Hanging Out With 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.

Hanging Out With Chops is a music podcast hosted by Choppie Chops, with 38 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Choppie Chops hosts Hanging Out With Chops, a music show with 38 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #38

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

  Sep 18, 202648 minS2

  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

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  Episode #37

  Episode 37 - You Built It at 70 BPM

  Sep 7, 202625 minS2

  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

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  Episode #36

  Episode 36 - I Need to Tell You About Martha

  Aug 28, 202631 minS1

  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

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  Episode #33

  Episode 33 – How to Turn One Album Into 2 Years of Work (Part 1: Mindset & Work Ethic)

  May 25, 202615 minS1

  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

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  Episode #34

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

  May 4, 202626 minS1

  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

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