StudioPros

Looking to take his recordings to the next level of professional quality, Tommy Owen teamed up with Studio Pros to make his music radio-ready.

“I felt like I was working with a group of super-talented friends that I had known forever.”

Tommy Owen didn’t have a plan for his music; it was simply a hobby for the San Marcos, Texas native.  But working with Studio Pros has a way of opening doors for artists; after putting his songs on MySpace and Facebook, Owen couldn’t help but pay attention to the response he got.  “I must have gotten about 50 emails the day I put it up on MySpace,” he says.  “Half of the feedback is about the quality of the recording!”

Owen, who runs his own graphic design company, has been playing music since he was a teenager.  He soon decided that producing his own music was a lot more fun than playing someone else’s songs in a band, so he bought a 4-track and started recording.  For years, Owen never felt the quality was up to par, but after teaming up with Studio Pros he found himself suddenly being contacted by radio stations asking him for a physical CD (a friend passed on Owen’s music to a radio connection).  He attributes his newfound success to the professional product he was able to make with the help of Studio Pros.

 

 Tommy Owen - Godsend [1:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tommy Owen - Scratch This Day [1:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tommy Owen - Sunday [1:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tommy Owen - When It's Cold [1:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Tommy Owen - Here I Am [1:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Owen had first tried recording all of the instruments himself in his home studio.  “I worked on these recordings for almost 2 years,” he explains.  “The biggest challenge was the drums.  I spent thousands on an electric drum kit, and it still just wasn’t sounding right.”  While searching for plug-ins, drums samples, and any other options he could find online, Owen was ready to give up–until he came across a link to Studio Pros.  He sent in a recording of one of his songs and a professional studio drummer re-did all the parts.  “I thought for 125 bucks it couldn’t sound good, but I got it back and was blown away,” he remembers.  “He took my existing drum tracks, mimicked them, and did it so much better.  He’s gotta be one of the best drummers out there.”  Owen immediately sent in the rest of his music.

Originally having two of his friends to try to mix his music, an unimpressed Owen also ended up using Studio Pros for mixing and mastering services.  Once again, he tested the waters with just one song, but immediately sent the rest when he heard a final product that was of professional quality.  “I fell out of my chair,” he says.  “Everything was flawless.”  Owen recently recorded three more songs, and this time he is going straight to Studio Pros.  “I found a system that worked, and they’re half of it,” he says.  “The quality was untouchable, I can’t believe what I got for the price.”

What’s next for Owen?  While the music is still a hobby, he’s thinking of pushing it to local radio stations (particularly since San Marcos is a college town) and possibly expanding into Austin.  After that, he’ll just be waiting to see where it goes.

“This company was built for musicians by musicians, and I hope and pray they are here forever,” Owen says.  “I have plans to use them again in the very near future.”

Listen to Tommy’s music at his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/echobirdy

And find him on iTunes by searching for “Echo Birdy.”

20 years ago she thought making music might be fun. Now with the help of Studio Pros, Barb Bechler has accomplished what she never thought possible.

Barb Bechler’s path to becoming a musician is not your typical story. In fact, her creative use of Studio Pros’ services makes for one of the most unique musical journeys you’re bound to hear. While she’s been a fan and admirer of music for most of her life, Bechler never was a musician herself–until she began learning, experimenting, and expanding her musical boundaries with the help of the world-class studio musicians that Studio Pros provided. Utilizing Studio Pros’ services, Bechler found herself going from complete novice to award-winning songwriter in an astoundingly short period of time.

Not too long ago, Bechler was retired from real estate sales and writing children’s stories. Now, she is submitting her music to TAXI for publishing in film and television. “I’m probably coming from a different direction from a lot of people,” she says. “I’ve always admired musicians and listened to a great variety of music. The big thing for me was that I always wanted to be able to write songs.” Wondering how she could translate her story writing abilities to songwriting, Bechler had a breakthrough when her niece, Deanna, showed her how to use GarageBand music software.

 

 For Chelsea [0:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“I had a Mac with GarageBand and just assumed it was a kid’s game, so I never opened it up,” Bechler admits. “I just went, Oh my goodness, I want to be able to do that!” She compares the process to another one of her talents: collage art. “The lightbulb went on when she showed me how to cut, rearrange, and paste music together.”

After her epiphany, Bechler went home and obsessively put together loops for hours on end. Immersing herself in her new passion, she began researching song construction and studying various musical genres. After getting some music in place, Bechler moved on to the lyrics, which presented a brand new test for her: melody. “I’m not a singer, so it was a challenge to figure out the melody,” she explains. “Studio Pros told me to talk the words into the song.” So Bechler spoke lyrics into a microphone to provide the rhythm, flow, and cadence. Studio Pros’ musicians took care of the rest, turning the music loops into real tracks played by real professionals and transforming the spoken word into melodies performed by session singers.

Bechler honed the process to write and produce music that was ideal for publishing opportunities on film and TV. Her song “For Chelsea” began as an idea comprised of jazzy music loops when it was passed over to Studio Pros. Session musicians then provided a jazz combo backing a live trumpet lead and transformed Bechler’s musical vision into a TV-ready reality. “The final version was a professional rendition of my tune,” she says.

“Although I’m just starting out as a musician, I have a very good ear for music, a good ear for timing and rhythm,” Bechler says. “Studio Pros really helped me understand how many bars it takes for a really good bridge, or to create an intro or an outro. They’ve been really helpful with arrangement and song construction.”

Not only have Bechler’s online collaborations with Studio Pros yielded songs spanning genres including pop, jazz and classical, she has been receiving rave reviews as well: she was the winner of the Song of the Year monthly award in Adult Contemporary for the month of April for her track “Beyond the Sea.” Crediting modern technology and services such as Studio Pros for making the impossible possible for her, Bechler has gone from music enthusiast to industry insider and is putting full-time hours into her latest hobby. “I was surprised that the prices were reasonable, that they were quick with the turnaround, and with how much actual hands on help I got,” she says.

Now taking piano lessons to sharpen her skills, Bechler has only begun her musical career that Studio Pros helped launch.

Exploring the connection between health and music, David Alter teams up with Studio Pros to make professional recordings that will benefit health charities through his unique new company.

David Alter is an artist who knows what he wants, and he uses the resources that Studio Pros provides to get exactly that.  Though he’s been writing music for quite a while, performing was something of a new concept for the health professional-turned-musician when he decided to record an album of his own.  “The process of recording has been relatively new,” Alter says.  “I’ve been writing for many years, but it’s only been lately that I’ve done more of the recording process myself.”

So after he saw an advertisement for Studio Pros in Recording magazine, Alter decided he had nothing to lose by putting his songwriting in the hands of professional studio musicians who could ensure a top quality result for his songs.  “I thought I’d try it out and i just loved it,” he says.  “I love the process of creating the idea, then arranging it by having a vehicle that gets what I hear in my mind out quickly.” (more…)

 

 David Alter - Live For Today [0:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 David Alter - Mamma's Gone Away [0:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Andy Kostek doesn’t let a job that keeps him away from home stand in the way of recording the professional album he always wanted; with Studio Pros, he can record while on the road.

Over a Pink Floyd-esque bed of electric and acoustic guitars, Andy Kostek’s voice adds a distinct quality to his music that goes far in defining his signature sound. “I never really considered myself a vocalist, just a guitarist,” Andy says. “With the help of Studio Pros, I’ve become more confident with the vocals.” Living in Ireland at the time, Andy came to Studio Pros to help him craft his songs when the travel demands of his job made it nearly impossible to put together a band of his own. “Using Studio Pros was born out of frustration,” he explains. Having a “virtual band” allowed him to write lyrics while he was on the road, while professional studio musicians were laying down tracks for him thousands of miles away.

Andy came from a musical family, and by age 15 he got his hands on a discarded guitar with only three strings on it. Despite only being halfway to a complete instrument, Andy “never looked back.” By the time he was 18, he bought his first electric guitar; three months later he was making more money playing music in a band than he was from working for an aircraft manufacturing company as his day job. (more…)

 

 Andy Kostek - The Calling [0:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Andy Kostek - C'mon [0:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download