When you’re learning a new skill, the best lessons always come from experience. Making an effort to connect with people who are further along the journey of music production can have huge benefits. So we asked our Trainers for a reflection on the best piece of advice they received or the advice they WISH they had received, to help speed their development.
KUCKA
When I was first starting out, I was complaining that I didn’t have any gear and a friend who was a little bit older told me that I should be able to express myself with whatever I have around me and that the most important thing is to work out what I want to say. I always keep that in mind.
DJ PLEAD
I’d tell myself to keep it simple and that adding layers doesn’t improve a track if its not good already.
NINAJIRACHI
I would go back and tell younger Nina that she’s so much cooler than she realises, she shouldn’t try so hard to please people and she should back herself more.
GEORGE NICHOLAS
I like that Miles Davis one “It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play”. While I’m pretty sure he was talking about Jazz I think it’s easy to extend it to mixing and arrangement. Leave space for an element in the time domain by preventing overlap between sounds or carve out space in the frequency domain and you can generate clarity, space and impact.
DOUG WRIGHT
I’d probably tell my young self not to take things so seriously. When I was starting out I was scared to show other people my music for a long time because I was too worried about people would think. We put so much emphasis at Liveschool on playing Trainers and classmates what you’re working on and working openly with your Mentor for exactly this reason.
SETWUN
Flying Lotus once told me, ‘stay inspired by any means possible’ That was like 10 years ago, I was 19 super fresh to the whole live electronic thing. That one does still stick with me.