Daniel Woods Gives the Scoop on the TMC Workshop

This past month, a few of our very own artists here at Lion Bold Records have been collaborating in a music-focused workshop series known as The Music Company. This unique experience is in its inaugural year, meaning our artists are getting the first taste of the experience, that allows them to write and record music under the tutelage of a music master, Jay Henry.
 
Jay Henry is the producer for the workshop and holds an impressive resume. With over 40 years of experience in the music industry, Henry has garnered 3 Grammy nominations, produced over 80 gold and platinum albums, and worked with top talent such as Prince, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and Bell Biv Devoe.
 
The workshop sessions themselves have been taking place at Southwestern College, where Jay Henry serves as the program director for The Center for Recording Arts and Technology. The idea for this workshop series was first formulated when it became apparent that local San Diego youth did not have access to the tools they needed to learn about music production, often as the result of budget cuts in education. The goal became to admit 12 students into the program per summer, and leave at the end with professionally produced, industry-ready song(s) in their repertoire.
 
I spoke with Daniel Woods, one of our newest artists, about his experience with the workshop so far:

First off, what does TMC stand for?

TMC stands for The Music Company.

Who have you been working with at the TMC workshop?

I’m working with Khalil Nash, Lyric Walls, and Catie Ryan to write music.

Are you excited to work with Jay Henry?

Yes, he seems very passionate and enthusiastic about his craft. He’s worked with so many artists and he has an amazing ear. He’s a damn pro.

What made you want to pursue this workshop?

I really thought it was a great opportunity to work with an industry professional and collaborate with other artists my age.

Can you give me a brief rundown of what each day is like?

It’s designed so that our group meets next Friday to write music and record tracks. Then the next day we produce more instrumentation and add effects and such.

And what have you learned so far?

So far, I’ve learned some of the science behind professionally designed music studios and how sound capture can be manipulated. Am I excited to start making music? Yes.

Can you give me some examples of the science behind music production that you learned?

Around the studio, there’s a trench that traps bass, and the floor is ridged to confuse the bass. There’s also different wood spacing on the walls to capture different sound waves.

Have you gotten to work with the Center’s recording equipment yet?

Not yet, but so far we’ve had a tour of the impressive studio and a collaborative session to decide what and whose songs we should record.

Can you tell us the inspiration behind the new song that you’ll be recording with TMC?

Yes, I’m writing a song called “Way to Live” that really reflects the world we live in right now...It really reflects recent events in our society and questions the way we view ourselves and our effect on the world; at the same time, how we are controlled by it. The illusion of peace, more or less.

Who are your music muses?

Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, and Jon Bellion.

Do you feel this workshop will help you grow as an artist?

Yes, it will help me to develop teamwork and cooperation with other artists, and then learn a lot about production and music-making itself.

Given what you’ve done so far, would you recommend that other aspiring artists try the TMC workshop next year?

I would recommend it to other student artists, especially since it's in the summer. It's such a good opportunity to collaborate with other creative musicians. There's a lot of growth that happens and I think it will open doors for future artists.
 
***
 
And that’s all, folks! Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest industry news and updates about our artists, including Daniel Woods.