Thoughts & Things

Learn about my creative process, musical and spiritual insights, and get updates on ongoing projects and resources. There’s a lot to explore here, so look around! Subscribe to get email updates as I release new content.

Songs in Solitude: The Power of Writing Alone
Nathan Lain Nathan Lain

Songs in Solitude: The Power of Writing Alone

There are songs that can only be written in private prayer. That doesn’t mean they are only for private listening, but solo songwriting leaves space for deep reflection, unique ideas, and spiritual expression that can’t always surface in a group. There is deep value in the songs that emerge from personally seeking God and creating in solitude.

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Holy Listening: When Songwriting Becomes Prayer
Nathan Lain Nathan Lain

Holy Listening: When Songwriting Becomes Prayer

When you write songs, there is a constant pressure to please people. But I’ve found that the greatest freedom comes when songwriting becomes a prayer-filled conversation. Eventually, God puts his hand on a song and gives me the peace to share it with others, but until then, my creativity is simply communion with the Holy Spirit.

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I Made A Pad Pack
Nate Lain Nate Lain

I Made A Pad Pack

I made ten super useful custom dynamic presets using Ableton’s Wavetable Synth and stock Ableton Audio Effects. These pads are designed to be everything you didn’t know you needed in a pad. Because let’s be honest, the pad has a very specific role in most songs, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be dynamic and exciting.

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Building A Demo: A Step-By-Step Process
Nathan Lain Nathan Lain

Building A Demo: A Step-By-Step Process

Learn the basic steps to developing a song demo with me from the song ideas to the final demo mix. Each step explains the process to achieving a successful demo production, maximizing emotional creativity, and exploring next steps.

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Production Walk-Through of Pop Demo
Nate Lain Nate Lain

Production Walk-Through of Pop Demo

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the production process of a pop demo in this detailed walkthrough. From the initial idea to arrangement, layering, and mixing, this post breaks down how the track came together—and offers insights you can apply to your own home productions.

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How To Think About Music Notation

How To Think About Music Notation

When you think about music notation, you probably picture the traditional five lines of the music staff with little dots, lines, and articulations scored across the page. You might imagine choir music with lyrics or piano music in a lesson book. But have you ever wondered where our music notation system came from and why it’s used to write and share music?

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