In the Absence of Light

33

Ivy

"I like this," I say, pulling my headphones off.

"It's good, isn't it?"

"I can see why you like it," I nod. "But it's not as good as Down The Way."

"Hey, this is just a few songs," he defends. "Give it more time."

"Okay, but so far, the lyrics in Down The Way are far better."

"Yeah, the lyrics maybe, but instrumentally, this album takes the crown."

"I'm far more focused on the lyrics."

"Really?" He frowns.

"Yeah, I don't know, I just appreciate it when the lyrics are all poetic and meaningful."

"More poetic than this?" He motions to the record between us.

"A little, yeah. I like these, but the ones on Down The Way are just a little... deeper, I guess."

"How about Snow?"

"It's hit and miss," I shrug.

"So, when you listen to a record like this, you're mostly listening to the lyrics?"

"Well, I listen to the beat, too, but yeah, I guess so."

"And that's what makes you like or dislike a song, not the guitar riffs or base lines?"

"Not really, no," I tell him. "Is that most important to you?"

"Oh, for sure," he nods. "I care way more about the sound than anything else. If the instruments don't sound well individually or together, it's going to be impossible to listen to."

"So, you know a lot about production and composition then?"

"Yeah, that's my major."

"Really?" I smile. That's different. I always knew we had a decent music program, but I've never actually met anyone in it. "Is that what you want to do with your life then? Make music, I mean."

"Probably, yeah," he nods. "Music is everything to me. I'd go nuts without it."

"Do you play any instruments besides guitar?"

"I play a bit of everything, really. Mostly guitar and piano, though. You can't really make a beat without a keyboard."

"Oh my god, really?" I smile. "That's cool!"

I've always wanted to learn to play something, but it all looks so difficult. No one in my family plays any instruments, so I never really had any exposure to it besides what I heard on records or saw on TV. Piano is definitely something I could see myself doing, but it would take such a long time to learn and actually become good at.

"I'm more focused on the production side of things, though. I'd rather spend the day in my room putting beats together, than actually playing the instruments."

"How does that work?" I ask. "Producing, I mean."

"Basically, I can record my own playing, or use electronic sounds, or even sample other people's beats, and then I can put them together, organise them how I want to, make it all flow nicely, and boom... there's a song."

"That sounds pretty complicated. How long does it take you to make a song?"

"A good one? About a day, but I'll keep coming back to it for a while until it's perfected."