Jennifer Terran – Producer

Name: Jennifer Terran

Title: Singer/Songwriter/ Recording Artist (Genre: Emotive Universal)

Company or Organization: Grizelda Records (indie)

Artists or projects worked with: Todd Sickafoose, Danny Frankel, Husky Hoskulds

Link: enniferterran.com

FEMMUSIC: The Musician was your first time producing yourself. What did you learn doing it?

JT: The Musician was the first of my solo records I produced, engineered, mixed and mastered entirely myself. It was very much an expression of taking my power back, reorganizing my thinking around what was art and it’s relationship/ dependence on the music industry. I learned it was myself who decides the rules, what is beautiful, what is permissible.. I gave myself the green light to not have to adhere to any pre-existing modes of what a record should sound like. It was a pivotal moment in my development. I was no longer looking to the outside for validity. I also figured if I was in complete integrity with the music, if I was moved, if I was coming from my heart, then I wouldn’t be the only one who felt that way.

FEMMUSIC: What have you learned since The Musician? Do you see value in working with others on the production side? What downsides do you encounter?

JT: Working with others is great though it of course depends on who the “others” are. As wonderful and talented as people on my path have been, still, it seems my music has been the most potent coming straight from me both in production and musically. It’s much like my live performance.. when I play with others, it’s a great thing, but it’s more finely, acutely direct, undiluted and powerful when I’m solo. With all that said.. I look forward to coming into a time of collaboration as there’s definitely a sense of limitation when I’m producing and especially engineering by myself. I believe I will break new ground when teaming with the right people.

FEMMUSIC: Would you like to produce someone else’s work? Why or why not?

JT: Not totally on my radar to produce other peoples music presently as I’m so full with life.. kids, other creative projects… it’s kinda all I can do to get to my own work. But perhaps a little bit more down the road, that might be an amazing realm to explore.

FEMMUSIC: What challenges do you see for women in studio production? 

JT: The challenges for women in studio production perhaps might be the old conditioning playing out as it’s been primarily a man’s world up until pretty recently. I suppose it might still be?? Though I can’t say for sure as I’m not really in the loop with what’s occurring in the “record industry”. After I made “the musician”, I sort of stopped considering the industry as being at all relevant to my path, my art, my records, touring etc….

FEMMUSIC: What mentors did you have when learning? 

JT: I can’t say I had many mentors, though I did ask a lot of stupid questions whenever possible to anyone and everyone I could. I also read a couple books and many a technical manual.

FEMMUSIC:  Are women in studio production treated differently than men? How do you see this?

JT: No idea if women in studio production are treated differently from men as I’m not in the know of what happens in the studios etc…  I suppose people are still people… working out their prejudices, social conditioning whether or not they are conscious of it.. Since we’ve been primarily programmed to see men in the roles of producer, engineers, I guess it must still be an issue on some level, though I’m sure women are making awesome strides!

FEMMUSIC: What advice do you give to someone wanting to produce their own material?

JT: The advice I would give to an artist wanting to produce their own material would be to follow their heart, give themselves permission to push the envelope, follow through with what inspires them and be wary of advice that asks them to conform to pre-existing molds. If it’s art we are, art we are after, then there are no rules to adhere to. The only thing we should listen to and honor is our own intuition. And ya, it does take courage to be pure like that, in integrity. But the rewards are great, because it’s true and real and inspiring to others when people are wiling to develop their own voice rather than being a clone. And. But. Not everyone is meant to be innovators. Some do need to echo what is currently taking place and they’re great at it. Whatever it is… Bottom line: BE. TRUE!!

FEMMUSIC: What one thing would you change about the music industry?

JT: The one thing I would change about the record industry is the same thing I would change about the media in general. Let ALL people be heard and simply support the direct link between humans. Get your industry ass out of the way, let the river flow, stop deciding what should be available on the radio, stop playing the same 10 songs as if that’s all that’s out there etc.. stop trying to shove mediocre shit down peoples throats for the sake of making money and actually represent and support great innovative, heart felt art… the kind of shit that inspires people and changes lives!