Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank Nguyen. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Frank Nguyen is a first-generation Vietnamese-American audio engineer who grew up in the city of “Little Saigon”, Westminster which was a small Vietnamese town. Coming from a working-class family with immigrant parents from Vietnam, Frank didn’t have access to private music lessons but was always interested in music, so he took advantage of the music programs offered throughout school. He learned to read and play music in the Marching/Symphonic band throughout high school, and his main instrument was Euphonium. In his senior year of high school, he decided to join the school choir and sing in talent shows. After the first year of college as an undecided major, Frank decided to start taking music classes at Cypress College in Spring 2018. The class that paved the way for his future career was “Intro to Music Technology” with Marcus McMillan. Marcus is a full-time faculty professor that was passionately into recording and songwriting while also being a husband and father.
Inspired, Frank decided to pursue the path of studio recording engineer. Frank was nominated as club president of the Recording Club at Cypress College from Spring 2021 to Fall 2022. As club president, Frank created a safe space for musicians by allowing comfortable, creative expression, taught others how to handle professional audio equipment, and allowed students to book sessions in the college studio rooms. Frank acquired his “Recording Arts” certificate in the Spring of 2022 and “Pro Tools User” certificate in the Fall of 2021. Going to college expanded Frank’s mind about the possibilities one can achieve in the music industry and it wasn’t just as simple as “make music and get famous”; it was learning that there is an assembly line in the music industry and how that assembly line works. Frank wanted to improve his recording and mixing techniques, so he continued his pursuit of knowledge in the audio engineering world by entering the workforce and interning.
During Summer of 2021, Frank assisted his friend, Aaron Concepcion (SABI), an audio engineer, rebuild his home studio and installed a vocal booth room together with the help of some friends. After multiple trips to Lowe’s for supplies and constant construction, the studio was complete. They hosted recording sessions, production sessions and held shows in the backyard called “Hangout Records,” a recording studio in Norwalk, CA. Frank used the opportunity working at Hangout Records to build his network. Hanging out with artists, producers, bands, videographers, photographers, etc. taught him that it was also important to have fun as they work!
During Spring 2022, Frank was asked to join Multifarious Band by Remberto Olmos, who was the band leader, audio engineer, songwriter, and drummer. With the position of sound engineer, he helped the band prepare for shows and mixed live music. After learning the ropes of how to run audio live, Frank felt motivated to expand his career by becoming a freelance stagehand/audio engineer in live sound. Frank worked at two companies: Williams Signal and Bigger Hammer, where he loaded/unloaded road cases set up and broke down audio, lighting, staging, and video for corporate events.
During Summer 2022, Frank applied to Good Gas Studios in North Hollywood as an intern and engineered sessions for artists like FKi 1st, SWSO, KEY!, and etc. Frank improved his production skills and became a fast recording engineer who understood signal flow and quick key commands in Pro Tools. At the same time, Frank was recording and mixing in his own bedroom with artist, SIMY for their album “And the Winner Is…” released August 31st, 2023. Being the hard-working and friendly person Frank was, he was always willing to lend a helpful hand with no expectations other than to learn. Being a workaholic is a curse and a blessing Frank constantly balances. Really for Frank, it was about experience and the journey. Growing up with strict parents meant staying inside for Frank. Frank has never traveled before as an adult, but he hopes to travel one day as long as it’s music-related. Frank found his passion in audio engineering from being a natural problem solver who likes helping others bring their visions to life. He hopes to help others surpass mental barriers that they may face while in the creative process, as he believes anyone can make music.
Currently as of Summer 2023, Frank is taking piano lessons, mixing live for church on Sunday mornings, and is working at Melrose Sound Studios with the goal of establishing himself as an entrepreneurial freelance recording engineer.
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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road for me and there was a lot of ups and downs and points of confusion. I always thought I was going to choose the artist route but then I found my passion in being an audio engineer. I live at home as a student with my parents, and even though I don’t have to pay much in rent, I’m paying with my mental health because family life can get tough. As an Asian American I can feel invisible sometimes and being a kind person, I tend to get taken advantage of. I struggle with self-esteem and motivation, so I try my best to balance everything through breathing and exercise. The path has never been clear, but I know through a positive mindset and hard work, I can accomplish anything.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an audio engineer who commutes from OC to LA, and I record bands, artists, producers, etc. I’m known for working as a fast Pro Tools recording engineer in the music industry. I’m most proud of my recent work with artist SIMY. Being able to make beats, record, mix, master, sing, play guitar and keys, video edit, all while being spontaneous, overachieving, and friendly sets me apart from others.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory was when I received my iPod classic from my grandpa at the age of ten years old.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/frankalankadank
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankalankadank/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-nguyen-57911415a/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@frankalankadank/featured
Image Credits
Carlos Tree Mayo Mangagil
