In April I headed to the USA with friend and artist Jordan Lander to attend the ASCAP 'I Create Music' Expo in Hollywood, LA. This was a great time of soaking up information from the wealth of artists, songwriters, producers and industry professionals like producer/artist Pharell Williams (N.E.R.D), Lindsay Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac) and Sarah Bareilles plus many more.
Here, the thread throughout the conference was that collaboration with other artists and songwriters is essential to creating a fruitful and rewarding career and that while attendees were seeking the coat-tails of those on the stage, we were encouraged to focus more on those around us in the audience who, in the future, will be the ones on stage. As we evolve in our crafts we will have the opportunity to progress with those around us.
After the conference, i continued onto Nashville which was also my first time driving in the USA.. needless to say i survived and returned the rental car safely! Here I was fortunate to meet with Australian-born producer, Peter King at his Studio in Brentwood, 7 time Grammy-winning mix engineer Paul Salvosen (DC Talk, Israel Houghton) and former Alabaster box member, now producer, Josh Brown. My meetings led me to the opportunity of having a tour of the amazing Paragon Studios in Franklin where Nicole Kidman regularly does her ADR for her movies.
My last leg was to Chicago where is spent time with good friends Light of Love. I also spent time with recording engineer, Roger Heiss. We spent the afternoon at his studio, Tone Zone, where he played me his engineering career highlights from projects including the The Chicago Jazz Orchestra and Grammy-winning Jazz vocalist, Kurt Elling. A highlight was also having a tour of the famed CRC (Chicago Recording Company) where countless artists have recorded including Michael Jackson and Coldplay.
Well that sums up my trip to the USA this time around and i look forward to heading there again for the conference in 2012.
Here, the thread throughout the conference was that collaboration with other artists and songwriters is essential to creating a fruitful and rewarding career and that while attendees were seeking the coat-tails of those on the stage, we were encouraged to focus more on those around us in the audience who, in the future, will be the ones on stage. As we evolve in our crafts we will have the opportunity to progress with those around us.
After the conference, i continued onto Nashville which was also my first time driving in the USA.. needless to say i survived and returned the rental car safely! Here I was fortunate to meet with Australian-born producer, Peter King at his Studio in Brentwood, 7 time Grammy-winning mix engineer Paul Salvosen (DC Talk, Israel Houghton) and former Alabaster box member, now producer, Josh Brown. My meetings led me to the opportunity of having a tour of the amazing Paragon Studios in Franklin where Nicole Kidman regularly does her ADR for her movies.
My last leg was to Chicago where is spent time with good friends Light of Love. I also spent time with recording engineer, Roger Heiss. We spent the afternoon at his studio, Tone Zone, where he played me his engineering career highlights from projects including the The Chicago Jazz Orchestra and Grammy-winning Jazz vocalist, Kurt Elling. A highlight was also having a tour of the famed CRC (Chicago Recording Company) where countless artists have recorded including Michael Jackson and Coldplay.
Well that sums up my trip to the USA this time around and i look forward to heading there again for the conference in 2012.
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