For this project, I worked with my friend Kai—he was the musician, and I was the recording engineer. I ran the session in Freestyle’s studio, using Pro Tools to record, mix, and edit his music. Since this was my first time doing something like this, I learned a lot about how a real recording session works. It was super fun being behind the scenes and playing with all the fun adjustments and tools.
As I mentioned, I worked with my buddy Kai who I met in little league baseball many years ago. We had recently reconnected online after many years as we both go to different schools. Kai is someone who is able to play multiple instruments and sing so I thought he would be a perfect candidate for this project, while also being a fun excuse to see him in person. Fun fact, Kai is also the self-proclaimed “Best Umpire in Cali.”
Behind the scenes of the Pro Tools Session:
Kai already has many albums with different art, but I decided to go with the classic image:
And finally, here is the music:
Collaborative Artist Statement:
Kai and I had a great time recording this cover and playing around in the studio. Since it is nearing graduation and I don’t want to bother Kai, I will speak for him. I know he had a wonderful time in the Freestyle facilities, so much so that he helped Charlie with his Zenith project. Although, it took me a long time to get Kai this music and there was a little bit of frustration from him, I finally finished it up just in time.
My personal reflection:
I wish that I had stayed on top of the ball a little more and completed this project immediately after our recording studio session. I think this would’ve helped in the outcome because I would have had more passion to make the song as complete as possible. On the other hand, this is the most fun I have had recording music in the studio as someone who is not very musical. It was fun to see a musician be able to make full use out of the cool stuff in the studio and be apart of it.