The Idea of "Ear Candy" and its Use in "Intro to My Theme"

Sometimes within a song it's not the main melody, lyrics, or vocals that make the song feel good and complete, it's the little background sounds that catch someone's ear or the "ear candy". It's the subtle risers that lead into the next phrase, a fun background vocal, a scratch, a one off sound, or an ooo or ahh.  Sometimes the little things in the background can draw the most attention in a song. 

My song "Intro to My Theme" immediately starts with ear catching elements. You here a de-riser, a sub vocal, an ooo, a sequence of notes, a quick audio clip that was pitched, tuned, and edited, and a layered tuned vocal (the first few seconds with these elements are clipped at the bottom of this article). All these unique elements, "ear candy", add to the atmosphere of the piece. But it's not just about using "ear candy", it's also about knowing when to use it and how to integrate it.

Without "ear candy", a song can often sound bland, basic, and unappealing. However, if you use to much of it, integrate the volume to loud, pan it wrong, or use a sound or key that doesn't match the song it can feel like more of a hinderance than a help in a song. It's key that you take into account the key (no pun intended), rhythm, and overall sound of your "ear candy".  It is supposed to be a quick background sound so don't go crazy with the layering, volume, and surround sound. Otherwise, it will over power the main parts of the song. The best thing to do when adding "ear candy" is to ask your self does it need it to begin with, or do you want it to just experiment.