GUIDE TRACK MIXES
You will be playing to a “guide track” recording, so choose one from your instructor that you can groove to and that works for you. You may need to try one headphone on and one headphone off, or both headphones on and turn your volume up all the way. You’ll want to hear the guide track loud enough in your headphones that it inspires you to perform loud, proud, and like you have an audience. If your guide track is too quiet, it will make your performance timid and unsure.

Please download the track so it is stored on whatever playback device you will use, not streaming from the cloud, dropbox, youtube, or google drive.

If you would like a specific reference mix that is different than what has been provided, please let us know and we will try to accommodate your request.

PRACTICE
Practice, practice, practice! It’s OK to learn your part and the arrangement without working with the guide track quite yet. Or maybe working with the guide track will help you learn. There’s no wrong way to get ready!

When you know your part and feel confident about the arrangement, put on headphones or use earbuds and start to sing/play/dance along with the guide track.

Do some test recording. It’s always good to record yourself practicing and then play it back to hear how you sound…and how you look!

Feeling good? Let’s get ready to record….

RECORDING: GETTING READY
You’ll need to frame your video landscape (sideways) so that we can see your upper body. If you are playing an instrument of any sort, we need to be able to see it! So, make sure the camera is level and zoomed out far enough that it captures everything. The editors can crop it if need be. A tripod can help with this. Use your camera app on “video.”

Make sure you are well lit from the front and not lit from the back. Then check your background. Cluttered is fine as long as it’s interesting to look at and is clean. No dirty dishes, piles of laundry, or unmade beds (we have enough of that at our house!).

Make sure that anything noisy is turned off so that your recording only captures YOU.

If you live in the Boulder/Denver area and want help with your framing and tech, make an appointment to record at Kutandara Studios. We can help!

RECORDING: SYNCRONIZING CLAPS
In order for the video editor to know how your video is to align with all the others, the common synchronizing point of reference is a clap at the beginning of the recording. You’ll hear a bit of groove with a verbal count-off…then you clap on the clap. This needs to be captured on your video, so don’t try to do something fancy and edit this out!

It’s important that you put that clap right on the beat. (Make sure it doesn’t “flam.”) If it does, back up and start over!

Let the track continue to play until you hear another cue to clap after the song is over. (Just follow the verbal instructions.) Now your video should have a single clap before AND after your playing. This will allow the editors to account for any playback speed differences between devices.

RECORDING: DEVICES
Remember: use headphones or earbuds so only YOU hear the guide track.

You’ll just need one device that can Record and another device that can Play. Hit “play” on your guide track device which is connected to your headphone or earbuds, and hit “record” on your recording device mounted on a tripod in front of you.

It’s OK to record multiple takes (just like a recording studio), so you are happy with your performance. Only upload one video…your best!

UPLOAD YOUR FINISHED VIDEO
When you are happy with your video, rename it:

YourPart_YourName_SongName.mp4 or . mov

Your instructor will provide you with a dropbox link for uploading.
Thank you so much! Tatenda zvikuru!