learn how to produce music by emulating your favorite artists? or not....

Every so often, you read interview's in the trades with established music producers and you hear the same advice: to really learn how to produce music tracks, emulate your favorite producers and try to re-create there tunes using your own software. beat for beat, bassline for bassline: the theory goes that in this way, you will learn how to make jams like the pro's right?

There is definitely a certain credo to that, but I would stress a different twist on this piece of advice. Particularly because I believe this oft-repeated gem has resulted in thousands upon thousands of formulaic tracks, with the same tricks and structures laced through out. Before people come knocking my door down with outraged trebuchets, I will point out I'm coming from the perspective of electronic music production in particular here. I'd venture to guess that for people versed in other genre's of music, the same grain of truth may be present as well.

I believe that while you can learn a lot about producing music using this technique, in the long run, you'll be much better off for NOT following the formula. You will establish your own distinct sound, your own methods, and even unorthodox song structures. You'll be more willing to take risks, try out different unique approaches, and really begin to develop your own sound. If you take a look at an artist like James Stinson (aka Drexciya), he has produced hundreds of unique electronic music pieces, not one sounding like the other, not one following a formula, but each song that he produced during his lifetime has the unmistakable sound of Drexciya. Now that's something.

Ultimately, as a music producer, this is what you should be after. Everything else after that will fall into place!