Exploring Life & Business with Monique Thompson of Mo Music

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Thompson.

Hi Monique, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I go by Mo Shakray. I’ve always been into music, like always. As a kid, I started singing which led to songwriting and listening to song structure. Creating music and wanting to bring the songs living in my head to life led me to earning my BS in audio production and becoming a recording/mixing engineer. I’ve had great influences and people looking out for me and teaching me “the business” along the way as well. All of this has helped to mold me into the engineer/songwriter/artist I am today.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s definitely not been a smooth road, but it’s also still early in my journey. As a freelancer, building up my client list remains one of my biggest struggles. I have access to studios across LA and one in Fullerton, but the clientele is what keeps any business going. For a while, I relied on word of mouth to bring in clients but now I put a lot of time and energy into creating opportunities to drawn in other artists, producers, managers, and anyone music-related that may need a recording or mixing engineer.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business specialized in the creation and production and finalization of a song or project. I’m known for bringing good creative energy to my recording sessions and bringing the mixes to life. Because I also sing and write, I’m able to put myself in the artist’s shoes to anticipate their needs and vocal produce for to capture a better performance. I also have packaged deals for recording, mixing and mastering all in one. I’m very proud of the rough mixes my clients leave with at the end of our session. Whether I actually mix the song or not, I want my client walking away feeling amazing about what we just spent time working on; even if it’s just an idea. Something to be noted, I do have a four hour minimum when booking recording sessions. I aim to drawn in people that are serious about their craft, as I am about mine.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
As a freelancer, I’ve learned how to stand up for myself and recognize my worth to ensure mutually beneficial work relationships.

Pricing:

• A Room $75/hr (4 hour min)
• B Room $50/hr (4 hour min)
• Mixing $75/song
• Master $100/song
• Mix and Master Combo $125/song

Contact Info:

• Email: MoShakray@gmail.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/okinawasveryown
• Twitter: Twitter.com/okinawasveryown