CMT Blog: Archive

Whether you're an aspiring producer or a curious fan, the Music Producers Institute (MPI) offers an up-close look at how a recording session works. Classes are led by Steve Fishell, a former executive at Sugar Hill Records who has produced folks like Emmylou Harris and Pam Tillis. However, on the day I sat in on a session, Fishell stepped into the background and let the students watch former Mavericks frontman Raul Malo in action. The sessions were held in Sound Emporium, home to the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, as well as Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand.

It's a fascinating process for music geeks to witness - but casual fans might lose interest when a conversation about which microphone to use could last 20 minutes. Yet even in this age of technology, you can still feel the spark when the musicians finally hit the groove. (The song that Malo was recording isn't on his next album, but hopefully will surface somewhere.) A session with Delbert McClinton just wrapped, with seven songs prepared for his upcoming album. A few spots remain for sharing studio time next year with Sam Bush, Joe Diffie, Jerry Douglas and Buddy Miller.