We were lucky to catch up with Derrtie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Derrtie, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned to do so much in the multimedia space through a mix of early exposure and a lot of self teaching. Growing up, my sisters were into music and dance, my mom filmed everything, so creativity was always in the background. My oldest sister would take me to music studios when I was younger so I was really inspired.

I started experimenting on my own, teaching myself songs like “Forgot About Dre” on a Casio keyboard and making homemade “beat tapes” by looping the end of songs to create instrumentals from cassette recordings. In middle school, I used a karaoke machine to record over those beats, which was low-key my first “studio” and experience engineering sessions without even realizing it.

In High School, I invested in home studio equipment before fully understanding how to connect it my computer. I taught myself producing programs like Fruity Loops and started making my own beats. Saved all my money from my first job and bought Pro Tools and an interface to finally plug in my equipment. I spent years experimenting and reverse engineering songs to learn recording techniques. By senior year, I had created my first full album.

That process led me into visual design as well, I needed an album cover. I taught myself Photoshop to create album artwork, where I found similarities between layering sound and layering images. I became focused on making everything feel professional, from covers to credits to packaging.

YouTube wasn’t a thing until after I graduated. The ability to have a music video was everything! I picked up a digital camcorder and learned Final Cut slowly. Editing quickly became one of my favorite parts of the creative process. Showing personality in your visuals, video killed the radio star.

I guess I have always taken the “do it yourself” approach to my creative process, I probably could have used more mentors instead of relying solely on trial and error. Honestly that probably stood in my way a lot because sometimes you get used to how you do things and it can feel daunting to try an figure out better techniques. Curiosity and persistence is probably the most essential

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hola, my name is Derrtie, I’d like to be known as a dope lyricist, an even better music producer and a creative filmmaker. I’ve produced many artist’s albums, including my own, under my business “Gravity Productions.” I’ve been making music and recording myself my whole life. Audio and visual, wires and cables, media software or just plain instruments and equipment is my forte. I love collaborating every way I can fit in and building my experience in media. My versatility is what sets me apart and I’m most proud of my growth.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think there are people that are motivated by money and may sometimes forget about their passions. Even if it’s not creative, I think it’s important to find a way to make money pursing your passions. I think sometimes people wonder where you have the time for it, but it’s just a part of life. Sometimes paths are shaped by your environment and sometimes two different people can’t go the same way,

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me it’s the process. Especially if it’s not for a client. If I’m creating for a client, it’s obviously their excitement of the finished product that’s the most rewarding. Catching the small details. But for me, I love writing and playing bass, building drum patterns, finding melodies, chopping video footage, color correcting and grading, accidentally learning something dope, editing a clever trick.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derrtiemusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DerrtieMusic
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/derrtie
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGPAStudio
  https://www.instagram.com/gravityproductions_media