Producing Records is a Lot Like Making Gumbo: Taking Songs from Start to Finish Without Burning the Roux Paperback – November 20, 2025

Classroom teaching can only take you so far; working in the real world is where you learn the craft. Learning from people with real-world experience is where I gained my knowledge early on. That is what this book is all about—giving you some insight on my forty-plus years of recording and producing music and what I learned along the way. I hope you can soak up a few things you didn’t get in a classroom or by learning on your own. Here are a few things we will go over:How to get a song ready to record (the most overlooked part)Tracking the best recording possible (stirring the roux)Overdubbing and sweetening (the fun stuff)Recording the vocal (the most challenging part)Mixing the song (which takes patience)What mastering is all about (Do you really need it?)Adding some spices to your home studio (bonus section)You may be curious about the title of this book, “Producing Records Is a Lot Like Making Gumbo.” There are a lot of ways to make a gumbo, just like there are a lot of ways to produce a record. It’s according to one’s personal taste. But there are a few rules to follow, though, for both the gumbo and your records to turn out the best they can be.So, let’s get cooking!Author Bio:Michael Everett is an award-winning music producer, recording engineer, musician, and songwriter. He has worked on over two thousand songs and over 100 albums in his forty-plus years in the music business as well as in film and television production. He has mentored many students over the years, and his passion is to bring real-life experiences to the record producing process. Read more