Meet Zachary Smith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Smith.

Hi Zachary, 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?
My artist name is Omniscient Art. Although most people call me “Omni” or “Art”.

I am interested in all things creative. Things like music, photography, film, food, dance, and beyond. Any type of expression is fascinating to me. I believe every human is some type of artist. An artist’s influence is the closest thing to a superpower that exists. It doesn’t matter if it’s a party-feel-good song or the most severe lyrics you’ve ever heard. All art plays a part.

I moved to the Nashville area to go to school and pursue a career in music as an artist. I’m originally from a smaller town in Arkansas with zero recording studios. Zero. To the younger me, doing anything in music seemed like an impossible thing. The initial plan was to become a self-sufficient artist by learning to produce and record myself. However, since I didn’t know anyone in Nashville and my hometown didn’t encourage music, I was a bit closed off. My goals were self-centered when I tried to do it all by myself. That began to change as I worked with more and more people. Artists, producers, engineers, etc.

It didn’t take long for my eyes to open to the endless amount of music created daily. I started recording and mixing the artists I would meet. Those artists would tell another artist who would tell another artist and. I’ve met so many talented individuals, and I never left my chair. This work has led to me producing multiple tracks for them as well. The artists I work with may not be the most prominent names, but we work like we are. There are about 8 hours of streamable music with my name credited. Whether engineering credits or production credit, this is on top of the many hours of my music available for streaming.

I started with a laptop, an interface, and a drum machine when I moved up here. Now I’m lucky enough to work in a studio in the Berry Hill area that’s a stone’s throw away from Blackbird Studio. The studio I work from is called Clear Waters Studio. It’s a relatively new studio started by my friend Trent Waters.

He’s given me multiple opportunities, and now I exclusively run all of my recording and mixing sessions out of Clear Waters. I mainly record R&B, Hip-hop, Rap, Electronic & Indie-type genres, but we’ve also had plenty of Rock and Country artists book with us as well. I love helping other artists bring their visions to life. I also recognize my unique position to connect artists with other artists. So I’ve made opportunities to invite multiple creators to a networking-type event that I host.

I consider myself an artist first.

I’ve always liked writing. I’m still searching for my sound, but as of now, I mainly have a type of Hip-hop style. I don’t want to box myself into a particular lane. I’ve started to learn more about different production styles to help me branch out into new sounds. I usually produce my music, and I’ve also started working closely with a producer based in South Africa. All of these pieces connect whenever I work on my own projects. I’ve been working towards streamlining this process for a couple of years.

My day to day usually consists of recording or mixing since engineering pays my bills. However, my lifestyle allows me to always be around the music scene. I’ve started doing small photoshoots with artists just for fun. I wouldn’t consider myself a photographer. I take the photos on my phone, and then I’m able to edit them in a unique and interesting way. I usually upload the images to Instagram. I format the photos where it looks like several separate photos, but as you swipe to the next, you begin to notice each photo connects to the other.

All of my artistic lanes play into the name of Omniscient Art. I love being able to create. Not because I have to, but because I want to. Music, photos, clothing, etc. I want to get to a point where I can create anything that I can dream of.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
A lot of my challenges are similar to every artists’ struggle. I’ve made a lot of bad music. Whether it was written poorly or mixed improperly, some people don’t like my style of music. Blogs, magazines, and other media outlets have rejected pieces we put our hearts and souls into. Not everyone can win. We try to learn everything we can from our failures.

I’ve had clients run off with work and not pay me. I’ve had people steal work and equipment. We’ve had countless technical issues. We’ve had computer crashes, and files randomly deleted.

I used to do most of my recording at home before the pandemic. Once we went into quarantine, I had to stop recording. I had to stop working. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Luckily my friend, Trent Waters, mentioned that he was starting a studio. That opportunity has allowed me to work safely and more efficiently than ever before.

We know it won’t be a smooth road and we’re ready for it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I would say I’m an artist in every sense of the word.

I write music and lyrics. I can record, mix and master to a certain degree. I have some ability to create music production. I can run live sound and lights at shows. In addition, I make digital edits for my photography, album artwork, and a clothing line specializing in 1 of 1 designs. Music is my favorite part of me, but it’s not all that there is. I would say I’m becoming more known for my engineering and photography because it places me more within the community of others. My work is usually recognized before my face is.

How I bring artists together is something I think sets me apart from others in my field. For example, I’ve hosted a small artist event to invite local artists to centralize and meet each other casually. When artists arrived, I made them draw a random number from a bowl. That number corresponded to one of three instrumentals I had made.

Then, each artist was asked to write a verse to the song they drew without sharing any information with the others. The result was a 3 song project with 12 artists with a runtime under 10 minutes. This was all made in a day. The goal was to bring artists together and make memories. The songs were a byproduct and an icebreaker so people could get to know each other in a familiar way.

I see so many talented individuals from my point of view, and more often than not, we’re all trying to help each other in some way.

I would say I’m most proud of the days that I’m productive and creating something. There’s not one specific piece of work that I’d put above the others. Instead, I’m more focused on the memories and moments shared with others. That’s why my photography has been so fun for me recently. It’s all about sharing those moments.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
The best network has come from the best work.

I’ve gone out to bars and clubs to “network,” but those interactions don’t build something that lasts most of the time. My best connections have come from meeting people while working, usually in the studio or show. There are a lot of artists looking for engineers especially. So when I meet someone new, I typically meet 2 or 3 of their artist friends because of them.

Social media is also a deep-sea of networking potential. Specifically, local social media if you’re interested in a network you can meet. I say this, and my primary producer lives in South Africa. The internet knows no bounds. As far as mentorship, I would say YouTube. Honestly. I went to college for some of this, and I’d still say that Youtube has plenty of excellent information and teachers. From music production to mixing to branding and beyond.

A lot of my creative direction comes from other artists I admire and the influences I listen to.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/omniscientarts
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohmniii/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/OmniscientArt
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRFhH1k-aEqrkQSKXm4C4Gw/videos
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/omniscient-art-project
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3qOvvwYXicuWZspLFLC4Fd?si=oIZMCqtJQg63JE7dD2adYQ

Image Credits
A2thaMo and Omniscient Art.