LOOPS BABY LOOPS1/7/2017 I have recently become addicted to my Boss RC-30 Loop station pedal. It was a little difficult to get the hang of, but I'm getting some traction and growing exponentially as a musician and a performer.
The RC-30 is capable of two channels. Basically, I can record one loop on one channel, and another (of equal length) on a second channel, and I can turn them on and off independently of each other. It's super cool! I'm learning a lot about percussion arrangements and simplifying drum patterns to be played on different part of the guitar, and I'm also learning a lot about harmonization and how to harmonize with myself. You can get a taste of what this looks like on my youtube channel, through my cover of Royals by Lorde. I plan to loop Superstition by Stevie Wonder, and Blank Space by Taylor Swift. I can't wait to make some videos and post them! Comment what covers you'd like me to loop!! Thanks lovelies!
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Ahh the Map Room!1/7/2017 Had a blast playing at the Map Room in Cleveland! What a cool bar! I hope everyone that came out had as much fun as I did. Thank you for filling my tip jar to the brim and thank you for all of your cheers and kind words. What venues should I play at next? Where would you like to see me on stage?
The Poor Man's Studio11/20/2016  This is getting just plain funny.
I decided I wanted to post my first YouTube cover song. I wanted to make it count. I wanted it to rock. I wanted it to look professional. I did my homework, I know what I needed. ....Unfortunately I've got about 10 dollars to my name. But hey, has that ever stopped me before? My boyfriend and I are world-class MacGyver-ers. We rearranged my small dorm room and decorated my corner (now dubbed my "recording corner"). My posters and acoustic foam now coat that section of my wall. We created a lighting source/reflecter like true videographers using an octopus lamp and some blinds. We flipped my stool upside down and duct taped a selfie stick to it to make a tripod for his phone. I used my phone for another angle...unfortunately that tripod collapsed a bit early and only got a different angle for a chunk of the song but hey, there's always some room for improvement. We rocked it. I'm working on editing my video now and its actually not bad considering what we were working with. I hope y'all like it...especially since you know what it looked like on the other side of the camera!!! Lol stay tuned for the video ... it's of the song "Royals" by Lorde. my favorite quote of the night: "Um...Brenna...we're gonna need some more duct tape..." Yes, that's a microphone in my closet.10/3/2016  Oh, the poor people that enter my dorm room are always so confused. All cables lead to my closet.
Picture this. I'm trying to get decent vocals, so I'm moving my mic all over my room. "Test 123 123" I keep saying at various locations, distances, and angles...but I just keep getting too much ambient noise. I start shoving my head into random places, under my desk, in the corner, next to my pillow. I thought I was going to have to settle, and was cursing my lousy room. Quitting, I decided to get ready for class and opened my closet up for my jacket. And that's when I noticed. "It's freaking silent in here!" Yup. Closets. Who knew? My dresses and coats really dampen noise! I frantically pull all my shoes off the bottom of my closet floor and perch up my mic stand. Shit. My XLR won't reach! I solve this problem by moving my audio interface into the center of my room on a stool. Damn. My interface doesn't reach my computer. Looks like my computer is relocating slightly as well; I had to angle the back end out to reach. And if I move juuuuust right, my headphones can just barely reach both my desk and my closet...ahem, I mean vocals booth. I have to put an 8 count precount on the metronome. It's actually pretty hilarious...I put my headphones on, press record, and sprint over to my closet just in time to start singing. I didn't realize how ridiculous it all was until my friend came into my room and saw my setup, and threw their head back laughing. But hey, don't my recordings sound fabulous? -Brenna Dorm Room Blues9/19/2016 AH.
It's SO hard to record music in a dorm room! Between random shouts, the sound of doors in the background, the AC whooshing (I can't turn it off...), toilet flushes from the rooms above me, my super loud neighbors, the lovely grumbling sound of my fridge (my bedroom, studio, kitchen, and office are all the same room...), I have some fantastic recordings....NOT! It's so frustrating to record in a dorm room. There is so much extraneous sound that I have zero control of. Not too mention - I also am a full time student working around classes, studying, and homework. I also work as an RA / ARD. I have a second job as a math and science tutor. I'm also prepping for the GRE and applying to grad school. And on top of all this...I'm trying to be a musician and record and distribute my music! I can't explain how many times I've been discouraged this year. But the purpose of this post isn't just to complain (not entirely at least!), it's to encourage. I'm not giving up. I'm busy, stressed, and frustrated....but dammit I want to make music and record it. I am an artist, deep at the core of who I am, I am an artist. You might be high up for cash, your equipment might be limited, you might have a shitty recording space, you might have kids and work, but that does not mean you can't do it. It might mean you have to be patient and work slowly...but YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. And if you're an artist like myself - you sort of have to. Focus on goals. I write my all of my goals down. If you need to start small, start small, but be sure to start. Maybe your goal list today is "practice my instrument for 5 minutes" or maybe its "research decent mics under $70". It's ok if your goals start small. If you want to be big, your goals are gonna soon get big. My current goal list is: -blog about recording (check!) -practice some guitar -start attempting to record vocals for my single -copyright some songs -and look for a used RC-30 loop pedal on ebay "If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." -MLK Jr. Don't give up. If I can do it in my lousy dorm room, you can do it too. xoxo. - Brenna Lynn DIY Acoustically Treated Wall8/25/2016  I'm in LOVE with my acoustic wall! I can't wait to record music and get a crisper, cleaner recording. Plus, it looks so badass!
It ain't easy to make a sound-treated wall in a dorm room. My ceilings are high, my room echoes when I talk, and I'm not even allowed to make any permanent changes to my walls! But I've figured out the best way to do it - and I couldn't be happier with my results! How to Make a DIY Acoustically Treated Wall (even in a dorm) Step 1: Gather materials. On Amazon for about 20 bucks, you can order 12 panels of 1'x1' pieces of acoustic foam. I got the kind with straight line groves (because it was the cheapest and like I've said...I'm a college student) but any kind will work. Now, if you're working in a room that you own and you can significantly alter, buy some spray adhesive, make your life easy, and just permanently stick the foam to the wall! If you are working with a rented space, you're going to need to find a hot glue gun, some poster board, and sticky tack or masking tape! Step 2: Hot glue. So.... the foam WILL NOT stick to the walls unless spray adhesive is used. I tried tirelessly to use everything and anything non-permanent. The foam is just too porous. However...you can use the permanent stuff on the foam, and just glue it to poster board, and the poster board will attach to the walls using nonpermanent methods! So you can hot glue (or spray glue) the foam to squares of poster board. I suggest cutting the squares of poster board slightly smaller than the foam panels. Step 3: Get it ready for the wall. Now that you've attached all the panels to poster board, you can hang the poster board side to your wall using any method you prefer! I did some with sticky tack, and some with masking tape, and had success with both. Step 4: Arrange accordingly. To get the best results with my straight groove foam, I did every other board horizontal and vertical. Not only does it look awesome, but it will be the most effective arrangement for blocking out noise! I hope this helped all my fellow college student DIY musicians! Rock on. -Brenna Lynn Tips For Choosing Equipment8/18/2016 It's SO HARD to choose equipment! Especially if you are like me and struggle with making decisions. And it gets even HARDER when money is a [very] limited resource. But don't worry musicians, I can give you some tips!
Tips for Purchasing Recording Equipment 1. Define your price range. Sure, I'd love a $700 microphone. But I don't have $700 to spend on a mic right now. And even if I did, I wouldn't want to pour all of my funds into one piece of equipment. Consider how much money you HAVE to spend, and how much money you are willing to spend. Typically, better equipment costs more...but usually there's some type of plateau. For example, you probably need to spend at least $100 to get a good mic, but spending $150 doesn't necessarily guarantee better quality than the $100 mic. Consider your price range, and define the options for that price range. 2.Speak to a pro. Whether you have someone in your contacts that you can speak with, or if you need to email some strangers, you should really speak with a professional. Talk to someone who's been doing this for years! I asked my teacher of my recording program for his advice, and it was BEYOND helpful! He suggested my mic to me, the AT 2035. 3. RESEARCH. This is a big one. What the heck is a low band pass filter? Do I need one? ...Look into it! Are you hoping to get a condensor mic, or will a dynamic work for you? What are you recording? What mics work best for that? Or should you just plug the instrument in? I know, I know, it's so overwhelming. But that's ok. Read up on everything that you can get your hands on. Maybe you won't understand every word you're reading, but you know more than you did yesterday! This starts to give you an idea of what questions to ask at the very least. Research the heck out of your equipment. 4. Consider all pieces equally. You music recordings are only as good as the weakest link. It won't matter if you have the best mic ever created...if you don't also have good cables, software, audio interfaces, and everything else, it won't matter. You need to consider the best way to distribute your funds over multiple pieces of equipment. 5. Test things out. This is why I love Sam Ash Music Co. They always let me ask endless questions and test out their equipment. This is so important. You might save a buck buying something online, but if you haven't seen for yourself how something sounds, you just don't know what you are buying. I definitely suggest making some physical trips to stores before purchasing equipment. Trust no one's ears but your own. I hope this list helps you figure out what you want to buy! If your curious, here's my equipment list -Audio Technica AT 2035 (mic) -Basic mic stand -Basic pop shield -Pig hog XLR cable (mic cable) -Presonus Audiobox (audio interface) -Desktop computer with Presonus Studio One (DAW) -Sennheiser over the ear headphones Next on my list that I hope to purchase (once I've got the dough) is a pair of monitor speakers. Good luck recording artists! Music Video8/18/2016 I've been really wanting to make a music video from one of my songs. Should I make one about my song "Rain" or about my song "Arm Candy?" You tell me! Please comment on this post, dm me on instagram or twitter, or private message me on facebook. Thanks! Can't wait to see what I create!
Equipment...finally!8/18/2016 Well Brenna Lynn fans, I am super pumped to announce that I officially have each piece of my recording equipment chain. I'm finally ready to get some music recorded! Hopefully I will be pumping out albums (almost) as quickly as I write them now! I still need to do some work to turn my lousy dorm room into a functional recording studio, but I'm on my way.
Once I get my studio all set up, I'll be giving out some tips on how to set up your studio in even the most inopportune places! Anyway, the first song that I record and mix all on my own will be released FOR FREE on my facebook page. The song is a surprise for now, but I can tell you this...it is LONG anticipated! If you want to receive a FREE SONG, be sure to like my facebook page! Simply search Brenna Lynn Music, or go to https://www.facebook.com/BrennaLynnMusic/ . So excited. Stay tuned.  If there's two things I'm addicted to, they're music and learning. I've fallen head over heels in love with this book already and I'm only about 30 pages in!
Donald Passman's book, All You Need to Know about the Music Business 9th Edition, is packed with tips, tricks, steps, and info. Katy Perry said that she "read this book at thirteen and then things turned out okay." Adam Levine said, "If you want to be in music, you have to read this book." The author claims that music lawyers have gotten mad at him for giving advice away that usually costs clients thousands of dollars! Even if I stopped reading now at page 30, it would be worth the thirty bucks I paid for it on Amazon. Here's what I love about it and why YOU should read it if you want to be in the biz: 1. It's up to date. I almost got an older version to save a buck, but my recording teacher at Tri-C said to go for the newest, because the music business changes fast, especially with the age of the internet. It's worth it to have the 9th edition! 2. It's written in regular human language - it carefully decodes and explains fancy shmancy lawyer talk. 3. It's organized in such a way that you can read the book thoroughly or skip around to get the facts fast if you are short on time. 4. He discusses how to choose which lawyers and managers to go with - this is essential so that you don't get screwed over by a sleezeball. 5. He gives ENDLESS resources! I've already bookmarked multiple website suggestions on my computer. Everything from advertisement sites, to file sharing sites, to music insider sites! 6. He gives an attorney checklist. I love lists! 7. The book includes breakdowns of record deals and deal points. 8. He spells out the intricacies of royalties and copyright and publishing law. 9. TIPS TIPS TIPS on everything! I started making a list of tips on how to get my music heard more and how to get more fans to follow me via social media! 10. And so much more. This book is definitely worth the read. Educate yourself. Learn. Read. Work. Hustle. That's what successful people do. Brenna Lynn
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