Who Am I?
Hi there! My name is Nick Ousley, and I run “Ear For Tone”!
I’m a musician with twenty years of experience playing music and mixing audio. I have a deep desire for helping others discover a love for music, and coaching aspiring musicians; I am also passionate about helping those who simply want to refine their musical craft to be the best version of themselves possible, and create the most genuine music that comes from within their soul.
I have played with bands as well as solo across the country, and graduated with a music degree from the University of Mobile, so I understand both the theory of music as well as what real-world musicians use and how they communicate.
When I first began running sound systems, I was only around eleven or twelve years old, and picked up my first instrument, a guitar, when I was thirteen. This began a journey for me of the discovery of music, and I had big dreams of being the next rock star on a stage playing concerts for thousands. As I dove into practice and learning how music works and sounds, along the way I developed a deep respect for how it affects the listener. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have some of the best teachers, instructors, and coaches in my musical journey, and this is what inspired me with a new vision for chasing the best “tone” for my music and helping others find their love for music.
How are these lessons different?
Today, you can go online and find hundreds of video lessons, instruction books and courses, or links to local musicians who teach lessons. It can be overwhelming and seem like “Well, one option is just as good as another, so which one should I pick?”
My focus is 100% on helping my students discover their love for music. Some people love music but struggle to play the radio, much less a guitar or other instrument; but if you are looking for guitar lessons, then my guess is that you are someone who at least likes music a little bit, and wants to be able to play it for yourself and others.
The lessons that I offer cover every aspect of being a musician, much more than only learning how to shape a chord or play a riff. If you simply want to learn to play a scale or read tabs and chords, you can find plenty of options to help with that. I help my students dig into themselves as musicians and chase after the “story” in the music: not simply “Am I playing it right?”, but also “How do I feel when I play this song?”, “How does this strike the audience?”, “Is there a better way to play this?”, “How can I best support/collaborate with other musicians I’m playing with?” and so much more.
Whether you are a beginner, learning how to tune a guitar and make a basic chord shape; or a seasoned musician with “deeper” problems such as “I don’t know how to solo”, “I feel stuck in a rut”, or “I don’t know what I need to learn”, I’m here to help! I have a deep desire for each of my students to truly become the best musician they possibly can, and that means I take each student as an individual who has their own emotions, understanding, and ability level to help them craft their own “story” through their music.
Why “Ear For Tone”?
Music is something that connects on an emotional level with every person in the world, regardless of language or belief; and an understanding of how music works, as well as the instrument you use to produce it is vital to grabbing your listener and captivating their attention and imagination.
While tone is a very subjective thing to the listener, it is also vital to the music’s reception. If you are the most technically skilled person in the world on an instrument and can play a piece of music blindfolded, but the instrument you play it on sounds like a dying cat, your listener will stop listening within the first few seconds because it simply doesn’t sound appealing (no matter how proficient the skill).
My goal is to always chase the best tone for every selection that I play or mix. As a musician, I want each person that hears something that passes through my hands to be touched emotionally by the music they hear. If I’m mixing audio, each instrument should have its own space and always speak in its own voice. If I’m playing guitar, I want my guitar to carry the emotion of the song, from the sweetest tender moments, to the biggest, most bombastic builds and anthems along with everything in between.
Each piece of gear, every bit of understanding of music, and all the physical capabilities that I possess come together to tell a story. This story can be completely lost, however, if the tone of the story doesn’t fit. Just like when a book or movie suddenly changes the feeling and something doesn’t seem to “fit” quite right, the tone of music is the same way. The tone supports the story, and if a musician doesn’t have an “Ear for tone”, they may miss the way their story doesn’t completely “fit” together.