Okay, let’s find out

A record producer friend of mine has a beautiful mantra when he works in the studio with a new artist.

Let’s find out.

It means be open to discovery and possibility. Trial and error are not only allowed, but encouraged. We’re on this exploration together. It’s action over analysis. Enough theorizing, it’s time to put the sound to the test.

Get in that vocal booth and try singing the entire song falsetto.

Or change from acoustic to electric guitar and see how it sounds.

The goal is to have faith in the process, even if you feel uncertain right now. Let’s find out.

What I love about these three words is how nonjudgmental they are. What a useful way to respond to the typical excuses people give.

That won’t work. We’ve tried that before. It’s gotta be perfect first. That’s not how it’s done. Why bother? This isn’t the right time. I don’t see the point.

Okay, let’s find out. That’s the only way to get out of the conceptual and into the concrete. Once you take that crucial step, there’s a number of possible outcomes.

The artist might try out a new sound, only to realize that the original version had a unique energy that the new approach couldn’t match. Great. That’s the clarity we needed. Our exploration confirmed the strength of the original sound. Your first instincts were right. Now we know.

Another outcome is, a step forward, but not the final one. The new version has elements that improved your song, but it still doesn’t quite hit the mark. An exciting variant, no doubt.

And maybe we can use it somewhere else. But there’s still work left to do. Let’s keep pushing. We’ve learned something about the song we didn’t know before. Very useful information.

A final outcome, which I find to be the most exciting, is unexpected gold. You take the risk of, let’s find out, and the new take transforms the work. Creating an unprecedented song that everyone in the studio can hear.

Holy shit. That’s it. You discovered something new that wasn’t here before. Great. Notice how each outcome is a win in its own way, proving that the process of let’s find out adds value no matter where it leads.

Rick Rubin, the zen master of modern music production, has riffed on his practice of this principle for decades. In his books, interviews, videos and podcasts, I have collected a number of insights that underscore let’s find out.

I know there’s no one way. I don’t have any answers. We are all just looking.

He also commented, I want to be a servant to the creative impulse, wherever it leads. I want the song to tell us what it wants to be.

Finally, he’s told his artists, it’s about staying open and responsive to the moment letting things be revealed.

Isn’t that the kind of producer every musician needs?