Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Trae Berry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Trae, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Being a Creative is something that has been in my life’s scope for almost as long as I remember. When I was 11 or 12 I received my first portable CD player and immediately began scouring local shops that sold CDs to find the heaviest, most metal music I could find. It drove my parents crazy. I was obsessed with the sound and the way it made me feel. I would often close my eyes and picture myself on stage rocking out in front of thousands of fans. This would lead me to want to play bass guitar. I choose bass guitar because I felt there were too many guitarists around and bass guitar seemed easier to get the hang of because of the lack of strings.

I started getting bass guitar lessons when I was 12 and didn’t look back. I seemed so sure that music is what I wanted to dedicate my life towards. At the time, I didn’t know anything about anything in the music industry just the fact that this was the industry I wanted to prove myself in.

I can’t think of a specific moment that led to me saying “Okay I want to be a creative now”, it feels more as if I have always felt this way in my programming. I eventually grew out of my heavy metal phase (thank god) but that grungy, shy teenager who was obsessed with music never went away and I still feel that passion I did when I would close my eyes and listen to music.

Trae, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Music Producer, Audio Engineer & Studio Owner based out of Atlanta, Ga. I began my journey into the music industry in 2015 by starting a band in Athens, Ga called The Vinyl Suns. Gigging around Athens is a great start for any musician who is trying to earn their stripes in the scene. We were lucky enough to be a part of the musical culture in that city and played some great shows along the way. Unlike most college bands, we did not break up after everyone graduated but rather transitioned the band to be based in Atlanta.

Being in the music industry is tricky because you are faced with a lot of tough paths to choose from. Playing in a rock band that does not tour or gig consistently will not really bring in the big bucks so we were all presented with a choice. Out of the 5 members of the band, I was the only one who chose to go full-time in the music industry and began working as an Audio Engineer while the rest of the members chose to go corporate.

Atlanta is a great city to work as an audio engineer. There is a hugely diverse music scene as well as a very saturated rap market. This makes finding clients really easy if you know how to market yourself on a basic level. I officially began getting paid for audio engineering at a small studio in Chamblee called 380 studios. Everything there was decent and could get the job done but I always felt shackled to the label of “Audio Engineer”. I wanted the artists that I worked with to know what I am capable of and how much I can elevate their sound but at 380 I was limited in how much I could assist.

After 2 years of working at 380 Studios, I became tired and burnt out. I didn’t see much of a point to continue to do what I do. My boss at 380 and I were having some disagreements at the time so we decided to mutually part ways. At some point in mid-2021, I had the idea of starting up my own music studio. I had no idea how I would accomplish this or where to even start. I sold my car to afford a down payment on a place and then the hunt to find a suitable studio space was on. I noticed a lot of prejudice towards creatives as I was contacting building owners about their available space for rent. It wasn’t until August of that year when I found a craigslist ad with what looked like a perfect setup. Everything seemed too perfect: The listing pictures were high quality, the rent was cheap, it was in a decent part of town and the owners replied almost instantly. I jumped on the opportunity as quickly as I could and received my set of keys on September 1st. Getting those keys was a huge milestone in my career and truly validated my purpose as a creative.

Over the next couple of months, I began working to build the studio to not only have the ability to produce whatever musical idea I had but also have the ability to bring in clients across all genres and assist them on their musical journeys. I was able to open up shop to the public in November 2021. For the first time, it felt like all of my specialties within music are working in tandem to elevate my career.

I have been having a blast so far in my studio career and I am looking forward to keeping the ball rolling.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Resources are not always as easily discoverable as people think. For me, learning how to properly network (both online and in-person) has been huge in expanding my career. There are a million online tools that can get you in front of new opportunities.

My personal favorite is Reddit. Being able to communicate with like-minded people has helped refine what I do and it’s been a great tool to help build out my network of other music industry workers.

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

There is nothing quite like sharing a piece of work that you worked hard on. For me, it feels the same as when I would present art to my mom to put on the fridge when I was 5 years old. Deep down, we all just want to feel validated for the choices we make and the things we do.

Sharing original work is something that I will always feel blessed to do. It requires energy, effort, and resilience to take an idea from nothing to something. The biggest reward is having the opportunity for people to hear what you trying to share.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://natureboystudios.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traeberry/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/NatureBoyStudios/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNVhNALGGkuKjNu_fs5yzpg
• Other: Spotify Page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4gDnDbXqo4uEXMfXWLfumg Studio Spotify Portfolio: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0TdZ98FpxO0dntBoNfs37A?si=a0_qBYvcS1ygOul5O9gTVg&nd=1 Studio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natureboystudios/?hl=en Art Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchbook_of_sounds/?hl=en Band Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevinylsuns/?hl=en