7 lessons on music-making from a breakfast with BabyfaceThe room was silent during the Breakfast with Babyface session at Warner Chappell Music’s songwriting camp in Las Vegas. When a producer and songwriter with that much prowess talks, you listen closely.
The Grammy-winning musician, real name Kenneth Brian Edmonds, has been in the game since 1977, pioneering the sound of modern R&B as a solo artist and collaborator. He’s created hits for everyone from Madonna, Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston to Ariana Grande, SZA and  , and co-founded the influential LaFace Records.
At the WCM songwriting camp, held in September, Babyface sat down to share the lessons he’s learned over his five-decade career. Whether you’re making music at the highest level or making beats in your bedroom, the artist’s hard-won wisdom will apply to you.
Here are the crucial takeaways from the Breakfast with Babyface interview.
Leave your ego at the door
“Quincy Jones said it a long time ago: Leave your ego at the door. If you do that in any writing session, then you have a much better chance of coming out with something,” says Babyface when asked how to make the most of a collab session.
“Some people walk in with their ego; they think they know exactly how it should be, and they try to control the room. And so nothing comes from it. When I walk into a room, I walk in as an equal. The best idea could come from me, or it could come from someone else. Or I might be able to help them with that idea and take it further. It’s really important to go into [the studio] without an ego and go in there with the idea of collaborating — not just dictating, but actually collaborating.”
Know when to collaborate — and when not to
It’s easy to get excited about working with an artist you admire. But, as Babyface says, sometimes it’s worth taking a step back and asking yourself, ‘Is this really the right partnership?’
When evaluating collaborators, Babyface says he’s “always trying to think of whether I can bring something to the table. I want to walk into the room because I can actually contribute and move it along.”
“Me and Prince talked a couple of times about possibly working together. I was like, ‘What can I do for you?’ [laughs] It was exciting — the idea of walking into a room with Prince — but I want to walk into it and actually get something good. And there have been times when I’ve tried to insert people, and nothing really came out of it. I’m good with that, but I want to believe, before I walk in there, that something actually can happen, or that [we] have an idea and maybe something can happen.”
Keep an open mind about music you might not like at first
“Never put yourself in a box,” says Babyface. “Music is universal, and you should be able to walk into any room and write with anyone at any time, whether it’s pop, country, R&B or any music, period.”
The artist speaks from experience, having worked with artists across numerous genres and achieved success in various scenes. It’s important, he says, to approach all types of music openly.
“You should be able to walk into the room because you love music, and you listen to everything,” he continues. “If something comes on the radio, then I didn’t particularly like it at first, I’d reevaluate it in my head and say, ‘What am I missing on this?’ I’m not gonna hate on this because ‘our music was better back then’. That’s stupid to go on.”
“You’ve got to keep an open mind and understand it’s good to pick up other people’s taste and put that in your arsenal, so to speak. That allows you to walk into any room and write with anyone. You really gotta figure that out.”
Relationships are important, even when making music
Maintaining a positive rapport with artists in and out of the studio is crucial as a producer, especially for creativity. But, just as important is maintaining good relationships with fellow music-makers to ensure more work comes through the door.
“The really good producers who are having success today have good relationships with artists, and they feel comfortable with them,” Babyface explains, after being asked about the vital business skills required as a modern producer.
“If you can build a vibe and make an artist feel comfortable, then you can stay in the room with them. If you come in saying ‘Well, I’ve written this and I’ve written that, and you should just roll with what I say,’ then…You might still see success. But I think the long-term writer-producers last because they create good relationships with people, and because of that, they’re able to walk into many rooms.”
Try to retain your publishing rights
Publishing might be seen as a last step in the music-making process, or even as an afterthought. But, as you grow your career, you might look back — like Babyface — and wish you’d paid more attention to the publishing side of music earlier on and not jumped into unfavourable deals and signings.
“I didn’t do things necessarily right in the beginning, as with most beginning artists,” the producer says.
“I was just excited to have a song on the radio, and didn’t think that it actually turned into money. And I was lucky over the years that I could turn it around, but if I could go back in time, I certainly would have approached things differently and held on to things.”
“At some point, you need the help financially, and you gotta do whatever deal you gotta do. But if you can hold on to [your publishing], the value of what it becomes…it can grow to something amazing.” Babyface looks to Diane Warren as an inspiration in this arena — the American songwriter has always owned 100 per cent of her publishing.
“Try not to take a quick deal for a quick payday. You gotta put it in your mind that what you’re creating, you own it.”
Let yourself move on from your previous success
Getting a hit track is a goal for countless artists. But, sometimes, once that’s achieved, imposter syndrome might set in, and the artist may doubt if they can repeat the success they had. Squash that doubt, says Babyface.
It’s common nowadays for musicians to sell their catalogue, which likely includes their biggest hits and prized tracks. Babyface has heard from several artists who’ve done this and are left wondering whether their best work is behind them. Squash those doubts, Babyface responds.
“Don’t be so stuck on what you’ve done in the past,” he says. “There’s another life beyond what you’ve already done. So many times I’ve had different writers coming to me after [selling their catalogue], saying, ‘Okay, so what do I do now?’ Go write another hit! Dig in, figure it out. You figured it out once, before you can figure it out again.”
Keep the passion
Remember why you started making music, and why you love doing it. Keeping hold of that passion is imperative in staying creative.
“I wasn’t doing music as a business plan or anything. I was just writing songs,” recalls Babyface of his earlier days. “I just love to write songs. When everybody else was out partying or something, I was inside somewhere with a four-track, writing songs because it was fun. That was my idea of partying.
“You get more work done when you really have a lot of passion, as opposed to just doing it for like, ‘Oh, I want to place this song on so and so, so I can make this money.”’ It should be really about the song first. The song should always come first.”
[Editor’s note: These quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.]
The post 7 lessons on music-making from a breakfast with Babyface appeared first on MusicTech.