‘What is a Grind Opp?,’ you ask? It is a job opportunity. A help wanted ad.
Recording Connection grad Branden Gieske
is immersing himself in the industry
Recording Connection grad Branden Gieske
From an early age, Recording Connection grad Branden Gieske knew he wanted a career in the music industry.
“I’ve been doing music my whole life,” he says.
“I’m French, and I actually lived in Paris for a good portion of my life. So, I grew up with the electronic, EDM, Deep House, Trance-style…When I lived in Paris, I actually DJ’ed for three years starting at 16 years old. So I would be DJ’ing on Thursday, Fridays and going to school and all of that. But that’s when I got really big in electronic style music, and that’s pretty much what I was producing at that time.”
When it came time to go to college, though, Branden took a bit of a detour.
“I went to Colorado University for environmental engineering,” he says,
“and dropped out because it really wasn’t what I wanted to do. Music is what I really wanted to do.”
To pursue his career in music production, Branden considered Full Sail because some friends of his had gone there, but then he found the Recording Connection online and was intrigued by the on-the-job training approach.
“I’m a very visual learner,” he says.
“That’s how I learned pretty much everything that I know right now, just by watching people.”
Branden decided to enroll, and he was placed as an apprentice with Ricky Rich at 713 Studios in Houston, TX. Right away, Branden took the opportunity to immerse himself in studio life and showed up for sessions as much as he could, making friends not only with his mentor, but with the other engineers.
“To me, it’s repetition,” he says.
“When I first started going here, I was sitting in sessions with Ryan. Every time there was a session, I would get in the opportunity to get into it. I was just kind of waiting here. I would go. Now, I’m really good friends with both the lead engineers. They know I do things for them, they do things for me. That’s how I learn. I’ll be like, ‘Hey, I got a question about this song I’m working on. Could you help me?’ So I’ll actually watch them mix my song and I can watch what they’re doing.”
Branden says he’s also gotten the opportunity to sit in on sessions with some notable artists—for example, rapper T-Wayne.
“This is where he records,” says Branden.
“First session, I was in there with him. Which is funny because T-Wayne’s best friend, who’s a film photographer, I actually when to school with him in Colorado. I knew him, which is crazy…I think I am the only [apprentice] here where T-Wayne allows me to be in a session with him.”
Before long, Branden’s consistent presence in the studio started to pay off, and he became a regular on projects in the studio.
“Like Ryan, for instance, he’s a lead engineer here…I know all of his clients so well that whenever he tells me they’re coming in I already know what mic they need setup, everything. I just do everything because I remember it…I know every single type of mic that we use here. And I know how to patch like it’s the back of my hand. I know all the plug-ins to use. I really delved into this world. I made it what I do. I wake up every day, come here, and do as much as I can. Every day. That’s all I do.”
Recently graduated from the program, Branden has already received a prestigious job offer—the opportunity to produce and engineer at Pyramid Studios in Tribeca, NY. For now, however, he says he enjoys where he is at 713 Studios and is hoping to work into a position there. His long-term goal, he says, is to have his own studio, but for now he’s happy to be working in the industry wherever there’s opportunity to be had.
“This is what I want to do,” he says.
“What I want to do is fully immerse myself in this industry as much as possible. I’m just doing it because this is what I love to do.”
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