Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Myers.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Everything for me starts in high school. That’s when I really found my footing on where I was taking my life and decided I was going to be a filmmaker and musician. I made two big decisions going into my freshman year of high school: I was going to do marching band, and I was going to switch over from my original plan of doing my school’s robotics program and instead do their filmmaking one. These were two choices that would have lasting effects in my life all the way to today.
To start with filmmaking, I had originally wanted to be an engineer going into high school (which is why I chose that high school specifically), but I found myself losing the passion for it the summer before starting. A blessing in disguise in the long run. Luckily my school also had a film pathway as part of the special Troy Tech Program that starts your freshman year with Computer Science Principles, then divulges into the separate focused paths continuing from sophomore to senior year. I had always liked film and could see a future in it, so I told myself that after freshman year, I was switching to film, no more robotics. It was the best decision ever. I found myself surrounded by new people and experiences and was able to create stories with my friends, including my best friend Ricky, who I’ve known since kindergarten.
Speaking on marching band, that was such an amazing experience for me that helped me find my second passion of music. I didn’t do music in middle school, so I really had no reason to be enrolling in a marching band. Yet, for some reason, it called to me. Though it took some work, I was able to enroll 2 weeks after school started, and it completely opened my mind to so many things. New lifelong friends, amazing experiences, the opportunities to be a part of something bigger than myself collaborating for one common goal. It was a lot like filmmaking, in a way. Before I graduated, I played in various music groups beyond marching band, including jazz band, orchestra, winter drumline, symphonic band, and wind symphony. Music quickly became my second passion, and I started producing music on my own around my junior year of high school.
Post high school graduation I found myself accepted and enrolled at California State University Northridge as a film major and the rest is history. I’m currently one semester away from graduation and it has been the best rollercoaster I could ever go on. I’ve developed relationships with new friends at school and continued and found new ones at home. I have a part-time job at media production company Promeli Videoworks. I’ve gotten to be on so many amazing productions and really continue to hone in on the art of filmmaking. I’ve expanded my music horizons and found an amazing niche of being an electronic dance music producer and DJ. I couldn’t ask for more. I’m still looking to shoot to new heights, and with post-grad so close, I’m sure those new heights are right around the corner.
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?
The road has not been smooth. With anything involved in the fine arts, you’re going to struggle with one big thing, and that’s self-doubt. When you make these pieces and come up with these ideas and want to share them, first and foremost, you are being vulnerable. A piece of you is embedded into this art, and when you share it with them, you are sharing a part of yourself. I’ve had to battle with this concept for so long. If I made anything, I’d have this internal struggle of, “Does this deserve to get made?” “Is this stupid?” “Would people even like this?”. As someone who wants to specialize in comedic filmmaking my biggest doubt is, “Is this funny?”. Why would I try to make something if it’s not funny?
The wonderful thing about this job, though, is that it’s a collaborative process. If I had a script idea and it wasn’t the strongest, I could workshop it with other talented people that I’ve met, and they could help me get to that point I want to be at. To make my script funnier or to make my song hit harder. There is always going to be someone that is better than me at something, and that isn’t something to be afraid of. That is an opportunity waiting to happen. I go under their wing, and I learn what they do and how they do it so I can, in turn, make my own creations better. I love working with others so often because there is always something I can take away from it. I find the reassurance and teachings of others often quells my inner turmoil and allows me to fully immerse myself into my projects. Slowly but surely, I’ve been learning to be more confident in my work and in myself so that I can continue to grow as an artist so one day, that self-doubt won’t be as strong.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a filmmaker and musician. I’m currently directing and acting in a proof-of-concept pilot with the talented Diana Cambronero and Eric Vad called The Auteurs. I can also move my way around a bass, guitar, and drum set. I try to do anything I can get my hands on as I’m always willing to learn, but what I specialize in are mainly location sound mixing, EDM (electronic dance music) production, and DJing.
I can safely say I’m very proud of what I do because a lot of it is self-taught. I’ve taken one location sound class at CSUN. It was informative but taking a class is one thing, applying those skills on set is an entirely separate experience. It’s a lot of learning on the job, and hoping and praying I don’t mess anything up. Which so far has been working out for me. I’ve found myself called upon multiple times by friends or on referrals from friends to do sound jobs, and every time; we come out with a mix we like. It’s a satisfying thing, really, but sometimes it gets really stressful. As a location mixer, you are responsible for half of what makes a film. It’s sound. Even more often, the sound department is often put on the back burner, which makes my job even harder, but I make do. It’s been a wonderful experience so far getting to be on so many sets throughout college and learning more and more about sound mixing. It used to be something I more or less did out of necessity for school but now I’ve come to greatly enjoy it! (So long as equipment is provided. You’d be surprised how much some good sound equipment costs collectively)
On the producing and DJing aspect, that is completely self-taught, no classes or anything, just YouTube and consistency. I’ve been producing for 4 years now, and it still feels like I have so much to learn. Make no mistake, I know my way around the block (FL Studio) and have self-produced two full albums and one EP on my own, but when it’s something so expansive like music production, even achievements like those just feel like scratching the surface. DJing is a newer skill of mine I’ve been developing since August 2023. I’d always liked the concept of it, and my dad used to tell me stories of how he used to mix when he was younger, so I thought it couldn’t hurt to try. So, one purchase on Sweetwater.com and four days later my Pioneer DDJFLX-4 had arrived. Since then, it’s been such a fun journey in expanding my music taste to all kinds of EDM, spanning from neurofunk, speed house, hybrid trap, techno, and a personal favorite, bass house. One of the greatest things about DJing, though, is it has allowed me to start combining my love of producing with my newfound love of EDM. I’ve started producing my own tracks to incorporate into my DJ sets, and it has been so eye-opening. The amount of work I’ve found myself having to do, whether it’s a new mixing style or teaching myself sound design, has been so fun! It gives me a greater respect for EDM artists and a deeper appreciation for what they do.
What sets me apart from others in my fields is that I am all for collaboration. Some people try to make film or music a one-man show situation, but that’s not me. I want to work together with others and use our collective talents to make the best possible art that we can produce. That makes a better product not only for the team, but for the audience that will later consume that art. It’s a team effort that allows these projects to reach their highest peaks, especially filmmaking. Producers, directors, art teams, sound editors, and even PAs all contribute something that creates life in a project.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
This is such an amazing question. As a filmmaker and producer one of the biggest things I’d say plaguing both of those industries right now is artificial intelligence. I’m not saying I’m anti-AI, I genuinely think it can have its place in different fields especially when crunching numbers or getting basic data analytics and things like that. However, when it comes to creating art, the thing that gives life purpose and meaning, I think it really just doesn’t belong at all. You lose the human factor. What makes it have soul? So, it hurts me personally when I see a rise of AI use in music and film right now. The only thing I can hope for is some sort of regulation or contractual changes for AI use in the future, but at the rate we’re going right now, that seems to get further and further away from being a possibility. Besides the looming scare of the death of the industry, though, I think big-budget movie musicals are going to come back in a big way!
Pricing:
- EDM DJ Rate: $75/hr
- Regular (Non EDM) DJ Rate: $50/hr
- Location Sound Mixer Rate: $75/Day
- Producer Rate: Negotiable!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azibohh/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aziboh/videos
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7M2Qfgl9q5JSiFMk2sY72P?si=yftMandQR0GKi1PcZQ8WQw
Image Credits
Koa Kellenberger
