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

Eddy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I have taken many risks in my life. Some include switching Majors halfway through my college career to pursue what really made me happy; or after completing undergrad school jumping into one of the most expensive graduate schools to specialize in my field; or deciding to branch out from my home recording studio and open a commercial recording space in the heart of one of the most expensive cities in world; But I would say one of my biggest risks was the decision to restart my business and career from scratch and move to Miami from New York City in the pursuit of “greater” career opportunities and a better quality of life.

At the moment of making that decision, my recording studio business was at it’s peak, I was always fully booked with my clients, had assistants under me running my recording studio while I would be away, and had independent artists also renting my studio for them to work on their own projects. Business was booming and I had just gotten off my highest income-earning year.

However, I felt there was more I could achieve. I knew Miami was becoming one of the most important cities for the music industry, especially Latin music. Every time I would visit Miami for business, something in my heart told me this is where I needed to be. New York City is the greatest city in the world and offered me the opportunity to start and develop my business, but with the everyday grind, there became a point where I felt stuck and was not going to become a prominent figure in this industry and be able to work with top industry people. Therefore, I made the decision to start from scratch and expand my business to Miami.

The transition obviously wasn’t easy. I literally left New York City with only a luggage and paid a company to transport all my studio gear. The first weeks I was sleeping on an air mattress while I was focusing on getting the studio up and running. I had zero clients down here, but fortunately I still had my New York Clients sending me work and would fly up to New York periodically just to maintain that network as well. It definitely took some months to get consistent income in Miami, and slowly but surely, I continued to network, work with new clients, and the word would spread about my work. Within several months, the business was stable and the ” greater “opportunities I was looking for ultimately presented themselves. Fast forward several years later, the risk definitely paid off. Opportunity met preparation and my business till this day continues to excel, and I have achieved a great number of accolades one only dreams about such as Billboard charts and Latin Grammy nominations.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I discovered a passion for music production during my high school years growing up in the Dominican Republic and decided that this is what I wanted to do the rest for the rest of my life. Therefore, I decided to return to New York for college (which is where I was born and lived before my family moved to the DR) to pursue this career. I graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor’s in Music and then graduated from New York University with a Master’s in Music Technology.

After finishing school, I immediately opened up my first recording commercial studio and officially started my business in which I provide music production, recording, mixing and mastering services to music artists all around the world. What I believe sets me apart from others is the discipline and dedication that I provide to my client’s projects. I make sure everything that has my name on it sounds the best possible, and that is what’s given me a great reputation in this industry. Artists always tell me that I’m the first person they’ve worked with that really “cares” about the final outcome and that I focus more on the art itself rather than getting paid. That is a statement that makes me proud, because I sincerely believe it’s true. No matter how established or experienced the artist is, I give it my all to make sure the project has its best chance possible to succeed. I will always aim to provide the artist with the best song they have ever made!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I was in undergraduate college at Fordham University, I had actually enrolled as a Business Administration major. However, I always wanted to do something with my music, but music artists were always stereotyped as “starving musicians” who had slimmer chances of finding jobs, and getting sustainable income from the art. Therefore, I decided to take the ‘safe’ route and study Business so I can give myself a ‘greater’ chance of getting a job when it was time to graduate. However, half way through my college career, I felt that I was not walking in my purpose in life and decided to switch majors to Music and follow my dream. Fortunately, I had taken some music elective courses throughout some semesters, so I actually wasn’t going to lose time. I ended up graduating on time with a Major in Music and a minor in Business Administration. Little did I know that majoring in Music then helped me obtain admission into NYU’s exclusive Music Technology graduate program. In addition, minoring in Business Administration offered me knowledge and tools to be able to manage my recording studio business. That pivot point in my career ultimately directed me down the right path which led me to where I am today.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’d say my entire journey illustrates my resilience. I’ve had to start over so many times and face those challenges that came with the change, – Growing up in the Dominican Republic and moving back to New York City was a difficult transition. The lifestyles were completely different and as many people know, New York City is a very tough place to live in.
– Obtaining two degrees from two of the most challenging universities academically speaking. It was not a “piece of cake.” There were lots of sleepless nights, sacrifices, and moments where I thought I was not going to be able to finish, but I pushed through all the obstacles that presented themselves.
– Leaving my home recording studio where I basically lived rent free with my mother to open a recording studio in the heart of New York City where rent was so expensive. It was a risky move. Therefore, I had to make sure I worked long hours and grind to make sure I covered all the expenses.
– Leaving New York City at my peak and expanding to Miami, a city I had never lived in. The beginning was obviously tough, but I succeeded.  

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eddybeethoven.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddybeethoven