WCS Production Workshop

by Sabine on January 19, 2020August 2, 2022

Online Production Workshop
with Kenny Schick – January 19, 2020

Online Music Production Workshop with Kenny Schick of B3PMusic.com for West Coast Songwriters wcs.org – for members and non members!

Kenny Schick will be hosting an Online Production Workshop January 19th from 10am-11am. Only 25 spots available so be sure to sign up! Member price is $50, non-member price is $65. Please be sure your membership is current. Join or renew today!

I am looking forward to presenting the music Online Production Workshop on January 19th, and I’m excited to be part of the first online workshop for WCS where I’ll join y’all from my studio in Nashville.

Online Production Workshop

This particular workshop came to be in response to a repeated theme during song screenings. That theme was that production really needs to be considered when pitching songs. High quality production is now expected in all arenas of the music industry, and this even includes demos.

We will be picking 3 songs (maybe more if we have time) from demos you send in to discuss in terms of how I would approach them from a production standpoint: a style I’d imagine the song in, instruments and sounds I’d use, composition, arrangement, etc. Even if we don’t choose your song, there is plenty to learn listening to ideas I might apply to the chosen songs, as the concepts I use that are specific to one song also contain general principles I apply to any song I am working on.

I hope to give you ideas that you can use to better plan end results of your songs as you begin to write them—a mindset of imagining what a song can become, not just what it is in terms of lyrics and chords.

SIGN UP TO WCS OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP

JOIN OR RENEW HERE:

https://www.westcoastsongwriters.org/become-a-member

About KENNY SCHICK

Kenny Schick is a Producer, Recording/Mixing Engineer, Multi-Instrumentalist, Singer Songwriter
& Photographer – Nashville & Bay Area – B3Pmusic.com Kenny specializes in helping solo artists
& singer songwriters create, develop & record fully produced and mastered songs.

Kenny has had decades of recording experience and mastered many instruments. He has a unique and custom approach to every song and works with all types of artists world wide. He writes/produces music for tv & film, and performs live and as a session musician for many well known national and international projects. Kenny has written/produced 5 solo albums, produced 3 albums (latest release 2019) with his duo ArtemesiaBlack, and has produced/co-produced and appeared on hundreds of other albums and songs for other artists. Notable artists he has worked with: Bobby McFerrin, Greg Camp of SmashMouth, GC Cameron – Temptations, Hershel Yatovitz (Chris Isaak band), No Doubt, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus, Judy Mowat (Bob Marley band) and countless others.

Featured Artist – Kurt Gundersen

by Sabine on October 21, 2019August 2, 2022

Singer Songwriter and Artist Kurt Gundersen

Releases New Album ‘Wake Up and Fly’

Produced by Kenny Schick

WHAT KENNY HAS TO SAY ABOUT KURT

Kurt Gundersen is one of those artists who really makes me love my job—he writes thoughtful cool songs and has a wide open mind for where they can go. Kurt contacted me just by chance on LinkedIn—it was mid September of 2017, and Sabine and I had just decided we were headed to Nashville, so Kurt was one of the last people I booked while still living in California.

We recorded tracks for a few songs, and then I worked on them up until the time we left. Kurt’s initial demos gave me a very acoustic, folky vibe, so that’s what I initially came back with…he liked them, but thought the might be a little too tame…then we talked about his influences more—Tom Petty, Camper Van Beethoven, etc., and I knew then I didn’t have to be conservative in terms of production. that’s when the fun really started and we both were able to really think of many more possibilities for his songs.

We got the first 2 songs done and then we continued to work after I got to Nashville, passing files back and forth via Dropbox, which is actually mostly how I work. We’d get the basics and feel of the songs dialed in, then on my bi-monthly trips back to California, we’d get into a studio and record his parts. The songs would then be completed and mixed here in my Nashville studio. The process was super fun, and I’m super proud of Kurt and his really great 1st album. I’m really proud of the very cool end product we came up with, and now it’s time for the world to enjoy his great songs!

WHAT KURT HAS TO SAY ABOUT KENNY

Kenny is so awesome to work with! He’s gentle, kind, helpful and supportive. He’s a great musician, singer, and producer and has a ton of creativity and interesting ideas. He can take general ideas I have and run with them. He gets what I mean even if I can’t clearly articulate it – we speak the same language. I think of him as my John, Paul, George, Ringo AND George Martin all rolled into one person! He’s really that talented. No seriously. I can’t say enough about how grateful I am to have found him to help me make music!

MORE ABOUT KURT: https://kurtgundersen.com

MORE ABOUT KENNY SCHICK: https://b3pmusic.com/production-recording

DB Walker: This Album Has No Title

by Kenny Schick on January 4, 2019January 4, 2019

“How can it have a title when it has so many personalities?”

Photo by Kenny Schick – **see more photos**

I had the privilege to work on this amazing album by DB Walker and his band, a well known and loved figure in the Bay Area Blues Scene!

Photography by Kenny Schick – Kenny Schick is a Music Producer, engineer, singer songwriter & professional photographer, living in Nashville TN (from the Bay Area CA) (see more photos here)

It was some time in the early 2000’s when I met David ‘DB’ Walker. I was in the house band for a local Bay Area TV show called ‘Stand Up, It’s Thursday Night’, a comedy sketch/music TV show much like Saturday Night Live. We filmed in front of a live studio audience every Thursday night, first from KRON studios in San Jose, then from UPN studios in San Francisco the following season.

Upon losing our second guitar player in a fairly short amount of time, we were feeling a bit flustered when our drummer brought along a guitarist he knew named DB Walker. We’d really liked our previous guitarist, so we were not super keen on getting going with yet another new one. DB showed up with his waist long dread locks and a big old massive pedal board…we were intrigued by this character… We started playing and knew quickly we’d finally found the perfect member to round out the band—DB was technically skilled for sure, but more importantly, he was creative and fun with a great sense of adventure musically. Our whole schtick was to take cover songs and play them in unlikely styles, and DB was perfect at helping us down our path of tune-twisting.

DB was technically skilled for sure, but more importantly, he was creative and fun with a great sense of adventure musically

DB Walker, as we came to find out, was also a known figure in the Bay Area blues scene, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be a semi-frequent guest at his shows. Consisting of covers and his really great originals, his sets not only include traditional blues styles and songs, but often float off into all sorts of adventurous directions—it is always super fun to see where he’ll go, and we can find ourselves floating between long atmospheric/psychedelic forays that can lead into a Nine Inch Nails tune, then back to road house blues and other really great blues inspired DB Walker originals.

A few years back now, DB decided it was time to release a new album, and it was to be a whole bunch of his songs—16 as it turns out. The initial idea had been to set up at his home studio, record the basic tracks for all the songs over a couple of weekends, mix the puppy, and be done quickly. It was to be both a digital and vinyl release. DB is a pretty meticulous guy, so the initial plans of moving quickly soon gave way to his perfectionist nature—lots of experimenting with cool overdubs and musical ideas ensued.

DB sent along parts to me as he completed them, and I mixed songs over the next several months. As we got close to completion, new experimental songs came along. The album covers a wide range, starting with a more traditional blues vibe, then moving to spacey psychedelic Pink Floyd-like explorations.

DB is a pretty meticulous guy, so the initial plans of moving quickly soon gave way to his perfectionist nature—lots of experimenting with cool overdubs and musical ideas ensued.

I finished the mixes and DB had to figure out a few versions of the release due to timing issues that wouldn’t allow all the songs to fit on vinyl in their full versions. This task was finally completed, and the album went off to mastering….the masters came back, but then….radio silence. During the ’silent times,’ I’d relocated from California to Nashville, and just a few months ago, I got a call from DB Walker asking if I’d master the songs—so I mastered, thrilled to hear the amazing songs again, sent the masters back to DB, and waited for instructions in regards to changes or tweaks…I didn’t hear back, and soon I saw his release notice on social media—‘no changes’ was my answer!

http://www.dbwalker.com/

The album is an amazing piece of art—DB Walker’s songs are great, his playing is stellar, and the musicians he plays with are always top notch.

Here are DB’s notes for the album and personnel:
“This Record Album Has No Title” Because its more like 3 records in one. It begins with some driving Blues, then edges more into Classic Rock/Blues, takes a stop in Americana then shifts into pounding Hendrix inspired psychedelia before it floats off into a Post Rock/Pink Floyd haze.
How can it have a title when it has so many personalities?

Recorded at Bella Sounds in San Jose
Additional tracking at Basment3Productions Studios
Mixed at Basement3Productions studios
All music written by The D.B. Walker Band (Walker, Falzone, Oliver, Kane) (c) 2017 A Wraparound Records Production released November 23, 2018

D.B. Walker: Vocals, Guitar
David Falzone: Bass
Lachlann Kane: Keyboards
Michael Oliver: Drums
Kenny Schick: Producer / Engineering / Mixing / Horns / Guitar / Vocals

Additional Musicians:
Mumbling Blues; Kenny Schick-Horns
Wear me down; Kenny Schick-Horns
Nothings Left; Hershel Yatovitz-Lead Guitar, Kenny Schick-Baritone Guitar, Sabiné Heusler Schick-Background Vocals
Drive; Kenny Schick, Background Vocals
A place to rest; Ryan Krage-Drums, Davon Whitehead-Keys
Coming Down; Sabiné Heusler Schick-Additional voice

<a href="http://dbwalker.bandcamp.com/album/this-record-album-has-no-title">This record album has no title by The D.B. Walker Band</a>

Instruments for Education

by Sabine on November 16, 2018November 17, 2018

Instruments For Education 1st Annual Instrument Drive and Fundraiser

Listening Room Cafe, November 15, 2018

I was lucky to be in school at a time when music and art programs were considered main staples of education—the schools I attended in California had pretty darn good instruments for music students to use, and most families, mine included, had the ability to rent or buy instruments for their kids. This access to instruments not only made it pretty easy for me to pursue my passion (my music), but could be a large part of the equation that led me down the path to a life in music. My parents were even able to float me loans(with 1% interest, just to teach me about finances..haha) which I paid back with my paper route money.

I never had kids, but I’ve watched my friend’s children attend schools where the music and art programs are being stripped back, or even eliminated from curriculum—this is a damn shame, as music and the arts are every bit as important to human development as math, science, history, or english. It is creativity and learning how to implement it that leads to some of the biggest accomplishments for humanity—even in aspects of life that have nothing to do with music or art. Developing a creative mind is essential to success in life, and as a former private music teacher, I have seen this concept at work. I even helped run a friend’s company that used music as a tool for corporate team building workshops, and we saw the method ignite a lot of fire at some of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies.

Here in Nashville, we have a knight in shining armor by the name of (Sir) Troy Castellano, and he has started a non-profit here to help counteract the trend of struggling music programs in our local schools—it is called Instruments For Education. It’s mission: “To collect and distribute used and unused musical instruments and provide them to classrooms that may not otherwise have it in their budget to purchase instruments. Allowing upcoming generations a hands on way to learn to play a musical instrument(s).” Troy even goes so far as to drive around picking up instruments himself and fixing them if need be. He has a music store in Spring Hill TN(Bluesman Vintage) that does repairs that he can’t handle himself.

Last night, I attended a great event at the Listening Room Cafe here in Nashville—It was Instruments For Education’s First Annual Instrument Drive and Fundraiser. 24 of Nashville’s best song writers volunteered their time and gave us a killer night of intimate performances, backed by the awesome steel guitar player Smith Curry see the list of performers below. Proceeds from the show went to Instruments For Education, and I believe even some instruments were donated.

In a city called Music City, it is great that we have someone like Troy who supports the very thing this city is known for and helps to make sure future generations keep the roots and lifeblood of this city alive.

If you want HR images without watermark let me know. EMAIL ME

Billy Lee

Sasha Aaron

Melissa Bollea Rowe

Michaela Clarke

Steve Metz

Hailey Verhaalen

Jordan Mitchell

Mary Kutter

Megan Barker

Taylor Goyette

Jean Nolan

Dixie Jade

Joe West

Victoria Banks

Keesy Timmer

Steven Williams

Riley Weston

Lexie Hayden

Adam Searan

Brian Desveaux

Elizabeth Lyons

Marti Dodson

Tori Martin

Ashlyn Grayce

Ava Boney

Anthony Arya The Voice

by Sabine on October 31, 2018October 31, 2018

Anthony Arya: my client on NBC’s The Voice Season 15

Photography by Kenny Schick – Kenny Schick is a Music Producer, engineer, singer songwriter & professional photographer, living in Nashville TN (from the Bay Area CA) (see more photos here)

It’s been a pleasure working with The Voice contestant Anthony Arya on his upcoming full length album. We recorded the first song, ‘Going To California’, before The Voice thing started, and Anthony and his mother were so happy with the results, they decided to give me the honor of working on 10 or so more songs.

Anthony’s mother Kamela is an avid music lover and seems to be a big part of his introduction to, and love for music. She has an intimate connection to his music and a great vision of how music should be approached, so it was great that she was with us during the recording of his parts to help shape some of the performances and ideas. She is also very helpful on shaping the details of the final versions of Anthony’s songs. Here is a video of Anthony on The Voice.

At 16, Anthony is super focused and dedicated to crafting great songs, and his performances in the studio far surpass the performances of most 16 year olds—in fact, they far surpass the performances of singer-songwriters who have been at it for decades! One thing about him that has been close to my heart is his diversity—he loves many kinds of music and is not afraid to use all those styles and influences in his writing. I have always loved all kinds of music myself, and I love music that has a good range and a juxtaposition of styles that one might not normally hear. If Anthony keeps on his current trajectory, I see great things coming quickly for this talented and level headed young man. I am very honored to be part of his journey.

The process of creating this album has been really fun—Anthony sent me really stripped down demos of his songs—iPhone recordings or videos—and from those demos, I started sketching out basic parts and grooves for the songs here at my studio in Nashville. When the ‘skeletons’ were all in place, I made a trip back to California to record his parts, and his work ethic was focused and precise, so recording went quickly (as his The Voice schedule required anyway). Back in Nashville, I am finishing up parts and having conference calls with Anthony and Kamela—they are collecting parts from some musicians out in California as well, and the process is flowing nicely—we should be done with everything soon, and then the world will be able to enjoy his great music. .

It has been a blast watching Anthony progress on The Voice—I watch the show most seasons, but it’s a different thing to know one of the contestants personally for sure. Working with him on his music and knowing him personally and musically makes it all that more exciting. One of my favorite songs on the upcoming album is a song called ’Slow Train’, written about fellow Team Adam member and fellow contestant, the very talented Emily Hough—really cool to see Anthony writing about all that is happening in his life right now. Anthony started out the season on Adam Levine’s team Adam Levine and after his battle round he was picked up by Team JHud Jennifer Hudson! It’s exciting to see him get to work with two great artists/judges! It’s great to see that he’s made great friends from his experience, and was fun to see that he recently performed in his neck of the woods with fellow Voice contestant Natalie Brady, a fellow Nashvillian who I need to get out and see!