We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tone Provo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tone below.

Tone , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.

Everything I do now, I learned on the job. One of the most challenging yet flexible aspects of the music journey is the lack of structure or a defined format for gaining traction. There are countless paths to take, each with different variables and outcomes.

I’ve faced various methods to learn, grow, adapt, and overcome. I’ve had the pleasure of being an aspiring artist during this creative technological renaissance. I’ve spent countless hours attending what I call “YouTube University,” watching videos that explain topics like music theory, how to operate the latest plugins on the market, or even how to create that cool stutter effect on a vocal you heard in your favorite song.

Curiosity is one of my favorite creative spaces to exist in. If I could do anything differently, it would be to continue finding comfort in that space of craving more knowledge. I believe that as we improve at our crafts, we sometimes forget the excitement of being a beginner, eager to learn anything and everything about it.

In my experience, the most beneficial skills to cultivate are self-belief and knowing the worth of your art. I wish I had understood the value of opinions earlier. Criticism and negativity can sting, but they’re just different perspectives. They only have a negative impact on your process if you allow them to. Ironically, those same opinions often become the gems that help you overcome hurdles when you need them most.

The biggest obstacle I’ve always faced is a lack of musicianship. I’m not fluent in any instruments yet. My playground is my DAW, and my voice is my built-in instrument. Over the years, I’ve developed some intermediate skills with the keyboard, but nothing beyond what I need to record for about four bars. That said, I’m excited to lean more into this aspect of my creativity moving forward. I recently got a bass guitar, so the keyboard and bass will be my instruments of choice as I continue to grow.

Lastly—and perhaps most obviously—the biggest hurdle is time. I believe that to keep your true creative juices flowing, you need to live your life, gain experiences, and ride the wave. In that process, you can sometimes feel stagnant, even while actively evolving. I stood in my own way for a long time simply because I didn’t feel ready to lean into my core.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Tone Provo, and I am a Music Producer, Artist, and Songwriter located in the Los Angeles area. Although I primarily focus on music production and audio engineering, I am passionate about contributing to all aspects of the music creation process. My love for music has always been a part of me, but it was during high school that I began experimenting with recording. I started by downloading various software trials, trying to understand concepts like compression. I vividly remember meeting up with friends, using a Rock Band microphone and my dad’s laptop to record music in the garage late into the night.

Reflecting back, another major turning point in my musical journey came during college at the University of La Verne. In my freshman year, I underwent ACL reconstruction surgery, which sidelined me for the basketball season. Unable to play, I turned to music again to stay busy. This time, my work sounded surprisingly better. The feeling of improvement was infectious, and sharing my progress with peers became a rewarding experience.

My sports background has also played a significant role in shaping how I approach music. I strive to put myself in the shoes of the people I collaborate with, ensuring the process is as seamless and symbiotic as possible. One core value I always hold is the importance of organic connectivity when creating.

I am most proud of my persistence. While I may not yet be where I envisioned myself, I’ve built relationships, honed my craft, and developed a network to support all aspects of my creativity. I am excited to continue building connections and collaborating with creatives from all walks of life.

My services include mixing, mastering, and custom production.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

One of my main missions is to be a light(positive force) in the music industry. I’ve often heard about how corrupt and scandalous many entertainment spaces can be, so I decided to break that mold in my own way. While I can’t control everything, I can control my own actions and behavior. I strive to operate in a way that makes people feel welcomed, accepted, appreciated, and comfortable enough to be vulnerable.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the opportunity to participate in one of the most divine processes we can experience as living, breathing beings: the act of creating. You don’t always know exactly what you’ll create when you sit down to begin, but then inspiration strikes—or it doesn’t. Either way, it comes from a special place built within creatives all over the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://solo.to/toneprovo
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/provolaylow
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/provolaylow

Image Credits

Korren Briley

IG – @korrenbrileyphotography