This is your Real Orange County In-Studio Education

Background

Recording Connection mentor Gregory Hainer is an interesting case. Usually our Recording mentors work primarily in the music industry but Gregory has made a successful career for himself in music as well as film, television, and video game entertainment as a music composer, voice over specialist, Sound FX designer and mixer on numerous projects including: Plants vs. Zombies 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Guild Wars 2, Prince of Egypt, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, We Were Soldiers, Dishonored, Black Hawk Down, and many more.

Gregory does most of his work from Scorpio Sound, his boutique studio located in the Hollywood Hills. His unique skills-set, talent, and setup enables him to do work larger audio studios can’t. “From a client’s perspective, I own the studio, so there is no middle management overhead to worry about because the owner/operator is also the creative head. This means I have the freedom to choose to spend a little more time with my clients in order to get things perfect versus having to be out of a studio by a specific time.” Specialty might as well be Gregory’s middle name. “I get quite a few calls for the most unusual or difficult to design stuff that many in-house teams can’t quite seem to pull off convincingly, such as creating sounds for creatures, magic spells, sci-fi effects, light sabers and the like. But I will also get the occasional call to do the less-fun direct stuff like cleaning up poorly recorded production audio from a film, or digging out inaudible archival dialogue from excessive background noise.”

On top of working in the film, TV, and video game industries Gregory also takes on Recording Connection externs and teaches them about both the industry and the craft of audio engineering.

Articles

RC grad Andrew Holscher reports back on his Eddie Kramer Experience
Recording Connection mentor Gregory Hainer on Vibe and Flow

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

Asaf Fulks is a record artist, songwriter, music producer, sound engineer, videographer, graphic designer, educator, author, inventor and founder of OC Recording in 2005. He discovered his passion for music production during his college years. While studying Computer Science and Economics at Denison University in Ohio, he also spent time recording and producing in his dorm room. After graduating in 2004, he moved to his family in Hollywood and eventually relocated to Orange County to work for a book publisher. His boss recognized his passion for music and encouraged him to set up a studio in his unused office space. With minimal gear and few contacts Asaf set up shop and The OC Recording Company opened its doors in 2005. [^]

Articles

Recording Connection Grads find work at The OC Recording Company Inc!

Background

Led by producer-songwriter Josquin des Pres, the Track Star Studios team is comprised of some of the best studio musicians and vocalists in the industry. Over the years, Josquin has earned the respect of his peers in various areas of the music industry. His credits include multiple songwriting collaborations with Bernie Taupin (of Elton John fame), as well as hundreds of song placements in film, TV and publishing. His production credits surpass 150 albums and CDs for various major and indie labels.

Articles

RC mentor Josquin Des Pres Hires from Within
Recording Connection mentor/music industry veteran Josquin des Pres chats about his musical journey and why he loves to hire his apprentices
Josquin Des Pres: Recording Connection Prepares You for the Real World

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

Producer/engineer Bill Davidow owns and runs Virlouise Recording in Anaheim, CA. His client list includes names like Israel Houghton, Darren Vegas, Johnny Come Lately, I Am Ghost, Guy Fieri to name a few.
And he’s been mentoring our students for nearly a decade.

The reason? He says he wants to give back and help the next generation of audio professionals but there’s also an ulterior motive at play. Nearly all of the Virlouise’s engineers and studio assistants came through the program. Bills says, “I’m going to hire the guys that I train from the Recording Connection. I’ll just use one of my externs if I’m going to hire someone because I trained them.”

Why? The curriculum is practical, the training is practical, and RC grads are already accustomed to being in a professional environment. Turns out, getting a real world understanding of the craft pays off (duh). Bill recalls trying to hire people coming out of other programs:

“I had a kid come in from Full Sail. He did the four-year plan at Full Sail. He does the L.A. Recording Academy, another $18,000 or whatever. [He] pops into my studio. I point in the corner and say, ‘what’s that stuff in the corner?’ He doesn’t understand what a UPS is.”

Ask Bill about the students who succeed and he’ll tell you, they’re proactive and are really into the program. They “took the initiative and learned the stuff.” Two successes are Recording Connection Nick Becker who’s currently finishing the Master’s program and is gearing up for a job at a solid production house. Coby Thompson, a recent grad, has a paid gig mixing a rock band.

So is learning the gear and technology all it’s about? Not really. It’s about getting a well-rounded skillset that serves you well in the studio and the world. “Sometimes people have a lot of skill on the audio engineering and producing side but don’t have good people skills and don’t know how to make connections. Sometimes they have the opposite.”

No matter where you’re at today, the best externs remain confident and aim high. Speaking of the inner strength it takes to build a career in music, Bill quotes his friend Harriet Schock, the Grammy nominated singer: “‘If you’re trying to hit the ceiling, you probably won’t, but if you shoot for the moon you’ll hit the ceiling.’ And hitting the ceiling in the music industry is making a living out of music. So people have to be confident and believe in themselves.”

Background

Early on in his career, Michael teamed with Pat Leonard, where he used his degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) and his lifelong study of music to design more than sixty recording.html studios, including Johnny Yuma recording.html. During this time Michael engineered several Madonna LPs, including “Like A Prayer” (Triple Platinum) and “Who’s That Girl” (Platinum). He also had the opportunity to work with such superstar talent as Pink Floyd, Bryan Ferry, Kenny Loggins, Julian Lennon, Meredith Brooks, Peter Cetera, and Jody Watley, among others.

Michael’s shift to producer was a natural outgrowth of his overall goal. “My aim is to support the artist’s musical vision, draw the best performances out and help them focus creatively,” says Michael. Pursuing this goal has led to successful creative teaming with such innovative artists as The New Radicals (MCA), Suicidal Tendencies (Epic), 3T (MJJ/550Music), Goo Goo Dolls (Warner Bros.) Brownstone (MJJ/550 Music), Spectacle (Supreme/Island), Morman Brown (Warner Bros.) Redd Kross (Atlantic), Infectious Grooves (550 Music), Tura Satana (Formerly Manhole – Modern Music), Low Pop Suicide (World Domination), and The Young Dubliners (Scotti Bros.). Michael also produced a Gold Album for Portugal’s recording.html artist Blind Zero (EMI/Valentim De Carvalho).

Lately Michael’s passion for developing promising new artists has taken him from St. Louis, where he produced indie band The Urge (since signed to Immortal/Epic), to San Diego, where he produced Steve Poltz (co-writer of “You Were Meant For Me” recorded by Jewel and since signed to Mercury), and back to his own Titan Recording Studio in Sherman Oaks, CA, where Michael has completed a project for new vocal artist, Anastacia (signed to Epic/Sony as the newest protege of Tommy Matola). Anastacia recently reached Multi-Platinum status in Europe. Most recently, Michael discovered, recorded and produced Kelly Clarkson before she went on to become the winner of the first “American Idol”. In the quest to make great records, identifying and developing new talent will continue to be at the head of Michael’s personal “Top 10”.

Articles

Michael Vail Blum on Working with Artists and What He Looks for in Apprentices

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

Learn from Recording Connection mentor Zack Phillips or one of our mentors in the Bay Area.

Discovering his love of music while growing up in New York City in the ‘80s, Zack Phillips’ approach to music is “part science, part mysticism.” Gaining experience as a DJ and live sound engineer, Phillips received a formal education in audio engineering.

From there, Phillips honed his craft working at several studios before finally establishing his own studio: FreqLab Recording. In addition to recording, editing, mixing, and production, Phillips also works on developing the artists he works with, exploring innovative and inventive ways of engineering audio. Phillips has worked with a wide range of artists, including Talib Kweli, The Kooks, and Blue Hawaii.

You’ll be working in a state-of-the-art facility renovated by Phillips himself. While he made sure to design the studio to get the most out of the space, he also wanted to make it as comfortable as possible for engineers and artists alike.

If you study at the San Francisco Recording Connection, you’ll be working with people as passionate about music as you are. Up and comers, established stars, and other entertainment entities such as Comedy Central or Electronic Arts. But you won’t be watching TV or playing video games – you’ll be coming to work hard every day.

Background

Learn from Recording Connection mentor Donny Baker or one of our mentors in the greater LA area.

Donny Baker, Studio Manager and Lead Tech at ES Studios in Burbank, is able to summarize his job as the Recording Connection Burbank, CA, mentor in a single sentence:

“We help with the weaknesses and push towards the strengths.”

It’s a simple concept, but takes a lot of work to see through to the end. Baker has spent most of his adult life in the music business, touring as an engineer for nearly 13 years before finding a home in the studio.

Baker has been with ES Studios since 2003, and brings a wealth of knowledge to the Recording Connection program. He believes in the proven time-tested approach of learning hands-on within the studio environment. Sure there are books (an eBook, actually), quizzes, exercises, and tests. Oftentimes though, Baker likes to start with the student, see where their curiosity is leading them.

Sometimes Baker just wants to see what the student has to offer.

“It’s a guideline,” Baker said of the Burbank audio engineering Recording Connection course. “It’s used as a way to get from point A to Point Z. We can take a student who knows nothing about recording or doesn’t know much about computers and we can make that person an engineer.”

The one-on-one mentoring, the hanging out and talking, and the personal attention Baker gives to his students are why he has been such a successful mentor for us. He finds out where the student wants to go and he guides the program in that direction.

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