Resonating with Artists: You're Carrying the Baton, Not Starting a New Game

When I talk to mix engineers about their approach to projects, I often notice a fundamental misunderstanding about what it means to work on an artist's music. Many treat each mix like starting a new video game level - a fresh challenge to conquer, a new set of obstacles to overcome. But this mindset misses something crucial about our role in the creative process.

You're not starting a new Mario Kart level. You're carrying forward a baton in a relay race that began long before you received the tracks.

Think about it: By the time a song reaches your DAW, it has already lived countless lives. It started as a vulnerable idea in someone's head. It survived the treacherous journey from concept to composition. It endured rehearsals, recording sessions, and probably several rounds of production decisions. Each of these phases represented someone pouring their artistic vision, technical expertise, and emotional investment into the work.

Your role isn't to start fresh - it's to take this baton of artistic expression and carry it forward with the same care, intention, and respect that brought it to you. This isn't about your personal "high score" or showing off your technical prowess. It's about understanding and amplifying the artistic journey that's already in motion.

This perspective fundamentally changes how you approach your work:

Instead of asking "What can I do to this track?" you ask "What does this artistic vision need from me?"

Instead of viewing the song as a canvas for your mixing skills, you see it as a story you're helping to tell more clearly.

Instead of trying to put your signature sound on everything, you focus on making choices that serve the artist's intended emotional impact.

This mindset shifts you from being just a technician to becoming a true collaborator in the artistic process. You're not playing a new game - you're joining an ongoing creative journey, and your technical expertise exists to serve that journey's destination.

Remember: The goal isn't to show everyone how good you are at mixing. The goal is to help that original artistic vision resonate as powerfully as possible with its intended audience. That's the baton you're carrying. Handle it with care.