years, and here I am, still learning and trying to figure out the next phase in music production.
I am fortunate enough to have experience working in various DAW(s) such as Sony Acid Pro, Pro Tools, Studio One, and Reason. I do prefer Ableton amongst the rest though. Something about its multi-track page and its interface is a little easier for me to understand than other DAW(s). To be honest, I just kept experimenting on each of them until I discovered one that I was able to understand.
I believe it’s more important than ever to take the time to learn what makes sense to you the most. When you can understand your DAW of choice, you’ll know how to communicate with your program, like having a conversation with a person. Sounds weird I know, but I can understand Ableton a little bit better than other DAW(s). I just try my best to continue to learn as much as I can so I can keep the conversation going when I’m creating.
I would have to say the Roland Fantom, M-Audio Key 49, and the M-Audio 88 Key. I love the Roland Fantom because it is its own DAW. You can record, track, arrange, and it has plenty of sounds to choose from. I enjoy other midi-controllers out there, but both M-Audio keyboards are really nice.
The M-Audio Key 49 has soft keys where the keys aren’t weighted, so if I’m looking to write a few pads or light piano chord-progressions, this does the job. I love how affordable it is and if I’m ever going to go out of town, I make sure to take it with me.
The M-Audio 88 Key is great because if I’m looking for strong voicing, riffs, and full composition writing, it’s as close as a piano you are going to get. The keys are weighted and it’s long enough to appear or feel like an actual piano.
Where do I begin? Plugins are like character upgrades in a video game for me, but it’s important to really master what you have in front of you first. I, like I’m sure most of us out there, try to get as many plugins as we can because either the presets it comes with sound great or the parameters for experimenting with wavetables is unique.
I’d say for those out there considering or looking to get into production, try Nexus2 by reFX. It’s a ROM console that has amazing presets and a library with enough stock sounds to get you started and jot your ideas down.
For the more intermediate, experimental, and advanced producers and musicians out there, look at purchasing either Serum or Sylenth1. I would also encourage each musician/artist out there to experiment on an analog synthesizer. There’s just something about rewiring that just feels so cool!
I’d say it varies per project, remix, or what I’m being invited or hired to do. I derive a lot of my inspiration from watching movies, hearing the scores behind them, or randomly checking out music from artists I’ve never heard of on YouTube. I try my best to not limit or restrict myself to a particular genre. I’ve had the opportunity to work on several different styles of music and just by volunteering and trying the impossible, it’s allowed me to learn from my mistakes, understand what it’s like to work and collaborate with other artists, and to widen my comprehension to sound selection and sound design.
I’m attracted to sound and melody. It’s what moves me more than anything else. If the melody catches my ear, if the production, lyrics, and vocals sound great, then I believe I have everything I need to cook up a great song. Call me old-fashioned, but I try my best to focus more on creating classics and not just possible hit songs.
There are unlimited resources out there for any of us to improve our craft, we just have to be willing to search for them. I would say that it really depends on what I’m going through or experiencing at the time. When I discover that, I then look on how to showcase that in my productions. YouTube channels I would recommend for other artists and producers experiencing writer’s block would be YouTubers: Andrew Huang, Reid Stefan, Cymatics, or Servida Music.
Another resource includes my own community of supporters where I’ll share clips of either original music or remixes I’m working on and conduct polls using the Instagram stories feature. Other times, I’ll play music for my parents or girlfriend and I like to overtly watch their reactions to see how my music speaks to them.
Oftentimes, the first experience is usually the best experience because it allows me to separate what might work to what could work. The same goes for whenever I get a chance to try out my music in a party-like atmosphere. I get a chance to study the reactions, emotions, and overall vibes from the people that are there.
Another resource, which has worked with me over the years, is developing a friendship with someone that enjoys your music as much as you do but may possess insights into areas you didn’t have before. At Bad Vibe Studios, located in Lytle, Texas, I’ve learned so much just by watching my close friend and mentor, Dragon, break down, and piece together various elements and sounds.
For everyone that enjoys reading, I’d encourage picking up a copy of Robert Greene’s book, 'Mastery'. He provides stories from history’s greatest leaders, inventors, and creators and discusses the many challenges they went through and the obstacles they overcame in order to do what made them happy.
One of the last videos I saw discussed scale degrees, chord progressions, chord voicing, all by using a series of numbers instead of trying to remember the notes. Even though I also have a background in playing the piano, playing the piano is different from actually producing the notes on the fly.
Busy Works Beats' channel does a great job of breaking this down and also offers a whole tutorial series from beginners to the most advanced. Here’s a good start for those artists and producers out there looking to get into song-writing and production:
Making sure that I learn and understand the theories and concepts behind mixing and mastering. I would also encourage myself to not focus on just one specific kind of sound but to dive into learning and understanding other genres as well.
Today, even though there are many opportunities and platforms to share your music in the world, it’s moving from casually listening to what happens next. If we hold ourselves back from experimenting, how will we be able to adapt and keep up with the change in the music industry? Truthfully, I would say to each of you reading this, “DO NOT GIVE UP!” No matter what happens or what anyone else tells you, the only person that can stop you from creating or exploring what you are looking to create, is yourself. There are several variables, circumstances, and instances that may deter you or keep you off course, but you must remind yourself to not give up.
Another important note to remember is to not try and compare someone else’s success or buzz to your own. We don’t know how long it took them to get where they are, so everyone is working at their own pace. The business that we are in is a waiting game. It separates the impatient from the determined. In a way, this kind of thought has helped me understand we cannot sacrifice our own quality for someone else’s convenience. It keeps us determined to make sure that we deliver the best song to our audience. Time management is another obstacle we may encounter, and if we don’t spend the time to implement it, it could lead to unfinished projects, never finishing songs, or worse, allowing those outside variables to come into our creative space.
These are some of the challenges I face and how I overcome each of them is continuing to push forward. Arm myself with the knowledge that I need to understand certain theories and principles, then break the rules so that I can learn again. Above all else, patience and repetition can go a long way. I hope that this helps.
I try to get it every time I can or when someone else is willing to give it. The best feedback I look for is trying out my music during a live DJ set and seeing how the crowd reacts to it. For some of us out there who are not DJ's or able to experiment with this method, I would encourage you to try hosting live stream sessions on social media and asking for feedback from those either following or are friends with you. I would then look at the feedback at someone you may not know and see what they say.
Keep in mind, everyone is different, and everyone’s approach to feedback or insight is different. We just have to remain as open as we can be to receiving it and wanting to receive it. After reading this, if you feel like there are some useful tips to expedite the production process or help build an organic community of superfans, please let me know! I’m still learning and any help would be greatly appreciative!
I would honestly have to say either my original remix of 'Feel' which was a Spinnin Records contest entry submission or my other original remix 'Supernatural' which was a Splice contest entry submission. Both really pushed me to think outside the box and experiment with tempo, song arrangement, music theory, mixing, mastering, vocal production, and vocal manipulation.
Both remixes, even though they are completely different genres, share a similar Partylifemusic vibe.
With 'Feel', I was looking to fuse elements of house, electro house, Melbourne bounce, big room, and future house.
When I made 'Supernatural' I was experimenting at preserving the Dubstep original vibe, but trying out a bit of pop, dance, trance, and techno.
YESSSSSSSSS!
I’ve used Soundcloud for quite some time and to come across a platform with *ORGANIC REAL ENGAGEMENT* is amazing and rare! If any of you reading this out there conduct a search in Google for promotion, everything else lacks the ability to build your account with real engagement from scratch. There are plugger and repost channels that bring in lots of streams, but if you were to present your music to an A&R, concert promoter, or tour coordinator, it really comes down to, how many people can you bring to their event. The more real engagement you have, the better it’s going to look to anyone else.
Sometimes you have to ask yourself, what do you look for when you discover new artists? RepostExchange is the ONLY platform available that brings real engagement with real people. The plays, reposts, likes, comments you are getting are from real people. Keep in mind, nothing happens overnight, This business demands a lot of patience, consistency, and persistence. I’ve used the service on both of my SoundCloud channels and have seen more engagement in one month than I have in my previous releases. I’ve saved on investing lots of money on other song plugger repost services that bring in a decent amount of plays but with little to no reaction.
Case and point, I would encourage you to check out the remix of 'Feel'. This was a campaign I started within the month of March 2020. I’m so proud of the results that Repost Exchange will be the only platform I’m going to use. I participate in the reposting of other artists' music which gives me an opportunity to hear new sounds and mixing techniques, but also adds credits for my work that I can use later to launch my own repost campaigns. As long as you are willing to put in the work, you can go far.
Connect with JC Flores on SoundCloud, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Spotify.
Want more? Sign up at RepostExchange.com.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
