Learning to mix and master isn’t intuitive. For me, it was a process of “three steps forward, two steps back.” I’d written and recorded songs for years but getting them to sound professional on streaming platforms requires a whole new skill set.
I watched countless YouTube tutorials, joined dedicated mixing communities (including Joe Gilder’s Home Studio Corner), and hired my friend Barry Keenan—an accomplished singer-songwriter with decades of mixing and mastering experience—for guidance. For a year and a half, it was a cycle of progress and setbacks: three steps forward, two steps back.
Feedback was unpredictable. Friends often said everything sounded great, even when it didn’t. Online group critiques ranged from genuinely constructive to harsh and unhelpful. The most valuable input came from a small number of trusted voices who understood my goals and could be specific about what needed fixing. I’d spend days or weeks addressing their notes. Eventually I saw real improvement.
I’m realistic about my abilities. I’m not a virtuoso musician, though I’ve performed live hundreds of times as a guitarist and singer—both solo and with bands. I was fortunate to have two exceptional players join me on many of the “Parallel” tracks: bassist John Burchett and pianist Matt Podschweit. Their contributions elevated the album significantly, and I’m deeply grateful.
Still, because I played most of the instruments myself and handled the mixing and mastering, the results aren’t flawless. As a novelist, I learned long ago that you can edit a book forever, but after a certain point, the average reader notices little difference. The same principle applied here. My ears weren’t always experienced enough to know when “good enough” had already arrived.