Daily Inspiration: Meet Trashman Studios

Today we’d like to introduce you to Trashman Studios

Hi Trashman, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I remember as a child always having a fascination for musical instruments. Many of my early photos involved me and some kind of drum or stringed instrument or the family Yamaha keyboard. Dad was a live sound engineer which helped to create this mystique around recording.

I did the middle school and high school failed band thing and treated the Sweetwater catalogue like the Bible of music nonsense. But really what started it all was my brother learning to play drums and make hip hop beats. So I started to learn drums to improve my rhythm to make them with him. Then I upgraded the drum set and then I needed to buy drum mics to record them and then that snowballed into a quest of acquiring every instrument I came in contact with , while trying to learn all facets of sound design and the recording process. The age old story of, If you give a mouse a cookie then you’re gonna have to buy a mic to record the crunch and a chase bliss pedal to filter it through. It was a hyper-focused blur of bad spending habits and the need to collect everything.

But ten years later and a handful of studio upgrades, I’m very happy with the results.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Besides the obvious of trying to come up with the money for some things or trying to drum up some business for the studio, everything’s been pretty chill. It’s a hobby and a passion project so I’ve tried to have fun along the way.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
If something sets me apart from other studios in the area then it’s my instrument collection. It’s odd by nature and very organic. I enjoy weird things from far away places. The more down to earth and acoustic the better. I gravitate to the the stranger and older instruments. Think vintage synths from the soviet, balafons from Africa, bells from the 50’s and lutes from Turkey. Something with some history and connection to a people. Something close to what we know but removed enough to create something fresh.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
You are your own best mentor. Seek guidance and wisdom from those with more experience than you and take counsel from your most trusted advisors but a man without self motivation is not a man. Find your Tom Waits, the visionary off the beaten path and study how they make music and how they create art and soak up all the nutrients. Don’t be afraid to do things how you want them done. And don’t listen to people who speak in black and white. The world is grey and music, like art, has no rules.

Work hard for what you want and don’t comprise on your vision or your values.

“you dont work you dont eat” – John Smith

Pricing:

• 50/hr

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @trashmanstudios