Today we’d like to introduce you to Haywood Sumner.
Haywood, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up around music, coming from a family that traveled nationally is known internationally to sing and play. I always knew that I’d be doing something related to music but I never fully knew what. I played drums which led to me experimenting with other instruments and I settled on bass while in high school. In college I connected with people that led me to traveling to perform with people I grew up listening to. In those moments I got to learn a lot about the other aspects of production and developed a passion for it. Fast forward to 2020, sitting in my living room, three of my friends were over working on a song. We randomly started talking about what it’d look like to furnish ministries with audio, video, and media. No more than three months later, we had a full rig and began experimenting. Us being able to improve a particular ministry that we already played at helped us see that we finally tapping into what we not only wanted to but what we were needed for. That September, SoundMine Production Company was created. Since then, we have done media installs, audio installs, video shoots, audio classes, singles for artists, albums, live recordings, and installs for churches/venues; growing from a team of three to nineteen.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t always been easy. But I wouldn’t say it has been anything that was so difficult. The biggest part was learning what worked for us in covering so many things and making sure we did them all effectively, every time. Also, learning what works for each team in the company and how to service different needs while still grasping concepts on things as we went.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a music producer that plays bass guitar. I also am a music director and I love arranging for artists/churches. I would say I’m most proud of the fact that I’m able to help people convey what they hear in their head and release it to the world, solely with my team. My work ethic and drive for making sure the best product goes out to clients is probably the biggest factor that sets me apart.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The possibility of my industry shifting is inevitable. In the next ten years, it’s an open field considering AI. It’s also a somewhat scary when you have apps and coding that can generate music for you, mix for you, sample your voice and do all these things. But I also believe that the main contribution to diversity is that every person isn’t the same and creates from their personality and experiences and that will always be something that can’t be replicated.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haywoodjsumner/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hjsumner90/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@soundmineco
