We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Taylor Dubray a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Taylor, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I grew up playing in bands from high school to college, and always loved being in the studio and the process of record making. Since then I have continued down the path of learning how to make records in different ways. I was always writing and recording demos with my bands, slowly learning all of the little things that make incredible songs come to life. A lot of this process requires patience and commitment, but I would also recommend to anyone reading this that is interested in making music in general is to learn a DAW. Learning how to put your ideas into the computer is an invaluable resource with how the music industry is changing, and it is a skill that can help spark all kinds of creative pathways to pursue. Over the past 8 or so years I have been trying to combine my skills as a player with my skills as an in-the-box producer and writer to create music that feels unique and special to me. There are lots of obstacles along the way that you simply have to learn how to grow through. Burnout is real and you have to have emotional intelligence to realize when you are getting close. Learning how to market yourself and your skills in an ever changing industry landscape is also very important. But in the end it is all about just not giving up. Continually moving forward every day, creating new music that excites you and not overthinking it.

Taylor, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a music producer, writer, and artist. I grew up loving to play the piano and listening to music on my mp3 player. I went to college tricking myself into thinking I would be on the industry side of the music business, but am lucky enough to be on the creative side.
A lot of my job is working with artists to help create and refine their sound. Artists will come to me looking for new stories to tell or specifically a new sonic landscape to explore. I am very detail driven while keeping in mind the emotional basis of the artist and song, and think artists (as well as producers and writers) need to be fearless and willing to jump into new territory without knowing exactly where they will end up.
I love to produce all kinds of music, and my patience is something that sets me apart from others. I have always been a good listener, and being a music producer is sometimes described as being in the service industry, where it is your job to serve the artist in the most accurate way possible.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Recent inspirations for this category would be Rick Rubin’s book called “The Creative Act” and a podcast called “And The Writer Is” by Ross Golan. Rubin’s book is an excellent resource for any creative person seeking inspiration in the form of short anecdotes or very applicable scenarios. So much about being a creative is the internal, mental battle, and this book has some incredible inspirations for breaking out of patterns of overthinking or finding new perspectives on art. Ross Rolan’s podcast is also a great source of inspiration simply just to hear successful writers and producers talk about their journey and what goes on in their heads. Whether you want to learn about their path to success or just how they manage being in the music industry, there are a lot of great episodes.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The reason I do music is because I have to. It sounds cheesy but I think artists in general have this certain need to create things, that without it they would have this huge source of undirected energy. Recently listening to things Brian Eno has said about art, I have so much respect for any artist sharing any kind of work. Art intersects with human life in such a unique way from anything else in human existence, and therefor it is so important for humans to be able to experience this aspect of life and share in collective experiences of simply just what it is like to be human.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doobietuesday/?hl=en
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/doobietuesday-126808667
• Other: Spotify:
  https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ziAzVa3WXWxrFPOXS89mT?si=W6wVX5YKTXC1-oLgNyclxw

Image Credits

Benjamin Zucker
Joey Brodnax