Production masterclasses became routine this year. Not because I planned it, but because each session revealed gaps I didn’t know existed.
January started with arrangement fundamentals. Basic stuff, supposedly. Turned out my understanding of vocal layering was completely wrong. Six months of stacking harmonies the hard way when two simple techniques could achieve the same result.
Distant Light emerged from one of those sessions. The instructor played back my rough mix and pointed out frequency conflicts I couldn’t hear. Fixed them in twenty minutes. Suddenly the track breathed differently.
Online learning lacks the energy of physical studios, but focus improves. No distractions, no performance anxiety. Just you, your headphones, and someone explaining why your low end sounds muddy.
Each masterclass cost money I didn’t really have. But education pays itself back in ways that aren’t always immediate. Better mixes mean better submissions. Better submissions mean better responses.
The instructors varied wildly. Some were technically brilliant but couldn’t explain anything. Others understood teaching but lacked real industry experience. The best ones combined both – rare combination.
By July, I’d absorbed more production knowledge than in two years of trial and error. Still making mistakes, but informed mistakes now.
— Indie pop artist, musician Anastasiia Ledovskaia