We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Leah Dunn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Leah below.
Leah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
After spending a lot of time as a songwriter and performer, I began really diving into engineering and production when I started college. The two most important classes I was taking at the time were a Protools class and an intro to audio engineering class. I spent time in the studio for homework, and eventually for fun. Even though I hardly knew what I was doing, I made the choice to do all my work in Protools. I worked very slowly, but that’s not a bad thing, and over time I got faster. I used time in the studio to explore the equipment that was sitting in the room, even if I wasn’t happy with how it sounded initially. It was hard to come to something as a beginner, and even harder not to compare myself to others, but there was such a beauty in starting from a clean slate.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I see myself now as an audio-engineer and producer. I love working with artists to help bring their vision of sound to life. I’m also a songwriter, and I’ve released 2 albums and an EP. Currently, I’m in my third year of college studying at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute for Recorded Music, and I plan to stay in New York after I graduate.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Collaboration is an extremely rewarding aspect of artistic work. I’ve met some of my best friends through working together. All of a sudden, you are not alone in facing the inherent challenges of creative work. You are working as a team against the empty Protools session on the screen. For me, there’s no better feeling than helping someone else accomplish their goals. Whether it is watching their face light up when you find the right bass sound, or finally fix the troubleshooting in the studio, it is the reason I love working with other people.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Over a year ago I joined Havurah, a Jewish art collective based in New York, as their music director. My Jewish identity has always been important to me, but I had never really imagined getting to combine it with my music life. I run a series called Havurah sessions that features performances from Jewish artists. I book the artists, run the sound, and mix the audio for video release. I’ve met so many new musicians from this work, it has truly been such a fulfilling part of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://leahdunndunn.com
- Instagram: @leahdunndunn
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-dunn-6a0176267
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeahDunn
- Other: My Bandcamp: https://leahdunn.bandcamp.com Havurah: www.havurah.art https://www.instagram.com/havurahfolk/
Image Credits
Sabrina Yanez, Owen Caldwell, Juniper Holland