Intro to Field Recording, Part 1 🎧

Mike's lesson on critical listening

Hello Besties!

I love that Mike went to the freaking Rose Parade to record today’s critical listening lesson for us. Truly iconic. It makes my heart swell five sizes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I have a quick announcement before we get started: I’m teaching an upcoming class for Pandemic University, and there are just TWO spots left. So it’s last call if you want to sign up for the course!

And for the LA-based writers among us, my podcast The Bleeders is throwing a party for writers on Monday, January 30th. RSVP if you’re in town, it’s a great way to meet new creatives.

Okay, here’s Mike.

Can Podcasts Sound Beautiful?

I remember when I was taking trumpet lessons in college, my instructor used to tell us, “Every time you put that horn up to your face and blow, the goal is to produce the most beautiful sound you’ve ever heard.” So for hours a day, I’d sit in a practice room trying to make a beautiful sound. It didn’t matter if I was playing long tones, a chromatic scale, or an etude; every time I blew air through that horn, the goal was a beautiful sound. So the obvious question is, how did I know what a beautiful sound was?