Wow, this is fantastic! I copied this response so I can refer back to it later- hope that's okay! The thoroughness of your creative briefs is impressive, and I can't argue at all with the results. I really like your description of how you "melt" your harmonies together - I want to try that approach. Regarding mixing and mastering, I would definitely say that I'm an amateur without any formal training. With what I've been able to teach myself, I feel confident in my abilities to automate volume and in finding and eliminating unwanted frequencies, but I need to start working on automating my EQ. Panning is a tool that I underuse and need to spend more time thinking about it and understanding the nuances of it. I wish I knew more about sound design and how to use different plug-ins - I try to pick the sound out before I compose which is maybe not always the best approach. I didn't know there were tools to help with mastering - this has always been an enigma to me that I basically just feel like I make up every time. I am definitely going to check out those video resources you mentioned! Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed response. I have your comment saved so I'll make sure to reach out on discord if questions arise! Thank you so much!