Join us each week for songwriting tips and techniques, and the occasional gumbo recipe. But seriously, take a listen! You'll have so much fun, you won't know you're learning stuff.

Fresh Content

Show date:  May. 17, 2021

Neel, Mike, Phil, Nabil, and Michael Massaro

Electro Jazz with Nabil Durzi & Michael Massaro and recording your library of songs

Nabil Durzi & Michael Massaro stopped by to talk about adding jazz to electro.

We talked about:

  • Phil’s Drumset update
  • The drumset
  • How do you record all your songs? How “finished” are they?
  • Using a spreadsheet to keep tabs of your songs in progress
  • Cakewalk gets left off of VST integrations

 

Nabil, is a pro bassist, music producer, recording artist, collaborator, and founder of Grooves Audio Production in 2004, also a band member of the groovy funky band Jellyfish Interrupted with Paul Vos, Sherry Jacoby, and of course Neel Modi.

Shine on’ is an EDM single release available now on all major music platforms and Bandcamp, I’ve written a few years ago also an Extended remix, I presented to my great friend of mine Michael Massaro an exceptional Sax, Soprano player, and producer he is part of the co-writing process in this track. Michael and I worked on many tracks together in the past and currently, we will be releasing another new single that I wrote called ‘New World’ Michael is a co-writer and producer as well in this track.

Show date:  May. 10, 2021

Neel, Mike, Phil, and Matt

Challenging the Tyranny of 440 hz

This week SongTalk resolved the controversy over standardized tuning to 440 hz!

Okay maybe we didn’t resolve anything. But we did invite our good friend and frequent guest Matthew Reid to discuss the origins of the standard tuning setting plus the pros and cons of having a standardized tuning set at 440 hz rather than the more “organic” 432 hz.

A bit of background – In 1953, a worldwide agreement was signed declaring that middle “A” on the piano be forevermore tuned to exactly 440 Hz. This frequency became the standard ISO-16 reference for tuning all musical instruments based on the chromatic scale, the one most often used for music in the West. All the other notes are tuned in standard mathematical ratios leading to and from 440 Hz.

There are some people – including popular songwriters – who think that using 432 hz is more organic and resonates with better with nature. We look into this debate and ask the hard questions…

Including topics like:

  • does it really matter?
  • is 432 hz really “a pure tone of math fundamental to nature”?
  • is there a noticeable difference between different tunings apart from the change in frequency?
  • how can playing with different tuning sets improve your songwriting
  • is the standard 440 hz perpetuating the tyranny of Westernized musical structures?

Additional resources:

The great 440 Hz conspiracy, and why all of our music is wrong: Alan Cross

Show date:  May. 02, 2021

Mike, Phil, Neel, and Eric

All about NFTs in the music business with Eric Alper

“NFTs stand for non-fungible tokens, and they allow the audience and fan base to take part in auctions for unique content from the artists, labels, and festivals that they love, where the transactions go directly into the pockets of the artists.”

This is according to music publicist and blogger Eric Alper, of thatericalper.com.

We also talked about:

 

Show date:  Apr. 16, 2021

Mike, Don, Phil, and Neel

Home Recording and Digital Audio Workstations – Part 1

This week SongTalk dives into how to best use DAWs or Digital Audio workstations.

Home recording is booming and it’s not just because of Covid. Musicians have long been using different software at home to do what used to cost thousands of dollars in a professional recording studio. How do make the most of your home studio?

Joined by our good friend Don Thomson, SongTalk looks at some of some of our favourite recording software – Cubase, Logic and Cakewalk by Bandlab –  as we discuss the most effective ways to make fantastic music in the comfort of your own home.

Including topics like:

  • why we chose the software we use
  • how to construct a song in a way that fits your approach to songwriting
  • what are the key things to know about working with your DAW