Collab or cocoon - What works best for you?

Despite spending my early years performing, I think it’s fair to say I’m an introvert. And in my work as a music producer, that trait has served me well.

Production can be a solitary profession, especially when consistency, focus, and efficiency begin to really matter.

Growing up, I’d spend hours in a flow state while practising trumpet or locking myself in a practice room to compose at the piano. So today, programming alone in a soundproofed control room feels completely natural. Most producers I know share this comfort with solitude.

That said, I’ve also worked in highly collaborative environments. Extroverted producers love this kind of work. They often thrive on the energy of real-time interaction….bouncing ideas off others in the room. And when there’s creative chemistry, that kind of writing can be electric.

Personally though, I gravitate toward a more solitary approach. I prefer an initial consultation with my clients, then ask to be left alone to build the track from the ground up. This lets me follow the thread without constant interruption. Early feedback on a half-formed idea can derail momentum or distort the direction. Like building a house of cards, the structure can easily callapse before it’s completed. And only then can it really be properly scrutinised or judged.

Once I’ve got something substantial, I’ll share it, whether by email or in a follow-up session. At that stage, feedback tends to be more useful, thoughtful, specific, and grounded in something real, not imagined.

I want to be clear: I’m not critical of any creative process. Bands are built on collaboration. Some songwriters jam together in a rehearsal room. Others work solo and share ideas by mail. Think of Elton John and Bernie Taupin…..sometimes writing together in-studio, sometimes continents apart. There’s no single right way.

But for the introverted creatives out there: if you do your best work in isolation, that’s OK. You’re not alone.….even if you prefer to work that way.