The Finish More Music Podcast

Whether you're at the start of your music production journey or you've had years of experience already, the endless amount of things to learn, tools to use and creative directions to take can be incredibly exciting...

New gear, new plugins, new sample packs, new trends, old trends, new tutorials, new platforms, new possibilities, the list goes on!

But while all these things can serve as great inspiration for your music, a lot of the time they only lead to one thing, overwhelm.And when you experience overwhelm, it's near on impossible to enter creative flow...Because getting overwhelmed quickly causes stress, anxiety, frustration and procrastination - all the things that stop you from writing great music.So in this week's podcast I'm laying out 5 of my essential strategies for you to defeat overwhelm, so that you're always on track to writing your best music.And don't be fooled, this can (and does) happen to music producers of all levels, so make sure to listen carefully so you don't get caught out!

It's the first show of 2021 and I'm kicking it off with a subject that I'm incredibly passionate about, but first I'm asking you to do one thing...Slow down.When it comes to your music and your creativity, it's easy to want to progress quickly and race through to the next milestone. Who doesn't, right?But by trying to get there in a hurry, you often end up getting there much slower than planned, or never at all. Because the greatest impediment to creativity is your impatience.Jumping to write new tracks without properly finishing the one you're working on, half-learning new skills, not fully forming habits, it's easy to become impatient and kid yourself that you're progressing quickly...

And while the discomfort of your current progress can tempt you into hurrying things up, by doing so, you're more than likely to make mistakes, trip over yourself, or even have to start all over again.

I'll be the first to admit that this is something I've had to overcome myself in the past, so in this week's episode I'll be sharing from my experience how to recognise impatience, and how to overcome it, so that you can stay firmly on track to smashing through this year's goals.Start the year how you mean to go on...tune in to this week's Finish More Music Podcast now!

It's the last show of 2020, which means it's the perfect time to look back and reflect as we approach the year to come.And with the end of the year often comes New Year's resolutions, where we decide what to leave behind, and what we're going to be changing in our lives for the better.But today we're going to be talking about the seemingly small things that you're doing all the time (not just in January) that turn out to be hugely significant for you in the long run, for better or worse......The kind of things that top creatives pay attention to every single day, whilst unsuccessful people let them slide, often failing to realize the long-term impact it's having on their dreams and goals.Essentially, consistency is king. Whether it's doing the things that are serving you, or doing the things that are harming you, being consistent in your behaviour as an artist will determine whether you realise your vision or not. This is a super powerful topic, and one that I've seen pass so many people by, so dive in with me for the final Finish More Music Podcast of the year to make sure that's not you!

If you've ever tried your hand at learning something new, I'm sure you've heard of the "comfort zone" before, and how you should be getting out of it.But what does that actually mean? The comfort zone is a psychological space where your activities and behaviours fit a pattern that minimises stress and risk. Put simply, staying in your comfort zone means playing it safe.But as I'll be discussing in today's episode, for music producers, playing it safe is the biggest risk you can take.Practicing the same old ways of doing things, avoiding potential opportunities - it might seem like the easy option now, but it can have detrimental effects to your journey as a music producer.And whilst we'd all like to think that we're capable of pushing ourselves, I've noticed SO many people taking the easy option and staying comfortable...without even realising.

So today we'll be exploring why some people learn to live with discomfort and get the results they want, and others always take the easy option, even though in the long run, it leads to their ultimate discomfort…The discomfort of permanently missed opportunities and regret.It's a big subject, and one that everybody could do with checking themselves on, so get stuck in.

As artists, our quest to discover, harness, and share our creativity is ongoing. Our ability to learn new ideas and learn new ways of thinking is central to our development, and defines the quality of our output at every stage in our journey.That's why this week I'm doing something a little different, inviting a special guest to the show who is an expert in ideas - how to have more of them, how to have better ones, and how they can change our lives...Daniel Brookes is the host of the Unlocking Creativity podcast, a show which invites creative trailblazers from the worlds of music, art, entertainment, tech, design and more to understand their creative processes, and learn how they come up with their best ideas.With guests ranging from the likes of Derren Brown to the legend Paul Oakenfold, it's safe to say Daniel knows a thing or two about what makes top creatives tick, and I've got him on the show to share his key learnings from them. From honing in when inspiration strikes, to overcoming creative blocks and finding your unique voice as an artist, this episode is packed full of compelling ideas and brilliant advice that I know you'll take so much from.So get the notepad out, tune in, and get ready to unlock your creativity.

This week we're talking about one small thing that can make a HUGE difference to whether you succeed in music or whether you fall short - showing gratitude.

While it may sound simple, it's one of *the most powerful* things that you can do to positively impact your journey as a creative, and the results can be profound.So in this week's episode I'm showing you the techniques I've been practicing for years, which I know will make you more optimistic, more likely to set goals (and more likely to follow through with them), and be more resilient to setbacks - helping you to accelerate further and faster as a music producer.

Like it or not, social media has an enormous presence in our lives - we are more connected than we ever have been, yet we are more polarized than ever. And for music producers it's become an increasingly important tool to get your music heard, and it's very rare to find success with no online presence at all. But with that being said, what you put online has repercussions...We all know at least one story of a high-profile DJ or celebrity that's had their career ended because of something they've said online - rightly or wrongly.

So this week's episode is all about exploring how you as a producer (and a human being) are choosing to use social media, and how this might be impacting your career now, and in the future.This one goes deep, asking the tough questions that we could all do with asking ourselves, and ruffling a few feathers along the way I'm sure... Get involved with the conversation, check out this week's episode now!

As music producers we can sometimes feel like everything is going against us - creative challenges, writer's block, no inspiration - all the things that slowly bring us down and make us want to give up. But there's one thing that prolific creatives always rely on to keep them going when the going gets tough... a reason why. A strong, personal purpose that reminds us why we're doing this in the first place.Without it, we'd simply grind to a halt and cave in when things aren't going our way. And we can never truly get started until we find it.So this week's episode is all about discovering your why, what it looks like and how to find it. Because once you recognise this and stay true to your creative purpose, the possibilities for your music are endless.

If you're down on your luck in the studio, or you're on fire already, this one's here to keep you going!

We're back for a very special episode of the Finish More Music Podcast, where this week I'm delighted to be joined once again by Matthew Benjamin, (AKA Bushwacka!), and his partner Belinda Matwali. I've got them on the show because I heard about their brand new concept which harnesses the joint power of therapy and meditation to help creatives overcome the challenges holding them back, and live more empowered and energetic lives. I've talked to the power of therapy and meditation here on the show MANY times before, so I was super intrigued to find out what it was all about… And if you're wondering what any of this has got to do with finishing more music - well, it has EVERYTHING to do with it. Because the core principles that Matthew and Belinda teach and are now sharing with the world are principles that can be applied to anyone, but especially beneficial to creative types.

Today we're going to be talking about one of the BIGGEST lies that we can tell ourselves - that filling every single hour of our day with productive work is the only way to get the most done.We often hear tales of successful people who have got to where they are today through relentlessly working, being endlessly busy, and surviving off a minimal amount of sleep.

But the truth is, it's a fallacy...

In reality, failing to rest for most of us is a fast-track to burning out, getting down, reducing our productivity, and negatively impacting our well-being.It's scientifically proven to boost our memory, our decision-making skills, and our productivity. So why do we forget to do it? And what exactly IS rest?Well in today's episode I dig deep into the idea of rest, debunk the myths, and show you how by actually allowing yourself to slow down, you can become more efficient, more creative, and make better music for it.So if you feel like you're going at a million miles an hour to get to where you want to be, have some time out, take a breather, and tune in.