Check out and share our Bryant De La Rosa Interview. This interview is part of our new Producer & Engineer Q&A Series. In this interview series we feature exciting producers, mixing and mastering engineers from all walks of life. As always: Share & Support!
Please introduce yourself real quick. Tell our audience about your background and how you go into doing what you´re doing right now.
My name is Bryant De La Rosa and I'm a 21 year-old Audio Engineer as well as a Songwriter/Music Producer from Winter Park, Florida. I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. My family always had music playing in the house; our house was pretty much the go-to party house every weekend where the whole neighborhood would get together. My dad was extra and had concert speakers, a disco ball, strobe lights, and even a smoke machine in the living room.
My dad is responsible for most of the older Hispanic music that I listen to, and my mom is responsible for those power ballads in both English and Spanish. Everything else, for the most part, was introduced to me through experimentation and trying to experience as much music diversity as I could at the time. I’ve been an avid Kanye West fan since I was 8 years old and I still listen to Nas’ “Illmatic.” as well as “Take on Me” by a-ha and “My Funny Valentine” by Frank Sinatra. It gets pretty crazy when I hit shuffle on all of my liked songs!
I didn't fully realize that I wanted to work on music as a career until about 8th grade when we had to make a group music video for a grade. That music video, as well as a second one that was made for fun, ended up being entered into a competition and winning awards.
Years later, I enrolled into Full Sail University under the Recording Arts Bachelor's Degree. I wanted to learn more about the technical side of making music so that I could make my projects sound as professional as possible.
Even though I Songwrite/Produce, I think it's funny (and maybe inspiring?) that I don't know how to play any instruments. I just mess around with different sounds and samples I find until I like it! There are times where I start a project and know exactly what sound I’m pursuing. Other times, I either go in with no real direction and listen to every sound I have available or I just follow whatever mood I’m in and make something that embodies that. I primarily work in Maschine when it comes to the songwriting and arranging aspects, then I bounce it out to Pro Tools to mix.
Please tell our audience what projects have you been working on in the last years?
I had released a collab EP back in 2015 when I was still in college with a friend of mine, Corey Maor, entitled "Universal Struggle." The whole premise or theme behind that EP was to release a body of work that resonates with any listener and allow them to connect a memory or mood to the music.
My next body of work came out last year in November entitled "Fine Wine." This was my first body of work that I had done by myself and it ended up taking me most of that year to finish, which was fine because I had graduated from Full Sail in March of that year, so I had some free time. With this EP I just wanted to combine newer sounds with older, retro sounds and show that aspects of music from the past are timeless.
My sound, for the most part, is a mix of chill, melancholic, and LoFi Hip Hop/R&B. I do experiment with other styles like funk or electronic music every now and then, it seems like I always come back to feels-y music that you could listen to in your room on a late night by yourself or something.
What are you currently working on? Do you accept clients and and what kind of projects/work fits your profile?
Right now I'm currently working on another EP! I don't really have a concrete theme for it, but this time around I want to find artists that blend well with my sound. I'm basically going for DJ Khaled style body of work where I get artists to rap/sing on my work.
I offer production, editing, and engineering services to clients as well. For Inquires, email me at bdelarosamusic@gmail.com
If you want to just listen to anything I've released so far, listen on my SoundCloud page: soundcloud.com/bryant-de-la-rosa
I also stream myself working on music at: https://www.twitch.tv/bryant_delarosa
My EP, "Fine Wine," is available on Google Play Music, iTunes, and Spotify!
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Are you a superfan of anyone? How did you become a superfan? Do you remember how you become a fan and what turned you into super fan? Have you ever thought about why you´re such a fan?
I have been a diehard Kanye West fan since I was 8 years old. I remember hearing The College Dropout for the first time and falling in love with the production. I couldn't fully understand the lyrics until I was older, but I remember resonating with the emotion that was drawn out by whatever samples he used. My all-time favorite song is Spaceship. I don't think it is possible for me to skip that song whenever it plays.
I became a superfan because of the way his music seemed to connect with me. The things that Kanye talks about, for the most part, still seem relateable in a way. Songs like All Falls Down and New Friends, in my opinion, resonate with most people, regardless of your background or genre preference.
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What was the biggest mistake you made when you started making music and what would be the number one tip you could give to a newcomer musician?
The most important tip I can give to a newcomer is quite simple: Don't worry too much about loudness. It's normal to use another person's work as a reference when working on your own projects, but try not to become obsessed with matching their levels. You'll end up overcompressing and squashing the life out of your songs. A loudness war that has been going on for a long time that has caused many artists to compromise dynamic range for hotter levels. Don't join in on the Loudness war.
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How do you get gigs? Can you share any tips?
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Do you have good promotion tips for other musicians?
In terms of promotion, I rely on social media. I use my Facebook group page, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat to try to get more people to listen to my music.
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Do you have insights on how to grow your audience on soundcloud that you want to share with our audience?
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What has been your biggest challenge right now? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
My biggest issue right now is finding artists that actually want to collab. People around here say that they want to work together sometime but few, if any, actually follow through. I still haven't overcome this challenge, but I'm still working on it.
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How do you personally discover new music?
I usually rely on the "New Releases" section of Google Play Music to hear whatever music has just come out. I also use sets that I find on Soundcloud, such as Soulection and Complexion's Future Beats Show, as a way to find less mainstream artists.
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Once you discovered new music, do you tell others about the new music/artist you discovered? If yes, how exactly?
“I definitely tell everybody I can about a new song or album that I like. I'll typically bring them up in conversation or post about them on Instagram or Snapchat.
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What is your number one tip to improve your music production or songwriting skills?
I recommend studying the artists and songs that you love. What is it that makes you love a specific song? Once you effectively diagnose that, try to emulate it. I'm not saying I want people to copy and paste another person's work, I'm just suggesting that you learn by using someone else's material in the same manner that you would use sheet music to learn how to play an instrument. Once you learn how to emulate certain aspects, you'll be able to implement them in your own creative way.
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What is your best tip for those who struggle with finishing their tracks?
If you're stuck with just a loop that you made, you can either:
1. Take a break from your project and come back in a couple days to see if anything new comes to mind when you revisit the project.
or
2. Forget about adding new aspects to your loop and just start arranging the song with what you have. Lay out your Intro, verse, and chorus with what you currently have. This will help you realize what is missing from each section and allow you to fill in the gaps from there.
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We meet again in one year. What has changed?
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http://bryantdelarosa27.wixsite.com/portfolio
http://www.soundcloud.com/bryant-de-la-rosa
https://www.facebook.com/bdelarosamusic/
https://www.twitter.com/Bryant_DeLaRosa
https://www.twitch.tv/bryant_delarosa
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Enter your questions to the artist in the facebook comment section below.
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