Last week, JMC Academy was proud to host the legendary master of sound, Josh Rogosin at our Brisbane campus.

Josh created the iconic sound for over 800 NPR Tiny Desk concerts collaborating with Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Anderson .Paak, Olivia Rodrigo, Fred Again, Hozier, Sting, Coldplay, and countless others. Now he’s travelling the world to create 2 new series, Global Sound Concerts and Ghost Light Concerts, discovering artists and venues to learn more about the culture of those places.

During his stay with us, JMC students were privileged to assist in a Global Sound Concert series recording with local artist Jungaji, experience an exclusive industry Q&A about live recording and one fortunate Melbourne student, who is producing a Tiny Desk-style recording for their major project, even had a virtual one-on-one session with Josh!

Here are some of our favorite insights from Josh's visit:

🎤 Guest Selection: We learned the importance of not shying away from innovation! Josh's passion for “nerdy musical theater” (his words, not ours) led him to pitch iconic shows like Wicked, Hadestown, and The Lion King for Tiny Desk!

🎧 Recording Techniques: Capturing the raw essence of a performance is crucial. We discussed the importance of mic placement and recording without heavy processing to maintain authenticity.

🎵 Balancing Instruments: Josh highlighted the significance of balancing levels for different instruments—both acoustic and digital—while employing creative panning strategies to enhance the listening experience.

🔧 Post-Production Decisions: Josh shared techniques like mute automation to handle bleed and enhance specific elements, showcasing how to capture nuances that live recordings might miss.

👂 Creative Listening: Being a “forensic listener” enables engineers to spotlight moments that might otherwise go unnoticed, adding depth and interest to the final product.

🎨 Flexibility and Creativity: Quick thinking and adaptability are essential in live sessions; ultimately, what sounds good to the engineer is what matters most.

🌍 Personal Ventures: Josh expressed excitement about a new project aimed at telling stories of diverse cultures worldwide, inspired by places like Mazatlán, Mexico. He’s piloting a series on his YouTube channel, prioritizing authenticity over immediate success.

As our Brisbane Head of Audio Engineering, Daniel Spirovski beautifully stated during our Q&A event with Josh on Wednesday evening, “As audio engineers, we're here to serve the art. We're here to serve the music and the message in the music. It’s a great privilege and responsibility to ensure we do our best.” Josh kindly expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you so much for having me at JMC Academy. I'm blown away by the city of Brisbane—a remarkable place where students can learn and experience.” 

This unique opportunity not only showcased our students' artistry but also deepened their understanding of the industry. Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes glimpses from this amazing collaboration!