Audio Production and Music Composition Training in Calgary
Advancements in Audio Production Technology
How can a seemingly simple 4-chord club dance track sound as good as a recording of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony? Simply put, the production!
Over the last century, audio production technology has undergone dramatic improvement. Modern computers can be used create virtually any sound. They can produce fog horn, a barking dog to sound musical. Electronic music consistently demonstrates this fact. By playing a short recorded sample within a repetitive groove with right modulation this music has the ability to invigorate us and takes us on spiritual journeys. This would not be possible without modern music production technology.
Have you experienced that song that just won't leave your head? Usually it's a small chunk of one of your favorite (or most hated) songs. Usually the only way to rid of it is to play a recording of something else (at least that's how I do it). That being said, repetition in music is essential, but in order for it not to sound static, real time variation(often called modulation) must be applied. Music, defined simply, is repetition and change. In fact, beauty, defined simply, is repetition and change. This can be observed in the slightly unsymmetrical pattern of a flower, stripes of a zebra, or clouds in the sky. Or the slightly varied pattern of birds or crickets chirping, or waves rolling up on to the beach.
What are the components of music? Many would say that it's lyrics, notes and rhythm. These are essential aspects to music, but they are just the start. It is ultimately the production that brings music to life. Production could be described as the layers of modulation(variation) added to the core components, such as lyrics, notes, and rhythm. These layers adjust aspects of sound such as timbre(tone), volume(amplitude), location (panning or balance), duration(length), frequency spectrum, dynamics envelope(volume shape), pitch envelope(note shape), frequency modulation envelope (spectrum shape),phase, waveshape. The list continues. .
It is no surprise that production is an essential part of making any type of music, however electronic music, in particular, requires a lot more production; many electronic pieces are built on 1-5 second repeating loops and thus require real time modulation (variation) to ensure they don't sound static.
We are in a time where anybody with a $1000 computer can produce sounds that were not attainable 20 years ago, even in the world's largest sound studios. This notion invigorates me and is partly the reason I have dedicated my life to being a competent composer, producer, and teacher.
My job is to help you tap into your musical mind and help you express those musical ideas that loop in your head.
Ben McMullan
Ben McMullan Performs Pachelbel's Canon in D Major
Ben Performs Pachelbel’s Canon - 2009
Ben Performs an Original Composition (Lead Guitar -2009)
Ben Performs Pachelbel’s Canon - 2009
About Ben McMullan
To sum it up, music is my life. When I'm not teaching it, I'm usually composing it, recording it or listening to it.
As a child, I was exposed to a lot of classical music, including the greats, such as Mozart, Bach and Beethoven, the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Prince, so it's safe to say that my interest in music developed from a very young age. At seven years old, I took a year of piano lessons. During that year, I wrote my first two compositions, which I later performed at an elementary school assembly. But piano, as you may have guessed by the name of this website, did not stick, so neither did the lessons.
Later, at age 10, after hearing a school buddy play classical guitar, I decided that I too wanted to learn how to play. My mother signed me up for lessons. Unfortunately, due to my young age and particular fondness for computer games, the results of the lessons were marginal, so they only lasted a year.
It wasn't until age 15, after having attended a Cure concert and being impressed by the guitar playing, that I decided to take the guitar seriously. I convinced my parents to buy me an electric and sign me up for lessons again. This time, I learned all about playing the blues.
Shortly after that, I met another student at my high school who played classical guitar and was surprisingly good at it. Feeling once again enamored by the style, I decided to change my focus from electric back to classical. But this time with more focus than ever before, and by age 16, I had advanced to a grade seven playing level.
On my 16th year, during the summer holidays, I took up busking at the brand new (1993) Eau Claire Market, performing classical guitar music for shoppers, five days a week. Busking led me to invitations to perform regular, paid weekly gigs at private functions, restaurants, pubs and coffee shops between 1993 and 1995.
In a span of two years, I had advanced from grade one to grade nine classical guitar, and by this point, had even begun to acquire a few students of my own.
Between age 17 and 19, my tastes expanded to include flamenco and jazz guitar; and I partook in regular lessons with a variety of instructors of different genres, as well as classes in advanced jazz theory. I had developed a good understanding of music, and during my 19th year, I wrote my third full scale composition - 'Moonlight Inspiration' (this can be heard on the 'Samples' page).
By 1998, I had seven completed original compositions, but no recordings to show for them, so armed with the desire to start recording and perhaps eventually do a CD, I began purchasing equipment, such as microphones, synthesizers, mixers, guitars, computers and computer software. This time, I devoted most of my time to learning the process of digital recording, mixing and audio production. Eventually, I had enough equipment and technical knowledge to open my own recording studio - Recording Room Music. Over the following years, I received a lot of paid audio work, and by 2002, had produced two full scale albums and numerous demo projects, as well as a number of original compositions for a variety of clients. On most of these projects, I had performed guitar, bass or backing vocals and had added programmed synths or drums.
Between 2002 and 2004, I took a break from paid audio production and focused on developing an original CD album with Calgary singer/songwriter, Kristen Dempster (Lyrics and Vocals) - eli7: Dark Entries. Dark Entries is a full scale, 12-song, psychedelic opera, with lush sonic landscapes, often involving up to 60 tracks of simultaneous audio - visit www.eli7.ca to sample this inventive work.
Currently, I am in the promotional phase for the eli7 disc and continue to write, record and teach music full time. Calgary Guitar Lessons and Calgary Audio Production are both located at 207-72 Ave NE, Calgary, AB.
Ben McMullan
Introductory Summer Package!
New students applicants will receive the special introductory package price of $45/hour session for the first month of lessons, and the first one is free.
Try it out for a month and experience the benefit of learning audio production with Ben McMullan.