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  Cultivating a positive mental attitude starts with a realization — a realization that you’re not the only one who has struggled, who has survived, and who has started over again. You are not alone, and there is a way through the darkness. There is simple wisdom, which can be relied upon, to help. Find support, but also learn self-care in how you treat yourself which is what positivity is all about. That self talk, that perception, that attitude you choose changes you and changes those around you. According to New Stanford Study: A Positive Attitude Literally Makes Your Brain...

  Making a trap beat shouldn’t be too complicated. In fact, most of them consist of very few elements. In this article I’ll show you my trap beat-making workflow! In case you missed it.   Once you have a melody it’s time to create a bass pattern. Most of trap bass sounds are called "808s" and are long, distorted sub bass notes. Here’s a typical trap bass pattern: The red bass notes play each time the kick hits. This way the kickdrum gives the bass a nice thump at the beginning. Most times I even copy the kickdrum patterns onto...

This song finishing checklist will help you work through your mix and take it to completion. Use it to identify and fix issues with your project.   How Do You Know When Your Song is Finished? One of the toughest tasks in music production is deciding when a mix sounds finished. Knowing when your mix sounds finished is an artistic judgment. However, there are techniques to help you get your music over the finish line. Follow this ten-step song finishing checklist before sending your mix off for mastering. Check Your Levels Play your song and check all your levels. Ensure...

10: Native Instruments FM8 This great sounding FM synth was used by Skrillex. FM8 is probably not a synth for beginners, as it takes a while to get your head around FM synthesis. Nevertheless, it's still a great synth used by plenty of pros. Pro's + great presets + ability to morph patches + great arpeggiator Cons – no "sample import" option – FM synthesis isn't easy (probably not a synth for beginners)  9: Spire Spire is an awesome additive hybrid synth. It sounds very modern and punchy and has a lot of great presets. Our only wish is that it...

Mental illness claims the lives of too many in the music industry. Mental health awareness has never been more critical. Watch this panel discussion on mental health in the music industry.   Mental Health in the Music Industry It’s no news that the life of an artist can be challenging. On the way up, the struggle is real. Making money can be tough. Parents and are often unsupportive. Long hours spent in isolation while perfecting your craft. And, the music business is constantly changing and full of big egos. Once an artist becomes successful, the challenges don’t go away. Demanding...