Gareth Keane

First of all the boring stuff (but it covers my credentials so you know I'm up to the task):

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Music Production from Leeds Beckett University and am currently band leader of a project called Gareth Freiheit, where I write and record all of the material in my home studio and perform lead guitar and vocal duties.

I have extensive experience setting up professional recording studios, as well as home studios. I built and maintained a studio at Set Space in Woolwich, London which I operated for two years, and currently I record in a self-designed home studio that contains a vocal booth and acoustically treated walls. I also am a freelance podcast producer and recently build a home podcast studio for a client.

Previously I tutored music technology to students of all ages at the Royal Arsenal School of Music and currently I write music production articles for Whipped Cream Sounds (). Additionally I offer mixing and mastering services in the podcast world for various corporate clients.

Now for HOW I'll be teaching you:

My approach is designed to make your foray into music production fun and engaging. First I find out what your end goal is and work backwards from there. There's no point in learning everything there is to know about music if you only want to write demos, and similarly you may have specific needs and wish to know how to program drum samples and record vocals and multiple instruments for lush complex arrangements. Or perhaps you and some friends want to break into podcasting and you'd like to learn the basics around music production so your show can sit up there with the greats on Spotify. We'll figure out exactly what you want to achieve and take it from there. I promise your eyes won't be glazing over while I spout tech jargon. I'll be putting you in the driver's seat and guiding you along the way, answering any questions and taking detours as needed so you feel comfortable on your journey.


The nitty gritty:

My specialities are in Ableton, Logic, FL Studio, Garageband and Cubase, and I can also teach Sibelius.

Some of the things I cover (list is not exhaustive):

- the basics of DAWs, what they are, the different types etc.
- getting to grips with standard music production concepts such as EQ, compression, reverb
- choosing the right gear for your needs: headphones, audio interface, preamps, cables, sound dampening, microphones etc.
- how to program beats, maintaining your own sample library, song composition techniques
- mixing and mastering, and uploading your music to streaming platforms
- how to create your own podcasts from concept, creation, through to promotion