The Healthier Home Studio Podcast

Why Para-Friends Will Always Win in the Age of AI.

• Chris Graham • Season 1 • Episode 9

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The world is changing fast. AI, isn't just here. It's actively transforming everything, including the recording industry. We are standing at the edge of a major shift and the fields of engineering and production are ripe for disruption. As AI tools become more embedded in our studio setups, the technical hurdles. That wants to find our work are disappearing. What does that mean for us? As engineers, as people who work in and around recording studios, it means we need to evolve. Some of us fear that AI will push out the people who have built their careers in this industry? Another threat. They say. Another force ready to put the squeeze on studios But I see it differently. Instead of fearing AI, we should embrace it. We should use it as a tool, a collaborator. We should become AI explorers. Change favors the bold and creative. The pace of technological advancement will only continue to accelerate. And those who adapt will thrive. For many AI won't eliminate their skills, but will supercharge them with the most advanced tools humanity has ever devised. It is a very exciting time to be alive. As the engineering aspect of our work becomes simpler. We must shift our focus. We are entering a new era. Uh, golden age. For producers. But what exactly is a producer? This is a question that we've struggled as an industry to define for years for some producer simply means beatmaker. While others see them as creative giants, who stomp when they walk. Often producers have a reputation for being difficult or unconventional. Historically producers have been overwhelmingly male. But even that is changing and thank God. At its core, a producer is a Dewar. They take an idea from concept to completion. They move things forward, solve problems, and break through obstacles. Producers are the creators of opportunity. They're the ones that make things happen. They are the builders, the problem-solvers the visionaries. Think about Henry Ford, who when asked if he conducted market research. he famously replied. If I'd ask people what they'd wanted, they just would've said faster horses. Henry Ford was a producer. Steve jobs. A producer. Martin Luther king Jr. Also a producer. Producers fight on the front lines of creative change. They push back against ignorance against outdated ways of thinking. They build the future. And now as the era of the engineer begins to fade the role of the producer becomes even more vital. Engineers, it's time to pivot. Add the word producer to your skillset. If you mix or master tracks, push yourself to contribute more creatively. Send two versions of your work one as a standard mix or master, and one with your creative touch added shakers pads, extra instrumentation, something that elevates the track. Become a finishing producer. Someone who doesn't just Polish the art, but completes it. And the most powerful tool in a producer's arsenal. It's not AI. It's collaboration. Let's build alliances, become storytellers. Develop our social skills, encourage others, steer the ship forward. The future belongs to those who embrace the new, who see every impossible as a challenge rather than a barrier. History is full of people who were told something was impossible. But they went out and they did it anyways. We're entering the AI age. And with it comes a chance to redefine what's possible. So let's zoom in for a moment. On one of the most fundamental aspects of the human experience. Connection. Even in an AI driven future, people will still crave music. They'll still seek connection through it. And the most compelling music will remain the most human. This connection, this bond, this magical thing that happens when a person. Here's a piece of art on the radio or on their iPhone. It has a name. Para friendship. A pair of friendship is one sided. They know you, you don't know them. They love you, or at least how you make them feel. In my own life, I've experienced the impact of pair relationships in my twenties. Every fan, every record sold every autograph. To me was proof. Of my worth. It was a toxic cycle. It was rooted in my childhood wounds. Many stars carry the same burden. They build careers On the need to prove they're worthy. Para relationships can be very destabilizing. As I learned firsthand. They're powerful, but uneven. They can distort how you see yourself and how you see others. It's easy to fall into the trap of masking, who you truly are to fit the image others project onto you. This dynamic plays out over and over and over again in the recording industry as artists and producers and engineers alike. Seek validation through their art. Yet. Para relationships also have the potential for wildly positive outcomes. They can bring people into your life in unexpected and magical ways. para friendships, like all relationships are complex and capable of transformation. And this, this is the takeaway. We are all navigating relationships, para professional, personal. Whether you're a producer and engineer, an artist. Or all of the above. Your success depends on understanding the dynamics. Of these relationships. You must give value. Receive value, share value and withhold value appropriately. This is hard. I do not have this figured out, but I know that healthy boundaries are the foundation of a healthy life. And in this new AI era, it's more important than ever to be present in all of your relationships, your clients, whether they're famous or not are grappling with the same things. If they're famous, they're likely disoriented by the para relationships that come with fame. If they're not, they're probably thinking about the potential for those relationships to form through their art. So ask yourself, this are you and your clients prepared. Aware. and present. To take in the complexities that are the para friendship. Are you ready to navigate with clarity and purpose? When your artists finishes making a record with you? Are they equipped? Do they know how to handle a para relationship? The future production. Isn't just about the tools we use. Or the art we create. It's about the relationships that we build. And the connections that we foster. And in this new age, Those who understand this will lead the way forward. We're entering a brand new age, the age. Of the AI empowered producer. How do we move forward? The path forward. It's not easy, but it is simple. Do the next scary. Thing.