GENRE: ✔ Alternative ✔ Hip Hop ✔ Rap ✔ Indie ✔ Pop ✔ R&B ✔ Rock ROLE: ✔ Arranger ✔ Beatmaker ✔ Lyricist ✔ Mixing Engineer ✔ Performing Musician ✔ Performing Vocalist ✔ Producer ✔ Singer Songwriter ✔ Synthesist ✔ Top-Line Songwriter INSTRUMENTS: ✔ Acoustic Guitar ✔ Bass Guitar ✔ Piano ✔ Electric Guitar ✔ Keyboard ✔ Vocals
My mentorship will focus on crafting music that is current and competitive with the industry standard quality of today’s music. There are a lot of steps in crafting a song; starting from songwriting, lyric crafting, melodic flow and moving into chords, harmonies and how to create vibe and emotion with the right voicings.
Then there’s production and sound design and mixing. Depending on the interests of the group I could teach any or all of these topics. Some artists will only be interested in songwriting because they want to work with producers. In that case, I would cover songwriting and lyricism but also then move into how to pick the right producer for you and what to expect / prepare for when in the studio. Other artists (like me) will want to build the entire song all the way from writing to final production. In that case, we would add focus to composition, arrangement and sound design as well.
Then, on the business side of things, other artists will be ready to release or already releasing music and want advice on distributors, grants, promotional companies, press, playlisting, royalties, etc. In that case, I would use my own experience in the business to impart my opinions on the industry landscape today.
To support artists in their growth, I would be sure to give constructive and nurturing feedback, assigning homework tailored to their needs. For example, if an artist was struggling with drum production I might recommend listening to the drums / samples of their favourite songs and try to re-produce them. We could then listen and critique how well their ear could replicate the drums they were hearing, an essential skill for translating music from your head into your workspace.
Lastly, I’ll be drawing on my years of experience teaching production and voice to guide me through the lessons. Excited to start!
Listed below are this Mentor’s specialty skills. Join this group if you want to grow in these areas.
Specialty: ✔ Technique ✔ Business
Technical:
Z
Co-writing
Z
Expressing the core message
Z
Ideas & inspiration
Z
Songwriting (chord voicings, arrangements, hooks)
Z
Providing song critiques
Z
Songwriting (lyrics, melody)
Marketing:
Z
Live performance
Z
Online streaming concerns
Z
Showcasing and conferences
Business:
Z
Demos
Z
Distribution
Z
Grants
Z
Streaming software
“Mastrius is a perfect balance of accountability, community and fun. It feels like family. Family that makes you a better you.” ~ Elizabeth, Emerging Artist
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If the group you’re interested in has a waitlist, you have the option to join another group to get started. When your group opens we can transfer you over.
$19 First Month
ASPIRING GROUP MEMBERSHIP
$ USD64/Month thereafter
Next session: May 20, 2024
On the 3rd Monday of every month 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM MDT Mon
Dempsey’s music is influenced by his modern-day heroes Dominic Fike, Harry Styles and Caye as well as the legends he grew up with, namely Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. Originally very interested in lush, dark and brooding productions and drawing inspiration from other works of art via painter Mark Rothko and writer Philip K. Dick, Dempsey has recently discovered a fascination with simplicity. His current direction is aimed towards eliciting emotion and creating vibe with sparser arrangements, letting the complexity lie in the writing and the harmony.
While in school at University of Alberta finishing up a degree in Astrophysics, Dempsey began producing demos in his free time between classes. After graduating, he decided to forgo his Master’s Degree and began working on music full time. With his debut release “What About You” Dempsey garnered significant attention from curators and publications, landing on multiple Spotify editorial playlists including New Music Friday Canada and receiving glowing reviews from bloggers and journalists alike:
“With a sense of melody above all, a production of beauty and a talent that transpires and leaves no chance for doubt, Dempsey Bolton plunges us into a musical break that will have an effect on you” – IGGY Magazine
Dempsey is currently working on his sophomore album set to release in 2025, a self-produced project that starkly contrasts the lyrics and music; the album deals with the dangers of staying silent while in crisis and letting one’s mental health go unchecked while delivering upbeat, nostalgic, summery vibes in its production.
