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Music and Audio Programs
Ableton for Music Producers and Audio Engineers
For those wanting to learn Ableton Live for Electronic Music Production. Take this if you want to be a Producer.
Audio Engineering & Music Production Program
For mentees looking for a career working in a recording studio or as a freelance Music Producer or Audio Engineer.
Ableton for Music Creators and Artists
For those mentees looking to learn how to create the best original music as an artist and for placement in film and television.
Hip Hop & Beat Making
For Hip Hop mentees looking to learn how to compose and produce tracks (and beats) professionally - as Artists, Producers, or Both.
Live DJ Workshop
For those mentees looking to master the art of the turntable and digital interfaces, playing other people's music and/or original compositions in a live setting.
Live Sound Engineering Program
For those mentees looking to work as an engineer at live concert venues and at live events from arenas to clubs to halls.
Logic Pro Electronic Music Production
For mentees looking to learn then master this well known DAW for Music Producers & Artists.
Ableton Electronic Music Production
For those mentees looking to learn then master the Ableton DAW. For Music Producers & Audio Engineers.
Creator Pro Program
Complete a song and a remix in just 10 weeks. For music creators of any genre.
Music Business Program
For mentees looking to learn management, A&R (artists & repertoire), development, contracts, distribution, and all business related to music. Great for artists and executives.
Advanced Music Production & Audio Engineering Program
For mentees looking to take their foundational skills (your choice of DAW) to the expert level. Master your music production with this course.
Advanced Ableton Electronic Music Production Program
For mentees looking to master the Ableton Software, taking your music production to the expert level. Pairs well with our other Ableton Programs. Inquire about discounts when purchased together.
Music Production Program
For those mentees looking to take their music production skills to the professional level.
Reference Library
What is the Dallas Entertainment District
Stepping into an entertainment district is like stepping into a playground for the night owls, the culture seekers, and those hungry for a taste of vibrant city life. With pulsating beats, a variety of great eats, and merrymaking throughout streets, entertainment...
How to Produce Local Music Shows in Dallas
While it may not have the notoriety of Austin when it comes to live music, Dallas is still a great place to see live music. As a fan of almost any genre of music, chances are pretty good you’ll be able to find a show at some point during any given week. But maybe you...
How Much Do Music Gigs Pay in Dallas
As Bon Scott once famously yowled, it’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll. Even if you just want to carve out a nice little career in the music industry, you’ll have to pay your dues for a few years before making some reach scratch–or be prepared to...
Does Dallas Have a Music Scene
Dallas boasts a rich musical heritage and is home to a variety of music genres and venues. From country and blues to rock, hip-hop, jazz, and electronic music, Dallas offers a broad spectrum of musical experiences. The Deep Ellum neighborhood plays host to many of...
What Record Labels are in Dallas Texas
As Dallas continues to become a bigger player in the national and global music scene, record labels are becoming more and more prevalent. However, independent labels can have a lot of competition with one another–as well as major labels–and may have to focus on...
Is Dallas Known for Music?
When you think of the top cities to get your big break in the music industry, Dallas probably doesn’t crack the top two… or even top five locations. There’s a reason so many aspiring artists, audio engineers, and music producers flock to Los Angeles or New York to try...
What is the Biggest Music City in Texas
Are you looking to make a splash in the music industry? Then you probably think you need to move to either Los Angeles or New York–you might as well start at one of the entertainment hubs of the world, right? But there are plenty of other “big” cities where you can...
Is Texas the Music Capital of the World?
As humans, there’s nothing we love more than putting things on a list and then declaring, without equivocation, which one is the best. Of course, no one ever agrees which one should be at the top of the list, whether it’s the best movie, best album, or even the best...
What Music Production Studios are in Dallas
Dallas, Texas, is known for having a fairly vibrant and diverse music scene, which naturally extends to the presence of music production studios. While it may not have the same level of recognition as cities like Los Angeles, New York City, or Nashville, music...
How to Break into Dallas Music Scene
Are you ready to take on the electrifying music scene of Dallas? With a city that's as vibrant and diverse as the music within it, phishing your way into the music scene can be an exhilarating journey filled with endless opportunities. But don't let the bright lights...
How to Get DJ Gigs in New York
As a DJ, you have a passion for music from all genres and consume as much as you can. Your technical skills are rock solid and you’re ready to play small, intimate venues as well as 12,000-seat arenas. Your creativity is off the charts, mixing artists, genres,...
How to be a DJ in New York
Living as a DJ in New York City is as electrifying as the city itself. It's an ever-changing landscape where the city's pulse is the beat you mix. From the spectacular skyline to the vibrant neighborhoods, every corner of NYC pulsates with an energy that inspires you...
How to Get in the New York Music Scene
Are you a big fish in a little pond, looking to make it big in The Big Apple? Or maybe you already live in New York but are struggling to find your way in the very competitive music industry in your hometown. In either case, learning how to get into the New York music...
How to Learn About Music in New York
There’s a reason they say if you can make it there you can make it anywhere about New York. And while that’s true about hundreds of careers, trying to make it in the music industry is especially tough. There’s plenty of competition for musicians, audio engineers,...
How to Promote Your Music in New York
As a new musician on the scene, it can be difficult to build much of a following. This is true anywhere, but even more so in the competitive space that is NYC. Learning how to promote your music in New York is almost as important as the music itself. After all, people...
How to Survive as a Musician in New York
New York City is a hub for artists and musicians, but with so many talented individuals vying for the same opportunities, it's no surprise that success in the music industry can be hard to come by. On top of that, the city's notoriously high cost of living can also...
How to Become a Music Producer in New York
If you're passionate about music and love being part of the creative process, becoming a music producer may be the perfect career choice for you. And if you’re going to hit the big time, you need to be where the action is–and The Big Apple is a great place to start....
How to Get a Job as an Audio Engineer in New York
Audio engineering in New York City is a dream job for many people. The opportunity to work with top artists and produce hit records is incredibly appealing. However, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to break into the industry. There are a few key things you...
How to Make Money with Music in New York
New York offers an amazing amount of opportunities for you to make money as a musician–and everyone else that’s in the city trying to make a buck, too. As one of the biggest entertainment hubs in the world, this is where music professionals come to test their worth...
How to Break Into the Music Industry in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is an ideal location for music professionals looking to take their careers in the music industry to the next level. LA is home to iconic global recording studios, leading record labels, and top talent agents, making it a hotbed of opportunities for anyone...
Mastering the Art of Mixing: Techniques and Tools for Audio Engineers in Los Angeles
Audio engineering is an essential part of creating professional-quality music and sound for various projects. It involves setting up equipment, capturing audio, and creating the perfect balance between all the elements in a track. But if you want to be a successful...
A Beginner’s Guide to Audio Engineering: Getting Started in Los Angeles
Love music, but can’t carry a tune or play an instrument to save your life? There are still plenty of other ways to get into the music industry in Los Angeles. Through audio engineering, you can turn unremarkable music into something people will be singing to...
The Future of Audio Engineering: Trends and Technologies to Watch in Los Angeles
From cylinders covered in soft metals to digital audio workstations, the way we’ve recorded music over the past 150 years has certainly seen its fair share of changes. And the changes in consumer electronics over the past 10 years have seen an exponential...
Live Sound Engineering: Skills and Challenges for Live Sound Audio Engineers in Los Angeles
The energy in the room is electric as the lights dim and the music starts to play. There's something special about being a part of a live show that just can't be replicated in a recording studio. It takes a special audio engineer to take that studio sound and bring it...
Is LA Known for Music?
Although Los Angeles as we know it was born from the film industry, the music industry in the City of Angels is now on equal footing. The current music scene in Los Angeles is vibrant, diverse, and ever-evolving. From small dive bars to larger venues, local acts to...
Best Way to Break Into the Los Angeles Music Industry
There's no doubt that Los Angeles is one of those 'must-visit' cities if you’re looking to break into the music industry. Home to some of the world's best recording studios, record labels, and talent agents, LA is THE location for music professionals. But what is the...
Best Music School in Los Angeles
What is the Best Music School in Los Angeles? The One That Fits Your Needs Having a strong connection to the Los Angeles music industry is essential for anyone who wants to make a splash in the world of music. Attending one of the best schools in LA gives you access...
How Do I Become a Record Producer for Major Music Artists in Los Angeles
Becoming a successful music producer takes hard work, determination, and experience. Beyond learning both the technical and creative side of making music, you also need to have a nose for marketing and promotion. And If you want to become a record producer for major...
How to Become a Music Producer in Los Angeles
Being a music producer in Los Angeles seems like a pretty sweet gig. Working with the biggest names in the industry, putting the finishing touches on a platinum record, Grammy award-winning album, or that summer anthem that everyone will still be singing for years....
How to Start a Music Career in Los Angeles
Los Angeles California is the entertainment capital of the world, chock full of movie studios, recording studios, and production studios–if it has anything to do with entertainment, they have a studio for it! There can be so many opportunities for young go-getters to...
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW): What It Is and How It Works
A digital audio workstation (DAW) is software for recording, editing, mixing, and producing audio on a computer. DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation. Every modern record you hear, from bedroom pop to major-label releases, was almost certainly made inside one:...
HOW DO YOU RECORD ORIGINAL MUSIC WITH YOUR COMPUTER?
So you’ve written a great song or a piece of music, and you want to get it recorded and saved as soon as possible. Thanks to modern technology, you no longer have to wait until you have the money to record it professionally in a recording studio (or try to remember...
RECORDING TIPS – OPTIMUM MONITORING ENVIRONMENT
OPTIMUM MONITORING ENVIRONMENT Normal construction — parallel walls, sheetrock, 2×4's, plywood, insulation, hollow floors and doors, etc. — may be robbing you of the clarity and proper sound imaging that you need from your monitor speakers. Try these steps for...
RECORDING TIPS – MIKING TECHNIQUES
MICROPHONE SELECTION AND PLACEMENT Standard techniques for miking snare drums, guitars and vocals are well-documented, but sometimes unusual situations can trip you up in the studio. Here are a couple of tricks: If the drum set you're miking has six or more toms,...
Recording Tips – Hum and Buzz
This is one of the most evasive and frustrating phenomena ever to invade our workstations. Let's get rid of it! Use only one A/C "breaker" line for your workspace. No shared appliances (ie: refrigerator, washer/dryer, dishwasher). Do not "daisy-chain" power strips,...
Miking the Kick Drum
You can record a kick drum using two mics and have ultimate control of thickness and punch. Here's how: Use a mike that has a high SPL (sound pressure level) to mike the inside of the kick, close to the head. Move the mike around to get the best of the "click" of the...
CAREERS IN LIVE MUSIC
Live music is big business. The highest-grossing tours by major label artists can rake in hundreds of millions of dollars every year. The even more shocking aspect of this objective fact is that they are getting more lucrative all the time. Sure, people talk about...
How to Become a Music Producer?
What do you Need to Become a Music Producer? The role of a music producer can be one of the most exciting and creative jobs within the music industry, but it can also be one of the most hectic. If you’re serious about being a producer you need to be fully invested....
How to get a Song Professionally Recorded
Everyone, at some point in time, has dreamed of being a rockstar. Finding a massive audience for music that’s a direct reflection of who you are. Finding a platform to create artwork that’s a sincere reflection of your thoughts, opinions, and experiences. However,...
THE BEST APPROACH TO MAKING A DEMO RECORDING
If you’re an up-and-coming musician there’s only one way to get noticed. Make work. You need to be producing songs. You need to be out in the streets making connections and showing your abilities. That’s the only way to make headway within the industry. A while back,...
WHAT DOES A CONCERT AUDIO TECHNICIAN DO?
The recording industry, and the music industry in general, is much larger than anyone likes to admit. Most people think of the music industry as just musicians, bands, and maybe producers. However, in reality, there are a myriad of jobs that exist outside of those...
WHO USES ABLETON?
If you’re a person who makes music you know that Digital Audio Workstations aka DAWs are essential to your work. There’s almost no way to create music today without them. You build your beats, songs, and projects in a digital space. Sure you might play a few analog...
HOW TO MAKE MONEY AS A MUSIC ARTIST
Making money as an artist is never easy. Especially when you’re starting out, it seems like an impossibility. How do you get people to believe in you and your work… when no one believes in you or your work? How do you find a way to support yourself when all of your...
I WANT TO BE A HIP-HOP STAR
Today, Hip-Hop rules the world. It’s the dominant musical genre, produces a wide swath of America’s celebrities, and is used in everything from film soundtracks to selling soap on TV. To think just a few short decades ago, Hip-Hop and rap were viewed as a...
LIFE AS A RECORDING ENGINEER
HOW DO I BECOME A SOUND ENGINEER OR RECORDING ENGINEER? Everyone that wants to work in the music industry has to start out at the same place. Zero. They all have to start from nothing. You don’t know anyone, you don’t have the skills, and you’ve never made music. And...
Best Music Production Software for the Recording Studio
The music industry can seem impenetrable from the outside. It can appear opaque and difficult to understand. Where do you start? Where do you find out how to get your foot in the door? How do you approach building a music production career for yourself when you don’t...
WHY YOU NEED TO LEARN PRO TOOLS
If you are planning to be an audio engineer or music producer in today’s music industry, it is absolutely essential that you learn Pro Tools. With the advent of digital recording, Pro Tools has become the industry standard, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a...
WHAT DOES A RECORDING OR SOUND ENGINEER DO?
Recording engineers, like record producers are involved in the recording, editing and mixing of live audio. Many music industry hopefuls have grandiose dreams of becoming the next record producing mogul, the next Kanye or DJ Khaled. But what most people don’t consider...
WHAT IS REASON SOFTWARE?
If you’re someone who is making a name for themselves in the music industry, chances are you’ve had some experience with the software Reason. It’s digital audio workstation (DAW) software that many sound designers and electronic musicians use when creating their work....
DO YOU NEED TO LEARN LOGIC PRO TO WORK IN AUDIO?
When you’re starting out and trying to find your way in the music industry it can be intimidating. You’re always on the lookout for new tips or tricks. You’re always trying to find the best way forward for yourself. Make the right connections, learn the right...
HOW TO GET STARTED IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS
Finding your way into the music industry can seem like an impossible task from the outside. It just seems like endless cliques and good-old-boys networks, like it’s extremely difficult to find a way in. You’ve been obsessed with music, ever since you were a kid....
WHAT IS A STUDIO MUSICIAN
Studio musicians have existed since the beginning of the music industry. Also sometimes referred to as session musicians or session players, they’re a hired hand musicians who play the instruments on various albums or compositions of other artists. It boils down to...
HOW TO BE IN DEMAND AS AN AUDIO ENGINEER
The music industry has evolved considerably over the past few years. Previously, the only way to get your record recorded and mixed properly was to go to a producer and work with them in an actual studio. Today? That’s just one of many ways music is created. With the...
MUSIC AS A BUSINESS
The music industry can be a cruel and unforgiving master. It can give you stability and comfort one year, and it can take it all away the next. However, if you play the game right, make the right connections, and plan correctly, you can have a long and fruitful...
DO YOU NEED AUDIO ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIPS?
With every passing day, it feels like the costs associated with going to school go up. Every class gets more and more expensive. If you’re aiming to study music production that begs the question how do you pay for it? How do you afford to go to school to pursue your...
HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH A HOME RECORDING STUDIO
Home studios, today, are becoming so popular that nearly every serious musician has at least some type of recording equipment within their home. For the amateur music producer or artist, these “studios” have saved them a great deal of money. The problem is that it’s...
CHOOSING THE RIGHT MICROPHONE
When you’re staring out in the music industry there are a myriad of questions that you’ll have to answer. These questions might seem self explanatory, and simple, but in reality they can dictate a lot about both the individual job you’re on and the trajectory of your...
PROS AND CONS OF RECORDING SCHOOL
If you’re considering becoming an audio engineer or recording engineer, you’re probably thinking about attending university for audio engineering. Enrolling in recording school is a definite path forward. It’s absolutely something that a lot of people who end up...
MAKING MUSIC FOR FILM AND TELEVISION
These days every creative person has to be an entrepreneur. You have to be thinking about how to monetize whatever artform you make, in any way possible. Sure, it helps if you have a dedicated fan base online that buys whatever you put out. But there’s something to...
HOW TO START UP YOUR OWN BUSINESS IN MUSIC
Creative people have been conditioned to view success as working in a hierarchical or corporate structure. It’s something easily recognizable by those in our lives. It’s a concrete example of demonstrable ability. Music, for example, is a career that can be long and...
WHAT DOES AN AUDIO ENGINEER DO?
Music is an art form that’s as ethereal as it is omnipresent in our culture. For people not involved directly in the production and creation of music it’s something that can appear mysterious and impenetrable. But there are multiple roles within the music production...
Do you need a Degree to be an Audio Engineer?
Music is becoming more democratized by the day. Home recording setups, auditions, pro tools, and a myriad of other programs are allowing people from all walks of life to have access to the formerly illusive world of audio recording and music production. However,...
HOW TO GET AN AUDIO ENGINEER CERTIFICATION
Are you lost? Looking for direction? Looking for a way into the music industry? Have you been daydreaming of working in music studios and recording music since you were a kid? Well, there’s only one solution: You need to become an audio engineer. There are several...
How Much Does a Music Studio Cost to Use?
Every musician is basically a start-up entrepreneur. You’re always hustling, looking for ways to make money off your music. You’re trying to pull all the pieces together to fully make your music production career a sustainable thing. And when you’re a...
Top Recording Studios in the U.S.
Because the Recording Connection trains all its mentees in real recording studios, we naturally have connections with hundreds of great studios across the United States. We pride ourselves on pairing up-and-coming recording industry professionals with currently...
TIPS FOR FINDING FINANCIAL AID THROUGH PRIVATE PROGRAMS
Getting an education can be pricey. It seems like it shouldn’t be, but it is. People go into massive amounts of debt every day in order to attempt to gain the education they need to pursue the career they have their heart set on. However, going into hundreds of...
UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT COLLEGE DEGREES IN MUSIC
The music industry can sometimes seem like a labyrinthian network of infinite possibilities. When you’re first starting out it can be very intimidating to pick a path forward. It’s hard to know who to collaborate with, which projects you should do for money or...
PLACES TO LOOK FOR A JOB IN AUDIO PRODUCTION
The music industry is a fast-paced and potentially lucrative field. However, it’s always changing and evolving. These days it feels like the industry reinvents itself every six months. From digital piracy 360 deals to NFT and Blockchain-based business models, the...
LEARNING TO BE A STUDIO ENGINEER
Making a career for yourself in a creative industry can be a daunting and intimidating challenge. Where do you start? How do you get your foot in the door? These are common concerns for young would-be professionals. The music industry is a perfect example of all of...
HOW THE INTERNET HAS CHANGED THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
The internet has completely flipped the music industry on its head. From how music is made to how it's shared, promoted, and consumed, everything has changed—often for the better. Artists today have tools and opportunities at their fingertips that were unthinkable a...
ANALOG VS DIGITAL RECORDING: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
Music, like all other art forms, is a process-oriented medium. The way you arrive at the end product determines the feeling and artifice of the end product. If you are playing a song on a real piano it’s going to feel very different than a digital keyboard. The way a...
HOW TO RECORD A SONG AT HOME
For as long as you can remember, music has been your life. You have your favorite genres, but you can appreciate the talent that goes into making good music no matter the style. And your Spotify playlists are legendary. You’ve learned a few instruments, can read and...
How Much to Rent a Music Studio?
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW MUCH IS STUDIO TIME IN A PROFESSIONAL STUDIO? To truly hone your sound and bring strength to your set, you need to work at it. And while your basement may have excellent acoustics, recording at a good recording studio is probably an...
AUDIO FOR FILM
Making movies is hard. Making movies on an indie budget is even harder. Making movies on an indie budget with good sound? That’s a herculean task that very few people accomplish. For whatever reason, having audio in a low-budget film project that’s actually good seems...
What Does a Music Producer Do?
Simply put, there’s no simple answer to the question. If the band, singers, or engineers just can’t get it together, a music producer must get involved. Getting the vibe, energy, and sound right is subjective stuff but it’s a huge part of what the producer is trying...
AUDIO FOR FILM (SOUND EFFECTS)
Audio for film can also be referred to as sound effects. In the context of motion pictures and television, sound effects refers to an entire hierarchy of sound elements, whose production encompass many different disciplines, including: Hard sound effects are common...
LIFE AS A STUDIO MUSICIAN
If you’re considering a career as a professional studio musician, you might be wondering what it entails. The truth is while life as a studio musician can be both rewarding and lucrative, it isn’t all glamor and hanging out with rock stars. Being a good studio...
PRODUCING A RECORDING PROJECT
Most people struggle and strive to get their foot in the door of the music industry, they give it years of their lives, sometimes. They push and push and push to make connections, build up a backlist of work, and find a means to make a living off of their art. This is...
DOES IT MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE IF YOU WANT A MUSIC CAREER?
The music industry seems to be everywhere these days. It seems to be in places no one expects, and also like people from all walks of life are being discovered every five seconds. Is that true? Are there really more people today being offered jobs in the music...
WHAT IS A SOUND ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN AND HOW DO I BECOME ONE?
A sound technician is essentially a creative audio engineer. They work on sound for live music concerts; they work in studios recording music, they work on soundtracks for films and video games, and they run the sound for theatre and other longer running live events...
IS MUSIC SCHOOL RIGHT FOR YOU?
The music industry can be a cutthroat place. People looking to make a name for themselves, get a leg up, and find their way into a very lucrative career path. Some people are able to accomplish this by putting their music projects online and attracting an audience....
SONGWRITING TIPS
Do you want to be the next big songwriter? Do you have a passion for writing music? Do you daydream about yourself on stage singing to a sprawling crowd of fans? Are you obsessed with the intricate art of crafting lyrics? Are you someone who spends their free time...
CHOOSING MUSIC WORTH RECORDING
If you’re a music producer or a musician trying to make a record, choosing music worth recording is nearly half the battle. There are a lot of talented musicians nowadays trying to make a living with music, and there are also a lot of recording engineers and producers...
A BALANCED PERSPECTIVE ON RECORDING SCHOOLS
If you want to be trained in audio production and music recording in order to become a producer or engineer, the different kinds of recording schools out there can be confusing. They range from full-blown degree programs at colleges and universities to short-term...
CHOOSING AMONG THE BEST AUDIO ENGINEERING SCHOOLS-A GUIDE
No doubt about it—there is a lot of confusing information about there when it comes to audio engineering schools. Not only are there plenty of differing reviews and opinions, but obviously each school claims to be the best one. How do you make sense of it all and make...
A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Making a name for yourself in any creative industry isn’t easy. It requires a lot of work, time, and effort. It requires sleepless nights, financial investment, and loads of sacrifices that no one will ever see. But that’s the cost of finding a way to make a living...
PLACES TO LOOK FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
The music industry is a fast-growing and very lucrative field. Every year it sees countless individuals jumpstarting exciting careers working as producers, audio engineers, mastering engineers, and studio musicians. It’s a vast ecosystem that has a virtual cornucopia...
CAREERS IN RECORDING
If you love music, and if you love the idea of working in a recording studio, a career in recording might be just the thing for you. The recording industry is always in need of talented professionals who can help bring music from notes on a page to a thrilling...
THE BEST WAY TO LEARN TO RECORD MUSIC
The externships/externships offered at the Recording Connection put you in a unique position to focus on the aspects of the music industry that interest you the most. If you want to be a recording engineer, what do you suppose is the best way to learn to record music?...
HOW DO RECORD LABELS TURN A PROFIT?
In an age when music can be downloaded online, music videos can be seen for free on YouTube, and social media serves up content from anyone to anyone, saying big labels have had to adjust is the understatement of the century. Record labels have had to get creative in...
WAYS TO GET YOUR RECORDING HEARD
You’ve put in the work, you’ve written great songs, you’ve practiced till your fingers bled, you’ve saved, scraped and launched crowdfunding campaigns to get the money, you’ve hired a great studio to record and mix your songs—and now you’ve finally got a top-notch...
FINDING THE RIGHT MENTOR: A GUIDE
In training to become an audio engineer or music producer, one key to having a successful career is making connections. In creative industries, it’s all about who you know. It’s all about who knows what you can do and who knows what skills you have. This might seem...
TOP 10 THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN AUDIO ENGINEERING SCHOOL
The music industry is a robust and vibrant place. It’s filled with interesting people doing weird things. It’s a place where creativity and invention reign supreme. It’s a career path that many desire but few pursue with enough gusto and verve to be truly successful....
GETTING A JOB AFTER RECORDING SCHOOL
Getting a job after recording school may be difficult, because few recording companies value a degree. Unfortunately, the music business is one where a formal education does not matter, you have to use all of your skills and resources to find alternative ways to make...
THE PROBLEM WITH AUDIO ENGINEERING SCHOOLS
If you’re dreaming of becoming a music producer or recording engineer, you might be scoping out different audio engineering schools to figure out where to get your education. If so, you’re likely to find quite a few different options. Depending on where you live,...
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Music Studio?
Building a Recording Studio Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank How much it costs to build a studio depends on what you want to get out of it. With the advent of digital music, recording studios are sometimes thought of as being industry dinosaurs. The entry-level home...
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How to Become an Audio Engineer Without a Degree
You can become an audio engineer without a degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says educational requirements for sound engineering technicians "vary from a high school diploma to a college degree, depending on the position," and puts their national median pay at...
The Power of Intention
Recording Connection graduate Collin Jacka (Sacramento, CA) completed both the Audio Engineering and Music Production program with mentor Matt Young at The Press Recording Studio (Stockton, CA) and the Advanced Audio and Music Production program with Shane Anderson at...
The Importance of Being Proactive
Since graduating from Recording Connection, Rohan Soloman (New York, NY) hasn’t wasted a minute. Over the past two years, he’s worked with music’s biggest stars like John Legend and Toni Braxton, as well as rising talents including Julia Capello of American Idol, jazz...
The Benefits of Tough Love
We recently connected with grad Zack Slippy, who, in just the past year, has gone from living a life that wasn’t fulfilling him creatively or professionally, to being someone who knows what he wants and is in the process of making it happen. Thanks to the “tough love”...
That Energy
We recently connected with Recording Connection grad Shamar Kuteyi, who, in his own words says he went from “not knowing anything about audio engineering and production” to being “ready to go” in less than one year thanks to our Audio Engineering & Music...
As Heard in Film & Television
We recently caught up with Recording Connection grad Jeff McQuilkin (New York, NY). Jeff first came to RRFC as a freelance writer and served as the co-editor and co-writer of this publication for a number of years. Seeing RRFC’s approach and just how effective it can...
The Right Track
Recording Connection graduate Andrew Marshala’s journey into a career in audio engineering and music production was anything but straight and narrow. Prior to getting hired at Castle Row Studios– the very same studios where he trained with mentor Hamza Lee in...
A Dream Accomplished
Even though he’s still in his early 20s, Vic Castaldo has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve in life. He came to Recording Connection after having spent the past five years teaching himself music production. Now, after receiving direct, hands-on instruction...
Bring The Ruckus
Miley Knox has been a hip hop lover since age 8. On the way to finding us, she’s encountered challenges ranging from unilateral vocal cord paralysis, a condition she was born with, to surviving an abusive relationship, to dealing with social anxiety. But don’t think...
Hired & Thriving
When Ian Izquierdo found Recording Connection he’d gotten to know firsthand, just how ho-hum a life of working 50-hour weeks doing work that didn’t speak to his soul could be. Circumstances out of his control made him reassess where he was going and look into taking...
How To Learn Audio Engineering Skills
What Recording Connection Mentors and Other Music Industry Pros Have To Say About The Best Way to Learn Audio Skills Audio is a skilled trade whether you are an audio engineering craftsman, an music producing genius, or an artistic electronic music performer. As...
MUSIC BUSINESS CAREER ADVICE FROM MUSIC INDUSTRY PROS
There are no shortcuts to success in the music business. The average overnight sensation spent ten years getting there. Talent, hard work, perseverance, connections, personality and the ever present being in the “right place at the right time” are prerequisites for...
We Bought A Recording Studio
Recording Connection grad Efrain Matias and his wife Destany Matias are the co-owners of Silverback Audio in Burbank, California. After graduating from Recording Connection, under mentor Bernard “IQue” Johnson in San Diego, Efrain, made his dream of studio ownership a...
Recording Royalty
Recording Connection alum, Morning Estrada, has not only worked with today’s most dynamic and prolific artists– including Rosalía, Aminé, Brandy, Trinidad James, Tech N9NE, and Jessie J– but has racked up several American Grammy nominations and a Latin Grammy win! We...
Passing the Baton
By the time Caleb Ostermann finally made the crucial decision to follow his bliss and build a professional career in music, he’d already taken a couple different educational paths, only to find he just couldn’t commit to doing something he didn’t love. But when he...
5 Steps to Maximize Acoustics in Your Home Studio
Mentor Francesco Benvenuto is a Recording Connection superstar. Working out of the largest studio in the south, this Grammy-Winning records industry heavyweight has worked with some of the biggest names in the game! Here he shares his tips and tricks to maximizing the...
Hyperpop Princess
Hyperpop artist Madge is a pioneering voice within their genre. Currently working on their second studio album, with a new EP entitled ravepack 2 soon to drop, and a collab list decorated with names like Brooke Candy and Slayyyter, this counterculture darling seems...
Los Malucos
Havana-born rapper Yosvel El Maluco has been a star since he was seven-years-old. After being hand-picked and shepherded by Louis Frank of Buena Vista Social Club and Cuban superstar X Alfonso, he went on to become one of the first rappers in Cuban history to receive...
Spreading Joy
Erin Mills is an up and coming indie folk singer/songwriter currently studying under Joey Heier at Crystal Clear Recording Studio and Video Production in Woodbury Heights, NJ. New to the program, but demonstrating a drive to learn and a strong work ethic, she landed a...
The School of Hard Knocks
G.W. Childs IV has enjoyed a stellar career in audio. As owner of Cloudland Recording Studio in Fort Worth, TX, he works with some of the biggest names in the game, including Gearbox, Lucasfilm and Reason Studios, Macprovideo, Ableton, and Korg. His recent album,...
Wanna Make Beats? Everything You Need to Get Started and Make Money
So, you wanna make beats? Whether it's for hip-hop, pop, or something unique, beat-making is one of the coolest ways to express yourself and potentially make some serious cash. Here, we break down everything you need to know about making beats: from equipment and...
How to Make Money from Your Music: 27 Ways to Keep the Cash Flowing
Making money from music isn't just about being talented—it's about being clever, resourceful, and sometimes a bit ruthless. Here are 27 ways you can monetize your music, ranked by potential revenue, degree of difficulty, and complete with practical tips to help you...
Top 10 Audio Schools in the U.S. – A Complete Guide for Aspiring Music Professionals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCRl8iAA7zM Executive Summary The music industry is constantly evolving and demands professionals skilled in the latest technologies and creative trends. Whether your interest is in audio engineering, music production, live DJing, or...
Logic Pro vs. Ableton Live vs. Pro Tools: The Battle of the Top DAWs
If you're serious about making music, you've probably heard of Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and Pro Tools. These three digital audio workstations (DAWs) are some of the most popular and powerful tools used by musicians, producers, and engineers around the world. Each one...
Mastering Your Career
Piper Payne is a mastering engineer and the owner of Physical Music Products, in Nashville, Tennessee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPqKe3B5QOg Do you remember when you first became interested in music engineering? I've been playing drums since I was in...
For the Love of Storytelling
Davy Rothbart has an enviable career as an all around storyteller. As an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, bestselling author, prolific documentarian and podcaster, founding editor of Found Magazine, and contributor to This American Life, he has situated himself at the...
The 5 WORST and BEST Ways to Learn How to DJ
By Mark Laurell Worst: Relying Solely On Yourself You can’t possibly learn everything you need to know on your own. You can’t objectively critique yourself. You won’t always see what you're missing. Instead of going it fully alone, try…...
From Seattle With Confidence
Ann Fang recently graduated from the Audio Recording program as an international mentee. Since graduating, her mentor, Ken Fordyce, has offered her a job at his Seattle studio, and she has recently finished her first fully polished professional EP. I sat down with...
An Open Door
Sean Giovanni is a sonic storyteller and the owner of The Record Shop recording studio, in Nashville, Tennessee. When did you first fall in love with music? I was seven years old and my elementary school had an art contest. They had a variety of categories you could...
Little Did We Know…
We knew Emily Stamer, aka Luci, before she had played with Excision, Yheti, Shlump, Riot Ten, WOOLI, Trampa, Liquid Stranger, G-REX, The Widdler, Digital Ethos, or Conrank. Before her name had lit up the bright marquees of Thunderdome, Zen Awakening, Fractal Beach,...
Prayed Time Off
Since completing Recording Connection, London Elixir has made big moves. Leaving behind a lucrative career in Computer Science, she decided to follow her passion and fully commit to music. Now, she’s living in Atlanta, thriving as a music producer and entrepreneur,...
The 6 Worst Mistakes People Make in Choosing an Audio Engineering School
By Mark Laurell Choosing An Audio Engineering School Based Off A Big Name Instead Of Merit We all fall into this trap, thinking that the fanciest name will be the best choice for us, but most of the time, it’s just not true. If you’re really passionate about music,...
Platinum or Nothing
When Ramy Morales enrolled in Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production, he was sure about one thing: He wanted to make music. Then he did something so many others fail at doing: He committed to his passion and started putting in serious work....
Learning Through Mistakes
Daniel Bacigalupi is a mastering engineer at Infrasonic, in Nashville, Tennessee. Can you tell us a bit about your background? I grew up in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota, in a tiny little town called Pine City; 3000 people and more pine trees than people for...
Come to Life
When Ye (Kanye West) premiered his album, Donda, via livestream, from Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Recording Connection graduate Alejandro Rodriguez-Dawson, AKA Dawsøn, was the engineer capturing Ye's performance for all 5.4 million viewers. We sat down with...
The 5 Best Music Production Schools and Programs
By Mark Laurell In the dynamic world of music production, where technology meets creativity, choosing the right educational path is a pivotal decision for aspiring producers and sound engineers. This comprehensive guide dives deep into the heart of the industry,...
Now We’re Here
Since graduating Recording Connection in 2013, Ryan Venable has not only worked with major talents like Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled, Fetty Wap, Travis Scott, and Young Thug, but also racked-up four RCAA Platinum credits along the way! We recently touched base...
Independent City (Come Alive)
Casey Golden is a Recording Connection mentor who owns GoodLook Studios in Minneapolis, MN. With an already impressive career as a rapper, musician, and engineer, he recently accomplished a life-long dream of working with Nas. I sat down with Casey to chat about his...
What Famous Musicians Got Started in Dallas
What Famous Musicians are from Dallas? While Dallas may not get quite the notoriety Austin does in the music industry, it’s been the starting point for a few of the biggest names in the industry. And while many have moved on since hitting big, their Dallas roots often...
How to Audition for Dallas Summer Music Festivals
Whether you’re an up-and-coming local band or a nationally touring act, summer music festivals are a great way to play on a big stage, see new music, hang out with other musicians, and network with other industry professionals. Being a musician and scoring a spot at a...
Discover Dallas’s Best Live Music Venues: A Comprehensive Guide
As one of the largest metro areas in the U.S., Dallas has an incredible array of live music venues, giving up-and-comers and international stars alike somewhere to get on stage and perform for their fans. From intimate jazz clubs to arenas that can hold tens of...
From the Major Leagues to the Big Leagues
Barry Zito AKA Drake Holloway has enjoyed a stellar life, with an unexpected transition. After a 15-year career playing Major League baseball, he went on to follow his lifelong dream of pursuing a music career; including graduating from Recording Connection in 2022. I...
Light in the Darkness
Luke Mercurio recently completed Recording Connection with big dreams for his craft and future. I sat down with Luke to talk about art, mission, music, and his career. When did you get interested in making music? At a pretty young age I was interested in music. When I...
How to Get Your First Gig in New York City
New York City is undoubtedly one of the best places in the world for music lovers. With countless venues, diverse genres, and music fans looking for entertainment on a nightly basis, there are plenty of opportunities for established acts to find work. But if you’re...
Does New York Have a Good Music Scene
Does New York have a Good Music Scene? When you think about the different genres of music that have come out of New York, the iconic venues, and the artists, producers, and other industry luminaries that call the Big Apple home, how can the answer be anything other...
Choosing the Right Audio Engineering School in Los Angeles
If you're looking to pursue a career in the music industry, audio engineering is a field that can offer a great deal of job satisfaction. Of course, before you can start your journey in the industry, you will need to find a good audio engineering school. When choosing...
How to Make it in LA as a Musician
A musician is all you’ve ever wanted to be, playing the music that everyone wants to listen to. You've written the songs, play the instruments, and have a great voice. You’ve played in local venues and people really seem to dig what you’re putting out there. You’re...
Should You Move to Los Angeles for Music Production
Los Angeles, La La Land, The City of Angels–as an (if not the) entertainment hub of the world, Los Angeles is a great place to be a music producer. The biggest names in the industry come here to work and play, movie studios need films to be scored, and recording...
Is LA or NYC Better for Musicians?
Laid back and easygoing or frenetic and fast-paced, Beach Boys or Miles Davis, Tupac or The Notorious B.I.G. There has long been a debate over which is the better city for music, and even entertainment as a whole. Is LA or NYC better for musicians? Both cities have...
Why Do So Many Musicians Live in LA?
Los Angeles is one of the biggest of big cities in the world for entertainment. From iconic film studios and well-known recording studios, Los Angeles has something to offer everyone. Sunny skies and sandy beaches don't hurt matters, either. So it’s not difficult to...
Is It Hard to Become a Hollywood Music Producer?
It can be hard to make it in the music industry, especially if you want to become a music producer. While it may not have the same level of competition as other music professions, such as an audio engineer, it requires mastering a wide array of skills. So, is it hard...
Navigating the Music Industry in Los Angeles: Insights for Audio Engineers
Navigating the music industry in Los Angeles as an audio engineer can be quite rewarding, working with established stars and “the next big thing” from one day to the next. While there is no one way to make it to the top of the field, there are certain steps you can...
How to Become a DJ in Los Angeles
Are you dreaming of being a live DJ in Los Angeles? Are you passionate about music and inspired by the idea of mixing it live for an audience? From getting to showcase your skills in venues around the world to creating sets for different cultures, you want to be on...
New Kid on the Block
Jennifer Pyken is a music supervisor, television royalty, and a brand new Recording Connection mentor. She has overseen the music for dozens of movies and over 1,000 episodes of television. She’s a Primetime Emmy Award nominee and Guild of Music Supervisors award...
In Search of True Artists
Ari Judah graduated from Recording Connection in 2011, and has spent the last 12 years amassing an impressive career. Multiple platinum records, a Latin Grammy nomination, and a new state-of-the-art studio in Los Angeles are all jewels in his ever-growing crown. I sat...
Sound of Emotion
Gregory Wilson is a D.C.-based audio designer and technician who recently completed Recording Connection and currently serves as a member of their Program Advisory Committee. His optimism, positive attitude, and talent is propelling him towards his dream career in...
We’ve All Got The Dream
Donny Baker is the studio manager, lead tech, and mix engineer for ES Audio Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Under his guidance, the studio has garnered multiple gold and platinum records, an Emmy (2009), and recently, a Grammy (2022). Additionally, he has been a...
Recording Connection at The 2023 NAMM Show
Whether you're a beginner or professional, The NAMM Show brings the latest and greatest from all corners of music tech together for one unforgettable event. Attendees can expect to interact and network with industry experts and stars, hear the newest sounds released...
Bass Drop Brothers
Sam Zulfer (Producer Names: BigSammyZ and SjZ) and Brandt Krezenski (Producer Name: Stoic) are a Mentee Facilitator and Mentee in the Ableton Electronic Music Course, who have begun collaborating with each other over the past few months on a set of projects. I sat...
How to Use Logic Pro X for Hip Hop
Music production technology has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade or two, giving anyone who wants to produce their own music the power to do so on a relatively tight budget. You can even download a free app onto your phone and begin making music in a...
How To Mute A Track In Ableton
Digital audio workstations(DAW) have made it much easier for people to produce their own music and help give birth to a wide range of different genres and subgenres. While there are a number of DAWs to choose from, there are a few that have positioned themselves as...
What is Audio Production?
What is audio production if not both a creative endeavor and a technical undertaking? On the one hand, you have to have a feel for the music, vibe with the artist, and know when to just let things be. But you also have to understand how the software works to fix...
What Is Mixing In Music Production?
When music, or any sound really, started being recorded, there was one track. Whether it was one person or one hundred, everybody got together and played their part and they had to get it in one take. Ah, the joys of one-track recording–and wasted recording materials...
Is Music Production a Good Major?
As anybody nears the end of their high school academic career, it’s a popular question: What are you going to major in when you go to college? Depending on what you want to do with your life, choosing the right major is the first big step to attaining your career...
What is Resonance in Music Production?
Resonance is what happens when a consistent force is applied to an object, causing vibrations that match the natural vibration of the object. We’ll try not to turn this blog into a science class, but vibrations cause sound waves. Maybe you’ve seen someone wet the tip...
What Is Panning In Music Production
When you’re at a live show, it’s pretty easy to discern where the sound is coming from certain points of the audience. There are visual cues of course–you can see the singers and different instruments on stage. But your ears are also taking in the music from the...
MIX ONLINE MAGAZINE ASKS HOW WE DO IT
Recording Radio Film Connection (RRFC) was recently interviewed by Mix Online and asked to provide some in-depth answers about what got the program started, the 3-tier interviewing process for new applicants, and the opportunities it enables hardworking individuals to...
NHL HOCKEY STAR MIKA ZIBANEJAD IS A MENTEE AT THE RECORDING CONNECTION.
Mika Zibanejad is well known in the world of hockey as a rising star. Originally hailing from Sweden, Zibanejad scored the winning goal for his home country in the gold medal round in the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships against Russia, and today, he plays...
ONE-ON-ONE LEARNING WITH THE RECORDING CONNECTION
What is it—and why is it so important? Classrooms are great for learning some things, but for other things—not so much. At the Recording Connection, we don’t “do” classrooms—we do one-on-one learning. In other words, you won’t be studying with a bunch of other mentees...
PRODUCER FOR JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, MIKE JOHNSON, IS A RECORDING CONNECTION MENTOR
MORE ON MIKE JOHNSON – MUSIC PRODUCER / RECORDING CONNECTION TEACHER This is Mike’s recording studio, and your classroom with the Recording Connection, the only program that gets you in the door of a Real Recording Studio as an extern. Mike Johnson is one of our most...
RECORDING CONNECTION MENTOR DON ZIENTARA FEATURED IN FOO FIGHTERS’ SONIC HIGHWAYS ON HBO
Don Zientara, mentor with Recording Connection for more than ten years and well-known producer, engineer and studio owner has just been featured in the HBO documentary series Foo Fighter’s Sonic Highways, hosted by Foo Fighters’ frontman Dave Grohl. Since the early...
RECORDING CONNECTION PARTNERS WITH PENSADO’S PLACE
Learning the tricks of the trade through conversations with the pros! Think about some of your favorite producers, engineers and innovators in the recording industry—people like Jack Joseph Puig, Raphael Saadiq, Jay Baumgardner, Rupert Neve. What would it be like to...
MIDI FX IN LOGIC PRO X
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: We look into Logic Pro X’s music instruments through the new MIDI effects panel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ8VQfCfWOI
ABOUT OUR MENTORS / INSTRUCTORS
Many traditional recording schools claim that if you enroll with them, you’ll be learning from a working professional. But are these teachers really “working” in the recording business, or are they “working as teachers?” We have nothing against full-time teachers;...
Music Industry Networking
It can be incredibly difficult to get your “big break” in the music industry. Even as technology has made it more accessible to produce and distribute your music, it’s a crowded marketplace with a lot of competition whether you’re performing, engineering, or producing...
A REAL ONLINE MUSIC PRODUCTION SCHOOL
REMOTE ONLINE LEARNING WITH RECORDING CONNECTION The Recording Connection offers something no “name” 4-year university or audio engineering and music production trade school can. From day one, you’ll be placed in a professional recording studio and receive one-on-one...
How Long to Learn Ableton
As they say, practice makes perfect. But just how much practice do you need to become proficient with Ableton? As with any digital audio workstation (DAW), musical instrument, or every other tool in the recording studio, how long to learn Ableton depends on how much...
DIDO “GIRL WHO GOT AWAY” – ALBUM REVIEW
Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited (2013) Let no one say that Dido hasn’t found a niche in the electronic pop market. When you listen to a Dido song, you pretty much know what to expect: understated, melancholy, sleepy vocals set over a mid-tempo or down-tempo blend...
How to Sample in Ableton
Generally speaking, most digital audio workstations (DAWs) share many similarities (stages, drum samples, piano rolls, equalizers, and so on), but there are enough nuances to make Ableton, Logic Pro, and Pro Tools just different enough. Depending on the version you’re...
How To Record Automation In Ableton
Most digital audio workstations (DAWs) use automation to automatically control parameters on a session or arrangement view of a song. This could be the volume, faders, filters, or any other installed or third-party plug-in. Automation is often used to keep a track...
INTRODUCING: ROBIN SCHULZ
A husky-voiced soul ballad from Holland’s answer to John Legend and a twee folk-pop ditty from a little-known French-Israeli duo wouldn’t appear the most obvious candidates to become the two biggest dance anthems of 2014. But thanks to their sun-kissed remixes from...
What Is a Plugger in the Music Industry?
It wasn’t too long ago that artists or songwriters need to jump through several hoops to get their music picked up by a label or radio station to get their music heard. Or they would just sell their tapes or CDs out of the back of their car before and after shows....
How to Start a Music Production Company
The best way to learn how to start a music production company, or any company at all, is to realize it’s more than just the product or service you’re offering. That certainly plays a part in it–if you’re operating a taco truck, you better know how to make tacos. In...
KELLIE PICKLER “THE WOMAN I AM” –ALBUM REVIEW
Black River Entertainment (2013) Despite her good looks, an endearing personality, a captivating story to tell, and the open embrace of the country music community, it seems like Kellie Pickler has always flown somewhere in the middle of the flock, barely visible....
DJ KHALED “SUFFERING FROM SUCCESS” –ALBUM REVIEW
Cash Money Records (2013) DJ Khaled is the consummate merchant of posse cut whose deal with Cash Money Records revolves around his superior ability to get as many popular singers and rappers on the same track as possible. He has branded himself so well in this lane...
COACHELLA 2013 BANDS TO WATCH FOR: LITTLE GREEN CARS
As Coachella 2013 approaches (April 12-14 and April 19-21 in Indio, California), we thought it would be a good idea to profile some of the acts slated to perform on one or both weekends—and not just the bands everyone knows, but some of the up-and-comers that you...
How to Get DJ Gigs
Nothing beats the shot of adrenaline you get when standing on stage as a DJ. Getting the people dancing, cheerings, and, most important, getting them coming back for more. A packed house night after night shows you have what it takes to make it as a DJ. And it shows...
SKILLET “RISE” AGAIN WITH POWERFUL NEW ALBUM (REVIEW)
Atlantic (2013) Let’s start by saying that hard rock band Skillet are an anomaly. It is not that uncommon these days for people of faith to form bands who succeed in the mainstream, but it is a rarity for a band to find mainstream success while being notably outspoken...
What Are the Four Elements of Hip Hop?
Born in a South Bronx house party in the early 70s, Hip Hop is now a dominant force of nature in the music industry. Permeating almost every other popular genre, musical elements of hip hop and electronic dance music can be found in pop, rock, alternative, and even...
How to Slice Audio in Ableton?
The advent of digital audio workstations (DAWs) has given rise to more do-it-yourself audio engineers and music producers than ever before. The ability to create music from scratch, produce beats, import instruments, and work with samples with relative ease has given...
Is Audio Engineering a Good Career to Pursue?
Audio Engineering Career Opportunities The ability to organize a session, operate the recording gear, work with others, and understand technical aspects of recording gives an audio engineer a lot of opportunities in several fields. There are obvious positions at music...
LECRAE “ANOMALY” – ALBUM REVIEW
Okay, guilty as charged. I had never heard of the superbly talented spit-fire Christian rapper Lecrae, but after listening to his album, I wonder how I missed this boat (being a Christian and all!). Well, wait, I know how. Some “Christian rappers” fall into the...
ACE HOOD “TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS” –ALBUM REVIEW
Disenchanted with his Def Jam debut album sales, Ace Hood was telling interviewers that he contemplated quitting rap. He probably wouldn’t be missed. The South Florida upstart didn’t get much traction in terms of album sales despite having charting hits in “I’m So...
BIG & RICH “HILLBILLY JEDI”: ALBUM REVIEW
Warner Bros. (2012) “Did you miss me? Well I ain’t been gone / I been makin’ little babies, I been writin’ big songs.” With these lyrics on “Born Again,” the opening track on Hillbilly Jedi, Big & Rich speak directly to their audience to announce their, um,...
MARNIE “CRYSTAL WORLD” – ALBUM REVIEW
Self-released/PledgeMusic (2013) Co-producing with bandmate Daniel Hunt and featuring several numbers originally written with her day job in mind, Ladytron lead vocalist Helen Marnie doesn’t appear too concerned about making any giant leaps with her solo debut...
How to Network in the Music Industry?
It can be incredibly difficult to get your “big break” in the music industry. Even as technology has made it more accessible to produce and distribute your music, it’s a crowded marketplace with a lot of competition whether you’re performing, engineering, or producing...
LOS “BECOMING KING” (MIXTAPE REVIEW)
Bad Boy Records (2013) One good quality about Bad Boy Records is that the Diddy-helmed label has managed to reinvent itself over the years, constantly rejuvenating itself with new talent. Evidently, it’s part of Diddy’s business model. The problem with this approach...
TOVE LO “QUEEN OF THE CLOUDS” – ALBUM REVIEW
Universal (2014) The latest chanteuse to emerge from the hotbed of electro-pop that is Scandinavia, Tove Lo has managed to stand out from the crowd by positioning herself as the kind of wild child you might be a little reluctant to take home to mum–a reputation which...
ROCK REWIND: THE BLACK CROWES “HARD TO HANDLE”
Right around the time that 80s rock and New Wave were giving way to the rise of urban music on the Top 40, Atlanta southern rock outfit The Black Crowes came on the scene to remind us that straight-up rock & roll was still a force to be reckoned with. Their...
Audio Engineering Training in the Recording Studio
For decades Recording Connection has been giving mentees an alternative way to learn about and prepare for a career in audio engineering, music production, and other aspects of the music industry. We felt the traditional way of learning about the industry didn’t truly...
THE MIMO INTERVIEW: LUCY SCHWARTZ TALKS ABOUT “TIMEKEEPER”
For being a young indie artist, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Lucy Schwartz has certainly made the rounds. At age 23, she’s already had dozens of song placements in film and television (most recently her song “Boomerang” on the Season 4 finale of Arrested...
THE MIMO INTERVIEW: BLUE OCTOBER
For over a decade and a half, Texas-based alternative rock act Blue October have been steadily building a solid fan base and a reputation for making great music. Their first big foray into the spotlight came in 2006 with their Platinum-selling album Foiled and their...
ERIC CHURCH “THE OUTSIDERS” –ALBUM REVIEW
EMI Records Nashville (2014) Despite his previous album Chief going Platinum and scoring top hits like “Springsteen” and “Drink In My Hand,” it seems as though Eric Church has continued to skirt the edges of country superstardom, fighting to be seen past the huge...
BILLY CURRINGTON “WE ARE TONIGHT” –ALBUM REVIEW
Over the years, quite present in the Nashville scene but frequently flying just under the radar, Billy Currington has established a niche for himself as a solid country singer-songwriter with just a touch of blue-eyed soul. With the release of We Are Tonight,...
HARDWELL ‘UNITED WE ARE’ – ALBUM REVIEW
Revealed (2015) With a full-length documentary film, five compilations and a sell-out tour under his belt, not to mention his two consecutive placings at the top of DJ Mag’s prestigious Top 100 poll, Dutchman Hardwell had already established his superstar status way...
ABOUT US
Music Is My Oxygen (MIMO) is an online music news site featuring the latest info on your favorite musical artists. From chart-toppers to up-and-comers, from pop/rock to hip hop, from country to indie-even music industry news and helpful hints for DIY artists—you’ll...
MACKLEMORE AND RYAN LEWIS, “THE HEIST” – ALBUM REVIEW
Macklemore LLC (2012) Those critical of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s debut LP The Heist (a minority opinion, so it seems) have pointed out that the duo’s style more closely resembles pop than hip-hop, which might be true, but does almost nothing to change the fact...
PISTOL ANNIES “ANNIE UP” (ALBUM REVIEW)
Sony Music Entertainment (2013) When you think about it, it would be difficult to lose with a combination like Pistol Annies. Three beautiful country girls loaded with sass and attitude, and voices to match—including the better half of country’s reigning power couple,...
ROCK REWIND: OASIS “WONDERWALL”
Rock/Britpop band Oasis are one of those bands whose legacy has as much to do with the bands they have influenced as their music itself. Claiming The Beatles as their own biggest influence, Oasis came to their heyday in the mid-1990s amidst a well-publicized rivalry...
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM FOR DARIUS RUCKER WITH “TRUE BELIEVERS”
Capitol Nashville (2013) I need to start with a confession: I’ve been skeptical of Darius Rucker since he ventured into country music. I was one of those people who just didn’t get Hootie & the Blowfish (and didn’t understand that band’s success), and Rucker’s...
How to Be a DJ with a Laptop?
In the olden days (a couple of decades ago), hip hop club DJs needed to lug around two turntables, mixers, microphones, and crates of records to get the party started. Today, all you really need is a laptop, well-organized files and storage space, and the appropriate...
DAVID ARCHULETA “BEGIN.” –ALBUM REVIEW
Highway Records (2012) From his early days as a child vocal sensation on Star Search to placing second on American Idol Season 7, David Archuleta has been a pop singer we’ve watched with interest, but perhaps also a bit of disappointment. While his stellar vocals brim...
LUKE BRYAN “CRASH MY PARTY” ALBUM REVIEW
Capitol Nashville (2013) I’m just going to say this: when one of the hottest tickets in country music releases a new album, there’s an unspoken pressure put on reviewers like me to give it a free pass. After all, if that person/band is at the top of his/her/their...
Find Musicians to Collaborate With
Many of us dream of being successful artists known all over the world, but at the start, it can be a lonely endeavor. Trying to find others that share your excitement for music, and then developing chemistry that works, can be a tall order for anyone. Musicians used...
NIPSEY HUSSLE “CRENSHAW”–MIXTAPE REVIEW
All Money In (2013) It definitely feels like a renaissance – or a deluge, depending on how you look at it – for Los Angeles rappers these days. With a new Game mixtape releasing out of the blue and Dom Kennedy’s highly anticipated album Get Home Safely dropping this...
SHERYL CROW DIVES HEADLONG INTO COUNTRY WITH “FEELS LIKE HOME”
Warner Music Nashville (2013) Surprise, surprise. Roots-rocker Sheryl Crow has been maintaining an ongoing flirtation with the country scene for years—you know, hanging out in Nashville, showing up on country music awards shows, collaborating with country stars, etc.,...
JAKE OWEN “DAYS OF GOLD” –ALBUM REVIEW
Sony Music Entertainment (2013) The third time was apparently the charm for Jake Owen and his rock-tinged style of country. After two modest releases, 2011’s Barefoot Blue Jean Night struck a chord (pun intended) with country fans, scoring Owen his first number-one...
JASON ALDEAN “NIGHT TRAIN”: ALBUM REVIEW
Broken Bow (2012) Country superstar Jason Aldean has never been one to shirk from risk-taking, and taking a first listen to his upcoming release Night Train (due out next week), it’s obvious that he’s not planning to curb that trend anytime soon. Let’s face it:...
What is the Difference Between Audio Engineering and Music Production?
An artist or a band may think they have a hit on their hands–audio engineers and music producers do their very best to make sure they do. They come together to ensure an artist or band sounds as good as possible, during the process of tracking or professional...
CHRIS BIGGIN, DALLAS, TX
As a keen musician and “wannabee” producer, I’ve always been desperate to get hand on in a professional studio. For me, being part of the creative and that all important “cog” in the proverbial recording wheel is something I have always aspired to be. I decided to...
How to Learn a New Music Genre?
When you first begin to really listen to music, chances are you were drawn to one particular musical style. Whether it was hip hop, EDM, or country and western music, there was something about that type of music that really spoke to you. Maybe your love of metal, hip...
How to Record in Ableton?
The rise of digital audio workstations (DAWs) has given anyone who wants to learn how to produce their own music, beats, samples, and more an outlet for their creativity. And although there are many free, demo, and enterprise options, there are a few DAWs that stand...
MOTLEY CRUE’S PRODUCER IS A PRIVATE TUTOR FOR RECORDING CONNECTION
Brian Pastoria of Harmonie Park Recording Studios in Detroit, Michigan is one of our most praised mentors. He goes out of his way to assist, enable, and shepherd his externs. The Recording Connection Audio Engineer Program is proud of the work that Brian has produced...
ANDREW KIRK, TAMPA, FL
By the time Andrew Kirk came across the Recording Connection and joined as a mentee, he had already had nearly a decade of experience in recording—but he knew he needed more. “It’s a tough industry to break into,” he says. Seeing how I never had any formal education,...
Best Mobile Apps for Making Music
There are always a ton of reasons not to do something. There’s not enough time in the day to learn, it will be too expensive, and you probably won’t like it or won’t be any good at it. This is the thought process of the masses who look back on their life and think...
CHANGING TRACK COLOR IN PRO TOOLS
Changing Track Color in Pro Tools – We explore how to change track colors in the pro tools multi-track recording environment, you can change the track colors in the mix and edit window, to group, highlight or identify specific tracks or purely for aesthetic...
NEWS FROM MENTEES
Through Entertainment Connection, alum Mark Gilman realized his dream: owning his own recording studio. The former Guitar Center employee met his current partner during his externship, and everything just fell into place. Their Nashville based-studio, G-Mark...
JUMA SPEARS, FORTH WORTH, TX
We would like to congratulate Juma Spears for not only completing the program but for continuing to share his gift with his community. With his work ethic, the connections he’s made, skills he learned and the assistance of our Stay Connected program we are confident...
RECORDING CONNECTION JOINS 18TH ANNUAL AUDIOMASTERS BENEFIT GOLF TOURNAMENT TO SUPPORT NASHVILLE ENGINEER RELIEF FUND
Recording Connection was honored to sponsor a very worthy and important cause, the 18th Annual AudioMasters Benefit Golf Tournament in Nashville, TN. Taking place on May 14-15 at the beautiful Harpeth Hills Golf Course, funds raised go towards supporting the Nashville...
MENTEE EXPLAINS HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF OUR PROGRAM
MENTEE EXPLAINS HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF OUR PROGRAM While itʼs easy to say ʻno two mentees are the sameʼ in any education program, itʼs harder for education programs to admit they can give something different to EACH of their mentees. On top of that, it can be hard...
Interview with Recording Connection Mentor Chris Sheldon
With over three decades in the music business, Chris Sheldon has worked with hundreds of artists, producing and mixing records for Garbage, Foo Fighters, Feeder, Skunk Anansie, Biffy Clyro, Oceansize, and the Pixies among others. Sheldon also champions the Recording...
Interview with Andrew Kirk: Recording Connection Honors Graduate
Interviewer: Okay. Thanks again for being willing to talk with us. Let me pull up the right set of questions. There we go. Andrew, first of all, why don't you tell us what you have been doing since you graduated from the Recording Connection. Andrew: Okay. Yes. I did...
Hans Zimmer
When you’re talking about music industry icons, you don’t get much more iconic than film composer Hans Zimmer. From his early days in pop music (he appears with The Buggles in “Video Killed the Radio Star,” the first music video ever aired on MTV), Hans has written...
THE REVERSE EFFECT IN LOGIC PRO X
Here’s an easy way to reverse audio in Logic Pro X EXS 24. It can produce some very interesting sounds and effects…be careful to not overuse it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh01dxaNeu4
FREE VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT FOR LOGIC PRO X
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: Here’s a free Virtual Instrument for Logic Pro X that we like. Download it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjIdzz3AQ_k
INTO THE LAIR #52 – DBX 160 + PULTEC KICK AND SNARE PARALLEL COMPRESSION TRICK
Dave Pensado discusses his parallel compression method for kicks and snares using the DBX 160 and Pultec EQ in the 52nd Into The Lair series from Pensado’s Place! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=impZpF8qgrk
FREE LOGIC PRO X AUDIO EFFECT
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: Here’s a cool audio effect for Logic Pro X. It adds color and character to any sound. It can do anything from deep low-end isolation, juicy wah-wah to growling sweeps and waveform sculpting . Watch the video to see...
HOW TO IMPORT .WAV AUDIO IN AUDACITY
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: What is a WAV File? How to import a WAV File. These and more are topics of this tutorial. https://youtu.be/vZY13NL3-_I
FLEX PITCH IN LOGIC PRO X
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: Flex Pitch can help you “fix” your audio that is off pitch resulting in perfect pitch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx4pMzGZ5uY&feature=emb_title
HOW TO CREATE REVERB EFFECTS FROM DELAYS – INTO THE LAIR #74
Tired of the same old reverbs? Dave Pensado shows you a cool trick to create interesting reverb effects with the help of some delay plug-ins and creative panning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snZLcZ4uS7A
RETRO SYNTH IN LOGIC PRO X
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: Retro Synth is available in Logic Pro X. We put it through its paces and show you what it can do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SKdI7v1lrY
GLITCHY PIANO EFFECT IN LOGIC PRO X
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: We go over how to create a the glitch piano effect as heard in popular music today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZObmYjYFEY
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Recording Connection
Welcome Welcome to Recording Connection–the audio school alternative that puts you inside the door of a real recording studio where you learn one-on-one from an industry professional. Our program is modeled from the age-old externship approach, where you learn your...
Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers
Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers is a program about giving help to those in need, helping people get to the root of their problems by understanding their faults and offering advice for the future. But most importantly, it's about helping those in during difficult times through...
David Gicking, a Recording Connection Teacher, Produces for John Mayer
This is David's studio, your classroom with the Recording Connection, the only program that gets you in the door of a Real Recording Studio as an extern. More on David Gicking - Audio Engineer / Recording Connection Teacher David Gicking is consistently hailed as one...
Chaka Harley – One of Recording Connection’s Top Mentors
The Recording Connection audio engineering mentorship program is proud of the fact that Chaka Harley at Playground Studios in Raleigh is one of our top mentors. You could learn the ins and outs and the techniques and secrets of the music industry from Chaka Harley in...
Bryan Adams and RRF Partner in Support of Justice for Human Rights
The Recording Radio and Film Connection is proud to announce our continued support of national and local charities. Continuing to provide support for those seeking to better themselves is one of RRF many ongoing missions. The Recording Radio and Film Connection...
Recording Connection Goes Backstage at The Grammys!
Billy Flores, Recording Connection graduate and Live Sound mentor recently went backstage at the Grammys to get an in-depth view of what really goes into making the music industry’s most important show of the year a sweet-sounding sonic success! Here are excerpts from...
John King, Audio Engineer for Jay-Z, is a Mentor at Recording Connection
This is John's recording studio, and your "classroom" with the Recording Connection. We're the only program that gets you in the door of a real recording studio as an extern. More about John King - Audio Engineer / Recording Connection Mentor The Recording Connection...
Recording Connection grad Efrain Matias Get’s Passion & Purpose Aligned, Opens New Studio!
Recording Connection grad Efrain Matias enrolled in Recording Connection’s 6-9 month Advanced Audio Engineering & Music Production Program just as his military career was coming to an end. Efrain’s crucial decision invest in developing his engineering and music...
MENTOR: MATT STEIN, BROOKLYN, NY
One on One: A Formula for Success Matt Stein is no stranger to success in the recording industry. In 2005, he was nominated for a Grammy award and has overseen Swan7 studio, which he founded and was recently featured in “L Magazine.” In addition to his years of...
Careers in Pop Music Start
Pop recording artists such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, Pink, Duran Duran, Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and George Michael have captivated millions with their music. So, you want to be famous…you...
Careers in Rock n Roll Start Here
Recording artists and bands such as Velvet Revolver, Wolfmother, Jet, AC/DC, Van Halen, Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Led Zeppelin, Kings of Leon, Jimi Hendrix, U2 and countless others have transformed their blues roots to create the new...
Careers in Alternative Rock Start Here
Recording artists and bands such as The White Stripes, Radiohead, Coldplay, Nirvana, The National, Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Cold War Kids, Portishead, Jack Johnson, She Wants Revenge, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Santogold and more have transformed their...
Careers in R&B; Start Here
R&B artists such as Beyonce, R. Kelly, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Usher, Sam Cooke, Kool and the Gang, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Funk Brothers, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and others have influenced, thousands of R&B musicians that...
Careers in Electronic Music Start Here
Electronic Music mavens such as DJ Shadow, M.I.A, The Postal Service, LCD Soundsystem, Ratatatat, Thievery Corporation, Hot Chip, Sasha and Digweed, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Goldfrapp, DJ Tiesto, Le Tigre, The Chemical Brothers, Moby, Aphex Twin, and others have...
Careers in Country Music Start Here
Recording artists and bands such as Taylor Swift, Alan Jackson, Sugarland, Keith Irvin, Tim McGraw, Hank Williams Jr., Garth Brooks, Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson, Trisha Yearwood, Bonnie Raitt, Shania Twain and many others have transformed country music and helped...
Careers in Hip Hop Audio Engineering Start Here
Lil Wayne, Akon, Jay-Z, Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliot, Outkast, Cypress Hill, De La Soul. Recording artists and bands such as these have been foundational in creating and transforming the Hip Hop music scene. Whether you're a hip hop...
Careers in heavy metal music start here
Recording artists and bands such as Korn, Cradle of Filth, Motley Crue, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Scorpions, Metallica, In Flames and others have transformed their roots in rock and created the genre of music known as metal. If you're a metal musician, or in a...
Celebrities
World-Class Athletes, Stars & their Families Choose Us for Real-World Education! What do actor Tracy Morgan, Miranda Lambert, hip hop legend Drake, 2 NFL Players, 1 NHL Hockey Player, rap sensations Warren G, Lisa M. and Nick E. Beats have in common? Answer: They...
Careers in Christian Music Start Here
Recording artists and bands such as Brandon Heath, Chris Tomlin, The Afters, Jeremy Camp, Third Day, Amy Grant, LaRue, Ashmont Hill, Rita Springer, Marcus Cole, Phil Keaggy and others have increased the strength and reach of Christian music. If you're a Christian...
Apprenticeships vs Online Learning In The Music Business
While there is value in online learning, at Recording Connection we don’t believe it’s the best way to learn. When it comes to learning music production, audio engineering, hip hop production, electronic music production, how to DJ, and a slew of other related...
The Advantage Of Being On The Inside
The one year The Career Services Job Assistance Program is not a guarantee of a job. It’s a job assistance program appointed with the mission of working with our alumni in our one-on-one manner and helping them locate and apply for the jobs and gigs they want to get...
Learning As An Audio Extern
Now what’s really exciting about the Recording Connection and Recording Radio Film Connection & CASA approach is an approach unlike any school, and you can do your own research on that. There are no other programs teaching you like this. This is learning as an...
Why You Need Hands On Learning When It Comes To Audio
If you ask any professional, any music producer, any audio engineer, any radio broadcaster, any filmmaker, you ask them, “What’s the best way to learn?” They’ll all tell you that they all learned hands-on. So much of what goes into being a great filmmaker, great music...
The Benefits of Learning Inside A Recording Studio
At Recording Connection we believe there are two types of people who want to get into the music business. Those on the outside looking in and those who are already on the inside. In this video, mentor and studio owner, audio engineer/producer Donny Baker talks about...
How To Learn For A Job In The Recording Studio
It’s often assumed by mentees and parents that the best way to learn is inside a crowded classroom. So many of us, when we’re searching for an audio school or a music production school, assume just that and go online looking for these big institutions where there’s...
Hired in El Paso: How Orlando Gomez worked himself into a job
El Paso, TX Recording Connection mentee Orlando Gomez recently did what we hope most of our mentees can accomplish by learning on-the-job: he leveraged his externship /externship with Beacon Hill Recording Studios into a full-time position as an assistant engineer!...
Recording Connection Mentor Doug Boulware Opens his Own Studio
Doug Boulware recently took it upon himself to redefine his future. Who is Doug Boulware? He’s a producer, audio engineer, and mixer. He’s been working in the industry for many years. He’s also a Recording Connection mentor. Meaning, he takes externs under his wing...
Want To Learn Audio Engineering From The Guy Who Records Prince?
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have produced and engineered recording projects for some of the world's top rock bands and artists, not the least of which is pop/rock and R&B superstar Prince. Imagine learning music production and audio engineering inside a...
Learn Music Producing From U2’s Music Producer
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have produced and engineered recording projects for some of the world's top rock bands and artists–among them iconic rock band U2. When you join our revolutionary recording mentorship, we hook you up for personal mentoring with one of...
Learn In The Recording Studio Where Bob Dylan Records
LEARN TO PRODUCE AND RECORD MUSIC IN A STUDIO WHERE BOB DYLAN RECORDED The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have engineered and produced recording projects for some of the world’s greatest musical artists–among them iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. When you join our...
Want To Learn From The Guy Who Records Led Zeppelin?
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have produced and recorded projects for many of the world's top rock bands and artists. Among the most iconic on the list is none other than rock band Led Zeppelin. Imagine learning the skills of music production and audio...
Los Angeles DJ Heather Crawford (aka DJ Zienna) hones her skills at Recording Connection
At a fairly young age, Los Angeles-based DJ Heather Crawford (aka “DJ Zienna”) had already begun making a name for herself in the club scene. A self-starter, she'd managed to hone her skills and promote herself to the point of landing a Hollywood residency, and even a...
Learn Audio Engineering From The White Stripe’s Audio Engineer
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have acquired many years of experience, including producing, recording engineering projects for some of the world's best-known bands and artists–not the least of which is The White Stripes. Imagine being personally mentored by one of...
Your Music Classroom Is Pearl Jams Recording Studio
Imagine learning the skills of music production and audio engineering inside a recording studio where bands like Pearl Jam have recorded. With our revolutionary mentor-extern program, it's not a fantasy–it's reality. The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have produced and...
Learn Audio Engineering From David Bowie’s Audio Engineer
APPRENTICE IN A STUDIO WHERE DAVID BOWIE RECORDED The mentors of RECORDING CONNECTION have done production and engineering work for some of the most pre-eminent musicians on the planet, among them legendary glam-rocker David Bowie. Imagine learning the skills of music...
Our Music Mentorship Is In Usher’s Recording Studio
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have accumulated years of experience in producing and engineering some of the most high-profile bands and artists on the planet–not the least of which is R&B artist Usher. Imagine learning the skills of music production and audio...
Learn Music Production From Outkast’s Producer
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have accumulated years of experience producing and engineering some of the biggest artists on the globe–among them hip-hop duo OutKast. Imagine learning the skills of music production and audio engineering inside a recording studio...
Learn Music Producing In The Studio Where Soundgarden Records Their Music
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have years of experience producing and engineering recording projects for some of the world's top rock bands and artists–among them grunge band Soundgarden. When you join our recording mentorship, we pair you with one of these trusted,...
Our Music Program Is In Paul McCartney’s Recording Studio
Imagine learning audio engineering and music production inside a recording studio where Paul McCartney and similar artists have recorded. With our mentor-extern program, it's not a fantasy–it's reality. The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have accumulated years of...
Learn From the Music Producer Who Recorded Alicia Keys
TRAIN IN A STUDIO WHERE ALICIA KEYS RECORDED Imagine learning music production and audio engineering inside a recording studio where Alicia Keys and similar artists have recorded. With our unique mentor-extern program, it’s not just a dream–it’s reality. Among their...
Houston Recording Connection mentor John Stephens
John Stephens of Studio 713 in Houston, Texas has been teaching mentees the ins and outs of the music industry for a few years now. Lately, he’s been really pushing that mentees should focus on the creative side of the industry and develop strong audio engineering...
Learn Music Producing In The Studio Where 50 Cent Records His Music
TRAIN IN A STUDIO WHERE 50 CENT RECORDED Some of the world’s greatest bands and artists have been recorded and produced by RECORDING CONNECTION mentors, not the least of which is famous rap artist 50 Cent. Imagine learning the skills of music production and audio...
Learn From The Music Producer Who Recorded The Black Crowes
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have had the experience of producing and engineering record projects for some of the biggest names in rock music–not the least of which is rock band The Black Crowes. Imagine learning the music production and audio engineering inside a...
Learn From An Audio Engineer Who Recorded Mary J Blige
Imagine learning music production and audio engineering one-on-one from one of these highly qualified and experienced professionals, working inside a recording studio where Mary J. Blige and artists like her have recorded. When you join our revolutionary recording...
Learn In The Recording Studio Where The Black Eyed Peas Record Their Music
Imagine learning music production and audio engineering inside a recording studio where The Black Eyed Peas and similar artists have recorded. With our mentor-extern program, it's not a fantasy–it's reality. The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have done engineering and...
Buddy Brundo of the Legendary Conway Recording Studios
Buddy Brundo is a fascinating individual. He’s the owner of the legendary Conway Recording Studios which have been the recording home to individuals as diverse as Kendrick Lamar, Maroon 5, Elvis Costello, The Roots, Pharrell Williams, Daft Punk, Dave Matthews, Foo...
Learn From An Audio Engineer Who Recorded Stevie Wonder
Imagine studying music production and audio engineering inside a recording studio where Stevie Wonder and artists like him have recorded. With our mentor-extern program, it's not a fantasy–it's reality. The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have had the privilege of...
Your Classroom Is In Jack Johnson’s Recording Studio
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have produced and engineered recording projects for some of the world's best-known bands and artists–among them acoustic rocker Jack Johnson. When you join our revolutionary recording mentorship, we set you up with one of these...
Learn From A Music Producer Who Recorded Michael Jackson
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have had the privilege of producing and engineering projects for some of the greatest bands and artists in the world–among them the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. When you join our revolutionary recording mentorship, we hook you...
Learn Audio Engineering Where Lenny Kravitz Records His Music
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have had the privilege of producing and engineering projects for some of the world's top musicians artists–among them rock/funk/R&B artist Lenny Kravitz. Imagine learning the skills of music production and audio engineering inside...
Learn From the Audio Engineer Who Recorded Alice in Chains
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors have a long list of production and engineering credits, including working with some of the world’s top rock bands and artists–among them the legendary rock band Alice in Chains. When you join our revolutionary recording mentorship, we...
Tim Palmer Endorses The Recording Connection
Eminem and the Recording Connection Audio Program
The RECORDING CONNECTION mentors are highly-qualified industry professionals who have produced and engineered recording projects for some of the world's most prominent recording artists–not the least of which is iconic rapper Eminem. Imagine learning the skills...
Dr. Dre and the Recording Connection
LEARN AUDIO ENGINEERING IN A STUDIO WHERE DR. DRE RECORDED Imagine learning the skills of music production and audio engineering inside a recording studio where Dr. Dre and similar artists have recorded. With our mentor-extern program, it’s not a dream–it’s reality....
HOW WE DO IT
The Recording Connection audio mentorship combines the best aspects of formal schooling with on-the-job training to provide you with the kind of real-world preparation that employers are looking for. RRFC Inc.’s industry-wide extern programs are: Recording. Externship...
35TH STREET STUDIOS
35th Street Studios is the premier rehearsal/soundstage/showcase room in Chicago. 35th Street is known for its first class gear, great live room, and its professional but not sterile atmosphere. Along with our world class recording studio, 35th Street Studios has a...
OVERVIEW
No Experience Required The Recording Connection’s acceptance standards are very high. The very nature of the in-studio training process requires that mentees be selected based on employment viability standards, rather than school admissions standards. The truth is,...
WHAT WE DO
We’re NOT Your Typical Audio Recording Program We’re the alternative to traditional schools- the program that has its classrooms inside real recording studios. With the Recording Connection, You Get: Real Situations in Real Recording Studios Real Opportunities in...
MENTORS
The Lodge has been mentoring for Recording Connections for 10 years. Our in-house Mentor is Corey Miller. Corey has been a staff engineer at The Lodge for over 12 years. We very much like the course curriculum. It seems to be well laid out and very thorough. Corey...
PIERRE NAVALES, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
“Before I joined the Recording Connection I worked at Feature Films for Families, a local privatively owned company, for about four years as a lead agent. I went through the manager training and completed it, eventually becoming one of the top representatives to...
DANA KILCREASE, FISHKILL, NY
“I began my course at the Recording Connection with a limited knowledge of the recording industry. I had spent several years as a DJ and self taught producer however my self-training could only take me so far and I wanted to take my skills to a professional level. I...
What Does Artist and Repertoire Do? (A&R Representatives)
When it comes to careers in the music industry, the artists who sell millions of records, tour the globe, and show up in commercials and halftime shows usually come to mind first. Which makes sense, they’re the ones we listen to on the radio and streaming platforms....
MITCHELL WHITE, DORR, MI
"Before I started the Recording Connection I knew very little about recording. All I ever did was run sound for concerts and for church events. Now that I joined the Recording Connection program, I have a better understanding in recording, in which now, even while...
BJ FRANCISCO, CHICAGO, IL
Musically, I have been a DJ, and still currently am, for the past twenty plus years. I have continued to evolve my passion for music by expanding into the audio engineering and production arena within the last eight years of my involvement in the music industry. The...
CLEVER EMPIRE, LOS ANGELES, CA
Tanner Bjorklund (“T-Strix”) was a gifted teenage rap artist who attended the Recording Connection because he wanted to try and record his own music. After graduating, he had the skills he needed, but as an artist, he still found it challenging to be both in front of...
LUTHER BANKS, ATLANTA, GA
Congratulation goes out to Luther Banks, an alumnus of the Recording Connection, who was promoted by his mentor to Staff Engineer of the Company. When Luther first came upon the Recording Connection, he had just started his own recording studio. However, he noticed...
EXTERNING
In today’s economic climate, competition for jobs is becoming more and more strenuous as prospective employees must fight to stand out among an increasingly large and well-trained group of applicants. For someone eager to break into the entertainment business, this is...
RRFEDU WARNS AGAINST QUAGMIRE OF MENTEE LOAN DEBT, CHAMPIONS MIDDLE SKILL LEVEL JOBS
Los Angeles, CA –March 15, 2016– Today, the total amount of student loan debt stands at $1.3 trillion nationally. The average student loan for 2015 will cost $35,000 or more for every mentee. Meanwhile, the current delinquency rate is 27%, meaning more than one out of...
MENTEE SPOTLIGHT – FEB09
These Mentees Will Be Working in the Music and Audio Business by September 2009. WILL YOU? Jason Szklarek CHICAGO, ILLINOIS MUSIC PRODUCING MENTEE My name is Jason and I’m currently a mentee at Recording Connection. When I...
What’s the Difference Between a Music Mentor and a Music Teacher?
It’s something most of us are all too familiar with: Sitting in a classroom, listening to a teacher, professor, or instructor, telling us what we “need” to know. Obviously, that makes a lot of sense in grade school and on through most of our high school years. And...
TRAVIS HARRINGTON, RECORDING ENGINEER FOR ICONIC RAPPER DRAKE, IS A RECORDING CONNECTION MENTOR
Learn alongside Travis Harrington in a world-class recording studio like this one—your classroom with the Recording Connection, the only program that gets you in the door of a Real Recording Studio as an extern. MEET TRAVIS HARRINGTON – AUDIO ENGINEER AND RECORDING...
HEATHER CRAWFORD, LOS ANGELES, CA
By most accounts, Heather Crawford was already on her way to music industry success. A young, self-taught club DJ who gigged under the moniker “DJ Zienna,” at a fairly young age she’d already honed her skills and promoted herself to the point of spinning at a regular...
ANTHONY ALVAREZ, LAS VEGAS, NV
Anthony Alvarez, a Recording Connection Mentee, had this to say about his time in the program so far. “I am an independent artist and a writer (also) I am a hip-hop artist. I do a lot with hiphop or what some people would consider underground…I do shows, I host...
CHRIS LITWIN, NEW HAVEN, CT
From outward appearances, you wouldn’t have expected Chris Litwin to build his own recording studio, let alone start a career as a recording producer/engineer. Living in Meriden, CT, the 45-year-old was established, making a comfortable living as a senior mechanic....
JOHN CURTIS, NASHVILLE, TN
When John Curtis signed up to extern with Ric Web at South Studios, little did he know that within less than a year, he’d be running a recording studio of his own but that’s exactly what happened. Getting into a real studio and learning the craft was dream come true...
DEZ WARD, DALLAS, TX
One of the most powerful parts of the Recording Connection experience is the opportunity for mentees not only to make connections, but also to build ongoing relationships with their mentors. This has paid off big-time for Recording Connection mentee Dez Ward, whose...
Q&A WITH RECORDING CONNECTION MENTEE LILLY CAREY
Confidence is always key, in life and in business. In our program a menteeʼs business generally is his or her way of life. Our mentees join because their passion for music has taken them beyond the status of a “casual listener” and into the sometimes thankless...
RECORDING CONNECTION AND MEL GIBSON MAKE CHARITABLE DONATIONS TO MENDING KIDS INTERNATIONAL
The Recording Radio and Film Connection, in our ongoing effort to improve the communities that our programs are involved in, is proud to announce a partnership with famed Actor, Producer, and Director Mel Gibson to donate charitable aid to Mending Kids International....
RECORDING CONNECTION MENTOR, BEN FRANKLIN, WORKS WITH SNOOP DOGG
MORE ON BEN FRANKLIN – MUSIC PRODUCER / RECORDING CONNECTION MENTOR Ben Franklin of Jambox Recording Studios in New York is one of the top mentors in the Recording Connection. His client list is insanely impressive and his skills are just as notoriously awesome. Ben’s...
INTERVIEW WITH NASHVILLE RECORDING CONNECTION MENTOR RIC WEB
https://vimeo.com/107738798?embedded=true&source=video_title&owner=4526923
TODD TALBOT, DENVER, CO
Just like with other higher education programs, the Recording Connection is open to adults looking to get a grip on how music is recorded industry wide. Read what Todd Talbot, 42 from Denver, CO had to say about his time in the program. “Having the opportunity to be...
TRAVIS COLE, PARKER, CO
When I joined the Recording Connection, I already had one year of experience in the music industry. At that time, I had built my own mobile recording studio, made custom to travel on the road to encompass all of my equipment that entailed recording my clients. My...
RRF SUPPORTS JOEL SCHUMACHER AND THE ENDOMETRIOSIS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
The Recording Radio and Film Connection is proud to announce our continued support of local and national charity organizations. Our programs have endeavored to support those seeking to better themselves in an effort to empower young men and women through quality...
NEIL SCHULTZ
Ever since I first picked up a guitar in Junior High I have always been musically inclined. I can remember making my very first recording way back then in garage on a 2-way boom box with just me and my band. This was, looking back, the very beginnings of my...
JAMES NJAU, HARTSDALE, NY
As an active mentee for the Recording Connection I am pleased to report that I have now actually been brought on as an employee for my mentors’ studio, and I haven’t even graduated the Recording Connection yet! I must say, I am having so much fun in the studio. I...
MATT BAKER, MIAMI, FL
When asked to honestly describe his experience with his mentor so far, Matt Baker had his to say: “It’s been really good, I’ve learned a lot a lot about ProTools and also at my house I use some (recording) software which is a little different (than Pro Tools) but it’s...
RECORDING CONNECTION TAPS UNITED (MIX MAGAZINE)
With all the focus in education turning to manageable debt and a mentor-based approach, you can almost feel the bones growing at Recording Connection, the 20-plus-year-old “alternative education” outlet for budding audio pros. Last month, just before AES, the...
YUDU GRAY, JR., PRODUCER AND ENGINEER FOR LADY GAGA, MENTORS FOR RECORDING CONNECTION
This is Yudu’s recording studio, and your classroom with the Recording Connection, the only program that gets you in the door of a Real Recording Studio as an extern. MORE ON YUDU GRAY – AUDIO ENGINEER, MUSIC PRODUCER, AND RECORDING CONNECTION MENTOR Yudu Gray, Jr. is...
JJ MOSER, LOS ANGELES, CA
JJ Moser might have started on his search for a higher education the same way many of America’s youth finds themselves today. Turned down by several colleges (places where tuition and materials may cost at least 10 times the cost of the Recording Connection) JJ knew...
INTO THE LAIR #49 – MANIPULATING TOP END ON VOCAL TRACKS
In the 49th Into The Lair, Dave Pensado goes over his techniques for enhancing, and working with top end (high-frequency) in a mix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ziqy2mqpBU
RECORDING CONNECTION AND ADAM LEVINE AID VICTIMS OF HURRICANE SANDY
The Recording Radio and Film Connection is proud to announce our continuing support of local and national charities. In our ongoing efforts to support the communities that The Recording Radio and Film Connection is a part of, we have partnered with musician Adam...
Other Careers
Let’s face it: the whole reason you are planning to go to a music, audio or recording school is to get a job in the music biz, right? (Of course, if you are a professional mentee, or just downright weird, this might not apply.) So it’s no coincidence that getting you...
RECORDING CONNECTION PARTNERS WITH TV’S JUDGE MATHIS
The Recording Radio and Film Connection is proud to announce our continued support of local and national charity organizations. Our programs have endeavored to support those seeking to better themselves to empower young men and women through quality education....
RICHARD SAWCHUK FINDS SUCCESS AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE RECORDING CONNECTION
I grew up with music. My father was a square dance caller and my older brother was very active as a keyboard player and vocalist. I took 4 years of Royal Conservatory piano and theory when I was quite young and went on to drumming at age 10. My brother, David, went on...
WE STAND AGAINST RACISM
At RRFC we stand against racism and bigotry and are actively committed to doing and being the change that needs to happen in our world. For hundreds of years, racism in our country has been institutionalized, codified, and socialized. It exists on the macro and micro...
JASON GUZMAN, WASHINGTONVILLE, NY
“When I first decided to make a real transition into the music business, I was 22 years old. I had graduated from college, and was studying in graduate school to become a teacher. I had been teaching myself the piano since the beginning of my senior year of high...
MUSIC CONNECTION – CLOSE UP: RECORDING CONNECTION
Music Connection magazine which reaches a subscription base of more than 100,000 musicians and music industry insiders, recently ran an article on Recording Connection, lauding our mentees’ career success, three-tier selection process geared at finding the best, most...
THOMAS DANTE, HOUSTON, TX
It’s something we tell all our mentees: when you extern in a real recording studio with a mentor, you’re not only learning audio engineering—you’re auditioning for a job. Impress your mentor, and he might just hire you! That’s exactly how Thomas Dante played it, which...
RECORDING STUDIOS
RECORDING STUDIOS MAKE THE BEST AUDIO ENGINEERING AND MUSIC PRODUCING CLASSROOMS THAT’S WHY WE USE THEM. The Recording Connection believes there is no better place to learn the...
RICHARD MARTENS
When I first found the Recording Connection, I had been doing some research on the internet in order to exercise all of my options. Found Rec. connection on internet, research recording schools. What really stuck out about the Recording Connection was the affordable...
Recording Connection grad Neil O’Reilly Doubles Down on Music & Comes Out Winning!
Recording Connection grad Neil O’Reilly completed Recording Connection’s 6–9-month Audio Engineering & Music Production Program in 2019. And even though he graduated feeling on-fire and ready to launch his career as an audio engineer, he found life and his...
FREE EXS24 PATCHES LOGIC PRO X
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiiGsG6gf2Y
ADD SUB BASS TO YOUR KICK DRUM IN LOGIC PRO X
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection. We go over how to add sub bass to a kick in a drum mix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC3ju0GxhiQ
USING 7 BAND EQ IN PRO TOOLS
This Recording Connection demonstrates how to use the 7 Band Equalizer in Pro Tools 11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzUUod7XhFQ
DAWS COMPARED: AUDACITY AND GARAGEBAND
We compare two free level Digital Audio Workstations (DAWS): Audacity and GarageBand (MAC only). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZrgIqWoSS0
LOGIC REMOTE APP IN LOGIC PRO X
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: Logic Remote is an app that works in tandem with Logic Pro X. You can use your iPad as an additional surface to access different MIDI, hot keys, etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssUUwj26df8
HOW TO MAKE A DUBSTEP WOBBLE IN LOGIC PRO X
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: Here’s how to create a dubstep wobble in Logic’s ES2 Synth in Logic Pro X. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5YaxSP10pA
MIXING LIVE DRUMS – INTO THE LAIR #85
Dave Pensado shows you a quick overview on how to mix live drums in the 85th Into The Lair! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJkB0qWwY4c
AUDIO MIX TRICK USING A SIGNAL GENERATOR – INTO THE LAIR #67
GRAMMY Award Winning Mix Engineer Dave Pensado shows some creative mixing tricks using a signal generator inside of Pro Tools. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH-y2zBuIX0
DAVE’S FAVORITE MCDSP PLUGINS – INTO THE LAIR #89
Dave Pensado walks you through his favorite McDSP Plugins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyY4B37Bxps
MIXING VOCALS FOR EARTH WIND & FIRE – INTO THE LAIR #60
In the 60th Into The Lair, Dave Pensado walks you through some vocal mixing techniques he used for a track off the most recent Earth Wind & Fire record. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfxnofvOzcM
INTO THE LAIR #51 – MIXING MULTIPLE SYNTHESIZERS (SIMILAR FREQUENCY RANGES)
In the 51st Into The Lair, Dave Pensado how he tackles mixing multiple elements in a mix that are fighting for the same frequency space. In the example, Dave shows how he mixes 3 similar sounding synthesizes together while leaving space for each one to exist happily...
INTO THE LAIR #55 – 80’S SNARE DRUM TRICK
Dave Pensado from Pensado’s Place shows you a common recording studio trick of gating white noise on a snare drum to enhance and/or change it’s character and give it that 80’s vibe! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYZrjOJoisE
RACHAEL KYLIE, TAYLORSVILLE, UT
In our effort to highlight the achievements of our mentees the Recording Connection interviewed one of our our, Rachael Kylie of Taylorsville, Utah to hear share how she is making the most of her talents and opportunities. When getting started with the program: "It...
CHARLES BUCKLEY, DENVER, CO
“My name is Charles Barkley and I started playing music at an early age, playing bass in my school Jazz bands. As I progressed with my music, I started moving into the electronic genre, beginning to produce beats and original tracks using Ableton Live and Pro Tools...
KYLE THURMAN, LOS ANGELES, CA
Many people work their entire lives hoping for a chance to worm a real recording session, to know their work is going to help an artist share his or her voice with the public. When the opportunity comes knocking, we are confident our mentees can step up and produce...
VINCENT CAMPOS, HOUSTON, TX
When I was a Recording Connection mentee, I got right into the studio and surpassed all expectations that my mentors’ had for me. Any matters or assistance ever needed, I jumped right in there and assisted at all times. Furthermore, we had a very good relationship...
CLINT BADAL, MODESTO, CA
Clint Badal is a recent graduate of the Recording Engineering program at the Recording Connection. Clint has stated that his mentor was not only very professional, but also that he really knows his stuff and wants his externs to be as knowledgeable as he is about...
LILLY CAREY, NEW YORK, NY
When Lilly started taking the program she: “thought it was really cool. My first or second week I ended up meeting Roberta Flack… (later) Penn Badgley… He came in to record a song for his movie about Jeff Buckley. That was really cool because he;s a pretty big...
OZZY WILLIAMS, NEW YORK, NY
Prior to joining the Recording Connection I was working in a field that made me extremely unhappy. I realized at that point that I desperately needed to make a change. I can remember that, ever since I had attended a concert when I was a young child, working in the...
THOMAS GENTIL, SEATTLE, WA
“As we brought in more clients to the recording studio I matured in the sense that I felt more prepared for the next duty or session. You know, it’s just as long as sessions kept coming I was able to add what I learned the previous session and it was almost as though...
MISSY ELLIOTT’S MUSIC PRODUCER, SAX DMA, IS A RECORDING CONNECTION TEACHER
MORE ON SAX DMA – MUSIC PRODUCER AND RECORDING CONNECTION TEACHER Sax DMA is one of the most sought-after audio engineers in the United States, and he constantly goes above and beyond for his externs /externs and clients. In his years in the industry, Sax has worked...
GABE GREEN, LITTLE ROCK, AR
My name is Gabe Green and I’m an audio engineering mentee and I’m interning at Infrared Studios in North Little Rock, Arkansas. I am in the process of taking the final. I finished the written part of lesson 20 earlier this week and I am scheduled to go in and finish...
Live Event Audio
LIVE EVENT AUDIO CAREERS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS Chances are, if you are reading this, you love music, and one of your favorite things in the world is attending a good concert. You’ve also probably noticed that some groups sound great in a certain venue, while other...
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Recording Connection’s audio programs include everything you’ll need in order to complete the music producing/recording or audio engineering course of your choice, and covers all books, materials and software, including your own brand new retail copy of Pro Tools. In...
Audio Engineering
AUDIO ENGINEERING CAREERS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS An audio engineer is someone with experience and training in the production and manipulation of sound through mechanical (analog) or digital means. The audio engineer, sometimes designated as a sound engineer or...
CLEAR LAKE AUDIO
Clear Lake Audio was established in 1987 and soon became known as one of Los Angeles' premiere recording studios. Chief Audio Engineer Brian Levi has been a Recording Connection mentor for over a decade. Preston Boebel, a Recording Connection graduate, learned the...
RRF AND GRANT HESLOV SUPPORT CHILDREN MENDING HEARTS
The Recording Radio and Film Connection is proud to announce our continued support of local and national charities. Our programs have endeavored to support those seeking to better themselves in an effort to empower young men and women through quality education. The...
MIKE MESSINA, NEW YORK, NY
“I’ve honestly been interested in sound since I was like five years old,” says Mike Messina. “I just screw around with sound effects and music—sound effects from movies, video games, animation—I’ve been doing that most of my life…I’d put a sign on my [bedroom] door...
VOCODING IN LOGIC PRO X
The Recording Connection Head Start Lab Series. We go over the Evoc PS 20 in Logic Pro X and go over the routing needed to make some awesome robo-voices! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh78gF0oJek&feature=emb_imp_woyt
INTRODUCTION TO PRO TOOLS: THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR MUSIC PRODUCTION
Pro Tools, love it or hate it–it’s a staple in virtually every studio. It’s used for big studio projects. It’s used for tracking, mixing. Pro Tools can be used for virtually anything, and it’s probably one of the more versatile applications out there for sound...
ERIC GONZALEZ, LOS ANGELES, CA
Recording Connection graduate Eric Gonzalez offers key advice to other mentees who extern in today’s studios: “Once they’re done with the program, if they don’t happen to get a job at that studio they’re externing at, don’t stop,” he says. “Google studios. Send them...
TAYLOR CROMMIE, LOS ANGELES, CA
Talk to any famous musician, producer or audio engineer and ask them what they have to say about learning, about growing creatively and technically and chances are, they’ll all tell you, learning is a lifelong pursuit. The people who make it are always growing, always...
FRANK GILLIS, TAMPA, FL
"At first it was very inviting. I walked in there and everyone was, you know very accepting of the program and knew I was there to learn and everything, and do everything they could to make me feel welcome." Frank Gillis of Fort Meyer, FL on his joining the program....
JUMA SPEARS GRADUATES RECORDING CONNECTION WITH CONNECTIONS
No matter where our mentees take part in one of our programs, we know that artists, both big and small in name, are always abundant and provide great learning opportunities. One of those lessons is to find success when working outside of you preferred genre. Read...
RECORDING CONNECTION PARTNERS WITH ACTOR, PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR SEAN PENN TO DONATE CHARITABLE AID
As further evidence to our commitment to improve the communities that our programs are involved in, the Recording Radio and Film Connection is partnering with Actor, Producer and Director Sean Penn to donate charitable aid to Mending Kids International. Sean Pen, most...
TIZONE STREET
Meet Tizone Street, Music Producer and Recording Connection Mentor Antonio “Tizone” Street has over 20 yrs in the music industry. Tizone started out as a DJ touring with the Nappy Heads, which received their deal on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. He then started to connect...
SONIC STATE MAGAZINE FEATURES LEARN FROM LEGENDS
Recording Connection is proud to have notable online music magazine Sonic State feature our “Learn from Legends” program in a recent article! Founded more than two decades ago (in 1994) and based in Bath, Somerset, England (U.K.) Sonic State is a resource for...
RECORDING CONNECTION PARTNERS WITH NIKKI SIXX OF MOTLEY CRUE
The Recording Radio and Film Connection is proud to announce our continued support of local and national charity organizations. In an effort to better the communities our programs are apart of, we are proud to announce our patterning with metal legend Nikki Sixx of...
DONNY BAKER: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?
https://vimeo.com/53885147?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=4526923 Donny Baker has been a Recording Connection mentor for over a decade. He is typical of the type of “teacher” our mentees learn audio engineer and music production skills from.
BRIAN PIPER
Brian Piper first came to the Recording Connection looking for more hands-on experience than he was getting at the university where he had enrolled in an audio production program. “I did learn a lot,” he says, “but it wasn’t real world. It wasn’t real life.” When he...
RECORDING CONNECTION CEO JAMES PETULLA ON LARRY KING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShQ3zSOsjp0
JANE SONG, LOS ANGELES, CA
I began Recording Connection back in late November of 2009. I had very little experience in the beginning (I played piano and a few other instruments growing up, so I knew how to read music. I also had a job full time at a pro-audio repair service center, and that's...
WHY ANTHONY ALVAREZ CHOSE THE RECORDING CONNECTION
“I’ve been looking for a (recording) school since I was 14 or 15.” Anthony Alvarez, a Recording Connection Mentee from Bloomington, CA had this to say about why he chose the Recording Connection. “I was looking for recording schools throughout the Souther...
DISSECTING A MIX PT. 1 – INTO THE LAIR #64
Dave Pensado goes over key points in dissecting a mix in part 1 of his two part series in the 64th Into The Lair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTJu-xLOHo0
JACOB KEITHLEY, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
Perhaps nothing is a better birthday present for any aspiring audio engineer than a job offer and that’s exactly what Jacob Keithley of Corpus Christi, TX, got just days before turning 22! While some externs start Recording Connection knowing exactly what they want to...
WHAT TO EXPECT
Within 48 hours of your initial application, a Recording Connection mentee advisor will get in touch with you for an initial interview. During this interview, Recording Connection will learn your aspirations, dreams and passions in the audio and music recording...
WARREN G
When Grammy nominated hip hop artist Warren G. decided to get back to his roots and obtain a more formalized music education he chose The Recording Connection for two reasons: 1) He was able to attend in his native Long Beach, California and 2) The Recording...
USING THE COMPRESSOR/LIMITER IN PRO TOOLS
This tutorial shows how to use the compressor/limiter in Pro Tools 11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cihansei6H8
Music Producing
MUSIC PRODUCING CAREERS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS Music recording these days is usually a collaboration between the artist, the audio engineer and the music producer. When everything is going smoothly, the music producer’s job is easy. However, that is rarely the case in...
INTRODUCTION TO REASON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc6MNO1Lcjc
MENTEE DARLENE PERCH WORKS WITH HER MENTOR TO ACHIEVE HER GOAL OF BECOMMING A MUSIC PRODUCER
The Recording Connection program is not only about giving mentees and education by working in a real recording studio. We take a lot of pride in those mentees who make the most of their chances to succeed through this opportunity. This program is truly about the...
JASMINE CHARLESTON, ATLANTA, GA
My name is Jasmine Charleston, and even as a very young child, I always had a passion for music. My mother bought me my first keyboard when I was 10 years old, and from there, I began to produce beats, as well as study the production of music. I couldn't wait to get...
PROFESSIONALS, NOT TEACHERS
The Recording Connection Audio Institute Advantage Don’t get us wrong: some teachers can be amazing. But this isn’t history or math class, and you’re not studying for a career as an accountant, lawyer, or doctor. You’re looking to break into the highly competitive...
IAN THOMPSON
“I started loving music at an early age my father was a “Radio and Television Man” for the U.S.A.F. We always seemed to have music playing, Lite Jazz Classical and even lite rock, so I think that’s where I developed a love of many types and styles of music. Both my...
CHANGE TEMPO WITHOUT AFFECTING PITCH IN LOGIC PRO X
Logic Pro X is one of the most powerful digital audio workstations on the market and is used by audio engineers, music producers, artists, and others in the industry around the world. In addition to recording music, you’re also able to mix and master your songs with...
ORLANDO GOMEZ, EL PASO, TX
Not only does learning as an extern give you access to other professionals in the industry, but as Recording Connection mentee Orlando Gomez found out, it can also get you in the door of a ground-floor opportunity with an up-and-coming studio. When Orlando joined the...
TODD TALBOT DISCUSSES HIS GOALS AFTER GRADUATION
One thing our program teaches itʼs members is ʻperspectiveʼ. The perspective to see why a foundation in engineering is important to all forms of audio and the perspective to plan for their future in this industry. One member, Todd Talbot of Denver, CO has just about...
INTO THE LAIR #45 – OZONE 5 ADVANCED OVERVIEW WITH DAVE PENSADO
Dave Pensado walks through some of his favorite features and uses of iZotope’s Ozone 5 Advanced Plug-In. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtFsXV5KMZU
How to Find a Music Production Mentor?
More than 30 years ago, RRFC developed learning programs designed specifically for creative industries. We felt the traditional way of learning–attending four-year universities, colleges, or trade schools–wasn’t the best use of time or money for those wanting to study...
CHARLES HUSTON, CHICAGO, IL
From an early age, Chicago-based Recording Connection mentee Charles Huston knew he belonged in the recording studio. “My whole life I’ve kinda been a tech head…a gear luster,” he says. “My dad actually comes from the old L.A. record industry. My Dad’s been having me...
JUDGE MATHIS AND THE RECORDING CONNECTION: TEAMING UP TO CREATE UNIQUE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
PROFESSIONAL MENTORING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO NEED IT. Television’s Judge Mathis has teamed up with The Recording Connection (a unique externship-based audio program) to provide career opportunities for troubled young people, enabling them to learn the arts of...
INTERVIEW WITH TIM PALMER, PRODUCER FOR OZZY, U2, PEARL JAM, THE CURE
Herb: Ozzy, U2, Pearl Jam, The Cure. Our guest has done it all. We have a brand new ITL. We have some programming notes. You better believe it. You’re at the place. It’s Pensado’s Place. Herb: Great job from the interns in terms of suggesting it, and even better job...
RECORDING CONNECTION PARTNERS WITH THE DAVID LYNCH FOUNDATION
LOS ANGELES, CA, October 1, 2012–The Recording Radio and Film Connection is proud to announce another partnership between our program and an organization dedicated to education and opportunity for those in need. Our program’s CEO Jimi Petulla and Consultant Brian...
JORDAN ROBERTSON, BATON ROUGE, LA
Jordan Robertson of Baton Rouge, Louisiana has loved music as long as he can remember: “I bet I have music notes in my DNA,” he says. From an early age, he says, he was plucking out movie themes on the piano, and took an interest in producing music for film. As he...
Recording Connection’s Best of 2021 Issue is Here!
[break class="double"] IN 2021... [break class="double"][break class="double no-mobile"] Recording Connection grad & mentor Dawsøn Recorded Kanye West & Broke Livestream Records. [break side="left"] On August 5th, 2021, when Kanye West live-streamed the...
Recording Connection Grad Kelsey Anderson Goes from Unhappy to Hired at Universal Music Group!
[break class="double"][break class="double no-mobile"] [break side="left"] [break side="left"] Recording Connection graduate Kelsey Anderson had both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a job as an accountant when she found Recording Connection. Knowing she wanted...
JUSTIN LOMELINO, OAK PARK, IL
Like most things in life, the recording industry gives back what you put into it. I came up as a bass player in a bunch of local rock bands, even going as far as a self-financed tour of the east coast. From very...
HOW WE WORK TO FIND YOU WORK
https://vimeo.com/100255578
JESSE ROTHMAN, LEBANON, NJ
“I have been a drummer and a writer all of my life, and I used to act, so I love performing and singing as well. I had grown up playing and making music with so many friends from home, so I have always been comfortable in a studio, back/on-stage, or in a...
BRYAN RAY, RECORDING CONNECTION MENTEE OF THE MONTH FOR JANUARY, 2012
February 1, 2012. AUSTIN, TX. The Recording Connection announces Bryan Ray in Austin, Texas, as their mentee of the month for January, 2012. Bryan chose Recording Connection to further his dream of being an independent record producer, songwriter, and mixer. As Bryan...
SEBASTIAN LEFELD, ORLANDO, FL
“Whenever I take a break,” says Recording Connection alum Sebastian Lefeld, “I’m always thinking there’s someone else out there who’s doing what I do who’s not taking a break, and I get back to work.” It’s this very work ethic that not only helped Sebastian make the...
PAYMENT TERMS
LOGIC PRO X CREATING VOCAL HARMONIES
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: We look at how to create vocal harmonies or between instruments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McNGSBe87I8
USING D-VERB PLUGIN IN PRO TOOLS
This Recording Connection Tutorial shows how to use the stock D-Verb plugin in Pro Tools 11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCaBmb8t60Y
What’s the Best Digital Audio Workstation?
For more than a century, recording music professionally was left to those with the resources. This meant having their own studios or the money to rent studio space and hire audio engineers or producers. And if you didn’t have the attention of a label, the chance of...
HOW TO EXPORT AN AUDIO MIX IN AUDACITY
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: Exporting tracks for mixing in another program, exporting demo track. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVn8l_nhGoQ&feature=emb_title
INTO THE LAIR #38 – INSTRUMENT LEVELS IN A MIX
Dave Pensado explains how he treats the relative level of instruments in a mix to bring out certain emotions or styles for the listener in the 38th Into The Lair segment from Pensado’s Place. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M48cgFFekNU
HOW TO KEEP LOGIC PRO X RUNNING SMOOTHLY
In this video we show you how to keep Logic Pro X running smooth with three easy steps! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae2M14zuf1g
PRESTON BOEBEL
IN THE BEGINNING HE WAS SKEPTICAL….. Back in 1999, Preston Boebel was looking for employment opportunities in the music business. He described himself at the time as a pseudo-musician who noodled around with his guitar. On the advice of his mom, he started...
KYLE MCPHERSON, CLEARWATER, FL
Before I joined the Recording Connection program I was a guitar player, as well as an aspiring hip-hop producer, who needed to get his foot in the industry. Looking back I remember I was making a lot of beats, trying to figure out how I was going to advance myself...
SCOTT BUZZELL, BALDWINSVILLE, NY
I have always been very interested in music. Once I gained the music and engineering skills through the Recording Connection, I continued my career with music, and I have all thanks to give to both the Recording Connection, as well as my mentor. During my...
JOEY MERICHKO
“I am a vocalist and keyboardist currently now working in Chicago. I have loved playing and making music ever since I can remember. I decided to open my own home studio, but didn’t know much at the time. So I found myself at my local music store asking them how to get...
AYAZ ISMAIL, DALLAS, TX
Learning on-the-job definitely has its advantages—for example, the opportunity to have a seasoned industry veteran help you produce your own music! Ayaz Ismail of Dallas, TX experienced this firsthand when his mentor, music industry veteran Rick Rooney at Planet...
NOVEMBER 2011 REVIEWS FROM OUR MENTEES AND GRADUATES
November 18, 2011 Success Stories Work along side the music professionals. “This week with my mentor has been amazing. Actually, every week so far has been. The first week I had very little confidence in what I was doing due to all the technical jargon, as well as...
ELEPHANT SYMPHONY
Elephant Symphony in Glendale, California specializes in music and post and has done work for Chet Thompson, Rick James Band, Taylor Dayne, Rufus Miller, Rock and Roll Suicide, 6 Feet Under, Nip / Tuck, Jazzy Jay Films, Verizon Wireless and many more. Featuring three...
Recording Connection Audio Mentorship Now Accepting Mentees Throughout Canada
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA. April 3, 2012. The Recording Connection announces the launch of its audio engineering mentorship for mentees in Canada today. The Recording Connection audio mentorship places mentees inside real working recording studios where they...
MUSIC SCHOOLS VS. OUR APPROACH
Degrees and Diplomas Are Irrelevant in Music and Recording Unless you desire to be a music label accountant, a college degree or diploma is not a job prerequisite. Degrees and diplomas carry no weight when it comes to getting hired in the music or audio business–none...
MORE FAQ
More Questions About Recording Connection What is included? A private teacher in a real recording studio. Our course curriculum taught by that teacher. The opportunity to extern and intern in that studio and make real-world connections while taking our structured...
BLAKE LA GRANGE, LAS VEGAS, NV
My experiences with the Recording Connection program have been extremely beneficial. When I first started the program, we did not work on any hands-on work. I was able to review the lessons and reading material from the Recording Connection, as well as sit in on the...
A GRADUATE REVIEWS THE RECORDING CONNECTION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m4e8Q5S5cE If you like working hands-on in a studio with a mentor one-on-one with clients on a regular basis, at least two to three, maybe more times a week, getting credits under your belt right away, learning anything about audio...
IS THIS REAL?
But we get it, and we hear you; we really do. You have every right to be skeptical. In a world of overpriced schools and bloated promises, the idea of attending a low-cost, no-nonsense audio program like ours inside the walls of a real recording studio,...
WELCOME ASPIRING MUSIC PRODUCERS!
Recording Connection is now accepting mentees for our Music Producing Program ASK YOURSELF… + Could you see yourself working as a successful music producer? + Do you have a feel for what works in music? + Do you catch yourself saying, “I could have done that better?”...
YOUR OWN MUSIC
The Recording Connection adapts to your needs and career goals “Can I record my own music projects as part of my schooling?” This is a question we get a lot, and the answer is: of course! While many of our audio engineering mentees have dreams of running the board...
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR EBOOK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaT8Sq_1LT0 Hey guys, Doug back again, Recording Connection. Let’s take a look at your e-book and walk through some of the basic functionality here to hopefully set you up for success for studying, for test-taking, for everything. It’s...
NOW HE DOES LIVE SOUND FOR EMINEM, THE ROLLING STONES, ARETHA FRANKLIN, BLACK EYED PEAS AND MORE.
Isn’t it time you looked into the Recording Connection? If you’ve been to a LIVE CONCERT then you’ve seen the mixer at the board in the middle of the arena or stadium. Well guess what: THIS COULD BE YOU!!!!! TRAIN and LEARN how to mix live sound from Billy Flores The...
STEVE FOGGIN
"Since 1986, my mentor has been the premier studio for recording, rehearsal, and education for Chicago’s south side. Situated just 10 minutes from the main loop, I have been privileged to entertain many illustrious names from Smokey Norful and Albertina Walker to Hall...
PETER RODRIGUEZ, MARIETTA, GA
No matter what the job market presents we, and our mentors, are sure to teach our graduates how to be patient yet tenacious when looking for work. If nothing presents itself right away it’s not uncommon for our mentors to take on graduates in their own studio until he...
WELCOME TO THE RECORDING CONNECTION
Are you seeking the challenge and rewards of a career in music production and recording? Or does the world of music videos excite you? If so, then the Recording Connection is here to make your dreams a reality. The music industry is a profession, a business. And in...
JESSE O’BRIEN, PRODUCER FOR EMINEM AND KANYE WEST, TEACHES FOR RECORDING CONNECTION
MORE ON JESSE O’BRIEN – AUDIO ENGINEER / RECORDING CONNECTION MENTOR Jesse works in numerous genres and helps individuals from all over Colorado achieve their dreams in working in the audio engineering and producing side of the music industry. Jesse O’Brien will help...
DEVIN ZORN, DALLAS, TX
Spend a few minutes talking with Recording Connection graduate Devin Zorn, and it’s apparent that he’s got some very specific opinions about sound and audio in the music he records and mixes. Take, for example, his own band The Q, which he describes as “if Pink Floyd...
DANIEL NEILSON, ATLANTA, GA
I'm very pleased with my decision to have joined the Recording Connection. With my decision to join the audio program, I was very pleased to be assigned by the Recording Connection to a very prominent art recording studio, where I reported as an extern directly to...
JEFF
When Jeff Burris decided to give up a secure job at a musuem to enter the music field full-time, he knew it wouldn't be easy. But it was a choice he had to make. "Originally, my goal was to keep music as a hobby, but finally I realized that I really wanted to...
AUDACITY LAYOUT PART 1
Head Start Lab Series by the Recording Connection: We go through the layout of Audacity and its functions and features. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnMB2-X1xW8
SHONEEN STENFTENAGEL, ST. ANTHONY, IN
The Recording Connection truly believes our mentees have an opportunity to achieve something special while attending our program. Whether a member can take full advantage of this opportunity lies in his or her hands. To help illustrate this, we asked Shoneen...
SUCCESS STORIES, AUGUST 2011
August 26, 2011 Success Stories Learn how live concerts are run. “During this lesson with my mentor, I learned about the different types of equipment used for recording and sound adjustments. I also learned a lot about the Patch Bay and was even able to do a few...
Recording Connection grad Kolby Benton Does Song with Borgore, Releases New Album & more!
[break class="double"][break class="double no-mobile"] [break side="left"] Recording Connection graduate Kolby Benton aka Kayp grew up in a small town, so small that his graduating class had a whopping thirty people. Nevertheless, knowing his goal was to become an EDM...
History of Recorded Sound: From the Origins to the Digital Era
While sound has been around for as long as we’ve had ears, the ability to record those sounds has only been around for 150 years or so. Today, we’re able to record sound in a variety of ways on a variety of media. The first recorded sound was actually saved to paper...
Music Industry Interview Tips
There’s a lot of competition when it comes to finding jobs in the recording industry, so if you’ve secured an interview or an audition it means you really have something to offer. Your resume, cover letter and/or demo reel did their job and now it’s time for you to...
Recording Connection mentor Lucas Abend on Getting Out of Your Way, Putting the Ego on Ice, and more!
Recording Connection mentor Lucas Abend (Snoop Dogg, Lost Kings, Krewella) is an artist/producer who’s passionate about helping others get the tools, training, and advice they need to make great-sounding music, whether they’re pursuing a career in music or are looking...
Recording Connection alum Ian Izquierdo Goes from Stuck in a Rut to Hired & Thriving in Music.
When Ian Izquierdo found Recording Connection he'd gotten to know firsthand, just how ho-hum a life of working 50-hour weeks doing work that didn't speak to his soul could be. Circumstances out of his control made him reassess where he was going and look into taking...
EDM Jobs That Are Hiring Right Now
For as long as you can remember, you’ve been into EDM. The way the music makes you feel, the energy of a live show, and the people that you’ve met along the way. It all just speaks to you. In fact, you may be wondering if there’s a way you can make a career in the...
8 Must-Haves For a Killer Home Recording Studio
What Equipment do you need for a Home Recording Studio? With all of the advances in digital audio workstation (DAW) technology, all you really need to make music is a reliable internet connection and a computer strong enough to run it. But if you really want to make a...
Recording Connection grad & mentor Dawsøn on Working with Kanye West, Recognizing Opportunity, and more!
[break side="left"] [break side="left"] When Kanye West premiered his lastest album Donda via livestream from Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Recording Connection graduate Alejandro Rodriguez-Dawson aka Dawsøn was the engineer capturing Kanye's performance for all...
How to Grow Your Catalog as a Music Producer
A portfolio or catalog is a collection of music produced by a singer, songwriter, or other artists that haven’t been assigned, licensed, or sold. Basically, the music you create - and keep for yourself - is your catalog. As a music producer, the definition of a...
Lessons from the Frontlines… Recording Connection grad & mentor DAWSØN Records Kanye West.
[break] August 5th, 2021, Kanye West live-streams the release of his new album Donda, at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Recording Connection graduate Dawsøn is the engineer there to catch it all. [break side="left"] Sometimes it isn’t ready, go, jump, it’s just...
Advantages of Online Music Production School
Computer technology and the internet have made it possible for just about anyone to start making music. And that’s great! Digital audio workstation software makes it possible for you to create songs, beats, samples, and more from just about any device. Can I learn...
Jared Wenkman on Getting Hired, Working with Bands & The Advanced Audio & Music Production Program.
[break class="double"] [break side="left"] When Jared Wenkman found Recording Connection, he hadn’t spent years imaging how cool it’d be to work in a recording studio. He didn’t have Pro Tools on his computer. In fact, he knew next to nothing about recording music at...
The Difference Between Audio Engineering and Music Production.
What is the Difference Between Audio Engineering and Music Production? Working together, audio engineers and record producers bring the artists’ creative visions to life, making them sound sonically superior as well as adding their own take on the music, when...
How to Make it in the Music Industry Today?
How to Get into the Music Industry? We’ve all thought of it at least a few times during our lives: How great would it be to be a rockstar? A music mogul that travels the world, performing in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans, and making a hefty amount of...
Recording Connection mentor Ryan Conway on Who He Hires, Having Effective Songwriting & Pre-Production Sessions, and More!
[break] [break] Recording Connection mentor Ryan Conway (Jadakiss, Ghostface Killah, Bubba Sparxxx) of ConwaySound Production-Recording has been a mentor for more than ten years. We connected with Ryan to get his input on fostering fruitful songwriting and...
Recording Connection graduate Ramy Morales Goes 5x Platinum, Signs with Sony/ATV!
[break] When Ramy Morales enrolled in Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production he was sure about one thing—he wanted to make music. Then he did something so many others fail at doing. He took his passion seriously and started putting in the...
Recording Connection alum Roland Rodas on Going Lean in Mixing & Mastering.
[break] Founder of Toronto’s Cavern of Echos, Roland Rodas (Liminal Shroud, Stratosfera, Mausoleum), completed Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production in 2016. Since then, he’s built an enviably good career doing exactly what he loves—mixing...
Recording Connection mentor Jony Mansilla on Being a Business & an Artist, Constantly Creating & more.
Recording Connection mentor Jony Mansilla is both the founder/owner of Jony Studios as well as a busy singer/songwriter who’s consistently producing his own music. We caught up with the entrepreneurial creative to discuss being an artist and a business owner, get his...
Recording Connection mentee Miley Knox Places 2 Beats with Wu-Tang Affiliate!
Miley Knox has been a hip hop lover since age 8. On the way to finding us, she’s encountered challenges ranging from unilateral vocal cord paralysis, a condition she was born with, to surviving an abusive relationship, to dealing with social anxiety. But don’t think...
How Zach Eaton Got Audio Skills & Got Hired at Premier Recording Studio in One Year.
In a little over one year, Recording Connection graduate Zach Eaton went from first semester college student to Recording Connection mentee extern, to audio engineer at Enviyon Entertainment Recording Studios. Read on to see how he did it and tune into our Straight...
Recording Connection mentor Aaron R. Reppert on Dolby Atmos, Finding Your Passion in Audio & more!
[break side="left"] Recording Connection mentor Aaron R. Reppert (Disney, MTV, Google) is the founder and creative director of TravSonic Studios, a multifaceted audio production company which does everything from recording artists for musical releases to sound design...
Roman Molino Dunn on Creating Soundtracks, Being an In-Demand Producer & Music Mentorship
[break] Recording Connection mentor Roman Molino Dunn a.k.a Electropoint, co-owner of Mirrortone recording studios (NYC, NY), is both a Billboard-charting music producer and award-winning composer who’s composed original music for some of the biggest brands and...
The Best of 2020 is here!
[break class="double"] IN 2020... [break class="double"][break class="double no-mobile"] Recording Connection graduate Ramy Morales Went 5x Platinum, Got Signed with Sony/ATV! [break side="left"] We caught up with Recording Connection grad Ramy Morales (Lil Baby, Yo...
Recording Connection mentor Steve Catizone on Vibe, Hiring Mentees & Training Tomorrow’s Audio Pros During COVID-19
Steve Catizone of Infinite Recording (Black Eyed Peas, Charli XCX, Charlie Puth, Justin Bieber, Wyclef Jean) has decades of experience producing and engineering artists across the musical spectrum. We recently connected with Steve to get his insights on the importance...
Time Management and the Music Business
From being someone who’s opening a digital audio workstation (DAW) for the first time to operating as a seasoned professional, time management is of vital importance to all of us. Everyone deals with distractions, brick walls, and not enough hours in the day. But...
How to Find Your Musical Style
We begin making music at a very young age. Banging pots together may not have been very musical for our parents, but they were new sounds for us. We’d even kick the chair in front of us in the car, not to annoy that person in front, but see what different beats...
Recording Connection graduate Andrew Marshala Overcomes Addiction & Gets Hired at Mentor Studio
Recording Connection graduate Andrew Marshala’s journey into a career in audio engineering and music production was anything but straight and narrow. [break side="left"] Prior to getting hired at the exquisitely appointed recording and post-production facility Castle...
What Recording on Tape is Like
Vinyl records, 8-tracks, cassette tapes, compact discs (CD), mp3s, and streaming services are viable ways to listen to music today. If you have the proper equipment that is - and most audiophiles do. Most casual music fans will stick with streaming services, such as...
What Kind of Music Producer Are You?
Not sure what a producer actually does day to day? Start here. Are you the type of person that has to have their hand on every aspect of a project? Or do you prefer to sit back and wait for your time to make it just that much better? Perhaps you prefer a more...
How to Become a Music Entrepreneur?
Some might say there's no such thing as a “music entrepreneur.” We say all working music producers, composers, songwriters, audio engineers, and DJs are undoubtedly entrepreneurs. Aside from the product or service, entrepreneurs all share common traits. People...
Recording Connection grad Isaac Wolfe Made VP of Legendary Hollywood Recording Studio!
Recording Connection graduate Isaac Wolfe (Los Angeles, CA) didn’t take the fast track when it came to building his career in music. Rather, he did something so foreign, so revolutionary in today’s climate of instant gratification that it sounds downright vintage—he...
The Agile Music Producer
Stockbrokers, money managers, professional athletes of all sizes, their success hinges on their ability to react on-the-fly. Not being able to read the market can cost a broker millions. In baseball, having a keen eye can make the difference between being a...
Mentor Rene Reyes on The Creative, Fluffy Land of Unicorns, Objectivity & What it Really Takes to Be a Professional Music Producer
[break class="double"][break class="double no-mobile"] Producer/Engineer Rene Reyes of Miami’s Rebel 11 Studios (Bad Bunny, Darrel, Karol G) isn’t one to varnish the truth. He’s passionate about making music, helping artists capture the sounds and sonic feel they’re...
How to Get Your Music on Television
You’ve been making music for a few years now and you have a sound that would blend in perfectly with a tween drama on streaming TV, or just the right pulsating hook for your favorite video game series. Wouldn’t it be great if it was your music that did the job of...
Recording Connection grad London Elixir Paves Her Own Path to Success
[break class="double"][break class="double no-mobile"] [read-more] London Elixir started Recording Connection for Hip Hop Production in 2016, when she was nearing the end of her last semester at Ohio State where she majored in Computer Science Engineering. Not one to...
Recording Connection mentor Mack Woodward: How I Hired 18 Engineers During COVID-19.
Grammy-certified Recording Connection mentor Mack Woodward is a music producer and mixing engineer (Beyoncé, Maroon 5, Fergie, Outkast, Jamie Foxx) who’s dedicated to teaching tomorrow’s engineers and producers the skillset and mindset it takes to build a lasting,...
Why File Management Matters for Music Producers and Audio Engineers
Before digital audio workstations, before computers, and before storage came in the form of a disk, audio engineers and music producers worked in analog. Tape, reels, and cabinets designed to handle finished projects and works in progress. These tapes could be logged...
For Engineers & Producers: Time Sucks and How to Avoid Them
Salary.com once released a study that found nearly every worker in every industry wastes at least 30 minutes a day while on the job. Sometimes up to three hours! Reading social media, daydreaming, or hanging out by the water cooler, let’s face it, during the normal...
Recording Connection graduate Joe Dancsak Does TDE Lockout!
[break class="double"][break class="double no-mobile"] L.A-based guitarist, producer, and composer Joe Dancsak (Los Angeles, CA) is a graduate of both the beginner’s and the Advanced Audio Engineering & Music Production programs. In the decade since Joe first...
Home Recording Studio Design
Nominated for Academy Awards, including an Oscar win for the best original song, Hustle and Flow is about DJay, a pimp, as he tries to make a name for himself in the local rap game. While his rhymes may be tight, he is woefully unprepared to do any recording at his...
Tips for Staying Organized as a Music Producer
FIND what you’re looking for The ability to diversify, fracture, and splinter sound can transform any single note into a symphony unto itself. Multiply that by a hundred instruments, and it can be migraine-inducing trying to find that loop you were working on just...
Recording Connection mentor G.W. Childs on Passion-fueled Songwriting, Ableton Production, and more.
Recording Connection mentor G.W. Childs has a multifaceted career spanning decades. A songwriter, artist, and keyboardist with Soil & Eclipse, he's also published books on Ableton, Propellerhead's Reason, and served as the sound designer on Reason. Additionally,...
Start Creating Music in Ableton (for free, now).
Hip hop, electronic dance music, and beat-making have dominated the music scene for nearly two decades. Driven by the accessibility of digital audio workstations (DAWs), the power to make music the world dances to is available to anyone with a computer at their desk...
Catching Up with Recording Connection graduate Morning Estrada
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, it did. Morning Estrada, graduate of Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production has gone from a job at the bank to working with today's most dynamic and prolific artists including Aminé, Rosalía,...
Recording Connection graduate Taylor Crommie talks Making a Living in Music, Passion & Career Goals
Over the past 12 months, artists Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production graduate Taylor Crommie has engineered and/or mixed for include DJ Paul (of Three 6 Mafia), Kembe X, Jay Rock, Wifi Funeral, YelaWolf, Lance Skiiwalker, Eric Hudson,...
What is a record deal?
Caveat Emptor Rules Ever since Robert Johnson “sold his soul to the devil” in order to become a famous musician as chronicled in his song “Crossroads,” record deals have been looked at as a necessary evil. A record deal locks in an arrangement between the artist and a...
What is Logic Pro X?
Considered the “creative” operating system, the Apple entry into the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) landscape offers a lot to the professional music producer. Some of the biggest names in the digital music industry, including Hardwell, Akon, marshmello, and T-Pain...
How Do You Record Your Own Music
As an aspiring musician, singer, or player in a band you're likely going to want to record your own music at some point. There are many reasons to record your music: you want to hear what you, or your group, sound like; you want to share your music with your friends;...
What Does it Take to be a Music Producer?
How To Be A Music Producer? To become a successful music producer, you need to have passion and drive, a great work ethic, a sense of responsibility, strong business smarts and, last but not least, musical skills, knowledge and abilities. Here’s how these skill sets...
What Does a Live Sound Engineer Do?
Have you ever been to a concert by your favorite band, only to return home disillusioned and disappointed with how bad they sounded? There are three possible causes for the sound to suck during a live concert: 1) The band just isn’t that good. 2) The acoustics at the...
What is the Role of a Record Label?
The Traditional Role of the Record Label Don’t let anyone fool you, the purpose of a record label is to make money. Traditionally, to achieve that goal, record labels found music artists, developed them, promoted them, and manufactured and distributed their music in...
What (Today’s) Sound Engineers Really Do
Traditionally speaking, sound engineers record, edit and mix audio during recording sessions or live sound performances. Indeed, all sound engineers do this and more. In fact, it’s the “more” part of this job that is becoming increasingly more important and essential...
How to be a Music Creator in Ableton
Turn to Ableton's Get Started Making Music Guide Some of the best advice for becoming a music creator in Ableton comes from Ableton itself. To get started, you need to be familiar with the basics of music making. This free learning guide starts you off nice and easy....
How do DJs Make Beats?
At the most basic level, a beat is what keeps the time of a song. Repeated over and over again, the rest of instruments, vocals, and harmonies follow its lead. When listening to a song, you might tap your foot or drum your fingers to the beat. The most common beat, in...
What is a Record Label Responsible For?
What is a Record Label and What Are they Responsible For? It used to be that record labels were responsible for just about anything and everything to do with getting music to the consumer. From discovering the artist to nurturing and developing the artist to having an...
How to use Ableton Live in a Live Setting
Part of the thrill of being a live DJ is seeing how the crowd reacts to your music, whether you’re bringing them up or dropping them down. It could be a small underground club or a 5,000 capacity venue - it’s just you, your audience, and your music. A listless...
How to Succeed in Our Programs: Jake Johnson
It’s an overused, tired adage: Those who can’t do, teach. And it certainly couldn’t be further from the truth when you consider Recording Connection mentor Jake Johnson. As a co-founder of Paradyme Productions in Madison, WI, Johnson has helped hundreds of artists...
Hip Hop Producers Who Use Logic
As the predominant music form of the last decade, hip hop has found its way into almost every form of music. Pop, Rock, even Western music has been tinged with hip hop in recent years. Some even consider hip hop to be the forerunner of electronic dance music and all...
How to use Fruity Loops
Now referred to as FL Studio, Fruity Loops was one of the first widely used digital audio workstations (DAW). Originally, it was created as a simple - by today’s standards - four-channel drum machine in 1997. One year later, upgrades and updates made it a fully...
I Want to Learn Logic Pro X
Logic Pro X occupies the DAW space between Ableton Live and Pro Tools. Compared to Ableton Live, it’s got a steeper learning curve and is not as user friendly for Live DJ performances but is more of a post-production tool. Compared to Pro Tools, it's not as robust of...
How to Start Producing Beats?
“It's a trip it's got a funky beat and I can bug out to it.” - "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" sample from the Beastie Boys’ album Paul’s Boutique. While harmonies, melodies, and structure are all important in music, nothing drives the music of today like the beat. Setting the...
I Want to Learn Ableton
If you're an aspiring hip hop, EDM or live DJ artist the best way to get where you want to go is to learn how to use a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) to create and record your music. For the aforementioned music genres, we highly recommend Ableton Live, especially if...
Where do Sound Engineers work?
Some of the places sound engineers work are fairly obvious: recording studios, film sets, TV stations, radio stations and the like. Others are a little bit more off the radar: convention halls, local clubs, corporations and home studios. The sound engineer works with...
What is a Recording Studio?
Traditionally recording studios have been thought of as a soundproofed complex with a live room (where instruments and vocals are performed), a vocal room (for lead vocal singing) and a control room (for recording, editing, mixing and mastering the sounds produced in...
Where do Music Producers work?
Today’s music producer can be found at raves, nightclubs, recording studios, radio stations, behind their computer, in their car, at a coffee shop, on the phone or taking meetings at record label offices, or music gear shows, or networking with potential sponsors....
What is a Record Company?
The definition of a record company is as follows: A company in the business of making and selling musical recordings. That clear things up? We thought not. The words "record company" and "record label" are often used interchangeably. In actuality, a record company...
Reason Tutorial: How to make music in Reason
In the crowded landscape of digital audio workstations, there are a few that stand above the rest. Ableton Live, Pro Tools, and Logic Pro are what artists around the world use to create the music that gets everyone on the dance floor. There are other options out...
How to make hip hop beats
As the current ruler supreme on the music scene, hip hop’s meteoric rise can be traced to the advent of home computers, faster processors, and music software that gave the power of producing music to everyone who wanted it. Old school curmudgeons may not like it, but...
Looking for Free Recording Studio Software? Here you go.
Whether you are an aspiring electronic music artist, podcaster, or audio engineer, you're probably on a limited budget and looking for free audio recording software so that you can get to the next step in your craft or art. The following list of current audio software...
Hip Hop Production Techniques
From humble beginnings in the Bronx underground to worldwide domination, hip hop may be the most popular form of music globally. The mix of drum machines, dope lyrics, syncopated beats, and samples create music that is both thoughtful and explosive. Two turntables and...
How to Become a Video Game Music Composer
Video Game Music Industry is Growing. When it comes to monetizing your original music, one of the fasted growing but least mentioned markets is the video gaming industry. Consider this, in 2018; movie industry revenue was around $40 billion while video gaming revenue...
How Do I Make Hardcore EDM Music?
If there’s a music genre, there’s probably a hardcore version of it. Look at the Trans-Siberian Orchestra - they managed to give orchestral music a hard-driving edge. Hardcore rap, hardcore rock, and even jazzcore all have a following. So it should be no surprise the...
The Top Mentee Success Stories of 2019
Recording Connection graduate Morning Estrada went on European tour with Aminé, Won Latin Grammy, and more! [break class="double" side="right"] To say 2019 has been a busy year for Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production graduate Morning...
10 Most Successful Independent Record Labels
There’s a lot to like about being in the fold of a major record label. They have hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on their talent, have their own distribution and marketing resources, and can often be found under even larger media corporations. This means easy...
How do I Make Drum and Bass Music
Like many forms of electronic dance music, the drum and bass genre formed in United Kingdom underground clubs, the genesis coming from Jamaican reggae and breakbeats first heard in the U.S. in the late 1970s. Heavy bass, samples, and synthesizers all come together for...
Learn from a Song Mentor
What is a song, really? A song is story put to music. The songwriter’s job is to create a song, sometimes by themselves; sometimes in collaboration with other songwriters, composer and singers to create the melody that combined with the lyrics becomes the song. If you...
Recording Connection graduate Vic Castaldo Opens Recording Studio
Even though he’s still in his early 20s, Vic Castaldo has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve in life. He came to Recording Connection after having spent the past five years teaching himself music production. Now, after receiving direct, hands-on instruction...
What is Analog Sound?
Sounds themselves are analog signals. We can choose to record these sounds by either analog or digital means. Analog recordings capture the continuous wave of the analog signal—what they hear is what they record. Digital recordings capture binary codes that reflect...
Learn from an Engineering Mentor
Learning from an audio engineering mentor can be a wonderful and rewarding experience that can literally catapult you to success. However, it is incumbent upon the mentee (mentee or extern) to hold up their end of the bargain. Here’s a secret mentors won’t tell you....
Who Uses Logic Pro?
Every DAW has its advocates and detractors–Logic Pro is no different. Many accomplished music producers and engineers use several different DAWs, depending on the project’s needs. Thus, when it comes to which DAW is best there’s really no clear-cut answer. But there...
What do record labels do?
Before the internet, record labels were just about the only way music got to the public. Back then, record labels discovered artists, signed them, recorded them and distributed them along with handling all the promotional, legal, and accounting sides of things. As...
Russell Dennis Goes from Tech to Audio Engineer & Gets Hired
When Russell Dennis joined Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production, he was already successful by many people’s standards. As an instructional designer and technical support specialist, he was making a good living serving clients IBM, Bank of...
How to Record a Song
There is no right or wrong answer to how you should record a song. How you go about doing it will come down to a few variables. The first is the genre of music you want to record. The second is the song’s personnel. The third is the end use of the recording. The...
Learn from a Songwriting Mentor
When it comes to songwriting there are two sets of skills you need. The first is the creative side of songwriting—the music and the lyrics. The second is the business side of songwriting—protecting your creative work so you can monetize it. These two skill sets...
Who is a Sound Engineer?
Sound engineer is an all-encompassing term that covers anyone who uses technical gear in conjunction with sound. The duties of a sound engineer can include setting up and testing sound equipment, as well as recording, editing and mixing audio tracks. A sound engineer...
Home Recording Studio Equipment
The audio enthusiast has numerous choices when it comes to home recording studio equipment. The first thing to consider is your computer, the backbone of any digital recording process. Desktops are usually more powerful and offer more options and inputs than laptops....
How to be Successful in the Music Industry
If you want to be successful in the music industry, you’re going to have to have a very strong level of commitment and a work ethic that leaves most other people in the dust. Talent, vibe or likability, and agility are other key factors that will contribute to your...
Roundtable Talk with Recording Connection mentor Nathan Jenkins
Providing real-world education, support, and opportunity is something we take very seriously at RRFC. In order to ensure we continually set our mentees and mentors up for success, we’ve started inviting mentors into RRFC “headquarters” in Los Angeles for roundtable...
How do I make Industrial Music
Industrial music comes by its name honestly. Like a manufacturing plant or an oil refinery, the sound is dirty, gritty, and loud. The perfect counterpart to the glimmery hope of disco in the ‘70s. With growling lyrics and even growlier vocals, industrial acts like...
Where do Audio Engineers Work?
If you are seriously considering becoming an audio engineer you first need define what type of audio engineer you want to be. While many of the skill sets overlap, each of the various types of audio engineers mentioned below has its own set of specific skills....
How to Produce Pop Music
A Little about the History of Pop, the genre. The genre of music that we call pop music today has its roots in the early 1950s. Bill Haley and the Comets’ 1954 hit “Rock Around the Clock” is widely accredited with launching this genre which at the time was a fusion of...
Recording mentee Aqellezra “Echo” Gabriel gets Hired at PSAV
A lifelong songwriter and artist, Aqellezra “Echo” Gabriel was on her second year of general education classes at San Francisco State University, pursuing a degree in Broadcasting and Electronic Communication Arts, when she found us online. [break side="right"] After...
How do I make a breakbeat?
All it took was eight seconds to change the landscape of hip hop, dubstep, and many other forms of electronic dance music. The Amen Break is widely regarded as one of the most used breakbeat samples in the history of electronic music. The name "breakbeat" is derived...
Spotlight On… Evan Groom, Product Manager at Audio-Technica.
[break side="left"] What you do as Product Manager at Audio-Technica? [break side="left"] "So my role is to work closely with our engineering team that are headquartered in Japan, and I regularly communicate with them about different customer and market...
Marc Moreau on Wearing Different Hats & Capturing the Sounds in Your Head
Two time Grammy-award-winning audio engineer and music producer Marc Moreau (Ziggy Marley, Madonna, Roger Waters, Rage Against the Machine) of The Root Studio has decades of recording industry experience and insight to share with those he trains as a Recording...
How do I make Dubstep?
Like many other forms of electronic dance music (EDM), dubstep originated in London in the late ‘90s as an evolution of UK garage, two-step, dub reggae, and a host of other styles. Because of the amount of freedom it allows, subgenres of electronic music production...
Learn from an Audio Mentor
Gearheads often think they know all they need to know about audio. They’re passionate about their technology. They know every spec about every piece of gear they own and have opinions on what's the best piece of gear to use for each occasion. They’ve consumed a wealth...
How do I make Trance Music?
To the untrained ear, electronic dance music and all of its subgenres can sound a lot alike. The bassline kicks in, simple melodies follow, and the crowd starts moving. But to the artists and their fans, electronic music has very real, if not subtle, differences that...
Roundtable with Engineer/Producer Josh Monroy (Ludacris,OutKast, Justin Bieber, JoJo, Walla) of Studio 1 Zero
All of us at RRFC are seriously committed to providing great, real-world education, in-industry experience, and support. In order to be sure we’re continuously setting our music production and audio engineering mentees and mentors up for success, we recently started...
Recording Connection graduate Elijah Ibarra hired at Electric Feel Studios in Hollywood.
Freshly graduated from the Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production program, Elijah Ibarra (Los Angeles, CA) went on to get hired at Electric Feel Studios, the studio home of Electric Feel Management whose roster includes some of today’s...
How to become a successful audio engineer
There’s a world of difference between being an audio engineer and being a successful audio engineer. If you are in the former, you want to be in the latter—life is a whole lot more fun when you are making a good living doing what you want. Success tends to breed...
How do I make House Music?
Early house music could contain lyrics, vocals with no real lyrics, or no vocals whatsoever. What it did feature were deep baselines, repetitive rhythm, and a more mechanical delivery. Almost as if to say “We’re here to listen to dance music… so let’s get on it with...
Learn Audio Engineering from a Professional
Do you dream of a career in music? If you’ve ever wanted to learn audio engineering from a professional, or wondered how you can get the skills, expertise and real world perspective you need to start building your career as a music producer, mix engineer, or...
How do I make Techno?
Just as house music was first discovered in the underground dance clubs of Chicago, Detroit is the birthplace of techno. Maybe there’s something about cold, blustery winters in the Midwest that makes people want to go inside and dance. While it owes some of its...
Recording Connection mentor Lucas Abend Talks Burning Man, Musical Expression & Getting Wowed by our Mentees.
As a music producer, studio co-founder, DJ and mentor, Lucas Abend of Studio 369 (Los Angeles, CA) is the consummate example of today’s music maker who’s part of a movement that’s constantly pushing the boundaries, setting new rules, breaking them and propelling the...
Recording Connection mentee Alexis Schwarting Gets Trained & Hired in Audio!
When recent alum of Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production Alexis Schwarting, came to us, she had already completed several semesters attending a conventional university. Nevertheless, her drive to get in and get going in music led her to...
How do I make Euro Disco?
Taking its influence from Italian and French pop songs from the 50s and 60s, Euro Disco began making a mark in the 70s - the decade of disco. Initially, Euro Disco referred to music made by artists residing in North America. Which makes sense, right? But the sound of...
I Want to Learn How to Make Music
You love music. You’re crazy passionate about it. You have ideas for songs that run through your head but have zero ability to play, read, or write music. Nevertheless, you’re downright hungry to learn how to make your own music. What’s the best way to proceed? One...
How to make electronic music with Ableton Live
As digital audio workstations (DAWs) have become more accessible over the last two decades, the creation of new electronic dance music has exploded. Needing a computer with enough power to run the software, anybody who wants to make beats, try their hand at trance, or...
Hired & On the Right Path: Mentee William Reyes
A deeply devout Christian, not long ago William Reyes was trying to find his career path in life. Less than one year later, he’s completed Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production, has an EP in the works, and he’s even got a job as an Audio...
How to make trance music in Ableton Live
As a subset of electronic dance music, trance music is marked by its hypnotic melody that gradually builds until reaching a drop or a peak. The music then gives way to almost ethereal sound, waiting to be built up once again. There are usually one or two peaks or...
Current Real World Success Stories of Audio Engineers.
Being an audio engineer sounds like a really fun and rewarding job but is it realistic to expect you can make a living at it? The answer to this question depends a lot on how much effort you put into becoming successful. Let’s look at a few case studies from recent...
How to make music like Getter.
Getter creates music in multiple genres. In high school he was a huge metalhead but turned to producing electronic music because he could do it all by himself. His journeys into music are a constant learning experience as he is open to all kinds of music. Getter...
Jamila Nicolas Finds her Passion (Unexpectedly), Gets Hired Doing What she Loves!
Recent Recording Connection for Live Sound Engineering Program graduate Jamila Nicolas (Buffalo, NY) came to us for mentored externship with a very practical goal in mind. As it turns out, training with Jim Somner did more than enable her to meet her goal. In fact, it...
Recording Connection mentor Lionel Pedro on Recording Bands, Mentorship & Star Mentees
Lionel Pedro, Recording Connection mentor and co-owner of Trench Recordings in Toronto (Ontario, Canada), is a firm believer in direct, hands-on learning in audio engineering and music production. Boasting more than 3000 square feet of sound proofed recording space...
How Can I Make Music My Career?
You're passionate about music. You spend hours listening to music and creating your own playlists. You know you’d love to work in the music industry but realistically you know that you suck at making music of your own. Does that mean you can’t make music a...
What skills are needed to be a music producer?
The best music producers in the business understand what it takes to make a b-side into a single that gets played over and over again on the radio or downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. That’s their job after all. And while a producer may not be running the...
How Do I Make a Living in Music?
When you are passionate about something and figure out a way to make a living from it, life can be a beautiful thing. Years ago, up and comers dreamed of being the next big band. If they were good enough, they could find gigs to perform in local bars and nightclubs...
Where to study audio engineering?
You’ve always wanted to be a part of the music scene, but performing in front of people just isn’t what you’re about. However, making those artists who get up on stage sound better is the perfect way to express yourself. You’ve downloaded audio engineering software,...
What is the role of a record producer?
Image of Adam Moseley, record producer and engineer (Beck, Rush, Nikka Costa/Lenny Kravitz, Wolfmother, Spike Jonze, U2) When considering what a record producer is responsible for, it might make more sense to figure out what they don’t do. The producer has a hand in...
How to Learn Logic Pro
As one of the most powerful Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) applications on the planet, Logic Pro has gained widespread acceptance in the electronic music industry. Used in the creation of EDM, hip hop, live DJ’ing, and other forms of electronic music, Logic brings a...
Recording Connection mentor George Nardo Teaches the ‘Why’s’ of Audio
Talk to longtime Recording Connection mentor George Nardo of Luna Recording Studios in Tucson, Arizona, and you’ll know he’s anything but laissez-faire in his approach to teaching mentees audio engineering and music production. Whether talking analog or digital, tape...
How to be a successful music producer
In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell explains that to achieve world-class greatness in a field, a subject needs to spend 10,000 hours practicing a specific task. So, if you spend 20 hours a week on a subject, whether it’s golf, concert piano, or law, you’d become an...
How to make dubstep
Dubstep first appeared in south London about 20 years ago, introducing yet another subgenre to the umbrella that is the electronic music genre megalith. Marked by heavy baselines, syncopated rhythms, and breakdowns, the music is defined by the wobble bass - an...
Audio engineering schools near me
*Featured image, Rohan Solomon 2017 graduate of Recording Connection for Audio Engineering and Music Production, now Production Manager at ES Audio in New York City where he trained as an extern. As far back as you can remember, music has been part of your life....
Recording Connection grad Frank Demilt hired as Head Engineer and A&R
[break side="right"] Since graduating Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production, Frank Demilt, hasn't wasted one moment. When it comes to building his career in music, he's totally committed to making it happen for himself 110%. Before...
How to be a Beat Maker
Featured image is of Jamaal Taylor, Recording Connection graduate and beatmaker, live sound engineer, and composer who recently placed two original songs in a Blumhouse Productions film. The popularity and meteoric rise of rap and hip hop has everything to do with the...
How to get into the music industry?
Glitz, glamour, and gobs and gobs of money. Being a major player in the music industry brings fame and fortune, late-night parties, and the love of millions of fans. Even behind the scenes, the best music producers are highly sought after and have the admiration of...
How to make electronic music for a living
Growing from dance club origins to worldwide embrace, electronic music has reached the apex of the music industry. With some artists reaching over one billion streams of their music, the genre’s popularity has never been greater. In fact, EDM has been leading a music...
Unique Recording Studios introduces W.O.M.P VST!
ANNOUNCEMENT: The guys at Recording Connection mentor studio, Unique Recording Studios (URS), are introducing a new VST with the bedroom producer in mind. Weapons of Mass Production aka W.O.M.P. comes stocked with instruments all made in-house at URS. Its a beast that...
How do I learn Ableton Live?
An industry-standard in the electronic music world, Ableton Live is Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software used in music production. Compared to other DAWs on the market today, Ableton Live is particularly suited for EDM, Hip Hop, and Live DJ’ing. The software is...
Mentor Joey Gurwin on Recording with an ‘Analog Mindset,’ Who he Trains, & more.
Recording Connection mentor, producer Joey Gurwin of Oranjudio Recording Studios is known for his ability to capture the magic that’s found on old school records through his synthesis of today’s digital, new school technology and conventional analog recording...
Recording Connection graduate Connor Donald Changes Paths & Delves into Audio
At just 20 years old Connor Donald has already accomplished a lot. He’s taught himself to play guitar, piano, drums, bass, as well as record in GarageBand, completed high school, became a worship minister at his church, and he just recently got hired at PSAV, one of...
Recording Connection mentor Gino Bambino on How he got into Audio, Mixing & more
We recently connected with head audio engineer, music producer, and Recording Connection mentor, Gino Bambino of SoHi Sound in Columbus, Ohio to learn more about his journey into audio, get his advice for tackling the mix, and to find out what he considers to be the...
Recording Connection mentors Parker Ament & Danny Ferrare on Elevating Production Skills, XLNT & Mentoring
Powerhouse mentors Parker Ament and Danny Ferrare of XLNT Studios (Hollywood, CA) are the quintessential example of music producers who are entrepreneurial in their approach. In this interview we discuss how XLNT and their popular YouTube webseries XLNTSOUND came to...
Recording Connection grad Brian Piper Gets Hired & Moves Up at Audio-Technica
Recording Connection graduate of our Audio Engineering & Music Production program, Brian Piper, was two and a half years into his college education when he made the decision to finish off the semester and enroll with RRFC. For Brian, it’s proved to be the right...
Recording Connection mentor Danny Allen on Active Listening, Who He Mentors & More.
Recording Connection mentor audio engineer Danny Allen (Eddie Money, Christopher Hopper, We Are Messengers, Derek Johnson – Jesus Culture) of War Drum Mixing, in Upstate New York, is big on sharing the knowledge he’s acquired during his years in the industry. He...
How do I become a successful DJ and producer?
The short answer is a lot of hard work, perseverance and talent—traits required to be successful in just about any career. The long answer is much more complicated. A great starting point is to clearly define your goals. Do you want to be a club DJ, a performance DJ,...
Recording Connection grad Jason Abranches Gets in with Mick Fleetwood on Maui!
Shortly after completing his externship with mentor Zack Phillips at Freq Lab in San Francisco, CA, Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production graduate Jason Abranches made the move to the easygoing island of Maui. Thanks to Jason’s...
How to make Dubstep like Skrillex
Producer, DJ, singer, songwriter and musician, Skrillex is the overnight sensation who actually started grinding hard on his music back in 2004, only to make it six years later, in 2010 with the release of “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. In the years sense,...
SoundGirls’ Karrie Keyes on Supporting Female Audio Engineers & Music Producers
Check out the SoundGirls.Org website’s About Us page and you’ll see their unofficial mantra: “You Can’t Be What You Can’t See.” It is the organization’s mission to “inspire and empower the next generation of women in audio” by shining a light on women who are living...
Recording Connection mentor Joel Valera on Learning Everything
Recording Connection mentor Joel Valera (Krayzie Bone, Andre Paganelli, Audible) is not one to mince words. If you ask him what he looks for in anyone he accepts as an extern, he’ll tell you having an open mind and being willing to learn what it takes to work in...
Recording mentor Sean Giovanni on Reaching Goals & Building a Purpose-Driven Career
If you’ve been reading our newsletter for a while, you know we're constantly encouraging our mentees to hone their abilities to make smart decisions right alongside their artistry and craftsmanship. Having interviewed producer/engineer and Recording Connection mentor...
Recording Connection grad Jeff McQuilkin takes The Big Apple by Storm!
We recently caught up with Recording Connection grad Jeff McQuilkin (New York, NY). Jeff first came to RRFC as a freelance writer and served as the co-editor and co-writer of this publication (and more) for a number of years. Seeing RRFC’s approach and just how...
Recording Connection grad Morning Estrada Tours with Aminé (in Europe) and more!
Over the past few years 2012 Recording Connection graduate of the Audio Engineering & Music Production Program, Morning Estrada (Los Angeles, CA) has engineered for numerous players in hip hop, pop, and R&B. That work includes Camila Cabello’s album single...
Zack Slippy on Finding his Purpose and Building the Career he Wants
We recently connected with grad Zack Slippy, who in just the past year has gone from living a life that wasn’t fulfilling him creatively or professionally, to being someone who knows what he wants and who's in the process of making it happen, day by day. Thanks to the...
Music Producers and Audio Engineers’ Tips on Working with Artists
It’s pretty understandable that when you’ve first starting out in audio, working in-studio with artists can be pretty daunting. You’ve done so much to get to this point. You've learned the skills, made the connection, and now it's go time but you just want to be sure...
What education do you need to be a music producer?
The degree you need to be a music producer is one from the University of Hard Knocks. In other words, experience gained by learning from your previous mistakes, street smarts, and an understanding of how songs are structured and created are all things you can learn on...
Seva Ball on Hiring Externs & his Journey into Audio Engineering
Recording Connection mentor Seva Louis Ball (Knoxville, TN) has merged his love for technology and invention every day of a career spanning more than three decades. Seva has recorded, mixed, and mastered with artists across the musical spectrum from Dolly Parton to...
Recording Connection grad Rohan Solomon on Getting Noticed & Getting Hired
Since graduating from Recording Connection in 2017, Rohan Soloman (New York, NY) hasn’t wasted one single minute. Over the past two years, Rohan has worked with music’s biggest stars like John Legend and Toni Braxton, as well as rising artists including Julia Capello...
The Best of 2018
Recording Connection alum Morning Estrada went from a job at the bank to engineering today’s hottest talents. [break class="double" side="right"] In just the past year Morning Estrada has worked with numerous players in hip hop, pop, and R&B including Jessie J,...
Seva Ball on The Three Rules of Audio and The Virtues of Experimentation
Self-described “Doer of Wizardry” in all things audio, Recording Connection mentor Seva Ball (Dolly Parton, Metallica, David Bowie) of Sequoyah Studios has been a recording engineer since the mid-seventies, a mixing engineer since the nineties. He also taught audio at...
Recording Connection mentor Kelly Jones on The Relationship Behind the Glass, and More!
Kelly Jones has been a Recording Connection mentor for more than a decade. As co-founder of Da Spot Recording (DSR) in Richmond, VA, the audio engineer/producer and manager is known for instilling our mentees with a deft understanding of the craft and the art of...
Adam Moseley Talks Early Days at Legendary Trident Studios & more!
Prior to becoming a powerhouse audio engineer and music producer, Adam Moseley (Beck, Rush, Nikka Costa/Lenny Kravitz, Wolfmother, Spike Jonze, U2) studied law in London for a year, then travelled about working as a chef in the UK and abroad. In 1978, he got his foot...
How Collin Jacka Got Hired at Unique Recording Studios
Recording Connection graduate Collin Jacka (Sacramento, CA) completed both the Audio Engineering and Music Production program with mentor Matt Young at The Press Recording Studio (Stockton, CA) and the Advanced Audio and Music Production program with Shane Anderson at...
Recording Connection mentee Nate Riley Joins Staff at Mentor’s Studio
Recording Connection alum Nate Riley has proved himself to be a mastermind of assessing others needs and demonstrating the value he can bring as a hardworking, dedicated audio engineer and music producer. We recently spoke with Nate about his journey from band member...
Recording Connection grad Efrain Matias Goes to NAMM, Gets Going in Audio!
Recording Connection graduate Efrain Matias (San Diego, CA) started making music on FL Studio at the age of 12. His lifelong love of music is paying off since he made the choice to elevate his skills by training with Recording Connection mentor Bernard ‘IQue’ Johnson...
Recording Connection mentor Shane Anderson on Hiring, Working with Talent, and More!
Recording Connection mentor Shane Anderson is committed to providing musicians with the environment, professionalism, and music production expertise they need to realize their vision and make their art. He’s also an avid believer in learning audio and growing the...
Recording Connection mentor RENEGADE EL REY on Hiring Mentee, Big Boi Album & Having the Drive
Catching up with Atlanta-based RENEGADE EL REY of Stankonia Studios (Big Boi, Outkast, Dungeon Family) is not easy. The sought after Recording Connection mentor, audio engineer/producer/artist has been firing on all cylinders these past few months. He lent his talents...
Recording Connection mentor Bernard Johnson on Learning, Teaching, and Who He Hires
During his 20 years in the military, Bernard Johnson knew he had a love of teaching and a love of music and audio. During much of his service, he had run a department of 90 people. Once he retired from the military, he set out to achieve his goal to “educate people”...
Recording Connection mentor Lee Evans on Working in Audio, His Role as a Producer and More!
Recording Connection mentor Lee Evans has more than three decades of experience in the music industry. Since starting out as a keyboardist in the 80s, he’s played, toured, and recorded with numerous talents throughout the musical spectrum, from Willie Colon to Afrika...
Jordan Duffy Gets Audio Skills & Gets Hired at Earwolf!
Recording Connection alum Jordan Duffy is no stranger to education in the arts. A lifelong musician and vocalist, she attended Worcester State University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she received her B.A. in Vocal Performance. As her senior capstone project,...
Recording Connection graduate Nigel Dean Hired at Phaser Recording
Since graduating Recording Connection in 2016, Nigel Dean has worked with a number of bands and artists including The Shins, Cold War Kids, and Missio. We recently touched base with the rising engineer/producer and composer to learn more about what led up to him...
Adam Moseley on Recording in Men’s Toilets and Growing Your Ears
After spending a year studying law in London, Adam Moseley (Beck, Rush, Nikka Costa/Lenny Kravitz, Wolfmother, Spike Jonze, U2) got his foot in at Trident Studios in 1978, where he quickly became established as an innovative engineer, mixer, and producer. The home of...
Recording Connection grad Ryan Venable on Bieber, Travis Scott, and Saying Yes to Challenges
Since graduating Recording Connection in 2013, Ryan Venable has worked with major talents like Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled, Fetty Wap, Travis Scott, and Young Thug and garnered four RCAA Platinum credits along the way. We recently touched base with the...
Recording Connection mentees Get Fender Sponsorship & Train with Legend!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvmteA-WTVw Two Recording Connection mentees are having an amazing time learning advanced music production techniques and building a composition from start to finish under the mentorship of legendary producer and Recording Connection...
Recording Connection grad Dre McNeil Gets Skills and Gets Going in Music
We recently caught up with Recording Connection graduate Dre McNeil. The hardworking music producer is a graduate of both the regular and Advanced Audio Engineering & Music Production Program. Like many who find their way into music production, Dre started out on...
Recording Connection mentor Mark Scobra Talks Songwriting
In a career that spans decades, Mark Scobra has worked across numerous genres, from rock, to hip hop to everything in-between. He’s toured with some of the world’s biggest bands, taught music production at the Hawthorn Media Center for legendary manager Leila...
A Working Dad Gets In & Gets Skills at Engine Room Audio
Derek Bradford is a music producer and aspiring audio engineer as well as a husband, father, and waiter at a high end restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. As such, his days are busy, and long, especially since he enrolled in Recording Connection. Nevertheless, he knows...
Grad Alexa Cooper Lands Top Management Job & Get’s Back to her Music!
Recording Connection graduate Alexa Cooper (Vancouver, BC) has never been one to shy from a challenge or hard work. Over the past two years since she completed her externship it’s paid off for her in spades. From going on tour with A$AP Rocky, to working with artists...
Recording Mentor Johny Fischer on Branding Oneself Authentically
Johny Fischer aka Johny Rocketz (Denver, CO) is a mentor for both the Recording Connection and Film Connection. A modern day Renaissance man and artist in his own right who works in both film and video production and music, Johny gets the mentees who extern with him...
Recording Connection mentee April Edwards produces Kentucky Rapper & Climbs the Charts!
Recording Connection alum April Edwards is a pro at making things happen. Today, April is the Lead Engineer and Studio Manager of NitroSonic Music in Lexington, Kentucky, the studio where she once trained as an apprentice/extern (more about April's journey). And,...
Recording Connection mentor Mark Christensen on What it Takes to be a Mastering Engineer
When it comes to learning from top music industry pros, Mark Christensen might be called the pinnacle example. He’s got decades of experience in the music industry, on both sides of the aisle—both as a signed artist who opened for Radiohead, and as a highly...
Recording Connection mentee Gets Ready to Launch EP with Help from his Mentor!
When Brian Abraham joined Recording Connection's Advanced Ableton Electronic Music Production Program he was riding high. Under the name “TYRNT” he’d just coproduced the KAOS track with the Australian duo SCNDL. To date, the song has amassed an impressive 1.2 million...
Brian Frederick Advises Remaining Egoless and Listening with Your ‘Earballs’
Producer/engineer and Recording Connection mentor, Brian Frederick (Wiz Khalifa, Isabella Summers, DJ Quik) is the co-owner of Hybrid Recording Studios in Santa Ana, CA where he teaches the both the Ableton and Pro Tools programs. Having come up in the industry as an...
Recording Connection mentors Talk “Smart Networking”
Recording Connection mentor Leland Kracher (Dallas, TX) knows the importance of building connections and being someone who’s respected and liked by one’s peers. Prior to make the decision to focus solely on building a career in music, Leland was climbing the corporate...
Music Producer Josh Monroy’s Tips for Being Productive in Studio with Your Clients
Josh “iGLOo” Monroy started his music career in Atlanta where he worked with artists Elton John, Shinedown, Justin Bieber, OutKast, The Notorious B.I.G. and helmed the post of head engineer of The LudaPlex, Ludacris’ private production studio. During his time there,...
How We Got Hired in Audio: Recording Connection grads on How They Did It
Anytime a Recording Connection mentee or graduate gets hired we want to know exactly how they made it happen for themselves—in detail. Here are tips from just a few successful graduates on how they secured their positions and got working in audio. Put their knowledge...
Mentor Michael Cancel on Staying Agile as an Engineer and Business Owner
With six engineers working at Mixed Wave Labs, Michael Cancel's recording studio, located in Chicago, IL, the hardworking audio engineer is busy doing what he loves—making music and teaching tomorrow’s audio engineers and producers the skills they need to get their...
Recording Connection Mentees on the Inspiration Behind their Tracks!
Recording Connection grad Dylan Atieh of Totowa, New Jersey says the inspiration behind his track "Lion" which appears on our recently released Mentee Mixtape, has less to do with some narrative and more to do with an array of different things percolating in his...
Dax Liniere on Micing Up Drum Kits, Finding his Way, and Learning from the Greats
Multi-award-winning record producer, mixer and Recording Connection mentor Dax Liniere (London, England, UK) believes stellar music production shouldn’t be about one rigid way of doing things; great production should meet the needs of the music and motives of the...
Preparation Meets Opportunity for Recording Connection grad Diego Ayala
We’re believers in doing things the right way and by that we mean the smart, effective way. Diego Ayala (Stockton, CA) is the perfect example of someone who prepared himself for the challenges ahead by going the distance, demonstrating his commitment, and learning all...
Recording Connection mentor Jonathan Rego on his Journey from Audio Engineering to A&R
The path to success isn’t always a straight one. In fact, it rarely ever is. No one knows this better than Recording Connection mentor Jonathan Rego (Los Angeles, CA) who started out as a recording and mixing engineer in his late teens and early twenties. From there,...
Recording Connection mentor Matt Young on Hiring from Within and the Secret to his Success
As a music industry veteran with ample experience on both sides of the glass, Recording Connection mentor Matt Young is an expert at working with artists and creating great, productive studio experiences. As a multi-instrumentalist, he’s shared the stage with names...
Geoff Gray on Transmitting the Legacy and Learning from Les Paul
So much of what it takes to be a great audio engineer just can’t be learned from books. It takes doing it, seeing it, and talking about it with those who know. Geoff Gray, President of Far & Away Studios, Inc., (Bill Perry, Richie Furay, Sonny Sharrock, Cass...
Grammy-nominated Recording Connection graduate Blake La Grange Opens Mastering Studio!
For Recording Connection graduate Blake La Grange, the path toward music industry success was nearly inevitable, not just because he knew early on what he wanted to do, but also because he found the passion and drive to defy conventional wisdom, when necessary—which...
How Morning Estrada Got Working with Trinidad James and Chart-Topping Producers and Artists
Before he started Recording Connection, Morning Estrada (Los Angeles, CA) had entered college with plans of getting a degree in mechanical engineering. “All through high school I really excelled in my math classes. So I thought mechanical engineering would be for...
Networking Advice and Tips on Making Opportunities Happen from RRFC Mentors
1. HAVE GREAT PEOPLE SKILLS [break] Recording Connection mentor Andy Shoemaker at Rax Trax (Chicago, IL) stresses the importance of having people skills, not just technical skills: [break side="left"] “Before I start saying, ‘Hey man, can you do this session?,’ I need...
From New York to L.A: Recording Connection mentee James Boucher is All In
One thing that stands out about Recording Connection mentee James Boucher (Venice, CA) is that he takes his time making major decisions—but once the decision is made, there’s no looking back. As we’ll see, it’s just that sort of mindset that makes him a prime...
Recording Connection mentor Sheldon Ellerby Talks Mentorship and Hip Hop in Atlanta
Sheldon Ellerby started his career operating in New Jersey and then New York prior to moving down to Atlanta, where he’s based today and is currently putting the wrap on something very big and very secret (as is often the case). Artists Sheldon's worked with include...
Recording Connection mentee Jeff Riggs attends Latin Grammys with Legends mentor Rafa Sardina
How did Jeffrey Riggs (Los Angeles, CA) get invited to the Latin Grammys? Ask the question and it all boils down to one answer—work ethic. When Jeff self-describes himself as a “farm boy” he isn’t messing around. Jeff really and truly grew up on a farm and having to...
RRFC INTERVIEW: Recording Connection mentor Jake Johnson on making yourself valuable to the studio!
[break class="double"][break class="double no-mobile"] Not only is Recording Connection mentor Jake Johnson an industry veteran and a master of his craft, he’s been mentoring mentees with us for more than a decade! Operating out of the studio he co-founded—Paradyme...
Sheldon Ellerby on the Atlanta Hip Hop scene, Studio Etiquette & The Old-School Engineering Approach
Recording Connection mentor Sheldon Ellerby is a true hip hop/R&B veteran—first cutting his engineering teeth on the pioneering hip hop scene of New York/New Jersey, then migrating to Atlanta, one of hip hop’s most prolific hubs. Over the years, he’s worked with...
For Recording Connection mentor Wyatt Oates, Being Proactive is the Prerequisite
Recording Connection mentor Wyatt Oates is a busy record producer in Atlanta’s happening music scene, working easily with major artists as well as helping to develop new ones. He is a co-founder of Madison Studios, along with Tanner Hendon, the combination indie label...
April Edwards Takes Charge, Lands Job as Engineer and Studio Manager!
Finding your place when you're starting out can be difficult. But, with hard work, courage, and the mindset to make oneself an indisputable asset anything is possible. April Edwards did just that when she apprenticed with Nitrosonic in Lexington, Kentucky. Nitrosonic...
Recording Connection mentor Lij Shaw’s Cautionary Tale
As the owner of The Toy Box Studio in Nashville, Tennessee and founding lead engineer of Bonnaroo’s famous Hay Bale Studio (in case you didn’t know, yes, it’s a recording studio made of hay bales), Lij Shaw is a Recording Connection mentor with more than 25 years of...
Mike Brown’s Trip from Heartbreak to EP
Life has its highs, its lows and then there are those unforeseen events that can rock you to your core. Suddenly, you realize you're not on the path want to be on in life. For Mike Brown (Wilmington, NC), the pain of divorce was the wakeup call he just couldn't hit...
Leland Kracher on MOJO and Getting his Groove Back (the smart way)
Once mentee, now Recording Connection mentor Leland Kracher doesn’t put much stock in the rhetoric many of us hear about musicians being different from the rest, held to a higher set of standards when it comes to making art yet (somehow) being let off the hook when it...
Recording Connection grad and mentor Josh Denhardt helms EDM at Conway Sound in Denver
Working in music professionally requires getting into the right ecosystem, having the right attitude, and the right skillset. After a few turns in what Josh as described as a “ski bum lifestyle” Josh Denhart had decided it was time to buckle down and get serious about...
Recording Connection graduate Robert Macias Gets Audio Skills & Lands Platinum album credit!
When you learn the music industry from inside it, you get opportunities you won’t get anywhere else. Within months of starting his externship Recording Connection grad Robert Macias broadens his industry skills, lands Platinum album credit! at Beacon Hill Recording...
How Recording Connection grad Michael Shelton Found his Way
“I was working a forklift, but there was a mishap to where I was down and out for a few years for health reasons,” Michael says, telling us about the fateful day which changed his life. Being forced out of work gave Michael plenty of time to reflect on what he’d been...
Top Tips on Studio Etiquette
Talk to top audio engineers and music producers about what it takes to make it in music and sure enough the words “studio etiquette” are going to pop up. More than knowing your quick keys on Pro Tools, how to patch between gear on the patchbay, or having great ears,...
Recording Connection mentor and Berklee grad Pablo Reynoso on Capturing Good Music
As co-owner of the legendary Miami Beach Recording Studios, a historic facility in the Miami music scene, Recording Connection mentor Pablo Reynoso has worked with a lot of notable people in his time, with names like Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Flo Rida, Styx and George...
Orlando Gomez and Robert Macias get Platinum and Gold on Khalid’s “Location”!
It takes lots of hard work and preparedness to be ready for those big opportunities. And sometimes, those big opportunities don't seem like much at first. For Recording Connection graduate and now assistant engineer Orlando Gomez, opportunity came a-knocking in the...
Recording Connection mentor Ira Parker on Presenting your Authentic Artistic Self
With more than 20 years of experience and hundreds of recording projects to his credit, Recording Connection mentor Ira Parker is a solid industry veteran to say the least. As founder of Maximus Music Records in Charlotte, NC, Ira works with a wide range of clients,...
Nathan Zimmerman finds his path at The Abstract
The truth of it is that the journey for most creative people just isn't a straight line. Finding one's way in and the best path to follow can be like walking through a maze of sorts, never sure about what lay ahead or just around the corner, not knowing whether the...
Luis Pacheco on the Sanctity of the Creative Bubble
Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, G-Unit, Lady Gaga, and loads of other artists have recorded at The Hideout in Las Vegas, where Recording Connection mentor engineer/producer Luis Pacheco can be found working with some of today’s biggest artists and...
Tips on Hip-Hop Production from Recording Connection mentor engineer/producer Luis Pacheco
Recording Connection mentor Luis Pacheco is one of our top go-to mentors for mentees who are interested in studying EDM and hip hop production. Teaching mentees out of The Hideout in Las Vegas, NV—a world-class facility with a client list that includes names like 50...
Recording Connection mentor Joey Paranoia on Ableton and Elemental Creative Urges
Recording Connection mentor Joey Paranoia is a DJ, artist, and producer who's worked with artists like Randall M. Nexus, and David Christopher from the Rabbit in the Moon. A highly skilled Ableton Live artist and educator, Joey has been making waves nationally and as...
Afropop Ambassador, Recording Connection grad Fredrick Nsiah
Working in the music industry can be a long road. It can also take some initiative and self-directed energy to really push things in the right direction. Being someone who has wanted to work in the music industry puts you in a pretty large pool. Being someone who...
RRFC INTERVIEW: Joey Paranoia talks Ableton, DJing and Creating without Limits!
Orlando-based artist and composer Joey Paranoia, has worked with major artists including Randall M, Nexus, David Christophere from Rabbit in the Moon and is a leading expert on Ableton Live. [break] In a recent interview, Joey shared a bit of his own journey into...
Rising Star Emily Stamer on the Creation of LUCY
Two years ago Recording Connection mentee Emily Stamer (Orlando, FL) was in attendance at the world-renowned EDC festival. Seeing Bassnectar's performance did something to her. For some reason she instinctively knew she wanted to be up there performing. Time flew by,...
Recording Connection grad Alexa Cooper’s 3 Secrets for Success
For Recording Connection grad Alexa Cooper (Vancouver, Canada), the secret to her current success can be summed up in three things: 1. Make connections 2. Work hard 3. Say yes Whether she did them intentionally or instinctively, Alexa wasted no time putting these...
Recording Connection mentor David Hughes on Taking Opportunities, Networking & Authenticity
As a music industry veteran, who has worked with the likes of Mars Volta and emerging artist Rich Eagle, Recording Connection mentor David Hughes understands the importance of industry relationships. That’s why he promotes a once-a-month networking event at his...
From music fan to live DJ: Recording Connection mentee Emily Stamer finds her footing in the Orlando bass scene!
For many of us, it starts with an epiphany—an “a-ha” moment. For Recording Connection electronic production mentee Emily Stamer, that moment came while attending the Electric Daisy Carnival in Orlando, Florida. [break side="left"] “I saw Bassnectar's performance,” she...
RRFC INTERVIEW: Recording Connection mentor Jeramy Roberts on Getting Your Music Out There
As the founder of the Electronic Musicians Guild, and having served as an executive director of promotions for several production companies, Recording Connection mentor Jeramy Roberts knows a thing or two about monetizing music. An EDM producer himself, Jeramy has...
From College Football to Music Production, Tavior Mowry Scores a Touchdown
You work hard. You've got a plan for yourself and have put in the time, the energy, the determination to make it. Then life throws you a curveball and you've got to figure out a different path ahead in the world. In a nutshell, that's what happened to Tavior Mowry....
Misha Kachkachishvili on What it Takes to Work with the Greats
Formerly a classically trained session musician, Misha Kachkachishvili (New Orleans, LA) is a formidable producer and engineer with a stellar reputation amongst many of music’s greats. Recent artists to record at his stunning, fully-appointed Esplanade Studios in New...
Recording Connection mentee with Asperger’s Thrives in Program
*still from short film written, directed, and scored by Dylan Rothbein It doesn’t take a hard look to deduce that Dylan Rothbein (Brooklyn, NY) is a driven individual. He’s someone who always works harder than those around him. So much so that Dylan graduated from...
Recording Connection mentee Kemal Erdem on Coachella & getting DJ career off the ground!
Recording Connection mentee Kemal Erdem recently got a big boost to his emerging career as a DJ when he got the opportunity a few weeks ago to play an opening event at Coachella, one of the world’s most popular and well attended music festivals! [break side="left"]...
Recording Connection grad Jamaal Taylor Gets His Music in Blumhouse Production!
When you meet someone who's in it to win it and who loves the grind of it all, that’s when you know that you've got a winner on your hands. Jamaal Taylor aka Cy Kosis went from dropping out of college in New York to relocating to Los Angeles with the ambition of...
RRFC INTERVIEW: Recording Connection mentor Don Heru on the Art of Producing and Working with Artists
Recording Connection mentor Don Heru is a busy producer/engineer who works in several of the top recording studios in New York City, working with artists like Trinidad James, Mack Wilds, and more recently a track called “Monkey Suit” with Miami artist Bruno Mali...
Recording Connection mentor Nick Joswick works with Black Pistol Fire & Magna Carda
If you live in Austin and are involved in the music scene, chances are you either know Nick personally, or know who he is. A skilled engineer, touring musician and, most recently, tour manager, Nick has made a name for himself in the business. As studio manager at 5th...
Recording Connection mentor Sean Giovanni talks up the new studio, offers drum miking tips and more!
We’re always happy when Recording Connection mentor Sean Giovanni finds some time to talk with us! A music industry veteran in Nashville, not only has Sean worked with major players like Tim McGraw and John Legend, but he also hosts a local show called BalconyTV which...
From NFL Linebacker to Music Maker, Recording Connection grad Tommy Hendricks Lands Music Deal
Big life transitions can be difficult for most of us. Doing so requires serious thinking and soul-searching, mental fortitude, and the belief in one's dreams, even when the chips are down. Tommy Hendricks found himself at a crossroads in life not too long ago. Growing...
THE RRFC INTERVIEW: A Conversation with Recording Connection mentor Nick Joswick
A busy music industry pro in the Austin, Texas music scene, Recording Connection mentor Nick Joswick is an in-demand engineer, touring musician and (recently) tour manager with a keen interest in helping audio mentees realize their dreams. As studio manager for 5th...
Recording Connection mentee Billy Gardella Gets Hired at Factory Underground
If you want to succeed in the world of audio engineering you've got to be in love with the grind. The hours can be long, the work relentless but you'll stay in it, working hard because you love music. Billy Gardella is one of those people. Billy recently graduated...
Recording Connection mentor and mentees Collaborate to Bring Hip Hop to Forefront of Nashville music scene
Music industry veteran and Recording Connection mentor Ric Web is on a mission. And he’s taking some of his mentees and graduates along with him. [break side="left"] The mission: Bring hip-hop to the forefront in Nashville, Tennessee. [break side="left"] Yup. [break...
Recording Connection graduate Paul Ramirez Launches Precision-Tune Radio Podcast!
In true music entrepreneurial fashion, Recording Connection grad Paul Ramirez has formed his own niche, and done so in a way that helps his own local music scene. Paul recently put his audio skills to work by launching a new podcast, Precision-Tune Radio! [break...
Special: Lawyer Steve Gordon talks Contracts for Creatives
In a recent episode of RRFC’s weekly show “Connected,” hosts DJ IZ and Cloie Wyatt Taylor featured special guest Steve Gordon, a noted entertainment lawyer in New York who recently released a book called The 11 Contracts Every Artist, Songwriter and Producer Should...
Recording Connection graduate Jason Abranches gets Freqy on Maui!
When you’re on the outside of something it can look impossible to get in. Lacking connections and technical savvy can make it feel like maybe you'll never find your place, never get that break that gets you working in music. Such was the case for Jason Abranches who...
Recording Connection mentor Andy Shoemaker talks Analog versus Digital, Taking a Flexible Approach & Why performance Matters More than Gear
So often when we touch base with our mentors, we hear valuable truths in the course of the conversation which are worth sharing with our mentees. We recently had such a conversation with Recording Connection mentor Andy Shoemaker, a Grammy-nominated audio engineer who...
3 Tips from Recording Connection mentor Jason Intille
Recording Connection mentor Jason Intille aka J-Intell is the owner/operator of the lushly appointed Omina Laboratories in Sacramento, CA where he’s worked clients like E-40, T.I., Mos Def, Chino from Deftones, Gemini, Tech N9ne, Baby Bash, Robert Brookins of Earth,...
Brandyn Zellmer works with Lady Antebellum and then some
Brandyn Zellmer is a Recording Connection mentee extern currently learning the ins-and-outs of working in audio with Jon Locker of Sonic Factory Studios. Under Jon Locker’s mentorship, Brandyn’s gained an understanding that's completely real-world. From delving into...
Recording Connection grad Jason Abranches Gets Hired on Maui, Records Mick Fleetwood
It didn’t take Jason Abranches long to discover just what kind of doors his Recording Connection education would open for him. One week after completing his externship with mentor Zack Phillips at Freq Lab in San Francisco, CA, he made a move to Maui. Not long after,...
Recording Connection graduate Chris Locke Opens Hip-Hop studio in Austin
Time sure does fly when you're constantly on the grind, making it happen, gig by gig, client by client. Recording Connection graduate Chris Locke knows what it means to work hard, super hard, and make those dreams reality, step by step. Chris signed up for Recording...
RC grad Jeff Pegno gets Exposed
Jeff Pegno knew he was looking for a way to learn more about the art of recording at a professional level. He found that with Recording Connection. What he didn't know was how the experience would enable him to discover new sounds, new inspiration, and to grow as an...
Recording Connection graduate Scott Johnson lands job, works with Charli XCX!
Working hard, honing his skills and staying connected—that’s the name of the game for Recording Connection grad Scott Johnson. Those qualities recently not only helped him land a job at his former mentor’s studio, but also to score his first major artist credit,...
Michael Mikulka talks One Must-Have Skill, Solange, and More!
Michael Mikulka is a seasoned music industry pro who's worked with an array of major talents including Willie Nelson, Sting, Toby Keith, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and, most recently, Solange! Originally from Los Angeles and now based in Houston, Texas, at his own Lucky...
Recording Connection mentor Sean Giovanni on the Nashville Scene, Industry Relationships & Producing Artists
As owner and chief producer/engineer at The Record Shop in Nashville, TN, Sean Giovanni is a music industry professional who grew from humble beginnings to become an integral part of the Nashville music scene, with a diverse client list that includes names like Big...
Recording Connection grad Lindsey Kappa: Pragmatic Dreamer
Lindsey Kappa of Austin, Texas is nothing if not diligent. The audio engineer and DIY artist released her debut EP, World’s Collide, a completely self-produced affair. She wrote, sang, and played all the various instruments as well as recorded and produced the album....
Recording Connection mentee Nick Schilke works with Weezer, Miguel at his mentor’s studio!
These days, Recording Connection mentee Nick Schilke stays busy in a good way. When we caught up with him recently, he was just recovering from a marathon mixing session for his mentor. “Yesterday, I had to mix ten songs,” he told us. [break side="left"] Nick’s busy...
THE RRFC INTERVIEW: Recording Connection mentor Steve Catizone on Creating Opportunities for Mentees
Recording Connection mentor Steve Catizone is a true, all-around industry pro. With years of experience on both coasts—he ran Sanctum Sound for 15 years, and also worked at the world-famous Serenity West Studios in Los Angeles—working with major artists is par for the...
RC grad Edgar Vazquez Builds his Clientele
After attending the Recording Connection Audio Engineering program, then returning for the Advanced Audio program, Edgar Vazquez has taken the real life lessons he's learned from mentor Ryan Conway and applied them to growing his own clientele in Denver, Colorado....
Recording Connection mentor Andrew Clifford talks on the Value of Mentorship and Studio Etiquette
RRFC: So can you tell us the story of how you got into recording? [break side="left"] Andrew Clifford: Well, my father's a jazz guitarist, so I was always either at shows or at his lessons, or recording sessions, or something. And so I was just always around music and...
Ashley Calhoun: Rahki manager and Author of New Music Business Curriculum!
There is an important business element to the music industry that often gets missed by the public eye, upon which artists get brought together, deals get struck, and music gets made. In such a sphere as this, one needs savvy i.e keen awareness, people skills, and the...
One Degree of Separation: Desiree Holiday Lands Producer Job at iHeartRadio
Working in the recording industry takes wits, skill, and the keen ability to make opportunity happen. That means most people just aren't cut out to work in audio, music, or, honestly speaking, anywhere near media and the arts. Then there are those who, whether through...
Recording Connection graduate Angelina Alvarado: A Recording Studio for her Tribe
Recording Connection grad Angelina Alvarado (Valley Center, CA) is a someone who's trying to make the world a better place through music: "I live on a reservation. I'm from San Pasqual Indian reservation, and I think it will be a good opportunity, you know, to give...
Recording Connection mentor Edwin Ramos Receives 4th Grammy Nomination
Producer/engineer and Recording Connection mentor, Edwin Ramos has received his 4th Grammy nomination, this time under the Best Latin Jazz category for his work on Entre Colegas, the debut solo album from acclaimed bassist Andy González. Edwin's first Grammy win was...
Michael Vail Blum on Working with Artists and What He Looks for in Apprentices
We recently sat down with producer and engineer Michael Vail Blum to talk music making and working with artists. We figured he'd have some quality advice for us considering he's worked with the greats including: Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Roger Daltrey and has...
Stepping it up: Recording Connection mentee Isaac Patton crosses the barrier
Like so many people now working in the industry, Recording Connection mentee Isaac Patton of Chicago, Illinois grew up around music—growing up in church, singing in the choir. But his interest in the production side of things came almost by accident. [break...
Recording Connection mentee Jones Nelson Releases Hard Rock Album
Sometimes you just need a little push to get you going in the right direction. You need to take the talent you've been given, cultivate it, and develop the skillset it takes to see you forward to that next step on the road to success. Recording Connection mentee Jones...
Recording Connection mentor Edwin Ramos chats about landing his fourth Grammy nomination!
At the Recording Connection, we’re pleased to have hundreds of world-class producers and engineers mentoring our mentees across the country—and we’re even more pleased when we can celebrate their achievements with them. Recently, Recording Connection mentor Edwin...
Recording Connection mentor Jeramy Roberts on the New Music Industry & Creating your own Job Within It
At the Recording Connection, one of the best advantages of learning from a seasoned pro in the recording studio is that you don’t just learn from a curriculum; you often also get to learn the mentor’s “tricks of the trade,” their own little secrets and shortcuts—the...
RC mentor Josh Monroy Talks How He Got Hired by Ludacris and Doing JoJo’s “Mad Love”
Recording Connection mentor Josh Monroy is proof-positive that getting in and showing your commitment to the craft, day-in and day-out, can launch your career to unprecedented heights. With more than a decade in the music industry, Josh "Igloo" Monroy has worked with...
Tips by RC mentor Frenchie Smith on Working with Artists, Saving Time, and Being a Billboard
As a Grammy-nominated engineer and producer Frenchie Smith (Scorpion Child, The Dandy Warhols, Slayer, Meat Puppets, Paceshifters, Toadies) knows his way around a recording studio. As a longtime Recording Connection mentor at The Bubble Recording studio in Austin,...
Recording Connection mentor Michael Vail Blum talks Artist Development & Embracing an Entrepreneurial Approach
A true veteran of the music industry, Recording Connection mentor Michael Vail Blum is a Platinum-selling producer/engineer who’s sold more than 100 million records and worked with some of music’s biggest names, including Madonna, Michael Jackson, Julian Lennon,...
Geeks Out and Gets In!
When you’re working in a creative industry sometimes there’s only so much you can teach yourself. When you’re trying to get to the next level, you want to learn from someone who has already been there and done it. In short, you want to know how the pros do what they...
Anthony Montejo Get’s His Career Rolling with Donny Baker and Jam In The Van!
[Anthony Montejo with band PPL MVR on location at Vintage King Audio, Los Angeles, CA] When you're first starting out in any creative business, you're looking for any way in. You’re looking for any means to get your foot in the door. You're looking for what it takes...
It’s a Girl’s World: The New Face of Audio
For many years the music industry was a job notoriously populated by men. Today, a whole generation of women engineers, producers, and recording artists are changing that paradigm. Names that come to mind are Sylvia Massy (Tool), Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera),...
Austin City Limits and Beyond: Recording Connection graduate Charles Kirkpatrick Expands his Reach
If you need proof of how learning music production and audio engineering on the job can open doors for your music industry career, take a look at Recording Connection grad Charles Kirkpatrick. His externship with mentor Kevin Butler at Test Tube Audio in Austin, Texas...
RC grad Oluyomi Osh Tops the Charts in Nigeria!
Oluyomi Osh is a self-taught afrobeat producer from Nigeria. Before relocating to the United States, Oluyomi had amassed connections with a number of A-list of gospel artists in his home country. After a period of self-reflection, Oluyomi realized that in order to get...
Recording Connection alum Kyle Piarrot: The Power of a Strong Work Ethic
Talk about eager. Kyle Piarrot of Colorado Springs was so amped about the Recording Connection’s in-studio training that he first applied to the program when he was 15—two years before he graduated high school! [break side="right"] “I got approved for the program,” he...
Kayla Parker dubbed “Most Likely to Succeed” by Twelve Studios
When you’re in a creative industry it’s essential to have goals for yourself. That way you can drive and push yourself in the right direction, maintain a forward momentum. For Kayla Parker her goals are simple, so simple they can be described in one word: "Grammys."...
RRFC INTERVIEW: Recording Connection mentor Misha Kachkachishvili on working with artists and finding opportunity
An established audio engineer/producer based in New Orleans, Recording Connection mentor Misha Kachkachishvili is an industry veteran whose client list includes names like Solange Knowles, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Janelle Monae, Taj Mahal, T-Bone Burnett and many...
Uriel Soto on Finding Recording Connection and Getting Hired at ES Audio
Uriel Soto has been musically gifted since all his life. He grew up in a family that was very musically oriented and started playing multiple instruments as a child. Into his late teens, he graduated to being an in-demand pianist and studio musician. From there, Uriel...
Sharrief Thomas on Making the Most of Real Live Opportunities in Music
Most of the time, building a career requires moving, evolving, and learning over time. One's "career" is the byproduct of work that's done in the present, the things you do while you're in the pocket, pefecting your craft. Sharrief Thomas knows about this intimately....
RRFC INTERVIEW: JoAnn Bush, owner of ES Audio in Los Angeles
If you read this newsletter regularly, chances are the names “ES Audio” and “Donny Baker” ring a bell, because both names show up regularly here. Located in Los Angeles, ES Audio is a world-class studio that does recording and mixing projects for major artists with a...
RC mentor David Mikeal: The Best Way to Predict Your Future is to Create It
After working in the recording industry for close to two decades David Mikeal is one of the most in-demand audio engineers and producers in the Orlando area. A lifelong musician, David's youth was spent touring the country with major label bands signed to A&M...
Recording Connection mentor Doug Boulware: What it Means to Hustle
You never know where life will take you. Having a plan is a good thing, but it’s ultimately how well you think on your feet that enables you to make a career. Just look at Recording Connection mentor Doug Boulware. As an aspiring music producer, Doug started out...
THE RRFC INTERVIEW: Recording Connection mentor Matt Stein
RRFC: Take us through your musical journey a bit. What got you into music in the first place? [break side="left"] Matt Stein: What got me into music, I guess, was being a fan of music. When I got into music, other than just listening, right away I knew I wanted to...
A man’s world? Recording Connection mentee Alysse LeFevre proves otherwise…
Recording Connection mentee Alysse LeFevre says she’s noticed an interesting dynamic being a female in the music industry, especially working on the engineering side of the glass. [break side="left"] “[My mentor] Larry is super supportive,” she says. “He's very...
Recording Connection mentee Jordan Rodgers Gets Hired by Mentor!
Every once and a while someone really believes in you and gives you a helping hand. Jordan Rodgers, a single mother with a love for audio, just found this out first hand. She’s been apprenticing with 713 Studios in Houston, TX for a little while now. When her mentor,...
Full-Time in the industry: Recording Connection graduate Joey Mora finds his footing
Since graduating from the Recording Connection several years ago, Joey Mora has become well-established in the Los Angeles recording industry. These days, he works full-time as a producer/engineer, working on both his own electronic music career and producing other...
Recording Connection grad Luis Garcia externs with Rahki the Producer!
With the Recording Connection, we often say that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. In the case of mentee extern Luis Garcia, he made the decision to get everything out of the program he that he could. Before he was finished, he would find himself...
Recording Connection mentor Bobby Ferrari talks Building Catalog and Connections
Recording Connection mentor Bobby Ferrari, one of the key players behind Vegas View Recording in Henderson, Nevada, has worked with everyone from Three Dog Night to Bobby Day. Today, along with his producing and engineering duties, he helps up-and-coming audio...
Alexa Cooper from Vancouver BC to On-Tour with A$AP Rocky!
Working in live events can be difficult to break into. It’s all about who you know. However, when your connections base reach critical mass then everything suddenly comes together. Recording Connection apprentice Alexa Cooper found this out first hand. Even before she...
RRFC INTERVIEW: Grammy-winning Recording Connection mentor “Commissioner” Gordon Williams
RRFC: So can you tell us a little bit about your own journey, and how you wound up sitting in this role as a producer and engineer? [break side="left"] “Commissioner” Gordon Williams: I started out as a DJ. I grew up in the Bronx, at the time when hip-hop was a...
Two Brothers Team Up to Launch their own Recording Studio
Some things run in the family. For brothers Dion and Devon Johnson of Chicago, IL, music had always been part of their lives. [break side="left"] “Probably my first time creating a rap I was probably like six, seven years old,” says Dion. “As I got older around like...
Recording Connection mentor John Terrell on Studio Etiquette
When you’ve been in the industry as a musician, producer, and engineer for as long as John Terrell has, working and producing quality records isn’t enough, you start to want to give back. John works frequently with Lost Electric, A$AP Ferg, and Dimitri From Paris...
Recording Connection’s Learn from Legends Program Wins Pensado Award!
That’s right, this past Saturday, August 20th, we were honored with the Pensado Award for Excellence in Audio Education at the 2016 3rd Annual Pensado Awards, hosted at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, CA. Our very own CEO Jimi Petulla and Consultant Brian Kraft...
Recording Connection mentor Andy Shoemaker on the Importance of Gaining Real Experience, a Solid Work Ethic & more!
ON HOW HE GOT INTO RECORDING AND ENGINEERING: [break] “I got into recording through the technical side of things. I was interested in checking it out and trying to record, so my brother and I bought some cheap software, found a toy microphone, and we gave it a go. I...
Recording Connection mentor David Mikeal on the nature of the industry and what engineers MUST know (besides the gear)
A true music industry veteran with decades of experience, David Mikeal toured for years with several major label bands before becoming an in-demand producer and engineer. These days, David operates StudioLive USA in Orlando, Florida, a world-class facility offering...
Recording Connection grad Mario Ramirez Gets Hired at Sonic Ranch!
Prior to enrolling in Recording Connection, Mario Ramirez, a longtime music lover and musician, got into Mexican indie music and he's not the only one. In fact, Mexican indie is hot and only getting hotter worldwide. Gone are the days when Mexican rock was relegated...
Recording Connection mentor Mark Christensen on Making Your Own Luck
Like many successful audio engineers, Mark Christensen (New York, NY) started out as touring musician. He was in multiple bands in the 1990’s, got signed, and opened for some of the biggest names in rock during the 90s. Today, he runs Engine Room Audio where he...
Learn from Legends Program Nominated for Pensado Awards!
That's right! Our Learn from Legends Program has been nominated for The Excellence in Education Award by the 3rd Annual Pensado Awards. We're truly honored by the recognition. Our Learn from Legends Program is one of a number of Master Apprenticeship programs...
Recording Connection mentor Donny Baker on What it Takes to Make It
Donny Baker of ES Audio in Glendale, CA, has been a Recording Connection mentor for the past 15 years. Prior to that, he was a live sound engineer who toured with some very big names, including Madonna, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Al Di Meola, Aerosmith and REO...
RC mentor Sharrief Thomas Talks Truth on Having the Winning Mindset
Building a successful career in nearly any worthwhile industry requires commitment, work, and learning and evolving over time. Individuals with the right mindset are working when others are playing, they're connecting when others are checking out, and they're making...
THE RRFC INTERVIEW: Mark Christensen of Engine Room Audio on Making the Most of Opportunity & Being Prepared
Saying Recording Connection mentor Mark Christensen is a music industry veteran would be an understatement. From playing in successful bands and sharing the stage with major artists in the 90s, Mark always nurtured a love for the production side and eventually set up...
Justin Smith is Fine with Trial by Fire
When you're first starting out in the music industry it's wise to expect to pay your dues for awhile. Expect it to take some time to lay the foundation for a strong future. That said, always be prepared to show what you've got. Justin Smith, apprentice with Larry...
Bradley Bingham Elevates his Game in L.A.
Sometimes the hardest part about being an artist is being your own biggest fan. You have to constantly be excited about what you’re making. You have to always be championing your own work, saying, “Hey, look at this. Listen to this track I made.” That’s a skill that...
RC grad James Kyle Dickey: Because Work Begets Work
Ever hear the saying "work begets work"? If you haven't, acquaint yourself with it now. From the time he was an apprentice with Colorado Sound Studios in Denver, Colorado, where he studied under Jesse O'Brien, James Kyle Dickey has not shied away from learning or...
Into the Fire: Recording Connection mentee Justin Smith fine-tunes his skills behind the board!
When Justin Smith first began his Recording Connection externship with music industry veteran Larry Goetz at The Lair Studio in Los Angeles, CA—a top-shelf studio serving clients like Katy Perry and Ariana Grande—little could he have known that within a few weeks, his...
Premiere Ableton Educator: Recording Connection mentor Brian Jackson
A natural musician, Recording Connection mentor Brian Jackson has been working in electronic music for twenty years. So what led him into electronic music at a time when rock was still the rage? Initially it was little more than a desire to make things sound better....
Recording Connection mentor Ira Parker talks Pushing the Limits
A true music industry veteran, Recording Connection mentor Ira Parker is the owner and chief producer/engineer for Maximus Music Records, one of the top recording studios in Charlotte, NC, serving clients like Jadakiss, DMX and many others. As a Recording Connection...
Wes Hagy: From Mechanical Engineering to Audio Engineering
Recording Connection alum Wes Hagy recently got hired as a tracking engineer at Maximus Music (Jadakiss, Wiz Khalifa, Zaytoven), located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wes’ own journey into audio engineering and music production has been anything but straight ahead....
Recording Connection mentor Paul Broussard on Adding Value
Being a professional in the recording industry takes a lot of dedication. It’s not a career you just waltz into. It’s something you hone your skills at, pay your dues, and build connections in. From there, you're consistently striving to grow, even when you're a...
Recording Connection mentor Shamel Hughes talks Branding
Question: How do you go from being an impoverished young kid living in Brooklyn to being a sought after, in-demand audio engineer? Answer: You work really hard and you focus on BRANDING. Shamel Hughes is a sought-after Manhattan-based freelance engineer working...
Recording Connection grad Chase Zabatta: Lessons in branding and business
Recording Connection graduate Chase Zabatta has found a unique way to put his audio skills to good use. After externing with Sax DMA of Terminus Studios in New York City (back when the studio was called “Tainted Blue”), Chase saw a need in his area for high quality...
Recording Connection mentor Paul Broussard says Make Hiring You Worth It
RRFC: How did you end up journeying into becoming an audio engineer and producer? [break side="left"] Paul Broussard: It went from drummer, to audio engineer, to producer...Obviously I’m still an engineer and a drummer. But lately, production has been really—instead...
Marcus Charles, Making the Music he Hears in his Head
Sometimes you just know what it is that you’ve been put on this earth to do. For Marcus Charles, it’s to make music. When he was asked about his first musical forays, Marcus says,“I think I was in seventh grade. I took this digital music course that was offered by my...
Charles Godfrey on How he Got Hired at the famous Sonic Ranch
If you’re a known audio engineer or musician in El Paso, Texas, odds are you’ve worked at Sonic Ranch. It’s the largest recording studio in the world. Artists from all over the world go there to create their music. It’s a massive sprawling complex of recording rooms,...
Recording Connection graduate Marcus Charles brings his Musical Ideas to Life
“I’ve always loved music,” says Recording Connection graduate Marcus Charles. “I think I was in seventh grade. I took this digital music course that was offered by my middle school and ever since then, I knew I wanted to make music, produce music.” [break side="left"]...
Travis Ball Learns from Legend Ryan Hewitt
Making people pay attention to what you’re doing can be really difficult sometimes. It can feel like all of your creativity is just funneling into a void, like everything you’re doing is just a waste of time and there’s nothing you can do to get your heroes to give...
Branden Gieske follows his Passion and Wins
Branden Gieske comes from a musical family and has spent more of his life immersed in music than outside of it. The multi-instrumentalist says: “I’ve been doing music my whole life. I’m French, and I lived in Paris for a good portion of my life. So, I grew up with the...
Life lessons from Recording Connection alum turned mentor Matt Collett
The career of Recording Connection mentee-turned-mentor Matt Collett is a great lesson in passion, dedication and perseverance. From his early days as a Recording Connection mentee in Atlanta, Georgia, he eventually returned to his hometown of Savannah, where he and...
Recording Connection mentor Charles Godfrey looks for the Hunger in his Mentees
Situated on 2300 acres amidst a series of pecan orchards just outside El Paso, Texas, the world-renowned Sonic Ranch prides itself as the largest recording studio in the world. Not only does the sprawling complex house multiple rooms for recording and mixing, but...
Recording Connection mentor Chad Zuchegno on Becoming at ‘Fixture’ in the Studio
Spend a few minutes talking with Recording Connection mentor Chad Zuchegno, and it's quickly apparent that 15 years in the business hasn’t curbed his passion for music. “Everyday I wake up, I’m like, ‘Thank God. So happy I can do this job,’” he says the co-founder of...
Recording Connection mentor and DJ Taylor Franklyn is Living the Best of Both Worlds
Want to tour the world playing music for crowds of people who like the music you like? So did Taylor Franklyn. Which is exactly what he's done as a successful DJ. Want to run a recording studio and create music full-time? Well so did Taylor. That's what he did when he...
The Journey into Hip Hop in Winnipeg | You Never Stop Learning
Sometimes it just takes thinking about what you want to do and being really honest with yourself. After all, if you don’t know what you want, it’s hard to get where you want to go. Darryl Theissen from Winnipeg, Manitoba and had always been into music. Nevertheless,...
Recording Connection mentor Donny Baker: Helping Mentees Find Where They Belong
From a certain point of view, Recording Connection mentor Donny Baker is the least likely person you might expect to be a successful music industry pro. For one thing, coming from a family of commercial fisherman in southern Louisiana, he had no prior connection to...
Recording Connection graduate Paul Raymond turns Externship into Full-Time Job
When it comes to his opinion on classroom education, Recording Connection graduate Paul Raymond pulls no punches. [break side="left"] “I hated school,” he admits. “I went to first grade at a public school, and then I was home schooled for the rest of the time because...
Chingas Kemps, Getting his A-Game in Nashville
Being a creative professional sometimes means venturing forth without a map. It means deciding that you're going to dedicate your time and energy, delve deep into an artform or creative medium and commit yourself to it wholeheartedly. Chingas Kemps has made such a...
Recording Connection mentor Frenchie Smith on his Journey to Success & Opening Doors for Others
The story of Grammy-nominated producer/engineer and Recording Connection mentor Chris “Frenchie” Smith is in many ways the ultimate lesson in what can go right in the music industry—from the unique way he got into producing records to the doors he now opens for his...
Recording Connection mentor Gregory Hainer on Vibe and Flow
Recording Connection mentor Gregory Hainer is an interesting case. Usually our Recording mentors work primarily in the music industry but Gregory has made a successful career for himself in music as well as film, television, and video game entertainment as a music...
Recording Connection mentee Esther Friesen Expands her Engineering Skills
How does a small-town West Texas girl with no prior studio experience go from playing guitar in church to tracking sessions in a pro-level recording studio? For Recording Connection mentee Esther Friesen, it was an easier process than she could have imagined. [break...
Recording Connection mentor Thom Flowers is All About the Music
A long-time music industry veteran, Recording Connection mentor Thom Flowers cut his teeth on the West Coast rock and punk scenes, eventually landing in Santa Barbara, where he worked with bands like Sugarcult, Mad Caddies and The Ataris (for whom he engineered their...
Recording Connection Mentees go Backstage at the Grammys
Recording Connection mentees Carly Wasserman who apprentices at ES Audio with Donny Baker in Glendale, CA, and Mikey Mac Conover aka STR!X, apprentice with Doug Boulware at The Abstract Recording Studios in Los Angeles, got the supremely rare opportunity to go...
Recording Connection mentor Tre Nagella takes Grammys in Stride
The Recording Connection has a lot of prestigious and acclaimed mentors. Among them is Tre Nagella, music producer and chief engineer at Luminous Sound Studios in Dallas, Texas. Tre works with superstar artists like Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Snoop Dogg, Blake...
Heather Crawford Goes from DJ to Music Producer
Sometimes you just need a bit of a guiding hand to help you see the way. As a creative, sometimes you have limitations or ineptitudes that you don’t see and can’t fix yourself. You need an outside perspective to really shine a light on what you could do to improve...
Recording Connection mentor Taylor Franklyn on DJing, the EDM scene & How Mentees Can get Ahead
Recording Connection mentor Taylor Franklyn is a great example of what it looks like to diversify in the music business. After establishing himself as a club/touring DJ, he expanded his skills into audio production, and currently balances the occasional DJ touring...
Recording Connection grad Tim Schumann gets the keys to the studio!
Recording Connection grad Tim Schumann recalls the time his mentor, music industry veteran Josquin des Pres, first handed him the keys to the recording studio—an instant he refers to as his “proudest moment”: [break side="left"] “Getting that recognition that I know...
Recording Connection mentor Miah Lajeunesse on Studio Etiquette, Turning Passion into Strategy & more!
Recording Connection mentor Miah Lajeunesse is a largely self-taught audio engineer who is a prime example of how to turn your passion into a full-time career. As the owner/operator of The Sound Lair in Knoxville, Tennessee, Miah stays quite busy working with artists...
Coke Youngblood from Marketing at Interscope to Making Music Professionally
For some people, working at Interscope Records would be enough, a long-term goal fulfilled, a culmination to their story. Not for Coke Youngblood. He had other plans. Sure he's one of those guys who could say, I moved from San Antonio, Texas to LA to live in the big...
Recording Connection graduate Michael Gevaza starts label Electric Giant!
The Recording Connection loves to foster an entrepreneurial environment for its mentees. We pair young and aspiring professionals with established veterans and do our best to enable them to succeed. Michael Gevaza is one of the people who excelled in our program and...
Recording Connection mentor Ryan Conway talks on Getting Yourself Out There
Ryan Conway has been running Conway Sound in Denver, Colorado, for the past sixteen years. He’s worked with amazing talents like Ghostface Killah, Prodigy from Mobb Deep, Eddie Fisher from OneRepublic and numerous others. Starting off as a musician, like many...
Recording Connection mentor Doug Wallace on How Mentees Can Impress Him
With more than 30 years of professional music industry experience, there's little that Recording Connection mentor Doug Wallace hasn't seen. Since beginning as a drummer and guitarist, playing in several bands, then moving to the production helm, Doug has built a...
RC Grads are Opening Their Own Studios
Every year, hundreds of mentees enroll in Recording Connection’s programs with the goal of working inside a major recording studio and hundreds of them go on to do just that. Lately we've noticed more and more graduates are taking the entrepreneurial route, choosing...
Recording Connection mentor Bill Davidow’s Ulterior Motive
Producer/engineer Bill Davidow owns and runs Virlouise Recording in Anaheim, CA. His client list includes names like Israel Houghton, Darren Vegas, Johnny Come Lately, I Am Ghost, Guy Fieri to name a few. And he’s been mentoring our mentees for nearly a decade. The...
Recording Connection mentee Dez Ward in the studio with Kirk Franklin
Dez Ward was debating going back to school for audio engineering. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dez initially attended and graduated from Rogers State University with a degree in Sports Management. Nevertheless, Dez’s true passion has always been music. After...
Recording Connection mentee Dez Ward learns the ropes from Grammy-Winner
When Dez Ward first found the Recording Connection, he was simply looking for a way to learn the ropes of audio engineering without having to go back to school. Little could he have guessed that joining the program would have landed him in a one-on-one externship with...
RC mentor Josquin Des Pres Hires from Within
Producer, engineer and songwriter Josquin des Pres, has had a lengthy and illustrious career stateside. He’s worked with Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s lyricist, and produced for Jack Johnson, Tech N9ne, The Gipsy Kings, Slightly Stoopid, Carly Smithson, and Ricky...
RC grad Jesse Rothman becomes RC Mentor!
Most people who are searching for success are looking out into the distance, attempting to figure out which way to go, how to go about making that thing we call "success" a reality. The truth is that most people out there just don't deal with the facts and get...
Jones Nelson In the Mix in Nashville
Jones Nelson had a bit more experience than most Recording Connection mentees when he signed up with the program. He's a singer, guitarist and is competent in a number of other instruments. Plus, he works in radio and had recorded in his home studio a fair bit,...
Recording Connection staff members Launch Recording Studio in Los Angeles!
New recording studios open in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world, at a pretty regular clip. But when Recording Connection staff members go in and launch a new studio of their own and hire on a number of Recording Connection alumni, well that's...
Recording Connection mentor Mike Landau Talks Getting Started in the Industry
Mike Landau, co-founder of Phat Buddha Productions in St. Louis, MO, is one of the premier producer/engineers working in St. Louie today. He’s created music with the likes of Waka Flocka, Panic! At The Disco, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Black Eyed Peas, Sade, Wale, and...
Women In Entertainment: Where Are All the Female Audio Engineers?
In anticipation of this week’s Women In Entertainment “Live Tweet” event, I decided to research the history of women in professional audio. The only person that came to mind was Missy Elliott whom I know makes her own beats and runs her own studio sessions. I couldn’t...
Eric Gonzalez Lands Job with Warren Huart
Recording Connection alum Eric Gonzalez is now working as assistant engineer to Recording Connection friend and mentor Warren Huart. So did we have a hand in introducing these two? Not this time. Instead, Eric took everything he had learned about having to be...
RC Mentees Learn Music Production at Country’s Oldest Running Recording Studio
When people think of Detroit’s music scene it’s hard not to think of Hitsville U.S.A the home of the legendary record label, Motown. However, at the height of its glory, Motown’s facilities simply couldn’t meet the country’s demand for new music. That’s where United...
Recording Connection mentee Lindsey Kappa Gets Credit on Scorpion Child Album
Lindsey Kappa has always been into music. She started singing practically before she could talk or walk for that matter. And vocals aren't her only instrument. Lindsey joined the school band in the 5th grade and started picking up instruments after that. Her...
Recording Connection grad Jake Kiyokane wins Pensado’s Place AIR Award!
August 30th, 2015--We are happy to announce Recording Connection graduate Jake Kiyokane has won the 2015 Pensado's AIR Award for outstanding work as an assistant/runner! Jake Kiyokane was one of three Recording Connection graduates nominated for this very special...
Devin Zorn Connects in the Dallas Music Scene
Devin Zorn is one of those Recording Connection mentees who graduates and just keeps on learning, whether it’s by assisting on projects, hanging out with famous guitarists, or just digging in and teaching himself. Hang out with Devin, for even a few minutes, it’s...
Jeffrey Scott Kraft on the Journey from Analog to Digital
Prior to signing on as a mentee with Recording Connection, Jeffrey Scott Kraft already had years of recording experience under his belt, primarily all analog-based. “I was introduced to recording with tape machines, analog consoles, all the ol’ good stuff.” He’d spent...
Mentor Darakai “D.G.” Gwitira of Quad Studio NYC
2010 was a big year for Dakarai “D.G.” Gwitira. That was the year he quit his job and started his career as an independent engineer/producer. Since that time D.G. has gone on to work with immensely talented artists including T-Pain, Nelly, Jamie Foxx, J. Cole, Sara...
Joseph “Dante” Delfino on Having an Entrepreneurial Mindset
Joe “Dante” Delfino is chief engineer and producer at Miller Street Studios in Chicago, Illinois. He’s worked with artists including Wu-Tang Clan, Lecrae, Vic Mensa, and Ta’Rhonda Jones. Over the past decade he's built a solid reputation for himself in the music...
Recording Connection mentor Conrad Osipowicz Opens New Studio in Herndon, VA
Recording Connection mentor Conrad Osipowicz is the chief engineer and owner of Blue Room Productions. With nearly a decade in the business this audiophile and seasoned drummer has got a wealth of knowledge to share on just about anything to do with music. In fact,...
Recording Connection mentor Jimmy Martignetti Interviews Siggi Bemm
In case we haven’t been clear the many, many times we’ve said it---learning is a lifelong pursuit. The people who do well in audio and basically any aspect of the arts, heck just about any career you can think of, are always, always building their skills, reaching out...
Part II of Interview with Recording Connection mentor Don Zientara!
ON GEAR RRFC: What kind of gear do you just really love in your studio, that you're really geeked out on? Zientara: What kind of gear... well, you know I like, constantly, I'm trying new things, I'm keeping some of the old things. Sometimes I purge some things, so...
Recording Connection mentor Don Zientara on Punk, Recording Mimes, and Other Stuff
Get two engineer/musicians on the phone talking about music and gear and you can get quite a conversation going. With more than three decades in the business, record producer, audio engineer and musician Don Zientara is a downright legend in the punk music scene (just...
You Got to Breathe It— The Romeo Williams Interview
Although you may not recognize his name, Recording Connection mentor Romeo Williams has worked with great number of the greats and want to talk about being diverse, Romeo does it all! With more than four decades in the music industry, he's worked with Elton John,...
Sebastian Lefeld is Doing it 100%
Driven might as well be Recording Connection alum Sebastian Lefeld's middle name. Months after completing his externship with Dave Mikeal at StudioLive USA in Orlando, Florida, Sebastian took the plunge and moved to Miami. He was smart about the way he did it. Instead...
RC mentor Sax DMA gets Mentees Working on Album for signed-artist Sharrief!
Just imagine getting trained in the recording industry while you’re also working with an artist who’s signed with a major label and getting record credits all at the same time. Well such is the case for a few hardworking apprentices who are training under major player...
Determination Pays Off for Nacor Zuluaga at Engine Room Audio in NYC!
Drummer and aspiring audio engineer, Nacor Zuluaga was planning on taking audio classes at community college in Queens, New York when he learned about Recording Connection’s in-studio approach for training in audio engineering and music production. Although everything...
Recording Connection mentor John Stephens at Studio 713 on teaching Mix Theory
There’s perhaps no better way to teach anyone than to use their interests as a starting point. Such is the approach, Recording Connection mentor John Stephens of Studio 713 (Houston, Texas), takes to getting incoming apprentices really inspired to learn. On starting...
Recording Connection Master’s mentee Taylor Crommie does K-Pop, Indie & The Grammy’s!
Master's Recording Connection mentee, Taylor Crommie, has perfected the art of making things happen. Talk to Taylor and you'll hear just how optimistic and inspired he is to learn, to help fellow artists with their work, and to broaden his horizons both musically and...
Recording mentee Michael Ilumin is Building his Dream the Smart Way
Just a number of months ago, Recording Connection mentee, Michael Ilumin was living in Austin, Texas and he was at a crossroads. He was seriously considering applying to graduate school to advance his education in nursing, but something kept him from making the...
Recording Connection grad Bruce Fugett: Making Collaboration Happen in Seattle
Bruce Fugett is making the most of the connections he’s been able to build since starting with the Recording Connection. A virtuoso of sorts, Fugett is a guitarist, singer, banjo player and cellist, and now, he’s also building a career as a producer of up-and-coming...
3 Tips on Studio Etiquette from Steve Catizone of Sanctum Sound
When you operate a full scale audio recording and production facility whose clients include major entertainment giants like Sony BMG, Warner Music Group and Disney as well as superstar clients like U2, Justin Bieber and Black Eye Peas, proper studio etiquette is vital...
Geoff Goodwin is Building a Future that Burns Bright with mentor Brian Stephens
When RRF mentees make the choice to commit themselves fully to the experience of apprenticeship, giving it their all, they often end up having a relationship with their mentor that reaps dividends (both creatively and financially) for years to come. Recording...
Straight Talk with Edwin Ramos of ER Music
Recording Connection mentor Edwin Ramos of ER Music Recording Studios, located in Waterbury, Connecticut, is a Grammy-winning producer/engineer with record sales numbering into the tens of millions. As such, Edwin doesn't mince words and takes a no-nonsense approach...
Recording Connection mentee Alex Adams works with Miley Cyrus!
Recording Connection mentee Alex Adams is honing his audio engineering and music production skills at Poons Head Studios where he's externing under Rob Grant. The studios' clients include Tame Impala, Death Cab for Cutie, Knife Party, Lenny Kravitz and now--Miley...
Recording Connection Mentor Don Zientara featured in Foo Fighters HBO Documentary Sonic Highways!
Recording Connection is proud to have some of the biggest names in the music industry as mentors who partner with us, enabling our mentees to get the hands-on training and real-world experience they need to launch their careers. Don Zientara, founder of Inner Ear...
Q & A with Jonathan Schulz, Apprentice at Talking Circle Media in Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska? Sure we've got mentees in Alaska! Jonathan Schulz, apprentice at Talking Circle Media, located in Anchorage, has a passion for film that's bone-deep. In his Film Connection mentee blog, he writes: “My dream is to be a director and to be able to make movies...
Recording Connection grad Brenden Mendez Brings EDM to Camel Hump!
If you want to work in the music industry today, sitting back and waiting for something to happen for you is just about the worst thing you can do for yourself. We encourage our mentees to be savvy and entrepreneurial when they’re building their careers, right from...
Recording Connection grad Taylor Crommie does the Master’s Program
We can't stress it enough--learning is a lifestyle, it's what anyone who wants to get ahead in music is constantly doing. Talk to some of the most prolific music producers and engineers, people who've been at the top of their game for decades, and they'll tell you...
Recording Connection grad Andrew Flores is Making the Most of Opportunity
Doug Boulware of ES Audio has got lots to say about recent Recording Connection graduate Andrew Flores. Doug has a unique vantage point considering prior to working at ES, Doug served a vital role as a mentee advisor for Recording Connection. When asked why he thinks...
Recording Connection grad Jesse Rhodes: Head Engineer and member of indie duo Dire Docks!
Recording Connection graduate Jesse Rhodes is the perfect example of how hard work, diligence and making connections can really pay off when it comes to building the career you want. Since starting with Recording Connection in 2011, Jesse has worked with artists like...
Recording Connection apprentice Gino Claiborne get’s Hired at Detroit’s Metro 37 Studios
Recording Connection apprentice Graylyn "Gino" Claiborne was close to finishing up his apprenticeship at Detroit's Metro 37 Recording Studios when he got an unexpected but welcome opportunity. Gino says, "The job was offered to me on a random day I was at the studio...
John Greenham of Infrasonic Sound Joins Recording Connection!
John Greenham (Los Angeles, CA) has more than two decades of mastering experience to draw from. His client list is about as versatile as it can get, from Jerry Lee Lewis to Ice Cube to Queensrÿche, Susana Baca to Ae$op Rock, Kimya Dawson to American Royalty and...
Q&A with Recording Connection mentor Mike Johnson of Clear Track Studios in Clearwater, FL
For several years, Mike Johnson, founder and chief engineer of Clear Track Studios, located in Clearwater, Florida, has been one of our top Recording Connection mentors. He's helped many audio and music production mentees find their path and forge music industry...
Recording Connection Grad Dani Munoz on Tour with Flo Rida
Dani Munoz has been making quite a career for himself ever since he graduated Recording Connection earlier this year, after apprenticing with Hal Batt of Afterhours Music in Miami. Yup, things are looking pretty good for the 2014 recipient of the Pensado's Place...
Mentor and Recording Connection grad co-produce New Single!
After graduating the Recording Connection, Sebastian Morales continued to apprentice at Studio Live USA (in Oviedo, FL) with mentor Dave Mikeal, just another perk of the program is that we don't kick you out when you're done! If you've got something in the mix and...
Welcome aboard Ron Stafford of WCTR in Chestertown, MD!
The Radio Connection partners with top professionals to train our mentees in real radio facilities across the nation. We’re proud to welcome a new mentor to help train our mentees: Ron Stafford, radio DJ at WCTR in Chestertown, MD! In order to get our mentees the...
Recording Connection mentor Rick Rooney mentors the Person, not the Mentee
With nearly four decades experience, Rick Rooney, chief engineer and owner of Planet Dallas, has worked with a diverse array of artists, from Clay Aiken to Diana Ross, Tony Bennett to Iggy Pop. Founded in 1984, Planet Dallas is all about making the music come to life...
Ninja Tune wants Recording Connection grads in Los Angeles!
Do we love it when one of the most credible independent labels in the UK and US are seeking out our grads? Don't you? Founded in 1990 by Matt Black and Jonathan More (Coldcut) and managed by Peter Quicke, the London-based Ninja Tune quickly established itself as one...
Recording Connection graduate Dan Walsh talks Experience
Recent Recording Connection graduate, Dan Walsh has nothing but positive things to say about the time he spent apprenticing with David Mikeal at KDS Music Studios, located in Orlando, Florida. "David gave me so much vital information about engineering and the overall...
Weeks into the program, apprentice Alexa Cooper Takes on Multiple Roles in the studio!
Talk about a can-do-attitude! Alexa Cooper, Recording Connection apprentice at Blue Light Studio in Vancouver, BC, Canada has wasted zero time at making herself an asset to the studio. Just days into the program, Alexa was helping setup recording sessions and she's...
Engine Room Audio completes work on 50 Cent, Trey Songz albums!
Frequented by an array of top-notch hip-hop, rock and indie recording artists, Engine Room Audio is excited to be putting the finishing touches on their two latest projects--one by 50 Cent, the other by Trey Songz. Located in lower Manhattan, Recording Connection...
Recording Connection welcomes Chris Pummill at The End!
We're always pleased when a top-shelf producer/engineer wants to teach our mentees the ins-and-outs of music recording. This week, we’re happy to welcome yet another, Chris Pummill, studio manager and audio engineer at The End in Brooklyn, NY! Created by artists, for...
RC grad Andrew Holscher reports back on his Eddie Kramer Experience
Andrew Holscher, who finished his Recording Connection apprenticeship with Greg Hainer of Scorpio Sound in Los Angeles earlier this year, attended “The Eddie Kramer Experience” a Studio Prodigy Master Class which was held on June 2122 and sponsored by yours truly. The...
Recording Connection graduate Eugene Kim talks Audio Post-Production
Because Recording Connection apprentices are trained in the workplace, oftentimes they end up getting hired at the very same studios where they did their apprenticeships. For Eugene Kim, his apprenticeship at Media Right Productions in New York City has turned into...
Welcome to our New Recording Mentor: Emmy Winner Jeremiah Slovarp of Peach Street Studios!
The Recording Connection is happy to welcome Jeremiah Slovarp to our RRF family of mentors! This top-shelf industry pro is the producer/engineer and owner of Peach Street Studios in Bozeman, Montana. Jeremiah started his career working in location sound engineering...
Brenden Mendez brings EDM to mentor studio and Gets Job!
We sincerely hope, each and every apprentice views their apprenticeship not solely as a time to learn but also as a time to connect and create opportunities for themselves. Recording Connection apprentice Brenden Mendez has done just that! Now his mentor, John Brown...
Advice for up-and-coming Producers and Engineers from Recording Connection mentor Sean Giovanni
Over the years, Sean Giovanni, owner and chief producer/engineer of The Record Shop in Nashville, has accumulated a pretty impressive client list that includes artists as diverse as John Legend, Tim McGraw, DJ Sinister, Brett Michaels, Randy Houser and country music...
Mark Christensen of Engine Room Audio NYC talks Mentee Success rates with Brian Kraft
Mark B. Christensen, studio owner and chief engineer of Engine Room Audio in New York City, has one of the most formidable resumes in the industry, with clients that include Lady Gaga, The Killers, Trey Songz, 50 Cent, The Ting Tings and a score of other famous...
Producer/Engineer Ryan J. Hewitt Endorses Us!
In our monthly “mystery supporter” contests, we’ve recently revealed that music and film industry legends Hans Zimmer and Oliver Stone endorse the Recording Radio and Film Connection and the unique way we train our mentees. Thanks to all of you who sent in emails to...
The Recording Connection welcomes producer/engineer Chris Douglas!
The Recording Connection is pleased to welcome another talented producer/engineer to our family of mentors: Chris Douglas, owner and chief engineer of Toneshift Audio in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada! Chris Douglas is heavily involved in the thriving and quite...
NHL Ottawa Senators player Mika Zibanejad signs with Recording Connection!
Mika Zibanejad, a Swedish-born professional hockey player on the roster for the Ottawa Senators, recently joined Recording Connection's line-up! Turns out professional hockey isn’t Mika's only dream — he also has a passion for creating EDM music. Zibanejad is well...
Recording Connection mentor Sean Giovanni is busy in Nashville!
Recording Connection mentor and studio engineer, Sean Giovanni recently caught us up on all that’s going on at The Record Shop in Nashville, Tennessee. Giovanni says: “We’ve had a lot going on in the studio! We started out Tuesday mixing for the weekly show ‘The...
Talking to RC mentor Jim Martignetti and Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan!
Recording Connection mentor Jim Martignetti of Off the Wall Studio recorded and mixed a hip-hop track entitled "Kings of Kings" by D.One which features none other than the legendary Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan, one of the preeminent hip-hop groups of all time. RRF...
Recording Connection graduate Dominic Cerna signs with JBM!
Recording Connection graduate, producer, engineer and guitarist, Dominic Cerna isn't wasting a minute when it comes to getting his music career off the ground. Cerna's modern Rock/electro band The Taking was just signed by music manager T.J. Sagen of JBM Management in...
New Recording Connection Mentor: Matt Linesch of Ocean Way Recording!
Recording Connection is happy to welcome producer/engineer Matt Linesch from Ocean Way Recording to our mentor-family! Ocean Way is a world-renowned studio that has worked with many of music's biggest names. The multiple-award-winning studio boasts four locations...
Recording Connection mentor Tony Hugar is Keeping busy in Honolulu
Recording Connection mentor Tony Hugar of Audio Resource, located in Honolulu, Hawaii, has been keeping busy with audio work for several motion picture productions. Hugar just wrapped the trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (starring Andrew Garfield), and did...
Mariah Carey records at Recording Connection mentor Chung King Studios!
Chung King Studios NYC manager and Recording Connection mentor Steve Kennedy had quite the surprise event this month. R&B legend Mariah Carey showed up at the famed studio for an impromptu recording session with her own personal engineer and the Chung King Studios...
Recording Connection Grads find work at The OC Recording Company Inc!
We're happy to say multiple graduates of Recording Connection have found ongoing work at the preeminent, world-class studio The OC Recording Company Inc. (located in Santa Ana, CA) where they're working with producer/engineer and studio owner, Asaf Fulks on a number...
Meet Recording Connection Mentor Brian Tarquin
The Recording Connection is very pleased to count prolific composer and guitarist Brian Tarquin among our mentors since October of 2013. As founder and owner of Jungle Room Studios, BHP Music and notable music publishing Film Trax and author of several books, Brian is...
Recording Connection Grad Deirdre Palmer in Talks with Def Jam Recordings
After months of hustling and hard work, Recording Connection graduate, Deirdre Palmer, has been in talks to sign with famed record company Def Jam Recordings! Deirdre is a highly creative, ambitious entertainment manager from San Antonio, TX who is always scouting for...
House Studios wins “Best Recording Studio in DC” 3rd Year in a Row!
All of us at Recording Connection are proud to announce that our mentor studio House Studios has won the Washington City Paper honor of "Best Studio in the D.C. Area" for the 3rd time in 3 years. One of the readers had this to say: By far the best studio in the area....
Q & A Session with Recording Connection mentor Warren Huart at Spitfire Studio in Los Angeles
Q: What can you tell us about the music experiences that have made you a believer in hands-on learning and training? “I’ve been in America for about 17 years now. It’s been a long time. When I came over here, it was very different than how it is now. It was the 90's...
Apprentices Making Major Strides!
In the Rough with Film Connection! Brandon Lambert has been shooting commercials with his mentor! The most recent commercial was shot at Ski Bradford where they used GoPros on snowboards to get real, live-action footage. In addition, they’ve also shot a few car...
Recording Connection Grads are Making Sound Waves in Hollywood!
This week, drummer and Recording Connection graduate JJ Moser scored an interview at the legendary House of Blues on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood for front of house manager assistant and engineer! JJ's band, Richard Schmieg, is also dropping a new single this week titled...
Recording Connection mentor Joey Stuckey made Lead Designer for Sports Hall of Fame Audio Tour
Joey Stuckey, Recording Connection mentor at Shadow Sound Studio in Atlanta, recently completed sound design and original recorded music for the official audio tour for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Even though such audio tours have become commonplace for art...
Chung King Studios in NYC to host Video Shoot for NAS
Chung King Studios, a Recording Connection mentor studio in New York City, is happy to be hosting a special video shoot for rap legend Nas. According to studio manager and Recording Connection mentor Steve Kennedy, the talented American rapper, songwriter and actor...
Recording Connection apprentice Jalyan Birl hired by his mentor studio!
When Drive Studios in Toronto decided to undergo an expansion for corporate sound, commercials and additional genres, they chose to hire from within. Jaylan Birl has been apprenticing at the studio with audio engineer David Rizun and was hired on the spot to assist...
Recording Connection mentors brag about their mentees…
Recording mentor David Hughes (Shine On Studios, Oakland, CA) says his apprentice Andrew Tintle was recently flown to Chicago for a contest he won, in which his music is now included as part of a compilation CD. Andrew currently assists in jazz and R&B sessions...
Mike Landau of Phat Buddha and the St. Louis Blues
Recording Connection mentor Mike Landau of Phat Buddha Productions in St. Louis, MO is working on a lot of blues projects at the moment—and as you may already know, St. Louis is huge on blues! Every six months or so, the studio hosts a showcase to feature their top...
Recording Connection graduate Ryan Adkins takes on new apprentices at Azmyth Recording
Ryan Adkins is a Recording Connection graduate-turned-full-time studio owner and engineer. Along with studio manager Mike Lions, he operates his own studio, Azmyth Recording in Indianapolis, Indiana. Together, Mike and Ryan have worked with everyone from Eminem (on...
Dominic Cerna Recording Connection apprentice is Making it Happen
Recording Connection apprentice Dominic Cerna is happy to be back in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas after working on a few tracks with producer Mike Gonsolin and spending some quality time with Trend Def Studios and producer Jeff Blue (Korn, Linkin Park, Macy...
Jim Martignetti is Kickin’ it Old School at Off The Wall Studio
Jim Martignetti, owner and operator of Off The Wall Studio in Tyngsborough, MA, spoke with us about some of the various productions he's got in the works. His most recent project is a song with none other than Inspectah Deck of the Wu-Tang Clan. Coming up this spring,...
Cameell Hanna, EDM mentor, talks mentorship and music production at Serenity West recording studio
This week we spoke with Cameell Hanna of Serenity West Recording Studio in Los Angeles about his overall experience as a mentor and studio owner. This week has been their first relaxed week since the two-month long Grammy madness. “It’s a busy studio season, so we did...
Steve Foggin at 35th St. Studios
Steve Foggin loves hosting apprentices at 35th Street Studios in Chicago, allowing the mentees to come in and observe sessions. During their sessions both on and off the clock, Steve's mentees get to work on a lot of hands-on projects using the equipment in the...
Miami Flavor — Fabian Camacho Spices it Up at Miami Recording
Fabian Camacho, producer and mentor at Miami Recording recently helped graduate Joshua Zayas score a gig working for Waka Flocka full-time. The producer believes in putting his apprentices first when he’s working with them. His top priority is making sure they’re...
Recording Mentor, Ben Franklin, releases his self-titled album: “Benjamin Franklin”
This Valentine’s Day weekend, Recording Mentor Ben Franklin from Phoenix, AZ will be releasing his own record produced and mastered through Tall Cat Studios. “My favorite thing about being a mentor is being able to share my experience with those who are trying to take...
Bryan McKnight, Mark Wahlberg, and more!
ER Studios is heating up this winter Last year, mentor Edwin Ramos at ER Studios took in over fifteen individual mentees, one specifically being Mike Pozzemato. Recently, Mike scored the job with Edwin as his full-time assistant. Together, they’re currently working on...