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The Power of Collaboration (with Skinny Dippers)
Metadata
- title
- The Power of Collaboration (with Skinny Dippers)
- description
- My friend and collaborator, Skinny Dippers (aka Ryan), joined the pod to talk the Brooklyn music scene, collaboration, songwriting techniques, and strategies to grow as an artist. Check out Skinny Dippers on Spotify and at www.instagram.com/skinnydippersband
- status
- complete
- date
- 2023-05-02
- kind
- guest
- guestSlugs
- skinny-dippers
- listenUrl
- https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/The-Power-of-Collaboration-with-Skinny-Dippers-e23bo1m
- appleUrl
- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-of-collaboration-with-skinny-dippers/id1567355195?i=1000611449761&uo=4
- spotifyUrl
- https://open.spotify.com/episode/2zBeF8DY9EUvybSfcApUXj
- youtubeUrl
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUF4Qj77Eu0
- topicsDiscussed
- Collaboration
- New York
- Songwriting
- Guitar
- Piano, synth, and keys
- Music production
- Friendship
- Singing and vocals
- The pandemic
- Reverb and delay
- Effects
- Mixing
- hostNote
- Skinny Dippers, also known as Ryan, is a friend and collaborator rooted in the Brooklyn music scene, and this is a conversation between two people who make music together, not an introduction. Ryan traces his path from playing keyboard and trumpet as a kid in Maine to guitar and vocals now, through a string of bands before landing in New York. We get into the case for multi-instrumentalism, how playing in ensembles shaped his songwriting, and his method: Logic, songwriting classes, and what he calls the kazoo test, if a song's hook survives being hummed on a kazoo, the melody is doing its job even before the production is. Ryan also lays out the blunt economics of playing live, guaranteed expenses against unguaranteed income, and why he leans on a support crew rather than doing it all alone. He closes on where the music is headed next: chasing the weird variations that actually feel new.
- selectedMoments
- label
- Introduction of Skinny Dippers' Background
- startSec
- 92
- note
- Ryan shares his musical journey from Maine to Brooklyn and the bands he's played with.
- label
- The role of multi-instrumentalism
- startSec
- 170
- note
- Discussing how playing multiple instruments has influenced Ryan's music.
- label
- Influence of ensemble experiences
- startSec
- 266
- note
- Ryan reflects on how ensemble experiences shape his songwriting.
- label
- Songwriting process and tools
- startSec
- 358
- note
- An insight into Ryan's method using Logic and songwriting classes.
- label
- The kazoo test concept
- startSec
- 516
- note
- Ryan explains a unique way to test the strength of a song's melody.
- label
- Creating a collaborative environment
- startSec
- 677
- note
- Ryan details how he fosters collaboration and community in music.
- label
- Challenges of live performance
- startSec
- 1429
- note
- Ryan discusses the economic realities faced by musicians today.
- label
- Future projects and direction
- startSec
- 1610
- note
- Plans for new music and continuing to evolve creatively.
- excerptQuotes
- text
- I grew up my whole life playing music. I'm from Maine where I played keyboard when I was about four or five, played trumpet through middle school... and mostly now guitar, vocals.
- startSec
- 94
- reviewed
- true
- text
- Do you feel like some of that stuff foundationally changed the way that you think of music now?
- startSec
- 267
- reviewed
- true
- text
- One of the hardest things for musicians... is the cost.... It's like the math is always guaranteed expenses and not guaranteed income.
- startSec
- 1441
- reviewed
- true
- text
- So I would say even prior to the remix project definitely wasn't doing it all alone. My support crew is a huge part of my process.
- startSec
- 679
- reviewed
- true
- text
- If you can start by getting really good hooks, then my idea is you've got the great foundation of a great song.
- startSec
- 517
- reviewed
- true
- text
- If you can hear 10 seconds of a song like, 'oh, that's clearly an 80s song,' the idea here is to find incredible songs that pass the kazoo test but that are stuck in their production.
- startSec
- 1869
- reviewed
- true
- text
- There's something really, really cool about being able to play live and to help bring those songs to life.
- startSec
- 1415
- reviewed
- true
- text
- I've tried to come up with weird variations... that's where it's actually getting juicy.
- startSec
- 3081
- reviewed
- true
- faq
- question
- What is the Brooklyn music scene like for Skinny Dippers?
- answer
- Ryan describes the Brooklyn music scene as vibrant and diverse, filled with opportunities to see great music and meet fellow musicians.
- question
- How does Skinny Dippers approach songwriting?
- answer
- Ryan emphasizes the importance of melody and hooks, suggesting that good songs should stand strong on their own, even if stripped down to just a simple kazoo.
- question
- What challenges does Skinny Dippers face in live performance?
- answer
- Ryan notes economic difficulties, where expenses for live gigs often exceed income, making frequent performances challenging.
- transcriptPublished
- false
- draft
- false
Content
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