I want to record, but don’t have a band. Can you find me one?

Yes.  We have access to some of the finest musicians in the area, all very experienced in the studio. For those on a budget we can often produce a very full sound with one or two musicians and a few overdubs.

For vocalists, we have many pre-recorded background tracks available that can provide a very professional result at a very reasonable cost.

How do I copyright my original material?

Recording bass in the "live" roomCopyrights are now done online through the US Copyright Office online system. You can set up an account and copyright multiple works collectively for one fee. It’s not hard to do, but if you need help we can walk you through the process. Start here: http://www.copyright.gov/register/

Can you remove the vocals from a recording so I can sing with it?

Maybe. Vocal extraction software works by removing center-based material from a stereo mix. The problem is typically that stereo effects applied to the vocal track (most reverbs and delays, for example) will not be removed and, consequently, other center-based material (such as bass) might also be removed. The result is satisfactory for singing karaoke in a noisy bar, but is generally not suitable for recording.

A better solution for recording is to use a quality background track. We can usually locate or create tracks at very reasonable cost.

Can you mix the tracks I recorded at my home studio?

Yes. We are happy to work with projects from home studios. The best thing to do is to export each recorded track to a portable USB drive or a compact disc as a wav or an aiff file. If you can’t do that (or don’t know how to) you can bring your portable workstation to the studio and we’ll go from there.

We can also mix and master tracks sent to us over the internet. You actually don’t even need to come to the studio to work with us at Willowtree!

Ok, so now I have a recording. How do I become a Rock Star?

There are many roads to success in the music business, but almost every “overnight sensation” has put in years of hard work before getting that big break. Major labels are difficult to approach and are less inclined to commit to promoting an artist or band until they have charted some success. More and more artists and bands are going the “indie” route and launching their own labels. It is possible to start your own publishing company and record label right from your home computer! You might also consider approaching smaller independent labels that have signed other artists similar to you. If you look back on the history of successful recording acts you will find that almost everything imaginable has been marketable at one time or another.  So sooner or later it’s your turn, right?

If you are looking for a career as a recording artist, you should consider going to the big city, making contacts, and paying your dues. There are very few  (if any) record industry execs hanging out in Northwest Indiana clubs. So you have to go to them. If you aim for Chicago, be prepared to play for free (or sometimes pay to play) to get into the most important clubs. If you aim south to Nashville, the best advice I can give you is to be prepared to move. You can’t break in to the Nashville music scene unless you take up residence.

Play the numbers game. If you have what it takes, sooner or later someone will hear you who can make a difference. Play whenever you can. Knock on every door. Give away hundreds of discs. Market you music on the net. Persistence can pay off.