How To Master A Texas Country Song with Jeff Canada

The way a song sounds matters. If you don’t maximize the sonic quality of a track you are really missing out.

There are two phases of a song that affect how the final song on Spotify sounds: 1. The Mix 2. The Master

Mixing is taking the individual parts of a song (drums, bass, guitars, etc) and making those sound great together.

Master is taking that finalized stereo mix and sweetening it up one final time. I often times explain it like when you are in your car and you adjust the ‘bass’ and ‘treble’ on your car stereo system. When you adjust those things, you are literally just thinking…”I think it sounds better with more low end…or high end…” That’s exactly what I’m doing.

In this video I am mastering a song by Texas Country singer songwriter Jeff Canada. In this breakdown we talk about:

• finding the right fullness

• tightening the song without loosing the punch

• overall loudness

• why a great master matters

Enjoy. If you need help to enhance your music, click the button below and fill out the free project form.

Tom Sless "Ring Of Fire" LIVE

Who doesn’t love a good Johnny Cash cover?

If you know anything about me, you know that’s true for me. Most recently, I released a Johnny Cash cover, called “God’s Gonna Cut You Down," that was picked up for the end edits of an independent film.

So when I reached out to Tom to stop by the studio and perform a song I was excited when I found out he was going to do a version of “Ring of Fire.”

You can hear in the intro that Tom discovered a Bob Dylan version of “Ring of Fire” from 1969 and as a Dylan lover himself, loved how he interpreted it and took it from there.

One thing I love about this tune is the key change during the solo. Matt Cobb is a ridiculously talented guitarist and end the middle of the solo section the song modulates from E major to F# major.

Another thing I love is Tom’s vocals. You can’t escape the passion of his voice. You can tell that he loves it and that makes the best performances.

Tom is a singer/songwriter who started in LA and then transitioned to a full time traveler back in late 2020. He travels around in a converted transit van and that is the vehicle that takes him to gigs across the country.

You can find Tom’s catalogue of music on any streaming platform: Spotify most notably.

Once a week I host, for free, a singer/songwriter who stops by to share a song. I record the audio and video and put it out to support the songwriter. If you are interested in that, fill out this quick form.

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My name is Josh David Walker and I am Houston based music producer and mix engineer. If you have songs that need to be heard, don’t hesitate to DM on IG.

Songwriter Snack Time with Brandon Williams

Brandon Williams is such a gifted musician and songwriter. He plays almost any instrument you can think of and has a very unique tone of voice. All of that combined with his passion and love for songwriting is so powerful.

In this episode of the Songwriter Snack Time podcast we sat down to hear more about his music journey and also talk about his songwriting process.

At the end of the episode he performs “Prodigal” live. It’s such a great song puts his own spin on the story of the Prodigal child. Prodigal is the one of 11 songs on a project just released called REBEL HEART.

Find Brandon online at www.BRANDONWILLIAMSMUSIC.com and stream the new album today!

Songwriter Snack Time with Eli Moore Band

2020 was a trying year for everyone. Eli Moore (Eli Moore Band on streaming) experienced a lot of change including a job change among other personal things. But amidst the change and difficulties he started thing of the the things that he hadn’t lost.

That’s how the idea for his latest release “I Didn’t Lose You” came about. “I write music for me first. Then I craft it for others,” says Eli Moore. It’s a form of therapy that helps you cope. And then hopefully can encourage others that hear it.

If you love country music, you will like Eli’s music. The single was recorded in Nashville and done very well.

In this episode of the Songwriter Snack Time podcast we sat down to hear more about his music journey and also talk about his songwriting process.

At the end of the episode he performs “I Didn’t Lose You” live. It’s such a great song that really shows off his Johnny Cash type voice and his songwriting chops.

Find Eli online at www.ELIMOOREBAND.com and stream the new single soon!

Songwriter Snack Time with David Stükenberg

Why do you write songs?

Why did you learn to play an instrument?

Did it start because you loved it? Do you still love it?

In this conversation with David Stükenberg that is the thing that I walked away with the most. I was encouraged to not forget why I started down this path so many years ago.

David is such an incredible musician (guitar and piano) and songwriter. He’s been in the music business since he was a teenager.

He started early as a teenager and signed a deal as a staff writer in Nashville (for which he was grammy nominated for his work with the band LEELAND). From there he went on to write and release his own music, score and produce music for film and sync and to produce and record other people’s music. He’s done a lot and worn many hats.

And he still loves it.

But the thing that he is most excited about is his non-profit startup called MODERNPSALM. It’s an organization that allows church songwriters to connect their royalties to other non-profits and in this case taking care of orphans.

It’s a respectable idea that might completely change the game when it comes to church music.

We go in detail into that which was such an honor.

Can’t wait to hear more as they continue to develop.

Enjoy this conversation, and David’s live performance at the end of the episode, on any podcast platform. Search for SONGWRITER SNACK TIME.

Be sure to check out David’s latest release called “Double Plus Panic” on streaming

Songwriter Snack Time with Chris Garcia (Hiraeth Music)

Chris Garcia is a singer/songwriter in Houston Texas. He is the lead guitar player and front man for Houston band Hiraeth.

The band is fairly new and hasn't released anything official yet, but they are hard at work practicing and writing.

Chris is primarily a neo-soul bluesy guitar player. That's his main bread and butter. When that combines with the other band members’ rock flavor, you have a very interesting combination that will draw you in. We can't wait to hear more from them.

In this conversation Chris tells us how music really brought him through hard times in his life. It's his coping mechanism for things he goes through in life. So, most of his songs he describes as "sad" songs.

Not only did we relate to each other because we both have a love for Goldfish (that's his favorite snack!), but we also share a passion for John Mayer's music.

Here are the top 3 things I picked up from my time with Chris:

1.Making a band work takes intentionality

Chris and his band rehearse every Thursday night and have been for a while. He talks about how he wants people to know that they are serious about their sound the first time they see them live. You have to take things seriously if you want results.

2.It doesn't matter if others don't like my music; it wasn't made for you...it was made for me.

One of the powerful parts of the interview Chris says, “I make music for me…I don’t make it for you…if you like it, cool. If not, no worries. I didn’t make it for you.” I think this is a powerful concept for us who create music and really any kind of art. Who do you make it for? Whose opinions you do let control you?

3.Music helps us through life's difficulties

Chris’ father committed suicide when he was 7. It was an extremely hard time for him and his family. But music was his coping mechanism. It’s what got him through and kept him from making excuses, he says. It’s a powerful moment that really made me think about the power of music.

Sitting down with Chris was a pleasure that really encouraged me. I will continue to follow him and his music. Can't wait to see where his road leads him. This show, although I capture it on video, is primarily an audio podcast show. Search for “Songwriter Snack Time” on your podcast app of choice and subscribe to catch all the episodes.

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If you would like to work with me on your music project, I’d love to hear from you. Use the discount code “Snack Time” and get 15% off our first project together.

Mastered vs. Not Mastered with Mr. Bravo

A lot people ask me what the difference is between a “mastered” song and a "non-mastered” song.

The best way I know to explain it is to let you HEAR it. (headphones or better speakers work best)

Mastering is about putting the last level of audio polish on a song. It’s about taking the Mix to the loudness level it can go while keeping the integrity of the Mix.

The mixing is where all the heavy lifting is done in regards to balancing instruments (and vocals). So mastering is just taking the final approved mix and enhancing that one stereo file.

In this video clip you can see how I have the final approved Mix on one channel and the final approved Master on the next and I’m soloing each one.

If you are also mixing the song (like in my case in this song) then the mastering shouldn’t feel massively different. It should just feel like the most enhanced version of the song yet.

If you listen to this song “36 Lawndale” by an amazing rapper Mr.Bravo, you will hear:

• a tighter and more defined low end.

• a clarity and crispness

• loudness increased

If you would like your music mastered, reach out to me by filling out the contact form below

Musicians In Minivans Eating Tacos with The Rise of the Broken

Being an artist or songwriter, wherever you are from, is hard. It's especially hard without a community of people. This community I’m talking about could be other songwriters or other people that bring skills to help you as a songwriter.

I am a producer and sound engineer.

I make music, mix and master records. My goal is to work for an artist to make their music the best it can be.

So this show idea came out of a desire to connect with more artist, in Houston specifically, and to learn from each other.

This week I got to eat tacos with Kevin Rodriguez. He's the lead singer and songwriter of a band called "The Rise of The Broken."

We talk about a ton of great things that will be helpful to songwriters out there. Here is a list of most important topics we discuss:

• We have to put in the work

• Post content that shows your personality

• There is no 1,2,3 Formula for Success

• Gear is important but it's not ultimate

Kevin is in the middle of recording his next album. But you can listen to THROUGH FREQUENCIES anywhere music is streaming.

Search for band name "The Rise Of The Broken."

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

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Use the discount code “Snack Time” and get 15% off our first project together.

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The 6 Plugins That Will Make Any Mix Sound Better

Music is subjective. There are no rules. Producers like to say that the only rule is “if it sounds good, it is good.” And while that is true it doesn’t mean that there aren’t common tools and categories that help us make our music the best it can be.

In today’s video I wanted to share with you the 6 most important plugins that I put on every mix I do. I’m not married (although I like them very much) to the specific plugins, it’s more about the category of thinking.

All of the plugins I mention could be switched out for others that do the same or similar jobs. But it’s a way of thinking that will help shape the overall sound of your mix.

These are also applied to the very last fader in my LOGIC PRO X mix session. It’s typically called the “2 Bus,” or “Stereo Bus.” All the individual channels have been sweentened up before hitting this fader but this is the opportunity to really shape the whole mix.

You have to treat this channel with care but if done properly it can really turn your bland mix upside down…in a good way.

The 6 Plugins I use are:

1. Console Emulation (VCC)

2. EQ (any)

3. Compression (VCC)

4. Tape Saturation (VTM)

5. Harmonic Enhancement (MixCentric)

6. Limiter (FG-X)

Let me know if there are plugins that I’m missing out on or need to know about.

Songwriter Snack Time with Bonner Rhae Rhoden

Bonner Rhae Rhoden is a singer/songwriter in Houston Texas. She released 2 singles in 2019, “Trail of Dust” and “Together”, and is working toward releasing more songs in 2020.

When Bonner was young her mother made her take piano lessons for six years. A little later she was inspired to pick up a guitar when she saw Taylor Swift perform. It was inspiring for her to see a woman playing and singing. She tried to learn as many Taylor Swift songs as possible.

After that she couldn’t get enough, and in high school she had her first unplanned public performance that ended in a standing ovation at a school music competition.

After high school she kept writing and performing, but after a while it became something that got put on the back burner. For whatever reason she just felt like she needed a break. She went for about 5 years without singing or writing. It was a long time. But one morning she just woke up with a realization that she needed to pursue music.

Spurred on by her husband’s encouragement, she felt like the time was now to really pursue her music opportunities and see where the road would take her.

She respects the art of songwriting and even has a daily 10 minute writing practice where she picks a single word and writes ideas and different phrases and concepts that relates to the word.

Here are the top 3 things I picked up from my time with her:

1. Passion over Business

Bonner doesn’t neglect the business side of being an artist. In today’s artist environment it’s important to realize that you do have to treat yourself as a business. But business is not what started our journeys. It was the passion for music. It’s the way it makes you feel and how you can impact others. This comes through 100% with Bonner and her her music.

2. Songwriting As A Skill

It’s easy to think that some people are gifted from birth and some aren’t. The truth is, songwriting is a skill that has to be developed. Like anything else, the more time you put in the stronger you will become. Bonner always believed that she was talented, but she also recognized that it will take work to become the kind of storyteller she wants to be with her songs. This means that her songs are good now, of course, but with this kind of work ethic the songs she’ll write five years from now will be even better.

3. Keep Your Goals Simple

There is nothing wrong with big goals. But Bonner teaches us that having simple goals can give you the little inspiration to keep going. To impact one person would be worth it for Bonner. You don’t need to fill stadiums and impact the world. Some of us will (I hope you do) but what if you just inspire the next girl to pick up a guitar and write songs. Would it be worth it? Bonner says it will.

Meeting Bonner Rhae and sitting down with her to hear her story was a joy and the very reason I started this podcast show called “Songwriter Snack Time.”

As a music producer and engineer I find myself in the middle of projects that have a wide range of styles. Some think this is a negative. But I see it as an asset.

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There may indeed be some types of music that I wouldn’t fit well with and some that I gravitate more toward but what moves me most is authenticity and passion. If your music is inspiring and authentic I’d love to hear from you.

Use the discount code “Snack Time” and get 15% off our first project together.

Sarah Grace talks Songwriting and life after THE VOICE

Today is the start of a new adventure for me. The world of content.

I work with local Houston songwriters, musicians and rappers so I had to think about how to connect us all and how to share a network of knowledge. I am convinced we have so much to learn from each other. So I created a podcast (which is also a YouTube series) called “Songwriter Snack Time.”

Songwriter Snack Time is a show where I bring in an artist (one from Houston or based out of Houston) and we talk about the process of songwriting, performing live, making records and trying to build our careers as artists.

This very first episode we talk with Sarah Grace of Sarah Grace and the Soul. Sarah is most well known for being on Season 15 of The Voice but she is easily going to be more well-known for being an amazing artist in her own right on her own platform.

Her voice is amazing and songwriting is really good. She is in the process of making her first album with a whole slew of people. She is traveling constantly working with producers and engineers to find her sound for this first record.

We talk about life after The Voice, what it means to have such an awesome support system with her family, her songwriting process and what her favorite snack is (twizzlers!!).

It was a pleasure to chat with her. I was inspired and learned a ton myself as a songwriter/producer.

If you are a musician, songwriter or rapper in the Houston area and you need a place to record your music, and make your songs the best they can be, reach out to me, and fill out the free quote request form. I would love to hear from you. If you use the discount code “snack time” you will get 15% off our first project together.

Without Good Songs Production Is Nothing: (Songwriting for Connie Sue Tuck)

Recently, I was able to work for a client who is not only a client but also a part of our family. Connie Cassell Tuck (goes by “Connie Tuck” on iTunes) is a songwriter who lives in West Virginia.

HOW A SONG STANDS

Connie is an experienced writer who penned a song that later became titled “Just What A Smile Can Bring.” I love working with lyricists and songwriters to help them take the words they have written and put music and melody to them.

What I’ve learned is that a song will stand or fall on whether the song is written well and if it has a compelling message.

Production and recording is always secondary to whether or not the song is actually a good song. If it’s produced well but lacks songwriting depth it might make a small splash, but it will very easily drift off into obscurity.

When I saw the lyrics for Connie’s song, it got me excited because I felt like it was written well and was very honest and real. Below are the lyrics to the chorus.

It communicates the idea that we all don’t have to do something big in the world but we can all do little things that make a big difference. Like a smile you might casually give to someone you interact with during the day, those little moments can have a profound impact and shouldn’t be underestimated.

Chorus:

When you go to bed at night do you know that you helped someone

Do you know you did all you could do and left no one out

You don’t have to give money or worldly things

Do you realize just what a smile can bring?

ENHANCING THE SONG

When I submitted the demo to Connie, I never expected to be the featured artist on the track. I always assume and expect the songwriter to bring in a vocalist or for us to look for one together. But after hearing the demo (just acoustic and vocals), Connie said she thought I did an amazing job and knew that I had to be the one to sing the track.

I hesitated for a little bit because I actually don’t have any of my own music (my voice) out publicly. I consider music production and writing my main skills and singing not as much. I’ve typically always outsourced that.

Connie pushed me to expand my comfortability, and I am really glad she did. It forced me to be vulnerable and to step out and grow.

As we built the track, we really wanted to enhance the mood and vibe of the story the song was telling. It has these really intimate moments and then really builds into a full last chorus. It is very acoustic and piano driven and finding the right instrumentation balance was key.

One of the things that I am very proud of is the vocal production on this track. We brought in a good friend of ours, Nina Grace, to do the background vocals on the chorus and we couldn’t be more happy about it.

There are so many layers and textures, especially in the last chorus, that just soloing the vocals at the end was really moving to me. All of the parts really compliment each other, and the vocal layering really took this production to the next level.

There must be elements in songs like this that keep the song engaging and interesting to the ear. That way you don’t lose the audience along the way.

This was our first song to create for Connie, and I’m very excited about helping her, as a songwriter, to get her songs into the world in order to ‘bless people’ (her own words).

The song can be streamed on all major music channels and you can purchase the track and support Connie on iTunes.

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I got to sit down with Connie when she came to visit and we talked about her song and our process. Check it out:

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Josh is the Audio Producer & Recording Engineer at One Fifty Music. He is co-founder of One Fifty Media House (an audio and video production team). If you have any audio or video needs reach out to us here. Let's create!

How To Copyright Your Music: A Step by Step Guide

As I work with more and more songwriters, I get asked this question:

"How do I copyright my music, for real?"

That's a good question and I do think it is important because it will raise the professionality of you as a songwriter (or band). Even in today's ecosystem, you still do need to officially copyright your songs and register them with the United States government. 

I was recently helping one of my songwriters copyright her songs and I decided to document the process and post it for anyone else that is considering the same thing. 

THE PROCESS OF COPYRIGHTING YOUR MUSIC

1. Go to www.copyright.gov This is official site of the United States Copyright Office.

2. Log in or you can find out more about copyrighting your music

3. If you are a new user you will need to sign up with your email address. Then register your new song(s).

4. To submit more than one song at a time (which is what I suggest) choose no for the first box here.

5. Choose the type of work and start to input song information.

6. Enter the details on the work.

7. Add the author information.

8. 

9. If you have any sampled music you would put that info here. Since the song recorded here was orignal we did not need to fill this out in any way.

10. If you are working with an organization that represtents you then you would put that information here. 

11. Add  your contact info here.

12. If you need to have this process expidited then you  would tell them why here. We didn't.

13. Certify that you have authority to be submitting these songs.

14. Review the details of the whole submission.

15. Now you will have to pay: $55

16. Now choose the songs to upload. MP3 of the final masters is what we choose.

This may be a boring post for some. But I hope that anyone else looking to copyright their music will find this guide helpful. Please post any comments or additions that I have missed out below. Continue to make good music!

What Do I Do After I Record? Music Distribution and More

“What do I do once I record my music?” This is the essential question I get asked a lot because most of the musicians I am usually working with are newer to the music industry.

Even my experienced musicians do not have lot of time to look into all the next steps, because they are busy making music.

I decided to put all of the experience that I have gained in regards to this question here in one blog post, so that it can be a helpful reference for all of my musician friends.

This is not an exhaustive list of tools. There are a million versions of a lot of these companies and tools, but I primarily want to tell you about the ones I have used over the years of releasing music myself.

 

 

 

MANAGING YOUR FILES:

The first thing that needs to happen when you finish a song in a recording studio is to organize your files. It might be surprising that you may need a few different versions on hand for later use. You won’t always need these, but it is completely reasonable to ask your mixing engineer to provide these for you.

1. Master: This is the final mastered version of your song/songs: WAV & MP3
2. Instrumental: This is a version of your song with no vocals.
3. A Capella: Only vocals
4. TV Mix: This is a mix without the lead vocals. It has background vocals but no lead vocals. If you were going to sing with a backing track live somewhere this would be a good one to use.
5. Mix Multi-Tracks: This is a folder with all of the single files that would have been sent to the mix engineer.
6. Stems: These are subgroups of your mix. Like drums, bass, guitars, synths, etc. You never know how you could use these in the future.

GOOGLE ACCOUNT:

Google has a lot of really great tools. From email to file sharing, it is all there. The business version ($5/month) allows you to have specific branded email, like josh@onefiftymediahouse.com. Even for free, you could easily have your website or name like onefiftymediahouse@gmail.com.

Either way, it is a great start. That immediately boosts your professionalism in other’s eyes.

MUSIC DISTRIBUTION:

Many musicians feel like getting your music on services like Spotify is some kind of vague mystery and a difficult process. The truth is that many online distribution companies can get your music into all of the digital stores.

The one that I know from personal use is Catapult Distribution. For a one-time fee of $9, you can submit your single to iTunes and all the other digital stores. It is only $20 to submit a full album as well. (Pandora is only store with a little different and requires an extra step.)

Every company that does this takes a cut of the sales, but this is the cost of entry. You can do research to find out what model each distribution company follows, but the reason I like Catapult is that there is a one-time fee for a submission and then they take 9%. That’s it.

Going with an online distributor like this would get your music into:

• iTunes
• Apple Music
• Amazon
• Spotify
• Google Play
• Tidal
• Etc.

OTHER ONLINE PLACES TO SHARE YOUR MUSIC:

It is important to understand that people will need to listen to your music first before they pay for your music. So to make it easy for them to listen to your music, there are a few other places where fans focus their attention.

YouTube: With your Google account, you will also have access to a YouTube channel under your brand. You should create a video for each song you release. These do not need to be as complicated as a lyric video. Just a simple picture of the album artwork with the song behind it would be a great start. YouTube is the second largest search engine (Google is obviously number 1), so you need to be here.

Soundcloud: Soundcloud is beneficial because it is an easy way for you to have fans listen to your music. It is also cool because people will leave comments at different parts of each track. This allows you to easily comment back and engage with them.

There are a number of other places, but I’m trying to stick with ones that I know and with which I have experience.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A FUNCTIONAL WEBSITE:

Along with releasing music, you should have a website. Here at One Fifty Media House, we have fallen in love with Squarespace. Our One Fifty Home website, our wedding website, and this audio website are all Squarespace sites. They make it really easy to get a professional, modern website off the ground with little experience and no coding necessary. It is not the only platform, but for as little as $99 a year, it is a no brainer for me.

James Garland is a new country artist that we worked with recently, and we set him up with a single landing page where he can stream the single we released and have people sign up for his email list.

Simple one page site for James Garland.

Yes, social media is important, but having a place that you own is critical. Remember Myspace? Back in the day we would have never thought it would go away, but it did.

The same thing will happen with most of these social networks someday. Leverage their power and get people back to your site that you own.

The purpose of your website (as well as social media platforms like Facebook) should be to start a relationship with your fans. The most popular way to gain access to a fan is to ask for their email address.

Give them something of value in return for an email address. When it comes to sales, research says that email is still more effective, by far, than facebook or twitter or any other social network. Those things aren’t unimportant, but email is still the primary tool to get to your fans attention. Give them reason to follow you. Earn that trust.

One of my favorite bands sign up forms to give fans greater access

THE NEW MUSIC CYCLE: KEEP PRODUCING CONTENT

Once you release your music, do not just sit back and hope people find you. They won’t. You need to work hard and start telling others about your music and brainstorm ideas to keep the content coming. Most new music comes and goes, but the typical goal is that there would be momentum for 9 months. Below are some ideas to keep the train moving.

• Play as many live shows (big and small) as you can to meet fans and share your music
• Release a live recording of your music
• Release remixes of your music
• Record acoustic versions of your songs
• Release covers of popular songs that are out now and post them to YouTube

Those are just a few ideas, but the point is that you have to keep making interesting content. It doesn’t end with the day your album or single hits iTunes.

FINAL THINGS TO CONSIDER:

BANDS IN TOWN: If you are playing live, which most people should to build a fan base, you should sign up for a service like Bands In Town. This will start posting your live shows in multiple different places and alert potential fans when you are playing next.

ONLINE RADIO: Depending on your genre, there are a lot of potential opportunities to have online radio stations pick up your song. Use Google to do a search and track down a list of stations that make sense in your genre and start to reach out. And don’t be pushy or salesy.

LASTPASS: When you start signing up for all of these services, it can get confusing to keep track of all of your online passwords. My family and I have been using Lastpass for about a year now, and I love it. You create separate passwords that are all stored with one master password. When you sign in to your account and you open a web browser, all the passwords for each site are saved and auto-populates as you go to sign in. Pretty cool. It has a paid version, but we only use the free version. You can’t beat a free tool that saves time and keeps you safe.

COPYRIGHT: Getting a copyright for your music is important. It can definitely go on the backburner for a little while, but I do suggest doing this step at some point. To submit one song or a whole album of work cost the same ($35). So if you have a body of work that you can submit at one time is usually a better deal. Musicians can go to the Government Site and set up a an account and follow the instructions.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

Everything stated above is written with a massive assumption. That assumption is that your music is quality. Not that it’s ‘perfect’, but that it has been taken very seriously from the beginning.

You can have the best marketing and online presence but if your music stinks, you will never win. Find the right producer and audio engineer for your music and make that your starting point.

I hope this advice will help you out or at least set you on the right path. What questions about this process do you have? Post a comment below.

New Single for Jeff Canada: Bystander

The music industry is a people industry. Connecting with people that want to make great music is part of the reason I love doing what I do. Often times my wife will joke about how I become really good friends with my clients because creating music together is an intimate process and the time spent together creatively can really lead to close friendships. This was, and still is, the case with Jeff Canada.

Jeff was a friend of AJ Santana, a previous client who did an EP Project with me last year. He heard the work that AJ and I were doing and reached out to me about making his own music. Jeff is not only a successful entertainer, but he is also a successful businessman (and also my neighbor).

He is a live entertainer, playing covers and originals all around the Houston area, and he runs a booking company that helps restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. book musical acts.

He has got a lot on his plate for sure.

WHAT IS YOUR MUSICAL VISION?

We met together initially and discussed Jeff’s vision for what he wanted to do. He had a handful of songs that he had written and recorded at another studio a long time ago, but those recordings fell short. He even told me that the studio hard drives got corrupted and that studio lost all his files!

Dang. 

Jeff started scheduling studio sessions with me most Monday nights, and we started working on these first few songs. He eventually decided to release these songs as singles. The first one that made it to the finish line is a song called “Bystander.”

This song stood out to me because of it’s acoustic/singer-songwriter vibe. Jeff played the song for me in the studio. I made a few suggestions here and there, but overall the song was great.

The whole song builds into what is the final big chorus. It technically only has one chorus, but it is very unique and cool that way. It keeps my ears interested, and I think it translates well.

FAKE DRUMS? WHAAAT?

I’ve talked about this before, but many people feel like sampled or programmed drums are somehow second class citizens to the real deal. Although we could have definitely recorded a live kit for Jeff’s music, we decided to program everything. The technology these days is amazing. The samples we used are high end and sound great.

What makes sampled or programmed drums great?

Well, you have to know how to use them. You have to know what the song calls for. You have to experiment and find the right groove, know how to adjust those beats, and in the end, know how to properly mix.

Basically, it comes down to having a producer/engineer that can do such things. While I’m not trying to give myself a compliment, I do know that, although I’m a bass player by trade, I’m a drummer by heart. I think about groove and feel constantly, play drums on my steering wheel regularly, and feel like if I was to do life over again, I would be a drummer instead of a bassist.

The song went through a few drum variations. We had a more rock drum thing going on for a while, but we both felt like it wasn’t working and didn’t sound original. We went back to the drawing board and decided to do a snare brush groove for most of the song that led up to a very percussive heavy and maybe “tribal” sounding ending with the big chorus.

We also landed on this heart beat drum idea that would start and end the song. It makes the song very contemplative with this heart beat pulse that compliments the songwriting very well.

BACKGROUND VOCALS CAN TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

All of the clients I work with are very talented, but there are times where I get to work with someone particular that really blows me away. The raw talent is just soooo good.

For this track we knew we wanted to add a background vocal that would give the vocals texture and layers. Jeff and I brought in a local friend of ours named Jeremy Swanke. Jeremy is a full-time cover song entertainer like Jeff and is an amazing singer.

I didn’t really understand how good of a singer he is until he came in for the session. Jeff and I often times just looked at each other like “dang, he’s so good.”

His smooth angelic-like vocal really adds a beautiful texture to Jeff’s vocals, which are more gritty and raw.

Jeremy is the kind of guy that knows music so well that he has multiple ideas that sound great. He is not the guy that can only do harmonies by singing the third of everything. He gives us options, and at the end of the track, you can really hear it come through and take the last chorus to another level.

COMMUNITY IS THE KEY

A final word about this single is the community that was involved. Not only did we have Jeremy come in to do background vocals, but we had Nick Whittington come in for all the amazing electric guitar work (the swells during the verses are super cool).

We had Andy ? help us develop and finalize the drum ideas, myself on bass and piano, and Bob Boyd mastered the track.

I continue to believe that projects are always better when multiple people can come in to build the track. It is important to find the right people, but everyone involved on this track made it what it is. Jeff and I are very proud of how the song turned out.

You can check out Jeff live by checking out his schedule here.

You can listen to the song for free below or also on Jeff's site. If you think it's good and would like to go further to support him you can purchase Bystander here.

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FULL SONG: Produced, Recorded & Mixed & One Fifty Media House

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"Most of thanks goes to Josh Walker at One Fifty Media House for pushing me and making this track the best it could possibly be. You are an amazing producer and I can't wait for the next one!!"

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Are you interested in working with me for your music/audio project? Visit my services page for more information on my process, music packages, and availability. Also, take a look at my Portfolio for a look at my most recent work, and my Contact page to get in touch!

New Single for James Garland: Songwriting Is The Key

I have a long history with Country music. Growing up in south Houston, we grew up around one of the largest rodeos in the country. Therefore, in our family van, if we weren’t listening to contemporary Christian radio we were definitely listening to country. Back then it was artist like Garth Brooks, Clint Black and Brooks and Dunn, etc.

Turn on the country radio these days, and you will hear a very different type of country. Not bad in my opinion (others disagree), but not the same as my country roots.

The new country is almost too mixed with Pop and Rock (and shall I say even rap) to be recognized as truly classic country. Therefore, when I met James and heard about his vision to put out a new sounding classic country song, I really resonated with that.

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SONGWRITING IS THE KEY //

I work with a lot of different clients, and I even write songs myself. What I keep coming back to over and over again is that a good song starts with good songwriting. It’s just true.

Since this first single, James and I have been working on more of his music, and with each song I keep thinking, “wow, this guy can really write some great songs.”

In country music, I think more so than other genres, each song tells a story. From verse one to the final chorus, the story unfolds and connects all the way through. James lives and breathes that framework and every song has a consistent flow.

James’ songwriting skills really came alive when I created his chord/lyric sheet. That is something I do for most of my clients. It helps us all know how the song is laid out. The artist can take it after our project is done and it is an helpful thing to have if it is needed in the future (like submitting for a copyright). So with every chord/lyric sheet I create for James the more I’m impressed with his songwriting skills.

Chord Chart and Lyric Sheet for a new song called "Tailgate for Two"

PRODUCER // AKA THE COACH

James has a group of guys that he plays with often, including electric guitarist David Gan. David, in particular, has incredible country chops and really makes up a big part of James’ sound.

I’m a musician first before I’m a producer or engineer, so I’ve been very impressed with David’s work on this single.

James has a very particular vision for each song we work on, and I feel like my job was just to give him the options for him to say yes or no to.

James, David, and I would sit in the studio together playing with different drum beats, and James would give me approval once we started finding things he liked. Same thing when bassist Travis LeBanc came in. I gave a little direction and helped get the best performance possible. Often times as a producer, I feel like a music coach, just helping and guiding the musicians along. James knows what he likes, and I’m glad we were able to achieve that in this first song.

VOCALS // DEEP AND STRONG

James has a very deep, Johnny Cash type voice. I really tried to find the right EQ on his voice that would draw out and emphasize the unique characteristics of his voice. On this particular song, James had been singing through a harmonizer pedal live, and he decided to bring it into the studio. We added it to the intro of the song and during the chorus’ to give it a unique quality.

MUSIC // OPPORTUNITIES //

James released this song, and not soon after, he was on his way to take his single to the local Conroe radio station. He talked to the local DJ there and submitted his song in a competition.

The song later aired on local radio.

David later talked about that moment of people commenting about this new song all the while not knowing it was David and James’ band. Pretty cool moment to know the work we did was standing up in the market. It is a testimony, I believe, to the strong songwriting and staying true to James’ roots.

MORE CLASSIC - NEW COUNTRY TO COME //

Because of this first single (the first recorded song James has ever released), there has a been a lot of local buzz. Everywhere he plays, he’s hearing really great things. Because of all of the positive feedback and opportunity he has gotten from that one song, James has come back to One Fifty, and we are currently working on a full length project soon to released.

You never know what one piece of music, one song, can do for you, and I’m excited to see James grow and mature over time. It is cool to partner with him, and I hope that he has a lot of success.

The songs come from his life and are real and authentic to who he is.

You can check out James' website over at www.JamesGarlandMusic.com.

You can stream "My Next Mistake" from there or you can find it on iTunes and all other digital stores.

If you like classic country with a modern sound, you will love James Garland music.

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FULL SINGLE:

New EP for Ben and Nina Carpenter

Often times, as a songwriter or musician, the songs we create are first created in our mind. We have a vision for them far in advance to us actually booking studio time. Such was the case with Ben and Nina Carpenter. Well, Ben more than Nina. And if you know Ben and Nina, that’s funny, because Ben has never released music of his own and Nina has a history recording albums and even touring.

Ben came to me with the idea of creating a Christmas album. He had sketched out three ideas that were new arrangements of old Christmas songs. We brainstormed the project a little and after he convinced Nina about it (which is funny if you knew them), we started working.

BEN’S ARRANGEMENTS: Good Arrangements = Good Songs

I have always believed good songs start with good arrangements. When I hear songs for the first time, my primary job is to ask myself one questions:

1. What would make this song better?

There are lot’s of other derivative questions to that broader question like:

1. Is the song too long? Is it not long enough?
2. Are the chords too repetitive?
3. Is the chorus or main section memorable?
4. Is this the right key for the client’s voice...

Often times, when I ask those questions, there is a lot of work to do. With this project though, Ben had done a really good job of coming up with the initial ideas and I didn’t need to chisel much.

We added a few chord ideas, made sure the tempos were going to work well, found the best keys for the song, and then started hard, working on the scratch tracks.

Here is a timelapse of us in the studio creating the initial building blocks of the EP (music on the timelapse is from the album).

NINA’S VOCALS: The star of the show

Ben has a great voice, especially since I didn’t know he could sing for the longest time (I thought he only was a drummer at our church; the first time he sang I was very surprised). But Nina is an experienced professional singer. She has history as a recording artist on a music label many years ago and has performed many times. She has a rich history of music experience.

While Ben had the ideas, and the passion to lead the project, Nina’s voice pretty much stole the show.

When we started adding her parts to the tracks, it made them really good. You know singers are really good when you turn on the pitch correcting software and you don’t even need to correct anything. Her voice is very smooth, and she has so much control.

Her version of ‘Silent Night’ is a stand-out piece. You can hear a small a capella clip below:

COLLABORATION ALWAYS WINS: Not My ‘Producer Stamp’

I didn’t start an audio business to put my ‘producer stamp’ on everything that I got to work on. I don’t think about making each song sound like me.

What I think about is getting the best I can out of the people with whom I work. I feel like the more people there are to collaborate and work with, the better the project will be.

Ben and Nina wanted something that sounded traditional, but a little outside of the Christmas Holiday box. Each song took on a very interesting and unique flavor based on the three of us working together. We would throw ideas out and build on the best ones. As a producer, I have to be open minded to hear what each person is saying and try to enhance those ideas.

MORE THAN MUSIC: Defend The Orphan with CoreLuv

I am extremely proud of the EP that we created. One Fifty Media House produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered it. Even more than that, I am proud that 100% of the donations from this work go to support an organization called CORELUV. Their motto is “Defend The Orphan” and we really support what they are doing in the world.

This project was released last year for last year’s Christmas season, but Christmas music never gets old. Download these songs if you have not and add them to your playlist for this year. Christmas is right around the corner!...or at least that’s what my six year old keeps telling me…

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COOL ALBUM MOMENTS:

What Goes Into Recording One Song (Is It Worth It)?

Creating and recording a song, for any songwriter/producer/musician, is one part creativity and one part science. There are times when inspiration hits and we just go with our gut, but there is also a very practical process and methodology to follow.

I often get asked by my new clients how long it takes to make one song. Many people underestimate what it takes to go through this process, so in an effort to help my audience understand my process, I wanted to outline what it takes to take a song from scratch to fully mastered.

On average (for me), one song takes 24 hours of work. This reasonably conservative estimate takes roughly three days of studio work.

Now, we can help the process by batch recording say all of the drums for 4-5 songs at once, but if I’m given one song (which is what I do most), this is what it takes.

PRE-PRODUCTION: 1-2 hours

I always ask if I can listen and give my opinion for how the song can be better. I’ve never had anyone tell me no. I listen and think about the chord structure and the arrangement. There are common songwriting elements that make a great song. These principles have withstood the test of time because they work. These are the things I am searching for in your song. There are exceptions, but in general your listeners want to hear a structure that is similar to what they are used to hearing in popular music.

DRUMS/LIVE/PROGRAMMED: 3 hours

If we are bringing in a live drummer, then we will set up the mics and stands and spend about an hour making sure we are getting great sounds/tones. Then we’ll track the drums, comping together the best takes as we go. If the client doesn’t have a drummer or the track calls for programmed drums, we pull up all the drum sounds and tools we have (which is a lot), go to my favorites, and start experimenting with beats and patterns that work. Many of my finest works, that you might think we used real drums on, are actually programmed samples. The technology is so good these days that no one can tell if you do it right.

BASS: 1 hour

Bass is my specialty and something that only takes about an hour or so once the structure is laid out and the basic drum pattern is established. The bass and the drums (especially the kick) must work together and build the pocket that everything else will build on.

RHYTHM INSTRUMENTS: 2 hours

What instruments carry the pulse of the track? A lot of times it might be an acoustic guitar or piano. We build this on top of our established rhythm section (bass and drums).

ELECTRIC GUITARS: 2/3 hours

Electric guitars (or lead instruments) usually get layered in at this point. We start to fill up the track with layers of guitars that fit the song. Between micing an amp (or using an amp simulator plugin), recording the basic parts, and  experimenting with new parts, this process usually takes about two or three hours.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUMENTATION: 2/3 hours

I’m using a broad term here because this could include a lot of different things depending on what the song needs. If it is a pop tune we might consider bringing in some synths or pads, but if it is a country track we might consider bringing in a fiddle player. Depending on what the song calls for, there is usually additional instrumentation needed that will help the listener stay engaged, and not get bored, with the track.

LEAD VOCALS: 3 hours

Vocals are something that I’m extremely passionate about, too. No one will honestly remember what instrumentation is on the track or what the drums or bass are doing. But what they will remember, will be the vocals. Energy, timing, pitch...all of these things must be considered. For one song, it can take a vocalist 2 hours, on average, to really nail one song. Afterwards, the editing and tuning of those vocals can take up to another hour or so.

BACKGROUND VOCALS: 2 hours

Background vocals are the same as the lead vocals and have to be taken into consideration. Will the lead singer be doing their own background parts or will we need to bring in a professional singer? It all depends, but most of the time, background parts add another hour to the recording and another hour for editing and tuning those vocals.

MIX PREP: 1 hour

Once all of these pieces are in the puzzle and the client loves what we have, it takes time to export all of these individual song elements as stems into a brand new mixing session. This process can take up to an hour to make sure all the edits are clean and the tracks are ready to be delivered to mixing.

MIXING: 3/4 hours

Mixing is where all of the hard work pays off. We bring all of the stems together to find the perfect balance for the track. Adding the final reverbs, delays, EQ, and compression will make everything sound so professional and polished. Mixing is a passion of mine, and I get very excited every time I get to this part of the process.

MASTERING: 1 hour

Mastering is taking the final mix into it’s own session and putting the final layer of wax on it. The main focus of this process is EQ, compression and overall level. I will reference other commercial masters at this point to see where the mix can be improved. Typically this takes about 1 hour of serious focus.

TOTAL TIME: 24 hrs.

Add up all of the time above and this process takes about 24 hours. It’s a lot of work but it really pays off in the end. When you have a final song that you can submit and sell on iTunes, it’s all worth it. When you have a song that you can send to promoters to get live gigs, it’s all worth it. When you can share your song with your fans and get your message to the world, it’s all worth it.

And it’s not only exciting for the client, but as a producer, I get equally excited about this process and really believe that the work and effort we put in really is worth it.

LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW:

What was your studio experience? Did it take you longer or shorter than you thought to record?

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Anyone reading this article and considering creating a music project, click on the button below, and use the code "investment" in the discount code box of the form, I will give you a 50% discount on our first song together.. A $499 value. No gimmicks, no lie. Click below.

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I WANT TO MAKE MUSIC

One Fifty Music Form

New EP for AJ Santana

Making music is pretty much my dream job. Making music with friends is pretty much...well, whatever is better than a dream job.

AJ Santana has a been a valued friend of Aaron and myself for a while, so when he came to us about recording a brand new acoustic EP, we were really excited.

AJ’s vision for this EP was to create a collection of songs that really tapped into his singer-songwriter side. See AJ has many sides. He is a professional music entertainer and cover-song artist, that regularly plays around town. It’s a pretty amazing compliment to him that he was able to pull off recording an EP of his original music, while still playing the cover scene. It took work and dedication, but those words fit right in with AJ.

THE VIBE STARTS WITH A GROOVE

Many people, in thinking about recording in a “home studio,” are concerned about drums. How can you record drums in a decent way in someone's house? Well, the truth is, it happens all the time. For this project AJ wanted a very stripped down rhythm section.

So we brought in a great percussionist, Josh Benhart, and did a big percussion setup: 2 congas, Cajon, tambourine, etc. We were able to get a big sound by using a few overhead mics and blending those in with the close mics.

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It took about a day or so to work through all five songs, but at the end of the day we were really happy with the energy and vibe that this kick started our project with.

GET THE VOCALS RIGHT

Since AJ wanted to highlight his songwriting, we focused very much on getting the vocals right. Every song of AJ’s comes from his life and from his heart. He’s been through some serious life stuff, and if you listen to the lyrics you can really feel his pain at times. His vocals carried emotion which made each track full.

A COMMUNITY ALWAYS MAKES IT BETTER

For AJ, as well as myself, getting your community involved always makes things better. I’ve experienced this for years in the studio. Whenever I don’t try to play every instrument for a song but outsource parts to friends I trust, I am always happy I did and the final product is so much better.

For this project we were able to get many amazing people involved: 

• Jeremy Schwanke on keys
• Heather Rayleen on violin and BGVs
• AJ Herrick on Acoustic Lead
• Josh Benhart on the percussion set

The clip below is violin and two acoustics (one played by AJ and myself on the other).

BEHIND THE SCENES

AJ released the project on iTunes and all the digital online stores, and we are really proud of his first major recording project. We hope to work with him more in the future and want to support him in anyway we can.

A final amazing benefit of this project was having Aaron (my brother, co-owner and videographer) come in and capture some amazing behind the scenes videos (we call them minis) to highlight our project.

After watching you can see why we are good friends with AJ.

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FINAL MASTERS: DEAR DARLA

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Are you interested in working with me for your music/audio project? Visit my Services page for more information on my process, music packages, and availability. Also, take a look at my Portfolio for a look at my most recent work, and my Contact page to get in touch!