Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Mobarek.
Hi Adam, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
In my early 20s, I had picked up guitar and started a band with some friends who had also just recently started learning instruments. We were fired up with an ambition to learn the “real thing” after playing countless hours of Rock Band and Guitar Hero. We found that the majority of those video game skills were hardly translatable to actual musical ability, but we persisted! Years of playing, writing, and gigging in our band past, and we eventually put out a record that we poured our souls into. It was called “A Band You Can Trust” by The Big Strong Arms. Listenable here – https://open.spotify.com/album/3UEh0KB7FQ7EjQePzzdZYm?si=D5YLRQPOSdKdE5_6_yE4PQ
We had the immense privilege of being the first band to record at an incredible studio in Cary, “Pie Man Sound” with Mitchell Dancik, designed by Wes Lachot. https://tomboftheunknownartist.com/pie-man-sound/ Mitch is a legend that got his start musically in the heyday era of New York’s venue CBGB’s in the 1970s with his band “Just Water,” a pioneer of punk rock.
It was recording, producing, and mixing that record with Mitch that lit a fire in me, compelling me to become a producer and build my own production studio to serve other artists. I purchased the cheapest entry-level recording equipment I could find and got quickly to work. I began producing my own original songs + covers and very slowly, over the next few years, attracted some clients to produce.
I continued to foster my ability to produce in a side hustle sort of way for years, until just this year, I have been able to commit my full-time work to it. I never intended to make it a full-time gig this quickly in my life, but nurturing that business and passion led me here today.
There is tremendous musical talent in our area that, to this day, astonishes me with how staggeringly powerful it is. I frequently have artists come by my studio that I am in awe of. I am a lucky guy!
I have found a comfortable home in pulling the best out of the artists I work with and making them shine. It has been an incredible 10 years of growth looking back – and your question makes me realize that even now, I feel like I am still just starting.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The worst quality I would attribute to the road is that it is a lonely one. I have not met an abundance of producers or recording engineers in this area that can relate to my path. I have always assumed this was because producers + engineers are not the types you will typically see anywhere beside around their own recording equipment!
There’s the heavy cost of all the equipment as well – and the constant seduction of purchasing the next, more expensive equipment that’s marginally better sounding than the last.
This is a field that you will learn a lot of things the hard way. Having policies in place with your clients is important – as is setting the proper expectations. And on the more technical side, you are working with sonics. Understanding those at an intimate level requires hundreds of hours of dedicated practice, research, and passion to fuel those. Explaining them in a way that makes sense to a layman requires hundreds more! If you are a producer or engineer reading this, never give up and keep practicing your craft. There does not exist a ceiling that you can ever reach, so keep going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
There are a number of things I do with my studio work – production, mixing, mastering, and recording. I specialize in all of them – but I most enjoy 1-on-1 producer-to-artist production. There is a beautiful magic to getting the absolute most out of an artist through close work together. It is one thing to have an artist come in and we simply record or produce their music together, but another to dive deep into what makes the artist who they are and where the song they wrote really comes from within them – that makes what I do deeply fulfilling and impactful.
I am so proud of the growth of so many of the artists I’ve worked with. Digging into their own art and music with an accepting, loving, and self-aware mind will inevitably lead to tons of growth in both their musical ability and character. I love to be the one to facilitate that safe space to help guide them on that path. Listen to our work here – https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7kFVmWuMLem7Ud7infXEdP?si=b0df749a13594c9d.
I invest heavily into the equipment to make a song sonically sound incredible, just like any producer would, but I stand out from other producers for focusing intensely on the relationship and connection I have with my artists + musicians. To me, music is about connection. Connection not only with others but with ourselves. Time and time again, I have seen that a deep connection with an artist ends up improving an artists’ song 10x more than something like an expensive microphone will (but the expensive microphone doesn’t hurt!). My studio sessions can sometimes look more like therapy sessions – but that work ends up helping the music sound so much better, and the artist feel so much better. Dig deep, my friends! That’s where your greatness lies.
And a final detail about me – artists that work with me can always expect a comforting cup of tea from my generous collection. I have a flavor stocked for every sort of mood you’re after.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
For our area, I would say leverage online resources as much as you can. There are millions of YouTube videos fighting for your likes and subscribes that want to teach you how to further your craft. My own drive to learn as been my own mentor. Learn as much as you can from videos, forums, and books. Practice as much as you can with musicians and artists. If an in-person mentor is what you really need, look up every recording studio you can think of and see if you can apply for a position or internship there – be prepared to travel.
Contact Info:
- Website: adammobarek.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chismobro/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7kFVmWuMLem7Ud7infXEdP?si=b0df749a13594c9d
