Music Production Mentoring

Worked through a reference-track deconstruction and production rebuild exercise, identifying the key sonic elements of a moody, low-register chord-based track and then reconstructing an approximation in Logic Pro. Covered chord voicing for low-register "growl," bass sound design using electric piano and synthesis, drum processing with compression and reverb, and vintage EQ (Pultec-style) for tonal shaping. Also touched on session organization, gain staging, and routing strategy during the build.

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 video export workflows in DaVinci Resolve for social media, focusing on resolving resolution mismatches between vertical and horizontal footage when posting to Instagram. Also discussed project organization strategies and ADHD-related focus and productivity resources, including a task management app demo and a book recommendation.

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.

We talked about technique with playing to help alleviate shoulder pain, or any discomfort from posture and the way we hold the guitar. We then worked through some hand warm up exercises, finger dexterity and talked about ways to find the root, 3rd, 5th etc on the guitar neck. We also discussed briefly how 3 piece bands and songwriters write a little differently in terms of self accompaniment and looked at some popular examples. Finally we wrapped up class with connecting and soloing around two scales as part of the Cage theory, and ways to improvise with flourishes like bends, hammer ons, or even just changing the rhythmic feel.