Episodes

  • Dana Nielsen: Grammy-nominated mixer, engineer, producer (SZA, Bob Dylan, Adele, Post Malone)
    May 8 2025

    Dana Nielsen is a Grammy-nominated mixer, engineer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist.

    He's worked with artists like SZA, Rihanna, Adele, Post Malone, The Smashing Pumpkins, Neil Young, Justin Timberlake, Weezer, Bob Dylan, and Kanye West. He's also worked with Rick Rubin on projects for Justin Timberlake and Red Hot Chili Peppers, and he even appeared on screen next to Rick Rubin on David Letterman's Netflix show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

    We talked about what an audio engineer does, how you can get into audio engineering, and the effects of AI on audio engineering.

    Get more insights from music industry experts on how to build a career in music: https://www.careersinmusic.com/

    Check out Dana Nielsen's website: https://dananielsen.com/

    Check out Dana Nielsen's courses: https://mixprotege.com/

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    43 mins
  • Phil Servati: full-time film composer and multi-instrumentalist (Titleist, Verizon, Nikon, ExxonMobil)
    May 1 2025

    Phil Servati is a film composer who has written music for brands like Genesis, Titleist, Pearl Vision, Verizon, Colgate, Kraft, Nikon, and ExxonMobil. His scores have also been featured in films like Chasing Faster, For The Team, and Marriage Retreat, as well as short films.

    In this conversation, we talk about how you can get into film composing, how you can start writing a melody, and the effects of AI on film composers today.

    Get more insights from music industry experts on how to build a career in music: https://www.careersinmusic.com/

    Check out Phil Servati's website: https://servidiomusic.com/

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    28 mins
  • Thor Fienberg: Emmy-winning recording and mixing engineer
    Mar 27 2025

    Thor Fienberg is an Emmy-winning recording and mixing engineer who works mainly in the film and TV scoring world.

    He started out producing and songwriting under a publishing deal with producer John Shanks. And he started his engineering career at Blake Neely's Cow on the Wall Studios in 2016, where he found a passion for engineering and mixing.

    Some of his credits include Masters of the Air, Minecraft: Legends, Loki, and It Ends With Us.

    We talk about mixing, we talk about digital audio workstations, and we talk about how you can get started as an aspiring engineer.

    Get more insights from music industry experts on how to build a career in music: https://www.careersinmusic.com/

    Thor Fienberg's website: https://www.thorfienberg.com/

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    29 mins
  • Aaron Espe: singer-songwriter/artist (Grey's Anatomy, Orange Is The New Black)
    Mar 20 2025

    Aaron Espe is a Nashville-based songwriter-artist whose songs have been on ABC, CMT, and in TV shows like Grey's Anatomy, Orange is the New Black, and Ricky Gervais' After Life.

    One of his EPs reached #7 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart, and Taylor Swift even caught wind of his song "Making All Things New," adding it to her playlist Songs Taylor Loves.

    He's also the author of On Songwriting: Practical Tips and Insights from a Decade in Music City, which has garnered praise from Grammy-nominated songwriters.

    We talked about co-writing, getting a publishing deal, and how to start your career as a songwriter.

    Get more insights from music industry experts on how to build a career in music: https://www.careersinmusic.com/

    Aaron Espe's website: https://www.aaronespe.com/

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    50 mins
  • Jason LaRocca: Grammy-nominated engineer and mixer (Jay-Z, Fiona Apple, CeeLo Green)
    Mar 13 2025

    Jason LaRocca is a Grammy-nominated engineer and mixer who's also known as the former singer and guitarist of the acclaimed punk band, The Briggs.

    He's worked with major movie studios, recording and mixing music for huge films like Bad Boys for Life, Paddington, Aquaman, The Flash, and the Oscar-winning documentary Icarus.

    He's also mixed music for video games like Fortnite and Call of Duty, and he's worked with artists like Jay-Z, CeeLo Green, Fiona Apple, and ScHoolboy Q.

    In this conversation, we talk about knowing when a song is done, the effects of AI on music, and what you should actually be focusing on as an aspiring engineer or producer.

    Get more insights from music industry experts on how to build a career in music: https://www.careersinmusic.com/

    Jason LaRocca's website: https://www.jasonlarocca.com/

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    34 mins
  • Judy Collins: Grammy-winning singer-songwriter
    Mar 6 2025

    Judy Collins is an award-winning singer-songwriter whose career dates back to the 1960s.

    Her iconic version of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and she won Song of the Year at the 1975 Grammy Awards for her cover of Stephen Sondheim's "Send In the Clowns."

    She's had several top 10 hits and has released several gold- and platinum-selling albums. And artists like Rufus Wainwright, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, and Leonard Cohen have paid tribute to her legacy.

    We talked about how to simplify singing, falling in love with a song, and how to get started as a singer-songwriter.

    Get more insights from music industry experts on how to build a career in music: https://www.careersinmusic.com/

    Judy Collins' website: http://www.judycollins.com/

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    18 mins
  • Gordon Raphael: music producer and engineer (The Strokes, Regina Spektor)
    Feb 28 2025

    In this episode, we have Gordon Raphael, an engineer, musician, and producer. He discovered The Strokes and recorded their first EP and subsequent first two albums, he also produced Regina Spektor's album, Soviet Kitch. On top of these accolades, he's recorded 20 albums of his own music, produced over 200 bands, and wrote a book called The World Is Going to Love This: Up From the Basement With The Strokes. We talked about what he learned working with The Strokes, the humanness of music, and how aspiring engineers and producers can get started.

    Get more insights from music industry experts on building a career in music: https://www.careersinmusic.com/

    Gordon Raphael's website: https://www.gordotronic.com/

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    25 mins