We were lucky to catch up with Nathan Cuevas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathan, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I would say music production is an endless endeavor. Always will be a student. Been making music since my sophomore year of high school and I learn something new everyday. Shout out to Icon Collective (music production school in Los Angeles) and the University of Youtube. I don’t think I’ll ever become the “master” of this craft. That’s okay with me because it makes everyday a new possibility to discover new ways to approach music. Electronic dance music especially – as its landscape is always shifting and changing.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Before I got into this craft of producing music I was introduced to music at a pretty early age. I took piano lessons with my cousin and was trained classically. I eventually gave up because that type of music didn’t particularly interest me (as I got older though I listen classical music). Growing up I heard hip hop, r&b, and sometimes electronic dance music. I started learning my favorite songs through a website called ultimate guitar, print out the tabs/chords, sheet music and just get jamming. In high school I was in a garage band with my friends and we would just spend hours in my friends parent’s garage. It was really when I fell in love with music and I knew in my heart this was something I wanted to do in life.

Fast forward life happens holding a band together isn’t exactly easy. Everyone has to be committed to the cause. No fault of any of my band members – they saw music as a hobby and that was that. I still jam with my old band members once in awhile! I put music on hold for a bit and went to community college. Joined a jazz band. Barely made it through the piano audition and shout out to all those jazz musicians, you have my forever respect. I figured out though I was chasing music I wasn’t particularly happy with. It was a good challenge but it wasn’t my scene. Piano recitals and dressing formally – no thanks.

Joined the Navy. Engineman for 4 years. Then came back wanting to get back to music. Electronic dance music was the perfect solution to my situation. Saved up some money. Then I went to LA, and attended Icon Collective. X-men school for music producers basically. I learned so much in the year I attended. Hands down the best environment to learn and exponentially get better at producing music. Not sponsored to say that I genuinely feel that.

Fast forward some more. Hundreds of DMs on social media later I mix and master songs for smaller DJs and producers. And actually recently went into ghost producing. So you could say I came into the scene through social media, word of mouth, and local shows. University of YouTube for sure helped out a lot too.

So the service I provide are mixing, mastering, music production, and ghost production (whole songs). The genres I’m most known for in my circle is Jersey Club. If you don’t know this genre the song “Shots” by LMFAO is an example (and one of the first jersey club songs I was exposed to). I used to exclusively mix/master Jersey Club but nowadays I’ve been branching out to more genres such as House, Trap, and even UKG.

For my clients I just want them to be happy, but I want that to be a two way street. If I’m bothered by an element on a song (mix doesn’t sound right or vocal is mid) I tell the client. It’s one hundred percent honesty. I treat their songs as if they were my own. I ask myself “Would I release this song under my name?” Attention to detail. I listen to every element of the mix everywhere. My car, my studio, my AirPods, my phone speaker and my cheap 20 dollar speakers from Walmart. I want the song to sound good anywhere you hear it. Long story short, I always ask my clients if they are satisfied with the final product.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is getting the listener to feel something. When you make someone feel a type of way through a song – mission accomplished. That’s all I ever want for my listeners.

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.

Life as a creative isn’t really a clock in clock out deal. You have to literally align your life to make this dream come true.

We creatives wear many hats. The DJ, the producer, the promoter, and the social media manager just to name a few. Juggling these while paying rent isn’t easy, but if you buckle down, cut down on things that don’t contribute to your goal and focus – I promise you it’s possible.

It’s a lonely road, the friends you used to hang out with might not understand why you sit in front of laptop making robotic sounds for 8 hours straight. There’s no boss to tell you to come into work – it’s all on you.

Not trying to be a pity party but let me tell you making a living as a creative is difficult, but you can never lose if you never quit.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dialyup/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DIALYUP/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/1800dialyup
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFoehUWdtHkgmLEn5R2zciw

Image Credits
linktr.ee/sincerelyvos https://www.instagram.com/sincerelyvos/