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

Alright, Coleman thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Audio Engineering is a simple, yet a difficult skill to learn due to the massive amount of misinformation regarding the topic. Online, you can find lots of great resources, but many more that are factually errant. I began learning this skill when I was in eighth grade at church. In my opinion, this is the best way to start as churches are typically a friendly environment for learning, have equipment, need someone to run it, and can help you grow in your walk with God. At church I learned the basics of a digital console and spent about two weeks on analog. I was looking to go deeper and bought Logic in 2020 in an attempt to learn the studio side of things. It was helpful, but also challenging and the conflicting information between resources I could find for free online weren’t helping. Finally, I found a small private university in Nashville called Belmont. I applied after seeing their facilities and was accepted. At the time, I did not know about the school’s reputation, but soon discovered it after only one semester on campus. Belmont has a unique formula for developing the next generation of the music industry whether it be engineers, songwriters, or producers. It’s incredible to see their alumni and their accomplishments. Belmont begins an engineer with what is most essential: ear training. While this may sound simple, they have a method for training students to identify frequencies much like how a musician might be able to identify notes via relative, or even perfect, pitch. They then teach you the basics of studio and live, and allow the student to specialize afterwards. By breaking this field down into its most basic principles during freshmen and sophomore years, students are able to properly grasp the material and make their learning process more efficient for the future. If I had known about Belmont sooner, I would have done my best to spend more time there. While Belmont may be able to teach you what you “could” learn online, Belmont is intentional in teaching their students only what is correct and offers incredible connections and opportunities to its student unlike any other program available.

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.

Hi! My name is Coleman Christian and I am a student of audio engineering at Belmont University and owner of Kewl Kat Productions.
My journey began when I was 8 and felt called to acting. Here, I had some incredible opportunities with Intel Security, LifeWay VBS, and several commercial shoots. I learned the communication skills that have since helped me develop my business and professional relations.
Following this, I developed a knack for voice over where I recorded audiobooks, commercial spots, and more. My work in this spanned from Lego Starwars and World Of Tanks to Rhett and Link of Good Mythical Morning. I loved this job and I learned the basics of recording in a digital audio workstation, the workflow of ProTools, and basic processing techniques.
At 14, I began working as a DJ. This is where Kewl Kat Productions began. I had always loved electronic music since I was a kid, growing up on the likes of Avicii and Zedd, my favorite artists now being The Chainsmokers. I fell so in love with this music, I wanted to start DJ’ing. One of my school administrators knew about this and knew I had some equipment and also ZERO experience. That administrator then asked me to DJ our School’s Fall dance. I was ecstatic and instantly began making a playlist I could mix. To say the least… it did not go great, but was at least decent. Decent enough for me to book a gig with a local swim team. This gig went much better and was recurring. I learned more about the craft during this time and was eventually connected with a company. This company supplied equipment and knew how to ensure the crowd had a good time, but needed someone who knew how to mix. By this point, I had learned many different types of transitions and was decently skilled. I was packing floors consistently for weddings, dances, and corporate events with a client list now spanning across two states, but then school kicked in and hit me with physics. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do much more so I sat DJ’ing aside for awhile until I completed physics. I was no longer with the company and was back on my own which I thought would be challenging, but I chased my dream. My school, Belmont University, had music festivals called showcases so I decided to reach out to some connections I had made that I knew were heavily involved with these events. They directed me to the Rock Showcase’s producer and I applied to be a DJ, sending in a mix of some punk/rock tracks I made in about an hour. They liked it and asked me to be an opener for their musicians. This meant the world to me and offered me just the sort of exposure I needed. I prepped my set, incorporated the electronic music I so dearly loved, and practiced for DAYS!!! This preparation helped me develop the best possible mix I could deliver and the crowd LOVED IT!!! It was a true honor to play for my school, open for such talented musicians as RAWHONEY, and a great joy to see the crowd having as much fun as I was. The event manager of the school found me after my set and suddenly, I had booked a gig for later that year alongside another opportunity at yet another showcase. Since these gigs, I have been regularly booked with four upcoming events as of the date of this writing. If I could give any advice in starting your own business, it would be connect with professionals and develop your skills. Talent will be discovered, but only if you put yourself out there and someone else is willing to take a chance.
My business offers DJ’ing, Emcee, Podcast Recording/Editing, and Voice-Over services alongside Audio Production, Broadcast Mix Consulting, Mixing, and Mastering. In this business, I help clients accomplish their creative goals in audio through my communication skills and technical abilities.
I am most proud of my live DJ sets and my podcast, Surviving and Thirving After High School which I record, edit, mix, and market. I also enjoy working with churches as a consultant to enhance the overall quality of their audio production.
The main takeaway I want a client or potential client to have is to make THEIR product/service the best it can possibly be for both them and their audience and that THEIR ideas will be communicated in a commercially viable manner should they choose to select Kewl Kat Productions.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I believe the best marketing is word of mouth. This is why I don’t have a website and only social media. I want to be able to understand my clients and one of the best ways to do that, in my experience, is to have your new clientele being brought in by previous customers. I deliver a quality service at an affordable price with all of my jobs and I believe that’s one thing my clients respect about me as they will often leave tips and tell their friends. Many even jump online and promote my company, unprompted. I love this! It shows I deliver as promised and that I build loyalty and have legitimate relationships with each client. It even communicates trust to future clients. This process also allows me to know how an individual found me and I better know what to expect from them when I know who told them about me. It is a slow marketing scheme, yet a highly effective one.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Gaining new clients from a recommendation of a previous client is the absolute best way to grow a business. There’s just something special about a client sharing their experience. This could be them sharing their friend or leaving a review for you on your website or tagging you on their social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.instagram.com/djkewlkat?igsh=cW0zaWJhemNoeGpq
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colemanchristiantheactor/profilecard/?igsh=MWx4YjJ2MWttc2h2ZQ==
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coleman-christian-54b7252b2?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Image Credits

Barbara Beneville, Craig Christian, Lisa Christian, Grace Yeaple