Today we’d like to introduce you to Stewart Tuttle.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Stewart. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
At the age of 12, I saw my first concert featuring Damageplan. That night I knew, all I wanted was for music to be my life. In 2009, after turning 20, I moved to LA to go to music school and pursue a music career. While in school, I joined bands, took on projects, and began working with artists in the studio. At my home studio, I would work mostly with friends while teaching myself production and engineering. In 2014 I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in guitar performance. A year later, I started touring and moved my home studio to a real studio space. This was the first year I started getting actual clients. By the time 2018 hit, I was ready to expand my one room studio into a two room isolated studio space. I spent three months doing construction and renovating the room all the while working on a classical guitar album.
Up until this point, I had mostly worked on rock music, but at the end of 2018, I got hired to engineer at a studio that focused on hip hop. I cut my teeth for about five months there before the hip hop knock came to my own door. A great friend of mine introduced me to many artists, producers, and managers in the game. My own studio quickly turned into a full-time gig. Artists in and out consistently. Suddenly I was in a whole new world and loving it. Honing my engineering and production skills became a top priority. This year the grind continues, looking forward to many new artists and growing with my current ones.
Has it been a smooth road?
If the road is smooth, I think you’re doing something wrong. Any pursuit of value comes with struggle. I think the biggest thing I’ve always struggled with is balance. Lines between home and work are blurred. Working four months with no days off is quite taxing. There are too little hours in the day for everything I want to accomplish. A lot of my projects and ideas get pushed to the side and the spontaneity of the business is something I am just starting to get comfortable with. I’m very schedule oriented and that throws me off. I also struggle to stay awake at 5 AM after a 12-hour session with no coffee.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Altar Studios is a full-service recording studio, offering; recording, mixing, mastering, production, and post-production. As the owner, I also am head engineer and producer. This gives me the freedom to call the shots. I am really big on client relations, making sure their vision is fully explored. Working with artists is one of my favorite things I have done in the industry. One of my strongest attributes is being able to work with people. Patience and a nonjudgmental attitude allow me to work with artists of all flavors. I am a vibe setter. It’s crucial that the artist feel comfortable in order for them to be in their optimum creative space. Being a part of an artist’s journey in the recording process is something extremely special, a birth of sorts that is unique every time. I am very proud to call The Altar Studios my own and my home, built and maintained with my own two hands.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
School is one thing I sometimes debate. I learned a tremendous amount and feel as though I needed the education to be where I am today. But, again, I have self-taught my way through many things in life including engineering and production. If I had come to LA and jumped right in, I would have fallen on my face a lot, but I know I would learn and figure it out. Student loan debt is no joke and looms heavy. I do believe that everything happens for a reason and I had to go the path I did to get to where I am today. Ultimately, I have no regrets and accept what life has and will throw at me. I make the best of every situation, and let the chips fall where they may.
Contact Info:
- Website: thealtarstudiosla.com
- Phone: 505-239-6135
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thealtarstudiosla
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thealtarstudiosla
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/thealtarstudiosla
Image Credit:
Ho Kwan Tse
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