Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Lanier.
Jeff, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m originally from a small town in Pennsylvania. Here, I formed a band in Junior High, playing talent shows mostly. We played together throughout high school, with a few lineup variations here and there. For my Senior project, the band recorded our own album. I would also record some of the other local musicians in the area, as there weren’t many recording studio options. This led me to pursue Music Industry as my major in college.
In addition to getting my degree in Music Industry, college also gave me a foot in the door, as I was able to land a Scouting Consulting role with RoadRunner Records when the Head of A&R came to speak at the school. I gave him a CD of some bands that I thought had great promise and I was asked up to New York for an interview (my first ever trip to New York, actually). I ended up landing the Consulting role there.
After graduating, I moved to New York, and have had a number of different roles since then. I helped advise the careers of Recording Engineers & Producers. I was in charge of the A&R team for New Music Seminar’s Artists on the Verge. I’ve Produced and/or Mixed projects for artists myself, as well.
I’m now the Label Manager for Chesky Records, a renowned audiophile label that specializes primarily in Jazz, Classical, World, Latin, and Singer-Songwriter releases.
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think anything ever goes entirely the way you think it will. It’s certainly difficult when you’re first starting out. You’re interviewing for jobs where they tell you they have 500 (if not more) applicants for the job. Or you reach a more advanced stage of your career where you have less competition, but every one of the other candidates is incredibly well qualified due to the shrinking nature of the business. Persistence is key, and I also believe in finding what makes you uniquely valuable is important.
One of my favorite quotes is actually from Dawson’s Creek — “Dreams aren’t perfect…they come true, not free.”
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Chesky Records – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Chesky Records was started in 1986 by David & Norman Chesky. It’s an audiophile label, so pristine sound recordings that bring the listener as close to the actual event as possible, are the goal. For the past 5 years or so, that’s centered around binaural recording. This entails using a single binaural microphone which is shaped like a human head.
The inputs are actually in the ears of the head so that it’s capturing the sounds of the room as if you were sitting in there with the band. Its goal is to create an aural 3d image of the recording environment. Beyond having great sounding recordings, tremendous artists have also been a part of the label, including Macy Gray, Chuck Mangione, Casey Abrams, Meiko, Peggy Lee, and countless others.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Although I don’t currently reside in Los Angeles (I’m based in New York), I’ve always fondly enjoyed my visits there. I’ll skip the weather comparison, as that’s too easy and gets discussed often enough. Coming from a small town, there’s something that draws me to cities that are, to a certain extent, built on people following and pursuing a dream.
In Los Angeles, the percentage of people there for the arts is in great concentration, so there’s something about being surrounded by artists, musicians, filmmakers, or people pursuing those dreams in the face of overwhelming odds that I find endearing.
Neighborhood-wise, I’m most often spending my time in Hollywood, West Hollywood, or North Hollywood. I don’t really have anything negative to say about Los Angeles. I’d say the sheer size of the city in mileage can make it arduous to get from one place to another or to see someone who lives on the opposite side of town.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chesky.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheskymusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cheskylabel
- Other: http://www.chesky.com/content/newsletter#overlay-context=user
Image Credit:
Alan Nahigian, Julienne Schaer
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