Studio Grace: The Making of a Record

by Eric Siblin

The long-awaited follow-up from Eric Siblin, author of the national bestseller and internationally acclaimed work of nonfiction The Cello Suites.


In 2012, bestselling author Eric Siblin had two chance encounters: one with a woman named Jo, a talented singer with dreams of stardom; and the other with an old college friend named Morey, an accomplished musician and former record exec now turned high-tech digital music producer and manager of his teenage daughter’s burgeoning singing career. These two unrelated, though seemingly fated, events mark the start of a musical odyssey.


In Studio Grace, Eric Siblin chronicles the twelve-month realization of a long-held dream: the making of his own original record. Eric describes working with three very different producers, all of whom represent the evolution of music-making today: Eli Krantzberg, a drummer who plays in a wedding band, makes instructional videos about sound recording, and has a small basement studio in his home; Howard Bilerman, famed producer of Arcade Fire and owner of the music studio Hotel2Tango; and Morey Richman, who creates songs on his laptop using the latest in digital technology and the global distribution network that is YouTube. Throughout, Morey acts as Eric’s mentor, while Jo is his creative collaborator, a woman driven by passion and instinct who pushes Eric to do the same.


Published to coincide with the release of the album of the same name, Studio Grace is a highly entertaining and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the making of a record filled with original songs about love gained and love lost, about life and death, and fleshed out by a host of eclectic characters, from struggling singers to veteran session musicians and basement engineers to state-of-the-art producers — all of whom are pursuing the pop music dream.

Genres: Music

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 2015

About the author

Eric Siblin is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker, and was the pop music critic at the Montreal Gazette. He made the transition to television in 2002 with the documentary Word Slingers, which explores the wacky subculture of competitive Scrabble tournaments. The film aired in Canada and the U.S., and won a Jury Award at the Yorkton Short Film & Video Festival. He also co-directed the documentary In Search of Sleep: An Insomniac's Journey, which aired in Canada and Europe. The Cello Suites is his first book.

Reviews

[Coenraad · Rating 5 out of 5]

After researching Bach's cello suites and Pablo Casals' rediscovery of these almost-lost compositions for seven years, Eric Siblin returned to a more familiar world: pop music. He used to be a pop music critic for a newspaper, but he was also a musician and songwriter. Two chance encounters in the same coffee shop within a month shaped his next project: writing and recording enough songs to fill an album. Studio grace records that process. Siblin writes in the style one has come to enjoy in The cello suites: he gives a lot of facts, but in an accessible way. He knows he writes for interested amateurs, and his journalistic background helps him pitch perfectly. His creative side ensures that the narrative is full of interesting character sketches and fascinating details (like grey knit hats, pomegranate seeds, and tambourines). The reader becomes more and more aware of how difficult it is to be a successful musician. Siblin and his musical partners deal with the changing landscape of music technology, different styles of producing and consuming music, taste and texture, and the sense of achievement that no money can really bring. I wonder where Eric Siblin will take us next!

Nadat hy die verhaal van Bach se tjellosuites, Casals se herontdekking van hierdie meesterwerke en sy eie ontdekkingsreis deureengeweef het in sy eerste boek, vertel hy die leser hier van die ingewikkelde reis om 'n pop album te skep en op te neem. 'n Mens se mond hang oop: dit klink gewoonlik so maklik! Moenie glo nie: skepping is nie bloot inspirasie nie, maar meestal harde werk, dikwels in samewerking met ander. Jy moenie besitlik wees oor jou geestesgoedere nie, anders blom dit nie na behore nie. En jy moet baie tyd en geld in die projek belê. Siblin se tweede boek is net so interessant as die eerste, en ek sien uit na nommer drie!

[Matthew Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the inside look at the making of a record; how the lyrics and tunes came into place for Siblin. I have been watching the television series One Tree Hill where some of the main characters get involved in making a record. Therefore, when I read Studio Grace I was able to really connect with the work and effort going into making a single song; and hoping it will be successful. Siblin shared a lot of his process to put all the elements into place for the record. I especially thought the CD was great. I was able to musically experience the lyrics I had read in the book. I listened to the CD as I was reading and I got to the point where I felt I was part of the song development process.

Siblin doesn’t just sit down and write a song. The song writing is a process. It is not a painless process as Siblin goes through much thought and artistic reaching to get each song perfect to his liking. He connects with people from his past to collaborate on the songs and he values their opinions.

I felt the pain as Siblin searched for the right lyrics and best music. I felt Siblin had shared a big part of who he is. There was a sense of humility too. There was no vanity that these would be commercial hits, but there was a feeling these would be musically complete. At times, I felt the detail on the song writing process was too detailed, too long in getting to the results. Then, I realized, this was Siblin’s process and art cannot be rushed and as I read more, I discovered his patience with the intended results. My haste was cooled by the need for perfection. And, I think Siblin accomplished this and wrote his story, to compliment the music. An excellent read for music lovers. And, who doesn’t like music?