Ebonie Smith is an award-winning music producer, audio engineer, and singer-songwriter. She is a 10-year in-house engineer at Atlantic Records, and the founder and President of Gender Amplified Inc., a camp experience that supports women and gender non-binary in music production and audio engineering. Smith has received numerous awards and worked with artists like Charlie Puth, Ms. Lauryn Hill, The Roots, Kodak Black, Zoe Kravitz, and many more.
Ebonie spoke about her work and experience. She shared how she meticulously recreates hit songs in order to understand what makes them work. Ebonie explained how the most successful artists see every aspect, from songwriting to album release, as a chance for artistic expression.
Ebonie Smith is an award-winning music producer, audio engineer, and singer-songwriter. She is a 10-year in-house engineer at Atlantic Records, and the founder and President of Gender Amplified Inc., a camp experience that supports women and gender non-binary in music production and audio engineering. Smith has received numerous awards and worked with artists like Charlie Puth, Ms. Lauryn Hill, The Roots, Kodak Black, Zoe Kravitz, and many more.
Ebonie spoke about her work and experience. She shared how she meticulously recreates hit songs in order to understand what makes them work. Ebonie explained how the most successful artists see every aspect, from songwriting to album release, as a chance for artistic expression.
Rob Kovacs is a classical trained pianist, singer/songwriter, and composer. He recently released the soundtrack for the game Straylight. Rob performs classic video game soundtracks on piano as 88-Bit, and he also writes and records indie rock music under his own name.
I met Rob at the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo last summer where he performed as 88-Bit, playing piano renditions of classic video game soundtracks. On this episode, we had a great conversation about his work as 88-bit, his indie rock music, and his new soundtrack for the game Straylight. Rob spoke about composing for video games and how the limitations of the early sound chips resulted in inventive and creative approaches to composition.
My book: 5-Minute Music Producer - 365 Music-Making Activities: brianfunk.com/book
Join the Music Production Club! Get my latest work and tons of sound packs, samples, and tutorials, and get involved with our incredible community of music makers: brianfunk.com/mpc
My book: 5-Minute Music Producer - 365 Music-Making Activities: brianfunk.com/book
Join the Music Production Club! Get my latest work and tons of sound packs, samples, and tutorials, and get involved with our incredible community of music makers: brianfunk.com/mpc
My book: 5-Minute Music Producer - 365 Music-Making Activities: brianfunk.com/book
Join the Music Production Club! Get my latest work and tons of sound packs, samples, and tutorials, and get involved with our incredible community of music makers: brianfunk.com/mpc
Ben Burnes is a musician, producer, and game developer. Every week for years, and nearly 400 times, Ben has live streamed his production of a new song in two hours. He is a prolific creator and also has a large collection of sample packs to help fellow producers create their music.
This is my fourth conversation with Ben on the podcast! We covered a wide range of topics, including how to finish songs, creating a discipline around music production, and how to find a artistic balance that is right for you.
Be part of Ben's next Two Hour Album Challenge, April 12-16, 2023! Go to Two Hour Album Challenge for more information.
My book: 5-Minute Music Producer - 365 Music-Making Activities: brianfunk.com/book
Join the Music Production Club! Get my latest work and tons of sound packs, samples, and tutorials, and get involved with our incredible community of music makers: brianfunk.com/mpc
My book: 5-Minute Music Producer - 365 Music-Making Activities: brianfunk.com/book
Join the Music Production Club! Get my latest work and tons of sound packs, samples, and tutorials, and get involved with our incredible community of music makers: brianfunk.com/mpc
Matthew Dicks is a best-selling author of fiction and non-fiction, including two books I immediately started reading again when I finished them, Storyworthy and Someday is Today. He is the 56-time Moth Story Slam Champion and 9-time Grand Slam Champion. He also wrote a rock opera.
Matthew Dicks is a master storyteller and discussed how good story-telling can help make us better songwriters and conversationalists. He shared specific techniques and practices that will help artists of all kinds become more productive and express themselves more effectively.
My book: 5-Minute Music Producer - 365 Music-Making Activities: brianfunk.com/book
Join the Music Production Club! Get my latest work and tons of sound packs, samples, and tutorials, and get involved with our incredible community of music makers: brianfunk.com/mpc
Cameron and I discussed his work and how he has forged a career as an independent artist. He explains how staying true to his beliefs and curiosities is at the core of his success.
My book: 5-Minute Music Producer - 365 Music-Making Activities: brianfunk.com/book
Join the Music Production Club! Get my latest work and tons of sound packs, samples, and tutorials, and get involved with our incredible community of music makers: brianfunk.com/mpc
John Matthias and Jay Auborn are a British duo that takes their experiments with sound to new levels, catapulting their work into unexplored territories of human-robotic collaboration. John is a violinist and composer, Jay is a musician, producer, and sound artist. Their new album Ghost Notes utilizes their unique combination of skills to create mini electronic symphonies.
John and Jay spoke about their forthcoming album, Ghost Notes, and their work on the video game soundtrack for The Kraken Wakes. The pair discussed their inventive recording techniques and their work together. They detailed how they lean on each other's strengths to form a healthy and fruitful collaboration.
My book: 5-Minute Music Producer - 365 Music-Making Activities: brianfunk.com/book
Join the Music Production Club! Get my latest work and tons of sound packs, samples, and tutorials, and get involved with our incredible community of music makers: brianfunk.com/mpc
Kevin Breuner is the SVP of Artist Engagement & Education at CD Baby. He and his team produce educational content to help independent artists move their careers forward in a rapidly changing industry. Kevin plays guitar in Smalltown Poets, who recently released their 10th album NWxSE.
Kevin and I spoke about the changes happening in the music industry. Whether it's AI, social media, or changing trends, Kevin looks for ways to help independent artists navigate their careers.
Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube
Evan Price is the CEO of Artist collective where he coaches musicians helping them generate revenue to have the financial freedom they need to pursue the lives they’ve always wanted. Evan is a lifelong musician who hopes to help artists with the business side of the music business.
Evan and I spoke about how artists can build their careers. We discussed some of the new technological developments that artists face and how they can brace themselves to succeed in everchanging music climate.
Everyday Sounds is a collection of Ableton Live Instruments made from samples found around my house and in daily routines. Samples include my voice, piano, guitar, and dog Vera. There are tools and bells, machines and their digital chimes, a squeaky door, and summertime crickets. Each sound is transformed into musical instruments for use in your own projects.
23 Instrument Racks with 86 Macro Variations covering a wide range of playable instruments.
Visit my site for more stuff like this, including Live Instrument downloads, tutorials, and music! brianfunk.com
00:09 Squeaky Chair 00:45 My Dog Vera 01:25 My Voice 02:35 Wild Bill Root Beer Mug 03:11 Toothbrush 03:42 Everyday Sounds
#ableton #abletonlive #musicproducer #musicproductionEvery Piece of Music Cannot Have Every Idea in it - Alex WalkerBrian Funk2023-02-18 | Alex Walker shares some wisdom on episode 308 of the Music Production Podcast.
Full conversation: youtube.com/watch?v=xsjS5hQlL7wWhat it Means to be an ArtistBrian Funk2023-02-16 | Ebonie Smith explains how you can't just "focus on the music." The entire process is a work of art, from the songwriting to the release, to the social media and tour. Live like an artist in every way! From the Music Production Podcast 309 with Ebonie Smith Full conversation here: youtu.be/soGiJ5jwrak
#musicproduction #musicproducer #artistEat Lunch Alone and Other Wisdom with Tommy ZeeBrian Funk2023-02-12 | 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 which 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 them and find lots of value in them. 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.
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 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 - rickbeato.com Badass Users - amazon.com/Badass-Making-Awesome-Kathy-Sierra/dp/1491919019 Brian Funk Website - brianfunk.com Music Production Club - brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - brianfunk.com/book Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Podcast - brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - 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.
Imposter Syndrome is the feeling that we are not qualified or good enough to do something and that someone will expose us as a fraud.
In this episode, I speak about Imposter Syndrome, what we can do about it, and an embarrassing mistake I made that is proof that I am complete fraud in everything I do!
Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube
Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!Composing Darby and the Dead, King of the Hill with Roger NeillBrian Funk2023-02-12 | Roger Neill is an accomplished film and television composer who worked on the new Hulu film Darby and the Dead, the award-winning Sam Now, and all 13 seasons of King of the Hill. He has arranged and orchestrated concerts for artists such as Beck, John Legend, and Air. Roger's work has received numerous awards, including an Emmy for King of the Hill, and he holds a PhD in music from Harvard.
Roger and I discussed his work on the film Darby and the Dead, including how they needed to rethink and rework the project to find the film's sound. Roger shared how deadlines and limitations help him finish work. He offered valuable insight from his experience on how to get work and capture the feeling of a film.
Some Good Evil is my 3-piece rock band. I play guitar and sing. Alex Oliveira sings background vocals and plays bass. Chris P. Cauley plays drums and sings background vocals.
In this episode, the band gets together at Chris' house to listen to our newly arrived vinyl records. We discuss some of the stories behind the songs, the writing process, and the creative and philosophical approaches we took as a band to complete the album.
You'll hear each track from our new album, recorded directly from the vinyl record!
Alex Walker is a musician, producer, and YouTuber, who creates under the name Human Synthetics. Alex has created numerous videos for Isotonik Studios and is known for his live streams. During the streams, Alex shares all parts of the creative process, including the less glamorous struggles, in order to share an accurate depiction of the process.
Alex and I had a great talk about his work and the creative process in general. Alex spoke about how live streaming has focused his work and helped him build a daily discipline.
"Introducing our new music video for our Jamuary challenge entry! The video features Brian Funk, a solo musician, singing and playing electric guitar.
The video opens with a close-up shot of Brian's hands as he strums the opening chords of the alternative rocksong. As he starts singing, the camera pulls back to reveal Brian on a dimly lit stage, surrounded by shadows, with the focus only on him and his guitar.
As the song progresses, we see close-ups of Brian's fingers fretting the guitar and his facial expressions as he pours his emotions into the lyrics. The intensity of his performance is palpable as he sings and plays with passion and raw energy.
The video showcases Brian's skill as a musician and his emotional connection to the music. It is an intimate performance that highlights the raw power of a single musician, Brian Funk and his electric guitar. Thanks for watching!"
Thanks, computers!
#jamuary2023
Visit my site for more stuff like this, including Live Instrument downloads, tutorials, and music! brianfunk.com
Brendan Becker is a chiptune musician and video game composer. He produces music using a variety of vintage video game systems under the name Inverse Phase. Brendan runs the Bloop Museum in Maryland, USA, where classic video game consoles and vintage electronics are on display and ready for interaction.
Brendan shared his deep knowledge of classic video game sound chips as well as how he creates music with them. He details how such systems and chips produce sound with minimal computing power. Brendan explains the drastic limitations and challenges of creating chiptune music.
Jason Donnelly, aka DJ Puzzle, is a musician and sound designer, as well as co-founder of Soundtrack Loops. Soundtrack Loops provides producers with royalty-free samples and loops. Jason and Soundtrack Loops create sounds for many of the industry's biggest companies including Acid, Roland, Antares, and more. In January 2023, Jason and Soundtrack Loops co-founder Matt Yost are launching their first plug-in, Double Scoop, under the brand Array Sounds. Jason's music has been placed in many films, television shows, and video games.
Jason and I had a great conversation about his background and work. We discussed how it's important to maintain a future-focused mindset to prepare for unexpected technological developments. Jason shared many valuable insights from his years working in a variety of branches of the music industry.
It's time for Jamuary 2023! Jamuary is a challenge to make and share a piece of music each day during January. The point isn't to create masterpieces, it is simply to show up and do some work.
In this episode, I share some thoughts that have helped me throughout the years during Jamuary. You'll hear about 3 books that have inspired me and helped me be more productive this year. I'll also explain my personal Jamuary motto: Don't Lose Twice.
Every year I create a Christmas-themed Free Ableton Live Pack. This year, I sampled the sound of Rudolph's nose in the 1964 Christmas special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I then created an Ableton Live Instrument Rack with 16 Macro Controls and 9 Macro Variations, each named after one of Santa's Reindeer.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Visit my site for more stuff like this, including Live Instrument downloads, tutorials, and music! brianfunk.com
Johannes Ringen is a film composer and music producer from Norway. He has worked on a variety of feature films including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Fate of the Furious, and Furious 7. His latest work was for the wildly successful Netflix film, Troll.
Johannes and I spoke about his work in film composition. We discovered plenty of similarities between film composition and other forms of music-making, including playing in rock bands. Johannes shared wisdom about how he approaches a project, works with large teams, and uses deadlines to get his work finished.
#netflix #troll #netflixtroll #johannes-ringenSongwriting and Production Retreat with Matt JonesBrian Funk2022-12-13 | Full Post and Show Notes: brianfunk.com/matt-jones
Matt Jones is a musician, producer, and songwriter. I got to know Matt while he was taking my Ableton Live Sampling class at Berklee Online. Late this summer, he organized and participated in the Monterey Songwriting and Production Retreat. Several musicians of various backgrounds and strangers to each other gathered at his home to write and produce music together. In this episode, I speak with Matt about the songwriting retreat, how he helped foster a creative spirit, and the lessons he learned along the way.
Blake Murray and Marty Gray host the Tune Shed Podcast. Their show covers similar ground to this show, music making, creativity, philosophy, theory, and gear. Blake and Marty are childhood friends that have reconnected over their discussions about music.
Blake and Marty came on the show to talk about their work on the podcast. We had a great conversation about the challenges of making music and how we've found ways to overcome them. They share their musical backgrounds and how they've learned from each other and their guests.
This is part one of a two-part series. The other half can be found on the Tune Shed Podcast. In that episode, I breakdown one of my band, Some Good Evil's tracks "Being with You." Head over to the Tune Shed Podcast to hear the second half!
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 Web Site: brianfunk.com Music Production Podcast: brianfunk.com/podcast Instagram: instagram.com/brianfunkmusic TikTok: tiktok.com/@brianfunkmusic Twitter: twitter.com/brianfunkmusic Facebook: facebook.com/brianfunkmusicDecember 3, 2022Brian Funk2022-12-03 | I often imagine I’m acting as a character when I sing. Julian Fulco Perron explains that concept beautifully on the Music Production Podcast 296. Full Conversation: youtu.be/2BFB_XDjmiM brianfunk.com/blog/julian-fulco-perron #shorts #vocaldelivery #musicproduction #musicproducerA/B Testing Effects in Ableton LiveBrian Funk2022-12-02 | How to instantly compare plug-ins and effects in Ableton Live. A/B test effects with one button. This quick Ableton Live tutorial will show you how to instantly switch between two different effects, plug-ins, or tracks without any gap so you can figure out which one sounds better!
#shorts #creativity #musicproducer #musicproductionEmbracing Vintage Artistic Workflows with Jilian Fulco PerronBrian Funk2022-11-28 | Full Post and Show Notes: brianfunk.com/julian-fulco-perron
Julian Fulco Perron is a musician and filmmaker from Denver, Colorado. His music and art harken back to the late 60s and early 70s psychedelic rock. Julian goes to great lengths to capture the feeling of the era by using many of the same tools of the time. He films his videos on Super 8 and experiments with various mediums to achieve a sound full of character and unique charm.
Julian and I spoke about the challenges presented by using vintage workflows and how those obstacles have enhanced his creativity. Julian explains his process for creating his work and how the adventurous spirit of artists such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys influences how he produces his art.
Sam Gribben is the CEO of Melodics, a music education platform helping users master electronic drums, MIDI keyboards, and pad controllers. Melodics has just released a new feature called Songs which allows users to learn by playing popular songs.
Sam and I spoke about the development and evolution of Melodics, and how they've managed to maintain a useful and intuitive educational experience over the years. Sam shared wisdom about education and how we best learn.
Melodics is offering listeners of this podcast some free bonus content, including 30 lessons for keys, pads, or drums: MUSICPODCAST-MELODICS