We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erin Harrell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erin below.
Hi Erin, thanks for joining us today. 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 feel like the best thing anyone can do is take a risk. I took a risk from moving from my small hometown in Southern Illinois to the big city of Memphis to pursue a career in music. It started from an early age of knowing the only thing I wanted to do in life was be surrounded by music. Music from the beginning to end. I moved to Memphis in 2021 to study music business and recording technology at The University of Memphis. I still study there, but the first two years here I was not doing what I wanted to and I felt like nothing was truly happening for me. Then I went to an event in Atlanta where I met some amazing people who took me under their wings. I worked with them a couple times for free before they truly gave me the opportunity to go stay in Florida over a summer and work as much as I could. During this time I met different production companies in Orlando and I got to travel to Ohio for a two week show run of a music festival. It felt like I was on top of the world. Then it was coming time for me to go back to Memphis for the fall for school. I did not know what I was going to do once I got back, but I knew I had a starting point. Right before getting back I received an email, and I got the opportunity to be the Memphis Chapter Intern for the Recording Academy. That was huge for me! I knew I had something to look forward to upon arrival to Memphis. That is not the only risk I took or even still take. I have a motto that I will work for everyone for free at least once. That probably seems weird, especially with rising costs today, but that alone got me two different jobs with production companies. With those production companies I get to work at cool places such as The Peabody, Minglewood Hall, Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, and so many more. While I am on those jobs I have been able to branch out and work as an A2 at The Overton Park Shell, work smaller music festivals, and gigs at Lafayettes Music Room. With my internship at the Recording Academy I was able to get in contact with an amazing engineer at Sam Phillips recording where I currently intern and work on amazing projects with. I was also able to go to the 2024 Grammy Awards week in Los Angeles which was surreal. This last year and a half has been a complete whirlwind of experiences and meeting different amazing people, and I would not have that if it wasn’t for the fact that I took a risk. Not only did I take a risk though, some amazing and kind people have taken an even bigger risk on me and I am forever grateful for that.
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?
My name is Erin Harrell, nickname Twitch. I got into this industry because it is the only place I could see myself going to work every day and having a smile on my face while doing it. It was not as easy for me to get to where I am right now because I am from the middle of no where Illinois. There was not music scene of any kind around me when I was growing up. I moved to Memphis with a dream and a passion and I have been and will be working on myself in this industry and business every single day for the rest of my life. There is a never ending potential to grow and learn from not just books but from others in the industry who have lived through different decades. I surround myself with as many different people in the industry as I can because everyone does things different, so at the end of the day I can take the knowledge of many and turn it into my own little mixture. I do so many random things because there really aren’t jobs in this industry that I will turn down. I do everything from studio engineering, producing, front of house, monitor engineer, stage manager, stage hand. The list truly goes on. I feel like the more you get experience with and the more versatile I can be then the more successful I can be in my future with this industry. Problems come up on jobs all the time, and I feel like the best thing to do is to always stay calm. If I stay calm then the client is more likely to stay calm. Having good communication skills is also very necessary, especially in this industry. I am proud of anything I get to do every day because I get paid to do the coolest jobs on the planet. However, one of the best things I have been able to be apart of is the Recording Academy as one of their interns. It has led me to so many other opportunities, and at this early of an age it pushes me to want to create more to stay part of the community.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding part of working in this industry is when I get to see an audience react to the music in real time. Being able to do studio work and live work means I can take something from the beginning stages with nothing all the way to mixing through the PA and hearing fans sing along to every word. It is absolutely insane and gives me goosebumps at every show.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Go see live music. Go support your local artists playing in small venues. If you can then I recommend buying physical copies of peoples music like CDs or vinyls because that is a main way to keep an artist going and inspiring them to make new music. People do not make money on streaming platforms like some people think they do. There are so many people hustling to try and keep following their own dreams and passions that if you can a few dollars can go a long way in their tip bucket. We have to keep music alive.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twitch_presents/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-harrell-b519a2210/
Image Credits
Kristen Williams
Gabriel Aviles
Michael Parsons