Jon Meyer

Hey there, You can't have everything you want, they say. What do they know, my typical response. On Friday I visited my new under-construction studio space. The owners of the building are upgrading the lounge and control room by adding 4 inches of rigid fiberglass to half the walls, covered by vertical wood slats. 4 inches of rigid fiberglass After stressing over room acoustics on previous builds, I vowed I would never do such again. We're all different. We all have different needs for a...

Thought I'd share the letter I forgot to send to myself last week. Dear Jon, Your data is not properly backed up. You know I'm right. Get squared away today. If something goes wrong, don't freak out too bad. Recovery mode and the terminal are your friends. Just google it. Delete Instagram (for a few days at least). Everyone is better than you. Better at guitar. Better at being funny. Better looking studios. That's just how it is. But you've got work to do and fun things to make. Take a break...

Hey there, I take you on a tour of my new studio in this week's YouTube video. Only watch it if you have a healthy imagination, as it's a blank slate. Building studios is frought with compromise, unless you have Brad Pitt money. (He recently restored and reopened Miraval Studios in France. It's fancy.) I do not have Brad Pitt money. I'm working with production music composer and boutique sample library maker money. But there are plenty of decisions that don't require the residual checks from...

Hey Reader, I'm shutting down my studio... watch on YouTube Not quitting, but the background of my talking head videos will soon look different. More updates on the way. Talk soon, Jon Somerville Sounds Summer Sale - Up to 30% OFF! SHOP THE SALE For the next few weeks, every paid Somerville library is on sale. The discounts vary by library, up to 30% off. A few of them: Mallet Drums — $79 → $55 (the deepest cut) Elskavon Toolkit — $59 → $45 Soft Drums — $79 → $65 Woven Violin — $99 → $79 No...

Hey there, Making Art and Making a Living by Mason Currey has soundtrack'd my walks this week. A book title to attract me if there ever was one, given my too-many-to-count creative side hustles. Currey investigates the variety of ways creatives have kept the lights on. Family money, patrons, teaching, day jobs, government assistance, strategic marriages, and plenty of mooching. You should know by now I'm not interested in being the poor, starving artist. I've got a family to feed. I sold out...

Hey there, I'm not a great singer. I'm also not a terrible singer. Decent enough pipes to carry a simple, folksy, guitar-driven tune that lives in one comfy octave. I’ve made peace with never loving what I hear in my headphones. Apparently there's actual science behind why we hate our own voices. I’ve watched a few YouTube videos about it, which makes me pretty much an expert. Remember that song about puberty I teased last week? Drums are done. The breakdown video should be hitting your...

Hey friends, I'm starting a new video series where I write, record and give birth to a song. The subject matter of my from-the-heart-tune? Puberty. Actually, it's about The Wonder Years. A coming-of-age song. I hope you'll follow along. It's one thing to write a song for an ad or a music library. It's another thing entirely to say: this is what I want to sound like. I'm breaking each episode into bite-sized production tutorials. This week….mic’ing up an acoustic guitar. Specifically, my...

We have a new drum library over at Somerville Sounds. Indie Drums! I thought about naming it The Drum Sound That I Hear and Love in Pretty Much All of My Favorite Songs for the Past Few Decades, but thankfully a chatbot talked me into simplifying. What sets Indie Drums apart from Soft and Mallet Drums? We used actual drum sticks! Grab it here...http://www.somervillesounds.com/indie-drums Need convincing? Watch the walkthrough video... Rather not listen to me jabber on? Here's a video of just...

Hey Reader, I published a video recently covering the 5 Mistakes Killing Your (My) Music Career. If you're trying to cut back on mid-day Youtube consumption, skip to my brief summary below. 5 Mistakes Killing Your Music Career watch on Youtube 5 Mistakes Killing Your Music Career 1) Waiting for clarity. Clarity shows up after you move. Rarely before. Pick the smallest next step and get to work. 2) Waiting for inspiration. If you only create when you feel like it, your output will be...