The shortcut that ACTUALLY make a difference for music producers

I am a working composer and music producer as well as an educator and, as a result, I am constantly thinking about how to optimize my producing and helping others do the same.

I'm also a YouTuber, and I am doing the same thing there: helping producers optimize their producing. But YouTube has taught me an inescapable fact.

Everybody wants shortcuts. Magical shortcuts that accelerate their abilities and help them reach their musical goals much faster than ever before.

I mean, shit, that does sound nice doesn't it? I want that, too!

But do these kind of shortcuts actually exist?

These shortcuts exist - but not where you expect them

You might have thought that those shortcuts are just one YouTube video away. Hell, there's plenty of reason to understand why you'd think that. Thumbnails promise a lot these days.

But a massive, massive mistake that I see producers make is thinking that music production shortcuts are quick.

They aren't.

I know that shortcuts, by way of their name, imply quick. But quick is a relative term. Something is only quick when compared to something slower, and attempting to learn music production by way of random YouTube tutorials and guess work is very, very slow.

Painfully slow.

Producers go looking for shortcuts on YouTube and end up in a labyrinth of wrong turns and dead ends that can sometimes last years.

The real shortcut is taking the time to invest in your skills and really learn what you're trying to learn

In the age of AI and plugins-that-practically-write-the-music-for-you, producers are forgoing learning how to actually produce en masse because they are so hellbent on getting there as fast as possible.

But anything you skip over learning now will cause you twice as much friction later. I have seen it firsthand.

There is no area more emblematic of this truth than music theory.

Maybe you believe that music theory is something you can skip over for any number of reasons and, as a result you use just samples, MIDI packs, or some sort of plugin-that-practically-writes-the-music-for you.

You might believe that you've found a shortcut that lets you move closer to making the music you hear in your head but, in reality, you're just punting the problem down the road.

At some point, you'll realize you have all these amazing production skills but not the language to express them in the way you'd like.

Think about it like this: imagine getting a creative writing degree but with the vocabulary of a first grader. It's going to feel limiting.

Shortcuts end up looking like crossroads

If you're a music producer who has yet to learn the fundamentals of music theory, this is one of those crossroads. You can choose to continue to punt it further down the line. Or you can address it right now and start writing the songs you hear in your head.

My course Step-By-Step Songwriting: Music Theory for Producers is now open for enrollment until July 7th.

The course is designed to teach music theory from the producers perspective. No sheet music. All piano roll and MIDI and focused on the techniques you need to write great songs. Learn by producing.

Enrollment in cohort 2 is $497 or three payments of $166. This includes:

• 10 hours of video lessons

• Numerous songwriting exercises and assignments

• Direct email feedback from me on your assignments and songs

• 6 one hour Zoom Q&A and module discussion sessions

In just six weeks, you will carve years off of your music production journey. This is what a real shortcut looks like.

To ensure a good student/teacher ratio, I'm cutting off enrollment on July 7th, or when the course hits 25 signups, whichever comes first.

I can't wait to see you inside.

Til next time,

ZW

p.s. I respond to every reply I get to this newsletter so feel free to reach out if you have any questions.