Dan Barracuda: Inside A Musician's Mind

"Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening"

Be sure to check out the versions on YouTube as well! 

During the quarantine I picked up bass guitar, starting from scratch when it comes to picking with my fingers and SLAPPING. Here are some helpful resources if you're looking to do the same!

Back on the podcast after a few months! Lots to catch up on. Stay tuned for new music this summer!

Original, Instrumental guitar loop

Yes

New song out from Barracuda Sound & Thomas Erwin! As well as updates from my little meditation retreat this weekend

Was also really feeling this Black Sabbath tune! I think this one's got some potential. I like the acoustic riff I messed around with it. Check it!

Been really feeling this song. Was trying to work through my own way of singing it during this recording - I think it gets better as it progresses. 

Yesterday

Listen up! This is vital info on making sure you've got everything set up when you're ready to put your music online into streaming services. Pain in the ass but you gotta do it if you're pushing to get your music heard

Super excited about this new endeavor. This is my instrumental-music identity I'll be working on for Spotify. A new bank of music. Check it out. Feels like a breathe of fresh air

Acoustic/Piano renditions of covers & originals, setting up your mixing session, more spirituality talk :D

Besides investing equipment and marketing, consider hiring PEOPLE to help you with the work you're doing. Here are some examples of things I've done in the past and currently doing now!

Made some full-length acoustic recordings. Here's an original and a cover from Everclear. I've been focused on 30-60 second snippets. Here's some more longer-form recordings.

Check out these short snippets of me soloing some Santana and Clapton. Just a little bit of mixing goes a long way!

This book by Eckhart Tolle is changing up my life! Definitely check it out. How does this connect back to music? Presence, clarity, depth, self-awareness, intuition. You know, all the good shit. LISTEN!

Considering putting this idea on my next NEXT album. The idea is about 2-3 years old but I worked on the lyrics this past weekend on 2 flights to and from ATLANTA

Yeah :/

Digging up some old recordings of the past! Did a Joe Bonamassa guitar contest (2011) , and played Samba Pa Ti on a whim (2008). SO OLD

Here is some VALUABLE advice I received from a Spotify playlist curator. Crucial tips on how to approach the game of pitching your songs to curators, and how to build relationships with them.

YouTube is an incredible resource to find any and all types of backing tracks. Simply convert the YouTube link to an mp3 through a converter (simple Google search) and start exploring the infinite ways a backing track can influence your playing. 

Here's the deal with Spotify, as far as getting your music heard. Check it out

Some more production exercises with these tracks, mainly Orion. Did some parallel processing on both the Bass and the Electric Guitar Bus. Check it

Enough said! Here are my thoughts on how my guys in Tool are handling themselves in 2019. So much love and respect. 

Hell yeah it does. Check it out!

So damn excited to launch my Deep Dive email community! Sign up here: bit.ly/joindeepdive - and get your free Home Recording Blueprint! Can't wait to give you guys a closer look into what I do while helping you improve your craft with home recording, mixing, songwriting, and producing :) 

My Deep Dive Email Community launches this Thursday! And of course, the new Tool album comes out in a month :D Here's some Jimmy & Vicarious riffage to get PUMPED!

In love with my new amp (Mesa Boogie DC-5) and the new DiMarzio pickups on my strat. Check out the sounds I'm getting so far!

Listen to these 2 covers I made from The Marmalade and Opeth. What a contrast hahaha :D Hope you enjoy them!

Obsessed with my new Mesa Boogie DC-5 and new Dimarzio pickups on my strat! God damn. Here's some straight improv. No pedals or mixing at all, just straight guitar into the amp. Thanks for listening!

I HIGHLY recommend Float therapy :) Here are my thoughts on the importance of music editing, which is the stage between recording and mixing. Also, making good headway on the Email community I'm creating. Check it!

Here's an update on the Email Community that I'll be launching later this summer. It's a ton of setup, but you only need to do it once!

Here are 2 originals that I played recently over the 4th of July weekend, just by myself with my acoustic. Working more on "honest vocals". The songs are off my 1st album "Soliloquy", the songs are "Subtlety In The Tone" and "Wildly I Seize You". Hope you enjoy!

I'm so damn pumped to upgrade my electric rig. I'm getting new pickups on my strat, selling my Egnater Tweaker and getting a Mesa Boogie DC-5 Combo. Can't wait to have this killer duo. For my strat, I'm swapping out the stock single coils for Dimarzios. Super Distortion in the Bridge, and Dimarzio Areas in the middle and neck. Also getting my guitar shielded. No more of that annoying hum!!!

Here's a couple of raw covers I did outside in the park by house. Just a phone recording, but I've been working on doing some more honest singing. Focusing a lot more on the lyrics and the feeing of the song as opposed to pitch and technique. Let me know your thoughts!

Tuesday night was amazing - I rented out the First Church in Jamaica Plain here in Boston to lay down the acoustic, nylon, and lead vocal tracks for my next batch of songs I'm working on. Set up 2 mics: AT4040 about a foot from the guitar, and the Bluebird ranging between 2.5 feet to 5.5 feet. Natural reverb! Sounds so beautiful. I can't wait to edit and mix it, and share the sounds with you!

Can't wait to tell you guys how it goes! I'm planning on recording 6 songs (acoustic & nylon guitar, hopefully vocals) tonight at a local church here in Boston. So excited to produce this next set of songs. More info coming!

So damn happy with my new purchase of an Art & Lutherie Legacy Concert Hall CW with a Bourbon Burst finish. Can't wait to keep playing this thing and break in the strings (that's when a guitar sounds the best in my opinion!) - listen up guys!

Getting my new guitar today! An Art & Lutherie Concert Hall CW Legacy with Bourbon Burst color. Can't wait to record it for you guys! In other news: I'm recording new songs in a church. Yup. June 18 & June 27 are the dates I have booked to record. Cannot wait to document this and share it with you :) 

I had such an awesome time at Berklee On-Site. Susan Rogers opened it up with an inspiring keynote about seeking your own fulfillment rather than "success" as society defines it. She was Prince's engineer and she is a BADASS. The other workshops I attended were Mixing Home Recordings, Email Marketing, Natural Processing Techniques for Singers, and Deconstructing A Final ProTools Mix. Listen up to see some key things I learned!

This will be my 2nd time going to the annual Berklee event, filled with key notes and workshops on all sorts of topics. I'm going specifically for the Marketing & Mixing workshops: ProTools Mixing, Home Recording, Email Marketing, Building Your Online Presence & Audience. So excited for this guys, and I'm looking very forward to sharing you my thoughts and notes on what I've learned! Stay tuned :D

This episode is about taking a step back and realizing that we actually have a lot of value to give to others when it comes to doing our craft. A lot of times we don't realize that that we do automatically can be broken down into steps, and then taught to others wanting to do the same thing. This is what I've been focusing on lately!

Talking more about the Mailing List I'm going to be launching. This week I decide to ask some of my followers what they would hypothetically like to see from me in monthly/regular emails. It was honestly amazing to get their feedback. They know best. I suggest you do the same!

Discussing the importance of building an Email list. This is all stuff I've learned over the past week. This is a vital element to building a following. I need to get on it STAT, and you should too!

This is my 2nd all-time favorite Beatles song. Tried making a sound-alike recording for it. Let me know what you think! This was a blast to make, and a great challenge in picking out the vocal harmonies. 

I strongly urge to look for opportunities that your city offers. You never know if you qualify for a grant that could make a significant impact on your artistic career. I just finished to applying to one of them, I don't find out for a few months but it feels good knowing I gave it a shot. And at the very least, it forces you to have your artist resume updated and looking sharp!

Discussing my current thoughts on finding the right people you want to work with. I'm about to begin a new strategy of finding potential mixing clients. I'll be looking up bands and artists in the style of my wheelhouse, and try to engage with them directly. You know, build a rapport!