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. In fact, Nemeth was quite excited at how well George did in his apprenticeship.

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.

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!"