00:00:00: And I suddenly found myself, you know singing again and doing little gigs.

00:00:06: Being invited to do music jobs... ...and I realised after a while that yeah.. ..I don't think i can break up with it!

00:00:14: It's almost not a choice.

00:00:18: If I'm willing to break-up with it and take a route down the job.... ....I really care about

00:00:22: or might as well try work my ass off for this.

00:00:38: Hello dear Emel.

00:00:39: Hi

00:00:40: I'm very happy to have you here, and thank-you for your time already.

00:00:45: To speak with me about the journey of becoming a music producer.

00:00:50: Thank-you so much for having us!

00:00:53: I met you two or three weeks ago.

00:00:57: We're at the House of Music in Berlin and you gave a live performance which impressed me a lot.

00:01:04: And, um... You were introduced as producer.

00:01:07: then it turned to be like there's this intersection between producing and creating music and life-performing.

00:01:15: I was really impressed!

00:01:17: What i want start with is your whole journey as musician.

00:01:22: what made wanna become a musician?

00:01:26: Well, it's a very long story.

00:01:29: I guess that usually is... ...I was always singing.

00:01:33: so this something just always occurred to me as sort of my almost weapon as child because It felt like strength Something where i was free and in school.. ..i struggling little bit fit-in As you were a child, you're always trying to find your way.

00:01:55: But with singing I felt like it was sort of like a power shield where no one could really get me.

00:02:01: if they were teasing me They couldn't get me there.

00:02:03: So...I don't know If that's the combination of just me nurturing and using it And loving it.

00:02:13: knowing i wanted to sing Because I found strength I grew up in the countryside.

00:02:21: I spent a lot of time alone and nature, just singing... There was not neighbours so i never had to worry about being loud.

00:02:29: So it started off there already.

00:02:32: And then I studied voice and songwriting at Berkley College Music in Boston.

00:02:44: it all went well.

00:02:45: and then life happened once I graduated.

00:02:48: And actually, i feel like that's where really became

00:02:52: difficult.

00:02:53: That's where the journey kind of began Because I didn't know how to be a musician...I didn't grow up in a musician family.

00:03:02: So yeah..and then The long winding road To find me here now In Berlin Producing music has taken A lot Of education & Life experience

00:03:16: Same.

00:03:19: Very interesting, because for me it was the other way around like I used to always sing but i was afraid of singing others hearing and i grew up in a city so you had to be

00:03:29: quiet.

00:03:30: yeah

00:03:30: that's very interesting.

00:03:34: I know this story of life happening.

00:03:36: Like, for several reasons and so many human musicians who have like... Life happened!

00:03:42: They've recorded published albums they had been on tour whatever And then things happen Children usually or disease sickness Money?

00:03:56: You had to work find other jobs Or something about the relationship with the producer or their experiences in a studio that made them not be able to keep on producing music, albums.

00:04:10: I don't know if you want go into detail what happened your life but maybe we can focus on what makes us going and making music?

00:04:19: It is interesting!

00:04:20: And it's also what has pushed me.

00:04:21: finally get here so definitely... Yeah, like I said once i graduated.

00:04:28: When you're in school You get homework and do the homework And show up to get grades.

00:04:34: It's a creative world when you study music So getting grade and creativity is good there.

00:04:40: But if your out then you can't really do anything with diploma or degree A normal job where you can show it and apply for

00:04:50: a job.

00:04:50: Hey, I'm really good!

00:04:52: Like people are like yeah okay cool great good for you but show me what you got kind of.

00:04:57: And being in musician is so much more than that.

00:05:00: You have to almost be your own bank and entrepreneur and manager... ...and i wasn't ready for it To Be Honest.. ..And I didn't understand It.

00:05:11: That Is What It Took.

00:05:13: So it was many years of being confused and trying to sing.

00:05:17: I did, you know odd music jobs here in there And... Was almost looking for that.

00:05:24: You know the dream of someone will find me and i'll sign a contract.

00:05:27: then they all work out Which didn't happen?

00:05:32: In any way im actually glad for that.

00:05:35: so what kind made my stumble?

00:05:37: really hard is.. I came to moment where like no gonna stop doing music because this is not working.

00:05:45: I'm not earning money, i need to choose a new route in life.

00:05:48: and there was such a heartbreak in that feeling.

00:05:52: And I took the job um...and moved abroad for it..I sort of packed up all my music gear into a basement.

00:06:00: It made me so sad!

00:06:07: For many reasons that job didn't work out and I suddenly found myself, you know singing again doing little gigs being invited to do music jobs.

00:06:18: And i realized

00:06:20: after

00:06:20: a while yeah... ...I don't think can break up with it.

00:06:24: It's almost not a choice.

00:06:27: If im willing to break-up with it take root on the job I dont really care about.

00:06:32: might as well try my ass off for this.

00:06:35: And so that's where it started to shift, and I slowly tried to start to learn what i need to do.

00:06:42: What it takes... ...and I'm still on the journey!

00:06:45: Things are starting to happen and become clearer.

00:06:49: right now We're outside of House of Music.

00:06:51: The house music and music starts playing.

00:06:56: Yeah yeah So..I had been living in Berlin ..and was moving back and didn't intend going back to study.

00:07:05: And then I found Three For Three Labs, which is also where we met.

00:07:11: It offered this one-year program and it was almost like a checkbox of all the things that i felt were lacking or wanted to get more knowledge.

00:07:22: so ended up actually taking on year music production course which has just been great, and you get a community.

00:07:30: And I finally started to be able to translate ideas... ...and learn more how to actually achieve the things that i want to achieve.

00:07:40: As i said it's still on my journey but its materializing bit more now!

00:07:44: Which is great Amazing.

00:07:46: You said already that you had to learn how to wear many hats, not just the musician... ...not just a vocalist or songwriter but also the entrepreneur I guess marketing even like so many jobs taking care of your finances whatever.

00:08:01: yeah what made you decide?

00:08:03: Yeah let me put their head over producer on as well.

00:08:06: Let me do that.

00:08:08: What brought you here Like would really

00:08:10: Oh!

00:08:11: I mean i think The Production Port is actually the hat that is easier to take on than being the manager, or the marketer.

00:08:21: I studied songwriting and so through that many years ago i graduated back in two thousand ten um...I was already using music software back then And producing but it wasn't a producer.

00:08:35: It's more of tool for me to record ideas.

00:08:38: I still had to learn that though education.

00:08:41: But we just didn't go too deep.

00:08:44: And so over the years I always used Pro Tools, GarageBand Logic and now Ableton.

00:08:51: So like it was always there but i didn't feel very strong in it... ...so I felt very limited.

00:08:57: The more you use it..the more you realize that.

00:08:59: oh my god!

00:09:00: ..I have ideas inside.... ...I can't get them out and also find difficult to explain them to others.

00:09:06: Say that I found someone who can produce.

00:09:10: It's very abstract.

00:09:12: So this felt important to me and I was trying to learn through YouTube videos.

00:09:17: but having a teacher talk, show you the ropes really have that communication.

00:09:23: And also someone who gives deadlines at home work.

00:09:26: there is difference.

00:09:27: so yeah again when i saw this program.

00:09:30: it's like.

00:09:31: I really crave that.

00:09:34: yes its not the easiest hat to put on But There Is A Will There.

00:09:41: I know many female musicians, maybe including me who think or used to think this is not manageable for me.

00:09:51: Like i can never be a producer like this is an engineer type job so i could never in hindsight.

00:09:58: what were some misconceptions you may have with if any about production?

00:10:04: Many!

00:10:05: Um...I

00:10:06: mean..i never sought out to become a producer, not even a songwriter at first.

00:10:11: When I started studying music back many years ago i always saw myself as a singer and just the singer.

00:10:18: um...I

00:10:20: had grown up listening to you know Whitney Houston in The Spice Girls And my idea was that okay..i'll continue working on that craft.

00:10:27: then ill be hired as a Singer!

00:10:29: There will be Songwriters & Producers.

00:10:32: That is obviously a legit road to go but I often felt like just a singer.

00:10:39: And it almost became the truth of not feeling empowered.

00:10:44: any time you're at gig, You try to help setting up but no one really needs or wants your help because you don't have that knowledge.

00:10:52: and then i started feeling a bit stupid.

00:10:58: yeah exactly The songwriting part also during education was something kind came for me.

00:11:05: performance I can do, but songwriting was not super easy.

00:11:09: so i wanted to...I'm glad that took the program instead.

00:11:14: So maybe this is first thing for me.

00:11:16: then over years now im not a producer like ill.

00:11:20: just use it for fun and take one year production course.

00:11:24: But Im Not A Producer And I think still struggle with that label.

00:11:29: The more I am doing things its kind of working And maybe I'll want to use another producer?

00:11:36: Of course, that's okay.

00:11:37: It doesn't mean that i'm less of a producer!

00:11:40: I feel it so much like calling yourself a producer.

00:11:44: yeah... Yeah..It is a journey

00:11:47: I guess.

00:11:50: So

00:11:50: what

00:11:51: have experienced in the past years since I've worked with many musicians who wanted to become a producer the music that I get to listen to has changed a lot because i listened to a lot of the music gets produced by women now and thats something I found with you.

00:12:09: Because we did live performance, it felt like... It was mind-blowing.

00:12:13: I really want to go there, like...I usually say that i'm not a performer and don't wanna do this or just be in the studio record.

00:12:19: Like..i just wanted to do it in the Studio and leave me alone.

00:12:22: Yeah yeah!

00:12:22: Be safe.

00:12:23: no one can see you can edit forever.

00:12:25: That's okay.

00:12:25: Exactly!

00:12:26: So then I don't have to be excited?

00:12:28: I cannot make any mistakes.

00:12:29: if I do them nobody will know.

00:12:32: Perfectionist mindset.

00:12:34: But then I saw your and felt so freeing and special because I don't know exactly what you did, but we're trying to learn that too.

00:12:44: We are trying to ask our teachers how to kind of do that because What you did is like?

00:12:48: You had something like pre-production Like you have some elements that you produce beforehand and then controllers and then you were life performing, live looping.

00:12:58: And we could see the song get created with elements that they probably had there before like words or something.

00:13:05: but still I guess every performance is unique.

00:13:09: You get to record it so its such an amazing mix.

00:13:12: for me It doesn't have be either live performances OR production in a studio can be both.

00:13:19: So what i find music changing more women do Did you find experience, no inspiration in other women?

00:13:27: Or where did that come from?

00:13:29: like to allow yourself too.

00:13:30: Like yeah I'm doing a fifteen minute song and we'll keep looping vocals And i don't know just sounds...like they were so unique for me.

00:13:41: There are many things to unpack there.

00:13:43: um..I mean part of it was that We took a live course.

00:13:50: Through learning them, I started experimenting with it and finding my own ways and ideas.

00:13:57: So that was one big thing.

00:13:58: It's almost like i created My Own Instrument That I now am learning continuously to play As an inspiration...I mean.. I had a female classmate that I collaborate With And she inspires me alot!

00:14:17: I've started realizing that i want to look more into female producer and see the empowerment there.

00:14:25: But also in general, actually people who use voice find it difficult to answer the question because I don't think there has been any like big obvious moment of this or that It's sort gradually being coming on And a lot is just me experimenting.

00:14:41: as child That sounded a bit cool.

00:14:48: Wait, how do I do this better?

00:14:50: And then i start sort of researching and finding most the time... ...I crave to find female producers and performers.

00:15:04: Why is that?

00:15:04: just because I want it be women but there's something inspiring with it.

00:15:10: Also the daring part, because it's not easy.

00:15:13: Yeah!

00:15:15: I'm rambling a bit but yeah...

00:15:18: That is what i felt like Because there are one thing that you have Like.

00:15:21: this isn't an experience only I see in many women.

00:15:25: It has something inside of me and another to share with other people.

00:15:33: This my version And it can get created and develop life.

00:15:41: I love that!

00:15:44: What would you tell a woman, female producer?

00:15:48: Maybe yourself who used to be a singer thinking yeah i'm the singer because I really loved singing what would you say if she was like?

00:15:57: nah..I cannot produce...it's too technical.

00:16:05: But who's getting stuck?

00:16:06: Like, at the same point you were where had to pack your things and put them away in break-up with music.

00:16:13: Yeah I mean it really is about that thing of... It's hard to believe that you can learn something when you don't know it And looks like its so far far away.

00:16:29: Um..and i think as a singer, singer came naturally to me.

00:16:35: I mean, i didn't have to learn it.

00:16:39: So for me to learn production just felt like oh...I don't know how do you do that?

00:16:43: so..how can I learn?

00:16:44: But You really can learn things and a good example would be looking into any other thing in life than what you've learned.

00:16:53: It doesn't need anything creative or in school.

00:16:57: maybe you couldn't even realize your learning something new.

00:17:02: To just know that you can learn something actually is proof, That You Can Learn Music Production.

00:17:09: And allow for time because even if you learn the technicalities of it very quickly to build your own style and way It will take time.

00:17:24: I know!

00:17:25: But there's beauty in it because...it is so weird, suddenly its been a few years and you're like oh that just went by like that?

00:17:32: Yeah.

00:17:33: Its almost harder to start but yeah i think the belief stop with the believe that you can't learn Because we all can learn.

00:17:41: It takes different times for everyone.

00:17:43: don't look into people who are easy or maybe wasn't at

00:17:47: first.

00:17:49: You know what comes to mind motherhood because there's no way you can learn it.

00:17:52: There is absolutely

00:17:53: No, we have

00:17:54: trust.

00:17:55: yes It will work out and also it's a co-creation of like the child And you and same with music.

00:18:01: yeah my music I don't about your music but my music has its own thing.

00:18:05: It's coming through me, and I'm like Again, I wanted to do this type of music but it still turns out like... It has its special thing.

00:18:12: So i have to co-create with it and love just a child developing.

00:18:18: my music is developing!

00:18:23: And that's the real thing.

00:18:25: also reminds me don't compare yourself?

00:18:30: Learn from people you're amazed by.

00:18:33: Comparise off to them because they're good.

00:18:35: Because there being unique and genuine And that you were talking about this unique thing coming out of you.

00:18:42: That's what we crave in artists.

00:18:43: Yes, that's what sticks.

00:18:45: yes the imperfections.

00:18:46: almost You know?

00:18:47: We can relate it somehow.

00:18:51: I Met you here.

00:18:52: you are teaching me giving a workshop.

00:18:55: i Know your like doing these flint up workshops Are?

00:18:59: I was invited to teach for the Flinta workshop, but i don't lead them.

00:19:04: Okay so where can people find you?

00:19:07: How can they work with you?

00:19:08: how can they get inspiration from you and your music like...

00:19:12: Well if you're in Berlin maybe come to three-for-three!

00:19:16: I teach vocal production course here right now.

00:19:22: You can find me on social media under the handle NSQuest Anna, E-N-N.

00:19:34: Oh you

00:19:35: can find me also if you want to listen to my music.

00:19:37: some of it is out and then My Artist's Name Is Just Anna.

00:19:43: Thank You very much for sharing

00:19:45: your experience with us.

00:19:46: thank you

00:19:46: Anna.

00:19:47: I Can't wait To Listen to More New Music Or Maybe Life Performances Because i

00:19:52: Love It So Much.

00:20:02: It's amazing ice by the way.

00:20:07: Oh, thank you!

00:20:10: Turquoise

00:20:10: That was a good light.

00:20:12: Well I always wanted brown eyes.