Hanging Out With Chops

Choppie Chops

From studio sessions to breakfast rituals, from label life to life on the road—this is the real story behind the music. Join a Grammy-winning mix engineer as he shares raw experiences from years inside a major record label, unforgettable tour stories, daily routines, and lessons learned in and out of the studio. Whether you're an artist, audio head, or just love a good story, this podcast keeps it honest, soulful, and grounded in the creative grind.

  1. Sep 18

    Episode 38 - Musical Bucket List #1: Get in the Room

    Send us Fan Mail Some sounds you can listen to your entire life and still not fully understand until you’re standing in the room with them. In this first installment of the Musical Bucket List, Chops explores the experience of being surrounded by a large group of people creating one sound together—from symphony orchestras, choirs and wind ensembles to a room full of people praying together or fifty voices singing Happy Birthday. Along the way, we dig into the science behind why these experiences feel so different in person: vibrating wood, harmonics and overtones, room acoustics, extreme dynamics, tuning, human synchronization, and the strange moment when dozens of individual sounds seem to become one. There are stories too—from riding bicycles around an orchestra in the park, to watching a conductor tune an ensemble until new sounds seemed to appear in the air, to possibly the greatest orchestra-pit nap ever taken. You don’t have to be a musician to understand this episode. You don’t have to know anything about orchestras, acoustics, or music theory. You just have to appreciate music, good stories, and those rare moments in life when you realize you’re experiencing something bigger than yourself. Some experiences you can go looking for. Others, you just have to hope life is kind enough to give you. And when it does... notice. Musical Bucket List #1: Get in the Room. Support the show 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to this episode—raw, random, and real.  🔔 Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s coming next.  💬 Got thoughts, stories, or wild theories? Hit me up on socials or email [choppiechops@yahoo.com].  📡 Music in this episode created using Suno AI and my own twisted imagination. Appreciate you being here. More chaos and conversation soon.  buymeacoffee.com/choppiechops                 https://hanging-out-with-chops.kit.com/497c631a7e

    Episode 38 - Musical Bucket List #1: Get in the Room

  2. Sep 7

    Episode 37 - You Built It at 70 BPM

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when the lights come on, the song gets counted off, and you’re not at your best? In the Season 2 premiere of Hanging Out With Chops, Chops explores an idea learned through decades of playing, recording, and producing music: you perform at your average—and that’s not a bad thing. The goal is to make your average incredibly high. After an emotional performance in Dallas reminded him how valuable musical “autopilot” can be, Chops looks back at his college years studying jazz saxophone, where a teacher had one uncompromising rule: no wrong notes. If a 250 BPM bebop tune had to be played at 70 BPM to play it correctly, then 70 BPM was where the work began. From Charlie Parker licks finally “fitting your hands” to raising your floor instead of constantly chasing your ceiling, this episode is about consistency, muscle memory, practicing correctly, recovering from mistakes, and learning music deeply enough that your hands know what to do—even when your mind is somewhere else. Because great performances aren’t built when the lights come on. You built them at 70 BPM. Support the show 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to this episode—raw, random, and real.  🔔 Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s coming next.  💬 Got thoughts, stories, or wild theories? Hit me up on socials or email [choppiechops@yahoo.com].  📡 Music in this episode created using Suno AI and my own twisted imagination. Appreciate you being here. More chaos and conversation soon.  buymeacoffee.com/choppiechops                 https://hanging-out-with-chops.kit.com/497c631a7e

    Episode 37 - You Built It at 70 BPM

  3. Aug 28

    Episode 36 - I Need to Tell You About Martha

    Send us Fan Mail After some time away from the podcast, I’m finally ready to talk about why. On June 10th, I lost my wife. I’ve tried several times to sit down and record this episode, but I just couldn’t get through it. This isn’t an episode about death. It isn’t really an episode about grief, either. It’s about my wife - who she was, the life we shared, the little things I miss, and what it means to figure out how to keep moving forward when someone who was such a huge part of your life is suddenly gone. Before I could come back and talk about music, records, studios, and everything else we normally talk about here, there was something I needed to do first. I needed to tell you about Martha. Support the show 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to this episode—raw, random, and real.  🔔 Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s coming next.  💬 Got thoughts, stories, or wild theories? Hit me up on socials or email [choppiechops@yahoo.com].  📡 Music in this episode created using Suno AI and my own twisted imagination. Appreciate you being here. More chaos and conversation soon.  buymeacoffee.com/choppiechops                 https://hanging-out-with-chops.kit.com/497c631a7e

    Episode 36 - I Need to Tell You About Martha

  4. May 25

    Episode 35 – How to Turn One Album Into 2 Years of Work (Part 1: Mindset & Work Ethic)

    Send us Fan Mail You finished the album. Months… maybe years of work… and now it’s finally done. And this is where most artists get it wrong. They treat the release like the finish line…  when in reality… this is where the real work begins. This episode kicks off a 3-part series on how to take a single album and turn it into 2 years of real momentum, growth, and opportunity. But before we get into strategy, content, and rollout plans… we have to start with something deeper: your mindset. Because the truth is…  most artists don’t fail because of a lack of talent. They fail because they never make the shift from creator… to builder. In Part 1, we’re talking about:  The mindset shift required after finishing a record  Why the work ethic has to change the moment the album is done  The dangerous belief that “the music will speak for itself”  What it really means to treat your music like a career  Why most bands disappear right after their biggest opportunity This is the foundation. Because if the mindset isn’t right…  none of the strategies in Part 2 and Part 3 will matter. If you’re serious about building something that lasts longer than release week… this is where it starts. Support the show 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to this episode—raw, random, and real.  🔔 Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s coming next.  💬 Got thoughts, stories, or wild theories? Hit me up on socials or email [choppiechops@yahoo.com].  📡 Music in this episode created using Suno AI and my own twisted imagination. Appreciate you being here. More chaos and conversation soon.  buymeacoffee.com/choppiechops                 https://hanging-out-with-chops.kit.com/497c631a7e

    Episode 35 – How to Turn One Album Into 2 Years of Work (Part 1: Mindset & Work Ethic)

  5. May 4

    Episode 34 - Why Every Musician Should Learn to Produce Their Own Music

    Send us Fan Mail Most people think becoming a music producer is about gear, plugins, or making beats. That’s not what this is about. In this episode, I break down why my goal for you isn’t just to make music…  it’s to learn how to produce it — because that’s how you take control of everything. Control over:  your sound  your sessions  your time  your money  and ultimately, your future as an artist I’ve seen what happens when bands don’t have that control:  sessions turn into chaos  money gets wasted  decisions don’t get made  and eventually… the band falls apart We get into:  what a producer actually does inside a real studio  why indecision is the most expensive thing in music  the difference between prepared artists and unprepared ones  why hiring a producer is like paying for another album  and what real growth looks like from one record to the next This isn’t about becoming a producer as a job… It’s about learning how to think like the person who runs the room. Because if you don’t learn how to create direction for yourself…  you’ll always be waiting for someone else to give it to you. Support the show 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to this episode—raw, random, and real.  🔔 Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s coming next.  💬 Got thoughts, stories, or wild theories? Hit me up on socials or email [choppiechops@yahoo.com].  📡 Music in this episode created using Suno AI and my own twisted imagination. Appreciate you being here. More chaos and conversation soon.  buymeacoffee.com/choppiechops                 https://hanging-out-with-chops.kit.com/497c631a7e

    Episode 34 - Why Every Musician Should Learn to Produce Their Own Music

  6. Apr 27

    Episode 33 - If Machines Make the Music… What Happens to Us?

    Send us Fan Mail I remember the first time I figured out MIDI… I thought I had it all solved. Not long after that, I walked into a producer’s room and saw 15–20 keyboards lined up against the wall… and nobody playing them. Every sound was being triggered. That moment stuck with me. In this episode, I’m thinking out loud about how we got from playing music… to controlling it… to building it piece by piece—and what we might’ve lost along the way. We can make everything perfect now. Timing, pitch, performance… all of it. But at what point does perfect stop meaning something? This one’s a little more reflective… but if you’ve ever felt like music today sounds incredible but something’s missing—you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Support the show 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to this episode—raw, random, and real.  🔔 Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s coming next.  💬 Got thoughts, stories, or wild theories? Hit me up on socials or email [choppiechops@yahoo.com].  📡 Music in this episode created using Suno AI and my own twisted imagination. Appreciate you being here. More chaos and conversation soon.  buymeacoffee.com/choppiechops                 https://hanging-out-with-chops.kit.com/497c631a7e

  7. Apr 20

    Episode 32 - Mentors - Learn From Them… or Learn the Hard Way

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Hanging Out With Chops, we’re talking about something that shapes all of us—whether we realize it or not: mentorship. The mentors you recognize…  the ones you don’t…  the ones who help you…  and even the ones who push you the wrong way. Chops shares real stories from his life in and out of the studio—from learning hard lessons early on, to being guided by people who saw further down the road, to becoming a mentor himself without even realizing it. This episode dives into:  Why a smart person learns from their mistakes—but a wise one learns from others  The advice we hear but don’t always follow  How struggle can build confidence you can’t fake  The difference between people who want it and people who work for it Why mentorship isn’t always comfortable—but it’s always teaching you something  And how helping others actually makes you better Whether you’re just starting out or years into your journey, this episode will make you think about who’s pouring into you… …and who you’re pouring into next. 🎧 Press play, and don’t wait to learn the hard way. Support the show 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to this episode—raw, random, and real.  🔔 Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s coming next.  💬 Got thoughts, stories, or wild theories? Hit me up on socials or email [choppiechops@yahoo.com].  📡 Music in this episode created using Suno AI and my own twisted imagination. Appreciate you being here. More chaos and conversation soon.  buymeacoffee.com/choppiechops                 https://hanging-out-with-chops.kit.com/497c631a7e

    Episode 32 - Mentors - Learn From Them… or Learn the Hard Way

  8. Apr 13

    Episode 31 – The Biggest Mistakes Bands Make After Finishing a Record

    Send us Fan Mail After you finish a record, it feels like the job is done… but that’s actually where most bands lose everything. In this episode, I break down the biggest mistakes I’ve seen bands make right after releasing a record—mistakes that quietly kill momentum, waste great music, and leave projects dead before they ever had a chance. From disappearing after release, to having no rollout plan, to playing the entire new album live before fans even know the songs… this is the stuff nobody talks about. I also get into something a lot of bands overlook—capturing the process. Recording footage, documenting sessions, and creating vlogs isn’t optional anymore. It’s one of the most powerful ways to connect with fans. Even I find myself watching band vlogs all the time—it pulls you into their world in a way the music alone can’t. And we talk about the part nobody wants to admit… sometimes the process of making that first record is too much. Lineups change, session players step in, songs get cut, and emotions run high. I’ve seen bands fall apart right as they’re getting started—right when they should be building. If you’re making music, about to release, or wondering why your last project didn’t go nowhere… this episode is for you. Support the show 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to this episode—raw, random, and real.  🔔 Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s coming next.  💬 Got thoughts, stories, or wild theories? Hit me up on socials or email [choppiechops@yahoo.com].  📡 Music in this episode created using Suno AI and my own twisted imagination. Appreciate you being here. More chaos and conversation soon.  buymeacoffee.com/choppiechops                 https://hanging-out-with-chops.kit.com/497c631a7e

    Episode 31 – The Biggest Mistakes Bands Make After Finishing a Record
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About

From studio sessions to breakfast rituals, from label life to life on the road—this is the real story behind the music. Join a Grammy-winning mix engineer as he shares raw experiences from years inside a major record label, unforgettable tour stories, daily routines, and lessons learned in and out of the studio. Whether you're an artist, audio head, or just love a good story, this podcast keeps it honest, soulful, and grounded in the creative grind.

Information

  • Creator
    Choppie Chops
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hanging Out With Chops
  • Show Website
    Hanging Out With Chops