TakeNote sessions designed to boost the local music industry
Have you ever been too cool to ask questions? I remember being super cool the first time my band booked a studio session. Like any self-respecting 20-year-old destined for imminent rock-stardom, I strutted into First Street Studios in Cleveland, TN with five songs and a bank account poised for deposits.
The songs on my band’s debut five-track EP were certain to rake in mounds of cash tumbling in from an avalanche of adoring fans overcome by the brilliance of the music streaming from our MySpace page.
All we had to do was record the thing.
On day one, the recording engineer told us to set up the drum kit so we could record a “scratch track.” What in the hell was a scratch track? We had no clue, but also had no need to ask because the world was ours.
Big mistake.
We set the drum kit up and proceeded to stumble, trip, and fall through the next four days of recording, no questions asked. That “scratch track” ended up being the final drum track for the album. We’d just barely been able to record and mix all the other tracks before our studio time (aka budget) ran out.
The main take-away for me: being cool is overrated and knowledge is undervalued.
If you have any interest in the recording industry, whether you plan to record your first project or you’re a veteran recording engineer, you’ll find value in the knowledge and connections you gain at TakeNote Volume 3: Recording, a music industry panel session offered by SoundCorps at The Camp House on May 9 at 6 p.m.
The event will feature a networking hour showcasing local recording studios followed by a panel session led by four expert recording engineers. Our panelists include Grammy Award-winning engineer Charlie Brocco (Kayce Musgraves, Fleetwood Mac), legendary Tree Sound Studios owner Paul Diaz (Outkast, Elton John), Hennessy Dreams studio owner Lex Dirty (Rick Ross, Rihanna), and producer, drummer, and Open Sky Studio owner Mike Froedge (Black Label Society).
Tremont Tavern will provide dinner and beverages will be available for purchase from the Camp House. The price of admission is $10.
TakeNote sessions are designed to boost the local music industry through a combination of networking and professional development. The topics covered at the quarterly sessions are based on feedback collected from musicians at SpeakUp, a music industry forum held in the summer of 2015.
Avoid the pitfalls of paying for studio time without a plan or the knowledge for success. Boost your cool, ask questions, and TakeNote.