Recording Tips for Music Educators

Ronald E. Kearns is a performer, clinician, educator, producer and author. Ron received a BS in Music Education from Knoxville College, and his MM from Catholic University. As a performer Ron has performed throughout the United States with his quintet and big band. Ron received training as a big band leader from Rick Henderson who was mentored by Duke Ellington. He was also mentored by Stanley Turrentine and Buck Hill. He has recorded six CDs as a leader. His most recent CD Quiet Nights is a tribute to the seminal recording Jazz Samba by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd. As a producer Ron has produced over 40 recordings by artists such as Terell Stafford, Ronnie Wells, Buck Hill, Ruby Hayes, Paul Carr, Eric Byrd, Howard Burns, Herman Burney, Buster Williams and several others. For 15 years Ron was the official record producer for the East Coast Jazz Festival producing videos and recordings for Houston Person, Keter Betts and all of the headline acts of the festival. Ron polished his production skills at Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University. As an educator, Ron's bands and orchestras were nationally recognized and during his last ten years teaching, he received three Grammy Signature School Awards awarded to the 50 top music programs in the United States and three years in succession his groups were selected as one of the top ten music programs in the Washington, DC area. Ron's bands, orchestras and jazz ensembles never received less than a Superior rating in sight reading in 28 years of festival participation. Ron was also selected as one of School Band and Orchestra Magazine's 50 Directors Who Make a Difference in 2004 and received an Excellence in Teaching Jazz Award from DownBeat magazine in 2005. Ron Kearns has written articles on jazz, music production and music education and is the author of the book Quick Reference for Band Directors which is being used as a text book for band directors at colleges and universities across the US. Ron endorses Selmer Paris 72, Reference 54 saxophones exclusively. He is a Vandoren of Paris Performing Artist and writes several articles for their website. www.ronkearns.com

Foreword by Richard McCready
Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. Getting Started Recording Your Group
What are My First Steps?
Microphone Placement
Should You Use Microphones for Every Section?
Summary

2. Recording During a Rehearsal in the Rehearsal Room
Recording in Small Rehearsal Spaces
Microphone placement and Proximity
Overhead Microphone Placement
Directional Microphone Placement
Playback and Evaluation; Using the Recording as a Teaching Tool
Summary

3. Recording in an Auditorium or Large Space
Recording in a Large Space
Microphone Placement and Proximity
Use of Multiple Microphones
Hand-held Devices
Summary


4. Recording Jazz Ensembles, Show Choirs and Groups with Amplifiers
Recording Smaller Groups
Recording Groups that Move on Stage
Summary

5. Recording Away from School
Recording in an unfamiliar space
Use of a stereo pair only
Making adjustments for the unexpected
Summary

6. Recording in Areas That are not Acoustically Treated
Recording Outside Performances
Hand-held Devices
Recording in Poorly Treated Areas
Summary

7. Mixing a Performance Recording
What is a Mixer/Soundboard?
Analog and Digital Mixers
Starting the Mixing Process
Getting the Right Balances to Keep the Live Performance Feel
Using a Mixing Board in Post-Production
Summary

8. Mastering a Performance
What is Mastering?
How to Get a Good Master?
What are the Final Steps?
Mastering Yourself
Finalizing Your Master
Summary

9. Developing a Budget
How Much Should be Spent on Equipment?
Where Can I Get the Funding for Equipment?
How Much Can I Expect to Spend on Equipment?
Hand-held Devices
Soundboards
Sample Budget
Summary

10. Selecting the Best Equipment
What Should be Considered when Deciding on Microphones?
What Kinds of Cables Will be Best?
What Kind of Mixing Board is Needed?
Preamps
Summary
Appendix A
Appendix B
Glossary
Index