Is there a simple answer to this? Does a quick proclamation that explains everything one needs to know about music recording in a nutshell exist?
I keep deluding myself, thinking that I can somehow clearly sum up everything about the art of capturing music as sound recordings. Maybe it could be a philosophy; a simple mantra to accept what is and change what one can. Or maybe it's a way to reset one's mind and expectations; to be open to beautiful accidents. Or maybe it could be a way to lightly hold onto the rudder with an eye on the course ahead.
I wake up in the middle of the night, with fleeting thoughts that seem to lead to the summation of this absolute truth of recording – "Now I can pass on this knowledge!" But, as I gain consciousness, it all slips away – a fantasy that is unattainable. My own personal, unreachable enlightenment.