“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 feels overwhelming, it’s usually undefined.
Too many ideas.
Too many moving parts.
Too many decisions.
So we compress it.
Three by three.
Nine boxes.
Clarity appears.
The Invitation
Take any topic in music production.
For example: Mixing.
Row 1: Balance
Row 2: Tone
Row 3: Space
Column 1: What it is
Column 2: How you shape it
Column 3: Why it matters
Now you have nine defined areas.
Instead of chaos, you have a map.
The Test
Try it with songwriting.
Rows:
Rhythm
Melody
Lyrics
Columns:
Concept
Craft
Emotion
Nine intersections.
You can see strengths.
You can see gaps.
The work becomes measurable.
The Guidepost
Three keeps things stable.
Nine keeps things complete.
Too few categories and you oversimplify.
Too many and you get lost.
Three by three is the sweet spot.
Defined, but flexible.
The Change
When you design goals in a 3×3:
You know where you are.
You know what’s missing.
You know what’s next.
It works for:
A track.
A skill.
A quarter of growth.
Nine squares turn abstraction into structure.
The Return
Every project begins as fog.
You define it.
You divide it.
You complete it.
Three rows.
Three columns.
Nine focused actions.
Before your next session, draw a square.
Split it into nine.
And watch confusion turn into momentum.
🎧 Podcast Audio Version
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Free Ableton Live Course & Music Production Guides
Song of the Week 🎧
“Mood” — 24kGoldn ft. iann dior
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I'm a sucker for great songs of all kinds, and especially catchy pop songs. Haters are gonna hate this one, but using the metrics of "catchy" and "popular", this is a great song. That guitar riff has a ring of yin and yang familiarity, as the machine-gun trap hi-hats sputter out a tempo grid. The whole song is like a tennis match of this and that, A & B, call-and-response. Listen to the 4 main elements in the mix: Kick, Snare, Bass & Vocal (and hi-hat). That hi-hat is so loud it's like a Motown tambo. Another thing I love is that this song is only 2 minutes and 30 seconds - get in and get out!
Book/Audiobook of the Week📚
“The Complete Guide to Each Enneagram Type” — You've Got a Type
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A detailed description of each of the 9 enneagram personality types. Take the test here to find out your type(s).
Plugin of the Week 🔌
Audified Mix Checker Pro
Use this plugin on your master fader to test compatibility with a wide range of common speaker types and devices, from small to large. This is a cheaper version of what Slate VSX does.
**If you can afford it, I would choose Slate VSX.
Free Plugin of the Week 🆓
iZotope Vinyl (iZotope)
A free vinyl effect to add the signature tone of 80s hip-hop, analog artifacts and classic noise for your lo-fi productions.
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