Today we’d like to introduce you to MixedBySkool.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
These days I spend a lot of my time Mixing and producing records. But I got my start in music in high school. Me and a friend (Beanz) of mine started rapping. When we first started, we didn’t know much about making music. I was more interested in how it was created Beanz was focused on being an artist. Although I loved being an artist, I gained a bigger love for producing and engineering. So I began to study it as much as I could on my own. After High School is when I began to take music seriously. In 2009, I continued to learn about production & Engineering from being in sessions with others in the music industry as well as college. In 2012, I opened a recording studio Skool House Sounds formerly known as New Haven Sound Lounge after my hometown New Haven, CT. My recording studio was open to the public and became a well-known spot in the state where I worked with many local independent artists as well as a few out of state artist who would come and work with me. My seven years with the studio is where I began to make a name and sound for myself and brand.
In the midst of having the studio, I moved to LA (my first time moving here) in 2015. That move taught me a lot about myself and the music industry. It put me around the right people and increasing my skills. Within my 1st month, I found myself getting invited to sessions at Jamie Foxx studio at his house, writing sessions with producers/writers signed to Rocnation and more. I started to feel like things were going in the right direction. But my move was short-lived. I had to move back to CT due to lack of having the right people on my team running my studio. After being in LA for a little over a year, I was super motivated. I went back home with a new vision & new goal. I began to get my brand back to how it was before I left. I would take trips back and forth to LA while still working home. In 2018 I revamped my whole brand which the studio is now known as Skool House Sounds, a branch under Skool House Enterprise. I changed the name because my brand became bigger than just a studio and bigger than just keeping it focused on one area, I didn’t want it to feel boxed in. After remodeling and rebranding I didn’t know at the time I would be moving back to LA a year later. I wasn’t thinking about moving at all. I feel like it was all God’s timing. I had to learn and go through everything I went to so I would be prepared to move back.
Since moving back, I’ve connected with a lot of great talent. Most of which I met through my writing camp Sunday Skool. Sunday Skool is a weekly creative writing session (Pre Covid-19) where we create records for sync & artist placements, singles, compilation projects and independent artists. The way it originally came about was because me and a few of my friends linked up on a Sunday to vibe and create. They was like we should do this again next Sunday. So I always had a name (Sunday Skool) for something but didn’t know what it would be. Everyone loved it. Since August 4th, Sunday Skool has been growing. Before COVID, the only Sunday we missed was around the holidays. It’s a collective that has since become known in LA. And we are in the process of getting the sessions back going as things start to slowly open back up. Outside of creating my own ventures, I’ve done work as an engineer for King Los, Tish Hyman and worked on records that featured artists such as Lil Baby, G Herbo, Vory and a few others.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the challenges I had in the past was finding my sound and place as a producer. And connecting/building relationships with people. But once I began to expand outside of my state, I learned how important it was.
Sunday Skool – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My brand changed over to Skool House Enterprise. Skool House Enterprise consist of a lot but musically its a label (Skool House Music Group), a recording studio which I’m in the process of finding a new location for, and also the writing camp Sunday Skool which we have become most known for. Sunday Skool specializes in bringing a community of creatives together in a way that’s not always possible in this industry. It’s open to new writers and well-established writers. We aim to create the best songs you’ll ever hear but also learn and grow whether you are a writer, producer, artist or engineer. Since we began Sunday Skool, we have released a few records through Skool House Music Group. What sets us different is that when you’re at a Sunday Skool session it’s no judgment, no idea is a bad idea. We are a family whether you are a new ‘student” or alumni. We like to play with School terms. Also, we film each session and have created a blog series on YouTube. So many consumers never get to see the process of a song being created, most don’t even know how one is made. We show that but we also show that we are still people like everyone else. You’ll see vulnerability, unity, creative geniuses and more. Outside of Sunday Skool, I offer recording, mixing & production.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is what you make it, its almost subjective. In the music industry, most of us are chasing that big record or placement. I mean I’m still aiming for it myself. But for me, that doesn’t identify my success. I look at all the things I’ve done. Creating successful business, helping people learn and grow as people and in their careers, being able to financially support myself from my careers and businesses. I Also feel like taking the good with the bad is important in success. Falling six times but getting up seven. It shows determination and dedication, which I feel is important to being successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msha.ke/mixedbyskool/
- Email: [email protected]; [email protected] (For mixing & production inquiries)
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