Here are the class outlines:


BEGINNER * (3) 2 hour classes ($150)

Class 1

Introductions, discuss handout sheets, functions of music producer, engineer, audio concepts.

Class 2

Listen to audio examples and discuss production/ engineering and different styles of recording and mixing. Introduce students to ear training.

Class 3

Continue with audio training, discuss arranging, song structure. Discuss studio design and construction, acoustics, sound proofing. Explain architecture of computer with emphasis on partitioning, Internet firewall, BKUP, firewire, and USB.

INTERMEDIATE * (3) 2 hour classes ($150)

Class 1

Open computer, explain design, operation and how to perform simple modifications and repairs. Explain studio hardware setup and connections.

Class 2

Digital audio recording software. How it works, features, plug-ins, set up, MIDI.

Class 3

Show digital audio software applications.

ADVANCED 1 * (3) 2 hour classes ($150)

Class 1

Sequence a song from scratch. Explain methodology and techniques.

Class 2

Mix sequenced song from previous class, start mixing on a full track. Explain mix concepts.

Class 3

Finish mix, discuss mastering, CD finalizing.

ADVANCED 2 * Hands-on mixing sessions

You can choose to take as many advanced classes as you wish. These classes will allow you to mix a song while receiving helpful feedback. These classes are one on one individual instruction. After the mix is done in the first Advanced 2 class, you'll be shown how to master the mix and how to make a CD you can send to a manufacturer. Additional classes will be mixing only at $40 per hour.

1 class- $120 (1) 3 hour class (2 hour mix, then mastering, finalizing)

Additional mix sessions will be at $40 per hour for as many hours and sessions you desire.

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RECORDING TIPS

In this section, Dave talks about different aspects of recording. This section will be updated periodically, so, check in from time to time.

MUSICIANSHIP

Your level of musicianship, whether it is instrumental, vocal, or both, will directly affect how your music is conveyed to others. It is not necessary to play piano like Mozart or to sing like Mariah Carey in order to be musically successful, although the more proficient you are, the more possibilities you’ll have. How well you play or sing will directly affect how you will gel with other musicians, and therefore, how frustrating or rewarding that kind of experience will be. A certain amount of musical ability will also help you when composing music, as well as live performance, and especially in the recording studio. Here are a few concepts and techniques to help you on your way to better musicianship.

Vocal and instruments

Rule #1 is that you will get out of it what you put in to it. Everyone has a different learning curve, but for the most part, someone who practices 3 hours a day will be a better musician than someone who practices ½ hour per day. This part is entirely up to you and your desire to become a better musician. There are millions of musicians out there just like yourself who are trying to do the same thing, and if you don’t put in the extra effort and strive for greatness, then you will most likely get lost in the crowd.
There are many instances of self-taught musicians becoming famous, but it is highly recommended that you have some sort of instruction in order to learn the correct techniques that will give you the consistency needed to advance to higher levels of accomplishment. Many well-known pop and rock musicians are classically trained. They utilize classical exercises to warm up and keep their technique fluid. It is always more desirable to be a better player than the type of music you play so that you can play it perfectly every time. Learn to play or sing music perfectly before moving on to faster or more difficult passages because if you can’t do it then, you won’t do it right every time later. This especially holds true in the recording studio where your musicianship is under a microscope. Many players rack up lots of studio time trying to play or sing music that is just too hard for them.

Practice

Discipline yourself to practice the things that are hardest for you to do and not to just play or sing your favorite sections. Actually, you can split up your practice time into sections. For example, if you only have 1 ½ hours a day to practice, do scales and technical exercises for the first ½ hour, learn something new in the second ½ hour, and practice the songs you already know in the last ½ hour and have fun. If you have more time, practice for 45 minutes, than take 15 minutes off, and you’ll be able to practice for hours. Continue to challenge yourself and experiment, but save those times for practice or when jamming with other musicians so that when people hear you perform, they’ll be hearing you doing the things you do best.

Timing

A very important element of good musicianship is timing. If your timing is not good, not only will it affect how you play with other musicians, but you will become extremely frustrated in the studio and waste a lot of time (time=money in the studio). The best way to check your timing is with a metronome or drum machine. It’s important that as you play along with the timing device that you record yourself and listen back for areas where you speed up or slow down. It may even seem like the drum machine or metronome is changing speeds at times, but be assured the shift you hear is your playing.
Using this technique is a good way to master a fast or difficult passage by practicing it at a slower tempo than the actual song tempo. Then, as you master it, you can gradually speed the tempo up until you get to the actual tempo of the song. Remember, don’t speed up the tempo until you can play the passage perfectly. In the same vein, if you play in a group with a live drummer, and his/her timing is off, everybody will be off because you won’t be able to follow the tempo swings- a very bad situation that is magnified 10-fold in the recording studio. I will take a drummer who lays down a solid beat any day over a drummer who likes to play flashy and goes off the beat.

Ear Training

It is not essential to know how to read music in order to perform it, but it is very helpful to know the names of the notes and chords on your instrument so you have a common language with other musicians. (However, if you want to be a professional studio musician, you’d better know how to sight-read and how to write charts quickly and accurately). Also, learning to recognize the sound of different chords will help you when trying to learn new songs, or when searching for the correct chord when composing. You can train your ear to know the difference with a little practice. Learning your favorite songs is a great way to sharpen your ear, and like anything, the more you do it the easier it gets.
Learn to listen to the different sounds and instruments that make one song sound different from another. Wearing headphones will make this easier. Once you start listening like this, you’ll never listen to music the same way. You’ll start to hear the arrangement and production of the song as a collection of different parts that contribute to the whole song.