I'm heading home from the last day of teaching this fall semester when my wife calls me.
She asks me to stop at the store before dinner so I take a detour to Safeway to pick up salad and beer, plus bananas for the baby. It's a real staple of our diet.
After navigating the evening rush and getting frustrated with the lack of cashiers and the everlasting annoyance of self-checkout ("ID Verification Required. Help is on the way"), I finally make it back to the car.
When I start the car, the song playing on KXCI sounds familiar but
I can't quite place it.
It sounds like a memory. A faded mental photograph that I can't quite recall.
But then I hear Ash and Eric's harmonies come in and I realize...they're playing Until My Heart Grows Quiet.
This was a song that my student Eric was working on while he was an Insider and hearing it on the radio really made my evening.
Eric and Ash are a duo from Massachusetts so hearing it on the local radio station in Tucson, Arizona felt important.
I remember him bringing in the demos and the rough recordings when he started working on "Sure."
I gave him coaching, feedback and encouragement on how to improve to
the point where he didn't need me anymore.
And there is really nothing quite like knowing that you've taught people to be self-sufficient and confident with their abilities.
It was a powerful feeling hearing that song on the radio
last night.
Even though the emotion I felt might have nothing to do with the meaning of the song, I still felt part of their journey.
It's times like that when I feel like my work made an impact. The same sort of impact I write
about in my "novella" You Get What You Give.
I don't think I can make the same sort of impact by trying to hack it as a freelancer hustling for clients though. It won't have the same effect.
I'd much rather help thousands of students become self-sufficient with their studio skills than hustle for one more client.
So if you're looking to improve your music in any way, I'd love to help you out.
Whether you just want to read my books, like Step By Step Mixing; take my courses like Mix Finisher Formula or Master Your Mixes; download my Audio Issues EQ to help you make better EQ decisions; or become an Insider like Eric, I'm around if you need me.
Cheers,
Björgvin
P.S.
Thank you to everyone who responded to my email yesterday about mix templates. I'll be putting together a brand new mix template product next year that's guaranteed to help you make better mixes in less time and your input has been invaluable.