I'd love to give a special shout-out to our newest membership mentor, Gemi Moon. Gemi recently passed certification in The Reverse Engineer (very difficult) and was asked to be a mentor for this community. Gemi is very talented in her own right, but she also has a lot of love and compassion for other musicians. If you book calls with her, you'll quickly find that she's not only helping you get better but also giving you a bit of joy and confidence in your day. She has that kind of energy! We love Gemi and are excited for her journey as a mentor. I hope everyone can give her a warm welcome here in this community :)

hey ya'll in the midst of all of you making your radio ready single songs, I thought I'd join in on the fun and this actually went live today! spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0hWZunh7LpZG54ucAs4TuB?si=4dbb29d679ff4717 youtube music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8QDTMeo3DM&list=OLAK5uy_nNtVLi84nJDkDKsv8ABW4slE3qpCI0low there are a couple of screen-recording videos in here the community of me starting this composition from scratch, if you want to see the rest of the process (the synth/drum additions) i'll do another video breakdown soon. Been fun working with and getting to know some of you! Keep in touch as you finish and release more songs!

(I posted this in the Radio Ready Single channel, but also wanted to share here for the people who attend my Composition Calls) last night around 11pm I was playing the piano and came across this melancholic, kind of whimsical melody and chord progression. i started a live hangout in the members club channel to record and share the process. by about 2am I had written a short song with pianos, soft synths, layered strings, and a gradual build that, to me, feels like holding on to a fleeting moment. you know that feeling when you realize that something special is temporary and all you can do it just sink into that moment a little deeper? that's what this song started to feel like for me Let me know if you want me to drop a link to the full, un-hyperlapsed video of me making this, heads up it's long and kind of boring, but some of you may enjoy suffering through watching me compose this from scratch. with all the tools at our disposal for music generation, i hope we take the time to create things from scratch and let the creative process unfold naturally now and then, even if it takes longer.

Starting tomorrow, the first Wednesday Composition Call is moving to 9 am EST (previously 2 pm EST). The second Wednesday call stays at its current time. The earlier slot should make it easier for students outside the US to join. We'll test this new time out for the next few weeks and see how it goes!

I know quite a few of you know @Mark Lantz from various programs at Mastering.com . We found out earlier today that Mark passed away Sunday morning. We don't know the details but I'm asking you to keep Mark's wife Laura in your prayers. Last month Mark released "Always by my Side", a song he wrote and produced about and dedicated to his wife. Mark and I have had many conversations, 1 on 1 zoom calls, mentor calls, and chat messages. I have watched him progress since Sept 2023 as he started his musical journey with us. He went from not knowing anything about the DAW to becoming a great producer utilizing his natural singing ability and talent. While I am very sad that he has passed away, I know he was a man of great faith and is in the promised land today. There is so much more I can say about Mark, and will over time, but for now, I'll just post a link to his Spotify songs he released with the help of his mentors and community of friends in the program. If anyone ever tells you your music isn't important, stay away from them - there is power in music ... Mark's music, and his journey to get to where he released songs, touched many people and is an inspiration to us all. Here's a link to his Spotify page with his songs "Always by my Side" and "Into the Light", both of which hit home today for me. R.I.P. my friend ... see you in Heaven. https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qpArhT1mBq5vW0ZfK5seb?si=pfVMUPtTRYOFQ1vuJ_vCyQ