MENTORING FOR ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCERS

I reached out to Simon to review the early stages of a DJ set I had been holding close to my chest for a while. Initially, my intent was to grow and develop my DJ skills and what I received in return was so much more. In addition to providing mentorship about the DJ set, we delved into the art of musical storytelling and how to do that most effectively. In addition to talking through technique, we also delved into deeper concepts around how to evoke conscious and subconscious emotion in the audience. 

During a particular session, he asked some thought provoking questions that caused me to reflect on myself as a musician and performer. As a result of that conversation, I took some time away to return to my childhood roots as a classical pianist. After a 20 year hiatus, I’ve been studying how to play the piano without tension in my body, revisiting music theory, and refining/healing my relationship to music  in general. All of this to say that the mentorship work was pivotal in developing and refining my musicianship. 

Being a musician is an integral part of who I am, but I had placed it on a shelf for quite some time. Mentorship with Simon is both technical and conceptual. He is intuitive enough to understand what the student is asking between the questions. Moreover, when he listens to your original music or DJ set, he understands the musician within and he sees what the potential is - his mentorship sessions encourage that potential by asking mindful questions and providing thoughtful feedback. I would encourage anyone who really wants to deepen, develop, grow and refine their musicianship to book a mentoring session with Simon. 

Simon is a multi-genre artist and producer, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have experienced his experience and knowledge first-hand over the last two years.

Simon's approach to education is both constructive and direct. His critical feedback is seasoned with encouragement, such that your accomplishments are recognized even when you both agree there is more to be done.

Sessions are consistent and reliable (scheduling and otherwise), and his guidance ensures that there's always a bit of forward motion, even when you are feeling stuck.

From a highly technical multi-track production, to a single drum hit sample, Simon can help craft your sound with process and tool recommendations, while gently reminding you of the impact the choices will have on your audience.

Whatever you're looking to create, Simon has done it before and can inform from both the technician's perspective and the listener's journey.

A self taught engineer and producer for decades, I was convinced that my skill set was simply capped at a certain level. One mentorship session with Simon Shackleton changed all of that. We started with some system /room monitoring and Ableton set up material to help me make the most of my listening situation as well as some basics about Ableton which has been a real time saver for me. 

He unlocked several high-level concepts that had eluded me for a long long time. He explained mid-side processing in a way that made sense and I was immediately able to dial in areas of my tracks to get them sounding better right away. He showed me his general workflow and order of operations for mastering and mixing of tracks which was an eye opening (technically, I guess ear opening) experience.

Simon was also very open about which plug-ins he uses and why and explained what some of the free or cheaper alternative versions would accomplish as well. I can’t say enough good things about this session and I’m excited to do another one.

Having enjoyed making music for over 20 years, and despite making significant strides in both creativity and technical achievement over that period, I’ve found myself in that well-known, self-imposed, musical no-man’s land.  I sought various sources of authority, and like many found myself bombarded by various content producers on YouTube. A treacherous landscape of knowledge, opinion and marketing that can be both overwhelming and saturated.

Enter Simon Shackleton, whose informed advice and mentorship really helped me focus on what I was trying to achieve, along with considering things like purpose and the cycle of creativity that hadn’t previously informed any of my music-making processes. Perhaps most importantly Simon is such an approachable, positive human that every session was a genuine exchange, packed with well-considered content and anecdotes that I found stayed with me well beyond the contact hours themselves.

Like anything worth doing the process is a commitment and you should be ready to input several times the actual hours you spend with Simon, however these will be met and multiplied his side, and I was always excited to receive finalised masters from our collective efforts.

My journey continues and I’m excited to have Simon along as both technical and spiritual guide.

If you are a DJ or a music producer wanting to bring your skill set to the next level, Simon Shackelton is your guy.

I decided to work with Simon Shackelton because I felt like I had reached a plateau with my DJ’ing and music production skill set, and wasn’t sure how to push myself technically and creatively. I booked a multi-day intensive onsite with Simon and I have to say that I was absolutely impressed. He tailored the curriculum to my specific needs and once we started digging in I was thrilled to see that he is an incredible teacher. Simon easily communicates complex information with an easy-to-understand approach and it is evident that not only does he have a deep understanding of all aspects of music production and DJ’ing, he also draws from his deep experience as an international performer.

What I loved most about our sessions was that Simon was able to instantly recognize areas where my skill set could be improved - and then offered me different suggestions or approaches that allowed me to tap into a whole new way of creating and exploring my musical goals.

Overall, Simon went above and beyond my expectations and I highly recommend him.