BTG 007: The Creative Process - Composing vs Arranging

Ep 14: In this episode, Jeremiah and I discuss what I call the "Free Solo Mindset," a mindset that I've adopted over the last year to reach peak levels of focus in my guitar practice. This mindset was inspired by the documentary "Free Solo" that follows climber Alex Honnold as he prepares to climb a 3,000 ft cliff without any ropes or safety gear. 

Ep 13: In this episode, Jeremiah and I discuss some of our favorite arrangements on my channel that might be considered "hidden gems," since they never really took off and got as many views as we might have expected. We break down why I'm proud of each of these arrangements in particular, despite their lack of "success." 

Ep 12: In this episode, Jeremiah and I discuss what I would do this year to build my career from the ground up again, if somehow all my social accounts were deleted and I had to start over. Knowing what I know now, from 5 years of creating music content online, there are certain mindsets, habits, and strategies I would adopt from the very beginning to ensure sustainable growth and avoid burnout. We're sharing all of those with you today!

Ep 11: In this episode, Jeremiah and I share simple and affordable tips to instantly improve the quality of your recordings, by improving the acoustics in your room. Specifically, we're talking about how to minimize reflections, resonant frequencies, and noise to give you a purer cleaner sound in your recordings. 

Ep 10: In this episode, Jeremiah and I share the musicians, bands, and cultural influences that have inspired us and shaped us into the musicians we are today. From our earliest influences as children, to the artists who continue to influence us to this day; it's safe to say that we wouldn't be where we are today without these artists.

Ep 9: In this episode, Jeremiah and I discuss the pros and cons of pursuing a music degree. What career opportunities does it create, and at what cost? If you're considering a career in music, and are unsure about whether or not you should go to music school, this episode will guide you through that decision as Jeremiah and I break down our own experiences with music school.

Ep 8: In this episode, Jeremiah and I discuss various techniques we use to overcome performance anxiety. Performing can be a scary thing, especially with a solo instrument like the classical guitar, and our bodies are designed to react in specific ways to scary situations. Unfortunately, these natural reactions are often counter-productive to playing an instrument: like ice-cold shaky hands. And when we're under pressure, our minds can also betray us in the form of memory slips (my personal nightmare!). So as a performer, you need systems in place to combat these symptoms of performance anxiety. Today we're giving you a ton of actionable and tangible techniques you can use to overcome both the mental and physical symptoms of those nasty nerves.

Ep 7: In this episode, Jeremiah and I discuss the differences in the creative process between creating original compositions and arrangements. What unique challenges are presented when composing an idea from scratch compared to creating an arrangement based on pre-existing music? Is arranging just a gateway to composing? Where does our inspiration come from?

Ep 6: In this episode, Jeremiah and I share our favorite musical moments in movies. Moments in which the score powerfully impacted what was happening onscreen. Where music helped move the plot along, or followed a character's development. Where the music helped guide our emotions in a given scene. 

Ep 5: In this episode we unpack my experience "going viral" with my Fortnite videos. What does it feel like to watch those views skyrocket? How much money does a viral video really make you? Is going viral as game-changing for your career as you might think? How do you capitalize on that viral moment? We get into all this and more!