RECORDING CLASS GRADUATES

ZDT's Success Stories

Moving Up to the Majors!

Although ZDT graduate Tyler Reinhart had very little experience in recording before entering the program, he was able to score his first gig almost immediately after graduating!

Tyler says about his musical background: "I've been writing lyrics since I was 14. I play the drums, and a little keyboards, but mainly what I do now is sing."

When he was thinking about attending recording school, a friend of his mom's brought up the idea of a mentorship. While Tyler liked the idea, he "really wasn't so keen on that particular mentorship program," he recalls. "I started thinking 'Okay, let me look and see if there's other ones.' Researching on Google, I found ZDT and it looked very good. So I tried it."

		Threshold Sound + Vision The Westside's premier music content specialist, servicing producers, artists, record labels, directors, and production companies, Threshold is a major player in the industry. Their divisions include music recording, mastering, mixing and overdubs, video editing, graphic design, and much more. Kanye West, Josh Groban, Heart, Ozzy Osbourne, Greenday, and ZZ Top are just a few of the many stars that have done work with Threshold. Click here to see some more of their music, film and television credits. From top to bottom: Kanye West with the Threshold crew, Marc Schrobilger, Director Video Operations, with Greenday, Marc with Josh Groban, Marc with Ozzy Osbourne. Reprinted with permission from Threshold Sound + Vision.

Reinhart did his apprenticeship at RPD studios, with owner/engineer Randy Dew, and couldn't have been happier. "[Randy] is extraordinarily knowledgable about everything. He's been around for 35 years in terms of engineering. He had a lot to share with me, and any question I asked, he always had an answer. He was just very easy to work with."

Although Tyler took the full recording course, he got some extra instruction in using Pro Tools to mix down songs. "I was able to learn to mix in Pro Tools really well. I learned MIDI, Elastic Audio, all the plug-ins."

Luckily, he's been able to continue to expand his skills at his new gig at a major studio in town: Threshold Sound + Vision (see sidebar). Working at Threshold is an incredible opportunity for Tyler, and a testament to the hard work he put in, the chops he built during his apprenticeship at RPD studios, and ZDT's job assistance service. He already sees the amazing potential.

"One of the engineers there has also given me loads of advice and has shown me some great tricks for pro tools!" Tyler affirms. "So far it has been a very good experience and everyone there has been kind and helpful."

There's no telling where Mr. Reinhart will end up in the field, but he's certainly got an incredible start. It just goes to show you that the apprenticeship method really does work to get you into the field of music recording.

Josh Long behind the mixing board at FTM Studios

John and Steve Sundberg run this 4-room recording complex in Denver, Colorado -- a facility they personally designed and constructed. The control rooms and recording areas have set a new standard in acoustical accuracy, and are considered to be some of the most advanced in the world. (As an example, clients from as far away as Europe and Asia had come to record classical music on their specially-prepared nine-foot Concert and Artist Steinway piano.) Their client roster includes such distinquished artists and companies as Walt Disney Productions, PBS, Discovery Channel, Yes, Kenny Loggins, Phillip Bailey and Bette Middler. Columbia presented them with a gold CD for their work with Tony Bennett. FTM Studios' state-of-the-art construction principles are augmented by their facility with digital editing and mastering, audio sweetening and synchronization, and many other cutting edge techniques. Reprinted with permission from FTM Studios.

Flying High!

It was a goal of his to work in a pro studio, but when Josh Long discovered the ZDT Entertainment Network, he had no idea he'd be studying under the wing of such masters of the craft!

Like many of his peers, Josh loved music, and even developed some chops on the drums. "But I was always into the recording end," he said. "Some buddies of mine and I used to record on a small 4-track. It was really interesting to me."

While looking through information about different music programs, Josh ran across ZDT's Web site. "I researched a bunch of different ones -- even looked at some 4-year programs," he recalls. "Yours looked really promising." But Josh was completely floored when he went to interview at FTM Studios (see Sidebar).

"They've worked with a lot of cool people! John Sundberg [owner of FTM Studios] and his son Steve are both super smart, and really nice."

Once they accepted him as an apprentice, both father and son took the mentorship process to heart. And the two Sundbergs certainly have an impressive command over all aspects of the studio, including the latest technology. It really gave Josh a good look at the possibilities of the modern recording studio: "I was in awe at how good they are at what they do!"

Over the months, Josh has begun to develop a facility in Pro Tools, the recording industry standard. "Every time I went into the studio, my eyes were opened to something new. And it was all hands-on. I learned a great deal from both John and Steve. It worked out really well!"

Now that he has the program under his belt, Josh is considering either buying the gear for his own studio, or going into another established one. Either way, with his apprentice training behind him, he's got a great head start!

On The Fast Track!

When George Unfried found the ZDT Entertainment Network, he just wanted a chance to pursue a career he was passionate about. But he never expected it to become a reality for him so quickly!

"Before contacting ZDT, I had worked in a fast food restaurant for more than three years," says George. "I realized it wasn't for me, and I needed a chance to get my life together."

Something that initially opened George's eyes to the possibilities was the mentor that ZDT hooked him up with: Byron Nemeth. A veteran of numerous bands in Cleveland's north/east Ohio music circuit in the '90s, Nemeth has been running Pacifica Studios for more than a decade. What's more, Nemeth was impressively connected.

"The first time we met, I found out that Byron had just returned from a session at Abbey Road Studios!" George marvelled.

In fact, Nemeth had been working at the legendary studio with engineer Nick Webb, well-known for working with such artists as the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen and Iron Maiden. The two mastered Nemeth's new CD, 100 Worlds.

Through the program, Unfried soon learned what kind of effort it takes to complete a job — and he rose to the challenge. Nemeth was quite impressed with how well George did in his apprenticeship. Impressed him enough that he hired him! Now, George understands that with dedication, persistence, and hard work, the sky is the limit. "With your program, I can accomplish "anything I set my mind to!" he enthuses.

Rapping It Up!

When Jesse Hershkowitz was diagnosed with cancer, he had already been learning recording on his own — working with Pro Tools at home. But after he beat the disease, he decided he didn't want to waste any more time. He wanted to get up and running in the field as soon as possible.

"At that point in my life, I realized that I needed to learn everything I didn't know about recording," says Jesse. "So I went online and searched for 'recording engineer schools.' Luckily, I found ZDT's web site right away."

The New Jersey Star-Ledger featured an article (including this video) on Jesse, and the album he cut about fighting cancer.

He loved the fact that ZDT's apprenticeship program would get him working much faster than standard schools. "I had already gone to a culinary institute," Jesse explains, "and I didn't want to go to school for several years just to get a degree in recording. ZDT's on-the-job training seemed perfect." But it got even better.

Jesse, an urban/rap artist himself, interviewed at Mac Ill Studios: a facility that specialized in hip-hop and R&B. "It was a great fit!" recalls Jesse. The artists I engineered for were right up my alley." Mac himself was also an excellent match for Jesse.

"Zachary hooked me up with a great mentor," Jesse says. "First, he was really accommodating about my schedule, and allowed me to come in every day. But even more than that, he worked hard to make sure I had a thorough understanding of the work and the course material. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher!"