We recently connected with Paul Buono and have shared our conversation below.

Paul, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I stared performing live gigs in the Boston area at age 15 and knew very quickly that music and playing the guitar would p[ay a very big part of my life. The band I was in at the time recorded a two song vinyl 45 (I’m dating myself here) in the local studio so I got my first taste of recording at an early age. After graduating high school I attended Berklee Collège of Music located in the city of Boston where I continued my music training. and education. Soon there after I began writing my own music and began experimenting with recording the songs I wrote at my little home studio. These experiences shaped me and sent me down a path that i knew I had to follow. There was an innate hunger and drive inside of me pushing me toward a career in studio recording and it was where I knew I belonged. Much like a painted knowing that they had to fill a blank canvas with their creations. The next big step I took as to write and record a few album projects of my own and one day a local aspiring artist/ singer songwriter heard my production work and asked if they could hire me to produce their next record. This was what ultimately hooked me all in. The fact that someone would pay me to do the very thing that I loved doing more than any other job in the world just opened my eyes to see that I was made for this job and I was among the luckiest people in the world to do what I love and get paid, So, 30 years later and well over 100 records produced I still find myself thrilled, excited, and filled with expectation at the start of every new project that I get involved, knowing that I will be challenged to create and discover something new within my artistic self. I eventually moved my base of operation to Nashville TN so I could be a apart of the thriving creative recording industry here ands have access to so many talented musicians, engineers, songwriters and world class recording studios,

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

I answered how I got started in the previous question.

My main area of focus and the area where I feel I bring a lot of value to me service is my ability to work with artist and help develop and tailor a sound and recording that is unique to them. I always strive to bring out the best in them and let them shine in the best possible light, Part of being a record producer is guiding and being the captain of the ship. Much like the directors role in film making, You have to make sure that the artist is comfortable yet challenged to give their best performance and maybe go deeper and find themselves going somewhere they would not have gone on their own, There is a real sense of teamwork and collaboration between the producer and artist that hopefully in the end yields a new creation that everyone is very proud of.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I have had to learn how to adapt to the every changing technologies that have swept through the music and recording industries over the last 20 years. everything from new digital recording formats to the way the end product of music is delivered and and enjoyed. With the advent of on-line downloads and now streaming, to home computer based recording systems I have had to continually evolve and innovate in order to find me streams of revenue and keep up with the fast paced changes that confront us.

On the positive and personal side, all of these changes in the way records are made has caused me to have to learn how to do so many more aspects of the process. Where as in the past when I used to just simply “produce” and over see the records, now I am full hands on in every step. From being the recording engineer, mastering and mix engineer as well as the main musical playing most of the instruments and programming synths and drums.

Overall it has made me a better musician which at the core is one of the main driving forces for me. Always trying to get better at everything I do. Make better mixes or play a better guitar parts. It’s always about growth and learning. So if you keep that attitude you can easily navigate all the complex changes and challenges that come your way,

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

After producing other artists for 30 years I finally allowed myself to write, record and sing on an album of my own. I was going through a hard time in my personal life at the time and it led me down a path of a more blues type project. Thus, The Union Blues was born. This gave me a chance to sing on an album of my own and write songs that were very cathartic for me.

I had made many instrumental jazz albums in the past with my jazz group Art Four Sale, but singing was was new territory for me. I had produced hundreds of other singers in the studio but never had to be the person behind the mic. So this was challenging and in the end a very rewarding experience for me. I’m very proud of the record I made and it goes to show that as an artist/ creative you always need to push yourself to try and do something new that you’ve never done before so that you are pushed out of your comfort zone and it’s at that edge where some of the most raw, intimate and best art can be created,

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theunionblues.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theunionbluesnashville/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKiLUQkDKEo