RECORDING MENTOR

 


















































































































































































































































































































































































































APPRENTICE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES, PROGRESS, AND
WORDS FROM THEIR MENTORS

The best references for our apprentice-mentor training come from others like you with the same interests and goals who are going through or have completed their training.

Take a look at some of the varied and interesting backgrounds of some of our apprentices (past and present) in their own words. Although not a requirement, these autobiographies were submitted by those who chose to do so during their initial screening. Their resumes and bios helped in the interview process as an introduction and also as an affirmation of what they plan to accomplish and why. It's proven to be quite a motivating exercise for the candidates, and helps to foster a beginning rapport with their prospective mentor.

Maybe you'll see a little (or a lot) of yourself mirrored in some of their stories, so be challenged or inspired. They did it...they're doing it. And so can you!

**To proceed directly to the application, click HERE to begin the process.**

CLICK ON ANY INTRO FOR THEIR FULL BACKGROUND AND PROGRESS

JEREMY MILLER was a 23-year-old with experience at an event production company and a love for recording when he applied to our program. Eventually, he was hired by his mentor in Los Angeles, multi-platinum award-winning recording engineer, Dave Banta.


"Now I finally feel like I'm on my way. Having had enough experience in the industry to know that the only real way to get in was to get your foot in the door and be a gopher for a while, this was the way that made the most sense. I'm very eager to get started in the program. I have enough experience to know that I will do very well; all I needed was a chance, and now I've got it."

"I'm real happy with the way this is working out. Jeremy has learned a ton of stuff… He is very talented. Fairly quickly he became competent enough to put with some friends of mine. He's now first-engineering with them while I work in the other room. He is doing wonderfully. He even helped me set up my second studio. I gave Jeremy this record plus another full paying record to do and am opening my third studio near Universal Studios this week."

Dave Banta
RAINMAN PRODUCTIONS
Hollywood, CA

Click here for complete bio.

JEFF OLSON is a producer, engineer, songwriter, and musician with 25 years experience in music. Through his training with his mentors at Pachyderm Recording, he has now started his own music company.


From his web site at wwww.rovingaudioproductions.com:

"In 2002 Jeff started (training in) a mentor program through www.getamentor.com. Through Phillip Trout and Jim Nikel, he ended up at Pachyderm working with Brent Sigmeth. ‘I cannot express how grateful I am for the experience’ Jeff says. ‘I learned a lot just being a fly on the wall. Sitting in on some sessions with Brent has been a crown jewel for career development.

He is a great guy and knows his way around that studio like the back of his hand. His interpersonal communications skills are superior. I didn't find out until later that Brent recorded "South Coast" by Grammy award winning Ramblin' Jack Elliot. I was just happy to be in the studio and Brent is just a great guy who loves music. To start things off I am going to be offering this recording service. I like writing, producing, and performing music and enjoy meeting new people. Recording it allows me to apply my engineering background and integrate science with art. It's great to be a part of all that. Helping bring the artist's vision to life is a wonderful thing. I look forward to working with artists, studios, and live recording at venues in the Twin Cities area."

Click here for complete bio.

CHARLINE COLEMAN - 34-year-old laborer who has had a lifelong dream to be involved in music recording. "I have helped some local artists; they liked the results, but I know it could have been better."


"Hey how is everything going? I am just getting over the flu. However I have lost no studio time. This happened during my vacation. Every weekend, I have hands on training in the studio, with Gary Sanning, owner of Sound Imagery.

With this new found freedom, I don't mind going to work at all anymore. Though I know there is much to learn still, there seems to be a calm over the rest of my life. I have met a few clients and have been fortunate enough to witness some editing and a few sessions. Interact with the clients and get to know their personalities. So in a way I am learning all around Business etiquette, which will help me in the future. Well, I will keep you posted of future happenings. Again I appreciate this opportunity and thank you."

**

"Sorry it has taken me so long to send an update. However, I have been very busy. Which is a good thing. On the 15th of December I had my first session, which actually went into several days. I was able to guide the clients through proper hook-up, getting levels set, and recording their performance. Studio etiquette definitely plays a grand role in the business. You have to listen to the client(s), get their input and help correct any problems. I was very excited, and since have assisted in two more sessions. This is just the beginning. Well I will try to keep in touch on a regular basis. Again thanks for everything."

"Charline is a wonderful student. I could use another good producer/engineer so I have already decided to hire her as soon as she handles her first session on her own. That's always my test for my engineers.

Thanks for everything,"

Gary Sanning
SOUND IMAGERY
Elida, OH

Click here for complete bio.

SAMANTHA DEFAZIO – 20-year-old security worker who overcame a tough childhood. She landed in the gifted child program, but dropped out of high school to help support her mom and family.


"…no matter how bad things got, all I had to do was turn on some music and all of my problems seemed to just melt away.

When I would go to my friends’ houses and everybody was partying, I would be playing the songs for people to dance to or going through their CDs looking for something else to put on from what has now become my very large tape collection.

One day one of my friends who I had made a tape for said: “Sam, you should do this for a living.” I laughed at first and then thought why not? I always knew deep down inside that I wanted so bad to be a part of making the music that I craved to hear; to be behind the scenes with the people that I listened to everyday. But how do I do that?"

**

"Sorry I haven't written sooner. I have been so busy. I am doing great. I have been having so much fun at Market Street Sound. Rob is a great mentor. It is an incredible learning experience. I am so lucky to have this opportunity. I have been going to the studio about four days a week in the mornings and then going to my regular job at night. I have to go to work now actually so I promise I will write you again in another couple of weeks. I just wanted to thank you again. Have a good Thanksgiving."

Click here for complete bio.

BRENDAN ROGAK – 20-year old auditor, musician and psychology major at NYU.


"The work in the studio is going better than I ever could have hoped. A.J., my mentor, is one of the friendliest and most easy-going people I've ever met. He is serious and dedicated to what he does and I admire that. We clicked instantly, and we're very quickly building a serious rapport. He and I meet every Saturday at his studio (a converted storefront which also has living space and a cat) from noon to whenever.

The instructional part of the session is great, we spend about half an hour going over the homework, delving into why the correct answers are indeed correct. He has tons of experience and already I feel I've benefited. All in all I'd say we spend about two hours talking about the information from the week's chapter and related theory and practice. A lot has to do with acoustical theory and he refers often to his knowledge of live sound setup and maintenance, which helps greatly.

The rest of the day is spent in front of the computer. He brings up whatever project on which he is currently working (right now it's a rapper named Wreckless) and we mix and tweak and we both offer input and suggestions. I'm already developing a feel for the software and a sense of the structure of frequency in sound.

In short, I like my mentor, I love the studio, and I'm so glad to be learning."

Click here for complete bio.

LAURA JAKUBCZYK - 19-year-old grocery store worker.


"Hi ! I just wanted to write this to you to give you an update. For the past month or two, when I've been going to the studio, a singer named Shelly Buffit has been recording lots of material for her new album. I've been assisting Steve Ashley, the engineer, and Randy as much as I can. About a week ago, Randy emailed me and said to me "Since you've been so helpful and enthusiastic with the recordings for Shelly, I want to have your name on the back of her album: Assistant Engineer perhaps..?? What do ya think?" Isn't it cool? I am pretty happy!"

"Good news - Laura has already been working as a junior engineer for Heritage Studio. The owner and myself plan to hire her upon completion of this course on an as needed basis. Laura shows a lot of potential. She has caught on to ProTools very well. Thanks.

Have a great 2004!"

Randy Moore
RanMor Productions
Grimsby Ontario
Canada

Click here for complete bio.

CARLOS GUILLEN – 29 year old outdoor power equipment technician, who was a sound board operator at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore. He's done freelance recording, live sound, and theatre sound design since 1998.


"Just wanted to give you an update real quick. I met with Don Zientara of Inner Ear Studios last night for a quick introductory meeting. He gave me a tour of the facilities and mic closet and was very welcoming & engaging.

He had lots of questions for me about my background and what I wanted out of the program, and he invited me to assist on a recording starting next Monday! Just a few months ago I was listening to records produced and engineered by Don and now I get to watch him and even assist him in making a record!

Thanks to you and Get-a-Mentor I get to learn recording from a legendary engineer in a legendary studio!

Thanks again!!"

**

"An update on my recording apprenticeship....Right off the bat Don had me assist on a recording for a local punk/ska band. The band had the ambitious goal of completing a full-length record in just five days. Don's professionalism and mastery of the studio, combined with the band's well rehearsed material, led to achieving that goal! I assisted on the recording from start to finish, and in two days Don let me take the reigns and record some vocals and percussion. I am still digesting all the things I learned from those marathon recording sessions! I can't thank you enough for the program. While we were recording, so many of the sounds I was hearing reminded me of my favorite records produced in that same studio by Don. This is exactly the experience I needed.

Now that the holidays are over, I will be back in the studio with Don to go over some more technical matters with textbooks in hand.

That's all for now. Thanks again and take care!"

Click here for complete bio.

MICHAEL DASH, a 26-year-old marketing director who has always considered a ‘career related to music in some form or fashion’. "I had been playing drums, recording, and writing lyrics for my group the past five years, I decided I was going to enroll in RTVF (radio television film) courses when I started college..."


"I am amazed at how quickly things are progressing in such a short period of time. I had a successful interview with the renowned studio owner/producer, Mack Damon of Rhapsody Studios here in San Antonio. When I arrived at the studio, I entered a completely new atmosphere in which I felt excited and apprehensive at the same time.

There were sessions going on in both studios which gave me the opportunity to actually observe a two time winning Latin Grammy Artist perform in the recording booth while sitting with Mack at the controls of the mixing board. Before I knew it, a half hour had gone by and I was answering the business line. One of the highlights for me occurred at someone else's expense when a caller was inquiring on a position at the studio only to find out there were none. I felt as if I already had an edge, which I owe to the Get A Mentor program.

My mentor producer/engineer Matt, also known as Mack Damon, gave me insight as to what is genuinely the most important element in this business on my first day in the studio. This gave me the impression that he is looking out for my best interest, which is something I appreciate…. As of now, I am far from completing this apprenticeship, but I have already gained a new respect for music and recording as a whole. Before I was involved in this program I focused on what I now see as the tip of the iceberg. I can now see that music is more dynamic than I ever imagined."

Click here for complete bio.

DANIELLE DILLON was a 22-year-old floral 'technician', when she applied to our program. She had worked for Duplication Services, Inc. duplicating master tapes from shows such as "The Sopranos", "Sex in the City", MTV's Fear and Real World, etc. for clients HBO, MTV, VH1, Lifetime, Outdoor Network, etc. and distributing to their affiliates and syndicates across the country. She also attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in the spring and summer of 2000.


"Every day I wake up and realize that there is nothing in this world, nothing I repeat, that I would rather do than make music....I've played guitar for many years, so you can imagine all the dreams of being a rock star that I've had all my life. But, we all know that if AC/DC ever went pop they would never be held in the same light again. So, what does one do when one loves to play guitar but loves twenty different styles of playing guitar? What do you do when you go into Tower records and walk out with “Megadeath's Greatest Hits” and DMX's “Dark and Hell is Hot”? ...You become a producer, an engineer (in my case both because I want to know as much as humanly possible about both)."

**

"Sorry I haven't been checking in. I have been SOOOO busy and learning so much from Pieter. Just to give you an idea of how busy I have been... Pieter and I have a meeting with Clive Davis in NY within the next month. Clive wants to sign him to his label. If that isn't SUCCESS I don't know what is. I am going to meet CLIVE DAVIS!!!"

"I remember when Get-A-Mentor first asked me to be a mentor and I said no at first… I look back now and think wow, I'm glad I reconsidered it and am really happy I said yes.

It has been a great experience to teach my student, Danielle Dillon. We have been through a lot in the past six months and it has been a pleasure to watch her grow and see how she has learned to be a recording engineer. Now after all this time she has even gone on the road with THE DRIFTERS and has been the only one in charge of their live shows doing their sound! I am so proud of her! Very soon she expects to go back home and build her own recording studio and to tell you the truth, I think she is ready to do just that! I sit back and watch her run The Drifters’ shows and recording sessions and marvel at how well she does it. Again, thanks for the chance to experience something like this.

Take care –"

Pieter Holland
Rock n Roll Ranch Studios
Las Vegas, NV

Click here for complete bio.

NIKOLAS MAZZOLA - 20-year-old cook whose goal is to become a recording engineer/sound technician.


"While most kids in my class considered this their last days of irresponsibility before college, I in fact considered it the beginning of responsible living. My first desire was to move to San Diego. I constantly worked forty-hour a week shifts, since my goal was to be on my way to California by the time my ’99 class graduated. I finished school one semester early intentionally to give me a head start in the real world…

Using an integrated rhythm machine, such as an MPC-2000, combined with live guitar and turntable techniques, we created experimental styles. Playing with a live band opened the door to structure and mutual creativity."

**

"I was set up with a meeting with Rick LaFave, the Executive Producer at Superior Entertainment, a state of the art digital studio. I began my apprenticeship. Rick is an excellent musician, midi master, ProTools wiz and was teaching me everything with paying clients in the foreground.

Eight months later I have great experience with all studio equipment, but most important with paying clientele and a working producer. Get-A-Mentor did indeed guide me into this crazy industry and now it's up to me to network and learn more at every session until one day I'm a mentor in my own successful studio."

Click here for complete bio.

DAVE DOYEN - 20 year old musician with experience recording and mixing his own material.


"I now believe the quality of the recording is just as important as the music itself. So many aspects of music can be enhanced or brought out by turning a knob or adding an effect. Working with this aspect of music has made me much more aware of what is being done in music in order to create a certain mood... Its been my dream to have a job that had something to do with the process of creating music. This opportunity that I have been given is one that I refuse to pass up and I will strive to learn all that I can about this process simply because I enjoy it."

"Dave is doing great. He is nice and laid back. That will serve him well in this line of work."

Marc Moss
TARGET STUDIOS
Elkton, MD

Click here for complete bio.

DAVE MOODY - A 27-year-old claims adjuster with a college degree in psychology and a love for rock music.


"Ironically, the biggest lesson I learned was after college was over, and that is that pursuing a half-hearted interest is very dangerous. It's like standing in the middle of the freeway."

Click here for complete bio.

ESTEBAN GARCIA – 27 years old, born and raised in Ecuador.


"Even at age seven I was already recording my own tapes from the radio. From then on I can remember spending hours in front of the radio all the way through junior high school. It had become my special connection with culture and it helped me tap into my own feelings and ideas on life."

"Then one day it just dawned on me. How silly I had been to overlook my passion for music for so long."

Click here for complete bio.

JOE TURPIN – 26-year-old music copyist.


"Having received notice a few weeks back that my job position and the department I work in was going to be ‘phased out’ I find myself taking stock of myself. I was offered another position in the company along with a raise in my salary, but is this what I set out to be or envisioned myself becoming 10 years ago? No. So what were my goals and what can I do now in order to attain them?"

Click here for complete bio.

DAVID ENG - a 17 year-old in Tennessee when he began apprenticing.


"We were all about thirteen and needless to say fairly irresponsible. I found myself working as the trombone player, sound man, promoter, and booking agent, carrying much of the weight. I learned quickly that there is much more to making music than simply playing.

At this point in time, when people asked what I wanted to do with my life, my answer was, "Something involved with music that pays the bills."

Click here for complete bio.

STEPHEN SMITH - This New England native who went from an early childhood interest in music (Beach Boys, Monkees and the Beatles in particular) to becoming a member of a successfully performing rock band in high school, considers his upcoming recording apprenticeship "an awesome opportunity".


"When I was 14 I learned how to play guitar, as it was mandatory in eighth grade. By then I had graduated onto rock music, a big fan of guitar solos and 80's hair bands (I've outgrown that too!). I took a major interest in playing guitar.

Click here for complete bio.

BORIS BOCAVEK - 37 year old Recording apprentice in Tampa, Florida. Now in the U.S. trying to rebuild his life after studying music at the University of Sarajevo, touring France with his band, and surviving the nightmare of the war in Bosnia.


"So here I am in USA, working as a server for the Olive Garden restaurant, with a hope that I will get another chance. All these ups and downs in my life made me not at all a desperate person, but only stronger and wiser."

Click here for complete bio.


For more success stories in our Film program, visit FilmMentor.com and for our Radio program at Radio-Mentor.com.