Take a moment to envision your life five years from now. What do you see?

Will it be a continuation of the same old routine, or can you imagine yourself having released your own Rock Albums, with your music available everywhere? How about having your very own Artist Youtube Channel, along with selling your music on various platforms and generating a side income?

Believe it or not, this is a real possibility for you.

When my band went on an indefinite hiatus after the birth of my first son, I thought that my days of creating music were over. I believed that being a responsible adult and a father meant putting my dreams of becoming a rock star to rest.

I convinced myself that if I hadn’t made a living from music by now, it was time to let go and accept that it was just a dream.

But I was mistaken. As soon as I started writing music again and discovered the potential of selling music online through music libraries, I realised that music was an essential part of my life. It didn’t matter where my music ended up, what mattered was that I was actively creating and sharing it.

For me, it became a form of therapy, a soul-nourishing experience. And I urge anyone who even remotely considers the possibility of getting into music or reigniting their passion to take that leap.

Dust off those guitars, ignite your creativity, and give it a go. Remember, I’m here to help and support you every step of the way.

If you have any questions or need guidance, simply hit reply or click the button below. Let’s embark on this musical journey together.

Common Mistake: The Volume Trap

One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting out with their music creations is cranking up the volume too loud on their monitors or headphones.

We all love to turn it up to 11, especially us metalheads, but this habit can sabotage our studio work.

You’ve probably heard stories of musicians who couldn’t understand why their mix sounded massive and powerful in the studio, only to discover it sounded weak and underwhelming in other environments, like their car.

The main culprit behind this disparity is mixing at excessively loud levels.

To truly hear what’s happening in your mix, it’s crucial to turn down the volume to a low level. Give your ears the opportunity to perceive the nuances.

This is the number one tip that every producer swears by to ensure their mix is spot-on.

Bonus Tip: Switch to Mono

As an additional technique, consider switching your mix to mono from time to time during the mixing process. This helps you evaluate the balance of your mix as a whole.

By implementing these practices, you’ll gain greater control over your mix and ensure it translates well across different listening environments.

Keep up the rockin’ work!

Riff Of The Week

All The Small Things – Blink182

If you want an example of how affective just 3 chords can be.. look no further.

This songs opening riff stands out as the immediately recognisable and loved track that it is.

It stands out and there is no mistaking it.  However there are only 3 chords used.

In fact the same 3 chords are used throughout the entire track and this song uses those chord in 4 different way as the song progresses.

The magic is that each part of the track sounds different to the next even through still maintaining a pleasing flow with the same 3 chords.

There is however 1 small difference with the first opening riff, and that is the unusual positioning of the second chord which is an F power chord played at the 3rd fret.  The quick move to the 6th fret on the B string really stands out in the riff making all the difference.

A simple song with a simple riff… but one of the biggest.

Go and have a listen…

Podcast Episode I’m Listening To

“The Eddie Trunk Podcast – Jason Newsted”

This is nostalgia for me, anyone that knows me well knows that I am a big Metallica fan and spent much of my teenage years listening to , learning and watching as much Metallica as I could find.

This episode just takes me back as I listen to Jason’s voice and the deep thought he puts into his words.

It saddens me slightly to hear of a missunderstanding regarding something that had been said and taken out of context while off record regarding the late and most awesome Eddie Van Halen, however you can hear the upset in Jason’s words as he speaks only of love about his hero.

Jason also speaks very highly of his old bandmates and talks about how he is still very much on contact with Lars.

Jason also answers that he and Robert Trujillo have never actually compared notes on how the bass is played on the older tracks that Jason had written for Metallica.

All in all, a decent listen.  I have left the link below.

A Thought-Provoking Quote

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

Pablo Picasso

Thanks again for joining us

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