Keep It Cooley // Jim Cooley, Mix Engineer

Surviving the Music Industry

Your guides catch up with one of the most sought after mix engineers in Nashville, Jim Cooley. Jason and Brandon invade the Black River Entertainment building to spend some time with Jim. Time is something Jim doesn’t have by the way, as he is slammed with projects constantly. So, when he agreed to meet the guys it was a pleasant surprise! Jim Cooley has worked professionally in the business for 15 years recording and mixing top acts like Maddie & Tae, Parmalee, Jake Owen, George Strait, Bobby Bones and The Raging Idiots, Lee Ann Womack, Brooks and Dunn, Travis Tritt, Reba McEntire, Eric Church, Kenny Chesney, and Thompson Square. Trust --that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The guides tap in to his time management skills with a heavy work load and how to not become a victim of ear fatigue. There’s also a psychology and a strategy to get the mix the client wants. We hear a little background from Jim and how he got started. Then we learn his mixing style, rules of mixing, working with clients, and even mixing for radio and/or genres. Listen to this episode for great stories on working with artists. For all you engineers take lessons on how and even where to get started. Get inside tips on mixing today's current genres. For everybody else, there are life stories that you can apply to your career. You even get a chance to hear how Jim mixes with this episodes’ bit, “Mix Classic 2016," the video on which is on SMIpodcast Youtube channel. It was fun to watch Jim mix. Jason and Brandon learned first hand how to…Keep It Cooley!