One word: Pre-Production. Last night we were prepping for a new song. Specifically, we were working to dial in the perfect tempo and key for this track. Had we jumped right in we would have recorded it 6.5 beats per minute slower - which sounded great overall but would have robbed the chorus and bridge of the little extra energy they need to stand out. We also tried 4 different keys. Why? Because the song was originally written in F# but then changed down to E. Then the artist tried D# and F. By the time we started pre-production they weren’t really sure which key to sing in. Every key sounded fine overall but also came with pros and cons. So - we did a verse and chorus in each key. D# was full and low, sounded fine but needed more drive and urgency. F# resulted in a chorus with great energy and tone but 2 key lines in the versus sounded strained and a bit thin. F sounded really nice overall - the two lines that sounded strained previously now sounded better, with the upper register having good drive and energy to propel the song forward. But, at the end of the day, E won out. The verse came out more softly, with a gritty sort of “whisp” and those 2 key lines came out full bodied with more rasp, bringing a bit more rawness while still giving a boost in energy. The chorus became slightly more mellow but still had enough energy to push the song forward. The emotion of the song came into focus more. And - as the singer ages or has off days, they will probably be able to continue to sing in the original key rather than having to tune down. 30 minutes in the studio doing pre-production on a song could be the difference between a good arrangement and a great one. A key that can stand forever versus one that needs to be tuned down later. The extra grit and rasp that may be a touch less polished and musical but better delivers the authentic, raw emotion of the song. When you want to make music that serves the song, stands the test of time, and puts you in the best light - take the time to do some preproduction work. We can help. . #vocalrecording

Available NOW for streaming and download on all major platforms! Just when you think this is a typical country cover....the last minute of this will surprise you!

Available NOW for streaming or download on all major platforms. Spotify link below. I want to once again thank the amazing musicians who generously contributed to this production: Keagan Park - an amazing singer, songwriter, and performer, who carried this track with his incredible vocal talent Shelby Rae Murdock - a truly world-class musician, performer, and music teacher, who delivered fantastic fiddle parts that helped tie the whole arrangement together Mike Leavitt - a pianist, podcaster, and fellow music producer whose piano part laid the foundation that this entire production was built on. Thanks for joining me on yet another project! Bill Dent - one of my oldest friends and probably the greatest guitarist (and all around musician) I’ve ever worked with. EVER. I’ve lost track of how many times you’ve collaborated with me on a track. You always hit the spot and your epic guitar solo elevated this track to new heights. open.spotify.com/album/1ZSm0…

Listen now!! open.spotify.com/album/1ZSm0… #newmusic

Available this Friday. Stream or download wherever you like to enjoy music. "Then" by Matt Mylroie.

Who doesn’t love a tasteful guitar solo? “Then” - by Matt Mylroie & Friends. Available this Friday!

Soaring guitar solos are back! Thanks in part to viral videos from artists like @saultsmusic there is a renewed interest in real music made by real people who have mastered epic, melodic solos! If you like this sort of thing, you’ll love the new track from Matt Mylroie, featuring the incredible talents of guitar virtuoso Bill Dent. This clip is just a taste - if you want to hear this epic solo in its entirety be sure to download or stream this coming Friday! #guitarsolo #coversong #NewMusicAlert

If you like Brad Paisley, traditional country music, and epic guitar solos - you’re going to like this! #newmusic #coversong

After a long hiatus, Matt Mylroie returns with another reimagined classic - the sentimental 2009 @bradpaisley hit “Then”. Joined by an all-star line-up of local and regional musicians, Matt delivers an extended play, traditional country version with an unexpected twist. Let’s just say that the last minute of this song will be a pleasant surprise. If you love the soulful #guitarsolo ‘s of artists like @saultsmusic but are a country or country/rock fan at heart - this is the song for you! MAJOR thanks to the incredible artists who joined me on this track: Thank you @keagpark_music, the hardest working man in the local music scene and one heck of a talented singer and songwriter for the gift of your incredible voice on this track. Your vocals carry this song! Thank you @shelbyraefiddle, current National Champion Old Time Fiddler and teacher extraordinaire, for the great fiddle parts. The little extra ideas you had really elevated the whole track. You are wildly talented and a blessing to the local community. Thanks Mike Leavitt - pianist, podcaster, and producer for ONCE AGAIN lending your talented ivory tickling to this track. The piano was the anchor to the whole arrangement. You nailed it, like you always do. Thank you Bill Dent - one of my oldest friends and the greatest guitarist I’ve ever worked with. EVER. I’ve lost track of how many times you’ve collaborated with me on a project. You always hit the spot. Your epic guitar solo took this song to a place even better than I could have ever imagined. Follow us over the next week for some more audio samples, behind-the-scenes pics and clips, and stories from the making of this track.

New music, coming in one week! You know the song. You love it. You may think you know what to expect but I think you are unprepared for where we take this song 😎. Watch for my post tomorrow, I’ll tell you more about this project THEN.

Good editing is the tasteful fine-tuning that can help all of the pieces of the musical puzzle fit together perfectly.... but bad editing can suck the life out of a song - making it feel rigid and unnatural, destroying the groove and diluting the emotion and passion of the artist. Working on a project and want a producer or engineer that can help you sound your best while still respecting the authenticity and emotion of the performance? Check us out.

View of the wildfire that started yesterday in Kelly Canyon.

Taking a break from music for a couple of days and working on some other things - including capturing a little video of #shoshonefalls. #waterfalls #dronevideo

Wrapping up our behind-the-scenes look into the making of "Bustin' Buckles", today we briefly explain what mixing is and how we approached the mix for this track. If you haven't downloaded or streamed the song yet - what are you waiting for ?!?!?!

Did you catch the subtle tribute to @garthbrooks in @keagpark_music's latest single, "Bustin' Buckles" ? I highlight that, let you hear some raw vocals from the recording session, and talk about the gear we used to capture his voice - Starting with a @telefunken_mics TF47. #musicproduction #countrymusic

"The focal point is always the vocal and the lyrics, and the foundation is always the acoustic guitar - that's Keagan's sound and style." In this edition of our behind-the-scenes series, we discuss the acoustic guitar part from @keagpark_music's latest track "Bustin' Buckles". #Acousticguitar #musicproducer

"Drums love tape". Check out this behind-the-scenes look at the drums on @keagpark_music's latest release - Bustin' Buckles. I share 3 completely raw, unprocessed, unmixed samples of the drums from different parts of the song. Enjoy! #drums #musicproducer #recordingstudio

Expecting drums? Sorry! I'm jumping ahead to the final part recorded on Bustin' Buckles - a High Strung Guitar aka Nashville Tuned Guitar. I explain what this guitar is and why we are using it. Then, you get to see me recording the part as well as hear how it blends in with the other acoustic guitar. Enjoy! #recordingstudio #acousticguitar #musicproduction

Jimi Hendrix himself would approve of how we recorded @natednelson16 's electric guitar parts for @keagpark_music's new song "Bustin' Buckles". Audio and video clips included! #musicproduction #electricguitar

Bustin' Buckles is AVAILABLE TODAY! Check out the track, and then check out the first in our #BTS series. In this edition I share a few words about why I'm doing this series, and then talk about the pre-production work and share raw video and audio of the first step in the recording process. Check it out! #musicproduction #recordingstudio #localmusic