David,
When I listen to your stuff on Soundcloud I can hear a lot of talent.
Is there any chance you can find someone too mentor you near your home?
I know that you can sense that you have something to share with the world... I'd like to see you get there.
Your sense of structure and harmonic arrangement are very strong.
I'd say you need to start doing what ever it takes to get your self set up with some monitors and a better set of head phones so that you may use your natural talent to make the mixing decisions that you need to be making.
Please remind me again... how old are you and how long have you been at this?
If my recollection is correct you are perfectly poised to work with a mentor... and I'm not recommending a "teacher" but rather a mentor. It seems to me like you have had some great teachers already... now you need someone who can guide you on a more personal level... but it has to be someone who will guide what you already have going on rather than someone who wants to inject you into some system that they have for instruction.
You're already out of the gate, so to speak, you are ready to get help from someone who can handle working with someone who has the talent you exhibit.
I don't want to seem to belittle all the help you can get here... but I think you need someone local to help you with a few basic things about your setup before you'll get the maximum benefit from the type of disassociated discussion that occur here.
Searching out mentors is a skill... I encourage you to try to get good at it because I, personally, think you could really benefit because you are poised and ready for it.
Good luck on your journey.
all the very best,
mike
post edited by mike_mccue - 2012/12/04 08:21:23