Learn Hip Hop & Beat Making

Background

Shane Anderson is a seasoned music industry veteran. With over 20+ years in the music industry Shane has vast experience in production, recording, mixing and mastering as well as the ins and outs of the music business. Shane began his musical career in his early teens as a demo vocalist for labels and also as a sound engineer for the MUZAK corporation. At age 18 he opened his first studio location in Honolulu, HI called “Unique Studios” and oversaw the daily operations of the recording studio as well as landing several indie label deals and distribution agreements while in Hawaii working with local talent. In 2009 Shane released a solo album titled “Dangerous”. This album took off online primarily on MYSPACE and gained much success with over 2.5 Million plays worldwide landing him on BILLBOARD NEWSWIRE and ultimately landing him several placements on TV shows to include “The Kardashians” “MTV” “E- Networks” and Oxygen to name a few.

Shane moved down to Los Angeles 2010 where he formed with his long-time high school friend a production company called “The Go Gettas” where he continued to build on his credits and catalog working with artist who have been on American Idol, X Factor, Dancing with The Stars and Disney to name a few. After landing multiple placements in Film/TV Shane relocated to the Sacramento area in 2016 to build on Unique Recording Studios and help bridge the gap between artist and the industry.

Shane runs Unique Recording Studios as a production label, distribution company and recording studio for artist to create and focus on their art. Unique Recording Studios has also newly launched an exciting new venture at URS called “The Collective” which will allow producers, engineers, songwriters and artist to collaborate in house at Unique Recording Studios to work together to create music and promote building a large collaborative catalog of music to submit to labels, publishers, music supervisors and overall decision makers in the music industry. This will provide a great opportunity for students who complete their coursework at the recording connection.

Articles

Unique Recording Studios

Background

Recording Connection mentor Josh “Igloo” Monroy is proof-positive that getting in and showing your commitment to the craft, day-in and day-out, can launch your career to unprecedented heights. With more than a decade in the music industry, Monroy has worked with everyone from Justin Bieber to Quincy Jones, to The Notorious B.I.G.

Monroy is looking for the same kind of commitment from his externs. Whether it’s during the Recording Connection for Audio Engineering & Music Production program or using Ableton to lay down hip hop or electronic music tracks, Monroy is looking for inspiration, originality, and dedication.

“I do two-hour drills with my externs where they have two hours to make a track, and there has to be a full-on song, or music bed for a song anyway,” Monroy said. “That means intro, verse, chorus, the whole nine yards, Not just an 8-bar loop that’s looped over and over again for three minutes. I don’t want to hear that.”

The seasoned engineer/composer/producer is also known for his longtime work with iconic artist Ludacris. The ability to work with a wide range of acts – and create something extraordinary – is what makes someone a sought-after studio engineer.

“They walk in the room and there’s no expectation, and then they leave six to eight hours later, and there’s this whole freaking song made, and it’s special,” Monroy said. “It’s about them and it’s encompassing their influences and what they love. It’s not just this generic track…That’s what I show my externs, is how to get inside someone’s head in a short period of time [and] use your time wisely so that the artist walks away satisfied.”

Articles

RC mentor Josh Monroy Talks How He Got Hired by Ludacris and Doing JoJo’s “Mad Love”

Background

In 1996, Scotty became Production Manager for the powerhouse production team, The Characters. It was during this time that Scott worked on numerous Platinum and Gold albums, including releases by SWV, Johnny Gill, Tyrese, B2K, Brian McKnight, Petey Pablo, and Faith Evans. Scotty has been lending his expertise in Studio and Production Management at Engine Room Audio since 2006.

Background

A true music industry veteran, Recording Connection mentor Ira Parker is the owner and chief producer/engineer for Maximus Music Records, one of the top recording studios in Charlotte, NC, serving clients like Jadakiss, DMX and many others. As a Recording Connection mentor, Ira is passionate about training up new talent and always looks for opportunities to push his students to expand their skills.

Articles

NUGGETS OF TRUTH: Recording Connection mentor Ira Parker on pushing the limits
Wes Hagy: From Mechanical Engineering to Audio Engineering

Background

Columbus Smith III, better known by his stage name Rahki (sometimes Rahk or Rahki Beats), is an American record producer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. He is known for his work with mentor DJ Khalil and acts such as Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Currensy, Evidence, Schoolboy Q, 50 Cent, Domo Genesis, Lecrae, Aloe Blacc, and more.

Background

Noel “Detail” Fisher has been behind the scenes crafting the biggest hits for Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Jennifer Lopez and more. Producing songs like the Grammy Award winning hit, “Drunk in Love” as well as, “7/11” for Beyonce’. Are just mere pieces of the eclectic producer of Detail+Music Studio whom gave us the heart felt “How to Love” by Lil Wayne, and the melodic “We Dem Boys” by Wiz Khalifa.

He connected regions through Drake’s “305 to My City”, and sent good vibes through the globe on Lil Wayne’s “No Worries”. These sonic historic landmarks established Detail as an artist who can do more than just create a hot beat. His songwriting and hookcraft abilities have helped him emerge as one of the biggest and most well-rounded talents in hip-hop today.

Detail was first known for being a co-executive on Ray J’s Raydiation, which was his first major contributions on an album. However, times have changed for the Detroit, MI native, “When you’re in Detroit there’s nothin’ to do. There’s no opportunity” Detail explains.

“All of the record labels left, and it’s just been a desert. All I could do was ,sing, play the piano and write. I came up from that era of just tapping into all genres of music. It’s not different than having a house and pulling in the person that does the air conditioner and the person that does the plumbing;’ that’s what I’m doing with my music. It’s a household and I’m connecting with the best people to make that happen.”

With production in the works for Big Sean and more, Detail is slated to not only be one of the most talked about names in music, but will be defining the sound of our modern generation.

Articles

ecording Connection mentor Ric Web and students collaborate to change the Nashville music scene!
Interview with Nashville Recording Connection Mentor Ric Web

Background

Scarlet War is a rapper, music producer, song writer, and actor. Along with being the president of NxtUp Media, Scarlet War teamed up with business partner Jay Sangz to form Sky9 Productions and the two have been hard at work crafting sounds for some of the industries hottest talent. Scarlet War has been featured in numerous magazines & publications and his current record “Twerkin It” is being played across the country on such stations as 103.3 FM WGIV Charlotte, 99.5 FM Milwaukee, 91.3 FM KPVU Houston, K-100 Radio Atlanta, 94.3 FM & 102.5 FM KDUC High Desert, CA and also has his a video “Bet Big Win Big” being featured in Shiekh Shoe Stores Nation Wide.

Background

Owner and founder of Undercaste Studios, has been producing, engineering and playing music for the majority of his life. With years of dedication and schooling, he has given life to a “diamond in the rough” recording studio focused on hip hop/rap and surrounding music genres. His approach to the studio as an engineer/producer is dedicated to improving and preparing the artist for the music industry. He believes an artist should have a life changing experience at Undercaste and be welcomed into it’s large family. Attention to detail and experience has made his artist development and final mixdown sought out by many recording artists. His business instinct and creativity insures future growth for Undercaste.

Background

My name is Mike Hemberger, also known as Jive The Universal or JiveDig. I was born and bred in NJ and have spent over a decade in various roles throughout the music scene. I began my music career as a teenager playing guitar, bass, singing and playing in several bands, all the while pushing myself as a solo hip-hop artist. I went to a local college and earned a degree in Music Theory and Music Technology. Right out of school I purchased Pro Tools, a Mac and a bunch of studio gear. I haven’t looked back since.

Background

I am owner founder of WiseGuy Records, Audio Engineer / Producer

Background

Award Winning Recording Engineer, Record Producer, Recording Studio Owner Pete deBoer is dedicated to bringing artistry and technology together to create the ultimate recording experience for his clients.

A Musician from the age of 6, Pete moved to New York City in 1998 to attend the Institute of Audio Research. Pete started his career working at several prominent NYC recording studios (The Magic Shop, Electric Lady, The Hit Factory, Avatar, Sear Sound, etc.). He learned hands-on from some of the best producers and engineers in the business including mentor Ron Saint Germain (Tool, Soundgarden, 311, Jimi Hendrix, Creed, Whitney Houston, Mick Jagger)

Over 20 years experience and a masters understanding of analog and digital recording technology have led to an eclectic catalogue of credits spanning across all genres. Pete deBoer is an expert in his field and pursues excellence in whatever part he plays in the creative process of music production, engineering and mixing.

Background

After working in some of the biggest studios in Los Angeles, under some of the biggest names in music, Doug Boulware partnered with visionary Jason Ries to bring you The Abstract LA. Doug’s start in music began as a child vocalist in music theater. His influences range from the big band and jazz present in the household to Motown and oldies his mother insisted on! Doug’s obsession for music took a more contemporary turn in his formidable years in the early electronic music scene in LA. Doug has been an underground house music DJ since the 90’s which led to him to his true passion, music production and songwriting. The Abstract LA represents the culmination of a lifelong dream based of a lifelong love of music!

Articles

Recording Connection Mentor Doug Boulware Opens his Own Studio
Recording Connection mentor Doug Boulware: What it Means to Hustle

Background

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to build a studio that attracted and ignited great musicians. A place that offered a Sound & Vibe that couldn’t be found anywhere else and would become responsible for exceptional music and memories.

I started DJ’ing in 1995, shortly after moving to Detroit metro from Orange County, CA. A young skateboard and snowboard punk-rocker that fell in love with hip-hop in a graffiti filled basement in Novi, MI and in the streets of Detroit, Chicago, New York and Philly.

I started making beats in the late 90’s on Pro Tools with my partner in crime, Bill. Before we understood sampling, we used to download one note of an instrument at a time from Limewire, pitch-shift it up and down and write melodies. Considering my love affair with vinyl was already deep in the sheets, getting into sampling records opened me to music I had never explored before. Until today, vinyl is my main gateway to musical education, inspiration and sensation. For the next 7+ years I made beats, collaborated with artists I admired and even managed to put out a single project, THE GREEN ALBUM.

After a few year hiatus, I was introduced to a friend with whom I started producing music with live musicians. Since then, I am more interested in working with the human element and brilliance of great musicians than anything else.

Now, after virtually a lifetime of living and loving music, I am proud to bring all my knowledge, skills, experiences, resources and relationships together in the name of a dream.

So, I cashed out my life savings and went all in. Sound & Vibe Recording Studio is the dream. The music, people and memories being made here already have been a direct reflection of the dream and I’m overwhelmed by the people and opportunities that present themselves virtually every day.

Background

Recording Connection programs are designed to put you in the middle of the action so you can soak up as much experience and information as possible. With Conrad Osipowicz, you’ll be paired with a mentor that has been in the industry for years, both in the recording studio and out.

As an audio engineer, he’s worked with The Dave Matthews Band, Dropkick Murphys, Regina Spektor, and the Pixies. He also has experience working with live audio for a large Boston radio station and helping companies test new products for music production.

“I guess I’ve always been more on the technical side of the music industry,” Osipowicz says. “I was always interested in computers and technology. I produce, too. It’s not that I exclusively engineer. I’ll produce with full bands and indie rock bands and up and coming artists here in the DC area, but I was definitely more inclined on the technical side of operations.”

Starting from the Ground Up

Although many of our externs have some experience before coming to the Recording Connection Audio Engineering & Music Production Program, it certainly isn’t a requirement. Our mentors utilize our industry-oriented curriculum to help students build a solid foundation around what the industry is looking for now, not 10 years ago. Osipowicz knows a little something about building from the ground up.

“It started as an empty room, and I slowly added equipment and software…A vocal booth from eBay, at one point the whisper room booth, a piece at a time. Just kind of recording a couple of sessions for two or three weeks and then buying a new mic on eBay. And then recording another week or two and buying a new plug-in online. Just kind of piecing together whatever I could.

The studio is honestly one of the top studios in the area…I’ve got at this point some of the best mics, best preamps, best vintage compressors. Some really unique items that you might not find at any other studio on the East Coast.”

Hands-on Experience

The most important thing is getting your hands dirty. Even with just a laptop and the right digital audio workstation, externs can start putting what they learn into practice. That’s why Osipoicz feels learning in a professional studio—not a classroom—gives people the best chance to really learn the craft.

“I am a firm believer that practicing and learning in the studio in a hands-on manner will always yield a more informed and experienced studio engineer than someone who simply learns via lectures, YouTube tutorials, discussion forums, etc…. For that reason, I often encourage my students during their lessons to record a friend’s band, or an individual singer-songwriter who might play acoustic guitar and sing, or play piano and sing.

That way, the artist can act as a guinea pig for the students, but also walk away with a professional well-mixed recording. The student gets to practice on a real recording artist in a real recording studio. Everybody wins.”

That’s what Recording Connection has to offer: Working with an industry insider on the best gear, building a portfolio, and learning how to build a studio the right way. If you’re looking to Amplify Your Life, apply to The Recording Connection today.

Background

In almost any profession, if you want to be the best, you work with the best. That’s why Recording Connection has secured some of the best audio engineers and music producers from the United States. In Washington, D.C., Mark Moreau is a two-time Grammy winner and has been working in the industry for decades.

Moreau has worked with Madonna, Rage Against The Machine, Roger Waters, and Ziggy Marley, just to name a few. As a mentor with Recording Connection, he passes that experience on to you, both on the technical side and the personal side. But, he’s careful to point out, it’s up to the student to make the most of their time with him:

“The thing that I like to see the most is that they’re just hungry for getting to the next step, and learning more, and absorbing all of that. And I think that’s a great quality and attitude that will help take them far in the long run…

The attitude of somebody who’s really open, ready to learn, eager to absorb the information and to put it into practice in their own work…. Curiosity is a big thing. When I see the students coming in, I love it when they’re full of questions like, ‘What’s that?’ and ‘Why is that going like this?’ and ‘What’s going on there?’…. You see these lightbulbs go off and the next time they come in the following week, their song that they were working on has just taken this huge leap forward.”

We’re Rooting for You

Being a mentor isn’t just a side job at Recording Connection. We are just as interested in your success as you are. Our mentors are chosen because they want to make sure the next generation of audio engineers and music producers come up with learning what the music industry needs.

“That’s neat to see and that’s a great part of being a mentor, too,” Moreau says. “Being able to help them discover those things and take it from the academic part of like, ‘This is what this thing does’ to ‘Here’s how you could actually use it for the type of music that you’re doing’ and ‘Here’s where you could get creative with it.’ That not only makes their productions better, it makes them feel better. Then they learn it on a deeper level than just like, ‘Oh, that’s what that knob does.’”

Fully Immersed from Day One

The Recording Connection Audio Engineering and Music Production Program will place you with a mentor in a professional studio from the start. The recording studio is your classroom, and the curriculum is created by mentors who understand the industry from the inside. However, as we said before, the most successful externs are those that give it both heart and soul.

“One of my (externs) Nick Leupen, is a great example of that,” Moreau says. “He’s a composer/producer in the Recording Connection Ableton Electronic Music Production Program and has an insatiable appetite for learning. He’s not only on it when it comes to the course work and being a great student, but constantly curious about tips I can give him for working with other artists, etiquette with clients, and is always looking at the bigger picture of what he needs to know for his career. That’s a great sign of future success.”

Moreau is here to help Amplify Your Life. Are you ready? Apply today.

Background

If you look up the phrase “Renaissance Man,” you’ll probably end up with millions of results for Leonardo da Vinci. Painter of the Mona Lisa, an expert in anatomy and physiology, and noted engineer and inventor, da Vinci would investigate an idea or notion until he became the foremost expert in the field.

But he died more than 450 years before the first digital audio workstations were even conceptualized. So instead, we’ll turn our gaze to our resident Ableton Live expert and one of the most accomplished Recording Connection mentors: G.W. Childs. He literally wrote the book i.e. co-authored our curriculum on the software, as well as the Reason and Creator curricula.  From how to get music from your imagination into your DAW, to making music for video games, to building your own electronic instruments, G.W. Childs knows and has done all of it.

He was a sound designer on Reason as well as a sound designer, composer, and voice editor for video games such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: The Sith Lords; Star Wars: Battlefront; and LucasArts’ The Force Unleashed. He was also enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he co-founded the band Soil & Eclipse. He was a songwriter, keyboardist, and producer for the electro-industrial group that found extensive airplay throughout North America and Europe in the late 90s.

He even led a recent talk about working and learning during the time of a pandemic, leading a Q&A session with noted audio engineers. The session brought in people from around the country hoping to find out how Covid-19 changed the way we look at remote learning.

If you’re looking for one of the most direct ways of starting a career in the music business, Recording Connection will place you in a one-on-one situation with Childs or other industry insiders. You’ll learn how to work with a DAW, how to run a studio, how to work with artists, and even the business side of being an audio engineer or music producer.

“Really take advantage of the lessons,” Childs says. “The more time you put into the course, the more content it’s possible for you to create. That really is building your own brand. So that’s the first thing: the more you put into it, the more that you’ll get back from it.

“I’m not just talking about the education you get,” Childs added. “Literally, what you walk away with is part of your discography now. That’s huge. It’s something that goes on the resume now. So if you have the opportunity to make five song sketches that week that you could use for the entirety of the course, do the five sketches.”

And it will take time, drive, and determination. However, when you enroll in the Recording Connection Audio Engineering and Music Production Program, you’ll have the guidance of experienced mentors like Childs.

“There are certain things that you have to have within a song,” Childs says. “Just the same way there’s certain things you have to have in a haiku, or in a poem, or even in a paragraph, or even in an essay. You got to have an intro, you got to have the meat of it, and you have to have the ending. And that’s just the basic form of it. And everybody wants those parts of it, but how do you do it well?”

Want to find out? Amplify Your Life by applying today.

Background

The manager and chief engineer at Miller Street Studios, Joe “Dante” Delfino has established himself as one of the top audio engineers in Chicago. Working with established mega-groups like Wu-Tang Clan as well as up-and-comers like Ta’Rhonda Jones, Delfino sees the benefits of the Recording Connection mentor programs.

“Out here in Chicago, we have Columbia College which is a big music school,” Delfino said. “I’ve had interns that have gone four years there, and they came in here and didn’t even know how to basically run a Pro Tools session.

“It’s a big difference when you’re learning with somebody who is actually doing this for a living and in the industry right now versus in a classroom where it may be somebody that doesn’t have that much real-world experience or has been out of it for a number of years. Definitely more beneficial that you’re learning with somebody that’s actually doing it.”

Learn More Than The Gear

While some classes may teach you how to work with Ableton Live or Logic Pro, how to place your monitors for optimal performance, or even the differences in mics, the Recording Connection Audio Engineering and Music Production Program give you something no book can: Opportunities.

You won’t be working with every act that comes into the Miller Street Studios. But when your chance to sit in on a session finally arrives, this is the time to shine. An impressive performance by you may make a connection with the artists, who may pass your name on to other artists. In the music industry, if you don’t get your name out there, no one will.

“One of the most important things I try and teach (is) you can’t rely on anybody to give you clients,” Delfino says. “There are tons of engineers graduating from all sorts of programs all the time. There are thousands of guys that are not going to be doing this full time for that simple fact.”

Impress your mentor during your time with Recording Connection and you could get more opportunities to work with clients. The more people that know your name—and your talent— the easier it will be to bring people into the studio. That will really impress the studio chiefs.

“You got to get out there, hit the pavement and shake hands, hand out business cards, and get people talking about you,” Delfino said. “That’s one of the things I really kind of push these guys on is, don’t just rely on me to give you sessions; do some of the footwork yourself too. That’ll speed up the process. That is how I really was able to start my own business because I had gone out, done the footwork, promoted myself, and gotten clients that wanted to work with me.”

Learn from The Inside

Recording Connection programs are designed to give you access to the industry and learn it from the inside. In fact, many mentors hire externs after they finish the program – or even during the program! Delfino likes having potential hires under his tutelage because he knows they’ll be taught the right way.

“I think having the ability to be able to teach these guys exactly the way you run your business and the tools that you’re using in the studio is really key,” Delfino says. “Because that’s not really something you can teach in a classroom. I’ve already hired a couple of people, students that have gone through the Recording Connection.”

We can’t guarantee you’ll be hired right off the bat. But what we can guarantee is you’ll learn how to work in a studio, how to interact with acts, and learn the gear used in the music production business. What you do with that knowledge is up to you. Ready to Amplify your life? Apply today.

Background

Donny Baker of ES Audio in Los Angeles, CA has decades of experience in the music industry, both in studio and behind the console. He spent 13 years working as a touring engineer for some of music’s most influential and dynamic artists including: Madonna, Chick Corea, Aerosmith, Herbie Hancock, and more. Donny then moved his talents into the sphere of recording and audio engineering production at ES Audio alongside CEO and studio owner Jo Ann Bush.

As a Recording Connection mentor for more than 16 years, Donny’s passionate about helping tomorrow’s audio engineers, music producers, and music industry professionals discover the very thing that sets them on fire, and use their passion along with the insight Donny’s able to provide to create a solid game plan for building their careers.

As a result of their hard work and the expert training and experience they’ve been able to receive through our mentor-led programs, a great number of Donny’s former Recording Connection students have gone on build amazing careers for themselves:

Taylor Crommie recently recorded and mixed for DJ Paul (of Three 6 Mafia). Other artists include: Kembe X, Jay Rock, Wifi Funeral, YelaWolf, Lance Skiiwalker, Eric Hudson, Rob Vicious, and Reddish Blu.

Uriel Soto Jr. aka “Junior” got hired full-time at ES Audio (DJ Paul, Yelawolf, Yung Gravy). Now, Uriel is also a Recording Connection mentor.

Skyler Felix went on to work with Disney and VH1. Credits also include a top-10 record on the UK dance charts.

Morning Estrada has recently engineered for Aminé, Rosalía, Brandy, Trinidad James, Tech N9NE, Jessie J, and more.

Articles

Video: What to expect with Donny Baker
Helping students find their place
NUGGETS OF TRUTH: Recording Connection mentor Donny Baker on what it takes to make it in recording
JoAnn Bush, owner of ES Audio in Los Angeles