| Interview with Producer Mike Coates |
| Written by Angela Jones | |
 Here is our exclusive interview with renowned producer Mike Coates. He gives us the latest inside scoop on music production and the entertainment industry at large.Mike Coates has been a highly respected member of the entertainment industry and brings more than a decade of experience in the music industry, both domestically and internationally. Mike has given public presentations on talent career development and is a published author on successful entertainment business strategies. Previously, Mike was Creative Director for a boutique concert tour firm and have spent the last several years in artist production, working for major artists. He is a member of GRAMMY - The Recording Academy, Audio Engineering Society, Inc. (AES), Songwriters Guild of America (SGA) and The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). We sat down with him to discuss his remarkable career and success as an entertainment industry expert. Describe a day in the life of Mike Coates I'm an early bird and like to get the day started. A typically day would start with a quick work-out. I normally go running or swim laps if there is a pool nearby. After that I have some breakfast and go through my TO-DO list. I start from the top and work my way down, it may sound a bit static but that's the only way I get everything done! I probably will have some project requests and will discuss with my manager which projects to take on. Then I will start punching out some production drafts and polishing others for upcoming sessions. I can typically do this within a couple of hours. I would take a short break then head to the studio. Depending on the session I will stay there for the remainder of the day or fit in a meeting or two. I am also often on the road and then have to adapt to whatever else is going on. Wow, it seems like you are working very hard, what type of work ethic do you have? I believe that you have to work hard to achieve results regardless of the field you are in. I work extensively but I also have a lot of fun doing it. I think you get back what you put in to it. How did u become a producer? I used to perform back in the days, from there I was asked to produce several acts that was signed to management or recording deals. That's how I first got started. I remember purchasing albums on the first day of release and then went home and learned to play all the instrument parts. It was a calling, I put down a lot of practicing hours to perfect the results.  Mike Coates warming up the piano. James Ford/Cazawa It has been very positive for my career because those are some powerful figures with a long track record of success. I think its flattering when people make positive comments about my work. Do you find it intimidating being compared to those producers? Not really, I don't think I should be intimidated. I really just need to keep working hard to and work to attain a little bit of what these producers have achieved. You seem to have developed both the creative talent and skills on the business side. How do you balance the two? I have never thought about it in that way. I do think that experience in both areas has helped me navigate through various aspects of my career more easily. I try to bring the creativity I have to the business side of things and then only focus on the music when I'm in the studio. On top of being a producer you have also had success as a concert director and industry executive. How has your business career affected your music? I think think it has affected it too much. I kind of shut down the business side of things when I work creatively. In the beginning I had a bit of a problem getting everything done on time, but now I am on top of everything. I heard you are working on some secret project with a major artist, what can you tell us about that? Well, I have been doing some work in Europe earlier this year and will probably finish the project in LA, spring 2009. I can't tell you anything more than that. Any truth to this secret client being Michael Jackson? No, It's not MJ. I would love to do some work with him. I have nothing but admiration and good things to say about his work. No other pop artist has really come close to master his craft on that level. I put him up there with the very best in the history of music all together. A lot of other producer's make their names by their affiliation with other artists, it seems that you have created a buzz focused more on your productions? If that's the case I'm happy. It's really about the music and less about everything else. I think you need the top artists to get your work heard by the general public though, so in that way it makes sense. A majority of the work I do is actually for well known artists. I have listened to many of your beat's and there is a refreshingly different feel in your work, what is your influences and what distinguish your productions from the rest of the crowd? I just make whatever I feel like and I'm not afraid to experiment with different instruments and recording techniques. I guess I have a very relaxed attitude towards the production of tracks. Before I used to be more concerned about getting things done in a specific way. I think I'm more on point now and the productions sound less static. How do you think your concert productions differs from your studio work? The major difference is that I have some more elements to play with in a concert production setting. I use a lot of visual effects and lights to sync to whatever is going on in the clients performance. I really enjoy theatrical productions with dancers, props, a full live band and professional techs and artsits. What equipment do you use for your productions? II mainly use a Korg midi controller that is hooked up to a logic setup, I have a ton of virtual instruments and some vintage outboard gear that I like to use. I run everything through some high quality I/O's and the SSL for some added warmth. Sometimes I even run everything through the Otari (MTR-90) for some added analog feel. How did you become so known within in a very competitive music industry? I'm not sure about that one, I have just been focused on creating music. I guess some people took notice and the word got around. I never contacted anyone to sell my work or pursued a specific artist. It all fell into place once people heard my work. You do work in LA have you considered to do any scoring work? No, I haven't considered that yet. I would like to do something like that sometime with a big orchestra. Just going all out and making something powerful and unique. That would definitely by fun! Do you have a specific order in which you put your productions together? It all depends on the what i feel like at the time. I'm into hooks so I often start out with that and build the rest of the song from there. I often hear music in my head and just start playing while recording, sometimes I start playing a beat and work on a fitting melody. Official Website: http://www.mikecoates.com |
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