We were lucky to catch up with Keegan Ferrell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Keegan , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

The music industry is known for being all about time, doing things quickly, etc. And don’t get me wrong, I think efficiency and working smart is important, especially when you’re balancing 20 projects at once. But one thing that I try to emphasize is taking however much time we need to get things done the right way. For example, when it comes to studio time, I don’t charge by the hour. I don’t ever want an artist to feel the pressure that they need to perform, or get things done quickly. I don’t believe you can give your best performance when you’re creating out of a place of urgency or obligation. I will gladly do 100 takes of a vocal if it means the artist can walk out my studio door, get in their car, and drive home feeling ecstatic about the music they just created. I don’t every want any artist to leave feeling like they could have done more, sung something better, etc. Does this make things slower from time to time? Sure, it does. But I feel like the results and artist satisfaction that come on the back end of this process make it all worth it. I truly think this is the main reason I have so many repeat artists come back to the studio, is they feel like I foster a creative space that they can truly relax, express, and have fun! At the end of the day, we get into music because, simply put…it’s fun! We love it. So why should the recording process not be enjoyable as well? I am passionate about my studio being a place where people love the results they get in recording the song, but they love the process it took to get there equally as much.

Keegan , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Keegan Ferrell and I am someone that loves to partner with artists in pushing the creative envelope, making music that they are proud of, and seeing each artist grow and develop in the process of being an artist. At Keegan Ferrell productions, we do this with a careful process that takes an artist from the earliest stages of having just an idea, all the way to them having a radio-ready master in their hands, ready to promote and distribute to the world. Although we are based in Nashville, TN, Over the past three years, I have worked with hundreds of artists, from Nashville and far beyond. We’ve had artists come from Argentina, Australia, New York, Vermont, California, etc., all because they wanted to record and build a vision with me. I will never take that vote of confidence for granted.

What makes me the most proud of my business is that every step of the way, we have done things the right way and kept the artist first. A studio that exists to serve itself and build itself up will not last very long. The artist is the one that walks in the door and the one that walks out back into the world. For that reason, everything we do must be to make sure that artist is put in a position to succeed. From the moment they walk in the studio, I want them to feel relaxed and know that I care deeply and I’m on their team. I have the studio set up for them, with water bottles set up for them, a lyric sheet with their song typed out on the music stand, and mood lighting, ready for us to dig in. These small things go a long way, and are just a glimpse into the idea of making every artist feel like they have what they need to say what they need to say. Artists are some of the most fascinating people in the world, and it’s a blessing that every day, I get to work alongside some of the best artists in the world.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My whole life story really points to the idea of resilience. I was born in China in 1999 and at the time, there was a one-child policy in China. So what would happen in those days is if parents had a second child, or maybe a child they couldn’t take care of, they would leave that child in a public place. I was abandoned in a marketplace. As crazy as that sounds to our Western ears, this was very common in the day. As a matter of fact, my adopted brother was left in a train station. The rationale behind leaving a child in these public places was the hope of them being picked up and taken into an orphanage. This was my story. Thankfully, it has a happy ending, as I was adopted by an amazing family when I was 6-months old. I feel so blessed and fortunate to have ended up with the amazing family I have who has always loved me, supported me, and cared for me. I certainly would not be doing what I am today had it not been for their support. I might not even be alive had it not been for them making the sacrifice to bring me into their already busy lives. My point in this is I feel like resiliency is built into my origin story. I’ve always been extremely encouraged by my life story, and it’s made me understand just how blessed and fortunate I am to be here. That kind of gratitude helps me to create and work from a place of joy and thankfulness for every opportunity that comes my way.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

To be honest, the Bible has been a huge influence on my life and business as a whole. As a Christian business owner, the Bible has encouraged me in the idea that business is truly about serving people to the best of my ability – nothing more, nothing less.

On the whole, I think business can very easily turn into “how much can I grab for me as quickly as possible.” It can easily become a selfish thing about building up your Kingdom at any expense. I truly believe that mindset is the first step towards corruption, taking advantage of people, and the list goes on. I also think it sucks the joy out of life very quickly. Now don’t get me wrong, I love books on sales, I love a well-run marketing campaign, etc. But I think those things should be means to the end of finding people you can truly help, love on, and pour into. That is what I think is truly rewarding about owning a business. So for me, the Bible is a great reminder to me each and every day that I am just a small part of a bigger plan, that the world does not revolve around me and my business, and that ultimately, it’s up to me to work hard and be diligent, but I can trust God with the results. For me, this alleviates a lot of the stress and anxiety of being a business-owner.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: keeganferrellmusic
• Facebook: Keegan Ferrell Music

Image Credits
Haley Maria Photography, IG is @haleymariaphotography