Studio Exam Week runs Thur July 2 through 4. Our exam candidates will be recording at our studio under staff supervision. (No private lessons this week, by the way.) Our program has recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, Chess Records in Chicago, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, FAME Studios in Music Shoals, and the Colored Musicians Club of Buffalo, New York. You might say we have some experience!

Here are our top five tips for studio recording sessions:

5. Over prepare. Have your guitars and amps in top shape. Double check that the gear you saw at the studio will be there. Memorize your part. This also extends past the tracking date to post-production.

4. Bring the paperwork. Bring the sheet music for each musician, a tracking sheet, a schedule, and anything else that might keep everyone organized.

3. Be aware of others. Everyone can feel under the microscope at the studio, so be diplomatic, say waaaay less than you think, and, even if it’s innocent or unrelated, don’t been seen laughing in the control room by the artist on the recording floor. It’s just band form.

2. Invite only the essentials. Too many people at the studio can create unintended distractions, awkward moments and unnecessary stress. It’s the opposite of the more, the merrier.

1.  It can be a team, but there is a hierarchy. There can only be one boss – and that’s the producer. The engineer is not expected to get involved in artistic decisions. While artists need to be comfortable with their takes, the producer has the final say.