“If you download a template, change a few notes here and there… that is not music production.”—Dennis Sheperd
Dennis Sheperd had his first release (on vinyl) after just one year of producing music.
Yep, one year.
How did he do it?
He didn’t take any shortcuts. He didn’t have a mentor that worked with him every day. He didn’t use a silver bullet, as Arcane Echo would say.
Instead, he put in the work.
He’d come home from school and put in 8 hours. Then, he’d do it the next day, and the next day…
And he talks about it all in this interview.
Right-click and select “Save Link As…”
Subscribe in iTunes – Subscribe on Android – Subscribe on Stitcher
This episode is brought to you by EDM Foundations.
EDM Foundations is my course for new producers, those who’ve been producing for under 12 months, or even those who’ve just started. You can learn more about it here.
The whole idea of the EDM Foundations course is that you learn the fundamentals of music production by actually doing and not just learning concepts. The course consists of 12+ hours worth of streamable video where I walk you through the creation of 3 songs, and give you advice for creating your own original.
Now, on July 1, we’re raising the price for EDM Foundations and this is why I’m giving it a plug in today’s episode. The current price for the course is $127. Next month, it’ll go up to $197. If you want to take advantage of this price, then don’t hesitate. And if you have any questions, just email sam[at]massive-journey.flywheelsites.com.
We’ve had over 500 people sign up for the course, many of them have had great results. Hope to see you in there.
Links from the episode:
Connect with Dennis Sheperd:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Soundcloud
Show notes:
- Background & story (3:25)
- Where does Sheperd’s drive come from? (7:08)
- Struggle with composition (8:05)
- Should producers learn music theory? (9:52)
- Advice on mixing (11:28)
- One year till first release (13:22)
- Should producers learn sound design? Is it really necessary? (15:30)
- How Dennis built his network through online communities (19:00)
- How a network of other producers can keep you motivated to make music (21:12)
- Why you shouldn’t skip the hard work (23:57)
- What Sheperd’s schedule looks like (27:52)
- The importance of rest (30:15)
- The stress that comes with being an artist (32:15)
- Don’t forget about your friends (41:10)
- The Trance Retreat—what is it? (43:38)
- Give it your all and be self-reflective (48:34)
Right-click and select “Save Link As…”
Subscribe in iTunes – Subscribe on Android – Subscribe on Stitcher
