We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alex Flores. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alex below.

Alright, Alex thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

I would have gone on my own a lot sooner. I stayed at my last job for far too long. I became comfortable and reached a point where I wasn’t being challenged and wasn’t growing in my skill. I got caught up in the routine and got lost.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I spent 2 years at the University of Florida to get a business degree. One day I just didn’t want to do that anymore. I really wanted to work in a music studio. So I transferred to Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL. There I got my recording arts degree. As soon as I graduated, I bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles determined to find a studio to work at. Within the week, I began working at Swing House Studio in West Hollywood. I was an assistant engineer and fortunately got to work with a lot of amazing bands. After about a year, a friend from Florida offered me a job as a live sound engineer. Even though I loved where I was currently working, moving back to Florida felt right. So I moved back and began working as a live sound engineer for the next 8 years. As I mentioned before, I felt like I stayed in this position too long. I was no longer being challenged and didn’t feel like I was growing in my craft. So here I am today. I am now a freelance audio engineer.

What I mainly do is Tracking and Mixing. When it comes to tracking, I like to go to big studios in Orlando and Nashville when the budget allows it. I like going to big studios because of the nicer gear and the environment of the space. I have to feel inspired and the gear is a lot of fun to play with. I feel like I get a higher quality and a better performance out of the artist at bigger studios. Jacksonville doesn’t really have a space like that, so I have to travel. But as far as mixing, I currently do that from the comfort of my home. I have collected a few of my favorite pieces of gear that work with my taste to get the quality I am happy with. I am working towards building my own mixing studio in the future.

In this industry, what sets us all apart is our taste and sound. We each have a different taste in music and sound that has inspired us. All the music we love plays into how we hear music and how we think it should sound. So I believe if someone hires me, it’s because they like my art. They like the sound that I have I have come to create based on the music that I love and that has inspired me.

What I’m most proud of? I would say it’s an artist that I’ve been working with for about maybe the last 5 years. His name is Wes Harris. I’m super proud of him and the work that we’ve created over the years. We have become really great friends and we have pushed each other to grow in our respective fields. The sky is the limit for him and I know he is going to go places and impact a lot of people. I’m really happy he has allowed me to play a small part in that. It’s definitely helped me grow tremendously.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Currently, my biggest goal right now is to win a grammy. Not so much for myself, but for my family. Specifically, my grandma. My grandparents migrated to the U.S for a better future. My grandpa died when my dad and aunts were really young. My grandma raised 8 kids on her own all while working in the fields. She worked so hard to give her kids a better life. And my parents continued that down to my siblings and me. So I would love to win a grammy so I can hand it to my grandma and thank her for everything she has done for our family and show her what her sacrifices allowed us to achieve. I can’t wait for that day to come!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it’s so rewarding to hear the feedback artists receive when they release a new project. Music has the ability to transport you through time. You can listen to an old song, which can immediately take you back in time to when you first heard it. Or you can listen to a new song and it takes you to a new place. It’s a small distraction. Music has the potential to take you to this sonic landscape that the artist has painted and laid out for you. That’s what it does for me and I like to think that I’m not the only one that listens to music that way. I like to think that songs that I have the opportunity to work on have that kind of impact on listeners. It’s very rewarding to view it that way.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: flacomixedit

Image Credits
Kayla Harris Christian Spivey Lance Asper Michelle Harris