Production » Music Teachers Network

Technology makes it possible to write songs with little specialized knowledge and produce them with minimal effort.

Indeed, pro audio technologies have brought about an explosion of new songs. If you want to stand out of the crowd and bring your creativity to the world, consider learning the techniques of songwriting and music production.

Recording your own music

Many musicians today own some kind of a home studio and use ProTools or similar recording software. You can record and produce as easily as with a laptop and a UAD Arrow for a couple of hundred dollars. And you can go as far as owning a Neve 5060 home recording console and outboard gear for multiple thousand dollars. Now, where do you put the microphone? How do you capture the sound? What plugin and EQ should you use? What compressor will optimize your audio signal?

Your goals, Mike Simon’s support to achieve them

You can record to be a star on YouTube for a couple of days, or you can aim for high-quality production and your own career on SoundCloud. Music recording and production is a rewarding skill to learn, as it allows you to translate your own vision of your songs into reality. Mike Simon, the Founder and CEO of the Music Teachers Network, became a producer and mix engineer exactly for this reason: to realize his very own vision of his songs.

Studies have shown that kids who study an instrument think faster and are better in STEM. Why take music lessons with MTN?

If you want to sharpen your senses, train your brain and express yourself, it’s time to take music lessons. We at MTN believe that learning to sing or play an instrument is about more than just music. It influences your character; it makes you smarter and more empathic and enriches life in myriad ways.

From band member to production and mix engineering

Post-production and mix engineering aren’t just for those who don’t play another instrument. In fact, many mix-engineers have started out as musicians. They were in the recording room and then joined the mix-room to understand how their performance translated onto tape. Some became so fascinated with the technologies for working on a song once “in the can” that they became successful producers and mix-engineers.

Going the other way around, some mix-engineers became producers. Alan Parsons, for example, started out as an engineer on The Beatles’ Abbey Road and ended up producing the Alan Parsons Project. Either way, producers and mix-engineers are crucial to the final product, to the point that they are sometimes considered members of the band. Producer George Martin was often referred to as the “Fifth Beatle.”

Mixing a song is like playing an instrument. It involves excitement, art and science. If you have a passion for analog or digital pro audio workstations, feel the beat of the music by adding great post-production, mixing and mastering. Whether producing your own music or that of others, the technical side of music can be a very exciting path.

Music lessons can be a wonderful and empowering experience for special needs children and their families.

Through MTN you’ll find caring, skilled instructors who can teach in your home or at a care facility to create a familiar, comfortable experience. We know that teaching special-needs children requires empathy, patience, and love in addition to musical and teaching skills. Our teachers share their qualifications and experience in these areas, so you can make an informed choice. We also offer our SELECT program to support you in finding the right teacher for your child.

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