When You Don't Connect With The Music: A Mix Engineer's Guide to Finding Your Way

You're sitting at your console, staring at the session in front of you. The deadline is looming, the client is expecting great work, but there's a problem: you feel absolutely nothing for this music. No emotional connection. No spark. No excitement about where to take the mix.

It's a challenge every mix engineer faces at some point. When the emotional connection to the music just isn't there, how do you still deliver exceptional work?

The Reality No One Talks About

Let's be honest: not every project that comes your way will resonate with you personally. The mix engineers I coach often confess this reality in hushed tones, as if admitting to some professional failure. One successful engineer recently told me, "I felt like a fraud charging premium rates for a genre I couldn't care less about."

This disconnect happens to everyone, from Grammy winners to bedroom producers. The difference between struggling engineers and thriving ones isn't about loving every project—it's about having systems to navigate these moments professionally.

Why Connection Matters (And When It Doesn't)

When you genuinely connect with music, mixing decisions flow naturally. Your critical listening is enhanced by emotional understanding, and creative choices feel intuitive rather than mechanical.

But here's the truth that experienced engineers understand: technical excellence and professional results don't actually require personal connection. They require something else entirely.

The Professional's Toolkit for Disconnection

1. Find the Technical Challenge

When emotional connection is missing, redirect your focus to the technical aspects. A client I worked with who primarily mixed indie rock developed a system for approaching EDM projects (which he personally disliked) by treating them as technical puzzles:

"Instead of trying to force myself to like it, I ask: What's the technical challenge here? Is it getting the drop to hit hard? Creating space in a dense arrangement? Making the vocal cut through unusual processing? Once I identify that challenge, my engineer brain takes over, and my personal taste becomes irrelevant."

2. Study the Genre's Reference Points

Connection often comes from understanding. When you don't naturally connect with a style, become a student of it:

• Identify 3-5 successful commercial releases in the genre

• Analyze their technical characteristics (frequency balance, dynamic range, spatial elements)

• Note production techniques that define the sound

• Listen for audience expectations within the genre

One mix engineer I coached created genre-specific playlists with detailed notes on production approaches. Over time, this systematic study helped him develop genuine appreciation for styles he initially dismissed.

3. Find the Human Story

Behind every recording is a human story—artists who care deeply about their work. Sometimes connection comes not from the music itself but from understanding what it means to its creators.

Try having a conversation with the client about:

• What inspired this project

• What they hope listeners will feel

• Which moments in the song matter most to them

• What artists influenced their approach

Understanding the emotional investment of the creator can give you an access point even when the music itself doesn't immediately speak to you.

4. Create Process-Based Consistency

When personal taste can't guide you, systems and processes become your foundation. Develop a systematic approach to different genres that ensures technical excellence regardless of your personal connection.

A workflow might include:

• Initial technical assessment (identifying frequency problems, performance issues)

• Genre-appropriate processing chains

• Reference comparison points at specific mix stages

• Objective quality control checklist

One coach client built a database of processing approaches for genres outside his comfort zone, turning subjective decisions into more objective choices based on proven patterns.

The Ethics of Disconnection

Some engineers struggle with whether it's ethical to work on music they don't connect with. Here's my perspective: As long as you can deliver technical excellence and respect the artist's vision, you're fulfilling your professional obligation.

The client isn't paying for your personal enjoyment—they're paying for your expertise, technical skill, and ability to enhance their creative vision.

When to Say No

That said, there are legitimate reasons to decline projects beyond personal taste:

• When you truly lack expertise in the specific technical demands

• When the content contradicts your core values

• When you cannot meet the client's expectations due to the disconnect

A respected engineer I work with has a simple rule: "I'll mix anything I don't love but can respect. I won't mix what I can't respect."

The Growth Opportunity

Working outside your comfort zone often leads to the greatest professional growth. Many engineers find that projects they initially didn't connect with pushed them to develop new techniques that later benefited their work across all genres.

Consider creating a deliberate learning goal for each "disconnected" project. What specific skill or technique could you develop through this challenge?

Building Your Disconnection Muscle

Like any professional skill, working through disconnection gets easier with practice. Many engineers find that over time, their appreciation for different styles expands naturally through exposure and focused attention to craft.

Try these approaches:

• Start each session by finding one element of the music you can genuinely appreciate

• Challenge yourself to identify production techniques you might incorporate into styles you prefer

• Document your process so each "disconnection" project makes future ones easier

Conclusion

The ability to deliver excellence regardless of personal connection is what separates professionals from hobbyists. By focusing on technical challenges, studying genre conventions, finding human stories, and building systematic approaches, you can consistently deliver value to clients regardless of your personal taste.

Remember: your job isn't to love everything you work on—it's to make the artist's vision sound its absolute best. Sometimes the projects that challenge us most lead to our greatest growth as engineers.

What strategies have you developed for working on music outside your comfort zone? I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments.

Michael J. Morgan coaches mix engineers on building thriving, sustainable businesses. He specializes in helping audio professionals develop systems for consistent growth, client acquisition, and professional development.