Meet Arnie Graham of Ansom Productions

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arnie Graham.

Arnie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I moved to Los Angeles via San Diego in the year 2000 to attend school at Los Angeles College of Music in Pasadena (Formerly Los Angeles Music Academy/LAMA). I studied guitar mainly and focused on live performance as well as recording arts. The city of LA was an entire different beast than I was used to in the laid back beach communities of San Diego. When anyone moves to LA they must be ready to use and develop and evolve their networking skills.

Everything is fast paced and everyone’s attention span even in the early 2000’s was so short you had to be memorable to stand out, especially in the entertainment industry. There were a lot of international students at my school which I enjoyed meeting and learning from. We all shared a common bond which was that of music, the universal language! I really cherish my time spent in school and I feel it was the best way to experience LA as I was there doing something I loved surrounded by talented musicians and teachers such as Frank Gambale (Chick Corea Electric Band), Bill Fowler (Pointer Sisters), Ross Bolton (Al Jarreau), Joe Porcaro and many more. A lot of great musicians attended or taught at that school.

Upon graduation, I snagged my first touring gig with an artist named Wil Seabrook who was then signed on an indie label and touring nationally. Within 3 months we were auditioning for major labels in LA. Eventually we signed with Madonna’s label, Maverick Records in Beverly Hills. What a great experience being young and on the road doing what you love and getting paid for it. An old wise man once said “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life!” During that time, I also got to record at the legendary Capitol Records Studio B where such famous artists such as the Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, John Mayer, Sting and Britney Spears have recorded music. Eventually that artist was absorbed into Warner Bros. Records after Maverick went defunct and eventually dropped from the label. That is just the harsh reality of so many bands in the business. One moment you are on top of the world and the next you are wondering how you are going to pay for rent or food. I continued recording and touring throughout my 20’s and even though I never became as successful as my dreams coveted I became rich with experience. I used this experience coupled with a passion for music to form my current company Ansom Productions.

Has it been a smooth road?
Starting my own business was one of the hardest most dedicated things I have done. In the beginning to raise capital I was always working 2 to 3 jobs just to save up the money for gear, equipment, incorporation fees, insurance etc. It is also frightening investing all of your own money into something that is at the time a dream. Once you can afford to bring on other members or employees the building process becomes easier and you should have a team of people who are just as passionate about the business as you are. It is important to surround yourself with like minded people who share the same values and can help you and your business overcome all obstacles and challenges.

I think that in business you should always have 3 particular types of people around you.

One, a mentor or someone you look up to and learn from. Two, a peer or someone equal who you talk about what you learn daily and apply these teachings. Three, a disciple or someone who you teach what you’ve learned to and further their development. I believe this helps keep balance in your day to day business life.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Ansom Productions specializes in DJ’s, live entertainment, photo booths, venue lighting, audio/video, song recording/composition, and audio production.

I am the owner of the company and still oversee day to day operations. The passion, dedication and experience from all of our team members is what drives our company and fuels our inspiration moving forward.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Although we are now based in San Diego, CA we still perform many events in the Los Angeles area from weddings to corporate events.

LA will always have a special place in my heart and I recommend anyone in the entertainment industry to give it a go. You will meet such a diverse group of people and sharpen your networking skills.

The year round warm southern California sun isn’t bad either.

Cheers to you and Los Angeles!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ansomproductions.com
• Email: info@ansomproductions.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ansomproductions
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnsomProductions
• Twitter: twitter.com/ansompro
• Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/ansom-productions-san-diego-5

Image Credit:
Daniel Graham @ DPGPhotography
Shelly Anderson Photography
Brandon Weisman

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