Limited to 35 Participants

Summer cycle starts 7th July 2021 / two weekly options

  • 10 x 2,5 hours group sessions taking place every week

  • Interactive live video format, including demonstrations, exercises and discussions

  • Exploring a different topic every week, from both practical and philosophical perspective

  • Every session concludes with a Q&A and opportunity for participation

  • Access to our community, with exclusive materials all year round *

Mentorship Schedule

Wednesdays 13h CET or 18h CET

  • 1

    Introduction

    • LIVE - Group Session [11th August 2021] - Introduction
        • The introduction is an extra session to the complete programme, it is not mandatary to attend. However this is where you will get the opportunity to introduce yourself to the group and hear a little about the other participants. Sebastian will also go over some frameworks for the course, these will also be emailed to everyone after the session.

      Frank will talk you through his studio set up, what decisions lead him to his current set up. Specific talk about several topics such as cabling, workflow, software and hardware and “real instruments” and acoustics.

      • Hardware set up, cabling and workflow
      • Software set up and configuration
      • Analog synths, drum modules and drum machines
      • Effect units and Pedals
      • Hardware vs. Software
      • Preamps and Converters
      • “Real“ instruments
      • Some thoughts about monitors and acoustics

      Erika will introduce the course and platform, share with you her experience and background, and discuss the concept of making live music.

      • Welcome!
      • Housekeeping
      • What is playing live?
      • From pure improve to live playback
      • Alone or together?
      • Content that isn’t music

      Neel will talk you through his studio, explaining how it evolved over the years, what does the studio represent in his life and what decisions lead him to his current setup. In this session we will have specific talks on different topics such as the importance of our listening environment, speaker positions, hardware and digital setup, AD/DA conversion.

      • Setting up a studio: what is important to know
      • What does a studio represent to us?
      • Listening position
      • Home studio, considerations, pros and cons
      • Introduction to my music production workflow. Hardware and digital configuration, my instruments, DAW, effects
      • AD/DA conversion, sound card
      • Matching the signals, avoiding ground loop, latency issues
  • 2

    Session 1 - Improvisation

    • LIVE - Group Session [18th August 2021] - Improvisation

      • Improvisation as the core of Sebastian's approach to music, a philosophical introduction to the concept and its importance to tapping into your creativity.

      We look at improvisation & creativity as something innate within human nature:

      • Improvisation is to listen; what is listening?
      • Sebastian's approach to improvisation
      • Similarities between improvisation and meditation.
      • Improvisation; the creative expression
      • Improvisation; openness and awareness
      • The importance of improvisation - healing and acceptance
      • Different improvisation exercises
      • Improvisation with Circle of Live
      • Let improvisation flow into your general life; Is improvisation our natural expression?

      Frank will discuss the different mechanisms (pre-sets, tools, tricks) that he uses to help him improvise, capture valuable moments, condense the material, arrange his ideas, and finishing a song.

      • How to start creating a song
      • How to start a remix
      • Some tricks I use
      • Finding ideas through experimenting
      • Recording a good signal
      • Jamming in the studio
      • Sequencing

      During these 3 gear sessions, Erika will walk you through her setup, discuss the roles that different machines play, and show how they work together. She will also address options and ideas beyond her current build.

      • Sequencers
      • Live playing & Looping
      • Drum machines
      • Synthesizers
      • Effects
      • Samplers

      The second session will be focused on different aspects of music production. Neel will show you his approach to music creation, the different techniques he uses and how his setup is important for his workflow. Moreover, he will talk you through his inspirations, methods and expressive intentions that lead him into making music.

      • The importance of having a ready-to-go setup (are you able to quickly record a musical idea?)
      • How to get inspired when we feel we are not
      • How to make the sound we have in mind
      • Exploiting the most from our instruments, the importance of limiting and disciplining ourselves
      • Experimenting with tools (Unconventional ways of making sounds)
      • Making movement in a sound (How to avoid flattened sounds)
      • Hardware synthetisers and drum machines; which ones do I use the most and why I love them.
  • 3

    Session 2 - Collaborations

    • LIVE - Group Session [25th August 2021] - Collaboration

      • The topic of improvisation naturally leads to the idea of collaborations, their role in the creative process (and of improvisation), listening and paying attention to other artists.

      • Improvising alone vs with others 
      • Openness / inspire & get inspired 
      • Different collaborations / unlocking different things. 
      • Invite / sharing your ideas
      • Temporary roles 
      • Listen 
      • Non violent communication 

      In the first session of the second week. Frank will lead you through his live-set-up. When you have watched this video, he will go into further details on the set-up, introduce you to his workflow on stage and answer further questions you may have.

      • Planning a live set and initial thoughts
      • What equipment I use and why I choose it
      • Bringing your own gear vs. renting
      • Centerpieces: Computer and Mixing desk
      • My workflow on stage
      • About travelling with gear

      In the second gear session, Erika will show you what you need besides your instruments to make your setup work the way you want it to, and talk about the many practicalities of live setups.

      • MIDI and control voltage
      • Mixers
      • Cables
      • Your Phone
      • Electricity

      This session will be entirely focused on mixing concepts and techniques. Neel will treat this key topic from both theoretical and practical sides. He will share his experience in the field with tips and demonstrations, and help you with any doubts or questions.

      • What does mixing mean, what is your final goal
      • How to start a mixdown, how to prepare yourself for a mixdown
      • Mixing fundamentals, principles and tools that will always be valid
      • Different ranges of frequencies, how to make the best choices and find the right balance
      • Dynamic processing: how to treat your sound properly
      • Spatialisation: the importance of creating a sound's image and its depth
      • Differences between an analog and digital mixdown, & the power of combining the two
      • Final test, master chain, general considerations and tips
  • 4

    Session 3 - Nature & Meditation

    • LIVE - Group Session [1st September 2021] - Nature & meditation

      • Discover how reconnecting with nature and meditation can be used as tools to unlock your own creativity.

      Meditation:

      • Different meditation techniques and exercises. 
      • Daily practice / retreat 
      • Meditation -  non state 
      • Reminding, not teaching. presence is not something you learn, it's you! 

      Nature: 

      • The natural expression of the wild 
      • Just be in nature, no activity. 
      • Different exercises in nature. 

      In the second part of Frank’s introduction to his live-set, he will share more of his experiences on stage. He will give you background information on his approaches and solving issues on stage

      • Song selection
      • How i create a live version of a song
      • Jamming and improvisation
      • Reacting on problems, dropouts etc
      • Attaching to the room and audience
      • Respecting the people playing with you

      In the second gear session, Erika will show you what you need besides your instruments to make your setup work the way you want it to, and talk about the many practicalities of live setups.

      • Including a laptop
      • What goes with a laptop
      • Making choices about your gear
      • Setting up your studio for live
      • My home-live set up

      It's been now more than ten years that Neel started his professional activity with mastering, working and contributing to define the sound of some of the best labels and artists in the scene. This session will be fully dedicated to mastering both from the conceptual and the technical point of view. Neel will treat all the main topics of it, sharing his direct experience on field and showing some of his favourite techniques and methods of work.

      • What is important to understand when you listen to someone's music. What is the purpose of a mastering engineer.
      • Critical listening: why it is a main step of the mastering process
      • Enisslab: The beginnings, how Neel built it's identity and improved it
      • Being a music producer and a mastering engineer at the same time: the challenges and benefits
      • Outboards and plugins: my setup
      • What is the difference between a professional mastering and a self made/software/algorithms mastering
      • How to understand the right hardware or plugins to use for our purpose
      • Mastering chain. Aspects to consider.
      • Multiband compressing: what it is and why is it used on mastering.
      • Loudness protocols
      • Differences between digital, vinyl/tape and streaming platforms
  • 5

    Session 4 - Studio Set Up

    • Download PDF before the session

    • LIVE - Group Session [8th September 2021] - Studio Set Up

      • Sebastian will talk through his studio set up, what decisions lead him to his current set up and his advice. Specific talk about several topics such as Software, Hardware, Soundcards etc. 

      • Software set up and configuration
      • Hardware configuration
      • Soundcards
      • Tape Machine (and why would you consider using it?)
      • Midi controllers / control surface 
      • Loopers
      • Issues of noise and hum, how to avoid and how to live with it
      • Stomp boxes and pedal trains
      • Cables 
      • Sequencers 

      Touring as a solo-act is one part of Frank. However the integral part of collaboration has been present and vital to Frank also before his electronic music career. He will introduce to the different forms and aspects of his collaborations and how you can grow / develop through these team efforts.

      • Opening up for making music with others
      • Improvising
      • Sharing
      • The importance of listening
      • Studio collaborations
      • Collaborations on stage
      • About touring with a band

      Erika will talk about her creative process, which begins with live jamming, and show you some techniques and ideas for writing music that will ultimately become part of your live performance.

      • Live creative process vs studio creative process
      • What is jamming?
      • Jamming ideas
      • Listening
      • Technical & creative goals
      • Saving as you go (or not)

      Playing live has always been an important part of Neel's musical life. During this session he will show you how his live setup works and how it changed and evolved in the years. Additionally, he will share with you some of the experience he gained over the years through practical tips and anecdotes from his shows. Last part of the session will be dedicated to a live improvisation where Neel will show you and explain progressively all the decisions he takes.

      • Different approaches and possibilities when you build a live session
      • Being able to improvise, listening what we do, feeling confortable with it
      • My personal way to approach live performances. Why I keep on changing my setup.
      • Modular synthesizer: how I use it to perform and how I combine it with other machines
      • Technical issues and problem solving: before or while playing.
      • Circle of Live: Setup, interaction. How it works, why every time it's different.
      • Live jamming
  • 6

    Session 5 - Finding Creativity In The Studio

    • LIVE - Group Session [15th September 2021] - Finding Creativity in the Studio

      • With improvisation as a technical aspect, Sebastian will discuss the different mechanisms (pre-sets, tools, tricks) that he uses to help him maintain a clear mind and therefore more open to the flow of creativity.

      • Express and write without a specific purpose
      • What is your intention with making music? Allow that intension, don’t work against it
      • Meditation as a tool, why does it help your studio work? 
      • Spend time with an instrument without recording, just for the pleasure of playing/feeling music. 
      • Different angles to approach the expression. Layering / free improvisation / arranging / looping / 
      • Use your feelings as a starting point
      • Define your temporary frame and express from that
      • Accept yourself, honour yourself, allow all feelings also the ones that are harder to accept

      In this last episode Frank will give you an insight of how his story went so far. Here you will learn about his thoughts on communicating and relations, mistakes and decisions.

      • Building a team
      • Travelling
      • Treating people
      • My way
      • Motivation and goals
      • My way / your way
      • Mapping 
      • Push & Midi looping 

      Molding jams into a solid live performance requires both intention and organization. Erika will show you the tools and techniques she's developed for turning sounds and sequences into a set that flows well.

      • Define your intention
      • Organise your music and ideas
      • Refine your technical approach
      • Creting notes and /or a set list
      • Being mentally prepared

      During this session Neel will talk you through his life experiences in making music with others artists. How he approached it from the creative and technical side, how the different projects evolved in the years and what do they represent to him.

      • What does collaborating with another artist means? The importance of sharing.
      • How to merge two different artistic personalities into one
      • My collaboration experiences (Voices From The Lake, LF58)
  • 7

    Session 6 - Playing Live / My Live Setup - Software

    • LIVE - Group Session [22nd September 2021] - Playing Live / My Live Set Up - Software

      • Sebastian will talk you through the various software programmes he uses, plugins and software synths (and why).

      • Computer 
      • Ableton
      • What software synths and plug ins
      • Soundcard
      • Midi controllers & control surfaces 
      • My template 
      • Mapping 
      • Push & Midi looping 

      Practicing is how you grow from being capable to being excellent. Becoming ready to perform at a gig is about practicing more than just your music. Erika will discuss many methods of practicing to become ready for the stage.

      • What is practice?
      • Practicing your set
      • Recording yourself
      • Simulating the real world
      • What you can’t practice
      • Practicing set up and tear down
  • 8

    Session 7 - Playing Live / My Live Set Up - Hardware

    • LIVE - Group Session [29th September 2021] - Playing Live / My Live Set Up - Hardware

      • In this second module focusing on playing live, Sebastian will follow up on the topic by discussing the hardware aspect of his live set up and help you with any doubts or questions you may have to build your own.

      • Mixer
      • Synths
      • Drummachines 
      • Midi interface 
      • Midi keyboard 
      • Outboard effects 
      • Signal mergers 
      • Bags and travel recommendations (to protect your gear on the road)

      Leaving your house to give a live set requires packing and transportation, communicating with other people and entities, and taking care of your self and your equipment. This class draws heavily on Erika's experiences traveling around the world with too many flight cases.

      • Technical and hospitality riders
      • Packing: what to take, how to take it
      • Planes, trains and ground transport
      • Self-care
      • Insurance
  • 9

    Session 8 - Finding Creativity On Stage

    • LIVE - Group Session [6th October 2021] - Finding Creativity on Stage

      • Sebastian will share his tricks about finding peace and presence on stage. These include pragmatic solutions to finding your creative flow, and a more holistic approach to touring (for e.g. monitoring and sleep).

      • Your live set up is your trampoline and your parachute
      • Your presence is your inner trampoline and parachute
      • What are your intentions for playing live? Recognise them and honour them. 
      • Do it! Learn by doing and accepting ”failure”  


      Practical things to think about: 

      • Technical rider and advancing
      • Monitoring 
      • Renting equipment VS bring everything yourself
      • Pre-connected vs connect on sound check 
      • Having a tour manager (or do I need one?)
      • Cases, bags etc. 
      • Rest & meditation 

      The act of giving a live performance is touched by many aspects of the music business, well beyond the most basic transaction of getting paid for a performance. Erika will talk you through bookings, promoters, record labels, royalties, and promotion.

      • Getting gigs
      • When your music is business
      • Support for your career
      • Performance rights and publishing
      • Social media and community building
      • Releasing your music
      • Streaming
  • 10

    Session 9 - Live Looping & Preparing Live Sketches

    • LIVE - Group Session [13th October 2021] - Live Looping & Preparing Live Sketches

      • Sebastian uses freestyle live looping as well as prepared sketches, both when he plays live and when he improvises in the studio. This episode gives a deeper insight into these two approaches and in what way you can combine them for better creative flow.

      Looping

      • Looping / improvisation / meditation 
      • Looping in the studio 
      • Boss RC-505 
      • Midi looping with Push 
      • Duo Looping 


      Sketches 

      • Sketches built on 12 sounds
      • How to record sketches from scratch 
      • How to make a sketch from an existing song/track of your own 

      And finally, Erika will talk through what happens at an actual live show! Learn what to expect on the day of a performance, including every last possible thing that could go wrong.

      • Leading up to your show
      • The day of your show
      • Set up and sound check
      • Performing
      • Teardown
      • Recording your set
      • After your show
  • 11

    Session 10 - The Importance Of Building The Right Team

    • LIVE - Group Session [20th October 2021] - The Importance of Building the Right Team

      • As a final chapter, we will look at the misconception there is around having a team for underground electronic music artists. The importance of finding the right people to work with, who share your values and can cultivate their knowledge to bring your creative ideas to fruition.

      • Working with a team VS doing everything yourself 
      • Your voice and intentions 
      • Allowing a creative flow within the team 
      • Establish ways of communication / Non Violent communication 
      • Manager 
      • Booking Agent / Subagent 
      • Record Label 
      • Publicist / Press agent 
      • Social media manager 
      • Tour manager

* Additional Benefits

By joining any course In Bloom you get exclusive access to:

  • Exclusive Materials

    Free exclusive music, audio samples, templates, live recordings. Including downloads of Sebastian Mullaert's Ableton and Ableton Light studio templates.

  • Discounts

    Educational discounts with Ableton, MOD Devices, and Arturia (both software and hardware). Discounts on one-on-one sessions with Sebastian Mullaert.

  • Community

    A vibrant community that connects and keeps in touch beyond the courses. With an active Discord forum, community events, Q&A's, jams, and much more.

Wednesdays from April 14th

11 Group Sessions / 13:00h CET

  • €400,00

    Regular Price

    BOOK NOW

  • 6 x €80

    Split into 6 monthly payments

    BOOK NOW

  • 3 x €145

    Split into 3 monthly payments

    BOOK NOW

Package Offer

Wednesdays 13:00 CET full course + 1 One-On-One Session (50% Off)


Wednesdays from April 14th

11 Group Sessions / 18:00h CET

  • €400,00

    Regular Price

    BOOK NOW

  • 6 x €80

    Split into 6 monthly payments

    BOOK NOW

  • 3 x €145

    Split into 3 monthly payments

    BOOK NOW

Package Offer

Wednesdays 18:00 CET full course + 1 One-On-One Session (50% Off)

FAQs

  • Is this course suitable for beginners or advanced?

    The course is for all levels and anyone who wants to explore their creativity, however a basic knowledge of music production is required.

  • What do I need to set up for the course?

    The sessions are hosted on Zoom. Once you have signed up to the course it will appear in your student dashboard, there you can access the links every week. You do not need to have a Zoom account to access this link on your browser, however to use it on Desktop you will need to create an account (free).

  • Will you be sharing the session recordings with participants?

    No, we are not sending recordings to participants after the group sessions. The intention is to practice presence, and experience the course in the moment, focusing on improvisation and real-time feedback. One-on-one sessions will be recorded however and shared upon request.

  • What if I cannot make it to a session?

    This can happen, such as in real life things sometimes come up. You receive follow up emails after every session with the main points and some exercises for you to integrate into your practice, so you don't miss out entirely. In cases of longer sickness where a participant starts missing out on several sessions, we look at this personally.

  • Is the course in English?

    Yes, the course is in English.

Reviews

5 star rating

Highly recommended!

Jad Dabat

I'd highly recommend this programme to producers seeking to improve their creative process. Sebastian taught me how to improve my creative and technical appr...

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I'd highly recommend this programme to producers seeking to improve their creative process. Sebastian taught me how to improve my creative and technical approach in a clear and relatable manner. He takes the time to answer all questions thoroughly. It was a pleasure learning from such a talented and humble teacher! I look forward to taking one-on-one sessions in the future.

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5 star rating

Sebastian is a very generous person

Gaspare De Vito

Talking to him changed my perspective. I have been practicing meditation for 10 years but I never used meditation as a tool for creativity. I believe that hi...

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Talking to him changed my perspective. I have been practicing meditation for 10 years but I never used meditation as a tool for creativity. I believe that his approach helps to accept creativity as part of us and therefore to express ourselves freely. It might seem like a small thing but my way of seeing is what is missing in this society. So, thank you.

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5 star rating

From Christian L. (Denmark)

In Bloom - Circle Of Live

With love for both music and people, Sebastian through the In Bloom course has given me the confidence to be who I want to be both musically and humanly. I h...

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With love for both music and people, Sebastian through the In Bloom course has given me the confidence to be who I want to be both musically and humanly. I have become open to the fact that what I do musically is good enough, and realize that the obstacles I encounter along the way are part of a process for me to grow even more as an artist and also as a human being. I do not have the experience that In Bloom is a typical Ableton online course, on the contrary, there is a focus on, through spiritual instructions, how you can elevate your inner creative powers with meditation as your guide no matter what art form you are dealing with. Throughout the course, Sebastian has shown a great degree of presence, and he has been super good at sharing his knowledge, which clearly embraces far and wide. I have only positive experiences with this course, not only because of Sebastian, but also how the team behind him has helped to lift the whole project. Namaste :)

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One-On-One Sessions