Music Guy Podcast

The guys discuss using Direct Guitar systems like the NeuralDSP Quad Cortex and Line6 Helix to program a show from start to finish! If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Send your questions and suggestions to musicguypodcast@gmail.com. Send us your original music if you would like it ... Read More

The guys discuss effective practice strategies for different types of gigs. Make the best use of your time for the best results on show day! Featuring music from Vijay Radul! Stream “O.C.I.” here: https://open.spotify.com/track/2rCxWbYe71llNSrDIzkvOc?si=0d59bfb269e7451f If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Send your questions and suggestions to ... Read More

The guys break down some “Rules” that help them stay “on track” when “mixing”. If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Send your questions and suggestions to musicguypodcast@gmail.com. Send us your original music if you would like it to be considered for airplay as our “Song of ... Read More

Mike and Al discuss Room Treatment and how to improve the sound of your listening and recording space! If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Send your questions and suggestions to musicguypodcast@gmail.com. Send us your original music if you would like it to be considered for airplay ... Read More

Stop spending money on Plugins you don't need! The guys go over the plugins they use most often, many of which are cheap or free. Get all the plugins you'll ever need for a little over a hundred bucks! Software Discussed: Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting ... Read More

We're back! Were we ever gone? Mike examines the concept of the most talented musicians becoming the most successful. Does this always happen? When might it not happen? And why? The answers to these questions and MORE on this week's episode! If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us ... Read More

Mike and Al take a look back at the year that was! Our picks for Best & Worst Songs of 2021 Favourite memories Proudest moments Best Music Guy Podcast Episode of 2021 And more! Thank YOU all for listening and being on this journey with us. Look out for much more content in 2022. Let us know what you would ... Read More

What is Vintage Gear? Why is it so expensive? Why or when is it worth buying? Alternatives to Vintage and more! If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Send your questions and suggestions to musicguypodcast@gmail.com. Send us your original music if you would like it to be ... Read More

The guys discuss how literally everything in Music is just Tension & Release. We look at: Scales Chords progressions Songwriting Lyrics Dynamics Production Arrangement and more! If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Send your questions and suggestions to musicguypodcast@gmail.com. Send us your original music if you ... Read More

A deep dive into the solo from “I Don't Trust Myself” by John Mayer How to play it note-by-note Playing with your fingers instead of a pick Making simple licks sound awesome! Using arpeggios Motivic playing Microtonal bends And more! If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! ... Read More

Mike's Cruise Ship Adventure! Transitioning back to playing live gigs Al's personal battle with Anxiety and Panic Attacks Al loves Therapy Avoiding burnout What our work looks like going forward If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Send your questions and suggestions to musicguypodcast@gmail.com. Send us your ... Read More

Musicians/Non-musicians have many things to say about Autotune and Melodyne. In my experience a decent chunk of these people don't fully understand what these tools can and cant do. Can they make a bad singer good? No.Can they fix minor tuning issues of both good and bad singers? Yes.Do even the most legendary vocal performances have slight tuning “issues”? Yes, ... Read More

Dont be a bozo and protect them ears. Long gone are the days of rockstars stricken with tinnitus and other hearing based ailments! In ear monitors and custom ear plugs can save your hearing, let you hear things better onstage and if you're a singer save your voice. (more on that in the episode) In ears and custom earplugs cost ... Read More

Burning the candle at both ends anybody? Al and Mike talk about this new term “Burnout Syndrome.” Exhaustion, Negative career thoughts and Reduced effectiveness in said career are all symptoms of the burnout. According the World Health organization this is all due to mismanaging workplace stress, which all of us musicians are guilty of. Ever want to rage quit music? ... Read More

Kris Barclay (Country Artist/Songwriter/Great Guy to Have A Beer With) joins Al to talk about his experience building his business from the ground up as an original artist. Both Al and Mike have played with him for years and he's an absolute beauty. Getting Started His new freshly released tune “Right Here” (Available urrywhere) Transitioning from booking his first few ... Read More

Adam Fair engineer/mixer/owner of Villa Sound (villasound.ca) joins us to talk about his path through the Music Industry! Adam has worked with Juno and Grammy Award Nominated Artists including Valley, Ollie Wride, Shawnee, Kate Todd, Joey Landreth, Eric Schenkman, Parallels, Kim Mitchell, and Pablo Caputto. Getting started Toronto Film School Interning at PhaseOne in Toronto Working with Tim Thorney Starting ... Read More

Mike’s Cruise Ship experience thus far Preparation for the gig Traveling during COVID The ship’s COVID protocol Al’s update: Soundbetter.com and Incorporation! Song of the Week: “Feel” by The Mother Down If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check out our video “How ... Read More

Mike’s going into isolation! John Tavares & The New York Islanders, and how that somehow relates to us Be SCRAPPY Making sacrifices Managing money Side jobs The work is the reward Why you shouldn’t have a plan And more! If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow ... Read More

COVID Check-In How art is getting us through the pandemic Justice at Spotify movement Minimum Wage for Musicians End of the “Venue Ladder” New ways to approach the Music Industry And more! If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. CBC Article referenced Justice at Spotify / Union of Musicians Like us ... Read More

The reverse intro Al’s engaged! Running a Music School The importance of diversification Matt’s time at Musician’s Institute Matt’s approach to Producing Mike and Matt’s high school Metal Band And more! Song of the Week: “Sell The Soul” by Anathema’s Blessing If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on ... Read More

How do you learn to become a great songwriter? The importance of co-writing YES AND Consistency Taking out those little words Trusting your instincts And more! Song of the Week: “THPS2” by The Crease Rule If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check ... Read More

Things we squeezed in our parents’ basements Should we all be playing lighter guitar strings? Playing in alternate tunings Setup for multiple instruments on gigs Instrument care: The #1 thing we need to do better David’s pick for the most well-made guitar Contact Dave at dmchown(at)gmail(dot)com. Dave is a great guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, and an excellent person to take your ... Read More

Why does Nickelback get so much hate? Pat Metheny on Kenny G How to recognize and combat our own Elitism The “Yes, and…” approach Fighting “The Enemy” that wants to stop you from working toward your goals If you would like to give back to the show, please consider visiting our Patreon page. Song of the Week: “DÉJÀ VU” by ... Read More

We sat down with Thomas Rhett guitarist Nathan Whitney (@nathanwhitneymusic) to talk all things guitar, gear, and life on the road! Nathan is a Yamaha Guitars and Line6 artist who has become an expert at using direct guitar rigs such as the Line6 Helix. Song of the Week: “Kerry’s Song” by Eddy Ruyter Staying healthy on the road The story ... Read More

This week, we look at different approaches to playing guitar as a solo artist. Create a more compelling performance by using Dynamics! The arc of a song Don’t hit your ceiling! Pinky trick Palm mute Arpeggio Thwacking the guitar Different voicings Finger vs pick Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check out our video “How To Mix A ... Read More

Youtuber/Bassist/Bandleader Ben Miller (@bennythebassman) joins us this week. He plays and bandleads for David Boyd Janes, Kira Isabella, Cory Hotline and Marshall Dane, and has a super-successful YouTube channel which can be found at this link. Song of the Week: “Couldn’t Hurt” by David Boyd Janes We Talk About : Running a YouTube channel What holds musicians back from starting ... Read More

No one, silly! But we take a look at some of the early theories and discoveries that shaped our modern Major Scale — you know, the one that every pop song is made from? Then we go deep on tuning Vocals and Instruments in the context of recordings. Song of the Week: Not Your First Rodeo by Dylan Wallace Like ... Read More

A look back at the year that was as we forge ahead to 2021! Best & worst songs of the year Favourite gig memory Most embarrassing moment Best/most important album of the year Successes in 2020 Goals for 2021 Our favourite episodes of 2020 Biggest/most important artist of the next decade Biggest lessons learned in 2020 Song of the Week: ... Read More

We sat down with Dave Woods from “In The Country”, an internet radio show celebrating Canadian Country Music that has been running for over 12 years and 1000 episodes. Song of the Week: Broken Boys by Nicole Rayy In The Country on SoundCloud, Instagram, and Facebook Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check out our video “How To ... Read More

This week we discuss the Subscription Model — why audio software companies (and all businesses everywhere) are switching to it, and how affect us as the consumers! What is the Subscription Model? How much does it cost to own software vs subscribe? Al has crunched the numbers! Which services are most “worth” subscribing to? Which companies are giving you the ... Read More

We sat down with Nashville Record Producer Sean Giovanni, owner of The Record Shope to talk about success as a creative. Talk about his course for Creatives Mindmap Talk about getting clients as a recording producer Setting Goals and Achieving Motivational stuffs and things Its the best episode ever Just listen to it You bozo Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check ... Read More

We sat down with Mastering Engineer Reuben Ghose, owner of Mojito Mastering to talk all things Mastering! Song of the Week: “All I Can Do” – Over The Hump Why you should have your music Mastered What is the Mastering process? Reuben’s journey through the music business Building your own gear Tips for Producers, Mixers, and Master-ers Ear Training The ... Read More

Honorary 3rd host of the podcast joins the Guys to talk about recording drums yourself. What a bare minimum drum recording setup looks like Getting Decent Sounds The right way to hit a drum Is fancy gear necessarily better And moooore Song of the Week: “How Bout That” by Beverly Mahood Video version of the podcast available on YouTube! Like us on Facebook! ... Read More

Part two of our “wisdom” condensed into one episode. We get through the rest of the audio clips and highlights from our past 49 episodes. This episode and its older brother (Part 1) are a great listen for a quick summary of what we’re all about. Music Business Advice Artist Advice Player Advice Production Advice Stupid Stories And Moar No ... Read More

All of our “wisdom” condensed into one episode! We take a look back at all of our episodes and summarize what we tried to get across/what we learned. Includes audio highlight clips from each episode and discussion about them. Music Business Advice Artist Advice Player Advice Production Advice Stupid Stories And Moar No song of the week because we suck. ... Read More

Our process of learning and charting songs for gigs! Ear Training Figuring out the roots notes Nashville Number System / Chord Scale Low vs High “Resolution” learning Mike’s Memory Palace Song of the Week: “All Good” by Alessia Cohle Video version of the podcast available on YouTube! “All Good” Chart Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check out ... Read More

Mike and Al give you 6 tips to make your next studio session a roaring success! Preparation Don’t Hit Too Hard! “Scratch Track” VS “Live Off The Floor” Instrument Prep & Tuning Techniques Use Multiple Guitars/Capo Positions! Have A System For Recording Vocals Song of the Week: “More Days” by Nastasia Y & Dovira Eric Valentine on Guitar Tuning Like ... Read More

We sit down with singer/songwriter, guitarist, and producer Tom Hanley to discuss songwriting and managing your own career as a solo artist! Song of the Week: “360” by Kris Barclay Banff Songwriter Residency Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check out our video “How To Mix A Podcast” on Youtube! Send your questions to musicguypodcast@gmail.com. Send us your ... Read More

Mike’s battle with Anxiety and Panic Attacks Our personal experiences dealing with Mental Health in the music industry and in our personal lives What has helped our mental health! Song of the Week: “Someone Else” by Genevieve Fisher Rusty’s Freestyle Shred Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check out our video “How To Mix A Podcast” on Youtube! ... Read More

Learn from our mistakes! Here are 12 “Traps” (maybe a few hot takes) that we’ve fallen for that we think you should avoid! Instagram “DM for a feature” accounts Entitlement to success (set in ways) Thinking a producer can get you a record deal/success Thinking you can “sell out” Thinking you need to go to Nashville to be successful Thinking ... Read More

This week the guys show you how a song is mixed from start to finish. What tools are used (compressors, eqs, etc.) What specific plugins we use (Waves eq vs Slate) . How to organize your workflow so you consistently get better mixes (Using Mix Templates) What order we build a mix This is going to be helpful for those ... Read More

The shooting of Jacob Blake by Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is yet another act of Police Brutality and unwarranted use of lethal force against a person of colour. It is up to all of to use our voices and especially our VOTES to make changes for the better. If you would like to make a contribution to a charity, here ... Read More

This week, we are joined by special guest Kyle Hohmann of The Crease Rule. Kyle is a side musician in the Canadian Country scene, and bandleader for Linsday Brohan. We chat: how to start your original project on a budget the making of The Crease Rule’s latest EP “Brotherhood” marketing as an indie artist Kyle’s NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Picks ... Read More

Aaron Spink (@spinko84 on Instagram) is an Education Clinician for Yamaha music, and drummer for Alessia Cohle, Exes For Eyes, Vanessa Marie Carter, Beverley Mahood, and many more. We chat: Fitness during COVID Aaron’s YouTube Channel Aaron’s approach to music education Working with Yamaha The Toronto Maples Leafs playoff chances Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check out ... Read More

We sit down with Tom Moffett (twitch.tv/contraaaa), Trumpet player for Arkells and Bedouin Soundclash, and professional Twitch.tv streamer! We chat:– Improv Space Jazz– Tom’s review of the movie CATS– Networking on Twitch and in the Music Industry– Working with Arkells and Bedouin Soundclash The Bruce and Tom Show on Spotify The Moon Rises Low Like us on Facebook! Follow us ... Read More

We sit down with Arjuna “RJ” Satchithananthan (@rj.satchi), music educator, trombonist, and coordinator for StereoFlavour Entertainment. We discuss RJ’s contributions to the #ThisIsArtSchool movement, which is pushing to make the Music Programs at the University of Toronto and Humber College more inclusive, safe, fair, and diverse. RJ’s Post on Facebook A Follow-Up Post on the demands of #ThisIsArtSchool #ThisIsArtSchool on ... Read More

The guys talk with Bassist/Composer/Educator Josh Cohen about music. Josh isn’t just your typical bassist, he specializes in a unique type of two handed tapping bass that sounds more like a piano. Very worth checking out. As a technician he has some interesting insights on the physicality of how to learn music and music in general. Citing things like classical ... Read More

Devon Potter is the General Manager and Lead Coordinator for StereoFlavour Entertainment. What chat about: Managing and Coordinating a Wedding Band Devon’s work in community theatre Devon’s path through the music industry Navigating the COVID-19 Wedding Crisis Meryl Streep and the film “Doubt” Devon’s super-secret upcoming podcast! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check out our video “How ... Read More

Matt Boyer is a freelance live sound technician for David James, Attica Riots, Faouzia, Yes We Mystic, Bright Righteous, and many more. One of our crustier episodes, an airing of grievances regarding: Sound Tech / Musician pet peeves Phase Stage Plots The Chase Rice Concert Debacle Corporations pretending to care about you during COVID-19 Like us on Facebook! Follow us ... Read More

Kevin Dietz (@dietztagram) is a Juno Award Winning recording and mixing engineer who’s credits include The Glorious Sons, JJ Wilde, The Agenda, and many more. Kevin is available for hire for projects of all sizes! Reach out to him on instagram! We chat about: Working during COVID Kevin’s career path Kevin’s approach to recording and mixing The Dunning-Kruger Effect Like ... Read More

Dave Kirby (@davekirbymusic) is the guitarist for Madeline Merlo, creator of the new guitar course String Theory, and an all-around great guy. We pick Dave’s brain on the online marketing of his new new course, it’s design, and what he’s been up to during quarantine. Check out Dave’s guitar course here! Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check ... Read More