Working on "We Are The World" was one of the greatest blessings of my life and career, and I learned a lot of lessons watching him, Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie put together that legendary song from beginning to end. The short time I got to work with him was life-changing and I think this might be helpful to others too. Quincy Jones was not a legend by accident. Everything he did, from what I observed, was based on immense talent, deep insights, and life lessons that made him look beyond the surface for what touches the soul. They were always talking about letting God in This goes way beyond just musical skills. It's a way of looking at all things. From the first day of tracking I was like a fly on the wall listening to the conversations he and Michael would have about what they wanted people to FEEL when they heard the song. It was way beyond the notes. It had to touch the heartstrings and tap into us all being one, no matter what color, nationality, enthnicity, or religion. To make that happen via sound was very intentional. Watching and listening why they cast certain musicians, find the right sounds, modify the feeling of different parts, and craft the lyrics was amazing. Listening to them explain why things like the bass part and sound had to be changed to not draw too much attention to it ,or be too funky was an incredible insight. The song should always be about "We" and never "I" am the world. Mind-blowing! Watching Michael Jackson pull out the original lyrics and then they all zeroed in on certain lines like changing it to "there's a CHOICE we're making. We're saving OUR OWN LIVES" instead of (and I'm paraphrasing) "there's a chance we're taking. We're saving all their lives" was so eye opening because they always wanted the song to be INCLUSIVE so that it's not a separate US vs THEM thing, even though the song was about saving starving children. We are all in this together and that was their purposeful mission. Changing little lyric phrases like that made the song a masterpiece, so MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

Somebody was having a problem getting two 808s to work together consistently so here are a few ways that I may tackle that kind of problem. I thought this may be helpful to others as well. ======== (Post from Skool member) =============== ⚠️ Consistency compressing my 808 Hey, guys. I'm working on a beat I made and there's a combo of two 808s that come in and out to make up my 8 bar pattern. The one I need help with is pretty inconsistent, definitely needs that consistency style of compression, but I can't seem to get it to even out. I've run into this problem before with other beats, but I really want to get this right. I' tried using a single compressor as well as serial compression until each instance it plays had the same amount of gain reduction. I'm pretty sure I have way too many on there now. There's like seven, but the gain reduction is all under 2 dB. I tried using a slower release time still on tempo when I did the serial compression. It did get the other parts to the same level, but the last section is still noticeably louder. I haven't tried it with the faster release time, but before I spend days more on this, I thought I'd come ask you guys for help. ============================================ 💡 HERE'S HOW I APPROACH FINDING A SOLUTION 💡 ============================================ The way I approach problems with multiple kicks or 808s is to first isolate which one is causing the problem by deciding which one is the main one, and which one is supporting the main sound. How does the original recording sound before doing anything or adding plugins? Does each one sound good and consistent in quality? Next, I mute the secondary sound and determine if the main sound is consistent throughout the whole song or has any problems such as vanishing or fluctuations in different sections. EQ and multi-band harmonic saturation can be helpful. A big part of kicks and 808s are the length of the decay too.Timing your decays can help tremendously with the groove and prevent low-end tails from smearing the groove. Does the drum groove need tightening, or maybe stretched out a bit?

Wow, Just got the word that George Clinton and Bootsy Collins are redoing "One Nation Under A Groove" for Kamala Harris (P-Funk) and if you're too young to know, ask somebody older what that means :-)

**Why File Management is Your Secret Weapon** When inspiration strikes, the last thing you want is to dig through tons of folders to find that one sample or lose your flow because you can’t remember where you saved the last version. A solid file management setup keeps you in the creative zone and makes sure everything is right where you need it. Here’s how to make it happen: ### **Pro Tips for a Smooth Workflow** 1. **Create a Main “Music Production” Folder** Start by making a dedicated folder on your computer for all things music production. Inside, set up sections for “Projects,” “Samples,” “Plugins,” and “Exports.” This way, every file has a home, and you’re not hunting for stray files. 2. **Naming Your Projects Consistently** When you start a new track, create a project folder and name it something simple but specific, like `Artist_SongTitle_Date`. If you’re backtracking months down the road, this naming system keeps everything clear. 3. **Organize Samples Thoughtfully** Samples can get out of control fast. Break them down by type—maybe a folder for “Drums” with subfolders for “Kick,” “Snare,” etc., one for “Melody Loops” organized by key and BPM, and another for effects. This setup saves time scrolling endlessly for the right sound. 4. **Use Version Control** File versions can save you. Every time you make a big change, save it with a version number and date, like `SongTitle_v1.0_2023-11-10`. It sounds simple, but this way, you’ll never lose a great idea or struggle to find an earlier mix. 5. **Back Everything Up** This is a no-brainer, but so easy to skip! Use an external hard drive for quick access, but also get on cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox for extra security. Automating it can save you if your hardware crashes out of nowhere. 6. **Use Tags or Metadata for Large Libraries** If you’re working on different genres, tags like “hip-hop,” “ambient,” or even “draft” can make finding files way faster. It’s a little thing, but with a big library, it can be a game-changer.

Welcome new members! Please complete the "How To Get Full Access & Not Get Kicked Out" course as soon as possible to learn how to maximize your No Labels Necessary experience, how the platform works, and how to access additional resources and opportunities. You can access the course via the link below: https://www.skool.com/brandman-network-7535/classroom/6709860e?md=9ffa0276b80d4f9194773f4b05601d9c