{"id":4051,"date":"2021-12-07T15:46:54","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T21:46:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/read.streamapse.com\/?p=4051"},"modified":"2021-12-07T15:46:54","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T21:46:54","slug":"adele-is-right-album-tracks-should-not-be-shuffled-a-grammy-winner-explains-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/?p=4051","title":{"rendered":"Adele Is Right \u2013 Album Tracks Should Not Be Shuffled – A Grammy Winner Explains Why"},"content":{"rendered":"

For as long as albums have existed<\/a>, they have offered listeners wonder, hope, truth and reality concerning the state of the human condition.<\/p>\n

This is achieved through a group effort. Artists, producers, songwriters, engineers, artwork designers and liner note writers carefully curate and present a structured soundtrack, with tracks sequenced in such a way to take listeners on a journey. It can provide a brief bit of order to listerners\u2019 often chaotic lives.<\/p>\n

But what happens if we listen to songs from an artist\u2019s album randomly rather than in their intended order?<\/p>\n

This wasn\u2019t much of an issue when the listener had to fast-forward tape to just the right spot<\/a>, or jump a needle to the appropriate groove. But the advent of streaming services<\/a> meant that mixing up the order of album tracks was just a click away, or sometimes even it is the default setting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Nov. 19, 2021, Adele released her fourth album<\/a>, \u201c30,\u201d and successfully convinced audio streaming service Spotify to change its default setting so it doesn\u2019t randomize her new album\u2019s tracks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I have every sympathy with Adele\u2019s position.<\/p>\n

As a Latin Grammy Award-winning composer and Emmy Award-winning musician<\/a> who has produced more that 90 albums, as well as someone who teaches music business and entrepreneurship<\/a>, I know from experience the importance of album sequencing \u2013 that is, the art of curating album tracks to convey its themes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The creative process<\/h2>\n

Producers such as myself take into consideration that, as I put it, art is humanity expressed. As such, we try to create albums that reflect personal life experiences.<\/p>\n

And just as storylines make sense only when you have the context of the beginning and the end, listeners need to understand the impetus for why the album was even made.<\/p>\n

Producers also take into consideration the various stages taken to create an album. Music education philosopher John Kratus<\/a> set out the four stages involved in his study of the creative musical processes<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Stage one involves an exploration of an album\u2019s concept. It is here that the themes of the album are discussed and established.<\/p>\n

Stage two is the improvisational processes. This is when musicians work together to create song structures, grooves and lyrics to convey the themes.<\/p>\n

Then comes stage three: the composition or documentation of the album. This is achieved in the recording studio with audio engineers and producers, who determine the final versions of the songs that will be put on the album.<\/p>\n

Finally, stage four is the creative performance or delivery of an album. This takes place post-recording and involves the marketing and communications strategy to promote the album through concerts, music videos and interviews. The creative team decides which mediums and platforms the album will appear on.<\/p>\n

The above process is almost perfectly demonstrated in Peter Jackson\u2019s newly released Beatles\u2019s documentary<\/a>, \u201cThe Beatles: Get Back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The footage reveals the four members of arguably the most influential band going through the creative process.<\/p>\n

First they discuss the rationale for a song \u2013 the exploration. Then they create the song\u2019s structure of melody, harmony and rhythm through \u2013 improvisation. They then record the album\u2019s repertoire \u2013 composition. Finally, they rehearse the songs to be performed within a specific order for future concerts \u2013 delivery.<\/p>\n