Mixing as a performance: Educating tertiary students in the art of playing audio equipment whilst mixing popular music

Abstract

The development of technology and popular music production creative practice are forever interrelated; following the introduction of digital technology there have been significant changes in the way popular musicians mix their music. Analogue eras culminated in pre-automation days with mixers manipulating tactile devices like pots and faders on analogue consoles in a manner akin to that of a performance. During this process many mixers would use the studio as an instrument to craft a mix. However, the Digital Audio Workstation has made mixing a more computer-based practice, which perhaps involves different performance practices than in decades past. This article intends to re-position the current understanding of mixing as a performance and presents a case study of a working higher education pedagogical framework for teaching mixing as a performance. Therefore, this article is intended as a pedagogical starting point for popular music creative practice in higher education.