ONE NSU MAGAZINE PRODUCING VS. ENGINEERING Producing at a base level is simply creating sound or sonics. Many people say they’re producers, and they basically make beats or compose tracks. Sound engineering involves cleaning up the track, making sure there are no unnecessary, unwanted sounds, and making sure the sound levels are good. SONIC VISION I have significant insight on what sounds good, what lyrics fit in certain pockets, what the public wants to hear, and what the new slang is that could help make a track more relatable. When I work with an artist, I’m able to say, “Try it this way, sing it in this style, or say it in this tone.” I have an ear for knowing what the consumer wants to hear, which gives me an edge. TRAINED EAR It took me a while to train my ears to hear things, such as poor sibilance. When singers pronounce their S’s, they often make extra S sounds, which I try to eliminate. The same goes for pops or plosives with P’s, F’s, and T’s, which is why I try to tone the harshness out of how they’re pronounced. You’re trying to blend and smooth everything out, as you don’t want the frequencies in the voice clashing with the beat. WRLD COURT WRLD Court is a group of nine producers, engineers, and artistic-minded people. Our goal is to create diverse types of music, build our sound/brand, and take it global. The idea to create WRLD Court happened one day at my friend’s house, which has a studio. Several of my musician friends and I link up every weekend and play music, and I was sitting there, listening to the distinctive styles of music being created. One day I said, “This sounds like a whole-world collective,” which is how WRLD Court was born. CREATIVITY AND COLLEGE My parents are very school based, so when I told them I was going to pursue music, as much as they love it, they said, “No, you need to be a finance major.” It’s funny, because I’m realizing that your parents are right the majority of the time. When I went to school for music, that was my compromise. I also feel that in order to not get completely lost in the process of making art—because bills need to be paid and you want to sustain a certain lifestyle in order to do so—earning a B.A. in Finance from NSU will allow me to elevate my business perspective, while ensuring a stable income stream. FINAL THOUGHTS I have many niche interests. I like Formula 1 racing and watching grand masters play chess. I’m a volunteer coach, write treatments for videographers, and am an advocate for learning and researching everything. I feel as if people are too content with surface-level answers. I need to know the why and the how. 47
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