The Video Series
Brew in the Stu
Coffee, music, and real moments from inside a working recording studio. A 30-day season, made in this room.
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Season 1
30 episodes
Tracked on this device only — no account, nothing sent anywhere.
Full episode list — all 30 episodes with links
A 30-day season. Coffee, music, and real moments from the studio. Every episode is on the Studio San Francisco YouTube channel.
- Ep 1 Day 1: Where It All Starts
The first day of the season, and why I decided to do this at all.
The Season Itself - Ep 2 Bring an Idea!
You need less than you think to walk into a studio. Start with an idea.
Getting Started - Ep 3 Let's Talk Pricing
An honest conversation about what studio time costs and what you get for it.
Before You Book - Ep 4 Why You Feel Stuck Right Before a Breakthrough
The stuck feeling often shows up right before things start working.
Getting Started - Ep 5 Why Recording Is the Real Test for Your Song
A song can hide its problems until you record it. That is the point.
Before You Book - Ep 6 Recording Session vs. Band Rehearsal Capture: Which One Should You Book?
Two different services for two different goals. How to pick the right one.
Before You Book - Ep 7 How Do You Know When a Song Is Finished?
On the difference between finished and abandoned, and how to tell.
Finishing Songs - Ep 8 The Real Reason Your Song Is Still Stuck
It is usually not the part of the song you think it is.
Finishing Songs - Ep 9 You Can't Save a Bad Song with Good Gear
What better equipment will and will not do for your music.
Before You Book - Ep 10 Music Is Photography. Here's Why.
Recording as capturing a moment rather than building an object.
Why We Do This - Ep 11 Why Waiting to Feel Ready Is Keeping You Stuck
Readiness tends to arrive after you begin, not before.
Getting Started - Ep 12 A Lot of Songs Don't Die. The Momentum Does.
Most unfinished songs were not bad. They just lost their momentum.
Getting Started - Ep 13 What Coffee Taught Me About Recording Music
Craft, patience, and repetition - the overlap between a good pour and a good take.
Why We Do This - Ep 14 The Hard Truth About Recording Your Own Music
What actually happens when you try to engineer and perform at the same time.
Before You Book - Ep 15 What Actually Keeps Music Alive?
On what makes a recording still feel alive years later.
Why We Do This - Ep 16 What Changes When Play Turns Into Performance?
The shift that happens the moment someone is listening.
Sharpening the Craft - Ep 17 Practice the Pressure, Not Just the Part
Why rehearsing the notes is not the same as rehearsing the moment.
Sharpening the Craft - Ep 18 ASMR: A Quiet Day in the Studio
No lesson. Just the sound of the room on a slow day.
The Season Itself - Ep 19 Free Can Grow You. Skin in the Game Can Focus You.
When free work helps you, and when paying for it changes the result.
Before You Book - Ep 20 Pressure Reveals What Comfort Hides
What you find out about your playing only when the stakes are real.
Sharpening the Craft - Ep 21 The Accident Is the Doorway: Why Mistakes Can Make Music Better
The take you almost threw away is sometimes the one.
Finishing Songs - Ep 22 Why Practice Gets Boring Right Before It Starts Working
Boredom is often a sign of progress, not a reason to stop.
Sharpening the Craft - Ep 23 Don't Poison the Craft: The Dangerous Side of Discipline
Where discipline stops serving the music and starts eating it.
Sharpening the Craft - Ep 24 Courage Isn't Enough! Preparation Changes Everything
Showing up brave is not the same as showing up ready.
Sharpening the Craft - Ep 25 When the Heart Is Gone, Do This
What to do when you have stopped caring about a project you used to love.
Why We Do This - Ep 26 You Can Ruin a Good Thing by Trying Not to Be Cliche
Avoiding the obvious choice can cost you the right one.
Finishing Songs - Ep 27 You Can't Force Inspiration, But You Can Catch It
Setting things up so that when an idea arrives, you are ready for it.
Getting Started - Ep 28 You're Too Close to Your Own Art to Judge It Clearly
Why your opinion of your own song is the least reliable one available.
Finishing Songs - Ep 29 That Feeling Before the Moment Means More Than You Think
The nerves before you play are information, not a problem.
Why We Do This - Ep 30 I Posted for 30 Days Straight... Here's What It Taught Me
The retrospective. What a month of daily posting actually did.
The Season Itself
Made in this room
Every episode was filmed, recorded, and brewed at Studio San Francisco. Want to make something here too?
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