Podd: Music Production Podcast

The Threat to New Music - David Rowell

16 december 2024 | 49 min

David Rowell is a veteran music journalist who has worked as an editor and writer at the Washington Post for over 20 years. Stewart Copeland of the Police said "David Rowell is the kind of critic that scares us musicians. He really gets it, maybe even more than we do."

David is here to talk about his new book The Endless Refrain: Memory, Nostalgia, and the Threat to New Music. In it he expores the popularity of legacy acts and tribute acts and the challenges it creates for new musicians trying to get their music heard. David raises the question "do we even want new music?" We discuss his take on the trajectory of the music industry and what it means for artists like many of us, who create original music, and our culture in general.

Finish-February 3-Day In-Person Workshop at Ableton's Pasadena Headquarters - https://brianfunk.gumroad.com/l/kwhsgv

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

The abundance of new music can be overwhelming for listeners.
Investing in music through purchase creates a deeper connection.
Nostalgic listening experiences shape our relationship with music.
MTV revolutionized music consumption and artist visibility.
The desire for new music is declining among audiences.
Tribute bands reflect a growing preference for familiar music.
Hologram performances raise ethical questions about music consumption.
Nostalgia is a powerful marketing tool in the music industry.
The emotional connection to music is vital for artists and fans.
Venture capitalists are reshaping music consumption.
Listeners are increasingly exposed to nostalgic music.
Streaming services have changed how we discover music.
Albums today don't linger in cultural impact as before.
Tribute bands provide a living for many musicians.
New music discovery requires intentional effort.
Cultural references in music are becoming less shared.

Links:

David's Website - https://www.davidrowellauthor.com
The Endless Refrain: Memory, Nostalgia, and the Threat to New Music - https://amzn.to/4gD4lno
Wherever the Sound Takes You: Heroics and Heartbreak in Music Making - https://amzn.to/4iCgBq8
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

Live Performance and Collaboration with C4RP00L

3 december 2024 | 82 min

Tyson Boorman - Getting Industry Standard Mixes for Your Music

19 november 2024 | 60 min

Tyson Boorman is a mixing and mastering engineer for Nightowl Music Group. He is the author of The Objective Mix - Mix Like a Pro Without Pro Gear or Premium Plug-ins. Tyson teaches music production on his YouTube channel, Objective Mixing, and he also runs a podcast called Prolific Super Producer, where, in the very near future, I'll be a guest.

Tyson and I spoke about his production philosophy of "skills over gear." We talked about the practical insights and messages from his book The Objective Mix. And Tyson gave a great explanation of how and why to use compressors in different mixing situations.

Tyson is giving listeners of this podcast his "The 5 Secrets to Industry Standard Mixes" and "The Compression Styles Every Bedroom Producer Needs to Know" guides for free! Go to https://www.objectivemixing.com/funk to download them.

This episode is sponsored by Baby Audio, makers of incredible music software. Use the code MPP15 to save 15%! https://babyaud.io

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

Focus on the why behind your music production decisions.
Skills are more important than gear when starting out.
Understanding compression is crucial for effective mixing.
Creative limitations can lead to unique and interesting sounds.
Volume is the most powerful tool in mixing.
Intentionality in mixing decisions leads to better results.
Compression can be used to enhance dynamics, not just reduce them.
Learn your tools deeply to maximize their potential.
Avoid over-compressing; subtle moves are often more effective.
Using EQ to create space in your mix before resorting to sidechain compression.

Links:

Objective Mixing - https://www.objectivemixing.com
The Objective Mix - Mix Like a Pro Without Pro Gear or Premium Plug-ins by Tyson Boorman - https://www.objectivemixing.com/mix_2
Objective Mix YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ObjectiveMixing
Prolific Super Producer Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrq7MgGMnCTNAdFLAfg_o10w9iYPnPiqg
NightOwl Music Group - https://nightowlmusicgroup.com
Ian Temple on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/ian-temple
Free PDF Downloads - https://www.objectivemixing.com/funk
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

STOP Optimizing! Do THIS First!!

11 november 2024 | 14 min

Ben Levin - Staying True to Yourself as an Artist

5 november 2024 | 123 min

Ben Levin is a musician, visual artist, and educator. He runs the Ben Levin Music School where he hosts courses that help artists find their voice, finish music, and maintain and cultivate their love of music-making. Ben's YouTube Channel hosts his art, music, and educational content. His new album Heaven Heaven Heaven features indie, alternative rock music with 2 Fender Bass VIs at its core.

Ben and I explore the complexities of artistic identity, the challenges of navigating platforms like YouTube, and the importance of creativity in education. Ben explains the challenges of being artistically honest and following our passions while trying to create a consistent online presence that cooperates with the algorithms so we can actually make a living artistically. Ben even brings out his Fender Bass VI to demonstrate how he uses it on his new album Heaven Heaven Heaven.

This episode is sponsored by Baby Audio, makers of incredible music software. Use the code MPP15 to save 15%! https://babyaud.io

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

Ben Levin discusses the duality of being a multifaceted artist.
Navigating the YouTube landscape requires balancing creativity and marketability.
Batch production of content can help manage audience expectations.
The importance of creating space for endings in artistic work.
Teaching creativity in schools can enhance student engagement.
Understanding modes in music requires contextual learning.
The arts provide essential emotional support during difficult times.
Artistic expression can be a powerful healing tool.
Personal growth in music production often involves collaboration and community.
The creative process is often nonlinear and requires patience.
The Fender Bass VI offers a unique sound that bridges bass and guitar.
Authenticity in vocal performance resonates more than technical perfection.
Finding one's voice is a journey that requires exploration and practice.
The creative process is often more rewarding than the final product.
Vulnerability in music can create a deeper connection with listeners.
Teenage experiences and emotions can be effectively expressed through music.
Balancing humor and seriousness in art can enhance emotional impact.

Links:

Ben Levin Music School - https://benlevinmusicschool.com
Ben's Courses - https://benlevinmusicschool.com/p/courses
Heaven Heaven Heaven by Ben Levin - https://benlevingroup.bandcamp.com/album/heaven-heaven-heaven
Ben's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BenLevin
Ben's Art - https://benshow.horse
Ben on the Fender Bass VI - https://youtu.be/G1DLpdFWrdM?si=gEvXLlRG6QzCKYIt
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

Brian Funk

David Mash - Musician, Educator, Futurist

22 oktober 2024 | 106 min

David Mash is a musician, composer, educator, technologist, and futurist. David worked at Berklee College of Music for 44 years, first as a teacher of guitar and jazz. Then he started the Music Synthesis department, which is now the Electronic Production and Design department. David was Berklee’s Assistant Dean of Curriculum for Academic Technology (BADCAT) in 1989, Vice President for Technology in 1997, Vice President for Technology and Education Outreach in 2006, and Senior Vice President for Innovation, Strategy, and Technology in 2013. He is the President of the Bob Moog Foundation Board, and as Chair of the Board for the Alan R. Pearlman (ARP) Foundation.

It was an honor to speak with David, a man who played a major role in bringing the latest in music technology to the academic world. David spoke about his influential career and how he has evolved over the years as a musician. He shared how a hand injury derailed his guitar playing career and guided him to a new chapter in synthesis and music technology. We discussed his various musical projects and some of the important collaborators he's worked with along the way. It's an incredible story about a man who undoubtedly shaped the musical landscape for all who follow.

This episode is sponsored by Baby Audio, makers of incredible music software. Use the code MPP15 to save 15%! https://babyaud.io

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Links:

David's Website - https://davidmash.com
Mashine - https://www.mashine.com
David's Berklee Profile - https://www.berklee.edu/people/david-mash
Sonic Doodles by David Mash - https://davidmash.com/sonic-doodles/
Stefan - https://stefanthemusician.com
Bar of 2 Productions - http://barof2.com/
Peter Bell on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/peter-bell
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

The Craft of Songwriting with Andrea Stolpe

8 oktober 2024 | 84 min

Andrea Stolpe is a renowned, multi-platinum creative consultant whose methodology for songwriters and music artists has been taught worldwide. A writer with 20+ years of experience in the music industry, Andrea has written for such artists as Faith Hill, Julianne Hough, and Jimmy Wayne. She has turned her experience into award-winning online courses and live events as well as numerous articles, books, and resources.

As one who has followed and learned from her for years, I really enjoyed speaking with Andrea. She shared lots of practical songwriting advice musicians from any genre can use. Andrea shared her story and how she continues to hone her songwriting craft. We spoke about the vulnerability and openness songwriting requires, as well as how to grow by working with collaborators.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

Simplicity is key in songwriting, focusing on the core elements of melody, lyrics, rhythm, and chords.
Focus on expressing yourself authentically.
Write songs that have substance and meaning, rather than relying on cliches or low-hanging fruit.
Collaboration and production can enhance a song's message and impact.
Take the time to reflect on your songs and identify areas where they may need improvement or refinement.
Feedback from others can be useful, but it is important for songwriters to stay true to their own instincts and not try to wear other people's ideas as their own.
Specific details in lyrics can create a vivid and relatable experience for listeners, but it is important to find the right balance between specificity and universality.
Songwriting retreats provide a supportive and collaborative environment for songwriters to connect with others, overcome creative blocks, and make progress in their writing.
The creative process is a journey of exploration and reaction, and it is important to embrace both the creative and critical aspects of songwriting.
Having the right tools and techniques can help songwriters overcome challenges and make their creative process more efficient and effective.

Links:

Andrea's Website - https://www.andreastolpe.com
Andrea's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/andreastolpeofficial/
Andrea's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@andreastolpe
Download the 5 Songwriting Tools That Change Everything - Free PDF Guide: https://bit.ly/fivesongwritingtools
Join Andrea Live at a Songwriting Retreat - (California dates still available for November 2024): https://bit.ly/4e4EvHA
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

KIN TALA - Building an EP from Scratch

24 september 2024 | 67 min

KIN TALA is a musical duo from Blackpool, England, who just released their debut EP, Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost. They created the album entirely on their own, learning to produce and mix along the way.

I spoke with Dominic of KIN TALA about their new EP and the creative process they used to make it. Dom discussed how the duo did most of their learning on the fly and how they managed to inject their personality and style into the music. We talked about overcoming creative challenges and working hard to find a unique sound.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

Starting from scratch and diving into music production can lead to great results.
The process of recording and mixing can be challenging, but it's worth it to achieve the desired sound.
Maintaining artistic vision is important, even in the face of industry expectations.
Strengths and challenges of playing in a duo.
Embracing a unique sound and not fitting into a specific genre or scene can be a breath of fresh air.
Working with limited equipment and resources can push artists to be more creative and think outside the box.
Finding moments of inspiration and taking the time to reflect on the music you want to create is important.
The music industry has become more equitable in terms of access, but it's important to navigate it in a way that speaks to your own goals and values.
Creating music that is authentic, meaningful, and resonates with listeners is more important than constantly producing and saturating the market.

Links:

KIN TALA - https://www.kintala.uk
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost by KIN TALA - https://open.spotify.com/album/4h7pwz215ylKjc6ZPOjwzk
KIN TALA Bandcamp - https://kintalaband.bandcamp.com
KIN TALA Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kintalauk
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

Ian Temple - Soundfly CEO on Overcoming Creative Obstacles

9 september 2024 | 75 min

Ian Temple is the CEO and Co-Founder of the online music school, Soundfly. Soundfly offers courses in a variety of topics related to music-making and music production. Ian is a pianist, composer, and plays in the band Sontag Shogun.

Ian and I spoke about the creative process and the challenges of making music. Ian shared insights about learning music and growing as a musician. He explained how we should embrace challenges and obstacles along the way and use them to our creative advantage.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

The creative process is a constant journey of growth and learning.
Mental obstacles can hinder creativity, but they can be overcome with the right mindset.
Flexibility and adaptability are key in the creative process.
Community and collaboration can provide valuable insights and support.
Reframing limiting beliefs can lead to new perspectives and breakthroughs.
Embrace the creative process and accept where you are in your journey.
Overcome obstacles by reframing them as opportunities for growth.
Keep creating and pushing forward to bridge the gap between your skills and your taste.
Collaborate with others and engage with a supportive community to inspire and enhance your creativity.

Links:

Soundly - https://soundfly.com
Soundfly newsletter sign up: https://soundfly.com/
Kimbra’s Vocal Class - https://soundfly.com/courses/kimbra-vocal-creativity-arranging-production
Com Truise’s Production Class - https://soundfly.com/courses/com-truise-mid-fi-synthwave-slow-motion-funk
Soundfly Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/learntosoundfly
Soundfly YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/learntosoundfly
Sontag Shogun - https://www.sontagshogun.com
“This is Water” by David Foster Wallace - https://fs.blog/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water/
“The Gap” by Ira Glass - https://vimeo.com/85040589
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

Corey Baker - aka Kill Paris, Musician, Producer, Ableton Certified Trainer

27 augusti 2024 | 124 min

Corey Baker is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and Ableton Certified Trainer. Corey made a huge impact on the electronic music scene and toured the world as Kill Paris. He shares his workflow and techniques in his tutorials and courses, and hosts a weekly sample flip challenge.

I spoke with Corey about his music, educational community, and production techniques. We discussed some of the newer features in Ableton Live 12.1, as well as the process of learning complex software to create music. Corey shared how being discovered by Skrillex on SoundCloud changed the course of his career.

This episode is sponsored by Baby Audio, makers of incredible music software. Use the code MPP15 to save 15%! https://babyaud.io

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

The early days of using Ableton Live involved a supportive community and tutorials helped in the learning process.
Transitioning from hardware to digital plugins allowed for more flexibility and experimentation in music production.
The MIDI tools and scale awareness in Ableton Live 12 provide a user-friendly way to explore music theory and create musical compositions.
Balancing technical knowledge with creative exploration is important in music production
Breaking the rules and trying new things can lead to unique and interesting results.
The standalone version of Ableton Push has improved workflow and allows for a more immersive and enjoyable music-making experience.
Reacting and responding to what you are creating in the moment is important for staying in a creative flow.
Simplifying your setup and focusing on using default Ableton devices can help avoid getting caught up in technical details and allow for a more fluid creative process.
Challenging oneself and embracing the struggle in the creative process leads to a deeper sense of satisfaction and connection with the music.
The energy and process put into creating music can be felt by the listener, even if it's not consciously recognized.
Bringing energy and enthusiasm to live performances is crucial for creating a great show and engaging the audience.
Creating a comfortable and engaging atmosphere can help build a connection between the performer and the audience.
Playing for smaller venues allows for more eye contact and a sense of community, while larger crowds can create a domino effect of energy.
How platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube have played a significant role in the success of many musicians, providing opportunities for exposure and collaboration.
Gamification and metrics in music production can provide valuable feedback and motivation for producers.

Links:

Corey’s Site - https://funthingsfunlife.com
Corey’s Intro to Ableton Live Course - https://corey-baker.mykajabi.com/offers/YjH3Muz2/checkout
Corey’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coreybakercoreybaker
Corey’s Clubhouse on Discord - https://discord.com/invite/PJtmtk5ydg
Links to Corey’s Work and Music - https://funthingsfunlife.com/links
Making Music by Dennis DeSantis PDF - https://cdn-resources.ableton.com/resources/uploads/makingmusic/MakingMusic_DennisDeSantis.pdf
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

Thomas Glendinning - ELPHNT, Sound Designer, Music Maker, Educator

12 augusti 2024 | 75 min

Thomas Glendinning is a music producer, educator, and sound designer. He creates some of the finest Ableton Live and Max for Live devices available at his site ELPHNT. Tom recently released his new album Micro((osmos under the name Conso/e.

Tom joined me for a 3rd conversation on the Music Production Podcast to talk about his new album and some of his latest Max for Live creations, including Essentials. We spoke about the fun and challenges of creating music and devices. Tom shared some great insights from his experiences that will surely help music-makers of all levels. We also spent some time discussing the latest features in Ableton Live 12.1.

This episode is sponsored by Baby Audio, makers of incredible music software. Use the code MPP15 to save 15%! https://babyaud.io

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

Tom's Essentials Pack offers simple and focused Max for Live devices that perform specific tasks effectively.
Tom emphasizes the importance of headroom and organization in mixing, allowing for flexibility and clarity in the mix.
Shakers and tambourines can add groove and texture to music, serving as both rhythmic and textural elements.
Distinguishing between creative effects and mix effects helps maintain clarity and intention in the production process.
Mixing in mono can provide a fresh perspective and help create a balanced and cohesive mix.
Tom's minimalist approach to music production focuses on using only what is necessary to achieve the desired sound. Playing percussion instruments requires technique and skill, and it's important to have respect for percussionists.
Imperfection in music production can add a unique and organic sound to the music.
The new features in Ableton Live 12.1, such as Auto Shift and macro randomization, offer exciting creative possibilities.
There is a need for reevaluation in the music tech space to focus on tools and content that actively help musicians make more music.
Limiting your tools and focusing on intentional limitations can enhance creativity and productivity in music production.

Links:

ELPHNT - https://elphnt.io
Essentials Max for Live Pack - https://elphnt.io/store/essentials/
Micro((osmos - https://consoleconsole.bandcamp.com/album/micro-osmos
ELPHNT Newsletter - https://elphnt.io/newsletter/
Freakshow Industries Plug-ins - https://freakshowindustries.com
Thomas on Music Production Podcast #26 - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2017/6/22/26-thomas-glendinning-ableton-certified-trainer
Thomas on Music Production Podcast #158 - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2020/3/14/tom-from-elphnt-on-finishing-music-and-making-it-a-career-music-production-podcast-158
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

Michelle Moog - Bob Moog Foundation, History of Moog Synthesizer

30 juli 2024 | 85 min

Carter Vail - Musician, Songwriter on his new album 100 Cowboys

16 juli 2024 | 56 min

Carter Vail is a musician, producer, and video creator. His fast-paced, lighthearted short-form songs have garnered him hundreds of thousands of followers across social media. His new album, 100 Cowboys, combines upbeat music with emotional lyrics that document a difficult breakup. Carter shares his songwriting process, thoughts on collaboration, and why he chooses to work fast and be prolific in his creative process.

This episode is sponsored by Baby Audio, makers of incredible music software. Use the code MPP15 to save 15%! h ttps://babyaud.io

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

Carter Vail's new album '100 Cowboys' strikes a balance between upbeat music and sad lyrics.
Having fun with music is important and can bring joy to both the artist and the audience.
Working in a simple studio setup can be beneficial, as it minimizes potential bottlenecks and allows for a seamless creative process.
Carter believes in showing up and working consistently, rather than waiting for inspiration to strike.
Simplicity in the creative process and studio setup can lead to faster and more efficient music-making.
Inspiration is fickle, and it's important to take action and create even when feeling uninspired.
Having a concept and direction before diving into production is important for songwriting.
The proximity of instruments to the computer can affect the recording process.
Collaboration can bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the creative process.
Specific details in lyrics can create a personal connection with listeners.
Efficiency and consistency are key in managing social media presence.

Links:

Carter Vail Website - https://www.cartervail.com
Carter's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cartervailmusic/?hl=en
Carter's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@cartervailmusic
Carter's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@cartervailmusic?lang=en
"Nashville" by Carter Vail - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCQhCt4PcLc
"It's Time for Shrimp" by Carter Vail - https://youtube.com/shorts/eZ-S2ZYYjL8?si=Z9__aqPrwYc-kbXl
Recording Unhinged by Sylvia Massy - https://amzn.to/4cXACo5
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

David Alexander - Audio Engineer, Producer, Musician

5 juli 2024 | 113 min

Evan Frankfort - Songwriter, Sound Designer, Film and TV Composer

27 juni 2024 | 104 min

Francis Preve: The Man in the Synth

21 juni 2024 | 125 min

Francis Preve is a sound designer, producer, and synthesizer programmer. He programs factory presets for the leading synthesizer manufacturers including Sequential, Roland, Korg, Oberheim, Serum, and many more. He is the Section Lead of Digital Composition at Austin Community College. Francis releases sound packs through his company SympleSound. His latest release, Serum Models, turns the popular synthesizer into a hyper-realistic physical modeling synth.

In our 4th conversation on the Music Production Podcast, Francis discusses his new pack, Serum Models, and explains how physical modeling synthesis works. We go deep into his work as a sound designer and Francis gives thorough explanations of a variety of synthesis concepts. We also talk about his work as an educator and some student success stories, along with the traits those students exhibit in his classes. It's a wide-ranging and deep conversation with one of the world's best sound designers!

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

The development of new Serum models and physical modeling and sound design.
The process of creating and marketing sound packs.
The psychology of sound creation involves a deep connection to the subtleties of music and the ability to differentiate musical elements.
Learning to differentiate musical elements is a transformative experience that opens up new dimensions in music appreciation and understanding.
The impact of music theory on creativity and the ability to enjoy music without over-analyzing it.
The role of technology in music education and the importance of learning by playing and experimenting.
The differences between analog and digital synthesis and the unique characteristics of each.
The concept of aliasing in sound and its impact on audio quality.
The use of images to create wavetables in synthesizers and the exploration of sound design through experimentation.
The significance of presets in synthesizers
Passion is a key factor in determining success in a career.
Limitations can enhance creativity and problem-solving in music production.
Technology, such as AI and software, has both benefits and ethical considerations in music creation.
Teaching and mentorship play a significant role in shaping the future of music production and the industry.

Links:

Francis' Site - https://www.francispreve.com
Symplesound - https://www.symplesound.com
Francis' Serum Preset Collections including Models- https://xferrecords.com/preset_packs/manufacturers/francis-preve
Synthtopia on Serum Models - https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2024/05/06/francis-preve-releases-serum-models-preset-expansion-library/
Francis on MPP #38 - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2017/10/30/38-francis-preve-sound-designer-educator
Francis on MPP #98 - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2019/1/29/98-francis-preve-2-sound-design-synthesis-vanlife
Francis on MPPP #273 - https://brianfunk.com/blog/francis-preve-3
Francis' Clients (wow!) - https://www.francispreve.com/clients
Sara Landry - https://djmag.com/features/sara-landry-hard-technos-high-frequency-priestess
Shadowstar - https://www.beatport.com/artist/shadowstar/873086
CHKLTE - https://ra.co/dj/chklte/biography
Shreddward - https://www.shreddward.com/
Josh Davidson (Kepler North)- https://www.instagram.com/kepler_north
Jeff Rona - https://liquidcinema.com/
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#372: The Magic of Musical Collaboration with Boredomfighters

13 juni 2024 | 95 min

Tyler Manning and Jordan Dale are part of Boredomfighters, a nonprofit that brings music-making and collaboration to kids across the United States. Boredomfighters conducts workshops, assemblies, and "Instrument Gardens" to empower young people to create music on the fly using modern production techniques.

Tyler and Jordan spoke to me about their work in Boredomfighters and how they've been inspired by inspiring young people to create music. They share their techniques to help participants feel safe to drop inhibitions and have fun creating music together. The principles they share apply to any musical situation. We had a blast talking about their work and listening to music their audience created at a recent event.

This episode is sponsored by Baby Audio, makers of incredible music software. Use the code MPP15 to save 15%! h ttps://babyaud.io

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

Engaging in music production and creative expression through simple rules, examples, and creative constraints.
Encouraging vulnerability and the impact of technology on music education and creativity.
The importance of fostering intrinsic motivation and creativity in young learners.
The challenges and opportunities in engaging and inspiring young people to explore music and creative arts.
The significance of role models and exposure in shaping musical interests and aspirations.
The value of creating an ideal learning environment for music exploration and self-expression.
The use of vocal prompting and chat GPT in music workshops with kids.
The importance of capturing the energy of a space through music.
The ripple effect of their work and the empowerment of people to do similar workshops in their communities.

Links:

Boredomfighters - https://www.boredomfighters.org/
Boredomfighters Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/boredomfightersfoundation/
Boredomfighters YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@theboredomfighters
Boredomfighters SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/boredomfighters
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#371: Recording an Entire Album Yourself with Dex Green

6 juni 2024 | 86 min

Dex Green is a Nashville-based producer, engineer, and songwriter. He recorded his new album, Imaginary War, by himself, playing every instrument. Dex has worked with artists like Elvis Costello, Margo Price, and Collective Soul. His work has been nominated for a Grammy.

Dex and I spoke about his work and the lessons he's picked up from recording countless acts in various genres. He discussed the process of recording his new album Imaginary War. Dex shared how he's combined philosophies and concepts from jazz studies, playing in punk and ska bands as a teenager, and recording top artists in Nashville.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

This episode is sponsored by Baby Audio. Use the code MPP15 to save 15%! h ttps://babyaud.io

Takeaways:

Dex's unconventional path to producing his album as a solo artist
The impact of personal experiences on artistic expression and creative decisions
The evolution of music and the influence of different genres on contemporary music
The challenges and rewards of writing and recording a solo album
The importance of finding the right key and voice for musical compositions
The importance of limitations in the creative process
The role of music production software in modern music creation
The significance of recording techniques in shaping the sound of a track
The impact of ska bands on the music scene
The creative process and songwriting in music production

Links:

Imaginary War by Dex Green - https://3sirens.ffm.to/imaginarywar
Dex's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@dexgreenmusic
Dex on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chickensplease/
"It's Only the End of the World" by Dex Green - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjAJ-ALijt0
Dex's Credits on Discogs - https://www.discogs.com/artist/1078981-Dexter-Green
"What Makes This Song Great: Walking on the Moon" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVZFkI9HgJY
Waves Space Rider - https://www.waves.com/plugins/space-rider
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#370: How to Survive the AI Music Takeover

30 maj 2024 | 22 min

#369: Consistency and Authenticity with Mikas of We Make Dance Music

21 maj 2024 | 96 min

Mikas is the creator of We Make Dance Music, a site of music resources for producers. On his podcast, Live Electronic Music Tutorials with Mikas, he creates tracks in real-time, sharing tips and techniques along the way. The result of each episode becomes a template viewers can purchase on WeMakeDanceMusic.com.

This is the second time Mikas and I spoke on the Music Production Podcast. Immediately I was reminded of his passion and impressive work ethic. As a new father, Mikas discussed the importance of staying consistent and scheduling time to work on his music career. He spoke about how we can take small actions on a regular basis to complete major goals. Mikas also had some powerful thoughts on authenticity and honesty in art and how that can lead to deeper connections with your audience.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Takeaways:

Consistency and dedication are key in pursuing creative endeavors.
Limited time can increase productivity and focus.
Focusing on strengths while working on weaknesses can lead to better results.
Learning and growing as an artist is important, regardless of experience.
Daily practice and challenges like Jamuary can lead to significant progress.
Platforms like We Make Dance Music provide opportunities for musicians to make a living.
Community and collaboration are important in the music industry. Success is the result of intentional action and consistent effort.
Putting in the work and showing up consistently is more important than waiting for inspiration or relying on luck.
Building relationships and connections requires effort and vulnerability, but it can lead to meaningful experiences and personal growth.
Real, tangible experiences are important in a world dominated by technology.
Taking breaks and engaging in physical activities can help maintain focus and perspective.
Honesty, authenticity, and providing value to others are key in building meaningful relationships.

Links:

We Make Dance Music - https://www.wemakedancemusic.com/en/
Live Electronic Music Tutorials with Mikas Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/1SzmnEScpNBHCTJb3cqubN
WMDM YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Wemakedancemusicstudios
WMDA Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wemakedancemusic/
Mikas' First Time on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2018/8/25/75-mikas-creator-of-we-make-dance-music
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#368: Write Better Music Through Storytelling w/ Jeff Leisawitz

15 maj 2024 | 74 min

Jeff Leisawitz is a musician, producer, coach, college songwriting professor, and author. His new book The Magical Impact of Storytelling explores how creatives can connect with their audiences and produce more meaningful work with effective storytelling.

It was great to have Jeff back on the Music Production Podcast to discuss how we can use storytelling to make better music. We talk about how writing about the specific helps illuminate the universal. Jeff shares famous stories that have helped hit songs connect with listeners. We discuss dealing with the inner critic and the concepts of The Golden Repair, The Hero's Journey, and Head, Heart, and Hands.

Takeaways

Storytelling in music has the power to create emotional connections with listeners.
Specific details in storytelling can make a story more relatable and memorable.
Balancing the specific and the universal in storytelling can create a deeper emotional impact.
Limitations and experimentation can lead to unique and creative musical experiences.
Being vulnerable and authentic in expressing emotions through music is essential.
Accompanying songs with stories of their creation can add depth and interest to the music.
Having a unique story and perspective is crucial for musicians to stand out in a saturated market.
The Hero's Journey can serve as a template for creating compelling narratives in music.
Embracing imperfections and using them to create something beautiful can add depth and character to music.
The inner critic can be seen as a collaborator rather than an adversary, providing valuable feedback and pushing for improvement.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, YouTube

Links:

Jeff's Site - https://jeffleisawitz.com
The Magical Impact of Storytelling - https://amzn.to/3QNSCYJ
Complementary Coaching Session with Jeff - https://jeffleisawitz.com/coaching/
Not F*ing Around - https://amzn.to/3QJyqXS
Jeff's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYewSq3WO-mEy3JwcOuHedQ
Jeff's Music - Electron Love Theory - https://electron-love-theory.com
Jeff's 1st Appearance on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/jeff-leisawitz
Rolling Stone AI Song Went Viral - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/suno-ai-chatgpt-music-soul-of-the-machine-1234992365/
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#367: Designing Ableton's Performance Pack and Hunting Creativity with Iftah

9 maj 2024 | 71 min

Iftah is the creator of a number of official Ableton Live Packs, including CV Tools, Time and Timbre, Microtuner, and the new Performance Pack for Live 12. Formerly one-half of the duo, Skinnerbox, Iftah has performed around the world. His creative pursuits cover various mediums and styles such as electronic music, field recordings, photography, and programming.

Iftah and I spoke about his work as a music producer and developer. We discuss Iftah's journey in music, the development of the Performance Pack for Ableton Live, and the importance of rest and recovery in the creative process. Iftah speaks about the significance of building your own instruments and the satisfaction of seeing others use and create with your tools. We discuss the new features in Ableton Live 12 and the Performance Pack. We also explore the concept of constraints in music production and the importance of following one's own interests and passions.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, YouTube

Show Notes:

Iftah on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iftah.gabbai/
Iftah's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@iftah_fow/featured
Ableton Live's Performance Pack - https://www.ableton.com/en/packs/performance-pack/
Iftah's Performance Pack Video Manual - https://youtu.be/SnqCJmkxZ_s?si=6m6L4lG1vjRkugNh
Iftah's Dancing Candle - https://www.instagram.com/reel/CRl9nioCG10/
Skinnerbox - https://soundcloud.com/skinnerbox
SideBrain's Performance Pack Walkthrough - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDVxZr4-Hoc
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#366: Helping Creators Create with Output CEO Gregg Lehrman

2 maj 2024 | 85 min

#365: Sound Design for Timbaland and Ableton with Sound Oracle

3 april 2024 | 112 min

#364: Plug-in Design, Creativity, and Balance with The Him

26 mars 2024 | 97 min

#363: Finish Every Song You Start with Johan Ransby

20 mars 2024 | 137 min

#362: Finding Support in Community with Michaela Shiloh and Andre Mullen

11 mars 2024 | 49 min

#361: Touring and Performing with Music's Largest Acts - Carlos Sosa

6 mars 2024 | 117 min

#360: Pick Yourself with Philip Roder

26 februari 2024 | 100 min

#359: Music Theory, Harmonic Series, Beach Boys with Tim Smolens

20 februari 2024 | 74 min

Tim Smolens is a musician, composer, and recording engineer. He teaches music theory on his YouTube channel and at High Castle Music Conservatory. Tim has toured and plays in the bands ISS and High Castle Teleorkestra.

Tim and I had an inspiring conversation about his work and appreciation of music and chord theory. Throughout the episode, Tim demonstrates the principles on his piano. We discussed the chord theory of the Beach Boys and Soundgarden, the evolution of recording technology, and much more.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, YouTube

Show Notes:

Tim's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/timsmolens
Tim's YouTube playlists page - https://www.youtube.com/@TimSmolens/playlists
Tim's Conservatory on Patreon: High Castle Conservatory - https://www.patreon.com/hccmusic
Tim's official website - https://timsmolens.com/
Tim's Bandcamp - https://timsmolens.bandcamp.com/
Tim's genre-defying, sci-fi progressive band High Castle Teleorkestra - https://highcastleteleorkestra.com/
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Takeaways:

Tim Smolens' YouTube channel focuses on analyzing the chord progressions and music theory behind the Beach Boys' music.
The Beach Boys' music is known for its complexity and intricate production techniques.
Tim Smolens incorporates interesting chord progressions and extensions in his own music, drawing inspiration from various genres.
Home recording has evolved significantly, allowing musicians to create complex and layered compositions.
The way music is consumed and appreciated has changed, with a diminished passion for music in society. Music has a profound influence on philosophy and can be explored as a subject of study.
Learning to play an instrument can be challenging, but the struggle and resilience required can lead to a deeper appreciation and understanding of music.
Technology has revolutionized music production, allowing for greater control and experimentation in creating music.
The production of music plays a significant role in creating feelings, moods, and atmospheres.
The aesthetics of music, including tone production and composition, can greatly impact the emotional impact of a piece.
The studio itself can be considered an instrument, with its unique capabilities and effects on the music.
Different musical instruments offer unique challenges and opportunities for expression.
Timing and groove are essential elements in music, creating a sense of feel and energy.
Studio musicians have played a significant role in shaping the sound and feel of music throughout history.
The science of music and tuning, including the harmonic series, can provide a deeper understanding of the relationships between notes and harmonies.
Harmonic science is often overlooked in music education, but understanding it can enhance musical compositions and performances.
The cultural context in which music is created and perceived can influence the perception and appreciation of different musical elements. Balancing music with a busy life can be challenging, but it is possible to find time for creativity.
Creating a dedicated space for music and setting aside specific times for practice and composition can help prioritize musical pursuits.
Joining platforms like Patreon and music conservatories can provide valuable resources and support for musicians.
Embracing tangential conversations can lead to unexpected insights and creative ideas.

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#358: Sequencers, Humanization, Groove and Feel with Alexkid

12 februari 2024 | 101 min

#357: Promoting Your Music in 2024 with Alex Akimov

5 februari 2024 | 43 min

#356: Troubadeck Songwriting Cards with Charlie McCarron

31 januari 2024 | 104 min

#355: Selling an Album for $100 with Thad Cockrell

22 januari 2024 | 88 min

#354: Finding the Present Moment Through Music with TJ Dumser - Six Missing

6 januari 2024 | 93 min

#353: 4 Ways to be More Creative!

31 december 2023 | 10 min

#352: Collaborating and Producing with Raul Sotomayor

21 december 2023 | 110 min

#351: Make Your Own Rules with Andrew Huang

16 december 2023 | 55 min

#350: Stavroz on Creating, Producing, and Performing Their New EP Kick Up the Dust

5 december 2023 | 89 min

#349: Mixing Pop Music with Brent Hendrich

29 november 2023 | 84 min

#348: Getting Inspired By... with Will Hatton

21 november 2023 | 125 min

#347: Battling Through Creative Challenges with Composer Amanda Cawley

15 november 2023 | 76 min

#346: Yeuda Ben-Atar aka Side Brain

7 november 2023 | 48 min

#345: Exploration Through Songwriting with Chloe Echo

1 november 2023 | 87 min

#344: Lanier Sammons - Engineer, Composer, and Educator

23 oktober 2023 | 107 min

#343: Developing Your Craft with Consistency w/ Filip from Flow Prod

16 oktober 2023 | 111 min

#342: Writing Music for Bat-Man's Batwheels Series with Alex Geringas

9 oktober 2023 | 81 min

#341: Snakes of Russia, Sound Design, and Process with Joseph Holiday

4 oktober 2023 | 89 min

#340: Collaboration and Connecting Through Music with Peter Bell

27 september 2023 | 91 min

#339: Jörgen Kjellgren on Writing and Recording His New Album Bluebird

12 september 2023 | 69 min

#338: Make Better Music Faster Using AI with Bobby Owsinski

5 september 2023 | 67 min

#337: Collaboration and Live Performance with Lynden Williams

28 augusti 2023 | 146 min

#336: Why You're Unhappy with Your Music and What To Do About It

18 augusti 2023 | 10 min

#335: Emmy Award Winning Songwriting Duo JP and Kat of Earworm Music

14 augusti 2023 | 57 min

JP Rende and Kat Raio Rende are a husband and wife songwriting team and founders of Earworm Music. JP and Kat write and produce music for kids television, animation, film, and commercials. They won an Emmy for their song "Friends with a Penguin" sung by Billy Porter on Sesame Street. They've produced music for various shows including Gabby's Dollhouse, Baby Shark's Big Show, Barbie's Dreamhouse Adventure, and more.

JP and Kat shared details about their unique collaboration, allowing them time to work together and separately. They gave a glimpse into how the process of writing specifically for kids and how scripts, pitches, and deadlines all play a significant part in their work.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, YouTube

Show Notes:

Earworm Music - https://www.earwormny.com/
"Friends with a Penguin" - https://youtu.be/derxRN-ZkMI
Mrs. Doubtfire Recut as a Horror Film - https://youtu.be/U71P5FKFqfg
Social Story Songs with Brian and Chris - http://www.socialstorysongs.com/
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

Episode Transcript:

Brian Funk: Hello everybody and welcome to the Music Production Podcast. I'm your host, Brian Funk. And on today's show, I have JP Rendy and Cat Rayo Rendy of Earworm Music and they do a lot of cool stuff. Congratulations, first of all, they just won an Emmy for the song, Friends With a Penguin that they wrote for Billy Porter. That was, what a catchy song and fun. Great job guys,

JP Rende: Thank

Brian Funk: congrats.

JP Rende: you,

Kat Raio Rende: Thanks.

JP Rende: thank you, thank you.

Brian Funk: They write for Sesame Street, Gabby's Dollhouse, Princess Power, Baby Shark's Big Show, Barbie's Dreamhouse Adventure. There's a long list of stuff they do. They do a lot of work for kids in animated TV and film commercials. I love the Charmin, Shiny Hiny song they have. That

Kat Raio Rende: Ha

Brian Funk: was

Kat Raio Rende: ha

Brian Funk: great.

Kat Raio Rende: ha.

JP Rende: Hahaha

Brian Funk: A lot of fun. Kat, you've sang with Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Ray Charles. A lot of really impressive stuff. You guys are doing great work and it sounds like you're having fun. You've married your music and your lives together. So

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

Brian Funk: it's a really unique combination and I'm very excited to talk to you guys. I had a lot of fun digging into your catalog a bit, getting ready for the show.

JP Rende: Sweet, thank

Brian Funk: Welcome.

JP Rende: you.

Kat Raio Rende: Thanks.

Brian Funk: So, first of all, congratulations on the Emmy. That's great.

JP Rende: Oh, thank you.

Brian Funk: That must've

JP Rende: Yeah,

Brian Funk: been

JP Rende: that

Brian Funk: a real

JP Rende: was

Brian Funk: treat.

JP Rende: really fun. That was a really fun night.

Kat Raio Rende: That was a wild time.

JP Rende: Yeah, we didn't think we were gonna win, honestly, because we've been nominated before and it's really a crap shoot. You never know. You really never know how the cards fall. And I remember the first time that we went out to the ceremony, maybe it's just a little bit of arrogance. Of course we got this. We got this.

Brian Funk: Hehehe

Kat Raio Rende: This is

JP Rende: It's

Kat Raio Rende: Sesame Street.

JP Rende: a great song. Ah, we lost. And it felt so bad. It felt, you know, I'm gonna give it real. A lot of people are like, oh, it doesn't matter. It felt bad to lose. So when we got nominated again, we went out with like, hey, it's probably not gonna happen. Let's just have a great time. And we were up against a Ben Folds song. And it was a really good song. Like, Ben Folds, I don't know you, but I wanna know you and you're fantastic. It was called

Kat Raio Rende: little things.

JP Rende: The Little Things Charlie Brown. It was for Charlie Brown's special. So I

Brian Funk: Oh

JP Rende: was

Brian Funk: wow.

JP Rende: like, he's gonna win, it's all good. And then when Jojo Siwa called Friends With a Penguin, we were shocked. Like, full on that meme with Taylor Swift like this. We were totally shocked and it was a really fun thing. And you know, the song, as silly as it can come across on the surface, has a much deeper meaning about, you know, just say hi to somebody that's different than you and you can become friends and don't be afraid of anything that's dissimilar because that's how we learn from each other.

Brian Funk: Is that the Emmy behind you, Kat? I see.

Kat Raio Rende: I know, I was trying to cover it up because I don't want it to look like a douche. I'm sorry, I don't want it to look like a jerk, but

Brian Funk: No, that's great.

Kat Raio Rende: yeah.

Brian Funk: You should

Kat Raio Rende: So.

Brian Funk: have that proudly displayed.

Kat Raio Rende: Ah ha

Brian Funk: Yeah,

Kat Raio Rende: ha!

Brian Funk: that's awesome.

JP Rende: Yeah, sorry, I have one too. It's not in my studio. I gave it to my parents. And partially I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna look at that and become complacent. So I always gotta stay hungry, so.

Brian Funk: Yeah, yeah, right. That's a big part of it. You know, you mentioned being silly. And this is like something I kind of wanted to talk to you guys about because there's, I think, a different mindset that goes into writing songs like this compared to like being an artist. You know what I mean? Like

Kat Raio Rende: Yes.

Brian Funk: a serious artist. So just to give you a sense of where I'm coming from with this. I have my serious artist side,

Kat Raio Rende: Hehehe

Brian Funk: where I write my songs and stuff. But a few years back with a friend of mine, we wrote songs kind of directed for kids with special needs, specifically autism, for social behavior stuff. And it's called social story songs. And that's something that's often used to help teach proper behavior in places, restaurants, how to interact with people. We had a song similar. to the concept of yours, the perfect greeting for who I'm meeting. So it just teaches

JP Rende: Oh

Brian Funk: you

Kat Raio Rende: Yes!

Brian Funk: how

JP Rende: wow.

Brian Funk: to say hello and stuff. But what I found with that was it was very liberating to write in that way where you didn't have to be so artistic about everything and so serious about it. I had a lot of fun with that. And I wanted to ask you guys a little bit about just that mindset and that way of writing and getting free to be silly with it a little bit and have fun with the songwriting process.

Kat Raio Rende: That is the most fun that I think that you can possibly have, especially when it comes to like, I'm neurodivergent and like writing from that perspective and writing, there's like that is a really great, it's a really good place to come from, but also like a really great way to like get all of that out. You know, like you said, like being an artist, I started off as an artist and And it's just not as much fun. It's so much fun writing for like to be silly. And like, you know, there are some artists that do it now. And there's, especially for like, you know, they're for kids movies, but like the recent Barbie movie had a song by Lizzo that I thought was so funny. Like it started off as, I did not write it, but it was a song that was. the first time it came around, it was very serious and happy. And the second time around, it started getting panicked because Barbie was changing as a person. And,

JP Rende: Poiler alert.

Kat Raio Rende: spoiler alert, sorry. But it's so fun to write like that because like, as writing for kids and knowing their parents are also watching it, it's so fun to like, add adult content in it. Like, we wrote a song for Baby Shark's big show called call me Billiom and where Billiom, Baby Shark's best friend, was trying to be an adult and he said I'm not William now from now on call me Billiom and then the song is like this very serious like rap song and there was like a funny little I don't know if it's an Easter egg but for the adults where it's like I have a cute sign in my living room that says live splash love I'm Billiom it's like You can get to the parents, the silly side of the parents. It brings out the silly side of the parents too. And it's so fun to like add like, I love puns, adding

Brian Funk: Uh...

Kat Raio Rende: puns and I dream of fish puns. But it's so fun to add, I

JP Rende: True

Kat Raio Rende: do.

JP Rende: story.

Kat Raio Rende: I wake up in the middle of the night and like, JP, I'll be right back, I gotta go. Sometimes I'll like go hide

Brian Funk: Thanks

Kat Raio Rende: in

Brian Funk: for

Kat Raio Rende: the

Brian Funk: watching!

Kat Raio Rende: laundry room and just like write, you know, write things down or sing into the voice recorder. But. There's nothing like, I think of it as like neurodivergent writing, but it's just you get to write what you actually want to write, whereas everything else has to be in this like serious box and

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Kat Raio Rende: kids music you just do, like kids think like that and they enjoy it, so I really love it the most.

Brian Funk: It's something I've taken to my artist side too. You know, playing in a band when we're trying to come up with music, a lot of times it does start out kind of silly and it's gibberish or blabbering or just placeholder lyrics. But being free enough to do that has opened the door to actually get into some of those other areas too. And I find

Kat Raio Rende: Oh yeah.

Brian Funk: it's something I encourage people to do is like. Don't be afraid to be silly. Don't be afraid to make bad music. And I try to remember that with myself because a lot of times things that might not seem like my masterpiece after I work on it for a little while starts to come together a little bit

Kat Raio Rende: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: when I'm not so judgmental about it.

Kat Raio Rende: Oh, it'd be so nice to add that into it. Like Primus and Macklemore and Eminem and who else? There's some artists that really do it well.

Brian Funk: Yeah.

JP Rende: Harry Grip.

Kat Raio Rende: Well, Perry Grip is a kid's artist, but

JP Rende: Yeah, but

Kat Raio Rende: he's

JP Rende: he's

Kat Raio Rende: like

JP Rende: amazing.

Kat Raio Rende: the king.

Brian Funk: Yeah, and you mentioned too, I guess, the concept of just capturing ideas whenever you get them at the moment. So you're jumping out of bed. I think that's such a smart thing to do because I think they disappear so fast.

Kat Raio Rende: I

JP Rende: Yeah,

Kat Raio Rende: mean,

JP Rende: have

Kat Raio Rende: sometimes,

JP Rende: you, have you, oh sorry Kit.

Kat Raio Rende: I was just gonna say sometimes, the whole song is there. Sometimes we'll read a brief when we get a song, and we will read a brief at night, or in the afternoon on a Sunday, and then wake up on a Sunday morning at two o'clock and be like, here, here's this, and there's the whole song. Or the main idea of the song usually comes in the middle of the night. And it's

JP Rende: Yeah.

Kat Raio Rende: so much fun because it's like you didn't write, I didn't, you know, like your subconscious writes it and you're like, that's a good idea, subconscious. Thank you.

Brian Funk: Thanks for watching!

JP Rende: Well, mine is sometimes I write the most amazing songs in my dreams and then like I wake up and they're fucking horrible. But in your dreams, like they're the greatest song ever. You're like, oh my God, I'm gonna

Brian Funk: Yeah.

JP Rende: change the world with this song and then you have all these accolades and people are singing your song and then you wake up and you hum a tune, you're like, what is that? So, but fortunately, cats middle of the night stuff is always.

Brian Funk: Well, I think

Kat Raio Rende: Most

Brian Funk: it's

Kat Raio Rende: of

Brian Funk: important

Kat Raio Rende: the time.

Brian Funk: that you're comfortable with letting that stuff in. Even if it is, it turns out to be bad. Just let the music in or let it out, however you want to look at it. And

Kat Raio Rende: You know what,

Brian Funk: then

Kat Raio Rende: writing,

Brian Funk: later, judge.

Kat Raio Rende: yeah, writing lyrics too. The way that I personally write lyrics is I'll write, and it goes for ideas in general. Even if you have really bad ideas, you kind of have to like. Expel them first so I'll write all the worst stuff and knowing it's not going to be possible knowing that like if you're writing for a specific character who's an octopus and you really need to change it, you know, it's and it's an octopus specific Line and it's definitely not going to work for them. You write it out anyway, and then Once you get all the bad, you know, once you get all the stuff that doesn't work out first, you know you have it like for some reason it just sticks in your brain until you let it, until you're like, okay, I'll give you some attention, you know, write it down, and now after that's done, the other stuff comes to mind for whatever reason. You know, you put your bad rhyme down, you put your... It's not like you have it as a placeholder either. You just literally have to like write it on a piece of paper, write it on a, you know, a Word document. And then... once you've given it the attention that it needed, it goes away and leaves room for other things, I think.

Brian Funk: Last weekend we had a party at my house and it's like this thing we do once...

JP Rende: Thanks for the invite, Brian.

Kat Raio Rende: Hahaha!

Brian Funk: Yeah, I'm

JP Rende: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Brian Funk: kind of sad because you guys aren't that far away.

Kat Raio Rende: hehe

Brian Funk: But we have just music outside, so we just set up drums and guitars

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

Brian Funk: and stuff. And there's a lot of jamming that happens. And it's very spontaneous, but... Sometimes you want to try to develop it a little bit and you sing a little bit and you just sort of have to be okay with whatever fits whatever works and just get stuff out and Sometimes the thing that might even have felt silly or dumb in the beginning starts to actually make sense and work That and I think that freedom That you give yourself to be okay with that Is so important because then if then the good stuff can come out without getting kind of gate-kept, you know, before it had a chance.

JP Rende: For sure. I think that you really hit the nail on the head is you can't be afraid to write shit. You can't, you know? And what that can do is you gotta get that bad stuff out of you before the good stuff can come. And self-judgment is...we all suffer from it many times. And I commend you for doing that at a party, because I know that like... even in our studios, Cat's studio's not far from mine, but when we're each kind of like messing around with stuff, we really don't want the other person hearing it, just because

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

JP Rende: it's not that they're gonna judge it. I think Cat knows the way that I write and I know the way she writes, but it's just the fact that I wanna be able to get out all the kinks that I'm feeling, and I feel as though that... there's a bit of a show-off-ness when somebody else is hearing it.

Brian Funk: Right.

JP Rende: We're professionals, right? So we have to conduct ourselves as quote unquote professionals, so it's like we play the wrong chord in front of somebody else and they're like, you know a six is a minor, right? But

Kat Raio Rende: Ha ha

JP Rende: you

Kat Raio Rende: ha!

JP Rende: mess up and you play a major and you're like, oh no, I didn't do that. But when you're by yourself and you don't judge, then fun stuff can happen. So.

Brian Funk: Hmm.

JP Rende: I do think it's important to not be afraid to just mess around and make it sound like crap because for all you know the next time that you go sit down and write, one little nugget of that crap session could make the song that you're working on now. Brilliant.

Kat Raio Rende: Wanna hear something, JB? That I've never

JP Rende: Short.

Kat Raio Rende: told you? I mean, it's not whatever. But the reason why I don't like to hear, for you to hear what I'm doing is because I think you're gonna like it. And I'm like, I'm not, it's not done, it's not done. So I think that like, you know, my first thing tends to be pretty, depending

JP Rende: Oh, here it

Kat Raio Rende: on

JP Rende: comes.

Kat Raio Rende: where it's coming from.

JP Rende: Here it comes. I

Kat Raio Rende: What?

Brian Funk: Thank you.

Kat Raio Rende: What do you think I was gonna say?

JP Rende: thought you were gonna say like, my first thing tends to be really, really good, but it's not good enough for me. So I don't... Ha ha

Kat Raio Rende: No,

JP Rende: ha.

Kat Raio Rende: no, it just like, it's just like a rough thing. And sometimes it's like a little bit simple or something. Sometimes like, my memory is kind of, I can't always access it. And sometimes I'll write something that I'm like, oh, this might be close to something I've worked on before, or sometimes like something I've written before. And, or it's like, you know, it's like, for lack of a better term, it's like derivative of my own stuff, I guess? And so I'll be like, I can't do, I want to do something new on this. Like I want to change, like there was, there's, there was a song we were working on yesterday for Baby Shark's Big Show and it was like this wacky, like really out there, like chord change that didn't belong because two characters who don't get along were trying to, were finding out that they were friends. And um, it, I, It was really out there and I'm like, this part is good. I don't want him to hear that because it's not actually finished. But the other chords were like so much the same and the same and the same. So I knew the rhythm was good. I knew the production was good. It was really good. I knew that you were going to like it, Jay. But I knew there was more to go and I knew it was going to be like, keep it. And that's what happened.

JP Rende: Yeah.

Kat Raio Rende: And I was like, oh, but you know, we did end up keeping it. And usually when he says stuff like that, it is the right, it was the right thing to do. So that's something that like, we tend to kind of hear, when we hear it undone, the other person will, either JP will pair it down for me or I will do something on his tracks.

Brian Funk: Right, nice. You know, it's interesting, you guys, your situation, right? Cause you are partners in the music and you're married too.

JP Rende: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: And it's often, those are often comparisons that are made when you're in a band. It's like being married to a couple of people or all these relationships. And so much happens, I mean, within a relationship, but then within a musical relationship, and sometimes they affect the other relationship, you know?

JP Rende: Absolutely.

Brian Funk: but it seems like you guys have figured out some ways to make that work. And one of the maybe interesting things that's going on right now for people that are watching, they might be able to tell, but you guys are in the same building, right? Same house,

Kat Raio Rende: Oh yeah.

Brian Funk: but

JP Rende: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: different spaces. You have your own separate space for that,

JP Rende: 100%.

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

Brian Funk: for your work.

JP Rende: We learned this a long time ago. We do our best work together, but when we're actually like in a co-writing session, we both tend to be a little bit headstrong on our ideas and sometimes that affects the music in a negative way. So we found that part of our process that really works is that if we get a brief for, you know, we get hired to do something is that we'll come together for a very short while and say, okay, what are we thinking here? Okay, I'm thinking X, Y, and Z, and I'm thinking, okay, that's cool. And we do the collaboration there before we even get to an instrument, anything. And then it's like, okay, once we kind of settle on, let's say, okay, we're gonna do an up tempo that kind of has like something that sounds like this, the kind of pantomime or sing something with a drum beat that's like, th

Kat Raio Rende: Mm-hmm.

JP Rende: I'll add stuff, she'll sing some ideas, I'll sing some ideas, and then before we know it, we have a cohesive track and song, but then Kat is the last person, not the last person to touch it, because I do the mixing, but the last creative, so once she's singing it, she could be like, hmm, you know what, this idea really wasn't good, and just be like, hey. Do you mind if I try this? And sometimes I'm like, yeah. And sometimes I'm like, no. No,

Kat Raio Rende: Hehehehehehe

JP Rende: you may not. You may do it exactly the way I did it because I like it. And then we fight, and then we fight some more, then we argue, then we realize that I'm wrong and she realizes that she's wrong. We find somewhere, sometimes it's in the middle and then sometimes it's like, you know what, Kat? You're absolutely right. And that's it. So that's our process. It's not the most...

Kat Raio Rende: collaborative? No, it is

JP Rende: No,

Kat Raio Rende: collaborative.

JP Rende: no, it's not the most cohesive, but I think that it helps us and it helps save our personal life as well, because in the very beginning, we would argue in the studio, before we were married, before we were even dating,

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

JP Rende: and then it'd be like, well, I don't wanna see you for a while, I'm mad

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

JP Rende: at you, whatever. So we found that within our professional life to kind of keep it there. And then, you know, once we go upstairs and we're with our kids, it's like, you know, we'll still talk about it and we'll still sing, but the kind of negotiations are over at that

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah,

JP Rende: point.

Kat Raio Rende: and it allows us to like show instead of tell. Like instead of being like, I want it to sound like X, Y, Z, and then they have their own idea of what it could be because it could be anything. Like we're trust. People trust us now, thank God. It allows us to show each other instead of having to tell them about it, which we'll never say. If you're like, I wanna marry these two styles that are crazy, the other person will be like, that's terrible. But if we have the right idea, it will end up working out. And also, on a side note, we're very serious, at least I am very serious about like, when work ends, we try not to talk about work. because if you're spending nearly all your time with someone, because don't forget, we go out with our friends and we go on dates and a lot of our time is spent together. We were like, okay, nine o'clock, I'm gonna go. and I'm gonna be on my room, you're gonna be on your room, and we can, you know, you have to knock before entering the whole thing. It has to be very separate so that the two of us can feel like we're not, like we're coming home from work or going

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

Kat Raio Rende: to work because it's, you know, just a staircase down instead of having to even leave the house, which is a wild

Brian Funk: Right.

Kat Raio Rende: thing.

Brian Funk: Yeah. And it's hard enough on your own even to divide that kind of labor, especially when you're not clocking in

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

Brian Funk: every

JP Rende: Mmm.

Brian Funk: day, or you have the kind of job where it follows you, where you can take the work home or, you know, you can think about your music all day long, all night long

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

Brian Funk: to have those lines are really important.

JP Rende: Well, what I find that's pretty awesome about our job is that we have deadlines. And deadlines, I think, are really, really important. Before we did this, you know, Cat was doing the artist thing, and I was doing the songwriter producer thing, and just writing songs and hoping people would buy them or pick them up and sing them or whatever, but there was no deadline. Like, I could take months on a song if I wanted to. And I feel as though that having deadlines helps us get fully involved in the project and then finishing it and on to the next one. And I find that helps creativity, creatively, for me at least, kind of be all in it and then boom, it's like a conveyor belt. It's off and the next one comes. So good, bad, or ugly, that project is at least until we either get feedback or whatever, is off the plate and we can kind of start fresh. So it's kind of like, I guess, is it Tiger Woods? I don't know, somebody's saying like, you can't, don't worry about the last shot you did, worry about the one you're doing now.

Kat Raio Rende: Mm.

JP Rende: And that's how I take the music.

Kat Raio Rende: Especially pitching, because there's so much pitching involved. Even,

JP Rende: Oh yeah.

Kat Raio Rende: you know, we know all our peers who are at the top of their game still have to pitch.

JP Rende: Yeah, I hate pitching.

Kat Raio Rende: It's a wild thing.

JP Rende: It's the worst.

Kat Raio Rende: Like after you write it, it's none of your business. And you have to just like, that one's done.

JP Rende: Mm-hmm.

Kat Raio Rende: No matter what it does.

Brian Funk: Can you take us through the process of a project, a song? You know, you mentioned a pitch, a brief, then the deadline, of course.

JP Rende: Sure.

Brian Funk: What does that look like and what is the general timeframe? Or maybe it depends on the project.

JP Rende: It really depends on the project, really. Like we also work on jingles, and sometimes that's 24 hours. So something will come in, and like the Charmin, for instance, hey, and you know, we're gonna do these toilet songs. And a

Brian Funk: Thanks

JP Rende: lot

Brian Funk: for watching!

JP Rende: of times when it comes to jingles, the lyrics are already written, so we just kind of gotta make something out of it. But let me give you a, like in the... television world is a brief will come in. Well, do you want a pitch? They're very similar. Do you want a pitch or let's say we have the job and we're just working on the brief?

Brian Funk: Can you do both? Cause

JP Rende: Sure.

Brian Funk: that

JP Rende: They're

Brian Funk: sounds

JP Rende: very,

Brian Funk: pretty

JP Rende: very similar,

Brian Funk: interesting.

JP Rende: whereas,

Brian Funk: Yeah.

JP Rende: well, I'll do a pitch first. So we'll get an email from a network that, let's say Disney, we were just, got one last week. And it'll say, okay, here's the premise of the show, we're looking for a theme song, it's gotta be within 30 seconds to a minute long, it has to incorporate the kind of premise, sometimes they'll say we want the name of the show within the song, sometimes they will say we don't want the name of the show in the song, then they will give us references. And this is where,

Kat Raio Rende: Hmm

JP Rende: you know, I really dislike pitching is because the references are so bizarre sometimes and they don't make any sense. And I understand where they're coming from because I think that, you know, in a perfect world, it would be like, oh my God, we're gonna have like, you know, a Dua Lipa beat with a ska, you know, horn section, and then what we're gonna do is like, you know that like, really cool filtered guitar that Third Eye Blind used on their second record? We wanna have that in there with like, lyrics like Lizzo. Now, it sounds awesome, but it's nearly impossible to do.

Brian Funk: Right.

JP Rende: And sometimes people... people hit it, you know, but.

Kat Raio Rende: I am gonna interrupt and just say that like, and sometimes the references, as they are for anyone are subjective. So like what

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Kat Raio Rende: I, as the show runner, might like about a specific song, might be different than what you might like. And so they'll be like, we really like this song. And sometimes they'll describe why they like it in an effort to really pinpoint it down. But sometimes you have to like, you know, especially if it's a very popular song, sometimes you have to be like, oh, that just means they want high energy.

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Kat Raio Rende: or like, you know, shake it off has been

JP Rende: Oh, Cat,

Kat Raio Rende: the

JP Rende: I

Kat Raio Rende: thing,

JP Rende: was just about

Kat Raio Rende: right?

JP Rende: to play a game

Kat Raio Rende: Or like,

JP Rende: with you. I was like,

Kat Raio Rende: Iconopop,

JP Rende: all right, the

Kat Raio Rende: shake

JP Rende: first

Kat Raio Rende: it off,

JP Rende: song

Kat Raio Rende: happy.

JP Rende: that everybody always asks, I was gonna go one, two, three, and we were both gonna say

Kat Raio Rende: Shake

JP Rende: Shake

Kat Raio Rende: it off.

JP Rende: It Off. They love Shake It Off. They love that boom. Boom.

Brian Funk: Right.

JP Rende: Love

Kat Raio Rende: Or

JP Rende: it.

Kat Raio Rende: like, and other times, the references are so, not obscure per se, but like so indie or so dark, which generally like doesn't work for kids stuff. And then the end product is never as indie or dark. It's just that like sometimes, and this is no disrespect to the showrunner, they don't want it to be dark or indie. They want it to have the show to have substance. I mean the song to have substance of some sort and so maybe you know that's how you're interpreting the fact that they have this like, you know, very slow song with very things that are very like off Inappropriate for a kid's song sometimes like and we only know this because we do it so much that that's not necessarily what they want They want a little bit of like a deeper vibe. That's

JP Rende: Yeah,

Kat Raio Rende: that's usually about it

JP Rende: I think interpreting briefs is an art form in itself.

Brian Funk: Hmm.

JP Rende: Because again, it's not, you know, the showrunners and the network, they're not trying to make our life difficult. They're trying to get the best piece of music that, you know, conveys their idea of the show. And it's our job to kind of say, yeah, I get what you're saying, but I don't think that's exactly what you mean. Like Kat's saying. And sometimes it is, and a lot of times, you gotta just take a shot, and you gotta say, well, I don't know if they're really feeling it. I don't know if what they're asking for works. And again, sometimes we're right, and we'll win, and be like, okay, we had an instinct on what I think works for the show, and sometimes we're clearly wrong, and that's okay. I mean, that's all part of it, and I think that's where. the creativity lies within this kind of work is that we do have the freedom to choose or not to choose,

Kat Raio Rende: Mm.

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

JP Rende: where otherwise we're just, you know.

Kat Raio Rende: gonna be killed by AI.

JP Rende: We're just cranking product down a conveyor belt, like just building cars, we're not. So we're able to kind of put our spin in what we do within those briefs. And again, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, and that's just part of it.

Brian Funk: So yeah, a lot of decoding. That happens in bands too. That happens

Kat Raio Rende: Definitely.

Brian Funk: especially when you're talking with people that aren't musicians. They'll say very abstract things.

JP Rende: Well,

Kat Raio Rende: Oh.

JP Rende: that's one of the most difficult things is when we're getting feedback from non-musical people and they will always say, listen, I don't know music at all. And so anytime they'd be like, I'm like, okay, here it comes. And then it's just like, yeah, you're right. You don't know music at all. And

Kat Raio Rende: Oh

JP Rende: that, you know, but, you know, it's always really great when you're working with. a network that has a point music person because they're able to filter all the awesome ideas that's coming from the non-musical people and say, okay, I get it. I get what you want and I'm going to speak to the composers the way that I can convey that. So that's awesome.

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah, it's very different working from a new show in a big network than a, you know, even a big show that's going to network or that is being developed. We really like working with new shows too.

Brian Funk: Right, because you can craft that identity a

Kat Raio Rende: Oh

Brian Funk: bit,

Kat Raio Rende: yeah.

Brian Funk: I guess.

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah, there's

JP Rende: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: Rather

Kat Raio Rende: a little

Brian Funk: than

Kat Raio Rende: bit

Brian Funk: trying

Kat Raio Rende: more

Brian Funk: to

Kat Raio Rende: interpreting,

Brian Funk: fit into it.

Kat Raio Rende: but

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Kat Raio Rende: it's worth it.

Brian Funk: Right.

JP Rende: Definitely.

Brian Funk: So that's a pitch. And

JP Rende: Yeah.

Brian Funk: that would mean basically you don't have the job yet.

JP Rende: Oh no,

Brian Funk: So they're kind of fishing around.

JP Rende: that's the worst part about it. Again, I don't wanna be negative, but it's really, it's hard because you're putting all your effort into it. And again, actors have the same thing when they go on

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

JP Rende: the audition.

Brian Funk: Yeah.

JP Rende: This is part of the job and nobody likes it, but you can get... a real kind of sense of pride when you're able to crack that code and be like, look,

Kat Raio Rende: Hehehe

JP Rende: we gave you this and you love it and it works and it works on, you know, for the whole tone of the music of the series. So we really love that.

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah, and a lot of times, sorry, a lot of times, if you've already had something that you really like that you could maybe reuse from something else, then you also have an opportunity to kind of like, I don't know how it is for you, but generally, we do this for a living and we really enjoy what we do as a job, but sometimes we have these other musical ideas that are. that we wouldn't maybe play with on our own, you know, if we have something or like if we just have the time to do a pitch, sometimes we'll do something really crazy and really out there just because like it's just another way to like flesh out what some idea that you that you have and a lot of times that works that does work because sometimes if you're getting five songs or more you're just going to pick something that jumps out to you.

JP Rende: Yeah.

Kat Raio Rende: And so a lot of times that's what works.

JP Rende: Yeah, and now the...

Kat Raio Rende: Assignzons?

JP Rende: Assigned songs, thank you very much. Very, very similar except the pressure is kind of off because you know you have the job, but you know that there's always gonna be notes, there's always gonna be feedback. And sometimes it's great, actually I found that a lot of times the notes that come back are like, spot on, we're like, yes, I get that. Yes, our chorus takes too long to come in or this lyric just isn't really fitting, beautiful. But I do like the fact that we know we're gonna get a second shot. And a lot of times in pitching you don't get a second shot. It's like, yes, no. You've

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

JP Rende: done all the work, put all your heart and soul into this song, and then it's just like, sometimes it works for them, sometimes it doesn't. It really has nothing to do with your ability. It has nothing to do with that your music isn't good. It just wasn't working for, or what they, it just wasn't what... they had in mind and that's fine. But when you're assigned a song, if you do deliver something that isn't exactly what they have in mind, you get other chances to kind of revise it and kind of, I guess it becomes another collaborative process then with the network. And I think that's always, I love collaborating. So I find that it's kind of fun to collaborate with people that don't necessarily do exactly what you do.

Kat Raio Rende: Mm.

JP Rende: especially with script writers, collaborating with them is so much fun. Like Kat said, showrunners, which most of the time are also script writers. So yeah, it's a lot of fun.

Brian Funk: How much time do you generally have to

Kat Raio Rende: Hehehe

Brian Funk: work on a song?

JP Rende: Um, okay. So pitches and assigned songs are roughly about a week. You get about a week

Kat Raio Rende: depending

JP Rende: to

Kat Raio Rende: on

JP Rende: do

Kat Raio Rende: what

JP Rende: it.

Kat Raio Rende: kind

JP Rende: Depend,

Kat Raio Rende: of a song

JP Rende: depending

Kat Raio Rende: it is

JP Rende: on sometimes,

Kat Raio Rende: and how

JP Rende: you

Kat Raio Rende: big

JP Rende: know,

Kat Raio Rende: it

JP Rende: we've,

Kat Raio Rende: is.

JP Rende: we've been known to be the, the team that gets called on the ninth hour where

Kat Raio Rende: Thanks for watching.

JP Rende: they've gone through so many different like rounds and they're like, okay, JP and Kat, sadly, you have two days. Can you

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

JP Rende: do it? And we're always like, yes, yes. And, and that kind of like. puts a little pep in our step, because we're like, all right, let's get down to business. But generally, for television, it's usually about a week, sometimes two. That's with songs. Now with underscore, because we also do a lot of that, how that goes is we will get a animatic. which is basically like a storyboard and it'll be a couple scenes. Sometimes it's a whole episode and that's nuts, but most likely it's a few scenes, so there'll be like a real action scene, a kind of sentimental scene, maybe a comedic scene, and they're not gonna spot you. You're just gonna go for what you think is best for that. Now that's a... also a very, very tough ask because usually when we're spotting, when we're working on a show, the director is spotting us. So what that means is music spotting for those who don't know, we will watch the show or movie together and they'll say, okay, at time code. whatever, I need something, I need a hit here. So he's gonna open a door and slam it, so within the music I need to hear that. And then what I want you to do right after that, there's gonna be something lurking around the corner in a few seconds, so I want you to start giving me something that's a little bit foreboding, you know. And that's

Kat Raio Rende: Thanks for watching.

JP Rende: beautiful because they're telling you what they want. But then where the art comes in is like foreboding can mean a lot of different things. And depending on the project that you're working on, especially if you're doing animation, it can't sound like, you know, the inception soundtrack.

Kat Raio Rende: Hehehehe

JP Rende: It can't be the most like wildly dark thing. I don't care if there's a monster coming out. The

Brian Funk: Alright.

JP Rende: monster is gonna look like a silly little nothing. You can't have like real, or sometimes you can, but in my experience, they'll say things like foreboding or peril, but you gotta kind of read the room, as they say, like it's for children,

Brian Funk: Right?

JP Rende: a lot of times.

Kat Raio Rende: That's interesting about the underscoring is like you're giving, you're kind of giving children the, when it comes to doing for children, you're giving them the emotion that's not being said, especially if it's one that's a little bit like higher level than they know. Like a lot of times we'll write, we'll write, there have been episodes of like Tab Time on YouTube where she gets into serious, Tab Time has Tab at the Brown. and she gets into serious concepts like death and separation

JP Rende: Yeah.

Kat Raio Rende: and when, and Sesame Street too, and when you write underscore or music for them, you're empathizing with the feelings that they can't put into words yet just developmentally. And it's nice because if you can't say it because it's just something that they just don't get it. you're still giving them something musically that they can feel. And that really helps, I think.

JP Rende: Definitely.

Brian Funk: Right, guiding them through the feelings.

JP Rende: Yeah, and it's really nice to, as our company grows earworm, to be able to wear the different hats. I mean, we love writing songs. Like we started as song people and I think we'll always be song people first. But as the years progressed and we started doing more underscoring and sound design and it's just, that's a fun, fun job

Brian Funk: Hmm.

JP Rende: because

Kat Raio Rende: Mm.

JP Rende: you, like, You are building the tone of the whole show.

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

JP Rende: And like one of our really good friends and collaborators, P.T. Walkley, who is the main music guy for Gabby's Dollhouse and also Blue's Clues and You, his sound is just so amazing. And you can always tell when it's a P.T. cue or song and he created that sound for that show. And whenever we're lucky enough to be involved, what we're doing is bringing our sensibilities, but knowing that it's PT's world. So we have to be in that world. So that's a big responsibility on both parties, whether you're additional composer, which is what we are for Gabby's, or main composer, because it's, again, it's your world that you're creating. And... That's the most fun part when you're working on a show from the ground up, is that you're really helping shape the sound of the show.

Kat Raio Rende: Mm.

Brian Funk: Right, right. Yeah, very delicate thing. There's a video on YouTube I show my sampling class. Mrs. Doubtfire recast as a horror film,

JP Rende: Oh

Brian Funk: recut

JP Rende: my

Brian Funk: as

JP Rende: god,

Brian Funk: a horror film

JP Rende: I

Brian Funk: as

JP Rende: love

Brian Funk: a trailer.

JP Rende: it.

Kat Raio Rende: Oh yeah!

JP Rende: I love it.

Brian Funk: It's

JP Rende: I

Brian Funk: hysterical

JP Rende: love that.

Brian Funk: because Mrs. Doubtfire, fun loving family film, you change the music a little bit and it gets stalker, creepy vibes, you know, and it real

JP Rende: 100%.

Brian Funk: fast becomes...

Kat Raio Rende: That's

JP Rende: 100%,

Kat Raio Rende: like a perfect

JP Rende: and I love that.

Kat Raio Rende: example.

JP Rende: I love that because, you know, now that we're in a new time, I don't know if Mrs. Doubtfire would play well in this. It is a bit creepy, you

Kat Raio Rende: Totally

JP Rende: know,

Kat Raio Rende: creepy.

JP Rende: like a dad dressing up like an old woman just to see his kids because his wife doesn't want him. Like, it could be a horror movie.

Brian Funk: Yeah, it's delicate.

JP Rende: Actually, I think it would be a fucking amazing horror movie.

Kat Raio Rende: Hehehehe

JP Rende: Heh heh heh.

Brian Funk: Yeah, it doesn't take much to change that. So it's a great example of how important the vibe and tone is.

Kat Raio Rende: Definitely.

Brian Funk: And

JP Rende: Definitely.

Brian Funk: I can only imagine, especially working with films and TV shows for kids, that's so important.

JP Rende: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I would say, you know... B. The, I guess, kids and family kind of space that we find ourselves in most of the time, not all the time, but most of the time, it kind of has a really wide spectrum of stuff, and I love it. I really do love it, because we can be as silly sometimes and as serious, just like Cat was saying with Tab Time. We did just do an episode on death. where there is a song that we didn't write, but we had to produce and then do the underscore. And it's a real heartfelt song about missing somebody and it's important. So it's like, just because it lands in the kids and family space, doesn't mean that there isn't a depth there as well. So I think it's a great space to be in.

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah, I think the depth comes from honoring what you're talking about. And that goes with like, not only the concepts, but like. like if we're doing like a celebrity song, also honoring their own their own styles. Like I think people would I think when you have a celebrity on a show and you're writing something that's not really that their style of song, it's it just doesn't come off even to the kids as authentic because they're like I listen to you know Cardi B or I listen to the Jones Brothers and that's not their style. So like. like when we did a song for Cardi B on Baby Shark's big show called Seaweed Sway, like it was a big task to write for her, first of all, on the show at all, like her being who she is, and like her being like on a bash, like I'm gonna say what I want, I'm gonna do what I want, and having like the hair history of like WAP and all that, it's like that stuff, to put her in this space could be just like a big. a big flop because if you wrote something that was childish for her or in the wrong genre but we had to make sure and same thing with Billy Porter. We had to make sure that the production that we did that was not by her producers or Billy Porter's producers, the production that we did for her or him was their style of production and even embodying and trying to empathize with their own writing style or their own... Lyric style or their own melodies is a big deal like you have to be authentic for kids in every single way like even there was a we did like a we did like a Hanukkah song once and a lot of the song like we my stepfather's Jewish and We've celebrated Hanukkah number of times, especially when our kids were born But like a lot of times the Hanukkah songs are like, we are celebrating Hanukkah and we're gonna put a mammonora. And like everything is so like, like you're talking at kids instead of coming from like a place of empathy. And so we wrote this really fun song. What was the name of the song?

JP Rende: uh... a fish devil of lights

Kat Raio Rende: Okay,

JP Rende: because

Kat Raio Rende: the

JP Rende: of

Kat Raio Rende: title,

JP Rende: the

Brian Funk: Hehehe

Kat Raio Rende: the title notwithstanding, the song had to be like a

JP Rende: I

Kat Raio Rende: hey.

JP Rende: don't think we wrote, I actually think that when we were assigned that song, they wanted it to be called that. I don't think we came up with that

Kat Raio Rende: Oh yeah,

JP Rende: title.

Kat Raio Rende: we did not.

JP Rende: No. I don't

Kat Raio Rende: We

JP Rende: think

Kat Raio Rende: did not.

JP Rende: we wrote that song.

Kat Raio Rende: But, um, but, um, the song was from like a, hey, we've all been celebrating this and you can learn from us, but we're gonna tell you what it's, you know, we're not gonna tell you as a person who doesn't know anything about it, because if you celebrate Hanukkah, like, you know all that stuff. And

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

Kat Raio Rende: you learn, a lot of times I think that at least our kids like learn more not by talking at them, but talking about it in conversation, like, oh, this is what we're doing. And they pick up better when they feel like you're talking about something in a connected way versus like talking at them.

JP Rende: Yeah, and actually, just to jump in, do you remember how when we first started Friends with a Penguin? This is a cool story. So we did our normal, like, hey, Billy Porter, cool. And with Sesame Street, we don't write the lyrics, we just write the music. So we got these lyrics, and again, on face value, it's like, what the hell is this? You know, but then you start to read into them and then you read the scripts and you're like, oh, okay, I get it. And I remember I was like, I got this, Cat. So I went into the studio and I started writing something and it was good, but it was not Billy Porter's, like it was not his sound at all. And I was like, yeah, but he could sing this and it would sound good doing it. Cat's like, yeah, that's true, but like Billy Porter is like larger than life.

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

JP Rende: So then she was like, all right, now I got this. So then I was like, okay, you're the boss. She took it and started adding the strings and the real fun things, and then that kind of inspired me. And we kind of went, it was a real cool collaborative effort, but if Cat didn't stop me from, I think it sounded, I think it started to sound like an Andy Grammer song, which is fine, like, and. Definitely Billy Porter's such a wonderful singer. He could do it, but is that Billy Porter? Absolutely not. And then when the video and he was wearing that awesome gown, it was just so cool. And that was Kat telling me to like, whoa, steady boy. You got it. You.

Brian Funk: I think it's awesome that you guys do that. It must be such a fun creative challenge as well.

Kat Raio Rende: It's definitely better than other jobs we could have had. Huh.

Brian Funk: Right.

JP Rende: Yeah, I always joke that like when, you know, I might have, you know, I would have to learn how to make a really cool cup of coffee at Starbucks, you know, if anything happened with this, because, you know, we just love it so much and we've just devoted so much of our time and energy into it and don't want to do anything else.

Brian Funk: It's fantastic. You guys have had so much success with it. Great. Follow your dreams story, you know? And

JP Rende: Definitely,

Brian Funk: it's

JP Rende: definitely.

Brian Funk: really...

JP Rende: And again, we're always learning and we're always trying to get better. By no means do I think that we are finished products. I think that we are work in progress. And, you know, like right now, it's a slow time for us with the rider strike and the sag strike and networks kind of cutting back. So... what we're doing is we're utilizing this time to kind of hone in our craft and always stay relevant. And just, it's a great time to kind of check where you're at and kind of project where you wanna be. And that's kind of part of the reason that like my Emmy I gave to my parents, cause I don't wanna look at that every day and just

Kat Raio Rende: Hehehe

JP Rende: be like, see, look what I accomplished, you know? It was a great accomplishment and I'm very proud of that, but I'm also looking to the future on the other wonderful projects that we will be involved in.

Kat Raio Rende: And we are involved with. We have a number of projects. I don't know, can we talk about the, no, thank you. I was like,

JP Rende: No, no, unfortunately we can't because,

Kat Raio Rende: I just get to like, how do

JP Rende: yeah.

Kat Raio Rende: I do this?

JP Rende: I mean, yeah, I'll tell, I can tell you, Brian, just don't put this in. We're gonna do the Baby Shark live show. We're gonna, we were hired to do the music for a live stage performance, but I don't know

Brian Funk: Oh

JP Rende: if

Brian Funk: cool.

JP Rende: it's been, I don't know if it's been announced or anything, so yeah.

Kat Raio Rende: I was talking about the other

JP Rende: What

Kat Raio Rende: project.

JP Rende: Barbie?

Kat Raio Rende: No, 80.

JP Rende: Oh, you know what? Actually, I wanna come back on your show, dude.

Kat Raio Rende: haha

JP Rende: I think this is

Brian Funk: Yeah.

JP Rende: awesome. We will talk about some of these other projects as well as they come out. This one is one that we're developing on our own. But no, it's not ready to be discussed yet.

Brian Funk: Okay. Well, cool. We'll do a little wrap up then and then I'll trim this to fit nice. You guys have such a cool partnership both musically and as far as life goes. Earwormny.com is the website. Is there anywhere else you'd like to send people to check out your work?

JP Rende: I believe my Insta is, my Instagram is also EarwormNY.

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

JP Rende: Is that correct, Kat? All

Kat Raio Rende: Yep, AeroWorm

JP Rende: right,

Kat Raio Rende: NY.

JP Rende: cool. EarwormNY.

Brian Funk: Nice.

JP Rende: I did have a TikTok for a minute

Brian Funk: Thank you.

JP Rende: and I was doing not music. I thought that I was gonna be the new Dave Portnoy of Serial, because

Kat Raio Rende: I'm

JP Rende: I love Serial. So

Kat Raio Rende: sorry.

JP Rende: I called myself the Serial Slayer. I think I stopped, I did a few things. So like, I would buy these like, junk cereals and I would be like, wow, cereal, and I would taste them and I would review them. But I haven't done that in a long time. And

Kat Raio Rende: No, but you're very serious about cereal.

JP Rende: I'm very serious about cereal. I love cereal. But I remember Kat, you know, this is part of our personal life. She's like, you know, maybe you should, you know, lay off on doing those reviews, you know?

Kat Raio Rende: Okay,

JP Rende: And I'm like.

Kat Raio Rende: wait, no, my thing about it was not that part. It was the fact that we were opening a full box of cereal every, like every day, and it was always like junk cereal, but also like that we were wasting like the milk in the cereal because you can't eat that much cereal.

JP Rende: Oh yeah, that was the whole stick. It was like, how

Kat Raio Rende: Do you know

JP Rende: fun

Kat Raio Rende: how big his bowl was?

JP Rende: would, it wouldn't be fun to just pour regular, so I would, I took a salad bowl, poured the entire box in,

Kat Raio Rende: I'm gonna

JP Rende: took

Kat Raio Rende: go.

JP Rende: all the milk, because

Brian Funk: Right.

JP Rende: it was the visual, like, you know, but

Brian Funk: Yeah.

JP Rende: yeah, turns out that having a successful YouTube channel or TikTok account or any sort of food review, it's very difficult. It's not as easy as it looks, as obviously you know with your show.

Brian Funk: Well, maybe it's like a song title you can bank for later. Serious about cereal.

JP Rende: Serious About Cereal,

Brian Funk: All

JP Rende: I

Brian Funk: right,

JP Rende: love

Brian Funk: come

JP Rende: that.

Brian Funk: up.

JP Rende: That's actually really good. That would

Brian Funk: Yeah.

JP Rende: be like a really fun, like just kids song. Cause like we write a lot of songs around the house with our kids all the time.

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

Brian Funk: Yeah.

JP Rende: And I don't even want to call it writing because it's just stream of consciousness and it's just so much fun. And sometimes, actually we were going upstate this weekend, just Kat and I, and we were talking about that. I would really love to be part of a project where we could just come up with stream of consciousness songs and not have to worry about like production value or anything, it could just be like, just silly, silly stuff that just, you know, kind of makes you giggle. Like, I don't know who wrote, there was a show on Nickelodeon many years ago called Sanjay and Craig. I've never really

Brian Funk: Yeah.

JP Rende: watched the show, but I remember hearing the theme song and it was just like, Sanjay and Craig. They're in the best friends hall of fame. Sanjay, hey Craig. There is no best friends hall of fame. They lied, we made it up or something.

Kat Raio Rende: I'm gonna go.

JP Rende: And it was just the

Brian Funk: Thanks for watching.

JP Rende: most absurd thing. And again, the song itself is very catchy. I'm still singing it, but I don't remember it having to like, it wasn't like super slick production. It was just funny. So like

Brian Funk: Right.

JP Rende: out there, anybody wants really silly songs that just have. stream of consciousness, things, we are your people.

Brian Funk: I love it.

Kat Raio Rende: Sounds like a TikTok channel, Jade. Just saying.

JP Rende: No, can't do it, can't do it.

Brian Funk: Too much cereal in a bowl.

JP Rende: too much cereal in a bowl.

Brian Funk: You gotta make your choices. But hey, I know we're running late here, so we'll wrap it up. It was really awesome talking to you guys. JP Rendy and KatReyo Rendy. Check out EarwormNY.com. So much fun music on there. And congratulations on the Emmy.

JP Rende: Thank you.

Brian Funk: And I wish you all the best of luck, and hopefully we'll get to chat again soon.

JP Rende: Definitely.

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

JP Rende: And next time, if you're ever playing live, we'd love to come and see you.

Kat Raio Rende: Yeah.

Brian Funk: Yeah, same. Yeah, we're not too far apart. So that'd

Kat Raio Rende: Thanks.

Brian Funk: be cool.

Kat Raio Rende: Where are you?

Brian Funk: Long Island.

Kat Raio Rende: Wow, that's not

Brian Funk: Yeah,

Kat Raio Rende: far at all. Cool.

Brian Funk: no, not at all. Cool.

JP Rende: Awesome.

Brian Funk: Thank you guys and thank you,

JP Rende: Thanks man.

Brian Funk: everyone, for listening.

JP Rende: Be good.

Kat Raio Rende: Thank you.

#334: Curiosity and How Can I Make This Fun? with Sarah Belle Reid

7 augusti 2023 | 79 min

Sarah Belle Reid is a performer and composer. She plays trumpet, modular synthesizers, and a wide array of electronic gadgets. Sarah holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the California Institute of the Arts. She teaches music technology and modular synthesis at universities and her own online programs.

Sarah spoke about how she combines her classical training with electronic music production and sound design. She explains how she keeps curiosity and joy central to her work. Sarah and I discussed the importance of mindset and perspective in the creative arts.

Sarah's Learning Sound and Synthesis Course opens again in August 2023!

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, YouTube

Show Notes:

Sarah's Official Site - https://www.sarahbellereid.com/
Learning Sound and Synthesis Course - https://www.soundandsynthesis.com/
How to Design Your First Modular Synth Patch Free Course - https://www.soundandsynthesis.com/firstpatch2022
Sarah's Facebook featuring her Create with Courage posts - https://www.facebook.com/sarah.bellereid
Now's by Sarah Belle Reid and David Rosenboom - https://reidrosenboom.bandcamp.com/album/nows
Support Sarah on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/sarahbellereid
Sarah's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@sarahbellereid
No Input Mixer Tutorial - https://youtu.be/oUhfkaVUPY8
The Art of Is by Stephen Nachmanovitch - https://amzn.to/44rikXq
Zen Mind Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki - https://amzn.to/44MSJIT
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Transcript:

Brian Funk: Hello everybody. Welcome to the music production podcast. I'm your host, Brian Funk. On today's show I have Sarah Bell-Reed and Sarah is a performer, composer, trumpetist, modular, synthesis, that's hard to say. She makes a lot of really wide ranging music and one of the descriptions I really enjoyed was that it's graceful, danceful, silk falling through space and a pit full of centipedes. Which describes just how it goes from so many different extremes from more traditional classical sounds all the way to far out stretching the definition of music with noise and a lot of the electronic stuff that goes into it. She's a doctorate of music arts at California Institute of the Arts, teaches music tech and modular synthesis online. I've been watching the introduction to modular synth course, which is cool. Sarah, it's great to have you here. Thanks for taking the time.

Sarah Belle Reid: Thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here.

Brian Funk: You have a very impressive resume of stuff you do and it's so wide ranging. I think it's really cool that you have this, it's like the nice place music is going, especially music education, where people are starting to take the traditional stuff and bring in some more new stuff, some of the more cutting edge stuff that's happening out there. And it's such a nice thing to see that you're bringing that to your performances, your music, and also your teaching.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, yeah, well, thank you.

Brian Funk: Heh.

Sarah Belle Reid: I think for me, you know, I have a very traditional background in my musical training. But I always had this feeling, even though I didn't quite know how to describe it or what it meant, but I always had this feeling that there was something more that I wanted to be able to explore in my music making. And so when I found and was introduced to these more experimental aspects of making music, like improvisation and just experimental electronics and all of that, it really felt like. all of the puzzle pieces were coming together. It wasn't a replacing of everything I had developed as a traditional or classically trained trumpet player. It was just like, oh, now this story makes sense. Now my

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: voice feels more complete. You know what I mean? So it's like it all came together.

Brian Funk: Yeah, I've found that for myself too, just over time, the different things in your life that feel so separate from each other. Sometimes they start coming together into this one path and you need a little time to see that happen. At least I definitely did.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

Brian Funk: And it's nice too because sometimes the music education departments are very steeped in tradition and kind of resist this stuff. They see it as something that they, you know, almost like a challenge to it, maybe. I'm not sure, but I've run into that myself occasionally with trying to bring in just I teach high school English as a day job and trying to bring in like music production, Ableton Live stuff

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: into it. Not everyone is interested. Some people in the music departments were really excited and other people were kind of like, that's not music. I kind

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh.

Brian Funk: of got that feeling. Do you encounter that ever, some of those different challenges and how people see it?

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh, of course.

Brian Funk: haha

Sarah Belle Reid: Absolutely. Yes. Both in, you know, in educational spaces and just in the world, you know. with people having different musical experiences, different backgrounds, different perspectives, different things that they like. Sometimes the music that I'm really interested in and that I make is challenging to listen to. Sometimes it doesn't have a traditional obvious hook or even a repeatable rhythm that you can snap along to. Sometimes it's just very... kind of amorphous and more like... sound design. You know, a lot of the time people, some people will say, oh, your music is more almost like experimental sound design than it is quote unquote music. To me, in my opinion, it's all music. Like all sound is music. But yeah, people sometimes express all kinds of opinions. And I've definitely, I've had some challenging conversations with people who don't get it and don't want to get it. But I've also had some really exciting deep conversations that are more based in curiosity. People who don't get it and are like, okay, what is happening? You know, I don't know what I'm hearing. What am I hearing? Can

Brian Funk: Right?

Sarah Belle Reid: you tell me how to begin to listen to this? And I love those kinds of conversations. You don't have to get it right from the beginning. You know what I mean? In fact, I feel like that mentality of, you know, you have to get it when it comes to music actually can really perpetuate that siloed. way of thinking that you can find in some educational systems, like what I believe you were talking about, where it's like, this is classical music, this is jazz, this is pop music.

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: I feel like if we could give everyone a little more permission to not understand things and have that be okay, we would be

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: able to maybe blend a little bit more freely between all of these different modes of making music.

Brian Funk: Right, yeah, that's cool you

Sarah Belle Reid: It's

Brian Funk: say

Sarah Belle Reid: just

Brian Funk: that.

Sarah Belle Reid: a thought. It's just something I've been thinking about.

Brian Funk: Well, I guess you probably get a lot of the, sorry you play your trumpet so nice, but these buttons and knobs.

Sarah Belle Reid: Well, I even get, believe it or not, it depends on the concert and the audience, but I've even had people come up to me afterwards and say, do you, after a long performance on trumpet, be like, well, do you ever play a nice melody on that thing, on that horn, you know? Yes, in fact, I do. Thank you for asking. It's just a mix. You know, everyone has different backgrounds and perspectives that they're coming from, so.

Brian Funk: Well, art, you know, especially when it's new, always challenges people and

Sarah Belle Reid: Exactly.

Brian Funk: it divides people. And that's part of what's nice.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: And there's people, I don't know who it's credited to, but just kind of, it's better to have people love it and people hate it than just to have people, okay, I've heard

Sarah Belle Reid: Right?

Brian Funk: this before. It's

Sarah Belle Reid: Have

Brian Funk: more

Sarah Belle Reid: people

Brian Funk: of that

Sarah Belle Reid: forget

Brian Funk: again.

Sarah Belle Reid: about it.

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, I once had a mentor tell me that early on and I'm so grateful that they shared that with me because it's really stuck with me. If you move someone with your music, even if you're moving them in a way that maybe feels slightly negative or they don't like it or they don't get it, you're still stirring something up within them.

Brian Funk: Mm.

Sarah Belle Reid: You're expanding their life in that moment. Your music changed them in some way. It made them question how they think about music. It made them hear new things. That's actually incredible.

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: And so from my perspective, it's not that I gave up, but I let go of the priority of trying to have everyone like my music many, many years ago, and now I'm focused on sharing really meaningful listening experiences with people as one of my primary goals in making music.

Brian Funk: I imagine trumpet came first.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yep, actually, well, piano way back and then trumpet and then electronics. Yeah.

Brian Funk: How did you get introduced into that electronic world? What was it that, was it like somebody, a friend or?

Sarah Belle Reid: I was in grad school in California, so it was pretty, you know, relatively late. I had been playing trumpeted music for many years at that point, but I had never even seen a synthesizer. I had no idea about this world at all. And for some reason, I decided to join a class called interface design, which is a class where you actually design and build your own. musical interfaces or interfaces for musical expression. So it could be something that has buttons and knobs on it, like an Ableton push, something that maybe is a MIDI controller, or it could be, you know. anything you could imagine that you might want to use to control sound. So people were building wearable sensor-based things that they would then give to dancers and the dancers would move around and that would give them data to turn into a synthesized sound or to control lighting. And I really wanted to build a gestural interface to go on my trumpet. That was kind of where it started. So I had never used Ableton. I had never used a synthesizer. I had never even used like an effects pedal, but I

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: was like, okay, I wanna do this because this sounds really cool. How can I turn my trumpet into some kind of controller for electronics and visual? At the time I was really interested in like coded visuals and stuff like that. I don't do a ton of that anymore. But so I started there. And then once that thing was built, I realized. you can't make electronic music without understanding how electronic instruments work. So then I started to work with modular synths and more in Ableton and different programs on my computer to kind of pull it all together.

Brian Funk: Right, right, so that

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: pulled you right into that world.

Sarah Belle Reid: exactly. It's kind of a strange introduction into the world of electronic music, but I'm grateful for it. So.

Brian Funk: It's something that I really was interested in when I first started getting into computer-based music. I started on guitar, playing in rock bands, not trained or anything like you, but more grimy punk rock angle. Once I started finding out about MIDI controllers and that you can put them together and map them how you want, it really made me think about just instrument design in general.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: Just how amazing it is that certain things like a trumpet or like a guitar or piano have stuck around for so long

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: and still seem almost like these unsolved puzzles that have so much left to give. And now... there's all these new kind of ways of looking at music. And it's a really fun time. There's always something new coming

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: out. That's a totally exciting new way to create music that

Sarah Belle Reid: Yep.

Brian Funk: sometimes relies on skills you have already. And sometimes it enables people that have no musical training at all to

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: create really interesting music. You have, um, can you describe what you did to your trumpet a little bit?

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, I

Brian Funk: I've

Sarah Belle Reid: can...

Brian Funk: seen some pictures and like, it's, it's kind of, it's like space age almost.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, so basically what it is, it's a little collection. So basically it's run with a microcontroller, an Arduino, which is a little tiny microcontroller that you can get for, I think, 20 or 30 bucks. And it allows you to attach different sensors to it and read the data from the sensors. And so I built this little enclosure that goes onto the trumpet and it detects the motion of the valves, so the pistons that you use to change to play different notes, and also the amount of pressure that you have, that your left hand has on the trumpet as you're holding it, and also the tilt. There's an accelerometer in it as well, so as you move the horn up and down or side to side, it will detect that as well. And then that Arduino, like I said, it just reads the data and allows you to transmit that data onto a computer. And from there, you have to get creative and figure out what you want to do with it. If you want to use it as MIDI to control a MIDI synth, or if you want to convert it to some other data format, which you can do and send it to another program and so on and so forth. But the real music making starts at the computer end of things.

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: And the device, which I call MIGSI, which is Minimally Invasive Gesture Sensing Interface, remember folks, I did this in grad school. It was very much my thesis, so it's super nerdy. I apologize.

Brian Funk: That's cool though.

Sarah Belle Reid: But yeah, that part is really just about sensor data capture, like gestural

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: data capture, yeah.

Brian Funk: Right. And you have to then, like you're building the instrument, you're building this thing, and then you have to decide what all of that stuff does, which

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: can change for, I'm sure every performance.

Sarah Belle Reid: Exactly. And that's the most challenging and also the most rewarding part. I co-designed Migsie with someone named Ryan Gaston, who I was in school with at the time. And we, I remember we got to the point where all of the sensors were working. The data was flowing to the computer and we were just looked at each other and we're like, what the heck do we do now? Like, what do you do with seven streams of numbers? How do you turn that into music? It's a big challenge. But, um, you know, you just go to go piece by piece and you, you can, basically you can think, well, maybe this when this number goes up that means there's more reverb applied onto this sound or maybe when this number goes down maybe we divide this string of numbers into like three sections and we use each section to trigger a different sound and you start you start small like that and then the ideas start to kind of click as you go

Brian Funk: Right, that's

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah

Brian Funk: pretty much the same advice I give people with Ableton Live and programming your MIDI controllers.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: I do a class for Berklee Online, it's a sampling with Ableton Live, and there's a live performance portion, and I explain to the class, like, look, I'm not expecting something ready for prime time at Madison Square Garden or something like that. It's just build it small. Start with one little thing you wanna do.

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: and try that out because it's different than picking up any other instrument because you have to build the instrument and then you have to decide what it does and then you have to make music and perform

Sarah Belle Reid: Exactly.

Brian Funk: it.

Sarah Belle Reid: And often what I've learned over and over and over again is that simpler is better when it comes to mapping things like mini controllers or anything. In my experience anyway, you often think, well, I have 10 fingers and I've got 34 buttons, like, let's use them all. But, and, you know, some people are really great at that kind of thing. For me, I've really realized that Less is more. Sometimes just three or five really meaningful controls can be more than enough to make an expressive piece of music. Because it's not all about triggering a sound, and then that's it. It's triggering a sound. Maybe it's loud this time and softer this time or different pitches and all of the different things you can do to the sound once you trigger it. I hope that makes sense. I feel

Brian Funk: Definitely.

Sarah Belle Reid: like I kind of went on a little. But less is more is the moral of the story.

Brian Funk: It's the same thing I've done with my live performance set in Ableton. Um, it's the same set I created almost 15 years ago

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: and it just gets save as save as, and you just change something. And it kind of started like slowly. It went up and I added things and then

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: it kind of got a little over complicated

Sarah Belle Reid: Yup.

Brian Funk: where I have these buttons might

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: as well make them do something. And my performances, when I listened back to them, sounded like somebody that was afraid the audience might think I'm only checking my email on my computer. So

Sarah Belle Reid: I'm

Brian Funk: I'm

Sarah Belle Reid: sorry.

Brian Funk: like overcompensating, doing way more. It didn't serve the song or the music, but it looked cool. You

Sarah Belle Reid: Right,

Brian Funk: know,

Sarah Belle Reid: you were busy. You had your hands

Brian Funk: I was

Sarah Belle Reid: full.

Brian Funk: busy. And by now it's tapered off a lot. It's

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: nowhere near as complicated as it was at one point. Because, yeah, it's just... I agree with you a lot, the simple stuff is where it's at, used effectively. That's fun. You've done some really cool stuff recently. I wanted to talk to you about, it was one of the big things that got me to reach out to you with the creative, um, the create with courage

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: for 30 days or 30, maybe it's 31 days

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: you did just a post on Facebook is where I was seeing them. And just offering some wisdom information, some experiences from your past.

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: What, what inspired you to start doing that?

Sarah Belle Reid: Well, I was thinking a lot about... why I make music. It's a big question that I actually ask myself fairly often. I think it's just helpful to check in. And for the record, I don't think that there's any right or wrong answer for a person to have. I just think it's a nice exercise of self-reflection to be like, why am I doing this? What's meaningful about this to me? Because it will change as we grow as artists and go through life, I think. I was thinking a lot about this. A couple of the really big driving forces behind why I am an artist and why I dedicate my life to making music has to do with creating and sharing connections with people through sound, as I mentioned a little earlier on, and also joy. It's a really simple thing, but just being joyful and doing what I love and sharing that with other people. And in the last couple of years, as I've been doing more online teaching, I've also come to really, really value the pursuit of courage and creative courage. And in particular, one of the reasons why I teach is because I want to be able to help people make more music that they absolutely love with joy and courage. I want to help people make the kind of music that they will listen back to and be like, Yeah, like, heck yeah. Like, I did that

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: thing and that feels like a true expression of myself. And I am so excited to share that with the world. You know, like, I went for it. I didn't compromise along the way because I was nervous about what someone would think, which is something that I used to do a lot. And I'm sure many people can relate to. You know, I didn't, like, dim it down for fear that it wouldn't be accepted. I just did my thing. Loud

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: and... And so those were the values. It was this idea of connection, joy, and then courage. And I was just sort of chewing on it and thinking it over. And yeah, the idea of... walking the walk a little bit and just seeing, okay, well, what would it look like if every day I shared something that required me to be courageous

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: and myself and to be vulnerable and just open about what I've learned in life and what I've gone through that's helped me get to where I am today. Maybe that could help people bring a little bit more of that into their lives. And as an added bonus, I can connect with people along the way. you know, through the discussions in the comments and everything on the posts.

Brian Funk: Mm.

Sarah Belle Reid: So that's sort of how it came up. And, uh, it was an amazing experience. It was 30 days. And every single day I shared some kind of lesson, um, you know, or experience that I've had in life that has had, that is somehow related to being a musician or being a creative person. And, you know, going through sometimes very challenging times, sometimes really awesome times, and just everything that you learn from it, and how you grow with it.

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: Yeah, there was definitely a lot of vulnerability shared,

Sarah Belle Reid: Yes.

Brian Funk: which I thought was really nice. Especially coming from someone with your background, you have a doctorate in music, right? So like, it's very, it's the kind of thing that I think a lot of people would feel like your past, right? Like you've, you've received the credentials, you're playing the festivals, you're doing all these things that... It's nice, it's refreshing. It's something I've

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: gotten doing this podcast as well is that I haven't had anyone tell me it's easy or that, yeah, I just make music, you know, just comes

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: out of me. Like anything, masterpiece after masterpiece, nobody says that. Even

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: people like you would have thought that really had it figured out, still have these struggles and vulnerabilities.

Sarah Belle Reid: Well, and I think that's part of, that's another really big reason why I wanted to do this is because usually, it sounds like your podcast is an exception to that, which is great, but a lot of the time online, you see the perfect finished product, right? You see the album after months or years of work. You see the perfectly curated social media feed. You see everything going super well. And it can be baffling. Like it can be like, how are they doing this? What is wrong with me?

Brian Funk: Right?

Sarah Belle Reid: get that perfect schedule in my studio or make a track a week or whatever you're seeing someone else do. And I think that such a big part of the growth that I've been able to have over the years as a musician has come from being able to see into other people's real lives and see them working through... mindset struggles or insecurities or life being full of surprises or like, hey, I suck at this and like, I've got to go and practice really hard. And like getting to see that happen, like see people just go from really not having that skill to like a month later, really having that skill because they put three hours a day in the practice room and made it happen, you know. So I guess what I realized is that a lot of the time online, that's missing. You don't see that process-based aspect.

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: Yeah, you kind of get the flashy

Sarah Belle Reid: You

Brian Funk: finished

Sarah Belle Reid: just get

Brian Funk: product.

Sarah Belle Reid: the,

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah, and then it really, and then it's easy for someone to be like, wow, I'm never gonna be there. Like,

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: I guess I'm not cut out for this. That's the sentence I hate hearing the most is, and it's something I once used to say to myself, I guess they have something I don't have, like some secret ability.

Brian Funk: Right,

Sarah Belle Reid: So I

Brian Funk: like

Sarah Belle Reid: kind of

Brian Funk: some

Sarah Belle Reid: felt

Brian Funk: gifts.

Sarah Belle Reid: like some gift, you know, and of course people have, we all have our own unique little gifts. All of us do. And, and anything is learnable and figure out a bowl and it just takes some grit and perseverance and, and courage, and you got to take action and do the thing, you know?

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: So I really wanted to share that with others and, be honest about how I got to where I am and also what I'm in every day still.

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: Very much.

Brian Funk: That's an important gift really, because you mentioned the joy of it, but this is the very thing that brings so much people so much frustration and

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: self-doubt. And I mean, it's funny when you mentioned also like, why do I make music? Like sometimes I get these feelings too. I'm like, what am I making these silly songs for? I'm like a grown-up now. You know, like, let's do something important with my time. Right. And...

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: I think about that and when it's not coming together, when it's not working out, then that's when I'm really vulnerable for that kind

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: of feeling. And there's no joy in that.

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: And at least, and you said there's no right or wrong reason, which I think is so true too because I have a lot of friends that just have an acoustic guitar that they strum after work in the backyard.

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: It's not to record anything. It's not to write a song. It's... maybe learning a riff or just because they like to hear the sound under

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: their fingers.

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah.

Brian Funk: And sometimes we lose that in this quest to whatever

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: it is, whether it's to make songs, finish things or get releases out. It is a real fast way to lose the joy of it. And

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: I think with something like music where, especially if you're trying to make a career There's, there's so many safer bets for like careers that at least if you're going to do music, you should be having fun. You should be enjoying

Sarah Belle Reid: It's

Brian Funk: it.

Sarah Belle Reid: so

Brian Funk: Cause that's,

Sarah Belle Reid: important.

Brian Funk: that's

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: the reason you would ever be crazy enough to do this.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, it's so important and yeah, it's something over the years that I have lost and found and lost and found again and what I've realized for myself is that... Joy is something I can come back to on purpose. I just have to be aware of it. I have to remember. I have to remember to be like, "'Okay, Sarah, how can this be fun?' It sounds like such a silly question, but when you're in the studio and things aren't working and you're like, ah, this sucks, ah, I suck. And then all of the stuff comes in, all of the thoughts and the, oh,

Brian Funk: Damn opens,

Sarah Belle Reid: no one's

Brian Funk: yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: gonna

Brian Funk: Heh.

Sarah Belle Reid: listen anyway, and blah, which I call mind trash. That's what all of that is. It's like in that moment, it's not easy, but the most valuable thing you can do is just be like, okay, breaks. And then how can I make this fun right now?

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: And maybe the answer is pick up some random instrument that you haven't played in a while. Or maybe the answer is take your battery-powered synth out and sit in the backyard or whatever it is that just feels... fun and just come back to that joy and that reason why you're doing it. For me, a lot of the time it's like, I'm not going to do this right now. I'm just going to improvise. I'm just going to play because for me

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: that is fun. And when I start doing that, basically a hundred percent of the time. maybe 90% of the time, it just gets me out of my head. I'm gonna be real. And I reconnect to the sound and my breath and my body and my music and something clicks, you know?

Brian Funk: Hmm. That's a great question to ask. What would this look like if it were fun? How could I make this into something fun?

Sarah Belle Reid: How can this be more fun? Yeah. I also love the question, how could this be easy? That's a little bit of a side note, slightly different

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: question, but that's a bonus power move right there because we are so

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: good at over-complicating things. So I

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: love asking myself that one too. It's like, I've got a big project, I've got to get it done today or this week. How can this be easy?

Brian Funk: Yeah, I had a really funny and silly one of those moments just like a week or two ago with this podcast where with the art, I finally have somebody helping me do some editing with the podcast. Animus, shout out to him, his help has been so great and tremendous. But sometimes I stick in episodes that are just me talking

Sarah Belle Reid: Uh huh.

Brian Funk: and I was getting really stressed out. I was like, oh, the art. is going to get all messed up because it's going to say like this number of episode and then mine's going to come. I'm like, oh, what am I? And I was like, why do I need the number on there?

Sarah Belle Reid: How

Brian Funk: And

Sarah Belle Reid: can

Brian Funk: I was

Sarah Belle Reid: this

Brian Funk: like,

Sarah Belle Reid: be easy?

Brian Funk: oh my God, this is a problem I don't need to have. But it just, it was the kind of feeling that made me like look at everything in my life and be like, what else am I doing this to?

Sarah Belle Reid: Yes.

Brian Funk: Where else am I trying to put

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh,

Brian Funk: numbers where they don't need to

Sarah Belle Reid: right.

Brian Funk: be?

Sarah Belle Reid: That is some deep wisdom. That's good.

Brian Funk: I'm sorry.

Sarah Belle Reid: That's a funny example, but it's so true. If you're anything like me, if you hadn't noticed that, you could have agonized over that for like

Brian Funk: I did. Oh,

Sarah Belle Reid: some

Brian Funk: I did.

Sarah Belle Reid: time.

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: There was like months, like two months. I was like stressing me out.

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh, well I'm really glad you came to that

Brian Funk: Yeah,

Sarah Belle Reid: realization.

Brian Funk: simple thing.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: But it's such a good question. It reminds me, I don't know where I heard this because I would love to attribute this to somebody, but it was like, we say like, this brings me joy, this brings me joy. And then the person just turned around is like, no, you're taking joy in it. Take joy in it. So it makes that feeling of like having fun and like enjoying

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: something for what it is. more of an action than something that happens to you.

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: And that again has been really helpful for me in

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: certain situations where I'm thinking like, music isn't bringing me any joy. I was like, well, I have to take joy in it. Like,

Sarah Belle Reid: Uh-huh.

Brian Funk: what is it about it that makes it fun? I guess it's another way to look at it. So.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, yeah, it's valuable. The I don't sorry, I don't know if you want to change topics, but one other thing that popped into my mind is just that it gets to be fun. Like you have

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: permission, permission granted, even the most quote unquote, serious, professional, legitimate insert, whatever qualifying word you want musician. is allowed to have fun,

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: right? And like somehow I feel anyway, maybe I'm just speaking from my own, or I'm certainly speaking from my own experience, but. it almost felt, when I was in school at times, it almost felt like fun was a waste of time. Like fun was not focus, fun was

Brian Funk: Mm.

Sarah Belle Reid: not the discipline that was needed. Fun was goofing around, you know, it wasn't valued

Brian Funk: Kid

Sarah Belle Reid: in

Brian Funk: stuff.

Sarah Belle Reid: the same way. Yeah, yeah, like you said a minute ago,

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: like why am I, I'm an adult, why am I making

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: these funny songs or whatever? And I just think that, For me, realizing and embracing that when I have more fun, I make better music. It does

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: not mean all my music sounds cartoonish and goofy and like, ha ha, some of it does, but that's not the end result. It just means that I am more embodied in the process. I'm more present, I'm more joyful, and as a result, everything works better, right?

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: Because I'm moving in flow with myself. I'm not fighting against myself.

Brian Funk: Yeah, the play aspect, play music, you know,

Sarah Belle Reid: play. Yeah.

Brian Funk: play music. It's so important. We were saying we, having trouble remembering things on the spur of the moment, and I'm trying to think of a book now, but it was all about improvisation and it

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm.

Brian Funk: talked a lot about play. Oh, the art of is, the art of is, is what the book is called. I think, now I'm not sure.

Sarah Belle Reid: Hahaha

Brian Funk: I'll write it down, put it in the show notes, but it... It just struck me like that's where so much fun happens. And when you're, when you are a kid, suppose you're on like a playground or something, you're just making up rules. You're coming up with things on the fly. You're not trying to decide if it's acceptable or if it's, you know, smart enough or intelligent

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: enough, which is something I struggle with a lot with my music. I always feel like I'm not being clever enough.

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: It's

Sarah Belle Reid: You're

Brian Funk: just.

Sarah Belle Reid: not alone.

Brian Funk: which spirals me out of

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: the joy of doing it. But that, when I get playful though, then I'll do something weird that I wouldn't normally do. That would be maybe a little unorthodox that might sound clever later on, right? But it was just because I was kinda being silly or just

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: letting go of things.

Sarah Belle Reid: letting go. Exactly. You take risks when you're in a playful

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: state. You're curious. Curious is the magic word for me personally. When I'm playful, when I'm having fun, I get curious. I ask myself, what if? What, not in a bad way, not what if no one likes it, but what would happen if I did that? Ooh, what if

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: I put those sounds together? Ooh, what if I map my controller in this way? Ooh, what if I do it all backwards? And that curiosity is, in my opinion, is where like... innovation comes from. It's the people who are like, oh, I wonder if I connect this and this way instead of that way. Oh, look, I just stumbled across this cool new technique that people will use for the next 40 years, you

Brian Funk: Right?

Sarah Belle Reid: know what I mean?

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: And so I love that. And for me, that is like the magic mindset space. If I can get into a playful, curious space, I know I'll be okay. Yeah.

Brian Funk: Yeah, it's helpful with other people too, especially

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: people you get along with that you're comfortable with. Sometimes that can help you get there

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh

Brian Funk: a

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah,

Brian Funk: bit.

Sarah Belle Reid: for sure. Yeah.

Brian Funk: In watching some of your videos, I came across one that I thought was really, I mean, there were a lot, but the one that stuck out to me was when you were playing with mixers to create

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: feedback. So it was like, I forget what you title it, but basically you're plugging the outputs of the mixer back into the inputs and creating all these. stuff you're not supposed to do. Like you're not allowed to do that,

Sarah Belle Reid: I'm

Brian Funk: right?

Sarah Belle Reid: sorry.

Brian Funk: If you went into a studio and started doing that, they'd throw you out. What are you doing? You're going to break something. It's going to, but you were taking that noise really, feedback and just interesting, well, things people wouldn't think is interesting that would normally think was wrong, but that was something you were using then to create something interesting.

Sarah Belle Reid: I'm right.

Brian Funk: And

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: that's a playful thing. That's the kind of thing you might If you let a kid that didn't know what they were doing, just start connecting things they would

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: come up with. But a trained professional would never think to do that.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, that's true. Yeah, the technique that you're referring to is called no input mixing. And yeah, exactly. It's a feedback based technique where you patch the outputs of a device back into its own inputs. And by doing that. you are creating a feedback loop and it will start to self-oscillate, which means it will start to produce its own tones. And they are inherently super chaotic and unpredictable. And something that's so fascinating about working with feedback is, in my opinion, is that you, because of the chaotic nature of the feedback loop that you've created, you're trying to do. So for example on a mixer, you know some mixers have the three band EQ like high, mid, low EQ knobs for example. You could turn the mids up and you'd expect the mids to be boosted but it might actually cause the sound to go from a steady tone to like a choppy, sputtery sound. Or you could turn the volume knob up and instead of it getting louder the pitch will go down strange nonlinear interactions because of the way that you have it self-patched. And I love that. I find it delightful and super intriguing because it it's like an invitation to listen in a really deep way. Again a really curious way because you don't know what's gonna happen. And this instrument, this object that is like usually has a very specific role in your on your desk all of a duo partner and

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: it's like jamming with you. You know and you can do this kind of feedback patching with synthesizers too. It's one of my favorite techniques to use on a modular or any kind of synth. It's not just mixers that you can do it with if anyone's curious.

Brian Funk: So you would just patch those outputs. That was a famous thing people did with the Minimoog. They would put the, I think it was like the headphones back into the external

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah!

Brian Funk: input.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, the only thing just for anyone who's trying for the first time, um, it's just really important that you have your main outputs should, should always have a volume control attached

Brian Funk: All right,

Sarah Belle Reid: to them. Don't

Brian Funk: maybe

Sarah Belle Reid: use those

Brian Funk: a limiter.

Sarah Belle Reid: in the feedback loop. And, and I recommend never using headphones if it's your very first time doing feedback based patching, because the volume is very unpredictable. So

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: just make sure you've got some kind of master volume control. And I've been doing this now, feedback patching for, you know, well over a decade. and I have not broken anything, and a signal is a signal, and it's all gonna be okay inside the instrument. The main thing you have to worry about potentially damaging are your ears and your speakers. So just keep your volume low. Use a limiter, it's a great idea, and you'll be fine. Everything will be groovy, and you'll make some cool sounds. Yeah.

Brian Funk: Yeah, yeah, I can definitely agree with that advice. I've had that situation where maybe I'm trying to record the band and somewhere along the way, I routed something the wrong way and everyone's headphones just starts squealing.

Sarah Belle Reid: He, oh no.

Brian Funk: People falling out of their chairs. It can

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: be horrifying and scary when it happens.

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh yeah, when you're not expecting it for sure.

Brian Funk: But it's that unpredictability. It's almost like a collaborator

Sarah Belle Reid: That's right.

Brian Funk: when you get that kind of stuff. My first exposure to feedback was with electric guitars and turning up the distortion, putting them in front of the amp. And you get these overtones. And you can almost get melodies depending on what guitar you have. You get different things screeching out of it.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: And it becomes an art in how

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: to.

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah, and it's beautiful. I mean, there's so much music throughout history that, you know, it's a short, relatively short history of electronic music so far, but so many people exploring feedback in such beautiful ways. And it's not always crazy. you know, blasting noise. Like you said, sometimes it's delicate, ghostly tones and

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: little chirps. Like it can be very beautiful and tender even. It's just all about how you kind of dial it in, you know, which just comes down to making small movements, turning knobs slowly

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: and listening.

Brian Funk: I've sampled feedback a long time ago off my guitar and I was gonna make an instrument out of it inside a sampler in Ableton Live. And I was really surprised at how soft it came out because it's not that way when you're doing it live, especially through a guitar amp.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: I'm sure you probably have family members that are very understanding of strange noises coming out of wherever

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh yeah,

Brian Funk: you're

Sarah Belle Reid: well...

Brian Funk: working. I have the same thing and my wife is... totally cool about me making any kind of noise. But a year or two ago, I was recording an album and I decided I wanted all these guitar feedback tracks going on, so I had this little amp and just cranked it up. And I was just sampling it, because I was like, I'm going to also make a collection of these so I can have

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: them. And that was the one time she came down. She's

Sarah Belle Reid: I'm sorry.

Brian Funk: like, what's going on in here? Because to just be squealing and squeaking away, she probably thought like

Sarah Belle Reid: That's

Brian Funk: I

Sarah Belle Reid: so

Brian Funk: blew

Sarah Belle Reid: funny.

Brian Funk: up or something.

Sarah Belle Reid: that. Yeah. Yeah, my family's put up with a lot.

Brian Funk: I think anybody that's making music, even if you're just in a traditional thing without experiments you're looping the same thing over and over and over and over just to tweak things so people around you get used to you just incessantly. It's a really nice way to think though with that sound and useful sound for music can kind of just come from anywhere. There's really nothing that's off limits after a while when you start thinking in that way.

Sarah Belle Reid: Totally. I'm working on a piece right now and we... I just spent, this was a couple of weeks ago, but I spent the day at an old, abandoned sawmill, like a cedar sawmill, sampling the big, they have these incredible big saw blades, huge, like six feet wide, and when you hit them, strike them with different things, they just sound incredible, and they ring for like, some of them 15 seconds, like a long decay ring. Just gorgeous. cedar logs that hadn't been cut into boards yet. And they're all different thicknesses and different lengths. And so if you whack them with like a stick, they're like, like different, they're like giant woodblocks, but like low, like base

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: woodblocks. And they all have different pitches. It's beautiful. And so I've been using all of those types of sounds as like percussion for this piece, as opposed to using, you know, real drums. It's all

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: just clanging metal from, you know, from the sawmill and pots and pans are my favorite. I mean, your kitchen is the ultimate sample playground. I'm sure you've told people that a million times, but like open up the cupboards, get the pots

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: and pans. Yeah.

Brian Funk: And the kitchens usually have a cool reverb to them. Maybe they're like, it's not like carpeting usually in kitchens,

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: so they kind of have like this room sound. We do an assignment with the Berkeley class where you just go through your day and just find sounds. Your normal routine, but like listen, pay attention. And so many people never get past breakfast,

Sarah Belle Reid: I'm sorry.

Brian Funk: you know, because the kitchen is just loaded with appliances

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh yeah,

Brian Funk: and different

Sarah Belle Reid: I love

Brian Funk: pots

Sarah Belle Reid: that.

Brian Funk: and pans and jugs. It's really cool. And everyone's is different. You would think after a while that everyone's song would sound the same, or everyone's just sampling their kitchen. But every, that's like what I think is some of the beauty of it too, is that just everyone's atmosphere is unique, especially when you start adding up all the individual pieces. Maybe

Sarah Belle Reid: course.

Brian Funk: we have a pot and pan that sounds similar, but once we start opening cabinets and drawers and then we got a whole new palette.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah. And also how you, you know, what you do to those samples, right? Like, do

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: you use the slam of the cabinet door as like a little percussive hit or do you time stretch it or do you, you know, speed it up so it's this like really high little piccolo sound, you know? That's where it gets really... really individualistic. Some people, some person might hear a melody in the way that the doors close and make a whole piece about that and someone else might not hear that and instead they might hear like a really awesome rhythm and they might run with that. So I think yeah music is everywhere. Anything is an instrument. It all comes back to curiosity to me. It's just a big loop. It's

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: a big feedback loop. Yeah.

Brian Funk: Positive feedback loop. Do you use any particular gear to do this? Do you have like some giant rig with furry microphone windscreens?

Sarah Belle Reid: Honestly, it depends if I'm in my, so when I can, I bring things into my studio just so that I can record in a more acoustically dampened space, but often if I'm out and about, I'm just using a simple Zoom field recorder, nothing fancy. It does, it could certainly be a fancier setup, but I. I haven't upgraded anything yet and it's actually been years and it works well.

Brian Funk: Mm.

Sarah Belle Reid: Most important thing to get, which I didn't get early on, is like a good wind sock of some kind or windscreen, because that's the

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: one thing that will really rain on your parade when you're trying to record outside is the KRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Brian Funk: Yeah, just that low rumble of the wind. Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: It's more, in my opinion, it's more important to get the sounds and like, be creative with them than it is to get the most perfect,

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: high quality, pristine recording. Um,

Brian Funk: I say the same exact thing.

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah.

Brian Funk: You're better off to have it. And you have a

Sarah Belle Reid: I,

Brian Funk: phone probably

Sarah Belle Reid: that's what

Brian Funk: on

Sarah Belle Reid: I was

Brian Funk: you.

Sarah Belle Reid: just about to say is I've even, I've even recorded samples on my phone. I don't do that anymore because I have this zoom recorder, which is great, but that's how I started was just using my computer mic, like a built-in mic and my phone and just voice memo and everything.

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: And. It's fine. It's a place to start.

Brian Funk: I was doing a class a week ago with Berkeley. And I was like, oh, I'm going to do this. I was trying to sample my voice through this microphone, but for whatever reason, my interface wasn't connecting with my

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm.

Brian Funk: computer. So I had those Apple AirPod, not

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: these ones, but the ones with the wire. So they were old ones when they still had the eighth inch jack. So however long

Sarah Belle Reid: Hmm.

Brian Funk: ago that was. And I just sampled my voice through it to make an instrument that I could put inside a sampler. And I loved the quality of that cheap mic. In some ways, I almost like the bad mic better. Because once you start stretching it, repitching

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: it, weird things happen that aren't in the clean recording

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: that you can get,

Sarah Belle Reid: totally. Yeah, I think it's

Brian Funk: it's

Sarah Belle Reid: all

Brian Funk: important

Sarah Belle Reid: just.

Brian Funk: to just

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: get it.

Sarah Belle Reid: exactly. It's just get it make start making things you can always upgrade like your gear later if you want to but start making stuff now. And you never know like you're to your point, you might end up liking it even better. You're not the first person I've heard you say who says that it's like, there's just some kind of magical quality about that. You know, kind of quote unquote crappy quality, bad recording. It's like actually

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: got some life to it, you know?

Brian Funk: I find sometimes in the context of a recording, that quality helps the sound kind of stick out

Sarah Belle Reid: Mm-hmm.

Brian Funk: where it doesn't get lost in all the other really nice recordings. It's got its own little texture, its own little

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: space in the mix that you can really dial in.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: So you've got a course that's about to start up, you said,

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: learning sound and synthesis.

Sarah Belle Reid: that's right.

Brian Funk: So that sounds like fun after we've been talking a little bit about some of

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: your philosophies in there, I'm sure.

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh yeah. Yeah. That is, it's a, so it's next round is starting in late August and it opens every year, twice a year. But it's, as the name suggests, learning sound and synthesis. It's a class that's all about sound design and making music with modular synths and You know, that could be to do sound design for video games, or you could, you know, take the class to make your own music, your own electronic music, dance music, experimental music. A lot of folks are in the class with a focus on film scoring. Basically, what I teach is a very, very comprehensive how-to and synthesis technique. course that focuses on universal synthesis concepts rather than specific instruments because I'm really interested in giving people you know, the technique and the knowledge that they need to use any instrument they want, whether it's a virtual synth that runs on their computer or the synth inside of Ableton or some Moog desktop synth or a keyboard synth or whatever. And I don't want to, you know, lock people out of the class by saying, sorry, if you don't have this one particular Euro Rack, you can't come and learn. So I teach using VCV Rack, which is a really amazing free modular synth. program that runs on your computer. And I really, really love it. And yeah, we start there and people go a million directions

Brian Funk: Mm.

Sarah Belle Reid: from, excuse me, from there.

Brian Funk: Well, that's

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: cool because so much of it is based off these building blocks.

Sarah Belle Reid: Exactly.

Brian Funk: And that's something I didn't know when I first tried to play a synthesizer. I didn't understand that there were these commonalities

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: between all of them. They all looked like different spaceships to me.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: And I felt like I had to learn every single one, but soon you start to see the pieces and how they

Sarah Belle Reid: That's

Brian Funk: come together.

Sarah Belle Reid: exactly, that's the thing that all of my students say and it's so exciting when they get to that point. Usually a month or a month and a half into the class, people start saying. oh wow, like I just realized how this instrument that I've had over here collecting dust on my desk works. Like I get it now because, you know, we basically, the philosophy behind the class is kind of like the under the hood approach to learning synthesis. So instead of learning how the... you know, the Moog Matriarch works or how any of those instruments work on the top level, you're learning how each individual component works, like really deeply what's up with oscillators. Not just, yeah, we know they drone, but like, did you know that you can, you know, use oscillators for 50, 100 different things, and then they can be chaotic and noisy and, and droney and all of this and like what's up with LFOs and how can we use as them as sound sources and how can we use them as control sources and all of that. So by the time you go through that, you not only know how VCV rack works and how modular synths work, but you go back to your various other instruments that you have and it all starts to click because you're like, wait a second. I get it.

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: it's an oscillator, it's an LFO, I know how those things work, that's a filter, and you're able to make more music with them than you were able to before, which is really exciting.

Brian Funk: Hmm. Yeah, you just start to see the

Sarah Belle Reid: You

Brian Funk: kind

Sarah Belle Reid: start

Brian Funk: of main

Sarah Belle Reid: to see

Brian Funk: idea.

Sarah Belle Reid: all the connections, yeah.

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: Right. Do you have a favorite synthesizer? I mean,

Sarah Belle Reid: Ooh,

Brian Funk: I would say you'd probably

Sarah Belle Reid: I don't

Brian Funk: go

Sarah Belle Reid: know.

Brian Funk: modular stuff, but I don't

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: know.

Sarah Belle Reid: I am a big fan of modular and in particular, I mean the reason why I love modular is because of the flexibility. I also love, you know, I have a Hydra synth, which is a keyboard based poly synth, I love it. But the reason why I love it is because of all of the flexibility that I learned on my modular that I can bring into how I patch it and how I customize

Brian Funk: Right,

Sarah Belle Reid: the sounds

Brian Funk: gotcha.

Sarah Belle Reid: on the HydroSynth because it's very flexible. These days, what I've been really enjoying are very small modular synths. I, you know, very limited. I've put together, I don't know the exact size, but just a tiny little case, two rows, fits in a backpack. And I'm just living with it as though it is a fixed. signal path synth, or not fixed signal path, but like those are the modules. They're not swappable.

Brian Funk: of the component.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: Right,

Sarah Belle Reid: and

Brian Funk: right.

Sarah Belle Reid: you do, of course, make your own patches within them, but I'm not changing them out every couple weeks, which is something that some folks do a lot of in the

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: modular world. And I've really enjoyed that because it feels more like my trumpet or like a keyboard where it's an instrument that I can really get to know on a really deep level that's not constantly changing. And I like the smallness of it because it forces me to be really creative and limitations, you know, are my best friend in the studio is just reduce the limitations, again, less is more. And I find that by, you know, giving yourself fewer options, you have to make better creative decisions and you try things that you probably wouldn't try otherwise.

Brian Funk: Yeah, I think that is what creativity is. It's

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: making do with what you have.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, yeah,

Brian Funk: And

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah.

Brian Funk: you're in this box. Not necessarily in the module, but

Sarah Belle Reid: That's the trouble

Brian Funk: I don't

Sarah Belle Reid: with

Brian Funk: f-

Sarah Belle Reid: modular synths, though, is that you can always grab another one, right? So

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: I always try to encourage people to keep it small and just see what you can get out of that, because there's always something you haven't tried before. Guaranteed.

Brian Funk: Yeah, I don't feel particularly creative when I'm scrolling through 9,000 kick drum samples, trying to find the one I'm going to use in my song. And I can imagine what modular it's, I've not gone too far down that road, mostly out of fear of getting carried away.

Sarah Belle Reid: Um, yeah.

Brian Funk: Because I've been in front of walls of them.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, yeah,

Brian Funk: And

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah.

Brian Funk: it kind of like, what? And then to just know that you can always get a new one and swap it out. It's, I don't know. I think I'd go bankrupt real fast.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, that's why I mean in like, I totally hear you and you're not alone.

Brian Funk: Hehehe

Sarah Belle Reid: But that is a big reason why like the class that I teach and the community around it, the learning sound synthesis community is it's really, we're really focused on like making music first

Brian Funk: Mm.

Sarah Belle Reid: and foremost. It's not so much about the gear. Of course, the gear is a big part of the discussion because we're learning how it all works and, and people need advice on what, Music is always the number one goal, and I think that really helps. For one, it feels more inclusive. It feels more welcoming. It's like you don't need the big sprawling synth in order to make awesome music with modular synths. You can open up your phone and get like a modular synth app and like, that's fantastic. Start with that. It's perfect. VCV Rack's free. I love it. It sounds really great. There's actually a ton of VCV Rack modules that are direct emulations of digital modules that you can get in Euro Rack format. And they run the same code. and they

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: sound fantastic. So it's a perfect place to start and for many people it's not just a starting point, it's the perfect setup for them, you know, for years. I use VCVRC all the time, especially when I'm on the road. I

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: just don't want to travel with like a massive, you know, rig.

Brian Funk: Yeah, that's a big consideration when you're playing out and touring especially.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: Like what are you carrying around with you? I know for myself, like a lot of times I'm going alone too. And if I'm going into like New York city and Brooklyn, I want to be able to carry everything in one trip

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: because I'm lucky if I park a half a mile away from the club. And I don't want to leave half my gear in the club and

Sarah Belle Reid: No.

Brian Funk: half in the car. So I've made it that that's been a really helpful limitation for me. Like what can I fit on this table and what can I carry?

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: Because for a little while I was getting interested in it was wasn't modular, but it was modular ask with MIDI controllers because you're kind of.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, lots of pieces.

Brian Funk: You got all your little pieces together, so you keep adding to that next thing you know, like you're out of control real fast.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, I understand.

Brian Funk: Yeah, I'm sure it's so I'm guessing having that kind of limited space is practical as well as great for creativity.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, exactly. I honestly think it's a win-win. I mean, some of the best shows I've ever played have been the ones that I've been forced to. really, really re rethink things because I'm like, okay, I'm flying. It needs to fit in the overhead. I also have a trumpet, so I'm really limited, right? It's like my trumpet case has to come on the plane. So then I'm like, what can I slide into that carry on,

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: you know, or into my backpack or something like that? But again, it just. It gets you thinking in a creative way. It gets you looking for sound everywhere in a more resourceful way. And I've found it really liberating.

Brian Funk: Yeah, I agree. I've gone to almost no guitar pedals. You know, just really a tuner and a little bit of a noise gate. And it's just so nice. I used to rely on the delay pedal and the reverb and all these other things to make my parts interesting, but taking that away forces you to really pay attention to what you're playing

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: and the music much

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: more than... pressing buttons.

Sarah Belle Reid: We like pressing buttons too though, it's okay.

Brian Funk: It's fun.

Sarah Belle Reid: Ha ha

Brian Funk: There it

Sarah Belle Reid: ha.

Brian Funk: is. It's, there's nothing like it, but it, it's such a slippery slope. I think for myself, um, I avoid the like pain of trying to create by adding gear and then complicating things, you know, maybe pain's not the right word, but like, kind of like the fear of.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: I don't know if I'm going to make anything good. So if I can kind of just fiddle with stuff,

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: I'm a little off the hook.

Sarah Belle Reid: I can relate to that for sure. You can make something great though.

Brian Funk: I will

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: try.

Sarah Belle Reid: you got it.

Brian Funk: Yeah. So where can people sign up for the course? You also have a free one we should mention too.

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh yeah!

Brian Funk: That was really cool. I've been watching a little bit of that. You have great energy too. I think that's a nice, you know, reason why people should come to you is that you're excited about it. And you transmit that really well over the videos. Just, hey, this is really cool everyone. You should check it out.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, well, I teach because I am genuinely passionate about teaching and about this topic. Like, I am all fully in and in love with what I teach. And so, yeah, I'm happy to hear that comes through. Yeah, I really do it. I do it because I love it. I'm also really passionate about helping people get started in electronic music and not only get started, but go deep into electronic music and make awesome music. Who... who for whatever reason feel like they're not cut out for it. That's a big kind of personal mission. If you, for whatever reason, just feel like you're not smart enough, or you feel like, oh, I'm the least techie person in the room. I've heard that so many times. Or they've got it and I don't have it. Maybe you believe in yourself, but you're just. intimidated, super normal, super common. And modular synthesis is an intimidating thing to get into because there are a million options and it can just be daunting, right? Like where do

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: I start? What do I need first? But at the same time, it's so fun and so creatively rewarding when you are in it and you're making the kind of music that you're dreaming of making. So my goal is just to kind of help. bridge that gap for people and help bring people together so that they can have a community, right? I mentioned one of the reasons why I make music is that connection aspect. It's a huge aspect of the course as well. We have, in my opinion, one of the most vibrant and like supportive and deeply insanely creative communities on the internet, all focused on modular synthesis and making music with synths. Um, A lot of courses have the lifetime access, like you can come back and once you're in, you're in. And that's how this class works too. But what makes it really special and it gets better every single cohort is that the alumni are in there. The alumni

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: from cohort number one, which was years

Brian Funk: Nice.

Sarah Belle Reid: ago, they are there and they are like offering feedback and they're sharing their new releases and they're collaborating with one another and everyone comes to open mics and we do hangouts and we do live Zoom calls. Just such a vibe. Like

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: such a good vibe. I know that I'm obviously biased because it's the community that I've been building, but it just like fills my heart with so much happiness. So you asked how people can sign up. I will tell you that. The easiest way is just soundandsynthesis.com. Soundandsynthesis.com.

Brian Funk: Cool. I have that up here.

Sarah Belle Reid: That's for the main course. The free course is got a slightly longer URL that maybe we could drop in the show notes.

Brian Funk: Yeah, I'll put them all in there as well. Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, and the free course is great for people who maybe aren't sure if this modular synthesis is something that you want to do but you're curious. It's a completely free class. You use VCV Rack, which is free to download too, so you don't need to buy anything. And it walks you through what modular synthesis is about, how it works, how to make your first couple of patches. And the whole thing takes less than a couple of hours. So it's a good thing to do

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: on a weekend.

Brian Funk: Yeah,

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: I agree. That's really cool. The community is so huge. Those are the best semesters I have at Berkeley when people are interacting,

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: when I have a Discord when we get that going and people are moving. But what I love about what you just said is it's really cool that the people from the first cohort, all the cohorts are still there.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: That's one thing I would, at Berkeley, it's just whoever's there at the moment.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, it's a big deal. It's such a, you know, it's something that I started on day one, this kind of open door, like once you're in the LSS community, you're in. And I was hoping it would work this way, but I wasn't sure, because you can't, obviously

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: you can't force people to come back around, but they really do. And the other reason why it's valuable is because it allows, it allows people to really go at their own pace and take some of the urgency and the pressure off of like, you, you know, needing to get it all done right now, such a big part of life as a musician. You've talked about this already. There's so much pressure, so much urgency, like especially in school, right? You have one semester

Brian Funk: Sure.

Sarah Belle Reid: and if you don't learn it all, and it's too bad, but this whole class is really designed so that there is a cohort, like you do go through with a group, but at the same time. It's OK if you don't get it all in four months, because you have access to it continually into the future. And you can go back through the next round. And lots of people do that. And what I've found, just from an education point of view, what I've found is that when people can relax a little bit, they get deeper into it. And they'll go through the first two or three chapters. They'll get inspired. And then they'll say, you know what? I'm going to make an album. Even though I

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: still don't know what are or how they work. I haven't gotten there yet. I'm so inspired with what I have right now. I'm going to compose for three months. That's great. Like,

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: that's fantastic. And then they get to a point where they think, OK, I've done that. I'm full. Now I want to go learn about sequencers. Or now I'm ready for MIDI or whatever they're ready for in their next step. And the class is there. And they go back in, do their next chunk,

Brian Funk: Hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: rinse and repeat.

Brian Funk: That's great. Cause that's

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: one of the biggest problems with education.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: Honestly, is that it's so make believe a lot of times and you're not doing real work, you're doing like work for your teacher and you don't get to do the thing you want to do until you do the thing you have to do,

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: but why are you learning modular since probably you want to make music.

Sarah Belle Reid: You

Brian Funk: So

Sarah Belle Reid: want to make

Brian Funk: if you

Sarah Belle Reid: music?

Brian Funk: get inspired along the way, make it.

Sarah Belle Reid: Make it.

Brian Funk: Do

Sarah Belle Reid: I

Brian Funk: it.

Sarah Belle Reid: know. There's

Brian Funk: That's

Sarah Belle Reid: a

Brian Funk: great.

Sarah Belle Reid: funny kind of a meme that some of my students. made of every, almost after every video, certainly at the end of every module, I have this little thing that I say that turned into an accidental catchphrase where I'm like, okay, now go and put all of this into action in your own practice and like make music with it and try it out. And if you need anything, I'm here to help, you know. And I'm wishing you happy patching adventures ahead. And I basically say it after every video, just because I so earnestly believe Learn this stuff is to do it, you know learn the concepts

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: learn the theory and then make your own music with it and That will reveal to you The gap in your knowledge or the gap in your setup Right if we link it back to the beginning of the conversation when you were talking about mapping your MIDI controller If you start with one thing and you do that It will reveal to you what's needed You'll be like, oh, that's cool, but I'd really be great if I could do that too. There's your next step. Easy. Take, then you take that next step and you just build from there. Like you don't need to have it all figured out before you start making music.

Brian Funk: Oh, that was the big revelation for me with playing live using a computer was I'll just, I'll just play and then I'll decide, Oh, I wish I had a filter here. Okay.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: Let's

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah, yeah.

Brian Funk: add it.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: And then I'll play more and then I'll say, Oh, what if I could do that? And

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: it builds naturally. Cause I think

Sarah Belle Reid: Exactly.

Brian Funk: at first I was trying to plan it out too much and

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, that's normal.

Brian Funk: it just never happened.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: But. It's all stuff that you're never gonna master really anyway. There's a lifelong learning pursuits synthesis. Like

Sarah Belle Reid: If we, if we're

Brian Funk: you've

Sarah Belle Reid: lucky,

Brian Funk: learned that forever.

Sarah Belle Reid: that's what I hope, right? I hope that I will always be, you know, learning new things every time I pick up my instruments, discovering new things every time I sit down at my synth. That's my dream. I don't ever want to get to a point where I'm like, cool, I know it all. I know that's never gonna happen.

Brian Funk: I saw Keith Richards talking about his guitar once, and he's been playing his guitar for hundreds of years now, I think. And he says, it's a puzzle, man. And he's like, every time I pick it up, I find a new piece.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, I

Brian Funk: And

Sarah Belle Reid: love that.

Brian Funk: it was just so cool to see how he's still, you know, enamored with the mystery of it and learning new things.

Sarah Belle Reid: And you see how that personality or that approach is so open to receiving the new pieces, right? Oh, it's a puzzle. Every time I pick it up, I learn a new piece. That is so powerful. As opposed to something that's like, oh man, it's so hard. I should know it all by now. Right? Which is like, why don't I know it all then? I've been playing for 200 years or whatever. Right. It's like, you see that it's the same

Brian Funk: Oh yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: situation, but the one is like, every time I pick this up, I get something new out of it.

Brian Funk: Mm-hmm.

Sarah Belle Reid: That's like a state of like, bring it on, you know,

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: as

Brian Funk: Oh, that's

Sarah Belle Reid: opposed

Brian Funk: a mindset

Sarah Belle Reid: to it's

Brian Funk: thing.

Sarah Belle Reid: a mindset thing for sure. Yeah.

Brian Funk: Yeah, it's same problem. Or same

Sarah Belle Reid: Same circumstance,

Brian Funk: opportunity.

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah, same circumstance, completely different kind

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: of approach.

Brian Funk: Yeah, and I think that having that sort of like, I can learn any, I can keep learning forever is really a great way to approach it. Because otherwise, yeah, either you get frustrated that you haven't learned it all yet, or you get close minded and thinking that you did. And

Sarah Belle Reid: Right.

Brian Funk: then you stop learning and probably lose interest.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah. Yeah, The Beginner's Mind. There's a, that's a book. Let's see if I can remember. Shinru Suzuki, I think is the name. But it's called Zen Mind Beginner's Mind. Good read.

Brian Funk: Okay.

Sarah Belle Reid: Small, short, quick read. But.

Brian Funk: lot of words I

Sarah Belle Reid: It's

Brian Funk: like

Sarah Belle Reid: something

Brian Funk: in there.

Sarah Belle Reid: that I bring into the beginning, first day of any class that I ever teach, is this idea of the beginner's mind. And I'm going to paraphrase loosely because I can't remember the exact text, but the idea is in the beginner's mind, possibilities are endless, but in the expert's mind, they are very few. And it's just

Brian Funk: Mm.

Sarah Belle Reid: what you said, right? It's like coming into things with this perspective of... always learning. Oh, I don't know that yet, but I can't wait to learn every time I pick up my insta and I discover something new. Yeah.

Brian Funk: Yeah. Well, that is really a gift if you just change the thinking that this thing has another surprise around the corner

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: as opposed to, oh no, I don't know all the surprises yet.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, yeah, oh, what's coming next?

Brian Funk: Right.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, totally.

Brian Funk: That's good stuff. I think that's a really great message to be giving people. Because especially as we get older, we are less and less comfortable being beginners and new at things. And we don't do as many new things in our lives as we get older compared to when we're kids and you'll try anything.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: It's such a good thing to have.

Sarah Belle Reid: yeah, exactly. And joining a class, the reason why I bring this into all of my classes is because signing up for a class takes courage. It's not easy to do that, to be like, hey, I don't know this, or I'm going to be the least. skillful person in the room on purpose. Like I'm going to

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: do that to myself. Like that takes courage, especially

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: when it's when we're out of school and maybe have been out of school for decades and you're electing to go back and learn something. Like all of my classes obviously are not. in university settings anymore, they're online. So there's people of all ages. Some folks have been out of formal learning environments for 50 years. And it's an amazing thing what happens when you put all those people into the same space. This person's like, oh, I'm so new to this, but I have 40 years of experience with this. And this person's like, oh, I've never seen this before, but I'm really great at this. And then you

Brian Funk: Mm.

Sarah Belle Reid: get those people talking You know, it's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah.

Brian Funk: Well, I would gather from talking to you that you also do quite a lot of learning in these classes as well.

Sarah Belle Reid: Oh my gosh. Yeah. I always say that teaching is my favorite way to learn. And

Brian Funk: No, I said the same thing.

Sarah Belle Reid: I mean

Brian Funk: Yeah.

Sarah Belle Reid: it. Oh, yeah. I mean, I learn so much from everybody. Like I said, we have Zoom calls, open coaching calls, basically, where we listen to each other's music and give feedback. And we talk about ideas that go way beyond the technical aspect of synthesis but are more about being a musician. And we get into sometimes mindset-related like what you and I have been talking about that have to do with performance anxiety or time management or like just being a creative person. I always learn from everyone because, you know, I have my experience from my own practice and from my past students that I can offer, but when there's, you know, dozens and dozens and collectively hundreds of people in a space all sharing their perspectives. it's impossible to not learn from them as well.

Brian Funk: Well, it's possible if you take that, I'm the teacher here

Sarah Belle Reid: Well...

Brian Funk: and this is my class, like that'll shut it down real fast.

Sarah Belle Reid: would shut it down, but for me I find it really enriching.

Brian Funk: That's great. I'm very happy to hear that for you and for your students.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah, yeah, it's a fun time. We have fun.

Brian Funk: Yeah. Good. Right. We're playing music.

Sarah Belle Reid: We are playing music.

Brian Funk: Well, great. Um, we'll definitely put all that stuff in the show notes. Is there anything else you want to mention, bring up or tie together before we go?

Sarah Belle Reid: I don't...no,

Brian Funk: patched

Sarah Belle Reid: I don't

Brian Funk: together,

Sarah Belle Reid: patch

Brian Funk: I should

Sarah Belle Reid: together...I

Brian Funk: say.

Sarah Belle Reid: don't think so.

Brian Funk: Very nice. Well,

Sarah Belle Reid: I'm

Brian Funk: I

Sarah Belle Reid: gonna

Brian Funk: thank

Sarah Belle Reid: go.

Brian Funk: you for taking the time to talk and share all that with us. Really awesome work you're doing. I find

Sarah Belle Reid: Thank

Brian Funk: it really

Sarah Belle Reid: you.

Brian Funk: inspiring, too. I've learned a lot. And that energy is always really nice to tap into. So I know I can get that enthusiasm from you in one of your videos. So thank you for that.

Sarah Belle Reid: Yeah,

Brian Funk: And

Sarah Belle Reid: I mean, it's my pleasure. And honestly, you know, thank you. Thanks to you for saying that and to everyone, everyone listening, everyone who tunes into the videos that I share and sends messages and stuff because those kind words that I receive in various forms make it so even more exciting and rewarding to keep doing what I'm doing. So I really appreciate all the little nuggets that come in. Thank you for sending them in.

Brian Funk: Very good. Well, thank you and thank you to everyone that listened. Have a great day.

Sarah Belle Reid: Bye for now.

#333: Sound Design for Electronic Music with James Patrick

1 augusti 2023 | 78 min

#332: The Deep Dive on Every Artist's Entire Discography with Discograffiti's Dave Gebroe

25 juli 2023 | 108 min

#331: Dolby Atmos on Top of the World with Ross Lara

17 juli 2023 | 92 min

#330: 12 Hour Sound Machines with Brandon Reed

10 juli 2023 | 45 min

#329: Morse Code and the Magic of Music with EmmoLei Sankofa

3 juli 2023 | 77 min

#328: Why Do We Get Stuck? BIG Music Production Mistake!

26 juni 2023 | 8 min

#327: Learning How to Do Difficult Things with Ameya

20 juni 2023 | 86 min

#326: From Studio to Stage with Will Doggett

12 juni 2023 | 92 min

#325: Going Over the Top with Cobra Kai Composers Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg

5 juni 2023 | 73 min

#324: End Procrastination - 3 SIMPLE Steps to WIN the FIGHT!

28 maj 2023 | 14 min

#323: Navigating the Evolving Music Industry with Zack Zarrillo

22 maj 2023 | 49 min

#322: What You Need To Do To Finish More Music

15 maj 2023 | 18 min

#321: Boom Bap Hip Hop Production and Collaboration with Amadeus360

9 maj 2023 | 75 min

#320: Finding Flow and Work-Life Balance with Paul Laski

3 maj 2023 | 76 min

Paul Laski is a music producer, sound designer, and Ableton Certified Trainer. He designs sounds in the factory preset bank of XFER Records Serum and sample and preset packs for Sample Magic, Splice, and Sonic Academy. Paul teaches computer music production, sound design, and live performance with ICON Collective in Los Angeles.

I had a great conversation with Paul about how he has carved out a career in music via producing, teaching, and sound design. Paul went into detail about the challenges of work-life balance, especially as a new father. We went deep into the philosophy around creativity and productivity, and how we can find satisfaction and fulfillment in our work and the unexpected paths that present themselves along the way.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube

Show Notes:

Paul's Official Site - https://www.p-lask.com/
ICON Collective - https://iconcollective.edu/music-production-programs/
Tape Hiss and Vinyl Crackle Free Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2012/07/19/free-ableton-pack-60-tape-hiss-vinyl-crackle
War of Art by Steven Pressfield - https://amzn.to/415Q4HD
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell - https://amzn.to/41XRFAx
Ben Burnes on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/ben-burnes-4
The Power of Now - https://amzn.to/3Lptkgd
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#319: It Doesn't Happen to You, It Happens For You with Ariane Paras

28 april 2023 | 93 min

Ariane Paras helps artists define their vision, build confidence, and find the strength to reach their goals. She runs Olympia Coaching and has 15 years of experience in the music industry and has been coaching artists along their journey for 8 years.

In our second conversation on the podcast, Ariane and I spoke about fears and struggles artists face. Ariane shared how we can pay close attention to our mindset and thoughts to reframe challenges and criticisms into learning and growth experiences. She offered valuable tips and techniques for creating art and how to keep our careers moving even when we feel stagnant.

Sign up for Ariane's May 2nd and 9th, 2023 FREE 2-part workshop: Just do it! Stop Procrastinating And Build Consistency In Your Music Career. You’ll discover why you procrastinate, get practical tools to overcome this and get the motivation and accountability you need to follow through with something that will move your music career forward. You’ll walk away feeling accomplished and one step closer to where you want to be. Find out the details and register here: https://mailchi.mp/c2d30631a626/just-do-it-workshop

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube

Show Notes:

Olympia Coaching - https://olympiacoaching.com
Free Consultation with Ariane - https://olympiacoaching.as.me/schedule.php
Thrive Program - https://olympiacoaching.com/thrive-artists
Ariane's Blog - https://olympiacoaching.com/blog
Ariane's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/olympiacoaching/
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin - https://amzn.to/3ZznbTx
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#318: Songwriting Secrets with Keppie and Benny of How to Write Songs

23 april 2023 | 80 min

#317: Throwing Yourself into the Deep-End with Matthew Patrei

10 april 2023 | 112 min

#316: Composing Video Game Soundtracks with Rob Kovacs - 88-Bit

6 april 2023 | 91 min

#315: Be an Artist All the Time with Ben Burnes

27 mars 2023 | 99 min

#314: Storytelling and Creative Productivity with Matthew Dicks

23 mars 2023 | 106 min

#313: Create Something Awesome with Venus Theory

13 mars 2023 | 103 min

#312: Collaborating with Humans and Computers with John Matthias and Jay Auborn

8 mars 2023 | 99 min

#311: Finding Your Way in a Changing Music Industry with Kevin Breuner

27 februari 2023 | 42 min

#310: Becoming an Artistpreneur with Evan Price

22 februari 2023 | 61 min

#309: It's All Art with Ebonie Smith

15 februari 2023 | 63 min

#308: Make Music Every Day with Alex Walker - Human Synthetics

7 februari 2023 | 95 min

#307: Eat Lunch Alone and More Wisdom from Tommy Zee

2 februari 2023 | 117 min

Tommy Zee runs Tommy Zee and Co., a music production company that makes music for some of the world's largest brands, such as Nike, Adidas, Google, Sony, and more. He created the site Making Music for Brands that teaches producers how to get in the business of producing music for companies.

This is the third time Tommy and I have done a podcast. You don't do three podcasts unless you enjoy it and find lots of value in it. I look forward to our fourth.

Tommy shared a ton of wisdom from his experience. He spoke about his recent daily email writings, which we the catalyst for this conversation. Tommy has a way of finding what is important in his work and life that is truly inspiring.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube

Show Notes:

Making Music For Brands- Tommy teaches how to get into the business of making music for brands.
Masterclass - Tommy's incredibly deep and thorough course on how to make music for brands.
Tommy Zee and Co.- Tommy's music production company for brands.
YouTube - Tommy's YouTube is loaded with tutorials, interviews with industry professionals, and wisdom he's picked up along the way.
Tommy on the 188th Episode - A great second conversation with Tommy
Tommy on the 122nd Episode - Tommy's first appearance on this podcast remains one of my listeners' favorites.
Live Webinar for Music Production Club - Tommy broke down one of his commercial projects for members of my Music Production Club.
Rick Beato - https://rickbeato.com/
Badass Users - https://www.amazon.com/Badass-Making-Awesome-Kathy-Sierra/dp/1491919019
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#306: Imposter Syndrome

30 januari 2023 | 29 min

#305 - Composing Darby and the Dead, King of the Hill with Roger Neill

24 januari 2023 | 85 min

#304: Some Good Evil Vinyl Listening Party

16 januari 2023 | 146 min

#303: Chiptune Music with Brendan Becker aka Inverse Phase

11 januari 2023 | 105 min

#302: Jason Donnelly aka DJ Puzzle; Soundtrack Loops Co-Founder

5 januari 2023 | 98 min

#301: Don't Lose Twice; 3 Book Recommendations; Jamuary 2023

31 december 2022 | 17 min

#300 - The 5-Minute Music Producer and 3 Lessons

29 december 2022 | 9 min

#299: Composing for Film with Troll Composer Johannes Ringen

21 december 2022 | 75 min

#298: Songwriting and Production Retreat with Matt Jones

13 december 2022 | 131 min

#297: Tune Shed Podcast Hosts Blake Murray and Marty Gray

4 december 2022 | 76 min

#296: Embracing Vintage Workflows with Julian Fulco Perron

28 november 2022 | 97 min

#295: Learning Music with Melodics CEO Sam Gribben

22 november 2022 | 61 min

#294: Sound Designing Weird Al with Mike Gallagher and Anthony Vanchure

15 november 2022 | 61 min

#293: Simplicity Inspires Creativity with Greg Meads of The Low End

8 november 2022 | 128 min

#292: 7 Continent Collaboration w/ Single Sonic Seven

2 november 2022 | 106 min

#291: Should You Upgrade to Mac OS Ventura?

29 oktober 2022 | 13 min

#290: Collaborating and Live Performance with Bottler

25 oktober 2022 | 78 min

#289: Building Apps and Learning Synthesis with Nick Culbertson

18 oktober 2022 | 94 min

#288: Trusting Your Intuition with Cobaine Ivory

12 oktober 2022 | 84 min

#287: The Thing Preventing You From Making Music

5 oktober 2022 | 8 min

#286: Songwriting, Creative Process, and Ear Health with Doug Hoyer

29 september 2022 | 129 min

#285: Telling Your Artist Story with Laura Ferreiro

22 september 2022 | 71 min

#284: Producing the Strokes and Crafting a Sound with Gordon Raphael

17 september 2022 | 83 min

#283: Is Your Music Too Complicated?

13 september 2022 | 17 min

#282: Writing Music for TV, Film, and Games with Sam Wale

5 september 2022 | 96 min

#281: Capturing Life in Recordings with Peter Gregson

29 augusti 2022 | 63 min

#280: Keep Creating with Mr Ed Rollo

23 augusti 2022 | 112 min

#279: Building Confidence and Conquering Imposter Syndrome with Ariane Paras

11 augusti 2022 | 77 min

#278: What Do You Really Want with Robert Webster

5 augusti 2022 | 89 min

#277: This is Sound Design for Film with Nathan Ruyle

27 juli 2022 | 123 min

#276: The Right Gear, Using Your Ears, and Hitting Deadlines with Jack Miele

23 juli 2022 | 65 min

#275: Creating Worlds and Atmospheres with Robot Koch

18 juli 2022 | 48 min

#274: Writing Songs with Strangers and Ed Sheeran - Kal Lavelle

14 juli 2022 | 86 min

#273: Programming Synths and Chewing Gum with Francis Preve

11 juli 2022 | 117 min

#272: Instant Mastering Chain with Martin Stimming

4 juli 2022 | 76 min

#271: Algorithmic and Generative Music with Canton Becker

26 juni 2022 | 95 min

#270: Collaboration vs. Isolation with Jesse Mac Cormack

17 juni 2022 | 51 min

#269: Immersive Audio with Matt Wallace and Will Kennedy

9 juni 2022 | 118 min

#268: Finding Your Creative Path with Kevin Khordmaster Allen

4 juni 2022 | 98 min

#267: Play It Like You Mean It - Emile Pandolfi

28 maj 2022 | 68 min

#266: Realizing Your Creative Dreams with Jeff Leisawitz

24 maj 2022 | 62 min

#265: GPU Audio - Next Level Audio Processing

18 maj 2022 | 51 min

#264: Music's Emotional Power; Sync Music with Jim Hustwit

13 maj 2022 | 82 min

#263: AudioKit Pro, VHS Synth with Developer Jeff Cooper

6 maj 2022 | 80 min

#262: Songwriting with Keppie Coutts

28 april 2022 | 96 min

#261: Are NFTs the Future? Thomas "Pip" Pipolo

23 april 2022 | 60 min

#260: All About Microphones with Jeremy Bongiorno

15 april 2022 | 83 min

#259: Overcoming Stage Fright with Elisa Di Napoli

2 april 2022 | 89 min

#258: I Am Snow Angel - Live Performance and Her New Album

26 mars 2022 | 72 min

#257: Roy Perez - drumnote Productions

19 mars 2022 | 117 min

#256: Gabriel Fortuna - Ableton Certified Trainer

12 mars 2022 | 65 min

#255: Sean Giovanni - The Record Shop

3 mars 2022 | 60 min

#254: MemoryBug on Jamuary2022

24 februari 2022 | 76 min

#253: Tine Schenck - Building Musical Communities

20 februari 2022 | 68 min

#252: See Your Ideas Through - Jamuary Lesson

12 februari 2022 | 17 min

#251: Liina "LNA" Turtonen - LNA Does Audio Stuff

4 februari 2022 | 109 min

#250: Attendance is 100% - #Jamuary2022

31 december 2021 | 10 min

#249: The Pleasure Principle

27 december 2021 | 7 min

#248: Keppie Coutts - How to Write Songs

16 december 2021 | 72 min

#247: Francisco Dean - Honoring History with Music

10 december 2021 | 139 min

#246: Bill Small - Getting Out of Our Own Way

3 december 2021 | 57 min

#245: Tyler Campbell - Founder of Alder Audio

28 november 2021 | 85 min

#244: 3 Ways to Write Music "Bird by Bird"

22 november 2021 | 16 min

#243: Serik aka Hyperbits - Navigating the Dark Night of the Soul

15 november 2021 | 79 min

#242: Making Music with Black Holes - Valery Vermeulen

10 november 2021 | 132 min

Valery Vermeulen is a Belgian mathematician, lecturer, data analyst, and electronic musician. His new album, Mikromedas, was made using data from black holes.

Valery and I had a great conversation about his new album and finding creative ways to create music. We spend some time discussing the nature of the universe and black holes, and it all relates back to making music. This is a deep and sometimes dense conversation that left me feeling fascinated and inspired.

Listen on Apple or Stitcher or Google or Spotify; watch on YouTube

Show Notes:

Valery Vermeulen Website and Socials:

https://www.valeryvermeulen.net/
https://www.instagram.com/valeryvermeulen.studio/ : Instagram
https://www.facebook.com/valeryvermeulen.studio : artist FB page

Mikromedas:

https://www.valeryvermeulen.net/works/mikromedas/ : webpage Mikromedas project
https://ashinternational.bandcamp.com/album/mikromedas-ads-cft-001 : bandcamp page for pre order/order album Mikromedas AdS/CFT 001
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSSBuKF5_Dk : preview of album Mikromedas AdS/CFT 001 and the AV live show

Teaching:

https://www.facebook.com/centermcs : FB page of Center-MCS, the organization under which Valery gives various online workshops and masterclasses on sound synthesis, sound design and electronic music production
https://www.valeryvermeulen.net/center-mcs/ : webpage of Center-MCS

Other works:

https://www.valeryvermeulen.net/works/emo-synth/ : EMO-Synth project on music, AI and biofeedback
https://www.valeryvermeulen.net/works/krystalball/ : Krystal Ball project on using mathematical models from Wall Street to produce electronic music

Valery would like to credit:

The scientific aspect of Mikromedas AdS/CFT 001 was realized in collaboration with several academic partners including the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Alabama University (US), the Alabama Holography Research Group (US), the Institute for Theoretical Physics of KU Leuven (BE), the Centre for Mathematical Plasma Astrophysics of KULeuven (BE), the Department of Mathematics of the University of Antwerp (BE), quantum cosmologist Prof. Dr. Thomas Hertog, Prof. Dr. Matthias Kaminski, Dr. Casey Cartwright, Dr. Ileyk El Mellah, Dr. Bart Ripperda, Dr. Fabio Bacchini and Prof. Dr. David Eelbode. The realization of Mikromedas AdS/CFT 001 was made possible via a co-production with Concertgebouw Brugge (BE) and Baltan Laboratories (NL). References with respect to data used for the realisation of the Mikromedas AdS/CFT 001: https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.00986 Montreal White Dwarf Data base https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.04831 SXS Gravitational Waveform Database https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.11507 Cartwright, C., Kaminski, M. Correlations far from equilibrium in charged strongly coupled fluids subjected to a strong magnetic field. J. High Energ. Phys. 2019, 72 (2019)

Brian Funk Links:

Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store

Thank you for listening.

Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!

And don’t forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#241: The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Your Confidence

4 november 2021 | 12 min

#240: Pride in Our Musical Love Handles with Kris of They Owe Us

27 oktober 2021 | 81 min

#239: Pushing Music Tech Forward with Adam McHeffey of Artiphon

19 oktober 2021 | 53 min

#238: Whether You Think You Can or Can't, You're Right

10 oktober 2021 | 8 min

#237: The Slang - Writing, Producing, and Collaborating on their new album

23 september 2021 | 77 min

#236: Alarke - Musician, Producer, Artist Coach

16 september 2021 | 79 min

#235: Frank Demilt - Author of The Blueprint

13 september 2021 | 64 min

#234: Calvin West - Music Lyric Videos

10 september 2021 | 135 min

#233: Carter Lee - Producer, Composer, Educator

4 september 2021 | 74 min

#232: Matt Ramsey -Vocal Teacher

21 augusti 2021 | 71 min

#231: Bitapart - Synthwave Music

12 augusti 2021 | 75 min

#230: 80's Stallone

5 augusti 2021 | 60 min

#229: Ben Burnes - Staying Consistent and Disciplined

29 juli 2021 | 91 min

#228: Stimming - Creativity and Perfect Imperfection

22 juli 2021 | 70 min

#227: Django - Hybrid DJing and Producing for Radio

15 juli 2021 | 121 min

#226: Vianney of BLEASS Plug-ins

9 juli 2021 | 80 min

#225 Heymun: Musician, Producer, Teenage Engineering Mentor

4 juli 2021 | 183 min

#224: Alberto Chapa - Music Tech and Improv Comedy

29 juni 2021 | 110 min

#223 Sterling Styles - Mobile Recording

27 juni 2021 | 95 min

#222: Bobby Huff - Music Surgery with Dr. Bob

22 juni 2021 | 106 min

#221: How You Do One Thing is How You Do Everything

18 juni 2021 | 4 min

#220: Rob Parton - Plugged; Make Music Day

13 juni 2021 | 83 min

#219: Connor Frost - Live Your Most Musical Life

31 maj 2021 | 59 min

#218: Your Attention is Being Held Hostage!

28 maj 2021 | 16 min

#217: Jake Lizzio - Signals Music Studio

22 maj 2021 | 120 min

#216: You Don't Have Writer's Block

15 maj 2021 | 12 min

#215: EQ or Compressor First?

8 maj 2021 | 12 min

#214: You Are Always Training Your Dog

27 april 2021 | 9 min

#213: Caspar Bock - Founder of Baby Audio

17 april 2021 | 102 min

#212: Adam Rokhsar - Musician, Programmer, Animator

2 april 2021 | 91 min

#211: John Bartmann - Host of How I Make Music Podcast

29 mars 2021 | 99 min

#210: Henny Tha Bizness and Kennard Garrett

19 mars 2021 | 63 min

#209: Ned Rush 2

13 mars 2021 | 79 min

#208: Kiana Corley - Singer-Songwriter

9 mars 2021 | 59 min

#207: Jordan Rudess - Composer, Music Technologist, Dream Theater's Keyboardist

28 februari 2021 | 46 min

#206: "Yes! And..." Improv Comedy and Music Production

13 februari 2021 | 12 min

#205: Inspiration is Drinking Water from Your Hands

6 februari 2021 | 10 min

#204: Turn Your Ideas into Finished Tracks #FinishFebruary

1 februari 2021 | 12 min

#203: My Most Profound Jamuary Insight

31 januari 2021 | 12 min

#202: Derek VanScoten - Cloudchord

29 januari 2021 | 62 min

#201: Ableton Live 11 with Dan Giffin

20 januari 2021 | 97 min

#200: The Time is Now!

19 januari 2021 | 21 min

#199: Quantity Leads to Quality

18 januari 2021 | 55 min

#198: Will Darling - EDMTips

8 januari 2021 | 86 min

#197: Start the Year Right with #Jamuary2021

1 januari 2021 | 26 min

#196: Tobias Karlehag

26 december 2020 | 103 min

#195: Federico Chiesa - Finding Freedom in Limitations

17 december 2020 | 104 min

#194: Todd Reynolds - Violinist, Educator, and Music Technologist.

9 december 2020 | 131 min

#193: Writing Effective Emails - Tips from an English Teacher

4 december 2020 | 31 min

#192: Karen Emanuel - CEO of Key Production

13 november 2020 | 87 min

#191: Miguel Rios - Limitations and Embracing Obstacles

7 november 2020 | 113 min

#190: Vasja Veber - Viberate

29 oktober 2020 | 56 min

#189: Rick Seibold -Six Figure Music

24 oktober 2020 | 72 min

#188: Tommy Zee

18 oktober 2020 | 146 min

#187 Tobi Hunke - Ableton Drummer

10 oktober 2020 | 132 min

#186: Niraj Naik - The Renegade Pharmacist

3 oktober 2020 | 85 min

#185: Rivita - Composer Cave Challenge

24 september 2020 | 80 min

#184: Colin O'Donohoe - World Maestro

22 september 2020 | 88 min

#183: Elina Segall

12 september 2020 | 82 min

#182: Matthew Boerum - Founder of Audible Reality

31 augusti 2020 | 54 min

#181: Rob and Jack of Tunelighting Podcast

25 augusti 2020 | 64 min

#180 Paint Yourself Into a Corner

17 augusti 2020 | 18 min

#179: Stephen

3 augusti 2020 | 88 min

#178: Anton Zytnik

25 juli 2020 | 94 min

#177: What Bob Ross Teaches Us About Music Production

20 juli 2020 | 18 min

#176: Sean Giovanni

12 juli 2020 | 96 min

#175: Joseph Holiday - Snakes of Russia

5 juli 2020 | 90 min

#174: Why Music is Important

30 juni 2020 | 21 min

#173: Ned Rush

16 juni 2020 | 111 min

#172: Produce Music Like Jerry Seinfeld

10 juni 2020 | 12 min

#171: Guided Meditation with Jörgen Kjellgren

24 maj 2020 | 15 min

#170: Maddy Kong - Sesamii

15 maj 2020 | 61 min

#169: Tine Schenck - Music Weeklies Challenges

7 maj 2020 | 84 min

#168: Stephanie Merchak - No Fear of Failing

1 maj 2020 | 58 min

#167: Hainbach - Exploring and Discovering Sounds

22 april 2020 | 79 min

#166: Laura Escudé - Helping Artists Reach Their Potential

16 april 2020 | 82 min

Laura Escudé is the founder of Electronic Creatives, who run playback for some of the largest touring acts in the world, including Kanye West, Arianna Grande, American Idol, Bon Iver, Harry Styles, and so many more. She's a classically trained violinist and one of the first Ableton Certified Trainers. Laura has created a collection of educational workshops for musicians, creatives, and business people alike.

Laura and I had a great talk about some of the steps she's taking to help performing artists and creatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also discusses how she's learned to how to maintain a balance between health and work.

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube

Show Notes:

Official Site - Laura's homepage.
Electronic Creatives - Laura's company that does playback engineering, show programming, and musical direction for some the industry's biggest artists.
Laura's Music - Combining futuristic, modern and forward-thinking sound with classical elements.
Transmute Accelerator - Laura's 8 week workshop on building a live performance. Next session begins May 4th 2020!
Mastertrack - First-ever program for music playback and performance design.
Events - Laura is pumping out live streaming educational and performance events during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Hustle Healthier - Honest and open piece Laura wrote about the need to take care of one's health while working, and her experience finding that balance.
The Work by Byron Katie - Accessing the wisdom and power within you.
The Joy Money Matrix - Finding balance in work, life, and pleasure.
Dr. Joe Dispenza - Unlocking personal potential.
Music Production Podcast #49: Laura's first appearance on the podcast.
Warrior Free Ableton Live Pack - Ableton Live Instruments made with samples from Laura's music.
Super Awesome Sounds - Ableton Live Pack made with Casio SA-20 synth.

Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST

Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#165: Darren Cowley - Isotonik Studios

12 april 2020 | 74 min

#164: Animus Invidious - PerforModule, Making Sound Packs, Staying Organized

8 april 2020 | 102 min

#163: Matt Sharp - The Rentals New Album "Q36"

4 april 2020 | 134 min

#162: Dan Policar - Songwriting, Touring, Gaming

29 mars 2020 | 79 min

#161: Rob Barbato - Crafting Emotion and Energy

26 mars 2020 | 58 min

#160: Lido - Finding Your Artistic Vision

23 mars 2020 | 76 min

#159: Making the Most of Your Time at Home

20 mars 2020 | 36 min

#158: Tom from ELPHNT - Finishing Music and Crafting a Career in Music

14 mars 2020 | 94 min

#157: Act The Part

12 mars 2020 | 17 min

#156: Story - The Key to Finishing Music

8 mars 2020 | 61 min

#155: Graham Cochrane - The Recording Revolution

26 februari 2020 | 35 min

#154: Organization and The Most Impactful Book of 2019

25 februari 2020 | 30 min

#153: Mixing Tips Every Producer Must Know

19 februari 2020 | 42 min

#152: How Do You Know When a Song is Finished?

9 februari 2020 | 40 min

As you work and toil over your music, there comes a point when a song is finished. But how do you KNOW your track is finished? You can always add or change things. You can try new sounds or alter the arrangement. But how do you know where to stop?

In this episode, we explore the topic from both a philosophical and practical position. We ask questions about what makes a song complete and then go through specific techniques and approaches you can use to finish your music.

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube

Show Notes:

Music Production Club - Subscribe to my Club to get a steady flow of tools and inspiration to your inbox.

FRZN GRAINS - ELPHNT's beautiful granular-instrument Ableton Live Pack.

Twilight Zone "Escape Clause" - A great episode about what happens when risk and danger are removed from life.

What is Your Audience Doing? - Music Production Podcast about what your listeners are doing while listening to your music.

Make Bad Music - Just finish your tracks, even if they are bad! Music Production Podcast episode #2.

Some Thoughts on Finishing Songs - Music Production Podcast with practical ideas on finishing music.

John Lennon - John's sometimes harsh critiques of songs by The Beatles.

Gumroad Founder on the Music Production Podcast - Sahil Lavingia has some powerful thoughts on finishing art sooner rather than working on it too long.

Derek Sivers - Derek on the EDM Prodcast (great show) talking about releasing art.

More Derek Sivers - Derek on the Music Production Podcast. Pay attention to "deep and shallow happy."

EDMProd Guidebooks - The makers of EDM Prodcast have a lot of helpful PDFs for music production.

A Simple Mistake That Will Ruin Your Mixdown - Make sure your tracks end smoothly, 2 Minute Ableton Live Tip.

Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST

Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#151: What Is Your Listener Doing and 13 Musical Emotions

7 februari 2020 | 15 min

#150: Finish February - Release Music This Month!

4 februari 2020 | 15 min

#149: Derek Sivers - Musician, Writer, Founder of CDBaby

24 januari 2020 | 89 min

#148: The Power of Focus

19 januari 2020 | 17 min

#147: Do It Even When You Don't Want To

14 januari 2020 | 10 min

#146: Roger Linn- More Expressive Electronic Music

8 januari 2020 | 83 min

#145: How Will You Be Remembered?

3 januari 2020 | 20 min

#144: Are You Up To The Jamuary Challenge?!

31 december 2019 | 11 min

#143: Commit to Commit

23 december 2019 | 21 min

142: John Ivers: BandLab the Social Music Creation Platform

20 december 2019 | 111 min

#141: Will Artificial Intelligence in the Music Industry Make Humans Obsolete?

5 december 2019 | 35 min

#140: How Gratitude Can Help Us Make Better Music and Live Happier Lives

28 november 2019 | 32 min

#139: Jonathan Bailey: Izotope's Chief Technology Officer

23 november 2019 | 70 min

#138: Kristoffer Lislegaard 2: New Album and Performing Live

16 november 2019 | 72 min

#137: Paul Zgordan - Mubert and Artificially Generated Music

10 november 2019 | 63 min

#136: Hazel Savage - CEO and Co-Founder of Musiio

6 november 2019 | 80 min

#135: Phil Celeste and David Marston on Collaboration and Releasing with and without a Record Label

31 oktober 2019 | 60 min

#134: Julie Covello - Rise of Controllerism, Community, and Warper Party

26 oktober 2019 | 100 min

#133: William Kage - Composing Within the Limitations of 16-bit Video Games

14 oktober 2019 | 80 min

#132: Don't Upgrade Your Mac to Catalina

9 oktober 2019 | 10 min

#131: Ben Burnes - Wisdom from 200 2-Hour Track Challenges

9 oktober 2019 | 84 min

Ben Burnes is a producer, live streamer, and game programmer. He releases unique sample packs and is very active in the music production community. Ben is known for not only sharing his work and projects, but also creating projects and collaborating with the community to make them come to life.

Note! In the episode we mention Ben's Two Hour Album Challenge. At the time of our talk, we didn't expect the show to go live before then, but we pulled some strings and made it happen! If you want to be a part of the Two Hour Album Challenge, it starts Friday October 11, 2019 at 6PM GMT and ends Sunday October 13, 2019 at 6PM GMT. Go to Two Hour Album Challenge for more details. And if you miss this one, there is another one planned in January.

Ben Burnes was my first guest on the Music Production Podcast. It was great to reconnect with him. Ben shared wisdom and lessons he's learned from completing nearly 200 2-hour track challenges. He spends a lot of time discussing the growth he's undergone by making himself vulnerable by live streaming as he attempts to write a song in 2 hours. Lots of great insights!

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube

Show Notes:

Support Ben Burnes on Patreon
Ben's Work: Abstraction
Ben on YouTube
2 Hour Album Challenge
2 Hour Album Challenge on Bandcamp
Shakka and Pal's Podcast
Color Jumper - Ben's Video Game.
2 Hour Track Challenge Playlist
2 Hour Track Challenge Recordings
The Tree That Was A Forest
Composer Quest Podcast
Ben's first appearance on the Music Production Podcast.
Tommy Zee on the Music Production Podcast
Vespers on the Music Production Podcast
24/7 Eurorack Modular Music Stream
Ben's tutorial on How To Use Famitracker

Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST

Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#130: Drew Vespers - Warp Academy and Hacking Productivity

1 oktober 2019 | 80 min

Drew Vespers is a musician, producer, and founder of Warp Academy, an Ableton Certified Trainer Center in Canada. Warp Academy is one of the leading producers of high quality online music production education. His tutorials have helped thousands of musicians (including myself!) grow and develop into successful artists. Drew's music combines elements of rock, jazz, hip hop, and electronic bass music, and been released on a variety of record labels.

I really enjoyed talking with Drew about his work, Warp Academy, and how he manages to stay so productive and focused. This conversation covers a lot. We cover advanced mixing techniques, which has become a passion of Drews. There's also quite a lot along the lines of getting and staying productive. Drew shares practical tips on health and mindfulness, as well as many resources and books that have helped him keep his attention on his work.

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube

Show Notes:

Warp Academy - Ableton Certified Trainer center Drew founded.

Vespers - Drew's personal work as an artist and teacher.

YouTube - Subscribe to Warp Academy for tons of tutorials.

Nexus - Facebook Group for producers to share knowledge and ideas.

The Mod Method - Drew's video course designed to give the tools and inspiration to create music you can be proud of.

Ableton Push 2 Jumpstart - Ableton Push 2 video course I made with Warp Academy.

5 Focus and Productivity Hacks - Drew shares some tips on getting work done.

Book Recommendations:

Stealing Fire

Optimum Nutrition for the Mind

Deep Work

The Power of Full Engagement

App Recommendations:

Freedom - Block the internet and apps for focus.

Self Control - free alternative to Freedom that I'm experimenting with.

Vitamin R - Productivity app.

Free Downloads:

Mixing Template - Drew's Mix Template for Ableton Live

Song Structure and Energy Heat Maps - Derived from the MOD Method video course.

Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST

Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

#129: Jörgen Kjellgren - Swedish Producer on Releasing 9 EPs in the Last Year

30 september 2019 | 73 min

#128: Back Up Your Backups!

25 september 2019 | 9 min

#127: Emre Yilmaz - The Mind, Meditation, and Music Production

22 september 2019 | 100 min

#126: Remute - Producing Music on Sega MegaDrive and Fighting Maximalism

17 september 2019 | 72 min

#125: Dani DiCiaccio - KYOSi - Collaboration, Performance, and Expanding Artistic Horizons

10 september 2019 | 52 min

#124: David Abravanel - Musician, Journalist, Marketer

25 augusti 2019 | 76 min

#123: Drew Mayhills - A New Release Every Month

18 augusti 2019 | 71 min

#122: Tommy Zee - Making Music For Brands

15 augusti 2019 | 115 min

#121: Sound Design with Field Recordings

31 juli 2019 | 50 min

#120: Be PROlific

26 juli 2019 | 32 min

#119: Abid Hussain - Copyright, Sampling, and Overcoming Creative Blocks

17 juli 2019 | 83 min

#118: They Owe US - Synths, Live Performance, and Perfect Imperfections

10 juli 2019 | 51 min

#117: 10 Time-Saving Music Production Hacks

27 juni 2019 | 23 min

#116: Beatchain Founder, Ben Mendoza, Using AI to Build Your Fanbase

24 juni 2019 | 66 min

#115: URSA - Music Extreaming - Founders Chad Royce and Christopher Jones

21 juni 2019 | 43 min

#114: Identity Crisis and The End of AfroDJMac

8 juni 2019 | 38 min

#113: Matty Harris - Mixing and Mastering Engineer

31 maj 2019 | 61 min

#112: Artist as Observer vs. Creator

24 maj 2019 | 22 min

#111: 10 Things To Do When You Are Uninspired

16 maj 2019 | 20 min

#110: David Frangioni - Technologist, Engineer, Producer, Drummer, and Author of Crash!

2 maj 2019 | 70 min

David Frangioni is a drummer, music technologist, studio designer, and author of the book Crash, which is an illustrative chronicle of rock and roll's legendary drum kits. He has worked with a who's who of rock legends like Aerosmith, Sting, Ozzy Osbourne, Ringo Starr, and KISS. His company, Audio One, builds and installs the most high-end luxury studios. David just released the book Crash! The World's Greatest Drum Kits.

In this episode of the podcast, David Frangioni shares his experience working with some of rock and roll's greatest. He details his unpredictable path in the music industry and emphasizes the importance of hard work, consistency, and commitment.

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube

Show Notes:

Official Web Site - The hub of all of David' work.

Crash! - David's beautiful, illustrated new book on the most legendary drum kits in rock history.

Audio One - David's industry leading company for luxury A/V installations.

Frangioni Foundation - non-profit charitable organization that enriches lives through the power of music, technology, faith and charity.

Books and Resources - David's books and music production resources.

Instagram - Follow David on Instagram.

Steve Jobs - Incredibly inspiring 2005 commencement speech for Stanford University.

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VHS DRUMS Ableton Live Pack - 600 drum samples recorded to VCR tapes and built into 30 Ableton Live Drum Racks.

Micro Cassette Ableton Live Pack - 30 Ableton Live Instrument Racks built from samples of classic synthesizers and instruments recorded with a micro cassette recorder.

Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the AfroDJMac Store with the code: PODCAST

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Intro Music provided by Nick Lovell aka Trash Picnic and creator of MyBackroomBeats.

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Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

AfroDJMac

#109: Mark Cawley - Songwriter and Author of Song Journey

26 april 2019 | 61 min

#108: Music Production Problems

23 april 2019 | 13 min

#107: GARDNSOUND - Synthesizers, Pets, Ethics, and Making Music

11 april 2019 | 90 min

#106: Stay Productive with Lists

1 april 2019 | 7 min

#105: Jason Timothy Ward 2 - The Mental Game of Music Production

27 mars 2019 | 79 min

#104: Produce Like a Chef: Mise-En-Place

19 mars 2019 | 25 min

#103: Eshan Khadaroo aka Push4Life 2: Challenging Yourself to Keep Growing

2 mars 2019 | 96 min

Eshan Khadaroo has performed with Grammy award winning artists such as Cirque Du Soleil, Blue Man Group, Imogen Heap, and many more. In recent years, Eshan has been releasing some of the finest tutorials and video courses for Ableton Push under the name Push4Life. Eshan just released a new video course called Getting to Know (and love) Chromatic Mode on Ableton Push 2.

Eshan is offering listeners of this podcast access to the first set of tutorials in the new course for free at: http://push4life.eu/afrodjmac

I had a great conversation with Eshan. We discussed his new course, the state of electronic musical instruments, and finding balance as an artist and working musician. Eshan's work is backed by philosophic thinking that guides him from project to project, and he shares those perspectives with us in this episode.

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on Y ouTube

Show Notes:

Push4Life - Stay up to date with Eshan's work.
Getting to Know (and LOVE) Chromatic mode - An introduction to Ableton Push 2 Chromatic Mode, utilizing Bach's Prelude 01 in C Major.
F ree Sampl es o f Chromatic Mode - Eshan is graciously offering listeners of this podcast free access to the first few tutorials.
YouTube - a wealth of tutorials and videos by Eshan.
5 Things Every Ableton Push 2 Beginner Should Know - Eshan's first Push tutorial, which went viral.
Music Sound and Silence - Eshan's podcast.
JNTHN Stein on Muisic, Sound, and Silence
DiViNCi on Music, Sound, and Silence
Push4Life on the Music Production Podcast - my first conversation with Eshan.
DiViNCi on the Music Production Podcast
Huston Singletary on the Music Production Podcast
Claire Marie Lim on the Music Production Podcast
Session Drumming - Eshan's work as a session drummer.
Melodics Course - Check out Eshan's finger drumming course on Melodics.
Fugue Machine - iOS app for writing Fugues.
Mad Zach - Multi-talented finger drummer and sound pack designer.

Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

AfroDJMac

#102: Nate Beaudry aka Chef Elf - Making Tracks Every Day for Over a Year

27 februari 2019 | 87 min

#101: Tom Frampton 2 - Revealing the Truth in Your Mixes

24 februari 2019 | 33 min

#100: Go Now; Correct Course Later

19 februari 2019 | 15 min

#99: Mark Mosher - Synthesist, Live Performance, Track Deconstruction

9 februari 2019 | 123 min

#98: Francis Preve - Sound Design, Synthesis, VanLife

30 januari 2019 | 118 min

Francis Preve is a sound designer, journalist, and educator. He teaches synthesis and sound design at Austin Community College. His writings on synthesis, sound design and gear can be found in top publications such as Keyboard magazine, Computer Music Magazine, and CDM. Francis has contributed synthesizer presets to just about every major manufacturer of hardware and software synths. It is quite likely you have some of his sounds in your collection.

This is the second time Francis has taken time to be on the podcast; he is our first repeat guest! Francis discusses his teaching and some of the projects he has been involved in over the past year. It was a wide ranging conversation with plenty of interesting tangents, as well as lots of useful and practical information about sound design, synthesis, and even #vanlife. Enjoy!

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play

Show Notes:

Official Site - The main hub for Francis's work.

Instagram - Follow Francis's journeys in sound design and #vanlife.

SympleSound - Francis's store for his sound and preset packs.

Scapes - Synthesized recreations of natural environments.

Francis' Apple News Channel - a great way to keep up with Francis's work.

Serum Toolkit 3 - The 3rd installment of Francis's critically-acclaimed Serum presets.

Austin Community College - Where Francis teaches. Look for big growth here in the arts and music departments.

Free Serum Winter Pack - A collection of Serum sounds made by Francis's Synthesis 2 students.

Synthwave for System 8 - Francis teamed up with Carma Studios to produce this collection of retro synth sounds for the Roland System 8.

Korg Volca Modular Review - Francis's thoughts on the new Volca from Korg.

Music Production Podcast #38 - My first podcast with Francis.

And some topics that came up after we stopped recording...

Sound Waves Levitate Small Objects

Quantum Harmonic Oscillator

Ray Kurzweil on Ramona

TV Tropes

Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

AfroDJMac

#97: Fighting Off the NAMM Gear Lust

24 januari 2019 | 18 min

#96: Zaak Kerstetter - Ableton Certified Trainer, Zenotope

19 januari 2019 | 81 min

#95 : Sahil Lavingia - Gumroad CEO; Less is More

13 januari 2019 | 81 min

#94: Cuckoo - Live Performance, Synths, Overcoming Challenges

4 januari 2019 | 95 min

Cuckoo is well-known for his playful personality, fun music, and deep music-gear tutorials with the little circular mirror. Music Radar just voted him the best music tech personality in the world. I first came across Cuckoo in 2011 when he started producing some of the best OP-1 tutorials, which showed me creative ways to use the OP-1. Since then, he has consistently stepped up his game, providing ever more useful tutorials, sound packs, and inspiring jams.

After months of discussion, Cuckoo and I finally found a time to talk that fit our 6-hour timezone separation. Cuckoo generously shared some of his tips at staying productive and completing big projects. But he also opened up about the challenges of creation that we all face. It was comforting to know that someone like Cuckoo, with near superhuman output, still struggles to overcome these very human challenges. He offered some of his techniques he uses to persevere. It was a great candid and relaxing conversation that I’ve been excited to have for some time now. Enjoy!

Show Notes:

Official Site - Connect to all things Cuckoo.

Instagram - Check out Cuckoo’s jams and explorations of his musical toys.

YouTube - Plenty of long-form tutorials on the latest gear.

Patreon - Cuckoo’s work involves a lot of time, energy, and experience, if you like it, help him out!

Samples and Packs - Lots of unique and Cuckoo-styled sound packs.

BandCamp - Listen to Cuckoo’s music.

Music Radar - Music Radar just named Cuckoo the best music tech personality in the world!

Tindra’s Light - Cuckoo’s animated short film.

Cuckoo Clothing - Get your Cuckoo shirts, hoodies, and tank tops.

VDMX - Live visuals software.

Do Ink - iPad animation software.

Yea Yea Yea - Short cartoon music video I made some years ago.

Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

AfroDJMac

#93: Margaret Harmer - Producer, Percussionist; Voices From Eris

25 december 2018 | 78 min

Margaret Harmer is a trained percussionist and electronic music producer. She runs a professional recording and production studio called Shifting Waves. Margaret just finished work on Voices From Eris, a collaborative album featuring female electronic artists from around the world. Voices From Eris brings together women of all different backgrounds, and is made up of all different styles of electronic music.

I first met Margaret through my work with Berklee Online, while facilitating the Ableton Live sampling course. Maraget’s music and her dedication to growth and exploration stood out immediately. In this episode of the podcast, Margaret discusses her work, background, and the tremendous effort which went into Voices From Eris.

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play

Show Notes:

Official Site - The main place for Margaret’s work.

Voices From Eris - Foundraiser site.

Voices From Eris - SoundCloud site.

Voices From Eris - BandCamp site.

The store of Voices From Eris - Margaret writes about the process of producing the album.

YouTube - Margaret’s performances and experiments.

Shifting Waves - Margaret’s recording studio and label.

The artists featured in the episode:

Meri Nikula / Ode To The Women Who Were Silenced

Sweden

http://www.merinikula.com

https://vimeo.com/merinikula

Jude Casseday aka dejacusse / Song of Sirens

Durham, North Carolina, USA

https://dejacusse.blog

https://soundcloud.com/dejacusse

Rosa Latva / Merenneito

Finland

www.rosalatva.com

rosalatva.bandcamp.com

Peggy Nelson / Sagitta

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

http://velveteenbenjamin.com/

https://soundcloud.com/otolythe

Sissel Berntsen / Black stone gong

Norway

http://sisselberntsen.no

https://soundcloud.com/sissle/wldpool2017

Sofy Yuditskaya / Persephone’s song

New York, USA

http://yuditskaya.com

Margaret Harmer / There is a way

Geneva, Switzerland

http://www.shiftingwaves.com

https://www.youtube.com/user/MargaretHarmer

Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

Brian Funk

AfroDJMac

#92: Huston Singletary - Ableton Content Creator; Singularities

18 december 2018 | 71 min

#91: Claire Marie Lim: Electronic Digital Instruments and the Future of Music Education

14 december 2018 | 67 min

#90: Evan Chandler aka Slynk

10 december 2018 | 89 min

#89: Dan Giffin - Live Producers Online

6 december 2018 | 54 min

#88: Vince Cimo, Creator of DataLooper, with Vir McCoy

2 december 2018 | 74 min

#87: Neil "Nail" Alexander - Improvisation, Live Performance

29 november 2018 | 95 min

#86: Lessons From Ableton Loop

23 november 2018 | 26 min

#85: Finding Your Sound - A Short Talk at Loop

11 november 2018 | 18 min

#84: Budget Your Time Like Money - Reflect and Apply

4 november 2018 | 24 min

#83: Jakob Haq - iOS Musician, YouTuber, Creator of haQ attaQ

29 oktober 2018 | 124 min

#82: Let's Get Physical - Reflect and Apply

22 oktober 2018 | 21 min

#81: Diego Stocco - Explorer of Sound

14 oktober 2018 | 67 min

#80: Johan Sundhage - Developer at Klevgrand

4 oktober 2018 | 67 min

#79: Jesper Nordin - Composer and Creator of Gestrument iOS App

28 september 2018 | 55 min

#78: Lynden Williams aka Divorce Court - Live Performance, Arrangement, and When Music Hits You

17 september 2018 | 108 min

#77: Outliers and the Practicing Mind

12 september 2018 | 25 min

#76: Anthony Clint Jr. - Clint Productions and Music Licensing

3 september 2018 | 57 min

#75: Mikas - Creator of We Make Dance Music

25 augusti 2018 | 83 min

#74: Tough Lessons from a Live Performance

20 augusti 2018 | 56 min

#73: Ari Herstand - Author of How to Make It in the New Music Business

15 augusti 2018 | 64 min

Ari Herstand is a musician, blogger, and author. In December 2016, he released How to Make It in the New Music Business. The book is currently high on the Amazon charts for music business books and is used in university classrooms. Ari takes his experiences, successes, and failures and turned them into one of the most informative books you can get on creating a career in today's music business.

I had a great conversation with Ari, who was full of energy and enthusiasm. Ari dispels some common myths about the music industry and delivers an often much-needed wake-up call to artists of any genre. I love Ari's tone and delivery. His book and blog, as well as this conversation, are a straight-forward, occasionally harsh, but always-inspiring kick in the pants. He makes points that we all need to hear, and he does it with the purest of intentions. Enjoy!

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play

This episode is sponsored by Splice. Splice is the creative hub for modern musicians. Head over to splice.com/afrodjmac and use the code: AFRODJMAC to get a free month of Splice Sounds.

Show Notes:

Official Site - Ari's official web site and main hub to all of his work.

Ari's Take - A wide variety of advice for musicians, producers, and performers straight from Ari's own experience.

How to Make It in the New Music Business - Indispensable and essential book for anyone looking to make a career with music. I recommend the audio book version, read by Ari himself.

Brassroots District - Ari's new musical project, a throwback soul-funk band. Definitely take a look to see the clear and intentional "artistic message" of the project.

Digital Distribution - Ari's extensive breakdown of the various ways to digitally release your music.

How to Get Hired or Fired - Important read if you want the job.

How to Negotiate - This is an important skill to learn for your career.

Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices.

Brian

#72: Madeleine Bloom - Creator of Sonic Bloom for All Things Ableton Live

5 augusti 2018 | 93 min

#71: Peter Nyboer - Sensel Morph and Music Technology

26 juli 2018 | 84 min

#70: Cristofer Odqvist - Author of Making Sound: Creative Music Production Tips and Philosophies

19 juli 2018 | 80 min

#69: Alessio Santini - Found of K-Devices, Max for Live and iOS Music Tools

14 juli 2018 | 62 min

#68: Tim Webb - Creator of Discchord.com for iOS Music Apps

9 juli 2018 | 96 min

Tim Webb has gone to great lengths to bring us the latest and greatest in iOS music making news. His site Discchord.com covers all the latest releases, updates, and relevant YouTube walkthroughs, jams, and reviews of music making software for iPhone and iPad. In a refreshing blast of honesty, Tim is not afraid to tell you what apps suck and are not worth your time. He has been a faithful supporter of developers and app users worldwide for the better part of the last decade.

Tim was kind enough to sit down with me for a in-depth discussion about his work, developing apps, and creating and maintaining a one person business. He offers important lessons on discipline and sincerity that are applicable to all kinds of pursuits. Tim has been extremely supportive of my own work and the work of many creatives who put themselves and their art on the web. It was a pleasure to finally speak with him and learn some important lessons and viewpoints on running a successful music-based business.

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play

Show Notes:

Discchord - Tim's website, dedicated to covering all things iOS music making. Buy your apps through his affiliate links to help support Tim's work, at no cost to you.

YouTube - Check out Tim's videos on iOS apps and music production tutorials.

Twitter - Follow Tim's work on Twitter.

Patreon - Support Tim on Patreon.

Everyone Can Play Music - A great video series, and the one that helped me learn my Korg MS-20. Thanks Tim!

Let's Play with Apps - Tim explores a variety of iOS music apps.

API Hack - Tim's own app for doing things I don't understand!

Cassini - One of Tim's favorite synth apps.

Foodman - We spoke about this article on Ableton.com about Foodman's unique approach to music making.

Expanding Sound - Music production tutorials, sound packs, and music from my good friend, Mike Longo.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to head over to AfroDJMac.com to follow my work.

If you’ve enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a review where you get your podcasts!

Thanks, Brian

#67: Christopher Postill - Sounds Like an Earful

5 juli 2018 | 64 min

#66: Matthew Fecher - AudioKit Pro, Synth One, and Open-Source Software

30 juni 2018 | 78 min

#65: Some Thoughts On Finishing Songs...

20 juni 2018 | 50 min

#64: You Already Have Everything You Need

14 juni 2018 | 22 min

#63: Vincent Musolino - Physicist and Author of How Audio Works

5 juni 2018 | 93 min

#62: Dan Carr - Reverb Machine

1 juni 2018 | 93 min

#61: Isaac Cotec - Subaqueous, Ableton Certified Trainer

17 maj 2018 | 62 min

#60: Underbelly - And You Suck At Producing

9 maj 2018 | 58 min

#59: On the Origin of Inspiration

30 april 2018 | 14 min

#58: Inspiration - Hunt! Don't Wait to be Struck by Lightning

27 april 2018 | 27 min

#57: Emilio Guarino - Author of Make It: A Guide for Recent Music Graduates

11 april 2018 | 109 min

#56: Ethan Hein- Music Professor, NYU Doctoral Fellow, Blogger

5 april 2018 | 74 min

#55: John Holt - The Audio Journey

30 mars 2018 | 83 min

#54: Tom Frampton - Mastering the Mix

20 mars 2018 | 90 min

#53: Where Will You Be in One Year?

6 mars 2018 | 20 min

#52: Rozalind MacPhail - Flutist, Electronic Musician, and Educator

25 februari 2018 | 104 min

#51: Push4life - Eshan Khadaroo - Producer, Session Drummer

22 februari 2018 | 117 min

#50: 2 Ways to Develop Your Tracks

13 februari 2018 | 32 min

#49: Laura Escudé: Producer, Performer, Live Show Designer

7 februari 2018 | 55 min

#48: Let's Start #FinishFebruary2018

3 februari 2018 | 26 min

January 2018 was spent creating a small piece of music every single day for the #Jamuary2018 challenge. It was a lot of fun and pretty challenging. Lots of people participated and there were a ton of really cool jams. Now we are going to do something with them!

It's time to begin #FinishFebruary2018 !!

The first thing I think we are all entitled to is a short break. Take a step back from your music making and assess what you have. It's probably pretty likely you've forgotten about some of those jams.

After a couple days of rest, let's look at the situation. I've built a spreadsheet on Google Sheets to help categorize your jams. There are eight columns to fill out for each day.

Jam Name: Give your jam a name to help identify it (this can change).

Notes: List anything that might be relevant. Instruments used, style, groove, feel... anything that will help you identify the track. What still needs to be done?

BPM: List the BPM of your jam.

Key: What key is your jam in?

Mood-Theme-Genre: What is the emotion of the track? Any interesting theme? The Musical Genre.

Group: Label these with letters. If a jam is similar in some way to another jam, give it the same letter. It is ok to have multiple letters on a single jam if it has something in common with multiple jams.

% Complete: Estimate how close this jam is to completion.

Rating 1-4: How likely are you to use this jam. 1-Not likely, 2-Maybe, 3-Probably, 4-Definitely.

Feel free to add your own columns. If you do, let me know what you added!

You may notice that I added ten addition spots for jams after day 31 (A-J). I'm going to use this to add some unfinished ideas I've had over the last year that I think might fit in with some of the other jams. I encourage you to go back and pick 10 of your favorite unfinished ideas from the past year and keep them in mind as we go through the month.

If you did not participate in Jamuary, that doesn't mean you can't do Finish February! Look through your unfinished ideas and pick your favorites and list them in the spreadsheet!

Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play

Support the Podcast on Patreon

Show Notes:

Google Spreadsheet: Use this spreadsheet to categorize your jams and organize your thoughts on each one.

Fact TV Against the Clock: Producers get 10 minutes to make a track. Very inspiring!

My Instagram: Find my jams and thoughts for Finish February.

Jamuary2018: Check out the work of everyone involved in Jamuary 2018!

FinishFebruary2018: Here's a hashtag to follow on Instagram.

My #Jamuary2018 Jams. These are the full-length videos, in reverse chronological order. Enjoy :)

#47: Merlyn Silva - Producer, Educator, Ableton Certified Trainer

18 januari 2018 | 128 min

#46: Ten Days into #Jamuary2018

12 januari 2018 | 50 min

#45: Get Ready for #Jamuary2018

31 december 2017 | 29 min

#44: Dustin Ragland - Young Weather, Educator, Engineer

26 december 2017 | 62 min

#43: Josh Spoon - Ableton Certified Trainer, Producer

17 december 2017 | 75 min

#42: Sam Gribben - Melodics Founder and CEO

6 december 2017 | 47 min

#41: Kristoffer Lislegaard - Electronic Musician and Producer

29 november 2017 | 90 min

#40: The Most Important Lesson...

10 november 2017 | 27 min

#39: Ableton Live 10 - My Thoughts After a Few Months

4 november 2017 | 38 min

#38: Francis Preve - Sound Designer, Journalist, Educator

1 november 2017 | 102 min

#37: Roisner - Ancient Instruments

22 oktober 2017 | 42 min

#36: Chris Rucks - Don't Make Beats Like Me

7 oktober 2017 | 73 min

#35: Cooper Anderson - Mixing Engineer, Producer

22 september 2017 | 84 min

#34: Mark Towers: Ableton Certified Trainer, Arcade Series Creator

6 september 2017 | 85 min

#33: DiViNCi - Producer, Composer, Musical Sensei

30 augusti 2017 | 74 min

#32: Breaking Down My New EP, "Country Punkin"

25 augusti 2017 | 43 min

#31: Craig Swann of LoopLabs.com

24 augusti 2017 | 93 min

#30: The Power of Collaboration - Homework!

1 augusti 2017 | 27 min

#29: Homework- Make Music with Unusual Sound Sources

21 juli 2017 | 22 min

#28: Erin Barra - Performer and Educator

14 juli 2017 | 68 min

#27: Thomas Piper - The People's Republic of Sound

7 juli 2017 | 83 min

#26: Thomas Glendinning - Ableton Certified Trainer, ELPHNT

25 juni 2017 | 90 min

#25: Andrew Whiteman - Broken Social Scene

20 juni 2017 | 53 min

#24: Regrets

10 juni 2017 | 30 min

#23: Bedroom Producers Blog - Tomislav Zlatic, Editor in Chief

6 juni 2017 | 70 min

#22: Michael Harren - Composer and Performer

31 maj 2017 | 57 min

#21: Cars and Trains -Tom Filepp

20 maj 2017 | 79 min

#20: Why I Have a Money Back Guarantee (and You Should Too!)

6 maj 2017 | 23 min

#19: Jesse Brede Founder of Gravitas Recordings

3 maj 2017 | 48 min

#18: Eban Crawford aka Senator Jaiz

28 april 2017 | 125 min

#17: Nuno Santos Imaginando Founder, Co-Creator of DRC Virtual Analog Synth

24 april 2017 | 76 min

#16: pATCHES - Dan and Pierce - Ableton Live Tutorials with Style

21 april 2017 | 115 min

#15: It's Not a Competition

18 april 2017 | 15 min

#14: Jason Timothy of MusicSoftwareTraining.com

15 april 2017 | 79 min

#13: Animus Invidious of PerforModule

13 april 2017 | 102 min

#12: Uri Nachmias creator of Sonic Logic

9 april 2017 | 75 min

#11: Charlie McCarron, Host of Composer Quest

7 april 2017 | 78 min

#10: Chat with Ben Burnes

2 april 2017 | 74 min

#9: Share Your Secrets

30 mars 2017 | 18 min

#8: Focus on What You Can Control

27 mars 2017 | 31 min

#7: Ditch the Template; Break the Routine

23 mars 2017 | 29 min

#6: Maximizing Your Music Production Time

21 mars 2017 | 38 min

#5: Let's Get Time on Your Side

18 mars 2017 | 47 min

#4: To Go Pro or Not To Go Pro

11 mars 2017 | 46 min

#3: You Will Never Be A Master

9 mars 2017 | 11 min

#2: Make Bad Music

5 mars 2017 | 17 min

#1: Lessons From My Journey

5 mars 2017 | 36 min

Music Production Podcast

An exploration of music production through informal discussions about technique, philosophy, gear, and creativity.

Om podden

Avsnitt

The Threat to New Music - David Rowell

Live Performance and Collaboration with C4RP00L

Tyson Boorman - Getting Industry Standard Mixes for Your Music

STOP Optimizing! Do THIS First!!

Ben Levin - Staying True to Yourself as an Artist

David Mash - Musician, Educator, Futurist

The Craft of Songwriting with Andrea Stolpe

KIN TALA - Building an EP from Scratch

Ian Temple - Soundfly CEO on Overcoming Creative Obstacles

Corey Baker - aka Kill Paris, Musician, Producer, Ableton Certified Trainer

Thomas Glendinning - ELPHNT, Sound Designer, Music Maker, Educator

Michelle Moog - Bob Moog Foundation, History of Moog Synthesizer

Carter Vail - Musician, Songwriter on his new album 100 Cowboys

David Alexander - Audio Engineer, Producer, Musician

Evan Frankfort - Songwriter, Sound Designer, Film and TV Composer

Francis Preve: The Man in the Synth

#372: The Magic of Musical Collaboration with Boredomfighters

#371: Recording an Entire Album Yourself with Dex Green

#370: How to Survive the AI Music Takeover

#369: Consistency and Authenticity with Mikas of We Make Dance Music

#368: Write Better Music Through Storytelling w/ Jeff Leisawitz

#367: Designing Ableton's Performance Pack and Hunting Creativity with Iftah

#366: Helping Creators Create with Output CEO Gregg Lehrman

#365: Sound Design for Timbaland and Ableton with Sound Oracle

#364: Plug-in Design, Creativity, and Balance with The Him

#363: Finish Every Song You Start with Johan Ransby

#362: Finding Support in Community with Michaela Shiloh and Andre Mullen

#361: Touring and Performing with Music's Largest Acts - Carlos Sosa

#360: Pick Yourself with Philip Roder

#359: Music Theory, Harmonic Series, Beach Boys with Tim Smolens

#358: Sequencers, Humanization, Groove and Feel with Alexkid

#357: Promoting Your Music in 2024 with Alex Akimov

#356: Troubadeck Songwriting Cards with Charlie McCarron

#355: Selling an Album for $100 with Thad Cockrell

#354: Finding the Present Moment Through Music with TJ Dumser - Six Missing

#353: 4 Ways to be More Creative!

#352: Collaborating and Producing with Raul Sotomayor

#351: Make Your Own Rules with Andrew Huang

#350: Stavroz on Creating, Producing, and Performing Their New EP Kick Up the Dust

#349: Mixing Pop Music with Brent Hendrich

#348: Getting Inspired By... with Will Hatton

#347: Battling Through Creative Challenges with Composer Amanda Cawley

#346: Yeuda Ben-Atar aka Side Brain

#345: Exploration Through Songwriting with Chloe Echo

#344: Lanier Sammons - Engineer, Composer, and Educator

#343: Developing Your Craft with Consistency w/ Filip from Flow Prod

#342: Writing Music for Bat-Man's Batwheels Series with Alex Geringas

#341: Snakes of Russia, Sound Design, and Process with Joseph Holiday

#340: Collaboration and Connecting Through Music with Peter Bell

#339: Jörgen Kjellgren on Writing and Recording His New Album Bluebird

#338: Make Better Music Faster Using AI with Bobby Owsinski

#337: Collaboration and Live Performance with Lynden Williams

#336: Why You're Unhappy with Your Music and What To Do About It

#335: Emmy Award Winning Songwriting Duo JP and Kat of Earworm Music

#334: Curiosity and How Can I Make This Fun? with Sarah Belle Reid

#333: Sound Design for Electronic Music with James Patrick

#332: The Deep Dive on Every Artist's Entire Discography with Discograffiti's Dave Gebroe

#331: Dolby Atmos on Top of the World with Ross Lara

#330: 12 Hour Sound Machines with Brandon Reed

#329: Morse Code and the Magic of Music with EmmoLei Sankofa

#328: Why Do We Get Stuck? BIG Music Production Mistake!

#327: Learning How to Do Difficult Things with Ameya

#326: From Studio to Stage with Will Doggett

#325: Going Over the Top with Cobra Kai Composers Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg

#324: End Procrastination - 3 SIMPLE Steps to WIN the FIGHT!

#323: Navigating the Evolving Music Industry with Zack Zarrillo

#322: What You Need To Do To Finish More Music

#321: Boom Bap Hip Hop Production and Collaboration with Amadeus360

#320: Finding Flow and Work-Life Balance with Paul Laski

#319: It Doesn't Happen to You, It Happens For You with Ariane Paras

#318: Songwriting Secrets with Keppie and Benny of How to Write Songs

#317: Throwing Yourself into the Deep-End with Matthew Patrei

#316: Composing Video Game Soundtracks with Rob Kovacs - 88-Bit

#315: Be an Artist All the Time with Ben Burnes

#314: Storytelling and Creative Productivity with Matthew Dicks

#313: Create Something Awesome with Venus Theory