We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nate Harrison a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Nate thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
Although I do go through phases where I often wonder if I should have taken a normal path (remote/hybrid 9-5 job with benefits doesn’t sound to bad…), I am always surprised by the little things in my daily life that remind me that I made the right choice. When I have time alone in the morning to go for a run, make a pot of coffee, and sit down and practice the guitar, it makes me happy. When a song I work on passes the threshold from demo to a fully-fleshed out idea, I get happy. And when I get the chance to play on a stage, unbothered by any other thing in the world, it makes me happy. This path is certainly not easy but I would choose it again and again.
Nate, 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?
My name is Nate Harrison, and I am a 23-year old music producer, audio engineer and guitarist based out of Philadelphia. I’ve been playing guitar ever since I was in second grade, drums since I was in fourth, and been producing music since tenth grade. All of my combined experiences led me to study Music Industry at Drexel University, where I graduated with a B.S. in Recording Arts and Music Production in 2023. After engineering in music studios in LA and working live sound for South Jazz Kitchen in Philadelphia, I decided to take a different path out of college and start freelancing.
I provide a variety of music related services, including music production, mixing & mastering, audio engineering, guitar work, film composing, post-audio production for film, and private one-on-one music lessons on a variety of instruments. I like to think of myself as a creative problem-solver, and I love finding out-of-the box solutions to help clients fulfill their musical vision. I am most proud of the musicality, thoughtfulness & intentionality across my bodies of work. If a client works with me, they know I can provide professional results tailored to their specific vision at a fast turnaround.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I don’t think people will understand the mentality it takes to do something in the creative field. A lot of industries that my friends went into had more of a linear path. They could go to college, get some internships, interview for companies, and work their way up the corporate ladder. That wasn’t for me. In order to succeed in my industry, I never really stop working. My days are spent figuring out how to spend my time more efficiently, how to make rent more efficiently so I have more time to grow my brand, how to balance free work with paid opportunities, how to connect with other artists, how to juggle projects and much more. It’s scary, entirely self-motivated, and very hard to keep up. I also wouldn’t have it any other way.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Quite simply, pay us for our time. Music and art are some the greatest expressions of the human experience that we have. Many people enjoy and consume various forms of media to relax But as creatives, we live and breathe by our art. This life demands long and hard hours, often with very little payoff for the amount of time put into a body of work. The more I get paid for my time, the more I can solely concentrate on making the art the best it can possibly be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nateharrisonmusic.com
- Instagram: nateharrisonmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557874784399
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaniel-l-07a356109/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nateharrisonplays/featured
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nate_harrison0
- Other: lyncsound.com – post-audio website
Image Credits
Cam Shea
Jason Boyer