The Recording Academy™ Producers & Engineers Wing® had a busy Summer 2019 calendar, partnering with local Academy Chapters for social gatherings and educational events, providing a forum where producers, engineers and studio personnel, along with retailers, manufacturers, students and educators, can work together to improve and grow the industry.
Highlights from summer 2019 include the following:
Craft Session: Vocal Processing Software in Miami
On June 5, The Recording Academy Florida Chapter hosted a Craft Session at Miami’s Art House Studio. The event consisted of a demonstration and Q&A with producers and engineers from various genres as they presented their favored vocal processing software. Featured participants were GRAMMY®/Latin GRAMMY®-winning producer/engineer Julio Reyes Copello, P&E Wing Chapter Committee Chair & producer/engineer Maria Elisa Ayerbe, and Latin GRAMMY-nominated engineer Natalia Ramirez.
MIAMI, FL - JUNE 05: Maria Elisa Ayerbe is seen talking during the In The Mix: Vocal Prod & Software Demo at Art House Studio on June 5, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by John Parra/WireImage for the Recording Academy)
Listening Session in Denver
Also on June 5, Colorado-based P&E members attended a studio listening session at The Keep Recording in Denver. Attendees brought tracks to share and discuss while Academy San Francisco Chapter staff updated attendees on current P&E Wing initiatives and resources. The Keep co-owners Jeff Kanan and Nick Sullivan provided a tour of their facility and an overview of recent projects and described their role in developing a neighborhood music collective for local businesses serving musicians.
Industry Insights: AMP Act for Producers & Engineers in Austin
On June 17, approximately 40 local producers and engineers gathered at Austin, Texas’s Same Sky Productions for an update on initiatives and legislation directly related to their interests. Following a dinner and meet-and-greet, the group headed into the studio for a briefing by P&E Wing Managing Director Maureen Droney on the Wing’s current best practices work on education, crediting and streaming sound quality. Next up, Daryl Friedman, the Academy’s Chief Industry, Government and Member Relations officer, took the floor for an in-depth look at the AMP Act portion of 2018’s Music Modernization Act. Friedman’s presentation covered the history of the Acts and their impact on producer royalties, SoundExchange’s role and the pre-1995 portion of AMP.
Master Class in Philadelphia
On June 18, the Philadelphia Chapter partnered with the P&E Wing for MASTERCLASS: A Conversation with Marcella Araica & Jerry “Wonda” Duplessis. The session was moderated by P&E Wing Co-Chair Ivan Barias, who described highlights and action steps for producers under the AMP Act before leading Araica and Duplessis into a discussion on capturing great performances.
The Road to Great Recordings: Meeting Challenges, Overcoming Obstacles in Nashville
On July 19, at the Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, the P&E Wing hosted "The Road to Great Recordings: Meeting Challenges, Overcoming Obstacles." Panelists were Aaron Pearce (GRAMMY®-winning songwriter/producer; Justin Bieber, Lauren Alaina, Brian McKnight), Leslie Richter (engineer; Ben Folds, Dierks Bentley, Kings of Leon) and Dave Way (GRAMMY-winning producer/engineer; Christina Aguilera, Fiona Apple, Ziggy Marley). Shannon Sanders (GRAMMY-winning producer/engineer/composer/arranger; India.Arie, Jonny Lang, John Legend) served as moderator. GRAMMY-nominated engineer/producer Jeff Balding, known for his work with a wide array of music icons from Don Henley/Eagles, Taylor Swift and Maren Morris to Megadeth, helped organize the panel and develop the topics, which explored issues and roadblocks often faced in the studio.
