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Issue #34
by L. Swift and Jeff McQ
2014 Pensado’s Place Scholarship recipient Dani Munoz has been on the go ever since he graduated Recording Connection earlier this year, after apprenticing with Hal Batt at Afterhours Music in Miami, Florida. Most recently, Dani has been on tour in Europe doing Front-Of-House (FOH) mixing for none other than rap icon Flo Rida!
And since Dani speaks about his experiences and observations so eloquently, we figured we’d just have him tell you himself.
“In Europe I’ve toured primarily mixing FOH for Flo Rida, then I’ve done tours mixing monitors for Animal Collective, Tour Manager/ FOH engineer for Mapei and a few other smaller projects.
“I feel really fortunate to say that my journey in sound engineering has taken me to places such as Germany, France, Italy, Poland, UK, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Turkey and Russia.
“A lot of people don’t know, but Flo Rida is probably a lot bigger overseas than in the US. This means that shows with an artist like him can get really crazy and energetic…I think the European crowds are a lot more receptive to music and get wilder, especially in the big music festivals that I’ve had the chance to work in.
“One time in Turkey, Flo came out to perform a song in the crowd (as he usually does) and things got so out of hand that we had to stop the show and Flo had to ask the people to clear a path for him ’cause he and his bodyguards could simply not move! That’s how crazy it can get.
“I would advise anyone to go to any major European music festival. Not only will you have a blast, but you’ll be exposed to many different [kinds of] music and cultures in one place.
“I can honestly say that hands-on, real-world education in this field is paramount. The best comparison I can make to explain this is that any driving school can teach you how to drive a car in a controlled environment. However, chances are that once you’re on the road driving on a single lane on a two-way street and have a semi-truck coming at you at full speed, swerving into your lane, only experience will help you avoid an accident, keeping control of your car and avoiding a really bad situation.”
Hard working and motivated, Dani Munoz is building upon his Recording Connection experiences and connections every day! You could be next!
Check out more Student Successes here.
The Recording Connection wants to see YOU at the upcoming Pensado Vintage King Gear Expo 2014! This event is coming up in Nashville on September 27, and will feature great opportunities for you to check out the latest gear, chat with industry pros and top musical artists, and even win prizes!
Our consultant Brian Kraft will be hanging out at the Recording Connection booth at the expo, along with some of our top mentors like Sean Giovanni, Ryan Hewitt, and Ric Webb. You’ll have the chance to meet them, ask questions, take pictures with the team, sign up for discounts, and more! If you pre-register with us HERE to let us know you’re coming, we’ll even have a FREE dog tag flash drive waiting for you at the booth!
Hosted by Vintage King and our great friends and partners at Pensado’s Place, the Pensado Vintage King Gear Expo 2014 takes place from 10am-4pm in Nashville, TN. For all the details and expo tickets, visit the Expo website. Remember to register with us at the link below to reserve your FREE flash drive! Looking forward to seeing you there!!
Pensado’s Place/Vintage King Gear Expo 2014
We’re soon to announce the winner of last month’s Instagram contest, but we’re doing it again in September! Tag us in your Instagram photos showing candid shots in the studio or working with artists, and you can WIN!
Here’s how it works:
All disciplines included: Recording, Radio, and Film!
Share unique and/or inspiring candid photos on Instagram of you, your mentor, the studio, or people you’re working with. Anything fun and exciting!
To submit an entry, simply include the appropriate hashtag on Instagram:
#recordingconnection
Mike Johnson, founder and chief engineer of Clear Track Studios in Clearwater, Florida, has been one of our top Recording Connection mentors for the past several years, having helped lots of audio students forge their own music industry careers. He recently touched base with us to talk about what’s been going with his apprentices at Clear Track.
RRF: What are your star students up to? What is their studio time like? Have you hired any of them?
Mike Johnson: We have a student, Seth Hamilton, who is actually in a session with one of our engineers as we speak, setting up a drum tracking session. Seth is a very positive young guy who works very well with others. I’d like to see him do well in his future. Another student, Charity Bradley, has booked and run sessions for her own artist. She, again, is a good student who I think will pursue music to some degree.
RRF: What’s going on at the studio? Any new additions, new equipment, etc.? What sorts of projects or collaborations are in the works?
Mike: Our Studio B has been majorly upgraded this summer. It used to be a minimally equipped production room, now it has Avid ICON console, SSL Sigma Summing, SSL Bus Compressor, PCM AB2s main monitors, and more… In Studio A, honestly, my favorite upgrade this year has been the “Dramastic Obsidian.” It’s the most sonically noticeable improvement that no other bus compressor I’ve ever used can beat.
There are so many projects we work on in our studio that I honestly can’t keep up with what or who it is we’re working with. I know we have recent radio singles on the Billboard charts at the moment, artists we’ve produced who are signing deals, TV, commercials, etc…
RRF: Describe your personal one-on-one approach to education. How do you keep the students engaged?
Mike: I find it’s best that I have the students do “exactly what we do.” For instance, I have them set up an entire drum mic/recording setup in our Studio A live room. I have them do recall on the SSL, and zero out the console afterwards. These are the types of hands-on activities that keep them interested and actually prepare them for the real world.
Learn more about our cutting-edge curriculum that places you in real studios here.
The Recording Connection is partnering with yet another world-class mentor in the Bay Area of California: Jermaine Hamilton, audio engineer and co-founder of Studio Circle Recordings in San Mateo!
Located halfway down the peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Studio Circle offers convenient access for artists and organizations throughout the Bay Area and Silicon Valley, offering top-notch recording, mixing, mastering, voice-over and even video production services in their state-of-the-art, 3000-square foot facility. Studio Circle Recordings is a great place for our recording apprentices to learn the music business and get plugged into the industry. We’re excited to see how our students thrive under Jermaine Hamilton’s mentorship.
Welcome, Jermaine!
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