Interview with Joel Wanasek and Eyal Levi | By Tim Anderl
Acclaimed rock producers Joey Sturgis, Joel Wanasek, and Eyal Levi—whose production work has shaped the outcome of records by The Devil Wears Prada, Miss May I, and Asking Alexandria, to name just a few—have created an online resource that is poised to revolutionize audio production education. Nail The Mix creates and fosters an online environment where subscribers can take remote courses. It’s a multifaceted, immersive production class environment directly connected to some of today’s most massive production talents, fostering a culture of collaboration that is nearly unheard of.
Each month, Nail The Mix invites a different producer to walk through their techniques via live stream and on their podcast, Unstoppable Recording Machine. Plus, the service is offered at a cost that won’t leave subscribers with years of debt.
To learn more about what Nail The Mix has to offer, check it out at NailTheMix.com!
Why is music education important? Why is it important to you?
JW: Since most of the large studios in the music industry have gone away and been replaced by smaller, more efficient setups—in addition to the industry seeing a massive influx of hobbyists who want to record their own music—it is extremely important for this next generation coming up to learn from the previous generation so that they can continue advancing the industry. There are no places to get great mentorship now, and information floating in random places on the internet isn’t always credible. What we are doing is about empowering people so they can make better music and get stronger results. The music business used to be very secretive, but now it is becoming collaborative.
EL: Music has always and will always enhance our lives. It expresses emotions for us which we are not capable of expressing through words or actions. We also believe that art serves as a mirror to society and shows it not only where it is, but in some ways, where it’s going. That is a very, very important role, and we are frightened that the up-and-coming generations may not have the tools they need in order to keep music evolving with society. This is where we come in.
Where did the idea for online production education courses come from?
JW: We looked at where the industry was headed and decided that someone had to try to do something about it. We decided to find a way to connect the best working pros with the knowledge-hungry up-and-comers in a way that was affordable, but also convenient where the learner can study at anytime, anywhere. Basically, it is like sitting in a room with a pro, but in your own home, at your own leisure.
EL: The name of the game is speed and efficiency. Why bother with the outdated models if I can show you the exact same thing right here over the internet?
Is anyone worried that if these kids get too good, they might be out of a job?
JW: Not at all! Some people think mixing is a preset, meaning that they can just get a formula and make a song sound amazing. That isn’t how it works. It is an art. A great analogy is cooking. You watch someone like Gordon Ramsay take five ingredients and make an amazing dish. You try it, and it turns out terribly. The truth is that it takes a ton of hard work to get great at anything. I can give you every setting of a mix, and you will always do it different because you hear, feel, and react in your own way. Our guests realize this because we aren’t teaching preset formulas, we are teaching problem-solving and workflows.
EL: I pray for that day. I want our students to be the next generation of A-list producers and mixers. Bring it on!
What made so many acclaimed rock producers want to be involved with this?
JW: There are a few factors I’ve seen. First, some of them want to give back to the community and share what they’ve learned and developed over their careers. There is also the validation factor, meaning a mixer gets the spotlight for an entire month, which is a really great opportunity for their peers and the community to learn more about them. Nail The Mix is becoming a badge of honor, because we only invite brilliant people on; a lot of great producers [and] mixers are starting to request coming on, because they realize this has turned into a movement and they want to be part of something awesome and positive. The third component is that, of course, we pay them for their time, so everyone is happy! Our members have been incredibly positive and supportive of our guests.
EL: I’ll add a fourth component. Some of our guest mixers find out that they really love teaching. They love our environment. They love getting to know our students and helping them improve their lives in a measurable way.
What makes this program stand out from other platforms or courses that currently exist for this?
JW: This is the only program that offers live interaction and the most real world learning possible. You not only get to work with songs by the best artists in the world, you get to interact and learn directly from the mind who made it sound amazing. Where else can you talk directly to your heroes and learn directly from them?
EL: We are a complete way of life. While other programs may end when you press stop, ours continues via any of our multi-city, multi-racial Facebook groups and all the way to meetups that they hold in real life all over the world. We’ve had meetups in Norway, Paris, Germany, Nashville, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Mexico City, Toronto, and more. We have created a community dedicated to the constant and never-ending improvement of our students. That’s far deeper than just a course.
What is the cost of taking the courses?
JW: Between $25 and $40 a month. Keep in mind that a recording school—with 1,000 times less real world teaching—will set you back about $70,000. We teach you the skills you need to be employable and effective, but for the cost of a few lunches. The value for cost ratio is insane. I would have paid thousands to even sit in on any of my favorite mixers for an hour when I was learning this craft.
EL: In addition to the monthly program Joel described, we also sell one-off tutorials and courses that range from $9 to $300 depending.
Will there be a scholarship program?
JW: Not currently, because anyone can afford it. However, we do a ton of giveaways and have a very strong community that likes to do “pay it forward” events. So, there are a ton of hidden benefits subscribers get in addition to just the learning component.
Will the mixes that students submit appear somewhere?
JW: There are strict rules about this, because each artist [and] label has its own wishes that need to be respected. Due to that, it depends what the students can do with the multi-tracks. Each month, the rules are posted. The subscribers’ mixes go into an internal poll where they vote for their favorite mix. The winner usually gets a really awesome prize.
EL: For instance, some of our sponsors have been Ibanez guitars, who gave away an eight-string, Focusrite gave away an eight-channel interface, McDSP donated their highest-end software bundle—and there have been many more. We definitely let the group know who won!
How is Nail The Mix performing so far? What are your loftiest goals for the endeavor?
JW: It has really exploded in popularity and membership in a way which we can’t even believe. It is pretty humbling to be part of such a positive and empowering audio movement. Our community is incredible and engaged! We all help each other out and push each other to improve. We are really proud of this. Also, this is our way of giving back to the community for the success we’ve had in our producing careers. As for goals, we just want to see how far we can take it and how far we can transform the way people learn about the art of music production.
EL: I always knew that Nail The Mix would be a hit, I just didn’t realize how fast it would happen. It grows every single month, and we’ve had to fight hard to stay on top of that growth while still providing our customers what they expect from us. Goals-wise, I see us as the number one online audio education platform in the world.
Nail The Mix’s Five Tips for Up-and-Coming Producers
1. Don’t be small time.
No matter what you do, always put your all into it. Your name goes on it at the end. You want people associating excellence with your name no matter what you do. It doesn’t matter how bad the artist or the music is, when it comes out of speakers, you want the listener going, “WOW!”
2. Never take success for granted.
If you aren’t growing, you’re dying. Every day, you need to get up, work hard, and fight. No settling or getting lazy, because as soon as you do that, you will get smoked. Stay focused on what you are doing and have unwavering commitment.
3. Always give more value than you take from your clients.
Whatever you are being paid doesn’t matter—never let an artist leave your studio without feeling that they got an amazing value. This extends way beyond just recording. Coach them, mentor them, teach them. Make them comfortable, push them to be better, and teach them how to be better. If an artist leaves your studio and you’ve done your job, all their friends will be working with you by the end of the month.
4. Nonstop learning.
You must be a learning machine. You need to learn about business, psychology, accounting, marketing, etc. along with music production if you want to crush the game. Be a constant learner. Don’t slack. You never want your client asking you a question that you don’t have an answer for.
5. Get good at working with people.
Producers are usually introverts. A key to being successful is learning to deal with your clients. Learn to be a good hang. Having a solid variety of jokes and a good atmosphere will make any session go great. It is a lot of stress for an artist to make a record. Make it seem like they are hanging out with their friends, and they will always give amazing performances.
Photos by J.P. Russell
