What's the best thing you learned at the Rally this year?

[deantaylor]

...
for the benefit of those who couldn't make it .. like me. Thanks.

[thekman]

I think for me it's the realization that we are all in the exact same boat.
We're people who love music so much that we are willing to fit it into our lives any way we can.
We all struggle at times, but we are all capable of learning and achieving our dreams.
If we stick together....we win!!
You've got to make it next year Dean. I'll buy you a drink.

Also.....bring ear plugs for snoring roommates, a sweater for the chilled ballroom and a handkerchief for those emotional moments.

[Casey H]

Probably the same thing I learn or have reinforced every year... Relationships, relationships, relationships...

Other than that, the price per Pringle potato chip or Famous Amos cookie from the hotel room mini-bar, is still the highest on the planet.

Casey

[mikeymike2000]

Simplicity is the key... just because we have infinite tracks does not mean we should go to infinity and beyond with each song/score. - Don't compete with your own melody.

I will now be pretending I am working with "tape" and limit it to 8 tracks to force myself to make decisions as to what should be in there and what will not "fit".

Lots of great notes, I have about 15 pages I will be typing out and then posting up here and there for anyone interested.

On a personal note, that was completely overwhelming for me both in terms of information and people, really cool people but lots and lots of people! There were many times I had no idea what to do/say, like a dear in headlights.. but it was totally awesome.

[deantaylor]

Thanks guys.

I hear you on simplicity Mike ... look forward to your notes.

Amen Casey.

Earplugs! and I look forward to that free drink Kyle.

[davewalton]

I'm always amazed at how the "big guys" use simplicity in their approach. Rob Chiarelli talks about panning for example. He has basically three panning locations. Left, right and center. Sometimes mid-left and mid-right but not that often. In a session last year (I think) he tweaked us all a little bit by pointing out (correctly) that sometimes we'll spend a boatload of time deciding on whether we should pan that tambourine at 22.7 degrees left or 22.3 degrees left.

I went to a class called "Mastering for Film/TV" or something like that. After covering the basics on setting up and calibrating speakers, for the most part the guy focused on using just a limiter and an eq for the whole process of getting our completed tracks finalized for film/tv. Very simple and very effective. The "before" and "after" was huge.

Last year, Kevin Kiner (composer for CSI Miami) did an on-the-spot composing session for a CSI Miami scene. He asked "What key should we do this in?" Some guy yelled out "B-flat" or "C-sharp" something like that". Kiner said "no no... white keys. Let's just use mostly white keys. It's much easier plus the CSI Miama audience won't know or be impressed that we can compose in C-sharp."

I'm repeatedly struck by the fact that simplicity (and therefore clarity) always reigns supreme at the top of the game.

[mikeymike2000]

Hey Dave,

I do have a new appreciation for simplicity and agree about left, right center but think it is a good point to add that with panning, this concept does not apply to orchestras. But it does with everything else.

[davewalton]

Hey Dave,

I do have a new appreciation for simplicity and agree about left, right center but think it is a good point to add that with panning, this concept does not apply to orchestras. But it does with everything else.

Definitely does not apply to orchestra

[jazzstan]

Best thing? From Blue Barry's talk, OPS: organize, prioritize and schedule.

[RonKujawa]

I keep hearing Ralph Murphy in my head...

Make the song about the listener by using the trigger word "you".

Write for women.

Don't be a loser in your song.

There are so many more from him, it would take a book. Fortunately, he took care of that and I bought it.

Ron