The Official Blog of Musicians Institute
IN THE KNOW
How to Become a Session Bassist in 2026: What Actually Gets You Hired
How to Become a Session Bassist in 2026: What Actually Gets You Hired The image of a session bassist getting a call from a major label and walking into a world-class studio the next morning still exists. But in 2026, it's one of many ways working bassists are booking...
7 Female Music Producers You Should Know
7 Female Music Producers You Should Know in 2026 Music production continues to evolve, blending genres and technologies from immersive audio to hybrid studio workflows. As the industry grows, female music producers are stepping into increasingly influential roles...
How to Use a Keyboard in Music Production (Beginner to Pro Guide)
In today’s music industry, the keyboard is more than an instrument. Because of its variety of uses, it's often considered the foundation of modern production. From building chord progressions and programming MIDI to designing synth sounds and scoring visual media,...
7 Basic Chord Progressions Every Producer Should Know
Whether you’re producing pop, hip-hop, R&B, electronic music, or scoring for visual media, chord progressions are the foundation of your track. While sound design and drum programming get a lot of attention, harmony is what creates emotion, tension, and movement...
Musicians Institute Industry Mentors Winter 2026
Meet your Winter 2026 MI Industry Mentors.
How to Book Your First Gig as an Independent Musician
Booking your first gig can feel like one of the biggest hurdles in your music career. You might be ready to perform, but figuring out where to play and how to get booked can feel overwhelming. The good news is that every working musician started exactly here. Booking...
#TBT
#TBT: Jeff Porcaro of Toto
For this weeks #TBT post, we bright back this gem from the Musicians Institute vault, a special clinic from Jeff Porcaro, one of the most revered drummers in modern music. MI is lucky to have this footage, as his life was tragically cut short when he was only 38 years...
#TBT Michael Ruff Visits MI ( With Sheryl Crow as Back-up Singer)
A while back, we shared this pretty sweet find from the MI vault: a performance by Michael Ruff, with a very young Sheryl Crow singing backup! Ruff is a multiple Grammy Award nominated songwriter and producer, who has released many solo albums. He has written, toured...
#TBT Jaco Pastorius
Jaco Pastorius is widely considered one of the most influential bassists of all time, so to celebrate our first #TBT post, here are some Jaco performances that’ll inspire you to get you back into the practice room real quick! Opening for Joni Mitchell. Weather Report...
PROFILES
A Conversation With: Aaron Mercier of Mercier Guitars
Aaron Mercier is a guitarist for Kings Of Carnage, and a Musicians Institute alumnus who is keeping very busy in many areas of the music industry, both as a performer and a man behind the scenes. On a recent visit back to the MI campus, Aaron spoke to The Mix about...
Panelist Spotlight: Adam Blackstone
Musicians Institute is proud to bring some of the best working musicians onto our campus to inspire our students and give them insight into what a career in the music industry holds. With this new series on our blog, we will start to highlight upcoming clinicians or...
The Life And Career Of MI’s Own: Francis Buckley
Grammy Award®-winning record engineer Francis Buckley’s broad range of experience has seen him occupy the studio seat for breakout bands, established chart-toppers and Hollywood films. Buckley started out working at W.E. Studios in Redondo Beach in 1979. He then went...
GUEST ARTIST
Mateus Asato & Fredrik Halland Guitar Jam Session
Alumni Mateus Asato and Fredrik Halland come back to MI for a special jam session. Who do you think killed it? Let us know in the comments!