Music Production Mentoring

We ran an interval and chord identification exercise using a Portal-based multiplayer bingo game, working through a series of chords and asking students to name the intervals present. Discussion covered close voicings, chord inversions, the relationship between intervals and their inversions, and how a minor 6 chord is constructed. We also worked through the use of melodic reference songs as a tool for interval recognition.

mixing vocals, listening to a student song and giving feedback, editing mouth sounds and plosives, sidechaining and all the different ways you can use it

Covered recent updates to Logic Pro and the friction they introduce for experienced users — specifically the reorganized content library, changes to Drum Kit Designer, and multi-output routing. Also discussed a past project involving a video-sequencing app with a custom scripting language for audio and video, and briefly touched on Ableton's video sampling capabilities.

Covered mix feedback and hands-on low-end mixing technique in this office hours session. Worked through frequency balance, kick/bass separation using the boost-and-scoop method, saturation for transient punch, vocal stacking EQ issues, and ear fatigue from monitoring too loud. Also addressed song structure and intro length as it relates to listener retention.

We did a deep-dive stem analysis of Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle," isolating individual tracks — drums and bass, organ, guitar, synthesizers, and vocals — to examine how each element contributes to the song's overall sound. Key discussion points included the role of the Hammond B3 organ with Leslie speaker in creating the song's harmonic movement, the use of a tape-loop echo unit on arpeggiated synth passages, and the production history behind the track's "happy accident" ending. We also looked at the song's unconventional structure, which grew out of years of live jamming rather than composed arrangement.

Covered the full import, routing, editing, and initial mix workflow for a live string orchestra session recorded onto a solo piano track. Walked through grouping stereo room mics and spot mics onto separate buses, applying reverb via a post-fader send using 7th Heaven Professional, timing edits across three string passes, and basic piano EQ. Discussed mic placement strategy for the recording session itself, including ORTF pairs, a Decca tree, and a wide room pair, along with the cost breakdown and logistical considerations of hiring a string octet versus a quartet.