Tools, Mindset, And Music: A Year’s Lessons For Creators

Ready to turn creative listening into real-world progress? We close the year with a grounded reset for artists, producers, and learners who want momentum, not just motivation. I share why this platform exists—to pass along the tools and perspective I wished I had sooner—and how you can use it to skip common pitfalls and build skills that last.

We map a simple, repeatable system for growth. Start by revisiting two episodes that helped you most and convert a single technique into a weekly habit. For songwriters, that looks like tighter phrasing, chord choices that match emotion, and small daily reps that compound. For engineers and producers, we get practical about capture, gain staging, subtractive EQ, compression that serves the song, and mastering for translation rather than loudness alone. I call out trusted plugin makers like Waves, iZotope, and Slate, while reminding you that taste and arrangement outrank any tool. You’ll also hear how learning bass and guitar sharpened my timing, empathy, and production decisions as a pianist and vocalist, with ideas you can copy in short, focused practice blocks.

Underneath the tactics is a principle: giving grows your art. Share your process, teach what you know, and support someone a step behind you. Generosity builds community, opens doors, and strengthens your own craft. As we head into a new year, trade vague goals for a clear ritual—minutes practiced, bars written, mixes referenced—and track it for eight weeks. Everything is possible with patience, intention, and the right habits. If this conversation sparks belief, run with it and make something that proves it.

If the episode moved you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs a push. Drop a comment on Buzzsprout with what you’re working on, and tell us the one habit you’re committing to next. Let’s build the culture of learning and giving—together.

Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@thetonikingexperience7645

Toni King link: http://www.linktr.ee/toni.king

The Sonic Kingship Art: https://www.rhuffmusic.com/post/it-s-a-big-music-industry-so-where-do-i-fit-in

Christ The King Release link: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/toniking/christ-the-king

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Gratitude
• 2:00 Purpose: Teaching The Next Generation
• 3:20 Community Check-In And Support
• 5:00 Year-End Recap And Action Plan
• 7:40 Songwriting And Engineering Focus
• 9:50 Multi-Instrument Journey And Growth

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hello and welcome back, everyone. This is another great episode of Teach One Tuesday podcast. We're going to get into something very briefly, but before we do that, let's get into it. We're about to get into it for today. And uh, you know, I'm excited, I'm excited about every episode, actually. I'm excited about all of it. Um, but before I get into anything, uh, I want to thank all my listeners. I want to thank everyone that has supported Teach One Tuesday podcast. Um, I'm trying to think, I'm trying to think of how long I've been doing this now, uh, doing this podcast, but I'm very grateful for everyone who has taken time to listen, uh, taken time to check out my content. And I pray that everyone uh has been learning, learning some great things and some great tools to take with them and to enrich uh their their journey and process, you know. And you know what, there was a time where I wish I had some of the resources that I have access to now, wish I had it when I was younger. So, you know, this podcast, my and and my blog and uh my social media, all of this is is for people that, you know, someone that's coming up, someone that wish they had uh someone in their ear to help them and to allow them to really jump over some of the obstacles that I had to jump over. Um and that's what it's about. It's about helping the next the next generation um you know achieve great things and not have to go through what you had to go through. And even if you are older, it doesn't matter. This is for all ages, but I I pray that everything um that I'm doing here and everything I'm talking about is helping people. And um I'm really grateful for that. And and do me a favor, family, if you you know, when you listen to this, you know, leave me a comment, go to Buzz Sprout or yeah, go to Buzz Sprout, and leave me a comment, let me know what you guys are working on, let me know that this content is helping you, and uh, and that it's helping you uh uh along in your process, uh, whether it's um music production, whether it's uh mixing and mastering, you know, songwriting, vocal, whatever it is, you know, let me know what you guys are doing and that this content is really helping people and it's really helping you. And um, you know, just I'm gonna just uh drop this in here. You guys are able to also support the podcast if you so choose. If you visit, if you if you visit uh Buzz Sprout, there is uh uh there's a link there. There's a a way that you can give and support the podcast, Teach One Tuesday podcast. So if you choose, you know, uh support so I can continue to you know uh help everyone that I can help. And that's what this, that's what all of this is about. All of this content is about. And um, so real quick, I just wanted to recap on a few things. Um, you know, we're coming to a close uh for the year, and um I've talked about so much. I've talked about you know uh you know, engineering, I've I've talked about, you know, creativity in the production space. Um I've talked about so many things. And I guess what I want to leave with you as 2025 comes to a close is that, you know, number one, go back and listen to some episodes that were helpful for you, or maybe some ones you have not listened to yet. But really take the things you've listened to to heart and really go back and and uh and listen, number one, but really uh dive into uh these tools and techniques and things that I have shared with you and really put them to practice, really put them to work. You know, it's it's one thing to listen, you know, and it's another thing to really put things into practice. And so I want you to have all the things that you need. I want you to to be able to, you know, go to another level, another dimension in your skill set. Um, even if that's in your confidence, I want you to grow and I want you to really take uh the next year we're going into by the horns and really, you know, go after what you want, you know, because that's really what all this is about. It's about expression, it's about helping people, it's about you know you having a voice with what you want to do and what you want to express. And I just want to help you to do that. So whether it's songwriting, take some time to work on lyrics, to work on rhythms, to work on phrasing, um, to work on you know, chord progressions, work on that stuff and think about it. You know, if it's engineering, you know, uh make sure the mastering, make sure you have the true the tools that you need. You know, you can check out there's so many people and so many uh companies that have great plugins for this. And and and a couple, I'll name a few Waves, uh Isotope, uh Steven Slate. You know, so many people that got some great stuff out there. Now it's not a comprehensive list. Um, great tools out there for you, and and also to educate yourself, learn and grow. You know, never stop reading, never stop learning, and never stop listening or looking at videos um that help you, you know, and um that help you to reach the goals that you are that you have set out to reach. And um I I really pray that the together we have grown. Uh this year and even the years past, we all have grown together. You know, this is a journey too. I don't have all the answers, but I have many answers through my journey, and that's what I want to share with you guys. Uh, even if you are instrumentalists, you know, take time to think about what you want to achieve in 26. Is it more practice time? Is it being more intentional about your timing? Uh what do you want to do? You want to add on a job, a genre under your fingers? You know, if you want to start learning a new instrument, um, you know, go for what you want to go for. And and I'll just say a word about that. I am a pianist, a keyboardist, and uh a vocalist. Um, but over the years I have added on, you know, bass. I started playing bass probably about 10 years now, 10 years ago. And I started playing guitar, you know, I'll say maybe five years ago. Um, often with guitar, I was off and on. So, you know, but I, you know, play both both of these instruments. I would say that bass, I'm like intermediate, you know, I wouldn't call myself a professional yet, but I would say definitely uh an advanced intermediate, you know, bass player because there's so many great bass players out there. And, you know, guitar, I'm still amateur. I can play songs and things of that nature, but you know, I'm still learning and growing. And so that's just adding on. That's just adding on to my skill set. It's it's helping me as far as my production space. Uh, and it's it helps me when I'm on stage with other musicians to know, you know, uh put put myself in their shoes and in their mindset and how they had to think uh as they play their particular instrument. You know, so many areas and so many things um that I've talked about. And so, you know, I I I want to continue to be that inspiration for you guys. And and do me a favor, if you if you find this uh helpful for you, tell others about Teach One Tuesday podcast. I want to take this thing to the next level next year. I want to, you know, even do uh a challenge for myself. I want to put out even more episodes, and um, you know, and I want to spread the word about Teach One Tuesday podcast. I believe that this is um going to be something very big one day. And so I'm going to continue to uh continue to work towards that, continue to serve, continue to give, you know, and um and and what I want to leave with you as I end this particular uh episode is that do not forget to give, you know, I don't want to say give back because you didn't take anything, but do not forget to give to others, to help others. You know, we all help each other. We no one is doing everything by themselves, even if you think so. You know, I don't particularly believe in self-made millionaires or self-made, you know, I don't believe people are self-made because you've read books, you've taken classes, you've talked to people, you've had help. So many things that have happened to allow people to arise to the level of being a millionaire and beyond. And so, you know, we are all connected. And so um I want to pass that nugget on to you. Don't forgive to give to others and to help others. I believe that that's so important in your journey as well. There's a there's a spiritual law in the Bible that says give and it shall be given. And um I want you to be aware of that that spiritual law. You know what I mean? It doesn't always have to be money, it can be your time, you know, it can be just you taking someone out to dinner or to lunch, it can be a compliment, it can be whatever it is. Um, it can be some information that you learned in your field, maybe somebody else that's younger or more less experienced than you, that you can help and pass on information to. You know, and that's what life is really all about helping and loving others. And and and that's what I want to continue to do through Teach One Tuesday podcast, uh Sonic Kingship Art blog, my blog. Please go check it out. The link is in the description. My music that's you know, that's on uh all streaming platforms, you know, all of this, everything that I'm doing, it's about helping and loving others. And so, you know, let's continue on with the culture of giving and passing on information to uh not just younger people, but to people, period, who are looking to break into a certain field. Because let's face it, all these things are possible. Everything is possible. You know, it takes time, it doesn't happen overnight, but you know, all these things are possible and can happen for you. And so if I'm that one person that helps you to believe, then so be it. That I'm the person to tell you that you can do it, you can make it happen, the dream is possible, um, and you do have what it takes. All right, I want to thank you so much for checking us out, family. Do me a favor and go and check out uh my content on all on uh my content on social media platforms, um, the Tony King Experience on YouTube. You can just look up Tony King on uh uh Facebook, Instagram. How do you think about it? Face uh Instagram, I'm on Threads, everywhere. Uh look up my content and uh go check out my covers on YouTube, go check out my music on all streaming platforms, go and continue to listen to the podcast, go and check out the blog. All these things are there to continue to bless you guys. I want to thank you so much for checking this out. I hope you're having a wonderful day. If you're not having a wonderful day, you can change that by your mindset. Thanks so much. Tony King Out.