Blackbird Studios develops 'Inside Blackbird' streaming learning program

"A lot of people in the modern era, even if I held a gun to their head, wouldn't truly understand how to make a quality recording," jokes legendary Kansas-born and for three decades Nashville-based recording engineer and producer John McBride.

On a Wednesday afternoon, he's seated alongside his wife -- and fellow Kansan -- Martina, the singer-songwriter behind songs like "Independence Day," "This One's For The Girls" and over a dozen Billboard and globally chart-topping singles and albums in her 35-year Nashville country music career.

The location is Studio F inside Blackbird Studios, which, like Motown in Detroit, is an expansive, multi-venue recording and equipment space that occupies two-separate street blocks of addresses. The duo has co-owned for over two decades in Nashville's Berry Hill neighborhood.

Between them, the duo has nearly a century of experience in the live performance and studio recording industry. Couple that with the work of top-tier engineers, producers and session musicians who have worked at the studio space with the likes of Garth Brooks, Buddy Guy, Kings of Leon, Alison Krauss, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Queen and Keith Urban -- that equals over 50 No. 1 Billboard singles, many recorded in Nashville, in a diverse array of genres.

For country and pop musicians, the studio provides "the most quintessential Nashville musical and sonic experience possible," says Matt Bender, Blackbird's creative and video director.

Via the couple's announcement of their new Inside Blackbird streaming subscription selection of exclusive interviews and educational content from professionals affiliated with the artists above, unprecedented education via access to knowledge that a press release cites as "deep inside the process of recording, producing, creating and songwriting as well as live sound and production" is now available.

For $15.99 per month, $9.99 per month for students, as well as $24.99 per month for the Creator Plan (access to Inside Blackbird's world-class content, plus KIT Plugins' complete suite of audio tools released to date), information about instruments, gear, plugins and all facets of the recording process are available.

More information is available at http://www.insideblackbird.com.

Music creators dependent upon live performance and recording studio work lost over 80% of their revenue in 2020. However, for studios like Blackbird, measures to offset lost income were already well over a half-decade in development.

"Blackbird's quality can compete with an beat the work coming from any studio in Los Angeles or New York," John states flatly.

He also notes that post-COVID, even at a peerless artistic space, "creative" measures to attract income are essential because clients -- even in Nashville -- are slowly becoming more willing to record in traditional studios.

Thus Inside Blackbird -- though available online -- mirrors the studio's already-existing and decade-old Blackbird Academy. This hands-on, professional training curriculum has trained numerous Grammy-winning studio musicians and technicians.

While John believes the best way to advance one's career in the studio recording industry is to have communal, vibe-driven, hands-on-gear and in-room training with other musicians and professionals. Martina adds that the strength and value of the trust that top-tier music industry creatives have placed on how candid they are when in the couple's company has lent itself to making "Inside Blackbird," a collection of streamable videos as invaluable teachable moments.

"We're providing unfiltered access to these [creators]. So unlike reading or watching other interviews these creators [may have already conducted], this is more of a 'fly on the wall' experience with them," says Martina.

John adds that offering this unprecedented access in an ever-expansive and democratized music industry allows the traditionally tiny percentage of people who excel in music to remain stable as access to the industry grows.

For instance, are you an aspiring producer looking for an 808 hand-clap sound but can't afford a Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer (drum machine)?

"There's a hack where you use a hand clap and cymbal sound that's great -- you can find that, or how to deal with [broaches in] studio etiquette, anything, really. If we don't have the answer, we know someone who does," says McBride about his interviews with everyone from Nashville notables like producers Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift) and Dann Huff (Kane Brown, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton), guitar legend Joe Bonamassa, plus engineer Niko Bolas (Neil Young, KISS), vocal coach Raab Stevenson (Rihanna, SZA, Justin Timberlake) and front of house engineer Dave Natale (Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Fleetwood Mac).

"Cutting out the guesswork and learning curve that not having access to equipment or studios creates is an amazing opportunity," Martina adds.

"Being involved in music in Nashville is the greatest possible career choice someone could ever make. Even the bad days in this industry in this town -- because they're so creative -- have the potential to end up pretty good," says John.

He offers a profound thought about Inside Blackbird's more significant potential value to his career and others.

"Giving music professionals all of the metaphorical colors on the palette to create the sounds and styles that exist in their head as fully realized records allows me to see people pleased beyond their imaginations."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Blackbird Studios develops 'Inside Blackbird' streaming learning program