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Behind the Boards: Nashville is a treasure trove for aspiring engineers and producers. Anyone who loves Country music and the craft that has gone into making some of the greatest songs the world has ever known will find this book an undeniable must-have for their collection.

Practical, as well as entertaining, award-winning music biographer Jake Brown begins with a foreword by hit producer Buddy Cannon (Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson), who generously offers five tips on the art of record producing. He shares his secrets for “capturing the emotion of the song … to give it wings.”

A brilliant example is his reference to tracking Trigger, Willie Nelson’s honored and beloved vintage Martin guitar. He simply offers the producer’s maxim of getting out of the way: “When it comes to Willie’s guitar, I am not looking for a way to improve the way it sounds. I’m looking for the way to make his guitar sound the way it always has sounded, which is what the world loves.”

In a nutshell, he packs a powerful punch by prescribing the old-school advice: “listen more and talk less and be persistent”—highlighting the importance of being indispensable in the studio, with generous portions of humility.

For anyone who knows the thrill, and sometimes terror, of sitting behind or in front of a mixing board, the interviews, examples, wisdom and advice found here are priceless.