Making Music is hard. Even when we have attained all of the skills and knowledge to create music, it's still extremely difficult to finish music. Along the way, there are thousands of tiny decisions that need to be made. At each decision lies the risk of running into self-doubt and a crippling inner critic. In this episode of the Music Production Podcast, we explore the importance of almost recklessly making decisions and committing to them. Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube Show Notes: Bounce in Place Ableton Live Tutorial - https://youtu.be/tCEdipLbarw Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc  5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book 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

Amadeus360 started his career as a DJ and came up under the mentorship of the legendary Kid Capri. He's also produced records for Rap legends like Kool G Rap, Busta Rhymes, Paul Wall, Sheek Louch of The LOX, etc. His new album The MPC Jedi releases on May 12 Amadeus and I spoke about his work as a boom bap hip hop producer. He shared his experiences collaborating with a wide range of artists and how his work ethic and dedication to quality and authenticity have served him during his impressive career.  Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube Show Notes: The MPC Jedi - https://soulspazm.bandcamp.com/album/the-mpc-jedi-1 Amadeus on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amadeus360thebeatking/ Amadeus YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@knos360 "Still World Famous" featuring M.O.P - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6piUOSIUE4 Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc  5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book 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 This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/ 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

Paul Laski is a music producer, sound designer, and Ableton Certified Trainer. He designs sounds in the factory preset bank of XFER Records Serum and sample and preset packs for Sample Magic, Splice, and Sonic Academy. Paul teaches computer music production, sound design, and live performance with ICON Collective in Los Angeles. I had a great conversation with Paul about how he has carved out a career in music via producing, teaching, and sound design. Paul went into detail about the challenges of work-life balance, especially as a new father. We went deep into the philosophy around creativity and productivity, and how we can find satisfaction and fulfillment in our work and the unexpected paths that present themselves along the way. Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube Show Notes: Paul's Official Site - https://www.p-lask.com/ ICON Collective - https://iconcollective.edu/music-production-programs/ Tape Hiss and Vinyl Crackle Free Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2012/07/19/free-ableton-pack-60-tape-hiss-vinyl-crackle War of Art by Steven Pressfield - https://amzn.to/415Q4HD The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell - https://amzn.to/41XRFAx Ben Burnes on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/ben-burnes-4 The Power of Now - https://amzn.to/3Lptkgd Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc  5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book 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 This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/ 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

Ariane Paras helps artists define their vision, build confidence, and find the strength to reach their goals. She runs Olympia Coaching and has 15 years of experience in the music industry and has been coaching artists along their journey for 8 years.  In our second conversation on the podcast, Ariane and I spoke about fears and struggles artists face. Ariane shared how we can pay close attention to our mindset and thoughts to reframe challenges and criticisms into learning and growth experiences. She offered valuable tips and techniques for creating art and how to keep our careers moving even when we feel stagnant.  Sign up for Ariane's May 2nd and 9th, 2023 FREE 2-part workshop: Just do it! Stop Procrastinating And Build Consistency In Your Music Career. You’ll discover why you procrastinate, get practical tools to overcome this and get the motivation and accountability you need to follow through with something that will move your music career forward. You’ll walk away feeling accomplished and one step closer to where you want to be.  Find out the details and register here: https://mailchi.mp/c2d30631a626/just-do-it-workshop  Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube Show Notes: Olympia Coaching - https://olympiacoaching.com Free Consultation with Ariane - https://olympiacoaching.as.me/schedule.php Thrive Program - https://olympiacoaching.com/thrive-artists Ariane's Blog - https://olympiacoaching.com/blog Ariane's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/olympiacoaching/ The Creative Act by Rick Rubin - https://amzn.to/3ZznbTx Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc  5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book 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 This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/ 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

Keppie Coutts and Benny Romalis are professional songwriters who run the website and YouTube Channel How to Write Songs. Both have released numerous albums, written songs for many artists, and teach songwriting. Their YouTube channel is one of my personal favorites and their courses have helped thousands of songwriters. Keppie, Benny, and I had a great discussion about writing music and their new course on Udemy: The 5 Most Powerful Songwriting Exercises... Revealed. Keppie and Bennie generously shared 2 of those exercises, complete with music demonstrations and performances.  Edit: Keppie mentioned "The River" by Bruce Springsteen but she said afterwards that she meant "Devils and Dust." Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube Show Notes: How to Write Songs - https://howtowritesongs.org/ How to Write Songs YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@htws The 5 Most Powerful Songwriting Exercises... Revealed - https://www.udemy.com/course/the-5-most-powerful-songwriting-exercises-revealed/ How to Write Songs Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/howtowrite.songs/ Keppie's First Appearance on the podcast #248 - https://brianfunk.com/blog/keppie-coutts Keppie's Second Appearance on the podcast #262 -https://brianfunk.com/blog/keppie-coutts-2 Matthew Dicks on the Music Production Podcast #314 - https://brianfunk.com/blog/matthew-dicks "The River" by Bruce Springsteen - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7BUXRsTbvI "Devils and Dust" by Bruce Springsteen - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm-DcnhrMkY Jeff Tweedy's How to Write One Song - https://amzn.to/41S5i3S Bayles and Orland's Art and Fear - https://amzn.to/41Oz8WX Song Exploder Podcast - https://songexploder.net/ And the Writer Is... Podcast - https://www.andthewriteris.com/ Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc  5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book 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 This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/ 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

Matthew Patrei is a music producer and teacher who releases music under the name Yasei Mare, which means "Wild Ocean." Matt just released his new album, EP Two. He teaches music at the Steeple Street Music Academy in Massachusetts. Matt and I had a great conversation about the creation of his new Yasei Mare album, EP Two. We discussed his songwriting methods, vocal production, and sound design. Matt shared how he manages to overcome creative challenges in himself and his students. Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube Show Notes: Yasei Mare - https://yaseimaremusic.com/ EP Two by Yasei Mare - https://yaseimare.bandcamp.com/album/ep-two Matt's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/matthewsounds/?hl=en Steeple Street Music Academy - https://steeplestreetmusic.com/ Matt's Other Musical Projects - https://matthewpatrei.bandcamp.com/ Adam Rokhsar - https://www.instagram.com/aesthetic_candy/ Brain Candy Max for Live Device - https://aestheticcandyshop.gumroad.com/l/braincandy Jeff Tweedy How to Write One Song - https://amzn.to/3UoywVv Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc  5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book 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

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. Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube Show Notes: Rob Kovacs - https://www.robkovacsmusic.com/ Straylight Soundtrack - https://lnk.to/straylight 88-Bit - https://88bitmusic.com/ Rob's Bandcamp - https://robkovacs.bandcamp.com/ Rob YouTube's - https://www.youtube.com/@robkovacsmusic/videos Rob's Twitch - https://twitch.tv/robkovacs Famictracker - http://famitracker.com/ Megaran Insane in the Rain - https://insaneintherainmusic.bandcamp.com/album/insane-in-the-rain Long Island Retro Gaming Expo - https://liretro.com/ Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc  5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book 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

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. Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube Show Notes: Official Site - https://www.abstractionmusic.com/ Ben's Twitter - https://twitter.com/ben_burnes Ben's Gumroad -https://gumroad.com/ben_burnes Ben's Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/ben_burnes Ben's Patreon - https://patreon.com/ben_burnes Ben's YouTube - http://youtube.com/ben_burnes Ben's Spotify - http://abstraction.rocks/ Playlist of all Two Hour Track Challenge (finished songs) - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW08UHPY2AEr3wGlMfheNxj_Kri3h8HJy Playlist of all Two Hour Track Challenge (full production) - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW08UHPY2AEq9MvNNqOSpRTP4Cx92ZNId Two Hour Album Challenge Info - http://2hac.abstractionmusic.com/ Two Hour Album Challenge Music - https://2hac.bandcamp.com/ Jalapeno Hot Chocolate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yicGnzyst4s&list=PLW08UHPY2AEr3wGlMfheNxj_Kri3h8HJy&index=4 Geomorphology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64Y7uYJ5sMw&list=PLW08UHPY2AEr3wGlMfheNxj_Kri3h8HJy&index=3 Petrified Wood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvmgNsO8yxM&list=PLW08UHPY2AEr3wGlMfheNxj_Kri3h8HJy&index=25 The Moon Seems Unaffected: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTnRhMYlN3Q&list=PLW08UHPY2AEolvJeORMO1jAcUFy3gRuXk Ben's First Appearance on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2017/3/28/9-ben-burnes Ben's Second Appearance on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2019/10/9/ben-burnes-wisdom-on-200-2-hour-track-challenges-music-production-podcast-131 Ben's Third Appearance on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/ben-burnes-3 Composer Quest - https://www.charliemccarron.com/composer-quest/ Disasterpeace - http://disasterpeace.com/ Tom Cosm - https://www.cosm.co.nz/ Mr. Bill - https://mrbillstunes.com/ Adam Rokhsar's Aesthetic Candy - https://www.instagram.com/aesthetic_candy/?hl=en Brain Candy Max for Live Video Device - https://aestheticcandyshop.gumroad.com/l/braincandy Alex Walker / Human Synthetics on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/alex-walker Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc  5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book 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  

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. Listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or watch on YouTube Show Notes: Matthew Dicks Website - https://matthewdicks.com/ Someday is Today - https://matthewdicks.com/someday-is-today/ Storyworthy - https://matthewdicks.com/storyworthy/ Matthew's Blog - https://matthewdicks.com/blog/ Matthew's Coaching and Consulting - https://matthewdicks.com/coaching-consulting/ Homework for Life - https://matthewdicks.com/homework-for-life/ "This is Going to Suck" -https://themoth.org/stories/this-is-going-to-suck TED Talk "You Are Your Best Audience" - https://matthewdicks.com/tedx-cornell-university-you-are-your-best-audience/ Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc  5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book 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  

Cameron of Venus Theory, a musician, sound designer, and YouTuber, shares his artistic philosophy and career as an independent artist. They discuss creating high-quality videos, embracing unique skills, and the value of independent work. They explore the power and responsibility in creative work, the importance of autonomy, and overcoming distractions. They also discuss challenges in time management for freelancers and prioritizing creative vision. The chapter delves into creating effective YouTube videos and the frustrations of the creative process.