Music Production Podcast

Stephen (Stephen Swartz) is an indie-electronic music artist, from Virginia, living in Los Angeles. In 2015, his hit single “Crossfire” amassed over 100 million streams. It led to him releasing his 2016 debut LP Sincerely that garnered fan and critical praise. Stephen is about to release his new album Akrasia on August 21st. Stephen and I talked about his career and work. We explored how his deep philosophical approach and life experience has helped him create music. Stephen shared how staying true to his artistic calling helped him from getting stuck chasing success, and allowed him to fully express himself with his art. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Official Site - Stephen's web page. Delilah - Music video for his latest track. Crossfire - 2015 music video. Bullet Train - Music video for Stephen's 2012 hit. SoundCloud - Follow Stephen on SoundCloud. Instagram - Keep up with Stephen on the Gram. Citizen Cope - Official Site. Music Production Club - My monthly subscription service for music production tools and sounds. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Anton Zytnik is a producer and musician from Australia, living in Berlin, who makes music as Orphan Train Project. He has been producing music for the last 30 years and has maintained a quite prolific output.  Anton and I had a great conversation about our strikingly similar musical backgrounds and surrounding philosophies. Anton shared some very practical tips and approaches that allow him to stay focused and consistently finish music. It was a lot of fun getting to know Anton and learning from his experience. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Orphan Train Project - Anton's musical work. It's a Pixies Podcast - The Pixies document the creation of their album Beneath the Eyrie. Getting Things Done - David Allen's masterpiece on self organization. Perfect Keyboard - Tool for stringing together key commands with the push of a button. FreeSound.org - collaborative database of Creative Commons Licensed sounds. What Bob Ross Teaches Us About Music Production - My new book that translates the wisdom of Bob Ross to making music. Music Production Club - My subscription service that brings you new music production tools every month. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

I wrote a book! It's called What Bob Ross Teaches Us About Music Production. I take the wisdom Bob Ross shared on his show The Joy of Painting and apply those lessons to music production. In this episode of the podcast, I discuss the new book, share a few of its lessons, and discuss the larger theme of acceptance as a big takeaway from the process of writing it. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: What Bob Ross Teaches Us About Music Production - 33 page book this episode is based on. Music Production Club - My subscription service that gets you new music making tools every month. All members get a copy of What Bob Ross Teaches Us About Music Production. Why Music is Important - Music Production Podcast about finding the meaning in making music in difficult times. Get FrostBite 2 by AudioThing - FrostBite 2 is the July 2020 download for the Music Production Club. Dream Keys Ableton Live Pack - Sounds used for the melody in the intro music. Bob Ross - Official web site. One Hour Bob Ross Special - Loaded with Bob Ross wisdom. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Sean Giovanni is a Producer, Engineer and the Owner of The Record Shop recording studio. Sean moved to Nashville to pursue his career in music at age 20. He has since worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including John Legend, Meatloaf, Tim McGraw, and The Wallflowers. Following his passion to help artists realize their creative potential, Sean co-founded Mind Map. Sean shared his thoughts on developing a clear artistic vision, finding inspiration in tough times, and developing routines to progress in his career. There's a lot of helpful and practical tips here. I left the conversation feeling inspired to make music! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: The Record Shop - Giovanni's Nashville Recording Studio. Mind Map - Program co-founded by Giovanni to support artists as they navigate the music industry. For Everyone - Poetic inspiration by Jason Reynolds. Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill's 1937 classic entrepreneurship book. Why Music is Important - Music Production Podcast episode about finding meaning in music during difficult times. ---- Get FrostBite 2 by AudioThing - FrostBite 2 is the July 2020 download for the Music Production Club. Dream Keys Ableton Live Pack - Sounds used for the melody in the intro music. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Los Angeles's Joseph Holiday makes dark, moody, end-of-the-world modular music as Snakes of Russia. He masterfully weaves together his modular rig with samples and real world instrumentation.  Joseph shares his music making process for his own music and the music he makes for film. We discuss how imposing limitations can build opportunities to be creative. It was a great talk that left me feeling inspired and excited to make music! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: At Home Alone with Lions - New music from Snakes of Russia. Instagram - Joseph shares his modular jams here. Noise Engineering - A breakdown of the Snakes of Russia song "Heart Caves In." "Dead Already" - Modular synth performance. "Jenny Rock Horror"  - Snakes of Russia music video. Song Exploder "Closing Time" - The story behind the 1998. Huston Music Podcast - Huston Singletary's excellent podcast series featuring Joseph Holiday and an in-depth breakdown of some of his tracks. Huston Singletary - Huston's appearance on this podcast. Colin Benders - "Modular Mayhem" live performance. -- Music Production Club - Get AudioThing's Frostbite 2 plug-in when you join the Music Production Club during July 2020. Frostbite 2 - AudioThing's amazing spectral freezing plug-in. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

When the problems of the world loom so large, it can make the act of music production seem unimportant. But during these times, music is more important than ever by helping us connect and empathize with each other. Over the last month or so, I've found it extremely difficult to find meaning in my musical work. In the face of enormous world challenges, twiddling around with sound has felt insignificant and purposeless. But after some reflection, I believe it is actually extremely important to continue to create. In this episode, I take you through my own struggles and how I am working to get passed them.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: What's Going On - Marvin Gaye's classic album that has offered some insight and perspective. Alicia Keys Tiny Desk Concert - I didn't mention this in the episode, but watching it reminded me of the joy and unity music can create. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Ned Rush is a musician, YouTuber, and Max for Live device maker. His work for Isotonik Studios includes the World Collection, which allows you to incorporate video into your Ableton Live Performances.  Ned and I sat down for a conversation about his work, musician production, and creativity in general. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: YouTube - Keep up with Ned Rush's tutorials and devices. More Kicks Than Friends - Ned's weekly online music festivals. Visuals Collection - Ned's Video tools for Max for Live. Knobulator - Ned's Max for Live device for easy glitch effects. Patreon - Support Ned's work on Patreon. Create Howling Feedback with Operator - Ned's awesome tutorial on using Ableton's Operator to create guitar-style feedback. AIR ORGAN - Ableton Live Pack made with samples of vintage General Electric Air Organ (as heard in episode intro music). Music Production Club - Monthly subscription to receive music production tools in your inbox while supporting the podcast. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Jerry Seinfeld is a master stand-up comedian, and we can learn a thing or two about making music from him. According to legend, one of the techniques he used to hone his craft is called "The Chain Method."  In this episode of the Music Production Podcast, we explore how Jerry Seinfeld's "Chain Method" can help us become better music producers. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: AIR ORGAN Ableton Live Pack - 24 Ableton Live Instruments made from samples of a vintage General Electric Air Organ. Music Production Club - subscription service that gets you new music production tools each month. Wall Calendar - a one page, one year calendar I am using for the "Chain Method." Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

This episode is a guided meditation by Jörgen Kjellgren that I created the music for. Sit back, relax, and drift into your mind. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Jörgen's BandCamp - Listen to Jörgen's music. Jörgen on the Music Production Podcast - Jörgen and I had a great conversation on the Music Production Podcast. VCR WAVE Ableton Live Pack - All music in the meditation was made with instruments from this Pack. Free Ableton Live Pack #198 - Try 3 free instruments made in the style of VCR WAVE. Tommy Zee Webinar - Tommy Zee, founder of Making Music for Brands breaks down one of his commercial projects. Tommy Zee on the Music Production Podcast - Tommy and I have a conversation about making music for companies. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Maddy Kong is a music producer, engineer, music technologist and live performer from Perth, Australia. Currently based in Brooklyn, New York, and winning multiple production spots, she understands the sonic nuances of various genres and has proven to  harnesses positive responses across her work. Maddy makes music under the name Sesamii. Maddy and I spoke about her work combining her classically trained background with electronic music. She discusses taking a leap of faith traveling halfway across the world to pursue her dream of making music.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Official Site - The home of Maddy's professional work. SoundCloud - Professional work portfolio. SoundCloud - Maddy's music as Sesamii. Instagram - Follow Maddy on Instagram. Facebook - Sesamii on Facebook. Twitter - Sesamii on Twitter. NYC Ableton User Group Meeting - Maddy breaks down her remix of Hypnotoad. Discover - Live performance by Maddy as Sesamii. dollar!ck - Claire Marie Lim on the Music Production Podcast. Jesse from Gravitas Records - Gravitas founder, Jesse Brede on the Music Production Podcast.  VCR WAVE Ableton Live Pack - Ableton Live Instruments made from samples recorded to VCR tape. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk