
Music Production Podcast
An exploration of music production through informal discussions about technique, philosophy, gear, and creativity. Hosted by Brian Funk, a musician, songwriter, teacher, and Ableton Certified Trainer.
Latest episodes

Feb 20, 2022 • 1h 8min
#253: Tine Schenck - Building Musical Communities
Tine Schenck is a composer and trained vocalist. Along with Andrew Magee, Clément Panchout, and Trevor Hamer, she hosts Music Weeklies Challenge, which gives a community of musicians creative projects each week. Along with a community of musicians around the world, known as Faraway Handshake, Tine released "Pushing Forward," an optimistic song to help bring musicians together during pandemic lockdowns. Tine and I spoke about the Music Weeklies community and how she managed the Faraway Handshake project. She shared some insights about keeping music personal and intimate while avoiding trends towards the "plastic fantastic." Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Music Weeklies Challenges - Official Site for the challenges. Music Weeklies Twitter - The main action for Music Weeklies Challenges happens via Twitter. Tine's Website - Keep up with Tine's work. Tine on Twitter - Follow her! Faraway Handshake "Pushing Forward Tine's First Music Production Podcast Appearance Andrew Magee - Music Weeklies Challenges team member. Clément Panchout - Music Weeklies Challenges founder and team member. Trevor Hamer - Music Weeklies Challenge team member. Brian Funk Links: Website - https://brianfunk.com Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Ableton Live Pack Archive - https://brianfunk.com/blog/ableton-live-pack-archive Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://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. Brian Funk

Feb 12, 2022 • 17min
#252: See Your Ideas Through - Jamuary Lesson
We completed another Jamuary challenge to make music each day during the month of January. There are a lot of important lessons about making music that I've learned along the way. This episode highlights one of the biggest! Listen on Apple or Stitcher or Google or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Website - https://brianfunk.com Intro Music Made with 16 Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/blog/5minute Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://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. Brian Funk

Feb 4, 2022 • 1h 49min
#251: Liina "LNA" Turtonen - LNA Does Audio Stuff
Liina Turtonen is a musician, producer, and educator, who runs the LNA Does Audio Stuff YouTube channel. Liina is an Ableton Certified Trainer who focuses on making music production more accessible for all people while teaching confidence and workflow strategies for overcoming the challenges of making music. Listen on Apple or Stitcher or Google or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Liina's Web Site - https://www.lnamusic.com LNA Does Audio Stuff YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/LNADoesAudioStuff/featured Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/LNADoesAudioStuff Equalize Music Production - https://equalizeproduction.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lnadoesaudiostuff/ Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking - https://youtu.be/xjE2RV6IQzo Rachel K. Collier - https://www.rachelkcollier.com Adam Rokhsar on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/adam-rokhsar Brian Funk Links: Website - https://brianfunk.com Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/blog/5minute Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://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. Brian Funk

Dec 31, 2021 • 10min
#250: Attendance is 100% - #Jamuary2022
Showing up is literally the most important part. Here are some thoughts on the importance of being consistent with your music-making, as well as a pep talk for #jamuary2022. Listen on Apple or Stitcher or Google or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Website - https://brianfunk.com Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/blog/5minute Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://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. Brian Funk

Dec 27, 2021 • 7min
#249: The Pleasure Principle
The Pleasure Principle is a psychological phenomenon that likely plays a role in how we make music. In this episode, we explore how we can use the Pleasure Principle to our advantage and avoid allowing it to negatively impact our music-making. Listen on Apple or Stitcher or Google or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Video Game Bundle - https://brianfunk.gumroad.com/l/videogame Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/blog/5minute Website - https://brianfunk.com Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack: https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://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. Brian Funk

Dec 16, 2021 • 1h 12min
#248: Keppie Coutts - How to Write Songs
Keppie Coutts teaches songwriting and runs the YouTube channel "How to Write Songs." Keppie studied and taught at Berklee College of Music. Her credits range from genres diverse as folk, pop, and heavy metal. Her latest work is on a new audiobook/album Mothertongues. Keppie and I spoke about her songwriting process and the challenges songwriters face. We explored what it means to turn nothing into something, as well as some of the common misconceptions around the craft of songwriting that hold people back. Listen on Apple or Stitcher or Google or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Keppie's Music Site - https://www.keppiecouttsmusic.com How to Write Songs (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHX6_NG_L7OitIAgcS56zpw/videos How to Write Songs (Blog) - https://kcsongstudio.com 5 Song Writing Exercises That Will Change Everything - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoUQ0kR-lTg Songwriters on Songwriting - https://amzn.to/3m4gSGV Twelve Foot Ninja - https://www.twelvefootninja.com/ Seth Godin - https://seths.blog Austin Kleon "Steal Like an Artist" - https://amzn.to/31ZcIJ2 "Art and Fear" - https://amzn.to/321LEbY Jonathan Mann (a song a day) - https://www.jonathanmann.net Matthew Dicks "Storyworthy" - https://amzn.to/3GDyeSC "The Lanyard" Billy Collins - https://youtu.be/0EjB7rB3sWc Sean Lennon Interviews Paul McCartney - https://youtu.be/iCe8fdBeTCs Brian Funk Links: Website - https://brianfunk.com Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/blog/5minute Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://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. Brian Funk

Dec 10, 2021 • 2h 19min
#247: Francisco Dean - Honoring History with Music
Francisco Dean is a trained jazz musician and music educator at the University of Chicago Lab School. Francisco composed a piece for his school's electronic music ensemble for the Jewish Student Association's Holocaust Remembrance event. Every sound was created with samples from Holocaust artifacts from the Illinois Holocaust Museum. In my opinion, this is one of the finest examples of using modern electronic music production techniques in an educational setting. Dean's students became deeply connected to the victims and events of the Holocaust, on a level rarely reached in traditional education. Francisco shared the depth of thought that went into the project, the obstacles faced along the way, and his creative strategies to translate Holocaust artifacts into music. Listen on Apple or Stitcher or Google or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Explore all exhibit posters (photos of the artifacts and usage in the piece), the full score of the piece, a "Making of" video (Behind the scenes featurette), video of the live performance of the piece, and complete notes giving a background of the composition: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14qF6QdSwIToU8VXKnA5geUx9gcXCnS6f?usp=sharing Brian Funk Links: Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/blog/5minute Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://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. Brian Funk

Dec 3, 2021 • 57min
#246: Bill Small - Getting Out of Our Own Way
Bill Small is a musician, songwriter, and founder of Artist Mind Inc. He has lots of experience in just about all aspects of the music business. Bill applies what he has learned over the years as a personal coach for people from all walks of life, including artists, lawyers, doctors, and entrepreneurs. Bill shared many of his techniques and strategies for helping people define success in their lives and creating clear goals for the future. We discussed how we get in our own way and often have trouble realizing we are doing so. Bill has a lot of wisdom that applies to just about all aspects of life. Listen on Apple or Stitcher or Google or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Bill Small Website - https://billsmallmusic.com Artist Mind Inc. - https://www.artistmind.co Bill's Bandcamp - https://billsmall.bandcamp.com Bill on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/589911163 Bill's Podcast "The Subtle Art of Not Yelling" - https://subtleartofnotyelling.com Brian Funk Links: Website - https://brianfunk.com Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/blog/5minute Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://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. Brian Funk

Nov 28, 2021 • 1h 25min
#245: Tyler Campbell - Founder of Alder Audio
Tyler Campbell is the founder of Alder Audio. He hand makes high-quality ribbon microphones in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Coming from a background in chemistry, music, and working for his father's business, Tyler combines his skills to create his own unique microphones. Tyler and I spoke about ribbon microphones and how he started creating them. Like so many things in life, the path was not planned. We discussed the challenges of creating both physical objects and music, and how Tyler's "low barrier to entry" mentality is the key to his success. So many of the lessons he's learned in crafting microphones apply directly to music-making. Listen on Apple or Stitcher or Google or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Alder Audio - https://www.alderaudio.com/ Alder H44 Ribbon Microphone - https://www.alderaudio.com/h44 Alder Audio Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alderaudio/ The Other Favorites - https://www.theotherfavorites.com Josh Turner - https://www.youtube.com/c/JoshTurnerGuitar Carson McKee - https://www.youtube.com/c/carsonmckeemusic The Other Favorites covering Paul McCartney using the Alder H44 - https://youtu.be/oM6SSopAkvc Line Audio CM4 - http://www.lineaudio.se/CM4.html Ear Trumpet Labs - https://www.eartrumpetlabs.com Leather Pros - https://leatherpros.com Brian Funk Links: Website - https://brianfunk.com Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/blog/5minute Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://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. Brian Funk

Nov 22, 2021 • 16min
#244: 3 Ways to Write Music "Bird by Bird"
I recently read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont, a book of advice for writers. Although it is intended for writers, there are some really nice lessons for us music producers. This episode of the podcast is all about those lessons and how we can apply them to our music making. Listen on Apple or Stitcher or Google or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont - https://amzn.to/3nJfdaZ On Writing by Stephen King - https://amzn.to/2ZgHNqK War of Art by Steven Pressfield - https://amzn.to/3r1Oubp Seth Godin on Writer's Block - https://seths.blog/2020/06/the-simple-cure-for-writers-block/ Make Bad Music Music Production Podcast #2 - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2017/3/5/2-make-bad-music "Highway Patrolman" by Bruce Springsteen - https://youtu.be/o7v1YwubWw8 Brian Funk Links: Website - https://brianfunk.com Ableton Live Pack Archive - https://brianfunk.com/blog/ableton-live-pack-archive Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://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. Brian Funk Watch the Music Production Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk4jo7_Rx2-2mjUoTXTL4u0iUH5_XqBYi