Daily Inspiration: Meet Clarke Schleicher

Today we’d like to introduce you to Clarke Schleicher.

Hi Clarke, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I discovered my passion for music in fourth grade. My father played trumpet and I started playing trumpet too. In fifth grade, the school was fortunate to receive a few brand new instruments and one of them was a big shiny tuba. My music teacher asked me if I was interested in playing it and I decided to give it a try. The big sound it produced and the low tones were great fun for a kid. I loved the bass notes and the mechanical feel of the instrument.

The low end of the tuba inspired me to explore the lower octaves of music and in eighth grade, I started playing the electric bass. Later in my teen years, I played bass in a Jazz combo and started earning cash. I was a gigging musician playing with accomplished musicians and I thought I had it made. It was a dream scenario for a high school kid.

When I was twelve years old my father conducted training seminars for the military. The Air Force gave dad a reel-to-reel tape machine to record the lectures. He had me operate the recorder and then edit the tape into a finished product. I recorded the seminars, edited the tape, and made cassette duplicates for distribution. This was excellent training for a career as a recording engineer although I didn’t know it at the time.

The tape deck was a mechanical wonder that could also capture music. I kept the tape recorder at home and started recording songs off the radio and making playlists before playlists were a common concept. I would edit the tape to play my favorite songs and cut out the commercials. I’d have fun editing the music by moving a chorus or verse and experimenting with the arrangement of the song.

I loved my turntable and listened to records in my room. I was fascinated by the photos of musicians in recording studios with fancy microphones, big tape machines, and massive mixing consoles. I knew I wanted to somehow be part of that. Hearing the album by Yes, “Close to the Edge” was a major turning point. One of those moments I won’t forget. That album solidified my love for music, creativity, and recording. I still have that record and listen to it on the vinyl I bought when I was a teenager.

I was fortunate to love music at such a young age. I knew what I wanted to do early in life. I’d seen the pictures and heard the records; I knew it was where I wanted to be. When it was time to go to college I resisted because I was enjoying life as a musician. I was making good money and didn’t want to put it on hold to go to school. What began as a shared love of music with my father became a point of friction as I wanted to play gigs and he wanted me to go to college. My father convinced me that a college degree was a good idea and I could continue playing music at the same time.

About the time I was getting ready to graduate from high school, my father, who was an architect was building vocational schools for the state of Tennessee. He learned Middle Tennessee State University had a new program in recording engineering and the music business. I visited the campus and learned I could combine my interest in recording technology and my love of music into one career as a recording engineer.

That’s how I ended up attending college at MTSU. I graduated with my BS degree and landed my first recording engineering and studio manager job right out of college at the famous publishing company Cedarwood Publishing.

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?
Working as a recording engineer was difficult at times. When I first started engineering the hours were brutal. It was normal to work 80 to 100 hours per week. It was expected, as was working holidays. The pay was another issue. Starting out, engineers don’t make much money. It takes years of rising through the ranks before the pay becomes livable.

One of the many challenges of being an independent recording engineer is operating an effective sole proprietorship. Not only do you need great studio abilities you also must develop skills in marketing, networking, and accounting to grow your business.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started my career as a recording engineer and later branched off into working as a producer. I’ve loved recording and producing because it’s a career that combines creative artistry and technology. Building a song is a labor of love. It starts with ideas and grows during the recording process. Working in the studio is about musicians who have a creative vision. In a word, it’s about collaboration. Making music is not a solitary endeavor. It requires people molding ideas and performances into something that takes on a life of its own.

Lately, I specialize in mixing. I love to polish the musical elements and weave them into an emotional experience for the listener. I’m known for my clear, clean, and very detailed mixing style. Clients have told me they feel they can almost walk around inside my mixes because I create defined spaces in my records. I frame the song around a strong vocal. Lyrics tell the story, instruments bring the colors, I combine the elements to move the listener.

I’m very proud that my career has allowed me to be part of some amazing and successful music. The number one singles, number one albums, and Grammy Awards have been fantastic, but being in the control room recording an emotional performance by an artist, the one that leaves goosebumps on your arms, is the real reward.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Now that so many large commercial recording studios have gone out of business finding mentors is more difficult than ever. So much recording is done in small home studios and it’s difficult to meet experienced veterans.

It’s more important than ever to attend a qualified recording school or university with a quality recording program to learn from skilled instructors. Through these educational institutions, the opportunity for finding a mentor is possible. Joining various professional groups and associations in the music business can help, but a quality education will get your foot in the door.

Contact Info:

• Website: mixedbyclarke.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarkeschleicher/