Sebastian Mullaert: Online Mentorship
10 Weekly Group Sessions
Limited to 35 Participants
Winter Cycle Start : 20th January 2021 (Registration Closed)
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10 x 2,5 hours group sessions taking place every week
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Interactive live video format, including demonstrations, exercises and discussions
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Exploring a different topic every week, from both practical and philosophical perspective
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Every session concludes with a Q&A and opportunity for participation
Mentorship Schedule
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1
Session 1 - Improvisation
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LIVE - Group session [20th January; 18:00 CET] - Improvisation
- 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
- Welcome!
- Housekeeping
- What is playing live?
- From pure improve to live playback
- Alone or together?
- Content that isn’t music
- During the introduction session you will get the opportunity
to hear a little about the other participants, and introduce yourself. Sebastian will
also go over some frameworks for the course.
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.
Erika will introduce the course and platform, share with you her experience and background, and discuss the concept of making live music.
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2
Session 2 - Collaborations
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LIVE - Group session [27th January; 18:00 CET] - Collaborations
- 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?
- 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
- Sequencers
- Live playing & Looping
- Drum machines
- Synthesizers
- Effects
- Samplers
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:
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.
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.
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3
Session 3 - Nature & Meditation
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LIVE - Group session [3rd February; 18:00 CET] - Nature & Meditation
- Improvising alone vs with others
- Openness / inspire & get inspired
- Different collaborations / unlocking different things.
- Invite / sharing your ideas
- Temporary roles
- Listen
- Non violent communication
- 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
- MIDI and control voltage
- Mixers
- Cables
- Your Phone
- Electricity
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.
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.
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.
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4
Session 4 - Studio Set Up
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Download PDF before the session
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LIVE - Group session [17th February; 18:00 CET] - Studio set up
- Different meditation techniques and exercises.
- Daily practice / retreat
- Meditation - non state
- Reminding, not teaching. presence is not something you learn, it's you!
- The natural expression of the wild
- Just be in nature, no activity.
- Different exercises in nature.
- 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
- Including a laptop
- What goes with a laptop
- Making choices about your gear
- Setting up your studio for live
- My home-live set up
Discover how reconnecting with nature and meditation can be used as tools to unlock your own creativity.
Meditation:
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
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.
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5
Session 5 - Finding Creativity In The Studio
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LIVE - Group session [3rd March; 18:00 CET] - Finding creativity in the studio
- 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
- Opening up for making music with others
- Improvising
- Sharing
- The importance of listening
- Studio collaborations
- Collaborations on stage
- About touring with a band
- Live creative process vs studio creative process
- What is jamming?
- Jamming ideas
- Listening
- Technical & creative goals
- Saving as you go (or not)
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.
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.
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.
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6
Session 6 - Playing Live / My Live Setup - Software
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LIVE- Group Session [10th March; 18:00 CET] - Sebastian's live set up/ Software
- 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
- Building a team
- Travelling
- Treating people
- My way
- Motivation and goals
- My way / your way
- Mapping
- Push & Midi looping
- Define your intention
- Organise your music and ideas
- Refine your technical approach
- Creting notes and /or a set list
- Being mentally prepared
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.
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.
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.
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7
Session 7 - Playing Live / My Live Set Up - Hardware
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LIVE- Group Session [17th March; 18:00 CET] - Sebastian's live set up/ Software
- Computer
- Ableton
- What software synths and plug ins
- Soundcard
- Midi controllers & control surfaces
- My template
- Mapping
- Push & Midi looping
- What is practice?
- Practicing your set
- Recording yourself
- Simulating the real world
- What you can’t practice
- Practicing set up and tear down
Sebastian will talk you through the various software programmes he uses, plugins and software synths (and why).
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.
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8
Session 8 - Finding Creativity On Stage
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LIVE - Group session [24th March; 18:00 CET] - Finding creativity on stage
- Mixer
- Synths
- Drummachines
- Midi interface
- Midi keyboard
- Outboard effects
- Signal mergers
- Bags and travel recommendations (to protect your gear on the road)
- Technical and hospitality riders
- Packing: what to take, how to take it
- Planes, trains and ground transport
- Self-care
- Insurance
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.
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.
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9
Session 9 - Live Looping & Preparing Live Sketches
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LIVE - Group session [7th April; 18:00 CET] - Live Looping and Sketches
- 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”
- 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
- Getting gigs
- When your music is business
- Support for your career
- Performance rights and publishing
- Social media and community building
- Releasing your music
- Streaming
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).
Practical things to think about:
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.
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10
Session 10 - The Importance Of Building The Right Team
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LIVE - Group session [8th April; 18:00 CET] - Building the right team
- Looping / improvisation / meditation
- Looping in the studio
- Boss RC-505
- Midi looping with Push
- Duo Looping
- Sketches built on 12 sounds
- How to record sketches from scratch
- How to make a sketch from an existing song/track of your own
- Leading up to your show
- The day of your show
- Set up and sound check
- Performing
- Teardown
- Recording your set
- After your show
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
Sketches
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.
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Next Course Starts January 13th
Every Wednesday at 6pm CET
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FAQs
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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.
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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).
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Will you be sharing the session recordings with participants?
No, we are not sending recordings to participants after the 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.
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What if I cannot make it to a session?
This can happen, such as in real life things sometimes come up. We look at this case by case, if someone has considerable changes in their schedule and is absent to more than 1-2 sessions then we speak directly to the student about the possibilities.
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Is the course in English?
Yes, the course is in English.
Reviews
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...
Read MoreI'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.
Read LessSebastian 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...
Read MoreTalking 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.
Read LessFrom 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...
Read MoreWith 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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