Local StoriesMarch 6, 2023

Check Out Jeff Silverman’s Story

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Silverman.

Hi Jeff, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Thank YOU so much for bringing me on board and I’m honored to be here to tell my story! Long winded at times but I feel all roads eventually lead to “Rome” while describing my lifetime as a creative to date.

I was born and raised in New Castle, PA and I began playing piano at the age of 5. Once I started to sit down at the piano, I found a love for playing because the music was all coming from my head, not from a piece of paper. But that love of the piano was soon re-directed… In 1964, I saw a band on the Ed Sullivan show called the Beatles. At the age of 10, I immediately wanted a guitar, long hair, and of course, a pair of Beatles boots. My parents were strict at times so I managed to snuggle up to my favorite person in the world at that time, my Grandmother (Nana Bec), and after much, ok, I believe it was part pleading and the rest begging, she eventually broke down and bought me a pair. My parents were FURIOUS to say the least! 🙂

I had the boots now but I had no idea how to play the guitar! So, I experimented with many alternative tunings, which I still do to this day! To start, I adopted Richie Haven’s open G tuning D, G, D, G, C, D. Nothing like playing with one finger across the fretboard as well as playing ALL SORTS alternative positions to help me quickly learn to play and write songs. But I was still missing an important piece to the puzzle. During that time, I had a passion for recording. So, without little to no money to invest in equipment, I managed to record with two portable mono cassette machines. I began overdubbing from one to the other so many times, you couldn’t even hear the first part!! So, after scraping up enough money, I found two 1/4 inch Sony reel-to-reel players that had independent record buttons. But that soon wasn’t enough to keep up with my creativity so I began investing in better “tools of the trade” so for one, I could afford my creativity!

Then I started playing in my own bands with some very talented local musicians that I’m still friends with, even to this day. With only minimal equipment, we learned songs off of our favorite records, which in turn gave me not only the knowledge of song structure and production, but gave me the opportunity to grow as a singer, bass and & lead guitar player. I remember the feeling like it was yesterday. I was always looking at my hands when playing leads and thinking too hard about what I was playing verses feeling. Then, one day, I closed my eyes and started to sing with my leads, and from that moment on, the guitar became a major part of me and hasn’t let go since. Ear training was and still is my teacher, so I learned from some of the best (with my albums at half speed, mind you). I learned licks from super guitar players like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix to Leslie West and even greats like Oscar Peterson on piano, Joe Pass on guitar & Hubert Laws on Flute. There were and are still no boundaries to the wealth of inspiration out there for me to learn from, and then translate and interpret in my own personal and passionate way.

My mornings, days, and nights were all consumed with music. Listening, playing, writing songs, and recording my ideas down with even better equipment. After I graduated high school in ’72, I told my parents to save their money and that I was going to go on the road to play lead guitar and sing with a horn band from Chicago called Medusa. For the first time in my life, I was actually a full-time musician playing on the road!! Yes, there were many band houses, & many chunky soup dinners with grilled cheese sandwiches, but we were ALL EXTREMELY passionate about music so there was never a dull or hungry day. We were smart enough to keep the songs in our sets unique yet familiar so we could afford to eat and have a roof over our heads! I LOVED playing songs from Cold Blood, Tower of Power, and high-energy funk bands but then jam on some Larry Coryell, or even Mahavishnu Orchestra songs! But, I felt like there was somewhere else I was supposed to be so I focused on moving to Los Angeles to find “the dream.”

Once I was settled there in ’76, I joined a networking company called Music Contact Service. They were set up to bring together musicians that were looking for certain bands and bands looking for certain musicians. My goal was to search out a band that I resonated with that had a bonified record deal and was touring with the highest caliber of recording artists. It was the only logical way I could think about how to enter into the true business of music. I found this guy by the name of Rick Springfield (who was somewhat unknown at that time). He was looking for a lead guitar player that sang so I called and got a spot to audition. I ran out that night to Tower Records and bought his latest “Wait For Night” album and learned several songs. After he auditioned 40 guitar players, I got the gig!!

One highlight while touring with Rick was playing on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, and opening for acts like Heart, Edgar and Johnny Winter, The Richie Furray Band, and many other popular artists at many VERY large venues and auditoriums around the US. It was always fun to go back home to LA and play the Starwood, Roxy, and Whiskey A Go Go on Sunset Blvd in the heart of Hollywood. Good times to say the least! Here are some video’s that I collected of Rick Springfield and I performing together. https://palettemusic.net/rick-springfield/.

Rick had some of the finest musicians on board such as Jack White on Drums, Gabriel Katona & Kevin Crossley on Keyboards and Robbie Leven on Bass. From this point in my life, I was never more inspired to write, perform, produce and record my songs in between touring. I realised my “solo artist” aspirations of being the artist, Jeff Silverman were no longer just a dream and I was finally “off the bench”.

https://palettemusic.net/supporters/. Rick was signed to Carman Productions. The late Joe Gottfried and Tom Skeeter owned and operated the world-class studio, Sound City Studios in VAN NUYS, California, where I was soon signed to an artist development deal and begin recording my original songs in an incredible world-class studio with an amazing house engineer/producer, Bill Drescher. Bill and I spent over 300 hours in that studio recording and re-recording my songs. He was one of my biggest mentors on how to make a great record. I learned four words very quickly. Flat, Sharp, Early, and LATE! Because there were no pitch plug-ins or digital workstations we could manipulate audio like we do today, we all had to sing in pitch, in the pocket, and with TONS of emotion!!! So, between what I feel was my “college education” on how to make great sounding records and translate the live energy into the studio, these experiences gave me the foundation to make me a better producer, creative, solo artist and studio musician today.

I was also SO fortunate to have Joe and Tom invest in me as a solo artist, so I could invite so many world-class musicians including Kim Bullard on keyboards (Elton John), Rosemary Butler on background vocals (Jackson Brown), and Reggie McBride on bass (Rod Stewart). Jimmy Haskell (Simon and Garfunkel / Chicago) composed strings on several of my songs and brought in only the finest string players in town. This was a DREAM come true but it was just the beginning of many more to come.

During that time, I also started to make a fairly good living being a session guitar player, singer and studio owner. One of my favourite albums I sang on was the Allman Brothers album, “Brothers Of The Road.” I’ve played guitar, engineered and recorded on more albums than I can count, but a few that come to mind are from Rick Springfield, Kevin Raleigh, George Clinton, The Dillards and Nick Gilder. Although Discogs doesn’t cover all, the site will give you a good idea of my Studio credits (5 pages) and other credits ranging from Vocals, Instrumental and Performances, Writing and Arrangement, Production, and Technical credits on albums: https://bit.ly/3IyqVzO . My personal Discography (not including all the credits) has more current projects I’ve been working on at my studio, Palette Music • Studio • Productions. https://palettemusic.com/jeff-silverman-discography/)

Film and TV credits: https://palettemusic.com/film-tv-resume/

Since I couldn’t always get into the studio to write and produce, I began investing in more of my recording equipment. And yet again, it was the only way I could afford my creativity. I wrote an article to hopefully inspire a lot of new and not-so-new creatives called “YOU ARE YOUR BEST INVESTMENT.” That has been my Mantra ever since. I started with the Tascam 4 track and then upgraded to the Foster 8 track and expanded it to 16 tracks with the Oberheim drum machine. One of my first artist movie breaks came when I recorded, performed on, and co-wrote with John Phillip Shenale (Tory Amos) the theme song for the movie “LOSIN’ IT” starring Tom Cruise and Shelley Long. I used my middle name as the artist “The Jeff Alan Band.” It was not only the theme song (intro and outro) to the movie, but RCA records release two of my songs (A and B side) as the first 45 rpm single in 1983 and included it in their album soundtrack.

WHAT ON EARTH possessed me to change my name to Jeff Alan at that very time is beyond me but maybe it was because of the massive amount of artist related rejection letters I had received up to that point trying to get a major record company to sign me. Sadly, the movie never gave me the push I needed to break out as Rick did with “Jessie’s Girl” in 81, but it had all the potential. It wasn’t exactly my style of music but it rocked and that was close enough!!

By then, I had upgraded to two Fostex 16 track recorders and a Neve BCM 10 console and recorded and co-produced another project with me singing, writing and performing with Tim Weisberg on his album, “HIGH RISK.” Still no luck breaking ground on the artist career I had hoped for. BUT… there’s more to the story so the dream is far from over.

I later toured with Roger Miller and was invited to take Danny Gatton’s role as a lead guitar player. I knew I’d never fill his shoes but what an honor to be asked as well as jam with him at his place just outside of DC. Then I toured for about a year with Redbone along with Jack White and John Phillip Shenale. There were other live experiences but other than my own bands, nothing could compare to performing with Springfield on stage & on camera. BUT I still felt I wasn’t where I needed to be in my life and career.

When I signed my staff songwriting deal with Motown in 1988, I had worked my way up to an MCI-JH114 2” 24-track tape machine with the addition of 4 ADATS and any digital technology that was in its infancy such as Sound Designer 2 to Digidesigns Pro Tools 442. Then the Mac Pro tower with the 888 and 192 interfaces with two Digidesigns HD farm cards.

I took great care of archiving all of the work I did over the many years. In 2010, on a very well-known Melodic Rock label called Frontiers Records, in Italy, Rick Springfield and I finally released many of the songs we wrote together, performed on, I recorded, mixed and mastered and we produced together in the 80’s and 90’s in my LA Studio. The album was entitled “FROM THE VAULT (A collection of works by Rick Springfield and Jeff Silverman).” The co-bill artist album with Rick was the first time I was really able to be recognized as a solo artist so I proudly checked that one off of my bucket list. More pictures, music, and background on the release: https://palettemusic.com/project/from-the-vault/ I’m currently planning on releasing another Jeff Silverman “From The Vault II” album including more original songs of mine that have never been heard before! Release date is still TBD.

After producing 2 Filipino artists, Jaya and Donna Cruz, Viva Records invited me to the Philippines in 1996. I oversaw the construction and design of a 4000 sq ft studio so I could then produce Filipino acts for the international marketplace. Then, the plan was to develop more songwriters and build more original material for Viva’s acts and other artists internationally. It was truly another dream in the making BUT… 4 months into the project, the Asian economy took a nose dive and all projects were frozen. I waited it out as long as I could but finally decided it was time to return to the states and try and figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up! 😉

I decided LA was the most logical place to return to but didn’t know what I was going to do next. After 6 months of cold calls and research, I received a call from some musician friends of mine that had transitioned over to post audio. Advantage Audio in North Hollywood, gave me an opportunity to be mentored by their amazing music editor, Marc Perlman. We all need a mentor at some point in our lives if we’re going to grow and this was just the place and person to help me move forward in a way that I could still be creative by editing music into pictures. I not only worked for a few years with ADVANTAGE part-time, but I also began to work directly with composers that they set me up with such as the Denis Hannigan (won ASCAP’s award 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 for Most Performed Underscore). I found myself working around the clock to the point of burn out so I had to add 4 additional musicians and train them to be music editors. A bad habit about the music business, turning work down is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Balance = A lifelong quest. https://palettemusic.com/film-tv-resume/ . I also worked with a company out of NYC called 4KIDS. That kept the bills paid and I signed on as a composer as well so there was and still is some back end residual income from those cues.

After a 10 years hiatus (aka heartbreak) from the music business, along came my soon to be wife, Debra Lyn in 2003. She was in a bluegrass band in Kentucky with a dear and old friend of mine, Billy Ray Lathum, the original banjo player from the Kentucky Colonels (recently inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame) and the Dillards to speak of a few. Billy connected Debra and I in order to write together and then I was going to produce the band’s next record. Because of the distance, it didn’t happen but Debra and I kept writing and staying in touch. Debra introduced me to Keith Urban’s music. I INSTANTLY fell in love with the vibe, the songwriting, the production, the performances, and most importantly, HER! And I owe her for getting me back into music again. We got married one year later and have been going strong for 19 years and counting!!!

Because of my passion for immersive music, I then started to mix in 5.1 for Debra and two other very talented artists, Seay and Aeone. But sadly, the 5.1 format was short-lived for many reasons. Too much hardware required, limited outlets to buy and nowhere else to listen to it on other than very expensive setups in one’s home / facility.

Even though Debra moved to LA in 2004, we both felt Nashville was the best place for us rather than LA. So, 2 years later, we moved to Nashville in 2006. Mt Juliet to be exact! The City Between The Lakes and home of Charlie Daniels!! We’re less than 20 minutes from Music Row so it felt like a comfortable area to set up new roots for our new lives together with our amazing Corgis, Sara Bear! We have since collaborated on 5 albums together with one new one on the way! Is it easy to be an indie artist in the business of music today? It’s anything but, but that has never stopped us both from trying new and experimental ideas and ways to get our music out into the world. There is no manual so we’re making it as we go. And trying. And trying. Again, persistence rules as always!

Here’s Debra’s brand new release as of March 20, 2023. https://debralyn.com/soulgrass/ Soulgrass “Nobody Knows” featuring the late Billy Ray Lathum. How strange that the album I was supposed to mix and produce in 2003, ended up finally seeing the light of day all these years later. The tracks were recorded by the late Bil VornDick in 2003 and then put on hold when the band broke up. 20 years later, I mixed all of the tracks in Dolby Atmos / Spatial Audio in honor of Billy Ray’s contributions to Bluegrass music as well as our friendships. Billy passed away in 2018 and even though he wasn’t here to enjoy his dream come true, the Kentucky Colonels were inducted into the Bluegrass Hall Of Fame shortly after, with his name standing loud and proud as one of the original members. You can hear more of Debra Lyn’s music via her artist website: https://debralyn.com

Although moving to Nashville had its ups and downs, after the first few years, it became very clear how I was going to get back to music full-time and leave the music editorial world. The key was the virtual studio part of Palette Studio called Virtual Studio Networks (VSN). The process enabled me to work with bands and artists all around the world. So, when the Pandemic hit in 2020, I was in a perfect situation to keep my clients moving forward with their projects and keep many musicians working who couldn’t leave their homes to earn a living! Some even invested in updating their own home studio rigs since they saw the value of what we were doing. More info: https://virtualstudionetworks.com/

I was also experimenting with 3D Binaural headphone immersive mixes but it wasn’t a perfect science meaning they were only headphone mixes. Then I heard about Dolby Atmos brewing behind closed doors and thought, if there was ever a time to make a move to update the studio to 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos, this would be it. SO…

In my new Nashville / Mt Juliet studio, I’ve now upgraded again to the full blown Avid Ultimate HD Pro Tools system with a Mac Pro 2019 and RMU 2-computer, completely Dante networked system that handles all the Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 capabilities that I could only dream of up until now. I have to say, this is another dream come true and I’ve never been more excited and passionate about producing, mixing and mastering in Immersive Audio! And now is the perfect storm with many of the streaming subscription sites moving over to Dolby Atmos /Spatial Audio. More info below. One of my first mix / mastering projects I’ve just finished with the new set up, is mixing Nashville’s finest New Age artist, SEAY. Her song is entitled IN DREAMING. I was also featured on baritone acoustic and bass. Look for the single release on all digital platforms very soon!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have always felt there were more reasons to leave the “business of music” than there were to stay but I didn’t give myself the choice to do anything but keep trying.

Getting knocked down in this business is part of the package. If one loves anything they do, they will give it their best no matter what tough times they have to endure. And my love for music has never changed throughout my life and now I can say, without any hesitation, I’ve never been more excited to be part of the ever-growing Immersive technology and creative opportunities it can bring to all creatives. Especially for licensing music for film and tv. Residual income has to be the new way since streaming is no longer a viable income option.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
https://palettemusic.com/about-jeff-silverman/. I run a one-stop shop meaning I can produce, engineer, mix, and master in stereo and Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 / Spatial Audio. I’m also a multi-instrumentalist and most of all, have access to some of the finest musicians in the world. The low profile, low overhead means by having my own studio, I can keep my prices even better than competitive. If someone needs a producer and uses my studio with my engineering, I don’t charge points or fees as a producer. It comes with the “Package” so to speak. I take off-the-clock time to be sure I have good solid communication with the artist and that we not only start off on the right foot, but also end up on it as well!!! I also share my resources with them so being a Voting Grammy Voting Member in the Producer/Engineer Wing, I’ll help guide them in the process and how best to give their project the best shot.

I help the artists release their Dolby Atmos content with no charge, as long as they use Avidplay. But, I would still help as much as I could to prepare all the files if they decided to use a different digital distributor. Digital or not. I do all-in prices for Dolby Atmos mixes and if talked about and the artist agrees, will even add a few parts in if I feel it will make the track even more immersive.

I give a free hour of time after I’m finished mixing and then I go back on the clock for additional changes. Rates can vary based on the music production / arrangements but I come along with all of my projects. I don’t sub any of my work out so the artist will know that I’m the one giving them the absolute best of care and TLC to everything we do together. I do believe it’s called pride. There are only so many things we can do to leave our legacy behind and I want my / our work to be the absolute best it can be for the artist and for myself. It’s only a win-win in the end if they are successful.

https://youtu.be/VkJSbk6JjnA – My Dolby Atmos Promo was mixed and mastered in Dolby Atmos/Spatial Audio. What you’re hearing are the 3D binaural 2-track re-renders, which I use for ALL of my singles now and most clients prefer over the standard stereo 2 track mixes.

https://palettemusic.com/dolby-atmos-3d-immersive-mixing-mastering/ – Videos as well as more info about Dolby Atmos.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
YES! Thank you again for this amazing opportunity to share some of my life experiences, passions, ups and downs etc. And thanks to anyone that’s made it this far!!!! I appreciate the time you have spent to let me tell my story! To be continued!

I’ve set up a public playlist that compares my stereo 2 track mixes with the Dolby Atmos/Spatial Audio 2 track mixes. Spotify doesn’t support Dolby Atmos yet, so you’re hearing spatial audio in an environment that can be released worldwide. In short, anywhere you can play or release a stereo file, you can release a 2 track Spatial Audio file. I hope you’ll drop by, put on your favorite headphones (ANY headphones mind you as well as any pair of stereo speakers if you don’t have an immersive setup), and enjoy the Atmos / Spatial Audio experience!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4AOXCiu0bGFTz0XIaNXB7m?si=d9d005ef830c4d95

Palette Music • Studio • Productions

Att: Jeff Silverman

[email protected]

https://linktr.ee/Jeff_Silverman

615-681-4061

Jeff Silverman/Palette Studio is a Certified Apple Digital Masters Mastering House, Approved by Apple, Inc.

Voting NARAS Member – Producers and Engineers Wing

SAG/AFTRA & Nashville Publishers Network (NPN)