Music Production Zen

Unsolicited life advice for music makers.

“Do not wait; the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command.”— Napoleon Hill In music production, the dream studio is always the one down the street, and ours is the one we keep apologizing for. So the project waits until ...

by Futch — Sep 14, 2026 finishing mixing music production

Review the Tape

"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him."— Aldous Huxley Capture the results. Then go back and watch what you actually did. Fighter squadrons don't go home after a flight. They sit down and walk through what happened until everybody in the room ...

by Futch — Sep 07, 2026 debrief

Words, Thoughts, Feelings

“Thoughts are the language of the brain. Feelings are the language of the body.”— Dr. Joe Dispenza Words have power. Thoughts have more power. Feelings have the most power. The Starting Point We can hear the state each take was recorded in. Same singer, same mic, same words, and take fourteen ...

by Futch — Aug 31, 2026 feeling power

Power vs. Force

“Force always creates counter-force; its effect is to polarize rather than unify.”— David R. Hawkins David Hawkins says that force always creates counter-force. In music production, that's the four hours we spend making a vocal louder before we notice the whole mix eventually came up with it. ...

by Futch — Aug 25, 2026 dynamics

Be Clear

“If you confuse, you'll lose.”— Donald Miller Donald Miller says that if you confuse, you lose. In music production, if a track gets boring eleven seconds in, people will simply move on to the next one. If we can't figure out what we are supposed to be listening to, we are outta here...fast! T...

by Futch — Aug 10, 2026 clarity

Simple Not Easy

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."— Leonardo da Vinci Here's an idea that I come back to often: Simple and easy are not the same thing. They're typically mistaken for each other. They shouldn't be. Because the simplest solution is sometimes the hardest one to uncover. The Starting...

by Futch — Aug 09, 2026 simplicity

You Are The Ship

“There is no ship coming to save you. You are the ship.”— less common knowledge That thought changed how I look at almost everything. It's easy to spend years waiting for rescue. The perfect job. The perfect studio. The perfect opportunity. The winning numbers on a lottery ticket. Then one d...

by Futch — Jun 28, 2026 inspiration

It’s How You Say It

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.”— Steve Jobs There’s a phrase that explains a surprising amount about music: It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. The words matter. The notes matter. But neither is the reason you get goosebumps. The Starting Point Imagine so...

by Futch — Jun 22, 2026 lyrics performance songwriting

Parkinson's Law

“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”— Cyril Northcote Parkinson There’s a principle that explains why projects drag on: Work expands to fill the time available for its completion. This idea comes from Cyril Parkinson. Give yourself a week; it takes a week.Give y...

by Futch — May 11, 2026 focus time management

Invest In Things Beneath You

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”— Benjamin Franklin There’s a simple rule for spending money wisely: Invest in what’s beneath you. Your mattress.Your shoes.Your tires. If you’re standing on it, sleeping on it, or driving on it —don’t...

by Futch — May 11, 2026 foundation investing

Ten Ten Ten

“We are what we repeatedly do.”— Will Durant Ask your future self how this plays out. The Starting Point Decisions often feel small. One doughnut.One skipped workout.One distracted session. No big deal. Until repetition turns moments into patterns. The Invitation When you’re about to decide...

by Futch — May 04, 2026 focus goalsetting

Nine-Square 3x3 Cube

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”— Leonardo da Vinci There’s a simple structure you can use to understand almost anything: Three columns.Three rows. Nine squares. A 3×3 cube. It’s small enough to hold in your head.Big enough to hold complexity. The Starting Point When something fe...

by Futch — Apr 27, 2026 organization presentaion

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