Higher Hz is reader-supported. Links on our site may earn us a commission. Learn more

Aaron Cloutier

Aaron Cloutier - author and contributor at Higher Hz

Aaron is a musician, songwriter, producer, and music educator. Though a rabid music fan since birth, it wasn't until age 16 that he began his own musical pursuits when he was gifted a beat up old classical guitar and started plunking away in his bedroom.

Five years and a handful of unsatisfying band situations later, Aaron found his creative voice in multitrack recording when he purchased a Boss BR-900CD and began writing his own music. A diehard metalhead, Aaron's obsession with all things fast and loud led to a 15-song demo followed by two full-length independent releases under the moniker Davola.

Aaron's passion for music creation eventually led him to Arizona, where he studied audio engineering at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences. Upon graduating, Aaron interned at Soundwar Studios where he scored an assistant engineer credit for his work on the album Dead New World from Latin Metal band Ill Nino.

It was during this time Aaron began teaching music at School of Rock in Chatham NJ where he would remain for the next eight years. Drawing upon his music production education, Aaron began a side career as a freelance vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter recording for numerous artists and companies including Redwirez, Korora Audio, and the late Sir Christopher Lee.

Currently, when Aaron is not composing music for himself or his clients, he spends time coaching aspiring songwriters through his website fastermusiccreation.com. For Aaron, it's all about the song so he spends a lot of time writing about songwriting, arrangement, and music theory.

Which comes first? Music or lyrics? The 3 different approaches

As a private instructor and songwriting coach, I’ve received a lot of the same types of questions from students over the years when it comes to writing songs. One of the most commonly occurring questions looks something along the lines of: “Hey Aaron, when you’re writing songs, do you start with the lyrics? Or does the music come first?”

How to write powerful lyrics for your music in 7 steps

If you ask most songwriters what their biggest challenges are when starting something new, you’re likely to hear the topic of lyrics come up. I can immediately relate to this as I personally feel that the music you are writing can convey emotions on a level far deeper than any words can begin to articulate.

How to write a catchy melody in 6 simple steps

As someone who writes music for a living, its my job to maintain a constant creative mindset. The way I personally like to go about this is to write a single melody on guitar first thing each morning.

The 6 talented guitarists who overcame their disabilities

In this article, I want to shine a light on six guitarists who refused to accept the limitations of their disabilities. Some we all know well, while others might fly a little more under the radar. But their respective stories of passion, determination and drive will no doubt inspire you to pick up that guitar that’s been sitting in the corner by the end of this read.