What do you do?

I'm a long time record producer and engineer, music - technology advisor, and author who's worked on everything from records to commercials to movie and television soundtracks, mostly in Hollywood. I also produce 2 music television shows - Favorite Music of the Stars and Guitar Universe - airing on the new ARC music network.

Tell us about your new book.

"How To Make Your Band Sound Great" is a band improvement book. It's aimed at anyone who wants to know the secret of how to make their band sound a lot tighter and more professional. Most kids just starting out might play well when they're by themselves, but playing with others requires a whole new set of skills, and until this book, the way you usually learned was from many years of playing and recording experience and a lot of trial and error.

The book covers most of the things that playing in a band requires, from how to improve individual player performances, tricks and tips for a better show, how to make better recordings and videos, what a promoter or booker looks for in a band, and even advice on how to solve inter-band problems.

"How To Make Your Band Sound Great" is accompanied by a DVD that shows me teaching a band a few of most important techniques during a rehearsal. There are also interviews with a number of pro musicians (Brain Ray from Paul McCartney's band, Peter Thorn from Chris Cornell's band, Paul Ill who's played bass on records by Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Courtney Love and James Blunt, and Brian MacLeod, first-call session drummer for Madonna and Sheryl Crow, just to name a few) that started out just the way most kids do, in the garage, and have gone on to very successful careers on stage and in the studio.

Why did you write it?

When I was a kid in the 10th grade in my first garage band, I wondered why we didn't sound as good as the best band in town - no one could tell me. 

When my band became the best band in town, I wondered why we didn't sound as good as the best band in the region - but no one could explain it to me.  

When I finally got into the best band in the region, I wondered why we didn't sound as good as the bands I heard on the radio - still no one had an answer.

The book is for all those kids like me who wonder why their bands, shows, or records don't sound as good as the idols they listen to.

This book has the answers to why a band sounds great (and why it doesn't) and how to get there fast. In fact, following just one simple tip can make any kind of band (doesn't matter what musical genre, even classical or marching band) sound tighter almost overnight.

What makes you an expert in your field?

After playing in bands on the road for 20 years, making records, movie and television soundtracks for almost that long, and getting a chance to work with some of the finest musicians in the world, I have a perspective that only that kind of experience can bring (you can check out the credits on my website).  Listening to music being created by both professionals and neophytes under the microscope of the recording studio provided me with a reference point as to why things sound great, and why they don't. If you analyze enough of both categories, you figure it out soon enough. The book cuts through all that and articulates what I've learned in a clear and concise manner, so even kids in their first band (or beyond) can grasp it.

Also, 4 of my previous books are best-selling books on recording (The Mixing Engineer's Handbook, The Recording Engineer's Handbook, The Audio Mastering Handbook and The Drum Recording Handbook) and are used in schools and colleges around the world.

What type of people should read your book?

Kids that are in a band and want to take it to the next level, regardless if they're still playing in the garage, playing school dances, playing clubs, or recording. Any musician at any competency level that wants his band to sound as tight and professional as possible will find it useful.

Are you on any social networks? eg. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Yes, I'm on Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter (@bobbyowsinski or @2bbobby)

Advice for Teens or Parents of Teens

Fundamentals may seem boring, but they're the key to doing most everything well. Playing music is no exception. Regardless of what kind of music you play or what kind of band you're in (from rock to reggae to marching to chamber), the fundamentals of sounding great are the same.

Favorite Quote

"Art is something you do for yourself. Craft is something you do for everyone else," which is a quote from my first book. This is a philosophy that I've tried to live my life by, and it eases the dilemma between working for your heart or your head.

Favorite Theme Park

Universal Pictures Tour Hollywood. I live about a mile away and should be tired of it by now, but I'm not.

How can we purchase your book? Learn more about you? Do you have a blog?

The book is available at most book stores and music stores, or you can visit Amazon to buy it.  A table of contents and excerpts from the chapters and interviews are also available on my website.

You can find out more about me at my website (bobbyowsinski.com) or my blog (bobbyowsinski.blogspot.com). A trailer for the How To Make Your Band Sound Great book is also available on YouTube.