What Happens When You Grow Up Surrounded By Music

  "My dad loved eBay, so there were always eBay instruments coming in the mail." Courtney Hartman, famed guitarist in the bluegrass/folk band Della Mae grew up in Colorado with…

Guitar Geeks Unite at First Annual Fretboard Summit

There’s a special kind of energy that happens when you get a bunch of obsessive and impassioned enthusiasts all together in the same place to geek out about their obsessions.…

The Fader, Ep. 10: Ulrich Wild

There used to be a career path for young engineers that started with being a runner in the studio and provided the opportunity for those willing to work hard and…

2 Kids, 1 Dad, 1 Band: How Pig Snout Got Their Start

“The great thing about writing music with children is that it forces you to write simpler melodies and parts. In the past, I’ve had a tendency to overcomplicate things, but…

The Fader, Ep. 9: Aaron Marsh of Copeland

Welcome to the ninth episode of the Fader podcast, a production of CreativeLive’s Music and Audio Channel. On this podcast, I have the opportunity to sit down with producers, engineers,…

5 Exercises That Will Make You A Better Songwriter

There is a false assumption about songwriting that some magical moment of inspiration will suddenly strike a person sitting in a room with a guitar, causing them to give birth…

The Fader, Ep. 8: The Blair Brothers Talk Film Scoring

Ever since I started making records, I’ve wanted to get into film scoring. Beyond a traditional orchestral score, using the studio as a way to create music that moves a storyline…

How To Set Yourself Apart As An Audio Engineer

Audio engineers often think they can do it all -- including recording and producing. And honestly, that's what makes them so versatile and knowledgable about the ins and outs of…

The Fader, Ep. 6: Engineer Adam Jackson

Last spring I had the opportunity to work with Adam Jackson, FOH engineer for Christina Perri on a live recording in Seattle at the Neptune Theater. Having worked in a…