April 13, 2024 • 42 mins
Xarina joins the show to share how she built her own recording studio from the ground up. With locations in Oakland and Los Angeles, 'STUDIO X' has become a safe space for creatives and emerging artists, offering access to quality music production and education.
Follow STUDIO x: @studiox510
@XARINAMUSIC
More info on STUDIO X here!
Follow STUDIO x: @studiox510
@XARINAMUSIC
More info on STUDIO X here!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:27):
Yep. For the record with Angelina. Give us a follow on the gram
at Underscore ft R pod. Iappreciate you being here. Hit that subscribe
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it helps so much. Leave somecomments in the review section. Rate
us five stars. If we're gonnarate us anything less, put that sh
in your diary. All right,tonight as of today in the Bay take
(00:49):
over. So let's get to it. This is Today in the Bay.
What's your hosts? Angelina? Twoday in the Bay. We have the
incredible Carina with us today. Iwas like, go ahead, good,
(01:12):
how are you doing good? Imean, you got so many titles.
I know you're engineer artists? Areyou prottycer? No songwriters? I'm not
gonna do yeah, yeah, sorry, right, You're like, that's not
what I'm not gonna get into.But let's kick it off. Because you
are a founder of a Studio X. You've created this like amazing space for
artists in the Bay Area and beyond. So tell me everything Studio X is
(01:34):
about. So Studio X started offas a recording studio and just over time
we've kind of pivoted into like acreative hub and an artist development center.
So we don't just press three andlet you go with the master. We're
gonna we're gonna help and shape andmold artists. So we have an artist
development program. We go over differentthings from the basics like vocal performance to
(01:57):
music business, to a branding,marketing, et cetera. So these like
stuff that you guys offer outside likeor because someone just coming and booked like
a studio as well, so theycan just come in and book as a
studio. But we offer like,yeah, we offer programs and workshops like
throughout the year. And how longhave you guys been open for? We
are about to celebrate our third anniversaryeven open since May twenty twenty one.
(02:23):
That's crazy, and you just,okay, tell us where the studio was
at first the studios in East Oakland. It's in Jingletown, Okay, Yeah,
we're in the same building as aGreen Day it used to be.
Wow, that's huge. And thenhe just opened another location we did.
We opened a location in downtown LA. That's crazy. And what made you
like want to start this? Imean, I was an engineer. I
(02:43):
started out, I started out asan artist and then I started recording,
and the first studio that I workedat shutdown during COVID, and then I
worked at another studio like kind oflike in the middle of COVID, and
then it got to a point whereI was just like I had too many
ideas. Yeah, and I wasjust like, I think I've done this
long enough to be able to facilitate, you know, my own my own
(03:04):
company, Like I know I coulddo this, and I wasn't that was
the goal, but I wasn't necessarilytrying to and I just kind of stumbled
that stumbled on that space by accident. I was just looking on Craigslist,
being nosy like we all do.Yeah, I got mentioned saved in my
Zilla right like, oh these cabinetsthree million dollar home. I would never
jump exactly, but no. Iwas just scrolling Craigslist one day, which
(03:28):
is not a place where you wouldthink to get a like you know,
little sketchy, but no, Iended, yeah, and I walked through
and I was just like I feltit, like I was like, this
is my space, like I feelit, you know, and it's a
love of space. It's like twostory and I didn't have any investors.
I was by myself. You know, I didn't have a team. It
(03:49):
wasn't even called Studio X yet.It was just I just needed a studio
to work out of. And it'slike, I'm going to figure it out.
I figured it out. I tooka leap, and you know,
sometimes that's dangerous, but sometimes it'snecessary. And it was very uncomfortable,
and I didn't have any real businessexperience on how to run a business.
So you know, these past threeyears, I've been learning in real time.
(04:11):
My team has witnessed me learn theselessons in real time. But it's
worked out and we're expanding and wejust open another location. So it's been
cool. Do you think being anartist first like helps you more with your
vision on what you want in astudio and like what you want for other
artists on one hundred percent, becauseI think sometimes you know, you can
get in the mindset of I'm goingto open a studio and I'm just gonna
(04:34):
make passive income. It's gonna runitself, which is ideal, Right,
that's cool, but like what elsecan you offer? Right, Like,
there's all your competition does the samething, and you know, you might
be a studio that doesn't have theas much equipment as another studio or like
our studio for example, doesn't havea live room, so that's like,
ah, we're competing with people whodo have a live room. There's all
(04:56):
these like audio components that you knowto you in different lanes and leads than
everybody else, but it's like whatelse can you offer? And that's kind
of when the artist side of meis like, well, I wish,
you know, when I went toa recording studio, I wish that we
did this, or I wish Ihad this, or I wish my studio
taught me how to do this,you know, instead of without having to
(05:17):
go to school, because I wentto school to learn most of the music
business ye stuff, okay, Butto be able to offer it and get
your song makes the master and shoota music video, like have kind of
a hub and a one stop shopand a place to collaborate. That was
kind of my goal, right becauseanybody could have a recording studio, but
(05:38):
it's like who can have like acenter. It's like for artists by artists
exactly. And it's like I'm notjust trying to make some money off you
or like my lowest time, Ijust little side business like it's actually failling
for you. Yeah, And it'slike, you know, there's a lot
of dialogue about the state of BayArea music and the music business and how
we do business and whatever, anda lot of times it's super negative,
(06:00):
and a lot of times nobody isdoing anything about it. We're just sitting
here complaining. And I got tiredof that, and I said, all
right, I'm gonna let y'all talk. While y'all talk, We're gonna build
this thing. And you know,we're slowly we're educating artists. We're showing
them, like, here's how youdo business after you make a song,
you know, Here's how you workwith a producer. Here's the agreements you
need to have, here's contracts,and break it down simply. It's not
(06:21):
a big daunting thing. I thinka lot of people paperwork. It's not
that it doesn't have to be thisbig scary thing. You know. I
need someone to tell them that andshow them that it's not exactly or just
a proper like being a part ofa show that's ran properly, Like,
you know, here's what a runningshow is, right, what's a running
show? It's literally just a listof what time and schedule, that everything,
(06:42):
just simple things to kind of justenhance our professionalism. And I think
with doing that, it kind ofraises the bars. So then everybody who
works with us' is like, oh, that's the standard, right, because
the standard that we're used to islow right, low organization skills, low
were raising it, you know whatI'm saying, And we're and they go
somewhere else, I'm gonna be like, uh, they're like, you know,
(07:04):
like when you book at studio asyou get a notification, you get
an email, you get a text, you're part of a text, like
you know, we just we've developedthis smooth process just to make it more
professional and just feel feel real andlike a business. We're running a business,
but it's also still a place thatpeople could come and feel free and
(07:27):
create and it's a safe space.I love that you're just like, let's
just do this because like you saidabout the narrative of like being our music
being in some kind of place andwhoop to whoop. Like I've had conversations
with friends too, cause we're like, it's not really like that, like
when people keep saying like it's hello, artists working with each other, Like
the whole you know, Oh,we're not We're not here for each other.
It's just like it's literally just youguys talking. So I like how
(07:48):
you're just like, well, I'mgonna just be so in the community to
the point where it's not even aconversation, like why are we debating this,
Like clearly we're here and we're doingit cause it's not accurate. And
I think exactly that we get sofated on maybe like the top three big
outlets that we don't it blinds usto what's actually really going on. Like
(08:09):
have you been outside of the lanesthat you're talking about? A lot of
people know they haven't. So it'slike once you start kind of really getting
outside and in the community and goingto different showcases and seeing different types of
artists, like we're really dope anda lot of people do have our stuff
together, you know, and soit's just kind of merging communities. I
(08:31):
think too, I have you know, when I first started, I worked
at a studio car tuned off Hagenberger, and I had a lot of like
more clients that made street music,right, Like my clients weren't really in
the streets, right, And thena lot of clients that I have at
Studio X are a little bit moreartsy and young and like, you know,
cool, like Diby. You know. So what we've been doing is
(08:54):
like we merged. I merged thepeople that I've known forever plus these new
clients, and like we're merging thoseworlds. So it's not we're not that
different. We all want to makemusic, really good music. Like you
said, the foundation is the same, like even I mean just even looking
at rap music, like people liketo be like, oh it's conscious rap,
where it's gangster rapper's backpack. It'slike rap is rap exactly what.
(09:18):
The foundation is all the same,you know. So why can't we like
collaborate and work together, you know, why can't I have this alternative artist
be in the same room with myartists that you know makes like you know
whatever, like you know, justlike why we can't merge them? And
(09:39):
they we do merge them. Andin our camps, like we have,
we have artists from all different genres, you know, and we'll have them
collaborate, which is cool because theyprobably wouldn't collaborate or cross paths. And
even if it's not just like oh, let's merge our two sounds you're rocking
alternative Like it's like, oh,you know it's on the drums, like
I'm a rapper, but can youdo this? You know, like it
(10:01):
could be anything. So I lovethat you're creating that community, and I
know you also have like a bunchof events throughout studio acts. Let's talk
about running back. Running Back,Yes, our sistersation Big Vaughan shout out
to the homie because he discovered theartists. I forgot her name, three
Leaks. Yes, is that whatthe songs called fire? Like he played
for me. I was like,this is so dope you have. I
(10:24):
was going to say, how manneed to just on that so to my
music director because it's fire, butabsolutely, yeah, So tell us about
running back. So running Back issomething that we started. So when we
first started, it was on Twitchand a shout out in so you've been
doing it? Yeah, we've beendoing it like probably within our like first
year, within our second year,I think we started it. And I
have a lot of DJ friends Andwhen I was an artist, I learned
(10:48):
the importance of relationships with DJs rightlike when I was making music, it
was I was like in the transitionera from like flyers and like gorilla marketing
to like social media. So Ihad like a hybrid of experience. But
I remember being in faces of DJswas like one of the most important things
(11:09):
that you could do because they outside, like the masses do like your song
because I played it outside and forall these people. Yeah, and more
times than not, DJs do wantto play your record, like you know,
they do want to break local talents somem capacity. But there's like
I feel like there's a gap andit really just could be filled by communicating.
(11:30):
That's it. So you know,I was no stranger to going outside
finding what DJ's are going to bewhere, having a USB with my DJ
pack like and building these relationships overthe years. So I was like,
how can we how can we linkartists that we work with and DJs that
I know? So we started doingthis thing where it was on a Twitch
(11:54):
and we would have a DJ comein spend for an hour, and then
the second hour we would just domusic reviews, like what is a DJ
think about this record? Because Icould say what I think about it as
an artist as a but the personthat's going to play it is the most
important person, right, So westarted doing these running backstreams. We did
one move on back in the day. We've done with all types of DJs,
(12:15):
Shell Heart, Tussy, and theywere fun and people were tuned in
and it was on Twitch and itwas cool, and I was just like,
how can we how can we makethis more interactive? And I was
like, let's make it like amusic review showcase. And so it's kind
of the same format, but nowit's in person, so you know,
the DJ will come spin for likean hour so they can you know,
(12:39):
get their shine on in their craft. And then we have round one where
the artists will play their song,and then Round two where the top like
five people from Round one get toperform their song, and so they'll get
critiqued on different things. And it'sa cool way to build community. It's
a cool way to support your friends. It's a cool way to see what
the DJ things about your record ina safe space that you know. Sometimes
(13:03):
it's not ideal to give your recordto a DJ in the middle of their
set. They're not going to playit and give you their feedback, right,
It's a horrible way to do it. It's cool to hand them a
USB and say, hey, laterwhen you get a chance, let me
know what you think of your record. But this is a place where that's
all they're here to do, right, So that'll feel like you're bugging them.
It's not left in their spam foldor somewhere on exactly like this is.
(13:24):
This is live in person. Sothat's how it's my vie for both
sides. It's like you get tohear live music, little club slash American
idol situation and build community right andbuild these relationships with these DJs that you
might have been too scary to approach. You know, you never know,
so it's now a safe space.You can go up to Big Vaughan you
(13:45):
might not go up to in reallife and be like, yeah, like
this is all it's constructive and ifyou know, if you take the feedback
seriously, you can really start craftingsome really dope records if you keep their
feedback in mind and you don't whoyou're gonna meet there. Also, the
DJs are bringing their DJ friends,their radio friends, you know, other
artists that are there. Like lastwhen when Vonn was there, Adrian Marcel
(14:09):
pulled up and you know, hewas playing his record and he guest judged
for us, you know, andthat's somebody who has sold quite a few
records, so you know, you'regetting his feedback as an artist, you're
getting Von's feedback as a legend inradio, you know. And then we
had I had my homegirl at Benet. She's like a marketing whiz genius,
(14:31):
and so she was kind of givingher marketing feedback. So you had these
three really cool perspectives to really gaugewhere you're at. And I think that's
what we do. I love thathe's like not just in radio like he
DJ. And then you also havejam sessions. Yeah that's another event outside
(14:52):
of running back, but connected toStudio X as well. So tek us
about the jam sessions. So thejam session started at the studio too,
and it's just like they got thosegot so big that we couldn't fit all
those people in downstairs. So y'allare going to the studio. Yeah.
So our studio is like a lotof space, right and you're more than
welcome to pull up whenever you want. But downstairs is like kind of an
(15:13):
open floor plan and we have likecouches and it's more you know, where
we do our camps and writing sessionsand stuff like that. Upstairs is our
studio. It's a smaller studio,so it might comfortably fit like ten people
absolute max. That's even pushing it, say eight. But yeah, So
we would do our jam sessions likedownstairs in the open area and we would
(15:33):
just we just called our musician homiesand Tyler from the studio. She's an
amazing singer. I think I thinkyou interviewed her back in the day.
Oh I don't know, maybe TylerReese Okay, but well she's an amazed
she's an amazing vocalist, songwriter.She's also an engineer and a vocal producer.
(15:54):
But she has like a big networkof musicians and stuff. So I
said, let's, uh, let'sset up like some type of jams situation.
It's a build community. And that'show it started. And we would
do the like bi monthly and theygot bigger and bigger and more people wanted
to go, like, hey,can I go to that jam? And
I was like okay. So lastyear we did our first one with an
audience, and so we kind ofmake it interactive, so Tyler will host
(16:18):
and ask people like, you know, how are you feeling? Give us
a word or you know whatever,and you know, people in the audience
will give a word and then theband will just jam off that and just
feel like, let's say you wantto say like magical, Yeah, Tyler
would just start humming something about magicaland then you know, drums of kicking
and the baso kick in and thecave and it'll just be and it's like
(16:40):
two or three hours of just likelive improv music. We have. We
have a really really good time doingthose. And that we just did Wet
with Kept Choice last week, andso that's another one of our events that
we do and it has nothing todo with the running backs. So the
running backs are more like DJ artistsrelationships. This is now musician artist community
(17:02):
that's so dope and healing. It'slike it gets real sometimes it gets churchy,
and then it gets real ratchet sometimesyou know. Yeah, it's all
about balance, it is. Andso yeah, that's what we do.
And that one is more for likeour musician and vocalist community, and I'm
sure like people make a bunch ofconnections there as well. Absolutely absolutely,
like you might if you're an artistand you're looking to put together a band,
(17:23):
like definitely come to a jam sessionbecause you might find your next drummer
there, or you might find abackground singer. This I want to go.
I don't want to contigue, I'llhave no musical abilities. No,
I just want to be there.Yeah. Absolutely, we're absolutely going to
invite you to the next one.That's fire. So far, are you
guys at the point where you're likegoing to different locations for the jam sessions?
Yeah? Okay, So last summerwe were doing them on a rooftop
(17:45):
in Oakland. We just didn't wantat ground floor in Oakland, which is
like a shared like workspace community clubthing, but is really really pretty in
there. And I feel like,yeah, well, like so many new
restaurants and stuff opened up. It'slike a good networking for you too,
Like let's host this. Yeah.I think a lot of I think as
we grow it and you know,get our marketing together, I think a
(18:07):
lot of like I want to doone in like a nursery or with something
with really plan and you know,like I think we can just keep changing
a coffee shops. Coffee shop,Yeah, just anywhere anywhere that's a vibe,
right, because it's it's definitely likea vibe experience. That's crazy.
Yeah, you got to come toone. It's so fun. No,
I really let me know the nextone. I'll definitely be there. Man,
(18:30):
it's just like so much from thestudio that you got going on with
that, and then you're an artistyourself. I am, Are you still
making music? I haven't made musicin a really long time, so I'm
not going to say I'm not makingmusic. Like there's one hundred at least
one hundred songs in my in mycard yards. And I was stocking your
Instagram and I saw one pust You'relike came out of retirement. I was
(18:51):
like, records too, Yeah,I just dropped the I dropped the project
last like the end of last summer. It was called Single for the Summer,
and that has some cool songs onit. But yeah, I think
I like making music. It's justlike it's so taxing sometimes too, just
because I'm facilitating so many, somany other things. But I do know,
(19:12):
just for myself, for my mentalhealth, for my sanity, I
do need to balance it a littlebetter and make records because I know I
still have more things to say.But I think just pivoting too, Like
I'm like a business lady. Now, like I don't know what to say
in the songs because I'm like,this ain't even accurate. I'm not even
living like that right now. Idon't it's gonna this is not responsible of
(19:37):
me for to say like. Soit's kind of difficult to find that balance
and that duality because it's like I'vegrown so much New Years, it's all
Karina X. I was in Karinaand I just my name too, and
then I got all business sees.So I don't know, but I do
(19:57):
still make music. To answer yourquestion, I do a lot of like
songwriting, gigs and stuff. Ijust wrote a song, wrote a couple
of songs for this artist, namDreed Dominique based in San Diego. So
yeah, we're still writing. Andyou were nominated for Grammy. Yeah,
some like talk about that. Ohyeah, I'm talking about my sof that
happened too. I mixed the projectfor Apprentice Palell and Sean William and it
(20:22):
was the spoken Word album, soit's pretty cool. And they got nominated
and it's a new it's a newcategory, so I think it was the
second year of the category. Andyeah, we got nominated, and I
was like, they told me thattoo. They were like, when I
mixed it, they're like, yeah, we're gonna try to get nominated.
And I was like, I didn'tthink they couldn't, but I was just
like, that's a it just soundslike, yeah, can I just mix
(20:44):
it first, like we don't write, you know, no pressure, trying
to get some grammar And they werelike no, we're so many instagrammas.
I'm like, okay, like allright, and it ended up getting nominated
and I was like, yo,okay, I'm feeling like like just being
being a part of that. Itwas crazy because like the Grammys, the
Grammys seems like this big mystical organizationand they're really not like a huge mystery.
(21:08):
Like you can be a part ofthe Academy. It's not that hard
if you're a music professional. Andthey want more people to be a part
of it, any more people.Yeah, they need more people. And
I think I think this coming yearis going to be a really good year
just for how they're expanding. Anduh I started. I started working with
(21:29):
the Grammys when I was in college. You ever heard of Grammy You?
So Grammy You is a college extensionof the Grammys, right, So it's
their program that they they do forcollege kids. And you pay like a
really small fee. It's like ahundred bucks. I don't even remember.
And you're a part of Grammy.You for your entire entire college career,
and then two years or something afteryou graduate. So with that, any
(21:52):
college, not any college, butany college that they're in. Wow,
they'll send a rep. Usually ifyou're in like a music class. So
I was in I was taking amusic I was having doing a music degree.
So they had a Grammy rep.Grammy U rep come in and that's
how I learned about it and Isigned up instantly because you got I get
invited to all of the events thatthey were throwing. This was pre COVID,
(22:15):
so they had a lot of stuffgoing on, So you get to
do all that for free. Andthen they would let you do sound checks.
You get to go to certain people'ssound checks. So I went to
Janelle montet sound check, I wentto how You Saying the Khalid I went
to his sound check. They dida songwriting thing Melissa Thridge. I played
a song for her, like forsome songwriting. She was like, I
got goosebumps. I said, Iknow, that's right, Yeah, I
(22:38):
just got crazy and then they'll giveyou if you're really saucy, they offer
a mentorship and you apply to amentorship. So I got paired up with
the guy who remember Foster and thePeople, but he worked on the the
Foster and the People album, sohe had like this, I don't remember
if it's diamond or platinum, butit was one of them platus like crazy
(22:59):
and is that the Pumped Up Kicks? Pumped Up Kicks? Yeah? He
produced on that album, so hehad his accolades, and they paired me
up with him on some like productionstuff and I'm like, I am not
a producer, like I don't likemaking beats. I don't like producing,
I don't like. I was soagainst it. I was like, I'm
an engineer like I don't or I'mI'm an artist, like I don't make
the beats. But he insisted,right, and uh, he had me
(23:25):
like on an old school lendrum fromthe eighties and it was like a drum
machine thing. And I ended upproducing a really dope song that I actually
that's the one I played for MelissaEther. She's like, oh, that
gave a use once. So Iwas just like yo full stuck a moment.
But I say all that to say, like, he's my mentor,
is the reason like I've had syncplacements and stuff like Grownish and et cetera,
et cetera, because I worked withhim and he showed me kind of
(23:48):
how to do it and who totalk to. So anyways, I say
all that to say the Recording Academyis like a lot more accessible than people
think, and they offer a lotof resources for professionals. I'm glad you
tried producing, though, Oh Iknow you're like I hate it. Because
you're trying everything, might as welltry it. Yeah, no, not
for me. Have you ever triedto make it be before? No,
(24:08):
it is not. I feel likeI wouldn't be able to do it like
I do, Like I'll like setup like little jingles on my podcast,
but like it'll be like a twosecond one. I was like that took
forever, ages ages and then Idon't know music theory, Like I took
music theory in school, but Ihad like a really mean teacher, and
I just I was aving into it. I was I passed by the grace.
(24:30):
I don't know. Yeah, Ipassed, though I think my teacher
actually got fired, like he gotlike escorted by the police, like mid
mid by the police, yeah,like mid semesters. Then they switched.
It was too much. So allthat to say, I don't know music
theory, so when I even theteacher just messed it up for you because
he obviously had. Yeah, hescrewed it up for me big time because
he just like turned me off.I was just like, I don't like
(24:52):
this class, like let me getto my pro tools class. And he
got arrestless. It wasn't just youlike he had problems. Yeah, I
think he got fired and then theyautomatic like make somebody walk you out because
like the school sheriffs or whatever likewalked in up. Oh okay, okay,
I don't know none of my business. I do want to know what
he did, right. He usedto smell like me'll do real bad,
So I don't know the google himafter this, Yeah see where he's that
now. He was so mean.But anyways, I don't like making beats
(25:17):
because I feel like I can't playwhat I hear and it takes too long
for me to figure it out.I don't have patience. I'm just like
this isn't for me. And thenBy the time I finished making a beat,
I was like, I would neverwrap on this trash. I wish
somebody would send this to me.So I just let you make it better.
That's your job. Yeah, Ican get on it. I don't
want to do it. I leaveit to the big dogs. These both
(25:37):
these people group people here next tome both produced so they can have that.
That's so, how did you getinto engineering? Like what made you
like really fall in love with that? So I was an artist first and
then I lived with my auntie andI had just moved in with her,
and she was like, I wasgraduated from high school and she said,
you could live here for free,but you need to go to school.
(26:00):
And I was like school and nobody. I didn't really like grow up with
thinking I was ever going to goto college or anything. Like I already
knew what I wanted to do froma really young age. I was like,
I'm gonna be a rap star,like and that's it. I was
good at it, and so Ididn't think there was a point for me
to go to school. But shewas like, you need to go do
something, and I was like,all right, So I went to community
college. Then I found out youget financial aid. I said, well
(26:22):
sign now you know, stay allfour years? How much a lot?
I not only used mine once,and I like, for some reason couldn't
ease it again. I was like, damn, when you're young and never
touched a thousand dollars before that financialyou feel like you feel like a billionaire.
I was like, waste somebody andthen you could get a little two
books and then like the rest wason me and get the used books and
(26:45):
get the e books and then getthe you did the ball favorite. Actually
I was a TA and my TAlet me use like half her books.
She was like, don't buy that, Like he's mine. You had to
joke. You figured it. Myfive K went to who knows what she
shoes? I'll go to all theWarriors games, was my youngster. I
was just I was blowing it,but like it was. It was good
to just be able to little money. No. I had like every victorious
(27:10):
secret, perfree passion. I wasdoing something. Yes, every type of
blossom. That's all funny. Goto school, Oh yeah, go to
school. Uh. And then Itook general ed and I was like I
just didn't know what I wanted todo, Like I didn't have a profession
other than what I was already doing. And then they had a music program.
(27:32):
It's called Music Industry Studies. Yeah, music Industry Studies, and it
was at Diablo Valley College DVC,and uh, I just enrolled and I
was like, I could do this, and you know, so I would
love to learn pro tools to beable to like communicate with my engineers that
I was working with. So I'mlike, this probably be like useful or
something. Definitely flunked my first yearof pro Tools big as I never went
(27:55):
to class like I was just like. But then I was like, okay,
Craney, you gotta get serious becausesomebody told me if you fail,
you got to pay the financial aidback. I think that was a lie.
It's a lie. Well somebody scaredme straight. I said, oh
I get it again, regardless,regardless, I was about to mess up
(28:15):
that check for me. So Isaid no, no, no, no,
no, all right, we're gonnatake it seriously time. So then
I ended up taking it again andI got serious and I actually really liked
it. And then Jeff that ownedTone Studios, the first studio that I
used to record at, he waslike, I mean, you want to
like make some extra money and starttaking on clients. And I was like,
hm, hmm, maybe, andso I just wanted to out.
(28:38):
Yeah. I was like, Imean I should probably get like another started
gig or something, right. Ithink I was working at home Goods at
the time. I was so yeah, I started taking I think one of
my first clients was like hood Stars, like yeah, like and I started
just taking on clients and I wasso slow. I worked with a fantastic
Agrito like that he got a Grammyon I did like a little more sol
(29:02):
of recording on that album project.I didn't do enough to qualify, but
I was like, yeah, so, but I was really slow and just
young. But I liked it though, like I felt like I can do
this. And then I was recordingmyself and that made me better because I
was just like, I know howI want to be recorded. And then
I remember there's a guy named KuCarrel and he's like a vocal producer for
(29:27):
like Rihanna and Justin Bieber, likeall the big people. I think he
just worked on Beyonce's album that shejust did, but he's worked with like
all the stars, right, andhe was doing I don't remember if this
was a demonstration with the recording Academyor with my school, but whatever it
was, he was doing a demonstrationat the old school. What's the school
in Emoryville that shut down expressions?Expressions? And he was doing like a
(29:51):
demo, recording demo, and I'venever seen anybody work so fast, and
I was like, oh, Iwant to work like that. Yeah,
and I was like okay, likeand he just does a bunch of short
cuts and like when he comps vocals, Like comping vocals is when you just
do several takes of you know,a phrase or something and you put it
together like and make like you know, some people call the Frankensteining, Like
you're just taking a bunch of piecesand putting it together. And uh,
(30:15):
I was just like I love Ilove this, Like I just felt something.
I was like, I want todo that. Like recording is cool,
but I want to do that.And he was vocal producing at the
same time. So hit it again, do it like this, no,
no, get this rand You know, he wasn't a great singer, but
well no, I think he can'tsing actually, but like he wasn't like
out of this, out of thebut he was still getting his point of
cross yeah, to where the artistsunderstood and you know, made their sound
(30:38):
better. So I started incorporating thatin my sessions and when I will work
with singers especially, I was like, like I cannot sing for real,
Like like she is not blessed withthat. He knew, he knew if
I could sing, it would beso I can hear it though I have
a good ear. So like Iwas kind of getting that reputation. And
(31:00):
then I started kind of just buildinga reputation and building my clientele and you
know, getting when you're an engineer, you have to compete, you know
with people who have been going totheir engineer for the last five ten years,
and so you just have to offerincentives and different experiences. So I
was going out my way to justmake sure that these people I was working
with were getting like super speed andlike I might make a free promo video
(31:22):
for them or just like finding differentways to keep them around. And I
did, and I just loved it. And then it got to the point
where engineering my regular jobs, likemy day jobs I think it worked at
like a printing company or something likethat was getting in the way of my
clients, and I was making moreengineering than I was at that twelve fifteen
dollars an hour, so I waslike I'm out this whole time. Yeah,
(31:45):
and so yeah, So that's kindof how I pivoted, and then
I was able to fund my musicwith engineering, and then I was able
to meet more people as an engineerthan I was as an artist, because
when you're an artist, it's allabout me, right, everything's me,
me, me, me me.When you're an engineer, it's like people
want to talk to you because youdo something for me. Yeah yeah,
and it's like oh and then likethat's how I met Vaughn initially, like
(32:08):
he hit me asking about he wantedto put like a song together, like
a like a song with female rappers, and he was like he didn't know
I made music. He was like, well, what can who can I
put on this? And you know, I was giving him ideas and stuff,
and then I just shot my shoton the phone. I said,
Hey, while you're here, canI send you a song that I'm working
on. He's like, oh,you make music? And I was like
(32:29):
yeah, He's like yeah, sendit. Literally, like within the hour
he played it on the radio,like during primetime like traffic time, and
then it was on for a couplemonths like on the radio like nons and
I'm like no, but it'd beThat's how you know, those relationships kind
of it's got to happen organically first, but then you can't be afraid to
like put yourself out there too.Yeah, once it's there, and it
(32:50):
helps when you do other things,Like I tell artists, like, you
know, if you only make music, sometimes that's tough to get to where
you need to go. Because forsomebody who like a DJ or a label
rep or whatever, like you gottathink hundreds of people are getting at them
every year, you know, sometimesevery week or month. What can you
(33:12):
do for them to even make themlike drop their shoulders and really have a
conversation with you and really like levelAnd a lot of times it's you being
able to be multifaceted, faceted andoffer something else. So I tell people,
go pick up a camera, golearn how to engineer, or go
everything, do something, Just figureout something else to do. That way,
you'll never know who you meet likethat, right, and you never
(33:34):
know what you're like actually like inlove with right, Like you know,
you were like I'm all about mymusic, and I was like, wait,
I love engineering. I never thoughtI was ever gonna be an engineer.
It sounded like nerd stuff to me, Like I don't want to do
I'm an entrepreneur. I never thoughtI was gonna open a student That wasn't
part of the plan. Yeah itwasn't, but you know, you never
know, just doing everything. SoI need people understand though, like this
(33:55):
studio was not just yeah, exactlyone, I'm just making money off you
guys or or you know, it'sdope. You got all these events going
on, and you're creating the spacefor artists. But like you have the
resume, like you went to school, you worked with the academy, you
were an artist yourself. So Ijust want people to understand when you go
to the studio, like you're workingwith the best listen. They are getting
they are getting experienced. He doesthis, Yeah, they're getting love.
(34:16):
And the engineers that we have atthe studio, like these are my people.
Like I'm training them, you knowwhat I'm saying, And I'm trying
to put them in positions and situationsso similar things could happen to them as
well. So when you come tothe studio. Even if you don't work
with me, you're gonna work withsomebody else who got it, you know
what I'm saying, Like everybody issuper talented and in their own lane and
(34:37):
got something special. So from thewhole staff, pos staff to the equipment
fire, so what it's about everythingStudio X. And then you open the
location in La too, So yeah, from people in the Bay, could
they use that one too, Likeyeah, we actually I don't know when
this is gonna air, but wegot a mean special going on right now.
Be to LA. If you're fromthe Bay and you want to go
(34:57):
work in LA, fifty percent offonly because we want to encourage people to
get outside their comfort zones and don'tmake that LA trip. La trips are
very important. I will say,that's the different type of work and a
different type of network and market.So fifty percent off. They only pay
half of what they pay us uphere if they go to LA. But
yeah, they can book in LA. And Rossie's down there running the LA
(35:21):
location killing it doing great and yeahand it's woman owned like crazy in Oakland,
Like that's so far, You're amazing. Let's talk about this lab with
fab that you got coming up,you got another event? So what's going
on the lab with Fab? Oneof my longest clients I've had is Missed
(35:43):
the Fab. We've been working togetherseven years maybe something like that, and
our work we have developed this insaneworkflow that like you have to experience to
understand what I'm saying because nobody believesit. And then when they come in,
they're like, I've never seen anythinglike that. Like the amount of
people that I think everybody that comesinto one of our sessions for the first
(36:07):
time, like they'll be quiet,they're just quiet, they're watching, and
then during a break they're like,I have never seen anything like that in
my life. Like we work speedlike quick like and I could keep each
other. Yeah, he could keepup with me, because when we first
started working together, I was Iwas subbing in for his regular engineer and
uh jeff him. He was like, oh, can you do a session
(36:28):
with Fab? And I was like, you know, this was I don't
know, I don't remember. Iwas probably like twenty two twenty three,
maybe, like I was young,like I was, I was still fresh,
I was still knew. I don'teven know if I had gone to
that cou Correlle thing yet, butmaybe I don't know. I was like
it was before New Oakland, afterNo Heavens. No, I'm not that.
(36:52):
I'm not that. No Shade,Fab love You, No, no,
no, no, this was probablythis was probably after a Son of
a Pimp too. I think thiswas a little bit after that, yeah,
because I didn't have anything to dowith that album. I wasn't recording
him yet. Yeah, so thisis after that, and we just started
working together and he was really he'sfast, and his attention span is like,
(37:15):
you know, he has to dosomething, he has to keep going.
And I was like, you're notabout to outwork me. So that
it made me keep up and thenI got to a point where what's up,
I'm faster, you know, andthen oh like and it was like
a we just created this chemistry,like to wear it down. I don't
have to I don't He doesn't haveto say a word. And I know
(37:35):
what he's thinking, just because we'veworked together for so long so often,
like we work weekly. So basicallypeople can learn that, right and and
Fab is his own like mind andbrain and yes, like but as an
artist and an engineer, you canstill create that kind of synergy and that
that chemistry with your artists. Youjust have to have the right tools and
(37:58):
you have to like have changed yourmindset a little bit into how can I
make this faster. I used towork on a ranch when I was a
kid, my grandpa or Nanchetto,and I'm like my uncle was too,
and I remember like when I wouldgo work there in the summer, a
lot of the task I had todo are mad tedious to like, and
I was like, how can Ifigure out like a faster way to do
(38:20):
this but still get like the sameresult, right? And so I kind
of developed that mindset. So Iapplied that to engineering, right, how
can I do what I need todo but like quicker to keep up with
him, Like there are certain thingswhile he's recording or figuring out a line,
I could be editing or cleaning upmy workspace and start mixing and suff
capacity. So it's kind of justwe're doing that. So that's what we're
(38:43):
doing. He's going over kind ofhis songwriting techniques and how he writes super
fast, and I'm going over engineeringtechniques and how I tracked vocals really fast.
Knowing it's like a class. Yeah, it's gonna be a session,
but it's like an interactive Yeah,it's gonna be an interactive workshow op sessions.
So that's what labia this bro that'sso tight. So when is this
(39:04):
going down? So that's on thethirteenth, very limited like under ten.
I'm talking like under ten people,wow, just because we want everybody to
have like a fairly hands on experienceand be able to answer ay everybody's questions
and stuff. So I don't knowwhen we're gonna do it again. But
if you're an engineer or an artistthan want to learn how to track faster?
Definitely definitely make that make that movewell. I think you're amazing.
(39:27):
Love ky a genius. I lovewhat you're doing for the community. Studio
X fire. I need to goto a jam session, so yeah,
you'd invite me to that, andyou need to send me a low Oh
absolutely, I'll send that right now. So yeah, you don't know creedom,
I get your song played on theradio station. Okay, Hey,
you gonna help you with everything.Whatever you want to learn, you go
to Studio X and learn it.Yeah, and if we can't teach you,
we know somebody who can there yougo, So how could they follow
(39:50):
you guys, get more in touchso Studio X Recording dot com if you
want to book time with us orsocials are all Studio X five. I
have won zero on Instagram. StudioX two one three is our Los Angeles
location. My personal Instagram is KarinaMusic, Karina with an x X a
ri in a music and yeah,book some time, come work with us,
(40:15):
come to a jam, follow uson all our socials, keep up
with our events and programs, andwe're gonna take it up. We're gonna
take it up one up a notexcuse me this summer so it's spring still,
but we're resting right now because it'sabout to get. It's about to
get. I mean, yeah exactly. You I have hell events, but
I have to ask what's next,like big picture events, both oh events.
(40:37):
We have our next running back withDJ Chloe Money on the seventeenth at
Dahlia, so that'll be super dope. Our next gym is probably going to
be in May, and then anotherone in June, and our artist development
program is gonna kick off in June. In big picture, Yeah, where
do you see Studio X in likefive years or where do you want it
(40:58):
to like really be you know,one more location and a very big city
not on this coast, a Grammydownstairs and a Grammy and a Grammy case.
You know what I'm saying. Iwant that might happen before five years,
and just a bigger location that we'reable to really build out from,
(41:19):
you know, the ground up.You know this location was it fitting the
budget and it could make sense,you know where I was. But I
think in five years we're definitely gonnabe a like a space that's like our
space, like that we really builtout well. I can't wait to see
you take over Karina. Everyone studiolegs pull up. Thanks so much for
coming by. Thank you, appreciateyou. Angel just alko wacked question,
(42:09):
just a sack it just allgo wackit on the record. Record of w
Yep. For the record with Angelina. Give us a follow on the gram
at Underscore ft R pod. Iappreciate you being here. Hit that subscribe
button after you're listening to this episode. Make sure to leave a review please,
it helps so much. Leave somecomments in the review section. Rate
us five stars. If we're gonnarate us anything less, put that sh
in your diary. All right,tonight as of today in the Bay take
(00:49):
over. So let's get to it. This is Today in the Bay.
What's your hosts? Angelina? Twoday in the Bay. We have the
incredible Carina with us today. Iwas like, go ahead, good,
(01:12):
how are you doing good? Imean, you got so many titles.
I know you're engineer artists? Areyou prottycer? No songwriters? I'm not
gonna do yeah, yeah, sorry, right, You're like, that's not
what I'm not gonna get into.But let's kick it off. Because you
are a founder of a Studio X. You've created this like amazing space for
artists in the Bay Area and beyond. So tell me everything Studio X is
(01:34):
about. So Studio X started offas a recording studio and just over time
we've kind of pivoted into like acreative hub and an artist development center.
So we don't just press three andlet you go with the master. We're
gonna we're gonna help and shape andmold artists. So we have an artist
development program. We go over differentthings from the basics like vocal performance to
(01:57):
music business, to a branding,marketing, et cetera. So these like
stuff that you guys offer outside likeor because someone just coming and booked like
a studio as well, so theycan just come in and book as a
studio. But we offer like,yeah, we offer programs and workshops like
throughout the year. And how longhave you guys been open for? We
are about to celebrate our third anniversaryeven open since May twenty twenty one.
(02:23):
That's crazy, and you just,okay, tell us where the studio was
at first the studios in East Oakland. It's in Jingletown, Okay, Yeah,
we're in the same building as aGreen Day it used to be.
Wow, that's huge. And thenhe just opened another location we did.
We opened a location in downtown LA. That's crazy. And what made you
like want to start this? Imean, I was an engineer. I
(02:43):
started out, I started out asan artist and then I started recording,
and the first studio that I workedat shutdown during COVID, and then I
worked at another studio like kind oflike in the middle of COVID, and
then it got to a point whereI was just like I had too many
ideas. Yeah, and I wasjust like, I think I've done this
long enough to be able to facilitate, you know, my own my own
(03:04):
company, Like I know I coulddo this, and I wasn't that was
the goal, but I wasn't necessarilytrying to and I just kind of stumbled
that stumbled on that space by accident. I was just looking on Craigslist,
being nosy like we all do.Yeah, I got mentioned saved in my
Zilla right like, oh these cabinetsthree million dollar home. I would never
jump exactly, but no. Iwas just scrolling Craigslist one day, which
(03:28):
is not a place where you wouldthink to get a like you know,
little sketchy, but no, Iended, yeah, and I walked through
and I was just like I feltit, like I was like, this
is my space, like I feelit, you know, and it's a
love of space. It's like twostory and I didn't have any investors.
I was by myself. You know, I didn't have a team. It
(03:49):
wasn't even called Studio X yet.It was just I just needed a studio
to work out of. And it'slike, I'm going to figure it out.
I figured it out. I tooka leap, and you know,
sometimes that's dangerous, but sometimes it'snecessary. And it was very uncomfortable,
and I didn't have any real businessexperience on how to run a business.
So you know, these past threeyears, I've been learning in real time.
(04:11):
My team has witnessed me learn theselessons in real time. But it's
worked out and we're expanding and wejust open another location. So it's been
cool. Do you think being anartist first like helps you more with your
vision on what you want in astudio and like what you want for other
artists on one hundred percent, becauseI think sometimes you know, you can
get in the mindset of I'm goingto open a studio and I'm just gonna
(04:34):
make passive income. It's gonna runitself, which is ideal, Right,
that's cool, but like what elsecan you offer? Right, Like,
there's all your competition does the samething, and you know, you might
be a studio that doesn't have theas much equipment as another studio or like
our studio for example, doesn't havea live room, so that's like,
ah, we're competing with people whodo have a live room. There's all
(04:56):
these like audio components that you knowto you in different lanes and leads than
everybody else, but it's like whatelse can you offer? And that's kind
of when the artist side of meis like, well, I wish,
you know, when I went toa recording studio, I wish that we
did this, or I wish Ihad this, or I wish my studio
taught me how to do this,you know, instead of without having to
(05:17):
go to school, because I wentto school to learn most of the music
business ye stuff, okay, Butto be able to offer it and get
your song makes the master and shoota music video, like have kind of
a hub and a one stop shopand a place to collaborate. That was
kind of my goal, right becauseanybody could have a recording studio, but
(05:38):
it's like who can have like acenter. It's like for artists by artists
exactly. And it's like I'm notjust trying to make some money off you
or like my lowest time, Ijust little side business like it's actually failling
for you. Yeah, And it'slike, you know, there's a lot
of dialogue about the state of BayArea music and the music business and how
we do business and whatever, anda lot of times it's super negative,
(06:00):
and a lot of times nobody isdoing anything about it. We're just sitting
here complaining. And I got tiredof that, and I said, all
right, I'm gonna let y'all talk. While y'all talk, We're gonna build
this thing. And you know,we're slowly we're educating artists. We're showing
them, like, here's how youdo business after you make a song,
you know, Here's how you workwith a producer. Here's the agreements you
need to have, here's contracts,and break it down simply. It's not
(06:21):
a big daunting thing. I thinka lot of people paperwork. It's not
that it doesn't have to be thisbig scary thing. You know. I
need someone to tell them that andshow them that it's not exactly or just
a proper like being a part ofa show that's ran properly, Like,
you know, here's what a runningshow is, right, what's a running
show? It's literally just a listof what time and schedule, that everything,
(06:42):
just simple things to kind of justenhance our professionalism. And I think
with doing that, it kind ofraises the bars. So then everybody who
works with us' is like, oh, that's the standard, right, because
the standard that we're used to islow right, low organization skills, low
were raising it, you know whatI'm saying, And we're and they go
somewhere else, I'm gonna be like, uh, they're like, you know,
(07:04):
like when you book at studio asyou get a notification, you get
an email, you get a text, you're part of a text, like
you know, we just we've developedthis smooth process just to make it more
professional and just feel feel real andlike a business. We're running a business,
but it's also still a place thatpeople could come and feel free and
(07:27):
create and it's a safe space.I love that you're just like, let's
just do this because like you saidabout the narrative of like being our music
being in some kind of place andwhoop to whoop. Like I've had conversations
with friends too, cause we're like, it's not really like that, like
when people keep saying like it's hello, artists working with each other, Like
the whole you know, Oh,we're not We're not here for each other.
It's just like it's literally just youguys talking. So I like how
(07:48):
you're just like, well, I'mgonna just be so in the community to
the point where it's not even aconversation, like why are we debating this,
Like clearly we're here and we're doingit cause it's not accurate. And
I think exactly that we get sofated on maybe like the top three big
outlets that we don't it blinds usto what's actually really going on. Like
(08:09):
have you been outside of the lanesthat you're talking about? A lot of
people know they haven't. So it'slike once you start kind of really getting
outside and in the community and goingto different showcases and seeing different types of
artists, like we're really dope anda lot of people do have our stuff
together, you know, and soit's just kind of merging communities. I
(08:31):
think too, I have you know, when I first started, I worked
at a studio car tuned off Hagenberger, and I had a lot of like
more clients that made street music,right, Like my clients weren't really in
the streets, right, And thena lot of clients that I have at
Studio X are a little bit moreartsy and young and like, you know,
cool, like Diby. You know. So what we've been doing is
(08:54):
like we merged. I merged thepeople that I've known forever plus these new
clients, and like we're merging thoseworlds. So it's not we're not that
different. We all want to makemusic, really good music. Like you
said, the foundation is the same, like even I mean just even looking
at rap music, like people liketo be like, oh it's conscious rap,
where it's gangster rapper's backpack. It'slike rap is rap exactly what.
(09:18):
The foundation is all the same,you know. So why can't we like
collaborate and work together, you know, why can't I have this alternative artist
be in the same room with myartists that you know makes like you know
whatever, like you know, justlike why we can't merge them? And
(09:39):
they we do merge them. Andin our camps, like we have,
we have artists from all different genres, you know, and we'll have them
collaborate, which is cool because theyprobably wouldn't collaborate or cross paths. And
even if it's not just like oh, let's merge our two sounds you're rocking
alternative Like it's like, oh,you know it's on the drums, like
I'm a rapper, but can youdo this? You know, like it
(10:01):
could be anything. So I lovethat you're creating that community, and I
know you also have like a bunchof events throughout studio acts. Let's talk
about running back. Running Back,Yes, our sistersation Big Vaughan shout out
to the homie because he discovered theartists. I forgot her name, three
Leaks. Yes, is that whatthe songs called fire? Like he played
for me. I was like,this is so dope you have. I
(10:24):
was going to say, how manneed to just on that so to my
music director because it's fire, butabsolutely, yeah, So tell us about
running back. So running Back issomething that we started. So when we
first started, it was on Twitchand a shout out in so you've been
doing it? Yeah, we've beendoing it like probably within our like first
year, within our second year,I think we started it. And I
have a lot of DJ friends Andwhen I was an artist, I learned
(10:48):
the importance of relationships with DJs rightlike when I was making music, it
was I was like in the transitionera from like flyers and like gorilla marketing
to like social media. So Ihad like a hybrid of experience. But
I remember being in faces of DJswas like one of the most important things
(11:09):
that you could do because they outside, like the masses do like your song
because I played it outside and forall these people. Yeah, and more
times than not, DJs do wantto play your record, like you know,
they do want to break local talents somem capacity. But there's like
I feel like there's a gap andit really just could be filled by communicating.
(11:30):
That's it. So you know,I was no stranger to going outside
finding what DJ's are going to bewhere, having a USB with my DJ
pack like and building these relationships overthe years. So I was like,
how can we how can we linkartists that we work with and DJs that
I know? So we started doingthis thing where it was on a Twitch
(11:54):
and we would have a DJ comein spend for an hour, and then
the second hour we would just domusic reviews, like what is a DJ
think about this record? Because Icould say what I think about it as
an artist as a but the personthat's going to play it is the most
important person, right, So westarted doing these running backstreams. We did
one move on back in the day. We've done with all types of DJs,
(12:15):
Shell Heart, Tussy, and theywere fun and people were tuned in
and it was on Twitch and itwas cool, and I was just like,
how can we how can we makethis more interactive? And I was
like, let's make it like amusic review showcase. And so it's kind
of the same format, but nowit's in person, so you know,
the DJ will come spin for likean hour so they can you know,
(12:39):
get their shine on in their craft. And then we have round one where
the artists will play their song,and then Round two where the top like
five people from Round one get toperform their song, and so they'll get
critiqued on different things. And it'sa cool way to build community. It's
a cool way to support your friends. It's a cool way to see what
the DJ things about your record ina safe space that you know. Sometimes
(13:03):
it's not ideal to give your recordto a DJ in the middle of their
set. They're not going to playit and give you their feedback, right,
It's a horrible way to do it. It's cool to hand them a
USB and say, hey, laterwhen you get a chance, let me
know what you think of your record. But this is a place where that's
all they're here to do, right, So that'll feel like you're bugging them.
It's not left in their spam foldor somewhere on exactly like this is.
(13:24):
This is live in person. Sothat's how it's my vie for both
sides. It's like you get tohear live music, little club slash American
idol situation and build community right andbuild these relationships with these DJs that you
might have been too scary to approach. You know, you never know,
so it's now a safe space.You can go up to Big Vaughan you
(13:45):
might not go up to in reallife and be like, yeah, like
this is all it's constructive and ifyou know, if you take the feedback
seriously, you can really start craftingsome really dope records if you keep their
feedback in mind and you don't whoyou're gonna meet there. Also, the
DJs are bringing their DJ friends,their radio friends, you know, other
artists that are there. Like lastwhen when Vonn was there, Adrian Marcel
(14:09):
pulled up and you know, hewas playing his record and he guest judged
for us, you know, andthat's somebody who has sold quite a few
records, so you know, you'regetting his feedback as an artist, you're
getting Von's feedback as a legend inradio, you know. And then we
had I had my homegirl at Benet. She's like a marketing whiz genius,
(14:31):
and so she was kind of givingher marketing feedback. So you had these
three really cool perspectives to really gaugewhere you're at. And I think that's
what we do. I love thathe's like not just in radio like he
DJ. And then you also havejam sessions. Yeah that's another event outside
(14:52):
of running back, but connected toStudio X as well. So tek us
about the jam sessions. So thejam session started at the studio too,
and it's just like they got thosegot so big that we couldn't fit all
those people in downstairs. So y'allare going to the studio. Yeah.
So our studio is like a lotof space, right and you're more than
welcome to pull up whenever you want. But downstairs is like kind of an
(15:13):
open floor plan and we have likecouches and it's more you know, where
we do our camps and writing sessionsand stuff like that. Upstairs is our
studio. It's a smaller studio,so it might comfortably fit like ten people
absolute max. That's even pushing it, say eight. But yeah, So
we would do our jam sessions likedownstairs in the open area and we would
(15:33):
just we just called our musician homiesand Tyler from the studio. She's an
amazing singer. I think I thinkyou interviewed her back in the day.
Oh I don't know, maybe TylerReese Okay, but well she's an amazed
she's an amazing vocalist, songwriter.She's also an engineer and a vocal producer.
(15:54):
But she has like a big networkof musicians and stuff. So I
said, let's, uh, let'sset up like some type of jams situation.
It's a build community. And that'show it started. And we would
do the like bi monthly and theygot bigger and bigger and more people wanted
to go, like, hey,can I go to that jam? And
I was like okay. So lastyear we did our first one with an
audience, and so we kind ofmake it interactive, so Tyler will host
(16:18):
and ask people like, you know, how are you feeling? Give us
a word or you know whatever,and you know, people in the audience
will give a word and then theband will just jam off that and just
feel like, let's say you wantto say like magical, Yeah, Tyler
would just start humming something about magicaland then you know, drums of kicking
and the baso kick in and thecave and it'll just be and it's like
(16:40):
two or three hours of just likelive improv music. We have. We
have a really really good time doingthose. And that we just did Wet
with Kept Choice last week, andso that's another one of our events that
we do and it has nothing todo with the running backs. So the
running backs are more like DJ artistsrelationships. This is now musician artist community
(17:02):
that's so dope and healing. It'slike it gets real sometimes it gets churchy,
and then it gets real ratchet sometimesyou know. Yeah, it's all
about balance, it is. Andso yeah, that's what we do.
And that one is more for likeour musician and vocalist community, and I'm
sure like people make a bunch ofconnections there as well. Absolutely absolutely,
like you might if you're an artistand you're looking to put together a band,
(17:23):
like definitely come to a jam sessionbecause you might find your next drummer
there, or you might find abackground singer. This I want to go.
I don't want to contigue, I'llhave no musical abilities. No,
I just want to be there.Yeah. Absolutely, we're absolutely going to
invite you to the next one.That's fire. So far, are you
guys at the point where you're likegoing to different locations for the jam sessions?
Yeah? Okay, So last summerwe were doing them on a rooftop
(17:45):
in Oakland. We just didn't wantat ground floor in Oakland, which is
like a shared like workspace community clubthing, but is really really pretty in
there. And I feel like,yeah, well, like so many new
restaurants and stuff opened up. It'slike a good networking for you too,
Like let's host this. Yeah.I think a lot of I think as
we grow it and you know,get our marketing together, I think a
(18:07):
lot of like I want to doone in like a nursery or with something
with really plan and you know,like I think we can just keep changing
a coffee shops. Coffee shop,Yeah, just anywhere anywhere that's a vibe,
right, because it's it's definitely likea vibe experience. That's crazy.
Yeah, you got to come toone. It's so fun. No,
I really let me know the nextone. I'll definitely be there. Man,
(18:30):
it's just like so much from thestudio that you got going on with
that, and then you're an artistyourself. I am, Are you still
making music? I haven't made musicin a really long time, so I'm
not going to say I'm not makingmusic. Like there's one hundred at least
one hundred songs in my in mycard yards. And I was stocking your
Instagram and I saw one pust You'relike came out of retirement. I was
(18:51):
like, records too, Yeah,I just dropped the I dropped the project
last like the end of last summer. It was called Single for the Summer,
and that has some cool songs onit. But yeah, I think
I like making music. It's justlike it's so taxing sometimes too, just
because I'm facilitating so many, somany other things. But I do know,
(19:12):
just for myself, for my mentalhealth, for my sanity, I
do need to balance it a littlebetter and make records because I know I
still have more things to say.But I think just pivoting too, Like
I'm like a business lady. Now, like I don't know what to say
in the songs because I'm like,this ain't even accurate. I'm not even
living like that right now. Idon't it's gonna this is not responsible of
(19:37):
me for to say like. Soit's kind of difficult to find that balance
and that duality because it's like I'vegrown so much New Years, it's all
Karina X. I was in Karinaand I just my name too, and
then I got all business sees.So I don't know, but I do
(19:57):
still make music. To answer yourquestion, I do a lot of like
songwriting, gigs and stuff. Ijust wrote a song, wrote a couple
of songs for this artist, namDreed Dominique based in San Diego. So
yeah, we're still writing. Andyou were nominated for Grammy. Yeah,
some like talk about that. Ohyeah, I'm talking about my sof that
happened too. I mixed the projectfor Apprentice Palell and Sean William and it
(20:22):
was the spoken Word album, soit's pretty cool. And they got nominated
and it's a new it's a newcategory, so I think it was the
second year of the category. Andyeah, we got nominated, and I
was like, they told me thattoo. They were like, when I
mixed it, they're like, yeah, we're gonna try to get nominated.
And I was like, I didn'tthink they couldn't, but I was just
like, that's a it just soundslike, yeah, can I just mix
(20:44):
it first, like we don't write, you know, no pressure, trying
to get some grammar And they werelike no, we're so many instagrammas.
I'm like, okay, like allright, and it ended up getting nominated
and I was like, yo,okay, I'm feeling like like just being
being a part of that. Itwas crazy because like the Grammys, the
Grammys seems like this big mystical organizationand they're really not like a huge mystery.
(21:08):
Like you can be a part ofthe Academy. It's not that hard
if you're a music professional. Andthey want more people to be a part
of it, any more people.Yeah, they need more people. And
I think I think this coming yearis going to be a really good year
just for how they're expanding. Anduh I started. I started working with
(21:29):
the Grammys when I was in college. You ever heard of Grammy You?
So Grammy You is a college extensionof the Grammys, right, So it's
their program that they they do forcollege kids. And you pay like a
really small fee. It's like ahundred bucks. I don't even remember.
And you're a part of Grammy.You for your entire entire college career,
and then two years or something afteryou graduate. So with that, any
(21:52):
college, not any college, butany college that they're in. Wow,
they'll send a rep. Usually ifyou're in like a music class. So
I was in I was taking amusic I was having doing a music degree.
So they had a Grammy rep.Grammy U rep come in and that's
how I learned about it and Isigned up instantly because you got I get
invited to all of the events thatthey were throwing. This was pre COVID,
(22:15):
so they had a lot of stuffgoing on, So you get to
do all that for free. Andthen they would let you do sound checks.
You get to go to certain people'ssound checks. So I went to
Janelle montet sound check, I wentto how You Saying the Khalid I went
to his sound check. They dida songwriting thing Melissa Thridge. I played
a song for her, like forsome songwriting. She was like, I
got goosebumps. I said, Iknow, that's right, Yeah, I
(22:38):
just got crazy and then they'll giveyou if you're really saucy, they offer
a mentorship and you apply to amentorship. So I got paired up with
the guy who remember Foster and thePeople, but he worked on the the
Foster and the People album, sohe had like this, I don't remember
if it's diamond or platinum, butit was one of them platus like crazy
(22:59):
and is that the Pumped Up Kicks? Pumped Up Kicks? Yeah? He
produced on that album, so hehad his accolades, and they paired me
up with him on some like productionstuff and I'm like, I am not
a producer, like I don't likemaking beats. I don't like producing,
I don't like. I was soagainst it. I was like, I'm
an engineer like I don't or I'mI'm an artist, like I don't make
the beats. But he insisted,right, and uh, he had me
(23:25):
like on an old school lendrum fromthe eighties and it was like a drum
machine thing. And I ended upproducing a really dope song that I actually
that's the one I played for MelissaEther. She's like, oh, that
gave a use once. So Iwas just like yo full stuck a moment.
But I say all that to say, like, he's my mentor,
is the reason like I've had syncplacements and stuff like Grownish and et cetera,
et cetera, because I worked withhim and he showed me kind of
(23:48):
how to do it and who totalk to. So anyways, I say
all that to say the Recording Academyis like a lot more accessible than people
think, and they offer a lotof resources for professionals. I'm glad you
tried producing, though, Oh Iknow you're like I hate it. Because
you're trying everything, might as welltry it. Yeah, no, not
for me. Have you ever triedto make it be before? No,
(24:08):
it is not. I feel likeI wouldn't be able to do it like
I do, Like I'll like setup like little jingles on my podcast,
but like it'll be like a twosecond one. I was like that took
forever, ages ages and then Idon't know music theory, Like I took
music theory in school, but Ihad like a really mean teacher, and
I just I was aving into it. I was I passed by the grace.
(24:30):
I don't know. Yeah, Ipassed, though I think my teacher
actually got fired, like he gotlike escorted by the police, like mid
mid by the police, yeah,like mid semesters. Then they switched.
It was too much. So allthat to say, I don't know music
theory, so when I even theteacher just messed it up for you because
he obviously had. Yeah, hescrewed it up for me big time because
he just like turned me off.I was just like, I don't like
(24:52):
this class, like let me getto my pro tools class. And he
got arrestless. It wasn't just youlike he had problems. Yeah, I
think he got fired and then theyautomatic like make somebody walk you out because
like the school sheriffs or whatever likewalked in up. Oh okay, okay,
I don't know none of my business. I do want to know what
he did, right. He usedto smell like me'll do real bad,
So I don't know the google himafter this, Yeah see where he's that
now. He was so mean.But anyways, I don't like making beats
(25:17):
because I feel like I can't playwhat I hear and it takes too long
for me to figure it out.I don't have patience. I'm just like
this isn't for me. And thenBy the time I finished making a beat,
I was like, I would neverwrap on this trash. I wish
somebody would send this to me.So I just let you make it better.
That's your job. Yeah, Ican get on it. I don't
want to do it. I leaveit to the big dogs. These both
(25:37):
these people group people here next tome both produced so they can have that.
That's so, how did you getinto engineering? Like what made you
like really fall in love with that? So I was an artist first and
then I lived with my auntie andI had just moved in with her,
and she was like, I wasgraduated from high school and she said,
you could live here for free,but you need to go to school.
(26:00):
And I was like school and nobody. I didn't really like grow up with
thinking I was ever going to goto college or anything. Like I already
knew what I wanted to do froma really young age. I was like,
I'm gonna be a rap star,like and that's it. I was
good at it, and so Ididn't think there was a point for me
to go to school. But shewas like, you need to go do
something, and I was like,all right, So I went to community
college. Then I found out youget financial aid. I said, well
(26:22):
sign now you know, stay allfour years? How much a lot?
I not only used mine once,and I like, for some reason couldn't
ease it again. I was like, damn, when you're young and never
touched a thousand dollars before that financialyou feel like you feel like a billionaire.
I was like, waste somebody andthen you could get a little two
books and then like the rest wason me and get the used books and
(26:45):
get the e books and then getthe you did the ball favorite. Actually
I was a TA and my TAlet me use like half her books.
She was like, don't buy that, Like he's mine. You had to
joke. You figured it. Myfive K went to who knows what she
shoes? I'll go to all theWarriors games, was my youngster. I
was just I was blowing it,but like it was. It was good
to just be able to little money. No. I had like every victorious
(27:10):
secret, perfree passion. I wasdoing something. Yes, every type of
blossom. That's all funny. Goto school, Oh yeah, go to
school. Uh. And then Itook general ed and I was like I
just didn't know what I wanted todo, Like I didn't have a profession
other than what I was already doing. And then they had a music program.
(27:32):
It's called Music Industry Studies. Yeah, music Industry Studies, and it
was at Diablo Valley College DVC,and uh, I just enrolled and I
was like, I could do this, and you know, so I would
love to learn pro tools to beable to like communicate with my engineers that
I was working with. So I'mlike, this probably be like useful or
something. Definitely flunked my first yearof pro Tools big as I never went
(27:55):
to class like I was just like. But then I was like, okay,
Craney, you gotta get serious becausesomebody told me if you fail,
you got to pay the financial aidback. I think that was a lie.
It's a lie. Well somebody scaredme straight. I said, oh
I get it again, regardless,regardless, I was about to mess up
(28:15):
that check for me. So Isaid no, no, no, no,
no, all right, we're gonnatake it seriously time. So then
I ended up taking it again andI got serious and I actually really liked
it. And then Jeff that ownedTone Studios, the first studio that I
used to record at, he waslike, I mean, you want to
like make some extra money and starttaking on clients. And I was like,
hm, hmm, maybe, andso I just wanted to out.
(28:38):
Yeah. I was like, Imean I should probably get like another started
gig or something, right. Ithink I was working at home Goods at
the time. I was so yeah, I started taking I think one of
my first clients was like hood Stars, like yeah, like and I started
just taking on clients and I wasso slow. I worked with a fantastic
Agrito like that he got a Grammyon I did like a little more sol
(29:02):
of recording on that album project.I didn't do enough to qualify, but
I was like, yeah, so, but I was really slow and just
young. But I liked it though, like I felt like I can do
this. And then I was recordingmyself and that made me better because I
was just like, I know howI want to be recorded. And then
I remember there's a guy named KuCarrel and he's like a vocal producer for
(29:27):
like Rihanna and Justin Bieber, likeall the big people. I think he
just worked on Beyonce's album that shejust did, but he's worked with like
all the stars, right, andhe was doing I don't remember if this
was a demonstration with the recording Academyor with my school, but whatever it
was, he was doing a demonstrationat the old school. What's the school
in Emoryville that shut down expressions?Expressions? And he was doing like a
(29:51):
demo, recording demo, and I'venever seen anybody work so fast, and
I was like, oh, Iwant to work like that. Yeah,
and I was like okay, likeand he just does a bunch of short
cuts and like when he comps vocals, Like comping vocals is when you just
do several takes of you know,a phrase or something and you put it
together like and make like you know, some people call the Frankensteining, Like
you're just taking a bunch of piecesand putting it together. And uh,
(30:15):
I was just like I love Ilove this, Like I just felt something.
I was like, I want todo that. Like recording is cool,
but I want to do that.And he was vocal producing at the
same time. So hit it again, do it like this, no,
no, get this rand You know, he wasn't a great singer, but
well no, I think he can'tsing actually, but like he wasn't like
out of this, out of thebut he was still getting his point of
cross yeah, to where the artistsunderstood and you know, made their sound
(30:38):
better. So I started incorporating thatin my sessions and when I will work
with singers especially, I was like, like I cannot sing for real,
Like like she is not blessed withthat. He knew, he knew if
I could sing, it would beso I can hear it though I have
a good ear. So like Iwas kind of getting that reputation. And
(31:00):
then I started kind of just buildinga reputation and building my clientele and you
know, getting when you're an engineer, you have to compete, you know
with people who have been going totheir engineer for the last five ten years,
and so you just have to offerincentives and different experiences. So I
was going out my way to justmake sure that these people I was working
with were getting like super speed andlike I might make a free promo video
(31:22):
for them or just like finding differentways to keep them around. And I
did, and I just loved it. And then it got to the point
where engineering my regular jobs, likemy day jobs I think it worked at
like a printing company or something likethat was getting in the way of my
clients, and I was making moreengineering than I was at that twelve fifteen
dollars an hour, so I waslike I'm out this whole time. Yeah,
(31:45):
and so yeah, So that's kindof how I pivoted, and then
I was able to fund my musicwith engineering, and then I was able
to meet more people as an engineerthan I was as an artist, because
when you're an artist, it's allabout me, right, everything's me,
me, me, me me.When you're an engineer, it's like people
want to talk to you because youdo something for me. Yeah yeah,
and it's like oh and then likethat's how I met Vaughn initially, like
(32:08):
he hit me asking about he wantedto put like a song together, like
a like a song with female rappers, and he was like he didn't know
I made music. He was like, well, what can who can I
put on this? And you know, I was giving him ideas and stuff,
and then I just shot my shoton the phone. I said,
Hey, while you're here, canI send you a song that I'm working
on. He's like, oh,you make music? And I was like
(32:29):
yeah, He's like yeah, sendit. Literally, like within the hour
he played it on the radio,like during primetime like traffic time, and
then it was on for a couplemonths like on the radio like nons and
I'm like no, but it'd beThat's how you know, those relationships kind
of it's got to happen organically first, but then you can't be afraid to
like put yourself out there too.Yeah, once it's there, and it
(32:50):
helps when you do other things,Like I tell artists, like, you
know, if you only make music, sometimes that's tough to get to where
you need to go. Because forsomebody who like a DJ or a label
rep or whatever, like you gottathink hundreds of people are getting at them
every year, you know, sometimesevery week or month. What can you
(33:12):
do for them to even make themlike drop their shoulders and really have a
conversation with you and really like levelAnd a lot of times it's you being
able to be multifaceted, faceted andoffer something else. So I tell people,
go pick up a camera, golearn how to engineer, or go
everything, do something, Just figureout something else to do. That way,
you'll never know who you meet likethat, right, and you never
(33:34):
know what you're like actually like inlove with right, Like you know,
you were like I'm all about mymusic, and I was like, wait,
I love engineering. I never thoughtI was ever gonna be an engineer.
It sounded like nerd stuff to me, Like I don't want to do
I'm an entrepreneur. I never thoughtI was gonna open a student That wasn't
part of the plan. Yeah itwasn't, but you know, you never
know, just doing everything. SoI need people understand though, like this
(33:55):
studio was not just yeah, exactlyone, I'm just making money off you
guys or or you know, it'sdope. You got all these events going
on, and you're creating the spacefor artists. But like you have the
resume, like you went to school, you worked with the academy, you
were an artist yourself. So Ijust want people to understand when you go
to the studio, like you're workingwith the best listen. They are getting
they are getting experienced. He doesthis, Yeah, they're getting love.
(34:16):
And the engineers that we have atthe studio, like these are my people.
Like I'm training them, you knowwhat I'm saying, And I'm trying
to put them in positions and situationsso similar things could happen to them as
well. So when you come tothe studio. Even if you don't work
with me, you're gonna work withsomebody else who got it, you know
what I'm saying, Like everybody issuper talented and in their own lane and
(34:37):
got something special. So from thewhole staff, pos staff to the equipment
fire, so what it's about everythingStudio X. And then you open the
location in La too, So yeah, from people in the Bay, could
they use that one too, Likeyeah, we actually I don't know when
this is gonna air, but wegot a mean special going on right now.
Be to LA. If you're fromthe Bay and you want to go
(34:57):
work in LA, fifty percent offonly because we want to encourage people to
get outside their comfort zones and don'tmake that LA trip. La trips are
very important. I will say,that's the different type of work and a
different type of network and market.So fifty percent off. They only pay
half of what they pay us uphere if they go to LA. But
yeah, they can book in LA. And Rossie's down there running the LA
(35:21):
location killing it doing great and yeahand it's woman owned like crazy in Oakland,
Like that's so far, You're amazing. Let's talk about this lab with
fab that you got coming up,you got another event? So what's going
on the lab with Fab? Oneof my longest clients I've had is Missed
(35:43):
the Fab. We've been working togetherseven years maybe something like that, and
our work we have developed this insaneworkflow that like you have to experience to
understand what I'm saying because nobody believesit. And then when they come in,
they're like, I've never seen anythinglike that. Like the amount of
people that I think everybody that comesinto one of our sessions for the first
(36:07):
time, like they'll be quiet,they're just quiet, they're watching, and
then during a break they're like,I have never seen anything like that in
my life. Like we work speedlike quick like and I could keep each
other. Yeah, he could keepup with me, because when we first
started working together, I was Iwas subbing in for his regular engineer and
uh jeff him. He was like, oh, can you do a session
(36:28):
with Fab? And I was like, you know, this was I don't
know, I don't remember. Iwas probably like twenty two twenty three,
maybe, like I was young,like I was, I was still fresh,
I was still knew. I don'teven know if I had gone to
that cou Correlle thing yet, butmaybe I don't know. I was like
it was before New Oakland, afterNo Heavens. No, I'm not that.
(36:52):
I'm not that. No Shade,Fab love You, No, no,
no, no, this was probablythis was probably after a Son of
a Pimp too. I think thiswas a little bit after that, yeah,
because I didn't have anything to dowith that album. I wasn't recording
him yet. Yeah, so thisis after that, and we just started
working together and he was really he'sfast, and his attention span is like,
(37:15):
you know, he has to dosomething, he has to keep going.
And I was like, you're notabout to outwork me. So that
it made me keep up and thenI got to a point where what's up,
I'm faster, you know, andthen oh like and it was like
a we just created this chemistry,like to wear it down. I don't
have to I don't He doesn't haveto say a word. And I know
(37:35):
what he's thinking, just because we'veworked together for so long so often,
like we work weekly. So basicallypeople can learn that, right and and
Fab is his own like mind andbrain and yes, like but as an
artist and an engineer, you canstill create that kind of synergy and that
that chemistry with your artists. Youjust have to have the right tools and
(37:58):
you have to like have changed yourmindset a little bit into how can I
make this faster. I used towork on a ranch when I was a
kid, my grandpa or Nanchetto,and I'm like my uncle was too,
and I remember like when I wouldgo work there in the summer, a
lot of the task I had todo are mad tedious to like, and
I was like, how can Ifigure out like a faster way to do
(38:20):
this but still get like the sameresult, right? And so I kind
of developed that mindset. So Iapplied that to engineering, right, how
can I do what I need todo but like quicker to keep up with
him, Like there are certain thingswhile he's recording or figuring out a line,
I could be editing or cleaning upmy workspace and start mixing and suff
capacity. So it's kind of justwe're doing that. So that's what we're
(38:43):
doing. He's going over kind ofhis songwriting techniques and how he writes super
fast, and I'm going over engineeringtechniques and how I tracked vocals really fast.
Knowing it's like a class. Yeah, it's gonna be a session,
but it's like an interactive Yeah,it's gonna be an interactive workshow op sessions.
So that's what labia this bro that'sso tight. So when is this
(39:04):
going down? So that's on thethirteenth, very limited like under ten.
I'm talking like under ten people,wow, just because we want everybody to
have like a fairly hands on experienceand be able to answer ay everybody's questions
and stuff. So I don't knowwhen we're gonna do it again. But
if you're an engineer or an artistthan want to learn how to track faster?
Definitely definitely make that make that movewell. I think you're amazing.
(39:27):
Love ky a genius. I lovewhat you're doing for the community. Studio
X fire. I need to goto a jam session, so yeah,
you'd invite me to that, andyou need to send me a low Oh
absolutely, I'll send that right now. So yeah, you don't know creedom,
I get your song played on theradio station. Okay, Hey,
you gonna help you with everything.Whatever you want to learn, you go
to Studio X and learn it.Yeah, and if we can't teach you,
we know somebody who can there yougo, So how could they follow
(39:50):
you guys, get more in touchso Studio X Recording dot com if you
want to book time with us orsocials are all Studio X five. I
have won zero on Instagram. StudioX two one three is our Los Angeles
location. My personal Instagram is KarinaMusic, Karina with an x X a
ri in a music and yeah,book some time, come work with us,
(40:15):
come to a jam, follow uson all our socials, keep up
with our events and programs, andwe're gonna take it up. We're gonna
take it up one up a notexcuse me this summer so it's spring still,
but we're resting right now because it'sabout to get. It's about to
get. I mean, yeah exactly. You I have hell events, but
I have to ask what's next,like big picture events, both oh events.
(40:37):
We have our next running back withDJ Chloe Money on the seventeenth at
Dahlia, so that'll be super dope. Our next gym is probably going to
be in May, and then anotherone in June, and our artist development
program is gonna kick off in June. In big picture, Yeah, where
do you see Studio X in likefive years or where do you want it
(40:58):
to like really be you know,one more location and a very big city
not on this coast, a Grammydownstairs and a Grammy and a Grammy case.
You know what I'm saying. Iwant that might happen before five years,
and just a bigger location that we'reable to really build out from,
(41:19):
you know, the ground up.You know this location was it fitting the
budget and it could make sense,you know where I was. But I
think in five years we're definitely gonnabe a like a space that's like our
space, like that we really builtout well. I can't wait to see
you take over Karina. Everyone studiolegs pull up. Thanks so much for
coming by. Thank you, appreciateyou. Angel just alko wacked question,
(42:09):
just a sack it just allgo wackit on the record. Record of w
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