Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Irving.
Hi Taylor, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in Eugene, Oregon. My parents are both visual artists but there was also a lot of music around me growing up. I always gravitated towards it. I started playing guitar around the age of 9, and by high school, I was pretty certain I wanted to be a musician. After graduating, I started taking a few music classes at Lane Community College. It is absolutely a hidden gem of a program, with some incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and skilled teachers. There I studied classical music theory and jazz guitar performance. Around the same time, I also started gigging a lot. I joined a jazz house band at a local restaurant, which provided me with some professional experience early on. As I neared the end of my program, I was unsure if I wanted to pursue a bachelor’s degree in music. However, one of my professors strongly encouraged me to audition for music schools. He suggested auditioning for the Berklee College of Music in Boston. I had thought about Berklee over the years, but I always thought it was out of reach. I remember a time in high school where I read the audition requirements and was convinced that I would never be capable of being accepted. I had given up on the idea. However, I had grown a lot as a musician since then, and with encouragement from my professors I decided to give it a shot. I ended up both being accepted and getting enough support from the school to make it possible to pursue music full time. Berklee was an incredible experience. I made some of my closet friends there, and many have led me to where I am today. During my time at Berklee, I slowly started to become more interested in music production and audio engineering. This growing interest steered me to an internship at a music studio in Cambridge, MA called The Bridge Sound and Stage. Everyone there was so generous with their time and knowledge. I learned so much from them and felt supported both professionally and personally. After about a year, I started to think about my next steps. Like Berklee, I had thought about moving to LA before, but decided it would be too difficult, too competitive, and too hard to get started. However, things slowly changed once again. The thing I had dismissed, but somewhere deep down secretly wanted, slowly drifted back into focus. At that point, I visited Los Angeles for the first time, and it seemed the opportunities I had hoped for were there. Shortly after, I decided to make the move. I ended up returning to Eugene for a few months while trying to find a place in LA. I was lucky enough to meet some former Berklee and Musician Institute students who became my roommates. I owe so much of my start in LA to them. They have really helped me get settled here, and continue to open new doors for me. As I look back, I realize more and more how much my journey has been a collaboration with all these amazing people in my life. Their knowledge, support, and generosity has made a real difference. Thanks to the support of so many, I am very hopeful and excited to see where my musical journey takes me next.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’d say the most difficult challenge I have faced so far has been my struggle with OCD. It manifests differently for everyone, so I didn’t realize that it until recently. Thankfully, I have a really great support system, and over time I have learned to manage it. I still have ups and downs, and somedays managing my OCD feels like a full time job. However, it has taught me a lot about myself, what I value in my life, and where I still have work to do. Perfectionism has also been a struggle for me over the years. Thankfully, it has become less and less of a hinderance as time goes on. However, I believe perfectionism has pushed me to be a better musician. If I let it push me too far though, it can keep me from moving forward or enjoying the process of creating. Something that has helped me a lot is involving others. Whether that be creating with collaborators or getting feedback early on, even when an idea isn’t a stage where it necessarily feels comfortable to share. Involving others has been one of the most freeing and enjoyable shifts I have made creatively. I think all art, whether it be made in solitude or together, is a collaborative process. Maybe sharing it is how we learn what it means to us and what we want it to mean to others.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a guitarist, freelance music producer, audio engineer, and teacher that specializes in rock, metal and EDM. I have always been drawn to heavier genres of music. It has given me a place to express difficult emotions and find a community of like-minded and supportive people. As a producer and audio engineer, I love to experiment as much I can. This year especially, I have been on a quest to develop my own musical identity. Heavily influenced by artists like Mick Gordon, Buster Odeholm, Northlane, and Mirar, I hope to create my own combination of metal and EDM. I am working on a solo project that I’m titling Ghost Den. It is the culmination of years of creative experimentation. Combining everything I know so far about music production and sound design to try and create something that really excites me. I try to bring that same excitement to working with others. As a freelance music producer and audio engineer, I love helping artists bring their ideas to life. Creating music is deeply personal, so it means a lot that an artist trusts me with their vision. My hope is that every artist I work with feels supported both professionally and personally. Being part of someone else’s musical journey is really special to me. Which is why I have developed a growing passion for teaching. I have recently become a teacher at my friend’s music school called Off The Scale Music. There, I’ll be teaching guitar and music production, along with a team of former Berklee music students. I hope to help others on their musical journey, like so many have helped me along mine.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
YouTube has been a huge resource for me. There are some incredibly skilled and knowledgeable creators on that platform. Some of my favorite creators for guitar are Jack Gardiner, John Nathan Cordy, and Keyan Houshmand Live. For music production, I really like Andrew Huang, Nick Broomhall, and Red Means Recording. URM Academy and Joey Sturgis Tones are two channels I’ve watched a lot for metal audio engineering advice. Lastly, Virtual Riot, Nasko, Alckemy and Databroth have been really inspiring to me as sound designers.
Pricing:
- Music Production and Audio Engineering – $30/hr.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.offthescalemusic.com – For guitar and music production lessons
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorirvingmusic/
Image Credits
Ava Claire Pendragon, Andy Estrella
