Coproduction : Collaboration in Music Production

Coproduction is dedicated specifically to the study of an emerging field in music production musicology. It explores the limits of what this field might be, from the workings of a few individuals producing music together in the studio, to vast contributions of whole societies producing popular music.

Taking a wide-ranging approach to examining the field, Coproduction looks through multiple formats including essays, interviews, and case studies, with analysis and commentary of coproduction experiences at Abbey Road studios. It does so by examining multiple disciplines from social science and coproduction in mental health, to philosophy and mathematics. At its extremes (which is the extreme middle and not the blunt ‘cutting edge’) the authors attempt to produce every song in their development of an all-encompassing pop music concept, peculiarly called Toast theory.

In attempting to unite the pragmatic collaborative patterns of Vera John-Steiner with philosophical postmodernist concepts of connection, Coproduction has something to offer readers interested in the traditional workings of teams of producers, as well as those seeking to understand the wider philosophy of collaboration in music production.

Robert Wilsmore is a composer, producer, musicologist, academic, and collaborator. He studied Music at Bath College of HE (now Bath Spa University) and was awarded Doctor of Musical Arts from Nottingham University in 1994 where he studied composition with Nicholas Sackman. He has led on nationwide research projects on collaboration and has written many articles and chapters on popular music and music production. In his time as an academic leader for more than 20 years, he has been Assistant Head of Music at Leeds College of Music (Leeds Conservatoire) and Head of the School of the Arts at York St John University.

Christopher Johnson is a producer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is perhaps best known in the progressive rock niche for his work with Mostly Autumn, Halo Blind and Fish. He has collaborated on more than 25 studio records, maintains a busy touring schedule, and is a Senior Lecturer on music production courses at York St John University. He is currently working on his PhD, which explores various models of collaboration in music production and how they affect the aesthetic of the resulting music.