TIPS, ADVICE, AND WORDS OF WISDOM FROM OUR MENTORS
One of our outstanding mentors is CARMEN GRILLO, a musician [guitarist and former member of supergroup, Tower of Power], recording studio owner & engineer of BIG SURPRISE MUSIC, church Musical Director.
Carmen took time out of his busy schedule to share his thoughts with us about mentoring.
GET A MENTOR: Did you have a mentor in music? What did you learn from him/her that you use in your mentoring?
CARMEN GRILLO: I have had a few key people in my life who helped carve out my path as a musician.
I had a guitar teacher when I was about eighteen that really helped shape my style as a guitarist. Although I only took a few lessons from him, to this day I am still figuring out things he showed me. I think a mentor has an effect on you your whole life.
Another guitarist that recently passed away named Ted Greene was a true mentor to me and to many other guitarists. His approach was to find the weaknesses in someone’s playing and work on those aspects. I think a good mentor should be able to find the strengths in a person and develop those strengths even more, and find the weaknesses in a person's ability, work on whatever that is, and turn that into a strength as well.
I truly believe in the one on one concept. Developing a relationship with someone to share what I know is a very rewarding experience for me.
GAM: Some people don’t quite understand or aren’t willing to embrace the apprentice-mentor concept. Even though they’ve probably had a mentor (teacher, clergyman, supervisor, etc.) Some believe they have only 3 paths--it’s either college or private/trade school or say goodbye to their dreams. Why do you think this mentor program is a good alternative? CG: Not only do I think it is a good alternative, I think it could be a good supplement to someone who is taking a course at a recording school. They both have their benefits, however, I find that once a student gets comfortable with a mentor, it is somehow easier for them to ask questions he or she may feel uncomfortable asking in a class environment. Plus what this program offers that a recording school doesn’t is a studio to work in after the mentoring program is finished.
Many of my students that went through the GetAMentor.com program continue to work as interns at my studio where I teach. They are also free to bring in projects where they are the engineers and I hang around in case there is a problem or just to give suggestion. This is so important in the student's growth as a recording engineer. Just having a certificate that says you graduated from a recording school is really not enough to become accomplished and find work.
The mentoring program gives the student hands on experience way past the length of the course.
GAM: So many people want to become engineers or producers. What would you tell them are the skills or qualities needed? CG: As far as engineering skills go, I think the most important thing is to know the equipment you are working with. For example, when you know which mic to use for which instrument or voice, then you can capture the true sound in the studio. That is one of the engineer’s jobs, to sonically take a picture of what is happening in the studio and bring that sonic picture into the control room. Mixing is another huge responsibility. Again, knowing the equipment is key. All compressors and EQ’s sound different, and with so many reverbs and delays to choose from, you really need to know what to choose and how to tweak it to get the best results. This can only come with experience. I always encourage my students to continue working with me after the mentoring program is completed to hone these key elements of engineering.
Along with the precision ears it takes to be an engineer or producer, how to handle artists in the studio is another quality one must have. When and how to talk to talent is something that can only be learned through experience. Throughout the GetAMentor.com program, I invite the students to recording sessions so they can see the interaction between me and whoever is recording here. This is very important for the student to see. Sometimes funny and sarcastic is just what the doctor ordered. Sometimes gentle psychotherapy is what is needed. It’s all a feel. People skills are a factor for sure.
GAM: With some big name studios closing (The Hit Factory- NY, Paramount Studios’ historic Scoring Stage M, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, etc.) what do you think is the future of recording? Home vs. Professional studio, etc.
CG: There will always be some big name studios in every major market. That being said, home studios are becoming more predominant because the price of gear has come down so much. Some things that a lot of home studios lack are good sounding rooms, proper monitoring positioning, and good headphone sound. There is a lot of recording that can be done in a home studio, but I think there is enough room for both the big rooms and the home studio. Many times artistts record their basic tracks in a big name studio and do all of the overdubbing in a home studio. So yes, we can co-exist.
Pros and cons of IPODS, MP3S, downloading. The simple obvious answer is IPODS and mp3’s are a convenient way to listen to music (pro). They don’t sound nearly as good as a CD (con). Downloading legally is again, convenient (pro). Downloading illegally takes away songwriters income and should never be done. I don’t think people realize that music is art. To support art people should buy it if they like it. If they don’t buy it, art will go the way of the horse and buggy.
GAM: How is your own musical career going? Any projects you’d care to promote?
CG: My career is going better than ever. Since I left Tower of Power I have been concentrating on recording, performing, and mentoring both recording and guitar students. I've been touring with The Sons of Champlin www.sonsofchamplin.com When Bill isn't on the road with Chicago we go out and play some Sons shows.
I'm the musical director at a church here in Los Angeles, which is a big responsibility and something I look forward to every week. Also, I am recording my second solo album and putting together a band to play around the Los Angeles area. So yeah, I'm busy and loving it. One of the most recent albums I recorded and mixed here in my studio was Cool To The Touch by trumpeter, Greg Adams www.gregadamsmusic.com
He and I were in Tower of Power together back in the 80's and 90's. This album has some A list players on it like Tom Scott, Vinnie Colaiuta, Boney James, Lee Sklar, and Paul Jackson to name a few. As you can imagine, it was a pleasure to record such great musicians.
GAM: Any funny or horror stories you care to share about the music biz?
CG: Recently Kenny Rankin and Tim Hauser (Manhattan Transfer) were singing a duet for Tim’s upcoming album. While they were singing together I heard bells going off in the background. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I had them come in the control room and soloed their voices. Sure enough there were the bells I heard coming through loud and clear. Suddenly Kenny says, “Oh, sorry my cell phone was on.” This is a guy who has been making albums since the 60’s. I look at him and say, “What are you, new? Laughter erupted, thank God. This is a classic case where funny and sarcasm was my best friend.
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