Peering into the Minds of Audio Engineers: How They Got Where They Are and How You Can Start Down the Same Path
Casey Combest and Evan Walley are both audio engineers at Blue Sky Studios. We had the chance to sit down this week and get all the juicy details about working in such an eclectic, cool industry. Before we go any further though, if you want to listen to the whole interview uninterrupted and unabridged, check out the link at the bottom of this page.
Casey and Evan both had a passion for music from a young age, which fueled their drive for going into the music industry. Casey grew up during the “recording revolution”, first recording his parents for fun and later acquiring a Dell computer to produce whimsical projects in his free time. Later in life, he worked through music production in various ways but eventually went on to start Blue Sky Studios. Evan developed a love for music in his teenage years, which came to a spearhead when he did a Christmas EP for a local church, giving him the confidence and fire to begin pursuing music full-time.
Both, however, agreed that music as a passionate hobby was the perfect way to start their respective journeys into the music industry. Work on projects. Record your friends. If you want to get started in the music industry, just start working. Casey recalled hiring Evan, mentioning, “[he] didn’t have any degree in audio… but I had seen his talents and abilities, and I knew he would be a great addition for our team.”
However, Casey clarified that passion alone does not an engineer make. In fact, a lot of the music studio process is hard work and grinding, which means work ethic is just as important as interest. It’s not the best industry for profitability and it takes hard work, so make sure you love the process while also being able to put in the long hours to make it viable.
But in their own words, Casey and Evan had heartwarming takeaways regarding what made their jobs worth the time and effort:
Casey: “Just the partnership element that you can create something meaningful for someone.. and you’ve got the faders and EQ beside you, and you turn around and look at someone’s face and they’re excited about what they’re hearing. That’s a great feeling.”
Evan: “It’s so encouraging, but also really humbling, to know that the people we get to work with will see our effort and see the process, and they appreciate and enjoy it as much as we do… They’re even more proud of their music than when they first came in.”
Blue Sky Studios wants you to feel that same joy of putting your musical ideas into action. If you have been waiting to put your music into the world, let’s start the conversation of partnering with you today.
For the full audio interview, click one of the following links: