Mr. Mig Steve Migliore, aka Mr. Mig, is a name that has been synonymous with hits. From the impressive array of artists that he’s worked on, from country greats LeAnn Rimes and Faith Hill, to R&B giants Brian McKnight and Jill Scott, as well as, Vitamin C, Hanson, Dreamstreet, No Authority, Omarion, Simple Life’s Nicole Richie, and Patra, Mr. Mig has made his mark. He is the first remixer to crossover a country artist into the world of pop radio. With his remix of LeAnn Rimes’ “How Do I Live”, the record shot to #1 and became Billboard’s longest running top 10 record in history, charting for 32 weeks. He also made history with Brian McKnight’s “Anytime” remix at rhythm radio, for being the first time a record was bumped out of rotation by the remix. His Philadelphia area production company, Mig Tight Productions, is in the process of developing artists that he plans to release in the near future. CHeck him out weekly on Sirius Satalitte station 62 Remix.
Interview by Rob Schwartz
WHO?MAG: How do you remix a song? Mr. Mig: There are many different ways I usually go about it. You can work with an acapella vocal or you can work directly with the artist so they can re-sing the song according to the style of the remix you set out to create. First what you’ll want to do is find the BPM (beats per minute) of the vocal. Then you’ll want to align the vocals to your drum and rhythm tracks. Now, you can build from there with your synths, while making sure the vocals are still timed correctly and are flowing with the track. After you’ve added vocals, drums and synths you’re ready to put some finishing touches like drum fills, and effects. Last but not least, you are ready to mix the record. A tight well-balanced mix can make all the difference.
WHO?MAG: What kind of extra work goes into remixing rather than producing? Mr. Mig: Sometimes it can be a difficult job because with a remix you’re taking someone’s ideas of what they thought the song should sound like and completely changing it to work for a different genre of music. Also, It’s not enough that you create the remix to be how you want it. You have to also make sure the project now works for the market you were hired to remix the song for. Because of this you may have to rework the remix a few times until it’s what you like and what works.
WHO?MAG: How do you get your clients? Mr. Mig: I get my clients through a network of business managers, lawyers, other producers, writers, and relationships I’ve established over the years in the music business. I try to make sure my clients are happy with every part of what I do. It’s great when you get a phone call once in a while saying someone at a certain record label recommended you.
WHO?MAG: Do you prefer remixing or producing? Mr. Mig: I love them both. With producing, you get to work closely with an artist. You get to help develop their talents, as well as your own, but most important, you’re helping someone get closer to realizing their dream. An artist may think that they can’t do certain riffs or adlibs. You’re kind of like a coach. I love to push an artist to a point where they break through being scared of trying something vocally, and then they hear themselves sing a difficult part in the song that they would’ve never even thought they were able to do. With remixing, you spend more time by yourself. You can really explore, musically, what you can’t normally do while someone is right there. It’s also a nice change of pace to work by yourself now and then. I tend to get so into a project when I’m by myself that I don’t realize I’ve been working for twelve hours straight. Production is more of a personal experience, but remixing can be extremely creative.
WHO?MAG: How can you tell when one of your songs is going to be a hit? Mr. Mig: I’m not sure if anyone can really tell for sure if a song is a hit. There are so many factors involved in making a song a hit. Everyone has different tastes of music. There is no good or bad, just different tastes. Instead of worrying too much if something is a hit, I focus more on getting feedback from lots of different people. If you create music that everyone can relate to one way or another then you most likely will have a better chance at having a hit record.
