We recently connected with Creigh Riepe and have shared our conversation below.

Creigh, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents were both incredibly supportive and excited about my interest in music from a young age. My mom played piano and my dad played guitar and loved listening to music. I began expressing interest in guitar and piano in elementary school, so I took some classical piano lessons and voice lessons and started singing at local churches in my area. My parents were my sounding board, so whenever I learned a new song or something new on the guitar, I’d show it to them. As my skills improved, I wanted to find a way to record the music I was creating. I started out recording my voice to tapes on an old karaoke machine, until one Christmas, my parents gave me my first audio workstation for Christmas. I didn’t know anything about recording, and it was before the days of endless how-to videos on YouTube, so I dug through the manual that came with my recorder and learned the ins and outs of recording. My parents were encouraging and supportive, despite not knowing anything about audio engineering or producing, they wanted to see me succeed.

Creigh, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started working in music in my small hometown of Charlotte Court House, VA in the early 2000s. There were not any music venues around my town, but that didn’t stop me from pursuing my interest in music. I sang for every church I was given the opportunity to and learned how to play guitar and piano to accompany myself. I was always interested in the production elements in the music my parents were listening to back then, and I wanted to try to replicate what I was hearing, so I took a deep dive into studying audio in high school. I was eventually skilled enough at my craft, that musicians in my area began hiring me to record their music. I started to think that music could truly be a fruitful endeavor, so I decided to attend Belmont University to study Audio Engineering and Music Business and graduated in 3 years. Following college, I joined a country vocal band that toured the U.S. for several years and had the opportunity to open for major acts like Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, and Keith Urban. After we disbanded in 2017, I opened a recording studio to cater to musicians and artists who wanted an opportunity to record their music but didn’t necessarily have a major label budget. I offer clients the ability to start with a basic work tape and walk away with a fully produced, radio-ready recording. The music industry can be overwhelming for new artists. There many different ways to pursue a career as an artist, but the common denominator for all artists is that there is a need for professional music recordings. My goal is to provide a comfortable recording environment, industry standard equipment, professional musicianship, a positive workflow, and a competitive product at an affordable cost without compromising quality. I am proud of the music I create with the artists that come through my doors, and I hope to help new artists who are seeking a way to bring their music to life.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I would say the biggest pivot point in my life so far was following the breakup of my band in 2017. I had heavily invested my time and creative energy in something that was no longer going to exist, so I needed to reevaluate my goals for my life. The experiences I had with the band were incredible, so then I needed to figure out how to incorporate my experience into something new that could help others. My favorite elements of being a band were performing live and studio recording. With my educational background in audio, I felt like the best thing I could offer to other artists would be to open a recording studio where I could be creatively involved in bringing their music to life. Without the life and career change of the band breakup, I don’t know that I would have taken the leap of faith to do what I’m doing now.

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

For me, the most rewarding part of being a creative is the flexibility and variety of things I get to do on a daily basis. My creativity is at its best when I have a good. balance of work and time with my family, and the path of production that I’ve chosen has absolutely allowed for that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.arcadiastreetstudios.com
• Instagram: creighriepe
• Facebook: Facebook.com/creighriepe
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/creighriepe/
• Twitter: @creighriepe

Image Credits
I took the photos