Music Production

Make your
first track.

From an idea you hum on the bus to a finished song you can share. Beats, chords, vocals, mixing and release, all in Fender Studio.

Book a free production lesson Why Fender Studio

Teens and adults · No experience needed · In person or online

A teenage girl in headphones smiles as she builds a beat on a laptop and a MIDI keyboard under pink and orange lights

What you'll make

Everything between the idea and the drop.

You'll learn the whole process a working producer uses, one finished track at a time. Not tutorials you forget. Songs you made.

Beats and drums

Program grooves on pads and in the piano roll, from trap and Afrobeats to lo-fi and house.

Chords and melodies

Use a MIDI keyboard and what you learn in Piano by Ear to write progressions and hooks that stick.

Recording vocals

Set up a mic, record clean takes, comp the best parts and tune them so they sit right.

Sound design

Shape synths, chop samples and build your own sounds instead of only using presets.

Mixing

EQ, compression, reverb and balance. Make it hit on headphones, in the car and on a phone speaker.

Finish and release

Export, master and share. Get your song ready for streaming, your channel or Showcase Night.

A laptop shows a colourful arrangement of tracks and clips while a student plays a small MIDI keyboard

Our DAW

We teach on Fender Studio.

A DAW (digital audio workstation) is where music gets made. We teach on Fender Studio because it's a real professional tool that is friendly from day one, and you can get started at home without spending a thing.

  • A free version to practise on at home, with room to grow into the full Pro version
  • Drag-and-drop arranging, built-in instruments and loops
  • Works with any MIDI keyboard or pad controller
  • Already on GarageBand, FL Studio or Ableton Live? The skills carry over, and we'll help you there too
Start producing

The producer path

Four levels. A finished track at every one.

LEVEL1

First Beat

Set up Fender Studio, learn the screen, program drums and build an eight-bar loop you're proud of.

DAW setupDrum programmingLoops and samplesTempo and groove
LEVEL2

Chords and Hooks

Use a MIDI keyboard and the piano roll to write chord progressions, basslines and melodies.

Piano rollMIDI keyboardVirtual instrumentsBasslines
LEVEL3

Arrange and Record

Turn a loop into a song with an intro, verse, chorus and bridge, then record and edit vocals.

Song structureRecordingAudio editingAutomation
LEVEL4

Mix and Release

Balance, EQ, compression and effects, a simple master, and releasing your music to the world.

MixingEffectsMastering basicsRelease plan
Close-up of a hand playing glowing coloured drum pads above piano keys A smiling producer at a studio desk with a keyboard, monitors and a laptop Kids laugh around a keyboard and pad controller in a colourful studio

Questions

Production FAQ

What do I need at home?

A laptop (Mac or Windows) and a pair of headphones. A small MIDI keyboard helps a lot, and we can recommend affordable ones. In the Charlottesville studio, everything is provided.

Do I need to play an instrument first?

No. Plenty of producers start with drums and loops. That said, a little piano goes a long way, which is why Piano by Ear and Production work so well together.

I already use GarageBand, FL Studio or Ableton. Is that OK?

Yes. We teach on Fender Studio, but the ideas are the same in every DAW. Bring what you use and your teacher will meet you there.

Will I actually finish songs?

That's the point. Every level ends with a finished track, and Teen Producer Lab students premiere theirs at Showcase Night.

Got a beat in your head?

Let's get it out. Your first production lesson is free, in the studio or online.

Book my free lesson