Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Darius Fentress. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Darius, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

There are many ways one can learn how to create and produce music. Some people go to school, some learn from how to videos. I was fortunate enough to have on the job training from the beginning of my career. When I was 19 or 20 years old, I interned in studio with a very successful recording artist and record producer. I was challenged to learn every aspect of the creative process from inception to finished product. That experience shaped my life and career to what it is today.

Looking back, I could have benefitted from some formal schooling, just from the standpoint of gaining knowledge and insight from other people, but I value everything I experienced, the way I experienced it. There are so many different skill sets used in the music creation process, but the most valuable one for me is being authentic to myself. I can never be my best self if i’m trying to be like other creators. I can certainly learn and glean from others, but in the end, being true to myself always yields the best outcomes.

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

At the core, I am a musician. To be more specific, I play drums and percussion. I started really young playing at my local church and with school bands. When I was 19 years old I received at great opportunity to play percussion for gospel music legend Fred Hammond. I had gigged with professional bands prior to this, but this opportunity was my introduction into the “big leagues” of the music industry. This opportunity was my introduction into the world of music production and audio engineering as well. Over the course of 12 years working for Face to Face Productions, I gained the knowledge and skills to be a professional engineer and record producer. I now work for my own production company, FMG Productions (Fentress Music Group). I provide clients with professional creative solutions like music production, recording, editing, mixing, and soon publishing. I am proud to have worked on many successful projects, including the Grammy award winning album “Free to Worship” by Fred Hammond. But by far, I am most proud of creating and developing my wife’s (LANEshia) first EP. She entrusted me with a great deal of creative responsibility for her debut release. From conception to release, we did the whole thing together (with help from some amazing musicians and creatives). This project forced me to dig deeper into the business aspect of the music industry like music publishing, writers splits, PRO’s, marketing, promotion, web site design, and a plethora of other things. I did not know I had an aptitude for these things until I had to do it! At the end of the day, I want be knowledgeable and equipped to master every aspect of the creative process. Not so I can do everything myself, but to help others and be a valuable collaborator with other creatives.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Obviously the finished product is very rewarding for an artist or creative. I have learned to enjoy the process more and more over the years. Collaboration is a huge part of that. It’s a really good feeling to have an idea come to mind, but what makes it sweeter is when you can share and develop an idea with others you trust. Sure, I can produce content from start to finish all on my own, and be happy with it. Every time I collaborated with someone, the finished product is always better, and the shared experience lasts for a lifetime!

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had known about the business end of the music industry earlier. I think I could have avoided some pit falls and mistakes. The business of music and creating changes drastically every few years, so I have to be on top of it. I also would have liked to have known about music sync licensing early on in my career. There are tons of great resources out there to help creatives get music out onto TV/films/commercials and other multi-media platforms.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.laneshia.com
• Instagram: @dariusfentress
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNO8itG4HE4M9lSyiqwYxOQ
• Others: https://soundcloud.com/user-348928361?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Image Credits
Cory O. Hale http://coryohale.com/