Episode 538 – The Secret to Earth, Wind & Fire's Live Sound | George Massenburg

In this week’s episode, I sit down with the amazing Emmy-winning producer, songwriter, and publisher, Michèle Vice-Maslin.Michèle has had numerous hit songs and cuts all over the world as well as over 6,000 music placements.Winning an Emmy for her work on the CBS TV show Guiding Light, she’s been quite successful in both television and films, with such a long credit list that it's hard to pick just a few––so it’s no surprise that her music can be heard on radio and television every single day, all year long.Maybe even more amazing is that Michèle had the privilege to collaborate on a song with the legendary Bob Dylan.In this episode, Michèle and I spoke about her start as an avant-garde artist in Los Angeles, being heartbroken over a Madonna comparison, why instrumental sections of a song don’t work for songwriter pitches, the importance of being a self-reliant artist, and so much more.Ready to meet this incredible woman?Then tune in now!Key Takeaways:Introduction (00:00)From playing in bands to becoming a songwriter (01:35)Producing over writing (09:34)Let’s talk music production (22:15)Writing with Bob Dylan (28:17)One last question (38:28)Additional Resources:Learn more about Michèle’s work: https://www.pinksharkmusic.com/michele-vicemaslin --Get 15 quick solutions to common mix problems with my Mix Fix Playbook: https://go.bobbyowsinski.com/mixfixCheck out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow me on X: @bobbyowsinski--In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with the brilliant Kanru Hua, the founder of the music software company Dreamtonics which created the Synthesizer V and Synthesizer V Studio voice synthesis applications.A cumulation of years of AI research, signal processing, and musical passion led to Synthesizer V, which faithfully replicates the nuances of the human singing voice. Its voices are available natively in English, Japanese, and Chinese. The software even allows any voice to sing in any of the three languages. Pretty fascinating, right?In this episode, Kanru and I discuss the many legitimate uses for vocal cloning, the evolution of Synthesizer V, how to use cloned vocals as guides for human singers, the challenges of vocal synthesis, and so much more.I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.Well then, what are you waiting for?Run, don’t walk, and listen to the episode now!Key Takeaways:Introduction (00:00)Let’s talk about vocal cloning (01:49)Who is the main audience for Synthesizer V? (08:04)The future of vocal cloning (14:13)The best piece of advice Kanru has learned (21:36)Additional Resources:Learn more about Synthesizer V: https://dreamtonics.com/synthesizerv/ --Get 15 quick solutions to common mix problems with my Mix Fix Playbook: https://go.bobbyowsinski.com/mixfixCheck out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow me on X: @bobbyowsinski--In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with the amazing Andrea Whitt, a pedal steel, fiddle, and viola player.Andrea has toured with Shania Twain, recorded on Grammy award winning albums, and performed and recorded with dozens of other musicians including Journey, Deep Purple, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Halsey, and Phil Lesh.An accomplished visual artist, Andrea is regularly commissioned for paintings in her signature ink, watercolor, and oil styles, and her work can be found on her Boho Bunnie site.Andrea is also an exceptionally versatile arranger and composer, and was commissioned to write two pieces for the International Viola Congress. As a guest clinician for schools and music conferences, she instructs young string players in improvisation and multi-genre performances.In this episode, Andrea and I talked about how she became a pedal steel player, how fiddle and pedal steel play a similar role in a band, her unique painting style, keeping her art life and music life separate, going from Brazilian jazz to EDM to country music, and so much more.Ready to meet this multi-talented artist? Then tune in now!Key Takeaways:Introduction (00:00)From classical viola to pedal steel (01:35)Making the jump into improvisation (07:44)Andrea’s artwork (12:28)Touring with Shania Twain (16:15)Andrea’s favorite music genre (27:10)One last question (31:29)Additional Resources:Learn more about Andrea’s work: https://www.andreawhitt.com/homeCheck out Andrea’s art: https://bohobunnie.com/ Follow Andrea on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bohobunnie Follow Andrea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bohobunnie/ Follow Andrea on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/andreawhitt --Get 15 quick solutions to common mix problems with my Mix Fix Playbook: https://go.bobbyowsinski.com/mixfixCheck out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow me on X: @bobbyowsinski--In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with the brilliant Cheryl Engelhardt, a Grammy-nominated singer, composer, speaker, and career coach.Cheryl began her music career as an advertising and film composer in New York City, creating jingles for national ad campaigns. She then pursued a career as a pop/rock singer/songwriter and had songs in television and film. She also toured internationally with her backing band. Cheryl transitioned into new-age music and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New-Age, Ambient, or Chant Album in 2022.She’s also a certified trauma-informed master coach, and her In the Key of Success coaching program provides career coaching helping musicians attain their goals.In this episode, Cheryl and I talked about how she got into jingle writing, the joys and pains of being a left-handed piano player, creating her “making of” videos, her best tips for creating emails, her first job as a scuba diver, and so much more.Are you ready to meet this incredible artist?Then tune in now!Key Takeaways:Introduction (00:00)Writing jingles (01:32)How Cheryl learned orchestration (05:59)Studying piano as a left-handed person (07:53)The shift to new-age music (10:53)How Cheryl keeps it personal (20:38)Transitioning into coaching (23:12)What is a trauma-informed coach? (27:41)Cheryl the scuba diver (34:41)One last question (37:10)Additional Resources:Follow Cheryl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbemusic/Follow Cheryl on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbemusic Learn more about Cheryl’s work: https://www.inthekeyofsuccess.com/, https://www.cbemusic.com/ --Get 15 quick solutions to common mix problems with my Mix Fix Playbook: https://go.bobbyowsinski.com/mixfixCheck out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow me on X: @bobbyowsinski--In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with the founder of IAIAI Technologies, Mick Kiely.IAIAI Technologies uses ethical AI technology to protect music copyright holder’s interests. Its GeanAI produces an AI fingerprint that profiles and tracks copyrighted works, while its QuiBot is an AI composer that is responsibly trained on music theory rather than scraping others’ works. The company’s Mymic is a repository for cloned voices, while its Quantum Star Project is a research project into how quantum computing can be used in music.All this is the brainchild of Mick Kiely, a musician and television composer who started his technology journey composing scores for video games. Mick would then go on to start the world’s first generative music platform called XHAIL, which was embraced by the creatives in Hollywood. This led to the birth of IAIAI Technologies, with the main idea that AI serves as a force for good to reward and protect artists.Together, Mick and I will be discussing the irreversibility of AI training and what it means for the music industry, how Mymic creates voice DNA profiles to detect voice cloning, why the industry has to find a balance between AI innovation and protecting artists’ rights, and more.Are you ready?Let’s dive in!Key Takeaways:Introduction (00:00)Let’s talk about ethical AI (01:34)Mymic and voice cloning (09:54)What’s QuiBot? (14:24)Mick’s backstory (20:57)The Quantum Star Project (28:05)One last question (30:14)Additional Resources:Learn more about Mick’s work: https://iaiaitechnologies.com/ Get 15 quick solutions to common mix problems with my Mix Fix Playbook: https://go.bobbyowsinski.com/mixfixCheck out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow me on X: @bobbyowsinski--In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers. 

In this week’s episode, I sit down with producer, technologist and entrepreneur Marcus “Bellringer” Bell.Marcus has marketed, promoted, produced, remixed, written for, and mentored some of the world’s superstars and brands. His list of credits includes Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, and Beyonce, as well as Discovery Network, Amazon, and Warner Bros, just to name a few.Marcus is also the CEO of Bellringer Productions LLC, a music sync licensing and production company that operates a catalog of over 10,000 songs and 300 recording artists.Marcus has also published a number one Amazon bestseller called “The Bellringer Branding Bible: The 5 Musician Branding Principles For Singers, Rappers, DJs, Music Producers, Composers, Writers and Recording Artists.” He’s also on a mission to financially empower people with his Wealth and Impact Academy.Together, Marcus and I discussed the use of AI in music creation, his Ravyn Lyte project, his sync licensing company, and his bestseller book.Are you ready?Let’s dive in.Key Takeaways:Introduction (00:00)Let’s talk about Ravyn Lyte (02:06)The healing powers of music (07:33)Helping creatives gain financial independence (14:06)The Bellringer Branding Bible (20:33)Bellringer Productions (29:03)One last question (41:38)Additional Resources:Learn more about Marcus: https://www.bellringermusic.com/about Learn more about Bellringer Productions: https://www.bellringerproductions.com/ Learn more about Ravyn Lyte: https://www.ravynlyte.com/  Get 15 quick solutions to common mix problems with my Mix Fix Playbook: https://go.bobbyowsinski.com/mixfixCheck out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow me on X: @bobbyowsinski--In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

In this week’s episode of the podcast, I sit down with two legends of the rock and classical music worlds, conductor Brad Thachuk and guitarist Steve Thachuk.Brad and Steve are the founders of Gravel Museum Music, an organization dedicated to preserving the rich legacy of rock music in the concert hall by presenting the repertoire with full symphony orchestra and dynamic arrangements. Some of Gravel Museum’s shows include The Music of Phil Collins & Genesis, Classic Rock Radio, Deep Purple Rising, and Symphonically Hip. Both Brad and Steve have PhDs in music as well as other impressive credentials. Brad is the music director of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra, the conductor for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s BPO Rocks! series, and a lecturer in Orchestral Literature at the world-renowned Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.As for Steve, he is the head of guitar studies at Cal State Northridge in Los Angeles, and has appeared in recitals as a chamber musician and soloist with orchestras throughout North America and Europe.In this episode, the brothers and I discussed their amazing music career, how they went from classical music to rock back to classical again, why working in a record store was so important later in their careers, the massive prep time required for a show, how Steve worked his way through graduate school by winning guitar competitions, and more.Are you ready to meet these legends?Then tune in now.Key Takeaways:Introduction (00:00)The Gravel Museum orchestra (01:38)Creating a new show (10:22)Brad and Steve’s background (15:06)How orchestras survive (27:54)One last question (40:23)Additional Resources:Learn more about Steve’s work: https://www.steventhachuk.com/ Learn more about Brad’s work: https://www.bradleythachuk.com/ Learn more about Gravel Museum Music: https://www.gravelmuseum.com/ Get 15 quick solutions to common mix problems with my Mix Fix Playbook: https://go.bobbyowsinski.com/mixfixCheck out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow me on X: @bobbyowsinski--In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with audio legend George Massenburg. George is a Grammy-winning producer, engineer, and educator. He has also worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, The Grateful Dead, and Phil Collins.A gifted audio designer, George literally invented the parametric equalizer, and his GML products are widely-known for their superior high quality. He continues that work in the digital domain today with plugins from his Massenburg Design Works.Suffice to say, George has a lot of knowledge to share with us today. And that’s exactly what he does in this week’s episode of the podcast.Listen in as he and I discuss the importance of critical listening, his lifelong quest for the perfect dynamics controller, working on Earth, Wind & Fire’s biggest hits, and much more.Are you ready?Let's dive in.Key Takeaways:Introduction (00:00)Let’s talk about dynamic control (01:16)George’s unique approach (06:57)Critical listening (13:13)George’s preferred genres to mix (27:25)The best project George ever worked on (30:20)One last question (34:27)Additional Resources:Get 15 quick solutions to common mix problems with my Mix Fix Playbook. https://go.bobbyowsinski.com/mixfixCheck out Bobby’s best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow Bobby on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow Bobby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow Bobby on X: @bobbyowsinski--In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers. 

Is incomplete metadata keeping you from getting paid for your work? Then you definitely will want to give this week’s episode a listen!In it, I sit down with the founder and director of the metadata management company Noctil, Jacob Varghese.Jacob has over 24 years of experience leading complex technology projects in the telecom, media, and entertainment industries with Fortune 500 companies. When Jacob entered the music business, he wanted to solve technical challenges related to rights management and metadata in music.His company Noctil helps record labels, music publishers and performing rights organizations better organize, verify, and deliver their metadata in order to make sure everyone gets paid. Unfortunately there is no standardization for metadata distribution, so Noctil plays a vital role in getting the right metadata to the right music delivery service.In this episode, Jacob and I discussed the different forms of metadata, why it’s so important to music creators, so-called black box money that artists can’t get their hands on, metadata roadblocks, and so much more.Are you ready to learn more?Let’s dive in!Key Takeaways:Introduction (00:00)Why metadata is so important (01:28)Metadata requirements (03:11)How Noctil helps music professionals get paid (08:37)Jacob’s background (14:00)How changes to streaming affect metadata (19:42)Dealing with incomplete metadata (23:26)One last question (26:38)Additional Resources:Access our FREE music mixing crash course training: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/crash-site-registration?utm_source=notes&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=podcastCheck out Bobby’s best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow Bobby on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow Bobby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow Bobby on X: @bobbyowsinski--In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers. 

In this week’s episode of the podcast, I sat down with someone you’ve already met before (in fact, he was one of the first people I interviewed on my podcast, specifically in episode 51), the amazing Mark Schulman.Mark is a world-class drummer and motivational speaker. He has played with rock n’ roll royalty, manning the drum chair for everyone from Billy Idol, to Foreigner, Sheryl Crow, Cher, Stevie Nicks, Beyonce, and many other familiar names. He’s also done four world tours with P!nk over the course of fifteen years.Suffice to say, this is a man with a lot of experience in the music industry. Mark has also been presenting keynote addresses to corporate clients over the years, and his current presentation, “Hacking the Rockstar Attitude,” is a huge hit with companies like Dell, Genentech, IBM, Citi, Cisco, Walmart, and many others.In this episode, Mark and I discussed his lifelong battle with tinnitus and hearing loss, his shift from being a touring drummer to a keynote speaker, why attitude is the foundation of success, the importance of embracing change, and more.Mark also shares a sensational story about auditioning for Cher which I’m sure you’ll love.Ready?Let’s dive in.Key Takeaways:Introduction (00:00)Dealing with hearing loss as a musician (01:21)From touring to keynote speaker (07:07)Auditioning for Cher (11:51)The rockstar DNA (18:56)Discussing Mark’s books (26:45)One last question (34:05)Additional Resources:Access our FREE music mixing crash course training: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/crash-site-registration?utm_source=notes&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=podcastCheck out Bobby’s best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow Bobby on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow Bobby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow Bobby on X: @bobbyowsinski--In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.