Today we’d like to introduce you to Aden Gray.
Hi Aden, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am from a small town in Western Massachusetts, called Deerfield. I did the same things most other kids did, however with my intense ADHD and unusual tendencies in social situations, I think a lot of my teachers were both annoyed with me, and a bit worried. This left me as a young kid with a lot of motivation to excel at something to counteract these things that were eating away at my self-worth. When I was first introduced to the world of music I was obsessed. Starting with the recorder/violin in 3rd grade, then onto saxophone, and finally guitar in 5th, I would spend most of my free time practicing and writing. To get better at something than my classmates, and eventually my teachers, was something that lit a fire under me.
Production was at first a hobby to me, with Garageband on my mom’s old laptop. Later on in 8th grade, I got my first computer with FL studio and fell in love with production. To start something as involved as music production, with an intense feedback loop of comparing my songs to the ones I heard from my favorite artists, I would spend countless hours fighting to make my ideas “good” enough to share.
One degree and many years later, I am blessed with the amazing community of Nashville. Throughout my time at Belmont University I made it my goal to make as many friends as I could, and learn as much as possible through them. My experience with guitar, piano, and writing has put me in so many rooms I felt I had no business being in. Working with massively successful writers, artists, and producers has shown me the mental and spiritual strength that it takes to make a song worthy of being in a popular artist’s catalog.
This has put me in the unique position post-grad, where I have spent my whole life acquiring the skills and tools needed to solve one of the biggest problems facing this newer generation of artists, “how do I get my music out.” Offering full-service production/mixing/mastering packages at an affordable price has been my solution. I am finally able to leverage this amazing network, to bring together teams of talented people, and get people’s music out to the world.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of my biggest challenges has been structure. Throughout school and young adult life we have all been used to a structure and “path” we have to take day-to-day. Especially in music school, your days are filled morning to night, with all kinds of classes, lessons, and rehearsals. This causes many people, myself included, to find ourselves falling into a daze of “just get it done.”
I am lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to learn how records really get made, and while a work ethic and lots of hours are needed, an unexamined path for your art can be a dangerous thing. We all find ourselves fighting to get through the day, barely keeping our head above the water, and this is a natural state for someone in an academic context.
In the context of producing full time, I learned very quickly that this is a death trap, which I still keep finding myself falling into. Art is sometimes straightforward, and sometimes it’s not. Especially in music production, it is important to have a mind open enough to feel the energy of the room, as well as from the song, and direct people’s hours in the direction the song wants to go. Some people can write a song in 20 minutes, record it, and be done, and we all have the unrealistic expectation of ourselves that we can do that. To really take a step back and constantly re-examine the emotion of a piece, and dig deep to figure out what to add/take away requires the freedom to allow ourselves to fail. This means that the hours of producing a song can go in many different directions, depending on what the artist or the song needs, rather than a passive “going-through-the-motions” we have all gotten so used to.
As you know, we’re big fans of Aden Gray Productions. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Like I mentioned earlier, what I offer is a full-service production, mixing, and mastering package. I can do this because I trust my network of seasoned engineers, writers, and session players so much, that I can build the perfect team for whatever songs we work on.
It takes a lot for people to trust you with their art, and what was able to win over my earliest clients I think was a combination of a few things. I had gotten some traction online as a guitarist, and have been working as a session and live player with guitar and piano for years, and I think the dexterity I have with instruments helped me stand out from the crowd. The second aspect that helps for a great connection with me and the client, is my personality and outlook to making music. My goal is to be as passive or active in a room as the client needs, and to above all allow them the space and forgiveness to freely express themselves and make mistakes. This combined with my soft-spoken demeanor makes me a great fit for people who struggle with the anxiety of making art, and need a safer environment to play with ideas until we find something that really makes them shine through.
What I am most proud of brand-wise, is my tendency to listen. I have a gift for knowing what an artist is going to say, before they even say it, since I also make music and have been in their position many times. Having someone on the same page as you, who is willing to give your ideas a shot, is something that I have been complimented on many times. Above all, I think it’s my job to be artist-first, and find a great middle ground where my sound conforms around theirs, and works to bring out the beauty in any client.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I think the fact that I struggle with anxiety would be pretty apparent to my closer friends, however it’s not something people pick up on sometimes.
Because I have faced my fears in ways that include singing live shows, playing guitar in front of hundreds of people, taking on my first client, losing a client, and many other things, I hope that I have been able to get a bit of insight onto how anxiety plays a role in music.
Tons of people are consumed by anxiety when they sit down to play music alone in their room, let alone in a professional studio. Fear is such a strong force that controls us in more ways than we realize, and hopefully my experience of dealing with it every day can help some others who struggle with the same feelings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://adengray.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aden.gray.productions/?hl=en
