Record producers, engineers, mixers, and artists each have their own sonic signature, a unique way of manipulating sound. Good is ridiculously good, but everyone has their own idea of perfection and what suits a particular sound or mix. Developing your own sonic signature is inevitable and it will shape everything you do. You can't force yourself to imitate someone else's style. Embrace your internal artistry and let your sonic signature express itself for better or worse. Sonic environments are created by artists like Dan, who has been creating them for the past 20 years with musicians like Prince and David Burr.
In this special episode, Susan Rogers, a record producer turned cognitive neuroscientist, and Daniel Levitin, author of “This Is Your Brain on Music,” get together to discuss what music has meant in their lives, debate what separates a great artist from a generic one, and share some of their favorite tunes.
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Susan’s new book, “This Is What It Sounds Like,” was chosen by our curators — Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — as one of the eight best works of nonfiction published last year. She recently made a beautiful video e-course about the book, which you can experience by downloading the Next Big Idea app.