Today we’d like to introduce you to Stevie Benz.
Hi Stevie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started playing music around 11 or 12 years old. I was obsessed with 90s alternative rock and pop punk and desperately wanted to be in a punk band. Throughout high school and college, I was playing with local bands that gigged regionally. We would do summer tours when we were out of school and I loved every second of playing and traveling.
In my twenties, I played for a few indie rock bands (Between the Trees, The Rocket Summer). I was able to maintain a very busy touring schedule for almost a decade! The tours were often six weeks or more on the road with only two or three days off, and I thrived on that. I got the opportunity to travel the whole country many times, plus Canada, South America, and Europe. I loved playing every night and meeting so many other musicians and bands.
Throughout my time on the road, I was working as a composer for TV networks. Creating music for TV and film is a very interesting niche. It is generally instrumental and the music supervisors for TV shows and movies are often very specific in what they want. They want the music that I made to reinforce the drama, comedy, horror, fun, or sadness of every situation being portrayed on screen. It was an unbelievable education in how sound and music affect everyone, even when you are not paying attention to them.
That work helped me sharpen my recording skills, which led to me also working in live sound and production. I fell in love with the recording, mixing, and mastering side of music. After so many years on the road, it has been wonderful to build a home studio and invest in the great community of musicians and bands in the Raleigh area.
While I specifically focus on the mastering stage, I love writing and producing instrumental music for vocalists or singer/songwriters.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I feel unbelievably lucky to have toured and seen the world while playing music. It is the dream of a lot of musicians to load up on a bus and play every night. However, it was not easy by any means.
For the first few years, I was in bands that were making just enough money to put gas in the tank of the van. We were eating Ramen every day and sleeping in the van at night. I was living off of about $10 a day! Generally, we were only making enough money to get us to the next city. Then, I worked construction and odd jobs when I was off the road to make ends meet. I was always a few bucks away from being on the street!
In later years, it became easier in so many ways. The shows were well attended, we had a giant RV that was comfortable and the band and crew were on salary. That felt like winning the lottery! But I was very aware that touring is a job that can end at any time. On top of that, I wanted to get married and not be on the road 6 months out of the year.
It was an incredibly hard decision to leave that side of the industry, but I knew I needed to focus on the production and recording side long-term.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am primarily a mastering engineer. Mastering is the final stage of audio production. After a song is mixed by an engineer, I put the final touches on it to ensure that the sound translates well from your phone to your car to your home stereo.
I was a musician first, so I love being able to assist artists and bands who may not have the technical language for what they want from their songs. I am often with an artist through every step of writing and recording to ensure they end up with a song they love.
I still play music with a few people and I do some short tours. I just finished a tour playing for my friend Corey Ward (The Voice, Top 9 in season 20).
In addition to that, I compose music for artists and for TV and film. My music has been featured on many shows, including The Ellen Show, The Super Bowl, and The Olympics.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I have been surrounded by so many encouraging people, even when they thought my career was a little crazy!
My wife, Sarah, has been incredibly patient and supportive. There is an unending parade of musicians through our house and there is a lot of noise! But she takes it all in stride and always has extra snacks on hand for my clients and friends. She truly is the best.
My mom has always been a cheerleader. She always made sure I had a spot to stay and a home-cooked meal when I was coming off a tour. I cannot overemphasize how wonderful that was! She consistently encouraged me to keep going through all those lean years on the road.
I have worked with some great producers and engineers in audio. Brian Fuller is an amazing collaborator in the Raleigh area. We have co-written and co-produced some very successful music for TV. Currently, I am writing and recording with Corey Ward for his debut album.
Pricing:
- $100/song for Mastering
- $125/podcast episode for Mixing
- $500/custom instrumental track
- Rates vary for Mixing songs
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.steviebenz.com/
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/steviebenz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevie.benz/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1MdMmY7Cy90UoJ4iW424F1?si=7168b4aa0b4f449e
Image Credits
Joey Thompson, Andrew Lovette, and Sarah Benz
