Music Production

The trend away from high-tech studios to home recording set-ups is a positive development in an otherwise tumultuous time for emerging bands, artists, and songwriters. Number one radio hits are now recorded in basement studios (e.g. Fireflies, by Owl City). This means that the quality of what you can create at home by yourself is only limited by your knowledge, not your wallet. In our lessons together, you will learn a variety of critical skills.

These include:

  • How to properly record an audio source

  • Sound Design

  • Vocal editing and pitch correction

  • Mixing and mastering  

Songwriting

Writing a song can be a daunting task when you are looking at a blank sheet of paper. I will show you how to get out of your own way and write with confidence. Let go of the notion of inspiration for a moment and focus on the practical — what makes a song a song. Once you take the pressure off of yourself and relax, the song will sneak up on you from behind. If you don’t know what the next line should be, don’t worry, I can take over for a minute! That’s the beauty of collaboration. In our songwriting sessions I will teach you a variety of concepts and techniques.

These include:

  • Song form

  • Improvisational and free writing

  • Melody and lyrics

  • Collaborative writing

Music Theory

Think back to the first song you fell in love with. It is unlikely you understood the harmonies, noticed the time signature, or analyzed the structure. And yet when the key shifted from major to minor in the first verse it felt poignantly nostalgic. Or perhaps when the bass line changed in the final chorus you felt a sense of lift that imbued new meaning to the lyric. You didn’t need to understand these concepts to feel their effects. But much like examining a beautiful painting up close, studying the tendencies of rhythm, melody, and harmony reveals the mechanisms behind the magic — the theory behind the music. In our music theory lessons, you will learn many practical concepts.

These include:

  • Music Fundamentals: Pitch, meter, major/minor scales and key signatures

  • Triads and seventh chords

  • Harmony, voice leading, and chord function

  • The circle of fifths

  • Modes and structure